US20130206198A1

US20130206198A1 - Slide-top tent retrofit system

Info

Publication number: US20130206198A1
Application number: US13/667,783
Authority: US
Inventors: Alexander Thomas Kouzmanoff; David Bradley
Original assignee: Aztec Tents Inc
Current assignee: Aztec Tents Inc
Priority date: 2012-02-14
Filing date: 2012-11-02
Publication date: 2013-08-15

Abstract

A slide-top tent retrofit system for converting a frame tent to a slide-top tent is described. In some embodiments, the system comprises a retrofit end crown fitting that can attach to an original crown fitting using an original attachment means. In some embodiments this retrofit end crown fitting comprises a sliding channel and attaches to retrofit rafter beams, also comprising a sliding channel, which replace original rafter beams. The retrofit rafter beams can also attach to retrofit side eave fittings, which replace original side eave fittings. In larger tents comprising one or more original mid crown fittings, retrofit mid crown fittings can replace the original fittings and attach to retrofit rafter beams. In one embodiment, the retrofit end crown fitting attaches to the original end crown fitting using a pin and hole attachment system.

Description

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/598,785, filed Feb. 14, 2012.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to fabric slide-top tents and, more particularly, to a retrofit package to convert a conventional frame tent to a fabric slide-top tent.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional frame tents comprise a tent frame that supports a tent cover. The tent frame comprises a top assembly supported by legs. Different segments of the frame are supported by different types of connections. A cover is generally connected to the top assembly using mechanisms such as buckles or latches.
Some embodiments of conventional frame tents have pyramid-shaped top assemblies. FIGS. 1A-D show perspective, side, end, and top schematic views, respectively, of such a frame tent 10. A top assembly 14 is supported by eight leg beams 12. Eight perimeter beams 16 form the square perimeter of top assembly 14. Four hip rafter beams 18 and four rafter beams 20 support the cover of the frame tent (not shown). A central crown fitting 22, in this case an 8-way fitting, connects hip rafter beams 18 and rafter beams 20 at the crown of the frame tent 10. The central crown fitting 22 is a special type of end crown fitting, as it connects two hip sections of the tent. Corner fittings 24 connect two perpendicular perimeter beams 16, a hip rafter beam 18, and a leg beam 12. Double-hip eave fittings 26 connect perimeter beams 16 that form a side of the top assembly 14, a rafter beam 18, and a leg beam 12. The two halves of the frame tent 10, shown on either side of line A-A in FIG. 10, are known as hips or hip ends (used interchangeably herein); this type of frame tent consists of two hip sections with no mid-sections.
Other embodiments of conventional frame tent top assemblies comprise mid-sections which connect two hip sections. FIGS. 2A-D show perspective, side, end and top schematic views, respectively, of such a frame tent 30. The frame tent 30 comprises hip ends 31 and twelve leg beams 12 to support the top assembly 34. In addition, the frame tent 30 comprises mid-sections 33. While this embodiment comprises two mid-sections 33 a and 33 b, other embodiments can comprise one mid-section or three or more mid-sections. The frame tent 30 comprises perimeter beams 16, and similar to frame tent 10 comprises four hip rafter beams 18. The frame tent 30 includes eight rafter beams 20. The frame tent 30 also comprises ridge beams 36, which run along the top of mid-sections 33. End crown fittings 23, in this case 6-way fittings, connect two hip rafter beams 18, three rafter beams 20, and a ridge beam 36. The mid crown fitting 28, in this case a 4-way fitting, connects two rafter beams 20 and two ridge beams 36. In certain cases, fittings with more connections can be used in place of fittings with fewer connections. For example, an 8-way fitting can sometimes be used when six connection points are needed. End eave fittings 25 and side eave fittings 27 each connect two perimeter beams 16, a rafter beam 20, and a leg beam 12.
Larger tents may require additional beams and fittings, and may also require beams to be split into two or more parts. FIGS. 3A-D show perspective, side, end, and top schematic views, respectively, of such a frame tent 40. In addition to the beams comprising the frame tent 30, the frame tent 40 comprises hip rafter support beams 42. The hip rafter support beams 42 connect a hip eave fitting 46 with a hip rafter beam. The hip rafter beam can be split into two sections 44 a and 44 b, or can comprise one continuous beam. Because of the hip rafter support beams 42, the hip cave fittings 46 must be at least 5-way connections. Because the fifth connection, in this case the connection to hip rafter support beam 42, would not displace the other connections of the fitting, 5-way hip eave fitting 46 could also substitute for end eave fittings 25 and side eave fittings 27.
Frame tent fitting or joint systems (used interchangeably herein) are used to connect the beams of a tent. Some embodiments of frame tent fitting systems comprise one or more attachment systems. Crown fittings are often the most difficult fittings to design, as they often must include more points than other fittings, such as side eave fittings and hip cave fittings. One embodiment of an attachment system capable of use with a crown fitting is a pin and hole attachment system that includes pins that are used in conjunction with pin holes in the fittings and/or frame beams. Another embodiment comprises a nut and bolt connection. Attachment systems can also comprise swivel pieces so as to enable connection to slanted or horizontal beams. Several other attachment systems are also possible.
FIGS. 4A-C show perspective, top, and side views, respectively, of an original 8-way crown fitting 50 designed for use with a pin and hole attachment system, although the fitting 50 can be modified for use with other attachment systems. The crown fitting 50 comprises sets of parallel fins 52 a and 52 b which comprise pin- holes 54 a and 54 b, respectively. The crown fitting 50 also comprises slots 56 in the middle of each fin set 52 (i.e., between the fin 52 a and the fin 52 b). In the embodiment shown, pins 58 are attached to the fitting 50 by a chain, although in other embodiments the pins 58 may be separate.
FIG. 4D shows a perspective view of a frame pole 60 that comprises an attachment end piece 62, which itself includes a pin-hole 64. FIG. 4E shows a perspective view of the crown fitting 50 connected to multiple frame poles 60 using pins 58. The attachment end pieces 62 are inserted into slots 56 such that the pin- holes 54 a, 64, and 54 b are aligned, and pins 58 are inserted through the holes to secure the connection between the frame poles 60 and the fitting 50.
In FIG. 4E, frame poles 60 serve as hip rafter beams 118 a and 118 b, rafter beams 120 a, 120 b, and 120 c, and ridge beam 136. The pin and hole system described above allows the crown fitting 50 to connect to both slanted beams (such as beams 118 a, 118 b, 120 a, 120 b, and 120 c) and horizontal beams (such as the beam 136). Because of this ability, the crown fitting 50 can also serve in place of crown fitting 22 in a tent with no mid-sections such as the FIG. 1A-D embodiment, connecting to four hip rafter beams 18 and four rafter beams 20.
One frame tent fitting system that utilizes both a pin and hole system similar to that described above as well as nuts and bolts is that of the Fiesta® Frame Tent series from Anchor® Industries. “Assembly Instructions: Fiesta® Frame Tent 18′ through 22′ Wide Systems With Expandable Kits” and “Assembly Instructions: Fiesta® Frame Tent 24′ through 30′ Wide Systems With Expandable Kits,” published by Anchor® Industries, are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Similar to conventional frame tents, slide-top frame tents can include a tent frame that supports a cover or roof (used interchangeably herein). In conventional frame tents, pieces of a cover are placed on top of the tent and lashed to each other and to the tent frame. Tent covers can be made from a variety of materials, including but not limited to canvas, cloth, polyethylene, nylon, polyester, vinyl, vinyl-coated polyester, acrylic materials, or any number or combination of other materials. Slide-top tents are designed such that a tent roof or cover (used interchangeably herein) can be installed by sliding it over the top assembly of the tent, often through a channel included in certain rafter beams. This installation method allows for easier installation and significant reduction in wear to the roof fabric due to repetitive installations. Further, slide-top tents do not require different sections of the cover to be lashed together, and therefore form a more watertight seal between sections since the cover pieces can be locked into frame beams. Slide-top tents can have the same frame layout as frame tents, including comprising hip ends, but with altered frame beam and fitting designs or additional components that interact with these beams and fittings to enable slide installation of the cover.
With respect to FIGS. 1A-D, one cover piece covering a hip end (not shown) can lock into and slide up one side of a rafter beam 20 a (on one side of line A-A in FIG. 1D) and slide down the same side of the opposite rafter beam 20 b. This first cover piece will then cover one side of the tent. A second hip cover piece (not shown) will then slide up and down the opposite side of rafter beams 20 a and 20 b, respectively, and cover the other half of the tent. The cover pieces can then be attached to perimeter beams 16 if desired. In order to facilitate the sliding process, the rafter beams 20 can comprise channels through which a cover piece could slide.
With respect to FIG. 2, hip cover pieces are installed in the same manner as described above. Mid cover pieces, or the cover pieces between the hip end pieces, are installed by sliding the cover piece up opposing sides (i.e., sides that are facing one another) of beams 20 a and 20 c, and then down opposing sides of beams 20 b and 20 d. Mid cover pieces can then be attached to perimeter beams and/or leg beams if desired. Further, the cover can also extend all the way to the ground.
Because of the many advantages, many users wish to convert frame tents to slide-top tents. Several retrofit systems have previously been designed to accomplish this purpose, including the 20′ and 30′ Jumbotrac® Conversion Systems from Aztec Tents and the 40′ Fiesta® Plus II Retrofit system from Anchor Industries (measurements refer to tent width). However, retrofit systems must commonly be designed to work with a specific frame tent, and thus some retrofit systems are not compatible with some frame tents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, and in general terms, the invention is directed to a retrofit system to convert a regular frame tent to a slide-top tent. In some embodiments, the converted regular frame tent utilizes pin-and-hole connections.
One embodiment of a frame tent according to the present invention comprises an original end crown fitting and a retrofit end crown fitting. The retrofit end crown fitting is attached to the original end crown fitting and enables slide installation of at least part of a tent cover.
Another embodiment of a frame tent according to the present invention comprises an original end crown fitting and an original end crown fitting attachment system. A retrofit end crown fitting is configured to enable slide installation of at least part of a tent cover and attaches to the original end crown fitting using the original attachment system. A retrofit rafter beam attaches to the retrofit end crown fitting on one end, and attaches to a retrofit side eave fitting on the other end.
One embodiment of an end crown fitting system for use in a sliding-top tent according to the present invention comprises a retrofit end crown fitting. The retrofit end crown fitting comprises a cap with two sliding channels and at least two legs configured to attach to rafter beams.
These and other embodiments and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example the features of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-D are schematic perspective, front, side, and top views of a prior art square frame tent.

FIGS. 2A-D are schematic perspective, front, side, and top views of a prior art frame tent comprising mid-sections.

FIGS. 3A-D are schematic perspective, front, side, and top views of a prior art frame tent comprising mid-sections and additional supports.

FIGS. 4A-C are perspective, top, and side views of an 8-way crown fitting. FIG. 4D is a perspective view of a frame pole with an attachment end. FIG. 4E is a perspective of an 8-way crown fitting connected to multiple frame poles.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are side and cross-sectional views of a retrofit rafter beam comprising elements according to the present invention.

FIGS. 6A-C are exploded front, front, and top views of a retrofit side eave fitting and cast fitting comprising elements according to the present invention.

FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are front and bottom views of a retrofit mid crown fitting comprising elements according to the present invention.

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are front and bottom views of a retrofit end crown fitting comprising elements according to the present invention.

FIGS. 9A-C are perspective schematic views of three retrofitted tents comprising elements according to the present invention.

FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are front and top views of a fully connected retrofit side eave fitting comprising elements according to the present invention.

FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B are front and top views of a fully connected retrofit mid crown fitting comprising elements according to the present invention.

FIGS. 12A-C are front, side, and top views of a retrofit end crown fitting connected to an original 8-way crown fitting comprising elements according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a fully connected retrofit end crown fitting comprising elements according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides embodiments of a retrofit system designed to convert a regular frame tent to a slide-top tent. Various parts including beams and fittings are designed to either replace or be used in coordination with the original frame tent components. Once assembled, a cover can be attached to the retrofitted tent frame by sliding the cover through channels or other similar structures in the beams and/or fittings. Embodiments of the present invention can have many advantages over prior art retrofit systems; for example, embodiments of the present invention can enable easier retrofit installation since many original parts can be reused. Some embodiments of the present invention use all original attachment parts, so that retrofit fittings are attached to original fittings and/or beams using attachment systems that were already part of the original frame tent components. Other embodiments can use a combination of original attachment systems and retrofit attachment systems, or only retrofit attachment systems. Further, embodiments of the present invention enable the retrofitting of types of fittings that are particularly difficult to adapt for use in a slide-top tent.
It is understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. Furthermore, relative terms such as “inner”, “outer”, “upper”, “above”, “lower”, “beneath”, “below”, and similar terms, may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element to another. Terms such as “higher”, “lower”, “wider”, “narrower”, and similar terms, may be used herein to describe angular relationships. It is understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the elements or system in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.
Although the terms first, second, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, or section from another. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, a first element, component, region, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Further, the term “original” is often used to describe devices that were part of a frame tent system before the tent is retrofitted to operate as a slide-top tent, although this should not be interpreted as the only meaning of the term.
Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to view illustrations that are schematic illustrations. As such, the actual thickness of elements can be different, and variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances are expected. Thus, the elements illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Embodiments of the present invention can comprise four main types of retrofit pieces, including one or more rafter beams, side eave fittings, mid crown fittings, and/or end crown fittings. In a preferred embodiment, retrofit rafter beams, side eave fittings, and mid crown fittings replace their counterpart original pieces, whereas retrofit end crown fittings attach to and work in conjunction with the original end crown fittings. In this preferred embodiment, retrofit rafter beams connect at one end to a retrofit side eave fitting and at the other end to either a mid or end crown fitting. All or some of the attachment systems used to connect the retrofit parts can be original attachment systems, meaning they can also be used to connect corresponding parts in an original frame tent.
FIGS. 5A and 5B show a side view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a retrofit rafter beam 220. The beam 220 can be made of aluminum, steel, another metal, plastic, PVC pipe, or other suitable tent frame materials. The retrofit rafter beam 220 can comprise one or more channels 222 a and four button-holes 224. In some embodiments of a slide-top tent, a canvas or tent top (not shown) is designed to slide through channel(s) 222 a.
FIGS. 6A-C show an exploded front view, a front view, and a top view, respectively, of a retrofit side eave fitting 226 and a cast fitting 202. In this embodiment, cast fitting 202 serves as a connection between the retrofit side eave fitting 226 and a leg beam 12 (not shown), wherein cast fitting 202 serves as the male part and leg beam 12 comprises a corresponding female part, although other connection systems are possible. The cast fitting can be either a retrofit part or can be an original part that is attached to the retrofit side eave fitting 226. The retrofit side eave fitting 226 can be connected to cast fitting 202 by a nut and bolt system 204. The retrofit side eave fitting 226 comprises a through-hole 206 where in some embodiments perimeter beams 16 can connect, and comprises a pin-hole 208 where a pin 58 can be placed to secure the connection between perimeter beams 16. In the embodiment shown, the attachment system comprising pins is an original attachment system, although in other embodiments it can be a retrofit attachment system. The pins 58 can be removed from the prior art piece and attached to the retrofit side eave fitting 226, although in other embodiments they can be separate. The fitting 226 can further comprise a push-button 210. The push-button 210 in this embodiment is designed to connect with a button-hole 224 of a retrofit rafter beam such as beam 220 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, although other attachment means are possible.
The embodiment of FIGS. 6A-C can also comprise a cap 230. The cap can comprise a channel 222 b. The channel 222 b can align with the channel 222 a when the retrofit rafter beam 220 is connected to the retrofit side eave fitting 226. In the embodiment of FIGS. 6A-C, the cap 230 comprises a connecting piece 232 which can connect to a corresponding attachment mechanism in the retrofit rafter beam 220, although these pieces are not essential. The cap 230 can be made of aluminum, steel, another metal, PVC, or plastic, and can be attached to the retrofit side eave fitting 226 in a number of manners, such as by nut(s) and bolt(s), screw(s), molding, or soldering, although other attachment means are possible.
Fittings can have two or more connection points; some common embodiments of side eave fittings are 4-way fittings, while end crown fittings can be 8-way fittings or have even more than eight connection points. Connection points can include any type of connection system, such as pins and pin holes. While the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6A-C show a 4-way retrofit side eave fitting, retrofit side eave fittings with less than or more than four connections are also possible. For example, the embodiment of FIGS. 6A-C can be slightly modified so as to be able to replace the hip end eave fitting 46. The fifth connection in such a case often would not need a mechanism to enable a slide installation of a canvas, since hip rafter support beams 42 often do not contain slide mechanisms. Similarly, a retrofit side eave fitting could be adapted to replace a 6-way double-hip eave fitting or another type of 6-way fitting.
FIGS. 7A and 7B show a front view and a bottom view, respectively, of a retrofit mid crown fitting 228. Similar to the retrofit side eave fitting 226, the retrofit mid crown fitting 228 comprises a through-hole 238. In some embodiments, two ridge beams 36 can meet inside the retrofit mid crown fitting 228 and be attached by a pin 58 placed through the pin-hole 239, although other attachment systems are possible. The fitting 228 can comprise two legs 242, each of which can comprise a push-button 210 for attachment to retrofit rafter beams 220, although other attachment means are possible.
The retrofit mid crown fitting 228 can also comprise a cap 240, which can itself include a curved channel 234. The curvature of the cap 240 enables fabric to transition over the ridge of the tent. Although in this embodiment the retrofit mid crown fitting 228 is intended to replace an original mid crown fitting, a retrofit mid crown fitting can also be used in conjunction with the original fitting.
FIGS. 8A and 8B show a front view and a bottom view, respectively, of a retrofit end crown fitting 244. Similar to the retrofit mid crown fitting 228 shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the fitting 244 can comprise two legs 242 with push-buttons 210 for attachment to retrofit rafter beams 220, as well as a cap 240 comprising a curved channel 234. In this embodiment the cap 240 is attached to the rest of the fitting 244 using a nut and bolt system 246, although other connection systems are also possible.
In this embodiment, the retrofit end crown fitting 244 is designed to be used in conjunction with an original crown fitting, such as the 8-way crown fitting 50 shown in FIGS. 4A-C. In other embodiments, the retrofit end crown fitting 244 can be designed to be used without the original crown fitting. The fitting 244 can comprise attachment pieces 262 with pin-holes 264. The attachment pieces 262 can take the place of two original attachment end pieces 62 and be connected to an 8-way crown fitting 50 in opposing slots 56 using pins 58. The remaining six slots 56 can remain available for connection to other beams.
FIGS. 9A-C show perspective schematic views of retrofitted tents 300, 310, and 320, respectively. These tents comprise elements according to the present invention used to convert a frame tent to a slide-top tent. In the FIG. 9A embodiment, two retrofit rafter beams 220 and two side eave fittings 226 are used in place of two rafter beams 20 and two side eave fittings 26. Retrofit end crown fitting 244 is used in conjunction with the central crown fitting 22. In FIGS. 9B and 9C, six retrofit rafter beams 220 and six retrofit side eave fittings 226 are used in place of six side rafter beams 20 and six side eave fittings 26. A retrofit mid crown fitting 229 is used in place of a mid crown eave fitting 28, and two retrofit end crown fittings 244 are used in conjunction with two end crown fittings 23.
FIGS. 10A and 10B show a front view and a top view, respectively, of a fully connected retrofit side eave fitting 226. In this embodiment, the fitting 226 is connected to a retrofit rafter beam 220, two perimeter beams 16, and a leg beam 12. The fitting 226 is connected to the beam 220 using the push-button system described above with relation to FIGS. 6A-C, although other connection systems such as a male-female system, a pin system, or a nut and bolt system are also possible. The fitting 226 is also attached to the perimeter beams 16 and the leg beam 12 using the systems described in relation to FIGS. 6A-C.
FIGS. 11A and 11B show a front view and a top view, respectively, of a fully connected retrofit mid crown fitting 228. In this embodiment, the fitting 228 is connected to two ridge beams 36 and two retrofit rafter beams 220. The legs of the fitting 242 can be connected to the beams 220 using the push-button system or any other connection system.
FIGS. 12A-C show a front view, a side view, and a top view, respectively, of a retrofit end crown fitting 244 connected to an 8-way crown fitting 50. The attachment pieces 262 can occupy two opposing slots 56. A pin 58 can then be placed through the pin- holes 54 a, 264, and 54 b to attach the fitting 244 and the fitting 50. Other previously described connection systems are also possible.
FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a fully connected retrofit end crown fitting 244. The fitting 244 is attached to the 8-way crown fitting 50 as previously described, although it can also be attached to crown fittings with fewer or more than 8 connections. The legs 242 can then be connected to two retrofit rafter beams 220 using a push-button system or any other connection system such that the channels 222 a and 222 b are aligned and can enable slide installation of a part of a tent cover. The 8-way crown fitting 50 is then connected to other beams just as it was in a prior art tent. In the embodiment shown, corresponding to the embodiment of frame tent 310 shown in FIG. 9B, the 8-way crown fitting 50 is connected to two hip rafter beams 18, a rafter beam 20, and a ridge beam 36.
Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred configurations thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the invention should not be limited to the versions described above.

Claims

We claim:

1. A frame tent comprising:

an original end crown fitting; and

a retrofit end crown fitting for use with an original tent structure;

wherein said retrofit end crown fitting is attached to said original end crown fitting and is configured to enable slide installation of at least one part of a tent cover.

2. The frame tent of claim 1, wherein said original end crown fitting is a central crown fitting.

3. The frame tent of claim 1, wherein said retrofit end crown fitting is attached to said original end crown fitting using an original end crown fitting attachment system.

4. The frame tent of claim 3, wherein said original end crown fitting attachment system is a pin and hole attachment system.

5. The frame tent of claim 3, wherein said retrofit end crown fitting is attached in two opposite connection slots of said original end crown fitting.

6. The frame tent of claim 5, wherein said retrofit end crown fitting comprises a means for connecting two rafter beams to said two opposite connection slots of said original end crown fitting.

7. The frame tent of claim 1, wherein said original end crown fitting is at least a 6-way fitting.

8. The frame tent of claim 1, wherein said retrofit end crown fitting comprises a first channel to enable slide installation of said at least one part of a tent cover.

9. The frame tent of claim 1, further comprising a first retrofit rafter beam;

wherein said first retrofit rafter beam is attached to said retrofit end crown fitting.

10. The frame tent of claim 9, wherein said retrofit end crown fitting comprises a first channel to enable slide installation of said at least one part of a tent cover;

wherein said first retrofit rafter beam comprises a second channel to enable slide installation of said at least one part of a tent cover; and

wherein said first channel and said second channel are aligned.

11. The frame tent of claim 10, further comprising a retrofit side eave fitting;

wherein said retrofit side eave fitting comprises a third channel to enable slide installation of said at least one part of a tent cover;

wherein said third channel is aligned with said second channel.

12. The frame tent of claim 9, further comprising a retrofit side eave fitting;

wherein said first retrofit rafter beam is attached to said retrofit side eave fitting.

13. The frame tent of claim 12, wherein said first retrofit rafter beam is attached to said retrofit end crown fitting and is attached to said retrofit side eave fitting using push-button attachment systems.

14. The frame tent of claim 12, further comprising:

a retrofit mid crown fitting connected to a second retrofit rafter beam; and

a second retrofit side eave fitting;

wherein said second retrofit side eave fitting is attached to said second retrofit rafter beam.

15. The frame tent of claim 9, wherein said first retrofit rafter beam is attached to said retrofit end crown fitting using a push-button attachment system.

16. The frame tent of claim 9, further comprising a retrofit mid crown fitting and a second retrofit rafter beam;

wherein said retrofit mid crown fitting is connected to said second retrofit rafter beam.

17. A frame tent, comprising:

an original end crown fitting for use with an original tent structure; and

an original end crown fitting attachment system for use with an original tent structure;

a retrofit end crown fitting configured to enable slide installation of at least one part of a tent cover;

said retrofit end crown fitting attached to said original end crown fitting by said original end crown fitting attachment system;

a first retrofit rafter beam attached to said retrofit end crown fitting; and

a first retrofit side eave fitting attached to said first retrofit rafter beam.

18. The frame tent of claim 17, further comprising:

a retrofit mid crown fitting configured to enable slide installation of at least one part of a tent cover, wherein said retrofit mid crown fitting is attached to a second retrofit rafter beam; and

a second retrofit side eave fitting attached to said second retrofit rafter beam.

19. An end crown fitting system for use in a sliding-top frame tent comprising a retrofit end crown fitting, said retrofit end crown fitting comprising:

a cap comprising two sliding channels; and

at least two legs;

wherein each of said at least two legs is configured to attach to a rafter beam.

20. The end crown fitting system of claim 19, wherein said retrofit end crown fitting is attached to an original end crown fitting by an attachment system.

21. The end crown fitting system of claim 20, wherein said original end crown fitting comprises said attachment system.

22. The retrofit end crown fitting system of claim 20, wherein attachment system is a pin and hole attachment system.