Abstract: A heat intensifier for directing radiant heat from a campfire toward a camper situated on the ground adjacent the campfire to enhance the warmth provided by the campfire to the camper includes a collapsible screen having a heat-reflective surface and a frame for attachment to the screen to deploy the screen in a concave-convex configuration in which the heat-reflective surface is located in a position relative to the camper and the campfire to reflect radiated heat from the campfire toward the camper, and anchoring devices for anchoring the attached screen and frame to the ground in that position.

Abstract: A transfer pad cover includes a frame structure covered by a water-proof sheet material. The frame structure is supported by bar joists that are mounted for movement along tracks. The entire structure is moved by hand or motor or by a truck from which a liquid transfer will be made to a position adjacent the transfer pad during the transfer operation. When the material and frame structure are sufficiently weighted down so that it is unsafe to move the cover, the joists will rest on a ground surface, preventing movement of the cover. In an alternate embodiment, the rails are sloped and the truck pushes the cover off of the pad. When the truck leaves the pad, the slope of the rails causes the cover to automatically return to protect the pad under the influence of gravity.

Abstract: A drive-through dust hood assembly for transit mix trucks is provided by a pair of side curtains that are pivotally mounted on a top closure panel and which cooperate to close about the end of a truck and the mouth of the mixer drum to capture any dust created by filling thereof. The side curtains may be pivoted from the closed positon to an extended position for easy transit mix truck access when not exhausting dust. The side curtains of the closure are made of flexible sheet material that will conform to the irregular size and shape of various style trucks, so that filling dust does not escape to the ambient air. The exhausted dust is captured in a bag house or other suitable filtration facility for reuse or subsequent disposal. Swinging curtain closures are used for the back of the truck to permit efficient closing of the back area while allowing easy pivoting of the curtains should the truck not fully clear the open assembly.

Abstract: A portable, collapsible practice device which forms an enclosure for containing balls which are pitched, hit, kicked or batted into the enclosure is described. The device is attached to and supported by a permanent backstop or other structure at the practice area. The device comprises a pair of frame members comprising pivotally connected support, netting or other foldable material which is suspended from and between the supports thereby forming the enclosure, means for attaching one end of the supports to the permanent structure and wires or ropes for maintaining the rigidity of the device.

Abstract: A shelter is formed of readily portable components. Wall members are attached by ear-like projections extending from edges thereof which penetrate slots formed in adjacent wall members. Perforations in the projections accept tapered pegs for securing wall members together. Elongated furniture members, including bed support beams and shelf and table members, extend between and provide structural support to opposing walls by projections extending from their ends which penetrate slots formed in the walls and which are secured in place by tapered pegs. The tapered pegs include a flattened side at their tapered ends which facilitates insertion and maintains the head of the peg away from the wall members.

Abstract: A wind blocking screen comprises three flat panels of substantially rigid material joined together along integral fold lines to form a continuous row of panels which can be folded together into a flat configuration for storage and opened out at any desired angle to one another in an open, shielding configuration. Each panel has a handle opening adjacent the center of one of its edges which is positioned for alignment with corresponding openings in the other panels when they are folded flat, forming a hand grip for carrying the screen.

Abstract: A portable, foldable beach screen provides privacy and protection from wind and blowing sand for a reclining individual. The screen is constructed from a single panel and is foldable into a compact and easily carried configuration. The screen may include a reflective material on one or both major surfaces and can carry advertising messages or other printing.

Abstract: A rectangular fabric article of manufacture vertically supported on poles on a beach so that users on the leeward side are shielded from wind, and having color indicia or the like imprinted on the windward side to serve as a location-indicating visual signal.

Abstract: A portable shelter which can be quickly and easily set up at the beach or other recreation area. The shelter is formed of a sheet of lightweight material having creases to form hinges between back and roof panels and supporting side panels. The side panels having upper and lower sections which have mutually engaging slots. The shelter is easily and quickly set up by folding the lower side panel sections approximately ninety degrees to the back and interlocking the mutually engaging slots of the upper and lower side panel sections.

Abstract: The invention provides a portable shelter including a base, a seat, and a collapsible windscreen assembly which is mounted on the base around the seat. The portable shelter according to the invention can be readily transported over snow or ice, and then set up for winter sports such as ice fishing. In preferred embodiments, the base of the unit defines a storage compartment wherein the windscreen assembly can be stowed when not in use. A cushioned seat functions as the lid for the storage compartment. According to an additional aspect of the invention, the seat is disposed in parallel to the bottom wall of the base which supports the unit so that the unit need not be turned on end prior to use.

Abstract: An improved portable and foldable shelter comprising a structure of tubular members and cross-members forming an assembly having side walls preferably tapered inwardly, a roof or top, and a covering complementary in shape to the assembled structure. Elongated containers are secured to the walls of the shelter and are capable of receiving a heavy substance such as water, sand or elongated segments of heavy material. The containers may be elongated pockets, secured to or incorporated to the shelter, preferably to the covering or incorporated in the side walls of the covering, and located substantially at the lower end of the side wall adjacent to the supporting surface so that the lower portion of the containing means may be close to or touch the supporting surface thus preventing the passage of air or wind underneath the side walls or the floor of the shelter.

Abstract: A sunshade is provided by a pair of rigid upright support members and a cross member connected to their upper ends and from which hangs by one edge a panel of flexible material. When the lower ends of the support members are pushed into the ground along a line perpendicular to the direction from which the wind blows, the panel is blown by the wind to a substantially horizontal position to provide a shaded area of a size to protect the face of a sun bather lying prone on the ground.

Abstract: A combination beach blanket and wind protector device, including a flexible mat that is movable from a rolled-up, closed, carry position to a flat, open position, wherein the mat is disposed in a substantially horizontal position on a selected ground site, side and head panels being joined to the mat along fold lines thereof, and a plurality of openings being located in said mat in spaced relation adjacent to the side and head panels. A plurality of posts are provided, each of which extends through an opening in the mat for penetration into the ground for fixing the mat in the flat, open position thereon. A first fastening element is joined to the side and head panels, and a second fastening element is secured to the posts, wherein the first and second fastening elements cooperate for mounting the side and head panels on the posts, thereby locating the side and head panels in an upright position for sheltering an occupant who is lying on the mat.

Abstract: A barrier shield device, foldable and easily portable, for outdoor use in providing wind-protection or other shielding effects, particularly for use on a sandy beach. A plurality of panels are hinged for a composite shield-effect when folded outwardly for use; and a plurality of spikes, which are supportingly connected to the panels, are movable between an upper position for ease of transport and a lower position in which they are pushed into the ground to hold the panel assembly stable.

Abstract: A portable shelter which can be quickly and easily set up at the beach or other recreation area. The shelter is formed of a sheet of lighweight material having creases to form hinges between back and roof panels and supporting side panels. The side panels having upper and lower sections which have mutually engaging slots. The shelter is easily and quickly set up by folding the lower side panel sections approximately ninety degrees to the back and interlocking the mutually engaging slots of the upper and lower side panel sections.

Abstract: A Beach Mat with built-in Adjustable Sun Shade is described. The head of the mat contains elastic stays. These elastic stays permit the head of the mat to be shaped into an arc with the help of strings. Said arc becomes a sun shade. On relief of the tension of the stays by releasing the strings, the mat may be rolled into a small cylinder for transportation and storage.

Abstract: An arched body portion is supported by line means to hang from a ceiling over a bed so as to form a canopy independent of the bed. The body portion preferabley is constructed of rigid board material having novel joint sections forming the arched configuration.

Abstract: A dome-shaped shelter of a plurality of water-proof foldable light-weight panels. Each panel is of three sections, trapezoidal base and middle sections and a truncated triangular top section with a transverse seam joining the sections. Each foldable panel has lateral flanges on each side. The flange along one side is flat and vertical while the flange on the other side is of an inverted U-shape, so that it can loop over the flat vertical flange on the adjacent panel and a sping clip holding the flanges together. Apertures in the panels form doors or windows therein.

Abstract: A collapsible sunshade for erecting on a sandy beach includes a polygonal sail member and a complement of supporting poles corresponding to the corners of the sail member, the poles being particularly flexible for maintaining a desired tension in the sail member without requiring accurate positioning of the poles in the sand. The poles each have a triangular trough-shaped blade member for securely anchoring in wet or dry sand with a low level of downwardly directed force being required for penetration of the poles into the sand. Loops extending from the corners of the sail member enclose respective shanks of the poles, tensioning of the loops providing frictional engagement with the shank members for supporting the vertical load of the sail member. The loops of the sail member can be adjusted up and down individually on the poles, the flexibility of the shank members assuring the required frictional engagement, even when the sunshade is exposed to winds and accidental contact.

Abstract: This invention consists of a doll playhouse of generally triangular cross-section designed to give the appearance of a small tent. The playhouse has a handle at the apex of the playhouse so that the playhouse may be easily carried when not in use. The playhouse has a hollow interior in which a child can place dolls during fantasy play. The playhouse also has a window in one side wall, covered by a mesh, and comprising a window flap attached at the top edge of the window on the exterior of the tent playhouse. The window flap covers the window in the closed position, while in the open position the window flap is gathered up and tied in place by ribbons also affixed to the tent playhouse. The playhouse has a front opening covered by two triangular flaps extending from the side walls of the playhouse.

Abstract: This isolation hut intended for temporary or provisional use, notably as a polling-booth during elections or like events, or as a transportable trying cubicle, a dressing-room during occasional events, or the like, consists of a frame structure made from a basic folding sheet of cardboard, pasteboard or light-weight multilayer material, or metal, comprising a plurality of lateral walls and a front access aperture. This structure is stiffened on the one hand by bending the basic sheet material and on the other hand by means of posts disposed at the corners of the structure, a cross bar constituting a lintel disposed at the top of the front aperture, and possibly a desk-forming element, all these elements being obtained by folding a flexible sheet of the same basic material as the basic folding sheet constituting the frame structure.

Abstract: A sun protection assembly (10) for shielding an air conditioner/heat pump from the direct rays of the sun. The assembly comprises a frame (12) to which a screen (14) is attached. Front and rear legs (16) are attached to the frame to support the assembly a predetermined distance above the ground.

Abstract: A cover for an object, which automatically extends over the object and retracts into a storage position. The cover has one end attached to a roller which is rotatably attached to the object. A number of adjustable brackets are positioned along the upper and side surfaces of the object. Guide elements are attached to the cover and slidably and interlockably connected to the brackets. When the cover is extended over the object, the adjustable brackets automatically unfold, raising the cover upward and extending the flaps sideways to protect the object. For military purposes, when an air compressor or a liquid pump is actuated, the double layer of the cover and the flaps are filled with air or any liquid of desired temperature, thus, providing instant automatic camouflage and also protective covering against enemy detection and attack by heat seeking missiles.

Abstract: The invention disclosed is a novel composite material useful in tent construction, particularly for cold-weather use. The novel composite includes an outer water-vapour permeable, substantially wind-proof layer, a thermal insulating layer adjacent the outer layer, a water-vapour barrier layer adhesively bonded to the thermal insulating layer and an inner water-absorbent layer which is preferably flame-resistant. Condensation problems which occur in tents used in cold-weather conditions are minimized by the provision of an inner water-absorbent layer which absorbs and directs condensed water-vapour to the tent floor.

Abstract: A tent is described which includes a pentagonal-shaped roof canopy detachable from a pentagonal-shaped floor, and a mosquito netting, enclosure in the form of a hemi-dodechohedron, which extends from the floor to the roof.

Abstract: A shelter includes a substantially rectangular fabric cover consisting mainly of square or rectangular corner sections (10, 21, 31) of a fabric which is unstable on the bias, the cover being supported, at the innermost corners of the corner sections, by one or more posts (15, 24) or ribs (37), and the outermost corners of the corner sections are attached to tensioning means (17, 28, 37) so as to stretch the corner sections (10, 21, 31) on the bias in downward and outward directions.

Abstract: A portable ice fishing shelter includes an integral, molded shell having a bottom wall, side and rear walls which extend upwardly from the peripheral edges of the bottom wall, and a top wall which extends between the upper edges of the side and rear walls. The shell is adapted to stand on the bottom wall in an upright position of use and has sliding surfaces on outward projections on the rear wall which can slidably support the shell on ice and snow to facilitate transport thereof. A seat is provided within the shell and compartments are provided between the seat and bottom wall for holding items such as fishing tackle, a lantern, and fish which have been caught. An optional snow blind includes two vertical panels, each having an edge pivotally supported on a front edge of a respective side wall.

Abstract: A tent-like enclosure includes as the supporting frame a generally circular frame member pivotably mounted to and held within a generally U-shaped main frame member, both frame members being constructed of a plurality of flexible, resilient rods held in end-to-end relationship.

Abstract: A tent comprising a flexible porous sheet having an inner face and an outer face and a resilient frame attached to the sheet. The resilient frame is stressed so that the frame can shape the sheet into an enclosure having a peripheral wall, a closed top, an opening at the front, and a shroud for closing the opening. The shroud is of substantially greater length than the height of the opening. A peripheral region of the sheet extends from the perimeter of the enclosure to form a seal with the surface which supports the tent.

Abstract: A combination camouflaged hunting blind and windbreak having ropes attached for securing to and around trees in a manner to enclose an area of sufficient size to allow a hunter freedom of movement while remaining hidden from the surrounding game and protected from the wind. A lower panel is connected to a top strip by spaced apart connections to form elongated openings for the hunter to both see and shoot through in any direction.

Abstract: A windbreak which is formed of a post secured to a frame and sheet material is secured to the frame. The frame is comprised of grooved rods which secure sheet material via tube-like strips. The post is comprised of a plurality of rods and a clamp secures the rods. The adjoining rods define channels and the clamp includes projections which extend into the channels. Fittings are secured to the upper ends of the rod of the post and the frame is secured to the fittings. Fittings are further secured to the frame by dowel-like members.

Abstract: An improved manhole service vehicle having an enclosed working space and an opening in its floor sized at least as large as a work man to permit him to service a manhole while the service vehicle shelters both the workman and the manhole. A laterally movable platform having a work opening is located over the floor opening to permit the final alignment of the work opening with the manhole after a metal detector located in a lid placed in the work opening permits the initial positioning of the service vehicle and the work opening over the manhole. A safety liner extending from the work opening into the manhole and a breakaway frame surrounding the floor opening help to ensure the safety of the workman should the service vehicle be hit by another vehicle. A side mounted hoist support within the vehicle permits placement of the safety liner into and out of the floor opening. Leveling jacks operable from within the service vehicle ensure the stability of the service vehicle once in position.

Abstract: A wind shelter device having flexible frame and pane portions which are supported upright by a plurality of detachable ballast containers. Included is a storage tube for receiving the shelter having the ballast containers acting as end caps for the tube.

Abstract: This shelter comprises at least one roofing formed by a plurality of fabric panels which are assembled in their upper part along curvilinear edges. The edge of each panel forms two curves which converge at a center point and all the panels are united at this center point. The lower side of each panel is provided with two cables for exerting a tension thereon. These cables are spaced apart a distance which is less than the distance between the support posts supporting the outer ends of the seams between adjacent panels. A shelter having three panels thus covers a hexagonal area on the ground and a completely free space.

Abstract: A canvas tarpaulin having dimensions sufficient to cover the top of an open truck box has one edge affixed to one longitudinal edge of the truck box top. The opposite edge of the tarpaulin is affixed to a tube which extends for the length of the box. The rear of the tube contains an extension attached to a universal joint. A crank handle is also attached to the joint so that the tube can be rolled transversely across the top to roll up the tarpaulin thereon. A downward cantilevered lip is attached to the opposite longitudinal edge of the box top. When the tarp is unrolled, the tube rolls over a free edge of the lip and can be wound in the opposite direction rolling up a small portion of the tarpaulin under the free edge. The crank handle is then moved against the rear of the truck body thus locking the universal joint thereby holding the tarp tightly upon the box top. The crank handle is then secured against the rear of the box.