Portable protective structure which avoids roof sag and pocketing

Claim 2

A portable structure adapted for frequent set-up and take-down and which avoids roof sag and pocketing, the structure comprising: a portable framework including plural vertical supports and plural horizontal supports, with some of the horizontal supports bridging between, and attached with, adjacent vertical supports; a removable roof cover dimensioned to extend over, and be removably attached to the structural framework, the roof cover defining plural corners, with each corner positioned at an intersection of a horizontal support and a vertical support, the roof cover further including an intermediate roof field between adjacent corners, the removable roof cover further comprising a peripheral hem extending below the bridging horizontal supports and between the adjacent vertical supports when the removable roof cover is stretched across the structural framework, the peripheral hem defining an elongated extension of the cover extending along each vertical support; means for securing the extremity of each elongated extension along an adjacent vertical support to facilitate the stretching of the removable roof cover taut across the structural framework; and means for elevating the corners of the roof cover with respect to the intermediate field in order to avoid roof sag and pocketing across each intermediate field.

Claim 3

The portable protective structure recited in claim 1 wherein the structural framework further comprises plural roof supports, each roof support extending from a generally central vertical peak outwardly to a corresponding one of the vertical supports.

Claim 4

The portable protective structure recited in claim 2 wherein the means for elevating each corner of the roof cover is adjacent to an intersection of a vertical support and a roof support.

Claim 5

The portable protective structure recited in claim 3 wherein the peripheral hem extends below the bridging horizontal supports and between adjacent vertical supports when the roof cover is stretched across the structural framework whereby each intermediate field lies taut across the roof and horizontal supports and around the vertical supports, with each intermediate field defining a generally concave trough.

Claim 6

The portable protective structure recited in claim 3 wherein each corner comprises a smooth bend in the structural framework adjacent a corresponding intersection of a roof support and a vertical support.

Claim 7

The portable protective structure recited in claim 5 wherein each roof support is bowed upwardly between the peak and the intersection with the corresponding vertical support.

Claim 8

The portable protective structure recited in claim 5 wherein each bridging horizontal support is defined by plural segments between adjacent vertical supports.

Claim 9

The portable protective structure recited in claim 7 wherein each horizontal support segment is pivotably coupled to one of the vertical supports.

Claim 10

The portable protective structure recited in claim 8 further comprising a pivot arm coupled to each horizontal support segment and the corresponding vertical support.

Claim 11

The portable protective structure recited in claim 9 further comprising a collar engaged with each vertical support, and wherein one end of two of the pivot arms are coupled to the collar at each vertical support.

Claim 12

The portable protective structure recited in claim 10 further comprising a ring engaged with each horizontal support segment and wherein the other end of each pivot arm is engaged with a corresponding one of the rings along the adjacent horizontal support segment.

Claim 13

A portable protective structure adapted for frequent set-up and take-down and which avoids roof sag and pocketing, the structure comprising: a structural framework including plural vertical supports, plural horizontal supports and plural roof supports, with each roof support extending from a common central peak outwardly to, and intersecting with a corresponding vertical support, with a curved corner at the upper extremity of each vertical support and with the horizontal supports bridging between adjacent vertical supports, each horizontal support intersecting with the adjacent vertical supports at a point substantially below the curved corners; a removable roof cover dimensioned to extend over and removably attached to the structural framework, the roof cover defining plural corners, with each roof cover corner overlying a corresponding curved corner along the upper extremity of the corresponding vertical support, the roof cover further comprising a peripheral hem overlapping and extending below the horizontal supports; means for elevating the corners of the roof cover with respect to the intermediate field in order to avoid roof sag and pocketing across each intermediate field; and means for stretching and securing the peripheral hem to the vertical supports so as to draw the roof cover taut across the structural framework.

Claim 14

A portable protective structure adapted for frequent set-up and take-down and which avoids roof sag and pocketing, the structure comprising: a structural framework including plural vertical supports, plural horizontal supports and plural roof supports, with each roof support extending from a common central peak outwardly to, and intersecting with a corresponding vertical support, with a curved corner at the upper extremity of each vertical support and with the horizontal supports bridging between adjacent vertical supports, each horizontal support intersecting with the adjacent vertical supports at a point substantially below the curved corners; a removable roof cover dimensioned to extend over and removably attached to the structural framework, the roof cover defining plural corners, with each roof cover corner overlying a corresponding curved corner along the upper extremity of the corresponding vertical support, the roof cover further comprising a peripheral hem overlapping and extending below the horizontal supports; means for elevating the corners of the roof cover with respect to the intermediate field in order to avoid roof sag and pocketing across each intermediate field; and means for stretching and securing the peripheral hem to the vertical supports so as to draw the roof cover taut across the structural framework.

Claim 15

The portable protective structure recited in claim 12 wherein the roof cover and the peripheral hem further define an elongated extension of the cover extending along each vertical support, and wherein the means for stretching and securing the peripheral hem to the vertical supports comprises means for attaching the elongated extension along the vertical support.

Claim 16

The portable protective structure recited in claim 12 wherein each bridging horizontal support comprises plural segments between adjacent vertical supports.

Claim 17

The portable protective structure recited in claim 14 further comprising a pivot arm coupled to each horizontal support segment and the corresponding vertical support.

Claim 18

A portable protective structure adapted for frequent set-up and take-down, comprising: a portable structural framework including plural vertical supports, plural horizontal support segments and plural roof supports, each vertical support having a pair of the horizontal support segments pivotably coupled thereto at one end of each horizontal support segment adjacent to the upper extremity of the corresponding vertical support, the associated pair of horizontal support segments disposed at a predetermined angle common to all of the vertical supports, each horizontal support segment having an opposing end interfitting with a horizontal support segment associated with the adjacent vertical support, each roof support extending from a central peak to one of the vertical supports; a removable roof cover dimensioned to extend over and removable attached to the structural framework, the removable roof cover defining a peripheral hem which extends below the horizontal support segments; means for elevating the corners of the roof cover with respect to the intermediate field in order to avoid roof sag and pocketing across each intermediate field; and means for securing the peripheral hem to the vertical supports below the horizontal supports.

Claim 19

A portable protective structure adapted for frequent set-up and take-down, comprising: a portable structural framework including plural vertical supports, plural horizontal support segments and plural roof supports, each vertical support having a pair of the horizontal support segments pivotably coupled thereto at one end of each horizontal support segment adjacent to the upper extremity of the corresponding vertical support, the associated pair of horizontal support segments disposed at a predetermined angle common to all of the vertical supports, each horizontal support segment having an opposing end interfitting with a horizontal support segment associated with the adjacent vertical support, each roof support extending from a central peak to one of the vertical supports; a removable roof cover dimensioned to extend over and removable attached to the structural framework, the removable roof cover defining a peripheral hem which extends below the horizontal support segments; means for elevating the corners of the roof cover with respect to the intermediate field in order to avoid roof sag and pocketing across each intermediate field; and means for securing the peripheral hem to the vertical supports below the horizontal supports.

Claim 20

The portable protective structure recited in claim 16 further comprising a vertical wall panel between two adjacent vertical supports, and means for detachably coupling the vertical wall to the horizontal support segments between adjacent vertical supports.