Protective covering for a marquee on an articulated arm

A protective covering for a marquee wound on a winding shaft and an outer tube mounted on articulated arms for extending and retracting the marquee comprising:

• an elongate casing including closed lateral sides, said casing enclosing the winding shaft for the marquee as well as the outer tube and further including a discharge opening along a length thereof through which the arms are articulated to extend and retract the outer tube and hence to extend and retract the marquee;
• a cover device which tightly covers said discharge opening in a closed position when the marquee is in a retracted position in said casing and which is opened by movement of the outer tube as the marquee is extended, said cover device including a top flap and a bottom flap;
• a top mounting means for mounting said top flap for pivoting movement to said casing between a closed position toward which said top flap is biased and an open position to which said top flap is moved by engagement with the outer tube and marquee when the outer tube is extended;
• a bottom mounting means for mounting said bottom flap for pivoting movement to said casing between an open position toward which said bottom flap is biased and a closed position;
• and
• a bottom closing lever means for moving said bottom flap to the closed position against the bias to the open position by engagement with the outer tube at an end of the retracting of the outer tube into said casing, said bottom closing lever means being connected to said bottom flap for movement therewith and wherein when said bottom flap is in the open position said bottom closing lever means remains positioned to be engaged by the outer tube at the end of the retracting of the outer tube into said casing.