Improvements relating to Knapsacks or like Accoutrements.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Knapsacks or like Accoutrements.
I, WLADIMIR SMERDOFF, of Warsaw, Poland, Lieutenant in the Volhynien
Regiment of Life Guards, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
A knapsack according to this invention is carried on the back by means of
straps passing from the right shoulder to the left hip and buckled together on
the breast and is supported by the waist-belt by means of a hook, so that the
whole weight of the knapsack is transmitted to the left hip and the right
shoulder of the soldier is thus completely freed from weight, which greatly
facilitates the handling of the rifle or the side arni By means of an outwardly
arched plate the knapsack is. kept away from the back of the soldier so that air
can circulate freely between the soldier's body and the knapsack.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings are respectively a back and a
front elevation of such a knapsack: Fig. 3 is a horizontal section corresponding
o the line A B of Fig. 5; Fig. 4 shows a soldier with his great coat on and
carrying the knapsack and the tent sheets crossed over his breast and back;
Fig. 5 is a side view of the knapsack; Fig. 6 shows the closing arrangement;
and Fig. 7 shows the carrying hook in front and side view; Fig. 8 shows another
example of a knapsack according to this invention somewhat different from that
shown in Figs. 1 to 7.
The knapsack shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive comprises an oblong bag a,
which, in order that it may be as light as possible, is made of black waterproof
canvas or other suitable material such as balloon silk. The side y that is the
further from the soldier's back, forms the cover and is secured by straps m and
buckles z; the opposite side, which rests on the back, forms the bottom. The
stiffening at the ends is effected by side pieces s.
At the upper end of the knapsack, which is at the height of the right shoulder
when being carried, there is fastened a strap c, and at the lower end there is
fastened a buckle e in which is secured a strap, on which are slid two cart-
ridge pouches for 30 cartridges each. On the other end of the strap d there is
provided a buckle f by means of which the upper strap c is fastened on the
man's breast and the knapsack on the back secured in place.
One of the cartridge pouches is provided with an oblique runner ir, which,
when the knapsack itself is not carried, is vertical and through which the belt
is then drawn.
On the part of the knapsack which, when the knapsack is worn, is situated
next to the man's back an outwardly arched wooden plate i is held by two leather
pockets, whereby the knapsack is prevented from lying close to the back of the
soldier, so that air can circulate freely between the knapsack and the back of
the man.
Close to the lower buckle e there is fastened a carrying hook h covered with
leather, or a leather strip of similar dimensions, which, as the case may be, is
booked to the waist belt or secured to it by means of a buckle » (Fig. 7). Thus

page_text: the whole weight of the knapsack is transferred to the left hip, and the right
shoulder is completely freed from weight, which is a great advantage in shoot-
ing or using the side arm.
The knapsack is closed by a cover which extends over the upper perforated
side portions and is secured by means of a buckle strap r: after opening the
cover the long side y can be thrown back in the manner shown in Fig. 6 and
then fastened by means of straps m and buckles z. The knapsack can thus be
opened along its entire length and at the top, or only at the top by unbuckling
the cover t.
The knapsach, which is closed by two or more little straps m, is provided at
the upper and at the lower end with four leather runners through which are
drawn two straps n, of which the upper one may be broader and longer than the
lower one and by means of which the spare shoes kept in the bags 6, the tent-
poles with the tent cords wound around them, and the tent pegs q, are buckled
firmly to the knapsack. On the upper side of the boot-bags, runners can also
be provided in order to keep the straps n secure and in place.
P
In Fig. 4 the soldier is shown as carrying (in addition to the knapsack a) the
tent sheets from the left shoulder to the right hip; in this case the spare shoes
are not carried in the bags b on the outside of the knapsack a, but in the tent-
cloth, to which also the tent poles and the tent pegs g are buckled.
The knapsack is thrown over the right shoulder, in such a manner that the
concave side rests on the back, the carrying hook h is made to engage with the
waist-belt and fastened hy means of the buckle 1. The cartridge pouches rest
in front on the left side of the body near the hip.
The rolled great coat is carried from the left shoulder to the right hip, and
crosses the knapsack on the back, on which it rests in the spacer (Fig. 5)
between the shoe bags h.
If the cartridge pouches g alone are to be carried and the knapsack a is to be
laid aside, the upper strap, which is made broader and longer for the purpose,
is unbuckled, and, after loosening the fastenings at f and e, is secured at one
end to the buckle f and at the other end, by means of its own buckle, to the
strap the cartridge-pouch strap, n, thus lengthened, is also carried from the
right shoulder to the left hip and the waist belt is drawn through the cartridge-
pouch runner w.
In order to prevent the upper end of the knapsack from striking against the
right shoulder whilst running, there may be drawn through between the plate i
and the knapsack, or so as to engage with the strap n which holds the upper
of the two shoe bags b, a narrow strap which is brought to the front under the
arm-pits and buckled on the breast. When this strap is in use, it can be drawn,
together with the strap that holds the upper boot bag, through the runner that
holds the latter and which is made somewhat larger.
If a knapsack is required that can be shortened for carrying less luggage
and lengthened for carrying more luggage, the example shown in Fig. 8 is
used. The plate of wood is in this case fastened only by its upper end to the
leather pocket k, whilst the lower end passes freely under a leather runner 2,
and over the upper pocket k and the wooden plate i runs a narrow strap 3, which
holds the wood plate i firmly. The bag a itself is made in two parts, one of
which is slid inside the other so that the length of the bag can be increased or
reduced as required.
The advantages of a knapsack according to this invention are great lightness,
an easy way of carrying, which completely frees the soldier's right shoulder
from weight by transferring the load to the left hip, and free circulation of air
between the knapsack and the back of the man.
TL
1
1 1000

page_text: CAREER apsUCKS OF JIke Accoutrements.
I, WLADIMIR SMERDOFF, of 33, Mokotowska Street, Warsaw, Poland, Lieu-
tenant in the Volyhnien Regiment of Life Guards, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: -
A knapsack or accoutrement (hereinafter called a knapsack) according to this
invention is carried on the back by means of straps passing from the right
shoulder to the left hip and buckled together on the breast and is supported
by the waist belt by means of a hook, so that the whole weight of the knapsack
is transmitted to the left hip and the right shoulder of the soldier is thus to
a large extent freed from weight which greatly facilitates the handling of the
rifle or the side arm. By means of an outwardly arched plate the knapsack is
kept away from the back of the soldier, so that air can circulate freely between
the soldier's body and the knapsack.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification are
respectively a back and a front elevation of such a knapsack; Fig. 3 is a hori-
zontal section corresponding to the line A B of Fig. 5: Fig. 4 shows a soldier
with his great coat on and carrying the knapsack and the tent sheets crossed
over his breast and back; Fig. 5 is a side view of the knapsack; Fig. 6 shows
the closing arrangement and Fig. 7 shows the carrying hook in front and side
view; Fig. 8 shows another example of a knapsack according to this invention
somewhat different from that shown in Figs. 1 to 7. The knapsack shown in
Fig. 1 to 7 inclusive comprises an oblong bag, which, in order that it may be
as light as possible, is made of suitable material as black waterproof canvas or
balloon-silk. The side that is the furthest from the soldier's back forms the
cover and is secured by straps m and buckles z; the opposite side y, which rests
on the back, forms the bottom. The stiffening at the ends is effected by frame-
like end pieces s.
At the upper end of the knapsack, which is at the height of the right shoulder
when being carried, there is fastened a strap c, and at the lower end there is
fastened a buckle e in which is secured a strap d, on which are slid two cart-
ridge pouches to hold 30 cartridges each. On the other end of the strap there is
provided a buckle f by means of which the upper strap c is fastened on the
man's breast and the knapsack on the back secured in place.
し
One of the cartridge pouches is provided with an oblique runner w, which when
the bag is not caried, is vertical and through which the belt is then drawn.
On the part of the bag a which, when the knapsack is won, is situated next
to the man's back an outwardly arched wooden plate is held by two leather
pockets whereby the bag is prevented from Iving close to the back of the
soldier, so that air can circulate freely between the knapsack and the back of
the man.
Close to the lower buckle e there is fastened either a carrying hook covered with
leather, or a leather strip of similar dimensions, which, as the case may be, is
hooked to the waist belt or secured to it by means of a buckle u (Fig. 7). Thus
the whole weight of the knapsack is transferred to the left hip, and the right
shoulder is to a large extent freed from weight, which is a great advantage in
shooting or using the side arm.
The knapsack is closed by a cover which extends over the upper frame-like
end pieces and is secured by means of a buckle strap r. After opening the
cover the long side y can be thrown back in the manner shown in Fig. 6. The

page_text: knapsack can thus be opened along its entire length and at the top, or only at
the top by unbuckling the cover t.
The knapsack, which is closed by two or more little straps m, is provided at
the upper and at the lower end with four leather runners o through which are
drawn two straps n, of which the upper one may be broader and longer than the
lower one and by means of which the spare shoes kept in the bags b, the tent
poles 2 with the tent cords r wound around them, and the tent pegs q, are buckled
firmly to the knapsack. On the rear sides of the boot-bags, runners can also
be provided, in order to keep the straps n secure and in place.
P
In Fig. 4 the soldier is shown as carrying (in addition to the knapsack) the
tent-sheets from the left shoulder to the right hip; in this case the spare shoes
are not carried in the bags bou the outside of the bag a, but in the tent
cloth, to which also the tent poles and the tent pegs are buckled.
The knapsack is thrown over the right shoulder, in such a manner that the
concave side rests on the back, the carrying hook is made to engage with the
waist belt and is fastened by means of the buckle. The cartridge pouches rest
in front on the left side of the body near the hip.
The rolled great coat is carried from the left shoulder to the right hip, and
crosses the knapsack on the back, on which it rests in the spacer (Fig. 5),
between the shoe bags b.
If the cartridge pouches g alone are to be carried and the bag a is to he
laid aside, the upper strap a, which is made broader and longer for the purpose
is unbuckled, and, after loosening the fastenings at † and e; is secured at one
end to the buckle f and at the other end, by means of its own buckle, to the
strap d; the cartridge pouch strap d, n, thus constituted, is also carried from the
right shoulder to the left hip and the waist belt is drawn through the cartridge-
pouch runner w.
In order to prevent the upper end of the bag a from striking against the
right shoulder whilst running, there may be drawn through between the plate i
and the bag a, or so as to engage with the strap which holds the upper
of the two shoe bags b, a narrow strap which is brought to the front under the
arm-pits and buckled on the breast. When this strap is in use, it can be drawn,
together with the strap that holds the upper boot bag, through the runners
that hold the latter and which are made somewhat larger for the purpose.
If a knapsack is required that can be shortened for carrying less luggage
and lengthened for carrying more luggage the example shown in Fig. 8 is used.
The plate of wood i is in this case fastened only by its upper end in the leather
pocket, whilst the lower end passed freely under a leather runner 2; and over
the upper pocket & and the wooden plate irun narrow straps 3, which holds the
wood plate firmly and are preferably attached, one to each portion of the bag.
The bag itself is made in two parts, one of which is slid inside the other so
that the length of the bag can be increased or reduced as required.
The advantages of a knapsack according to this invention are great lightness,
an easy way of carrying, which to a large extent frees the soldier's right shoulder
from weight by transferring the load to the left hip, and free circulation of air
between the bag and the back of the man.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A knapsack or accoutrement comprising an oblong bag a of suitable water-
proof material, as waterproof canvas or balloon silk which is carried by means
of straps c and d from the right shoulder to the left hip, and which, by means
of a bent plate i fastened in pockets k is kept away from the body for the pur-
pose of allowing circulation of air between the body and the knapsack, and by
means of a carrying hook or a strap h, has a considerable portion of its weight

page_text: transmitted to the waist belt at the left hip for the purpose of relieving the
right shoulder of burden.
2. A knapsack or accoutrement according to the preceding claim except that
the plate i engages at one end only in a pocket & and is secured by straps 3 pass-
ing over the said pocket and under a runner 2, whilst the bag a is made in two
parts one of which is slid inside the other, so that the length of the knapsack
can be altered as desired.
3. The improved knapsack or accoutrement herein before described with refer-
ence to and shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive of the drawings accompanying my
Provisional Specification and the same modified as described with reference to
and shown in Fig. 8 thereof.
Dated th: 19th low of Nowombor 1900
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.