Improvements in Invisible or Illusive Screens to Hide Soldiers or Sportsmen in the Field.
Year: 1898

page_text: "
Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
. Improvements in Invisible or Illusive Screens to Hide Soldiers or
Sportsmen in the Field.
I, CHARLES DAVIS GUINNESS, of Oakfield, Benwell, Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the
County of Northumberland, Major, Royal Artillery, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows::
This invention relates to improvements in invisible or illusive screens to hide
soldiers or sportsmen in the field, and the object of it is to conceal troops or
sportsmen from the eyes of the enemy or game as the case may be.
My invention consists in a screen made of netting, canvas or other fabric
fashioned to any shape, painted to represent some object, such as a bush, hillock,
trees, butts or what not, as may be considered most illusive according to the
surroundings or circumstances and decorated with real and artificial twigs, birds,
branches, logs, grass, bullet proof material or any other appropriate object, the
structure complete being supported by one or more poles, guy-ropes or struts
and tent-pegs in the ordinary manner of net-screens.
Although I do not limit myself to any particular shape design or method of
supporting the screen, I prefer to make the screen triangular in shape and to
support it centrally by means of a pole and laterally by means of tent-pegs or
the like. At the top of the pole I secure a pulley or roller and an attach cord to
the top or apex of the net so that by drawing the said cord over the said pulley
the screen may be hoisted to its full height in a few seconds. The end of the
cord is then fastened around a cleat fixed somewhere lower down on the said
central post. The lateral corners may be then secured in position by means of
tent-pegs.
The central or other post itself may be supported when guy-ropes might be
objectionable, by having one or more struts hinged thereto, or by having a
cruciform or other out-spreading base or other mechanical device, as desired.
Holes or apertures are made in the screen for firing or sighting purposes.
Dated the 17th dox of October 1808
Improvements in Invisible or Illusive Screens to Hide Soldiers or
Sportsmen in the Field.
I, CHARLES DAVIS GUINNESS, of Oakfield, Benwell, Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the
County of Northumberland, Major, Royal Artillery, do hereby declare the nature
[Price 8d 1

page_text: 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in invisible or illusive screens to hide
soldiers or sportsmen in the field, and the object of it is to conceal troops or
sportsmen from the eyes of the enemy or game, as the case may be.
I will now describe my invention with the aid of the accompanying drawings,
in which:
Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a rectangular screen constructed and supported
in the field according to my invention.
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of one of the meshes of the net-screen shewing
the meshes to be composed of two ply material between which the sprigs are
gripped.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of a triangular screen fitted and erected in accord-
ance with my invention.
Like reference letters denote the same parts throughout these views.
My invention consists in a screen made of netting canvas or other fabric,
fashioned to any shape, two different forms being given as examples in Figures 1
and 2, and painted to represent some object, such as a bush, hillock, trees, butts,
or what not, as may be considered most illusive according to the surroundings
or circumstances, and decorated with real and artificial twigs, birds, branches,
logs, grass, bullet-proof material or any other appropriate object, the structure
complete being supported by one or more poles a, guy-ropes or struts and
tent-pegs c, in the ordinary manner of net-screens.
Although I do not limit myself to any particular shape, design or method of
supporting the screens, I prefer to make it triangular in shape, as shewn in
Figure 2, and to support it centrally by means of a pole a and laterally by means
of tent-pegs c or the like. At the top of the central pole a I secure a pulley or
roller d'and attach a cord e to the top or apex of the triangular net, so that by
drawing the cord over the said pulley, the screen may be hoisted to its full
height in a few seconds. The free end of the cord is then fastened around a
cleat fixed somewhere lower down on the said central post. The lateral cor-
ners g may then be secured in position by means of tent-pegs c not shewn, being
beyond the range of this figure.
The central or other post a itself may be supported, when guy-ropes might
be objectionable, by having one or more struts hinged thereto, or by having a
cruciform or other out-spreading base, or any other known mechanical device,
as desired, that shewn in Figure 3 being a cruciform base having spikes which
are stuck into the ground.
Holes or apertures are made at intervals in the screen for firing or sighting
purposes when the netting is to be densely packed with sprigs, or when canvas
or other closely-woven fabric is employed."
In Figure 1 the standards or poles a are shewn made in two halves, the lower
ends of upper half having a pointed projection h which fits into a corresponding
socket formed in the lower half.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A screen to hide soldiers or sportsmen in the field, consisting of an open-
work foundation such as netting supported stretched by means of poles, guy-
ropes and pegs or their equivalent and decorated or fitted with loose sprigs or
other suitable matter real or artificial as described and set forth.
2. A screen to hide soldiers or sportsmen in the field, consisting of a limp
fabric such as ordinary canvas having sight-holes at intervals and provided with
a pole or poles, guy-ropes and pegs or their equivalents for its erection and

page_text: painted and otherwise decorated or fitted with loose sprigs or other suitable
matter, as described and set forth.
Dated this 17th day of July 1899
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.