IMPROVEMENTS IN INTRENCHMENT IMPLEMENTS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Thaine, of 1, Saint Swithin's Lane, in the City of
London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN INTRENCHMENT IMPLEMENTS."
A communication from abroad by Thorsten Nordenfelt, of Stockholm, in the
Kingdom of Sweden, Civil Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Thaine at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th January 1880.
PHILIP THAINE, of No. 1, Saint Swithin's Lane, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INTRENCHMENT IMPLEMENTS." [A communication from abroad
by Thorsten Nordenfelt, of Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Civil Engineer.]
The object of my Invention is to furnish a more effective method of carrying
and using intrenchment implements, such as spades and picks, hatchets, and
saws.
It is well known that soldiers at one time require spades and picks for digging
intrenchments, and at another time require hatchets and saws for clearing the
ground, for felling trees, and for making stockades.
In order that the soldiers should not be required to carry a greater number of
intrenchment tools than are absolutely necessary, I therefore combine the spade
with the saw into one tool, and the pick with the hatchet into a second tool in the
following way, so as to enable a man to use the spade without any inconvenience
from the saw combined herewith, and to use the hatchet without any hindrance
from the pick, and vice versa :-
I take a light military spade and put to it a handle made of iron or steel tubing
with a cross handle at the end also of such tubing; the hollow handle contains a
saw with a hinge and a hook at the one end and with a screw and a nut at the
other end, and the saw remains enclosed within the handle when the spade is used.
The crosshandle is either very long or it has a hinge at its one end, round which
moves a bar, by means of which I can bring out the crosshandle to its double
length. The end of this bar is slit for the saw. When the saw is to be used the
bar in the crosshandle is opened out, the saw is taken out, its one end with the
hook is put through a slit cut for that purpose in the blade of the spade, its other
end is put through the slit in the lengthened crosshandle bar, and the saw is
tightened and stiffened by screwing home the nut at the end of the saw.
I further take a light hatchet with a wooden handle, on the back of the hatchet
I have a hinge, on which is fitted a single pick. The hinge has two stops which
work with a spring, so that I can have the pick in rigid positions either at right
angles to the handle when it is in use, or folded down along the wooden handle
when the hatchet is used or in carrying the tool.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Philip Thaine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th July
1880.
PHILIP THAINE, of No. 1, Saint Swithin's Lane, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN INTRENCHMENT, IMPLEMENTS." A communication from abroad
by Thorsten Nordenfelt, of Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Civil Engineer.
The object of my Invention is to furnish a more effective method of carrying
and using intrenchment implements, such as spades and picks, hatchets, and
sa ws.
It is well known that soldiers at one time require spades and picks for digging
intrenchments, and at another time require hatchets and saws for clearing the
ground, for felling trees, and for making stockades.
In order that the soldiers should not be required to carry a greater number of
intrenchment tools than are absolutely necessary, I therefore combine the spade
with the saw into one tool, and the pick with the hatchet in to a second tool in
the following way, so as to enable a man to use the spade without any inconvenience
from the saw combined therewith, and to use the hatchet without any hindrance
from the pick, and vice versa :-
I take a light military spade and put to it a handle made of iron or steel tubing
with a cross handle at the end, also of such tubing; the hollow handle contains a
saw with a hinge and a hook at the one end and with a screw and a nut at the
other end, and the saw remains enclosed within the handle when the spade is used.
The cross handle is either very long or it has a hinge at its one end, round which
moves a bar, by means of which I can bring out the cross handle to its double
length. The end of this bar is slit for the saw. When the saw is to be used the
bar in the cross handle is opened out, the saw is taken out, its one end with the
hook is put through a slit cut for that purpose in the blade of the spade, its other
end is put through the slit in the lengthened cross handle bar, and the saw is
tightened and stiffened by screwing home the nut at the end of the saw.
I further take a light hatchet with a wooden handle, on the back of the hatchet
I have a hinge, on which is fitted a single pick. The hinge has two stops which
work with a spring, so that I can have the pick in rigid positions either at right
angles to the handle when it is in use, or folded down along the wooden handle
when the hatchet is used or in carrying the tool.
Figure 1 represents the combined spade and saw as when used for digging; the
saw packed away within the handle is indicated by dotted lines, and so also in the
folding bar of the cross handle.
Figure 2 represents the combined spade and saw as when used for sawing.
Figure 3 represents the combined hatchet and pick with the pick point folded in
against the handle to be out of the way.
Figure 4 represents the combined hatchet and pick with the pick point turned
out at right angles to the handle, and in a position to be ready for use.
What I claim is the improved intrenchment implement, substantially as
described and represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip Thaine, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty.