IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLDIERS' KNAPSACKS, WHEREBY THEY ARE RENDERED SUITABLE FOR USE ALSO AS CUIRASSES OR BREASTPLATES, AND TO SERVE AS RIFLE STEADIERS IN ACTION."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cameron Joseph Francis Stuart Mac Dowall,
of Bombay, in the East Indies, but temporarily of 45, Pall Mall,
in the County of Middlesex, Surgeon in the Bombay Army, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLDIERS' KNAPSACKS, WHEREBY
THEY ARE RENDERED SUITABLE FOR USE ALSO AS CUIRASSES OR BREASTPLATES,
AND TO SERVE AS RIFLE STEADIERS IN ACTION."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cameron Joseph Francis
Stuart Mac Dowall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 11th April 1871.
I, CAMERON JOSEPH FRANCIS STUART MAC DOWALL, of Bombay,
in the East Indies, but temporarily of 45, Pall Mall, in the County of
Middlesex, Surgeon in the Bombay Army, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLDIERS' KNAPSACKS, WHEREBY
THEY ARE RENDERED SUITABLE FOR USE ALSO AS CUIRASSES OR BREAST PLATES, AND
TO SERVE AS RIFLE STEADIERS IN ACTION," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to enable soldiers' knapsacks to be
used also as cuirasses or breastplates for the protection of the wearer

page_text: when in action, and as rifle steadiers or lateral rests, for which purposes
the knapsack is made of a double tapering form, its two sides com-
mencing from the widest part of the knapsack, converging towards
each other both at its upper and lower parts. The upper end is inclined
or bevilled outwards to clear the head of the wearer, and when worn
as a cuirass the knapsack is reversed, that is, turned upside down, so
that its inclined or bevilled portion serves to protect the abdomen
(which is one of the most vital parts of the human body) without
interfering with the action of the thighs in walking or otherwise
impeding the free action of the wearer. A strap is provided that may
be allowed to hang down loose in front of the chest in marching, but
which serves as a waistband or belt for securing the knapsack in
position when worn as a cuirass or breastplate. Other straps are
arranged to pass straight down over the shoulders when the knapsack
is worn on the back so as not to confine the chest in marching, and
when the knapsack is used as a cuirass or breastplate these straps are
worn across the back like braces. When worn in front my improved
knapsack besides serving as a cuirass or breastplate also acts as a rifle
steadier or lateral rest, for which purpose it is made with its right side
bevilled off to a considerably greater extent than the left side, to
accommodate the position of the wearer's arin.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Cameron Joseph Francis Stuart Mac Dowall
in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 7th October 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CAMERON 2
JOSEPHI FRANCIS STUART MAC DOWALL, of Bombay, in the East Indies,
but temporarily of 45, Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex, Surgeon
in the Bombay Army, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of 30
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Cameron Joseph Francis Stuart
Mac Dowall, Her special licence that I, the said Camerou Josephi

page_text: Francis Stuart Mac Dowall, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Cameron Joseph Francis Stuart Mac
Dowall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain,
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SOLDIERS' KNAPSACKS WHEREBY THEY ARE RENDERED SUITABLE
FOR USE ALSO AS CUIRASSES OR BREASTPLATES, AND TO SERVE AS RIFLE STEADIERS IN
ACTION," upon the condition (amongst others), that I, the said Cameron
Joseph Francis Stuart Mac Dowall, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Cameron Joseph Francis Stuart
Mac Dowall, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to
say):
:-
This Invention has for its object to enable soldiers' knapsacks to be
used also as cuirasses or breastplates for the protection of the wearer
when in action, and as rifle steadiers or lateral rests, and will be fully
understood from the following description thereof, reference being had
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front view
of a cuirass knapsack made according to my Invention; Fig. 2 is a
vertical section of the same through the line A, B, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is
a back view with the lid or cover open; Fig. 4 is a plan of the under
part of the article; Fig. 5 is a side elevation (drawn to a reduced scale)
shewing the manner in which my improved knapsack is worn when on
the march; Fig. 6 is a back view of the same; Fig. 7 is a front view
shewing the arrangement of the straps; Fig. 8 is a side elevation
shewing the manner in which the knapsack is worn when in use as a
cuirass or breastplate; Fig. 9 is a front view of the same; and Fig. 10
is a back view shewing the arrangement of the straps.

page_text: According to my Invention the knapsack is made of a double
tapering form, its two sides commencing from the widest part a of the
knapsack converging towards cach other, both at its upper part a' and
at its lower part a². The upper end a' is inclined or bevilled at a* to
clear the head of the wearer, and when worn as a cuirass the knapsack
is reversed, that is, turned upside down, as shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10,
so that its inclined or bevilled portion serves to protect the abdomen
(which is one of the most vital parts of the human body) without
interfering with the action of the thighs when walking, or otherwise
impeding the free action of the wearer. A strap is provided that may
be allowed to hang down loose in front of the chest in marching, but
which serves as a waistband or belt for securing the knapsack in position
when worn as a cuirass or breastplate. Other straps c are arranged
to pass straight down over the shoulders when the knapsack is worn
on the back, so as not to confine the chest in marching; and when the
knapsack is used as a cuirass or breastplate these straps are worn across
the back like braces, as shewn in Fig. 10. When worn in front my
improved knapsack, besides serving as cuirass or breastplate, also acts
as a rifle steadier or lateral rest, for which purpose it is made with its
right side a bevilled off, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6, and 9, to a con-
siderably greater extent than the left side, to accommodate the position
of the wearer's arm. The body of the knapsack may be made of cow
hide with wooden or other rigid strengthening pieces a', formed as
shewn, so that the knapsack may accommodate itself to the body of the
wearer, whether worn at the back or as a cuirass or breastplate.
The arrangement of the straps and lid or cover or lids or covers (to
which I lay no claim) may obviously be altered to meet the require-
ments of particular cases, and the proportions of the body of the
knapsack may be varied to suit the wearer in cach case without
departing from the distinctive character of my Invention.
Knapsacks made according to my Invention may also be worn as
valises transversely on the hips.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I desire to point out that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent are, the improvements in

page_text: soldiers' knapsacks, whereby they are rendered suitable for use also as
cuirasses or breastplates, and to serve as rifle steadiers in action, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whercof, I, the said Cameron Joseph Francis Stuart
Mac Dowall, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth
day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.
CAMERON J. F. S. MAC DOWALL. (L.S.)