Improvements in or connected with Entrenching Tools, Applicable also to other Analogous Uses.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Entrenching Tools, Applicable
also to other Analogous Uses.
1, HERBERT FERDINAND WOODGATE of Richmond Barracks, Dublin, Ireland
Lieutenant in Her Majesty's South Wales Borderers, do hereby declare the nature of
this Invention to be as follows:-
:-
The object of my Invention is principally to provide entrenching tools which are
light and strong and can be readily carried and present in a small and compact
compass all that is essential that a soldier should carry in this respect. According to
my Invention I provide a pick and axe formed by the opposite ends of a crosshead
attached by long steel straps to a hollow handle constituting a bayonet scabbard the
opening being provided with a spring flap or equivalent closure by which the opening
is closed when the bayonet is removed. I also provide a spade the blade of which is
joined to the handle by steel strips extending up along the sides of the handle those
strips whose widths are presented transverely to the line of strain in using the spade
extending nearly or quite up to the cross head of the handle and if desired extending
around it. On the edges or one of the edges of the blade of the spade I make a file.
The handles of both the pick-axe and the spade I prefer to make of a flattened form so
that one will lie snugly over the other and project as little as possible when placed
together and carried at the side in a belt attachment or frog which I prefer to
strengthen by sheet iron or steel and to make with a loop piece opening at the side
for receiving the spade and pick-axe handles which can be secured by a strap and
buckle brought into the front of the loop piece for convenience in fastening and
unfastening. To this attachment is secured also a casing for the axe and an upwardly
extending piece carrying a hood for the reception of the blade of the spade the said
hood being furnished with an opening at the side and a strap and buckle brought to
the front for fastening and unfastening it. The handle of the pick-axe may be furnished
with a lashing or thong which can be placed around the wrist of the user when the
tool is in use and when out of use can be lashed around both handles and passed over
a stud on the cross handle of the spade.
I prefer to make one edge or part of one edge of the bayonet as a file. I may
make both the handle of the spade and of the pick-axe hollow to act as bayonet
scabbards in case it be desired that each man shall carry one only of the tools.
The tools are not limited to use for military purposes as they will be useful for
mining or other purposes.
تيمم
Th 1
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Entrenching Tools, Applicable
also to other Analogous Uses.
I, HERBERT FERDINAND WOODGATE of Richmond Barracks, Dublin, Ireland
Lieutenant in Her Majesty's South Wales Borderers do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my Invention is to provide entrenching tools which are light and
strong and which can be readily carried and present in a small and compact compass
all that it is essential that a soldier should carry in this respect. According to my
Invention I provide a pick and axe formed by the opposite ends of a crosshead

page_text: attached by long steel straps to a hollow handle constituting a bayonet scabbard the
opening being provided with a spring flap or equivalent closure by which the said
opening is closed when the bayonet is removed. I also provide a spade the blade of
which is joined to a handle by steel strips extending up along the sides of the handle
the widths of these strips being preferably presented transversely to the line of strain
in using the spade and extending nearly or quite up to the crosshead of the handle and
if desired extending around the said crosshead. On the edges or on one of the edges of
the blade of the spade a file may be formed. The handles of both the pick-axe and the
spade I prefer to make of a flattened form so that one will lie snugly over or against
the other and project as little as possible when placed together and carried at the side
in a belt attachment or frog. This attachment or frog is made of leather strengthened
if desired by sheet iron or steel and is provided with a loop at the upper end through
which the waist belt is passed and at the lower end with a strap by which it is secured
to the leg of the wearer. The spade and pick-axe handles are secured to the frog by
straps and a buckle arranged so as to be readily fastened and unfastened. To this
frog or attachment is secured a casing for the axe and also an upwardly extending
piece carrying a hood for the reception of the blade of the spade. The handle of the
pick axe may be furnished with a lashing or thong which can be placed around the
wrist of the user when the tool is in use which lashing or thong when out of use can
be lashed around the handles of both the spade and the axe and be passed over a stud
on the crosshandle of the spade.
One edge or part of one edge of the bayonet may be made as a file. I may make
the handle of the spade in substitution for or in addition to the hollow handle of the
pick axe to act as a bayonet scabbard if so desired.
The frog or attachment will serve as a convenient means for carrying one or more
of the ordinary tools if so desired.
The tools are not limited to use for military purposes as they will be useful for
mining or other purposes.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood 1 shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
The
Figure 1 represents a soldier fully equipped with my improved entrenching tools
and shewing the frog or attachment in which the tools are secured when the soldier is
on march. Figure 2 shews the frog fitted with combined pick and axe and an
ordinary bayonet scabbard. Figure 3 shews the frog fitted with a spade and an
ordinary bayonet scabbard and Figure 4 is a view shewing the frog fitted with
an ordinary bayonet scabbard only. Figure 5 shews the frog fitted with my improved
combined pick and axe having a knife bayonet inserted in the hollow handle thereof
constituting it the scabbard for the said bayonet. Figures 6 to 11 are detached views
of the frog and its adjuncts. Figures 12, 13 and 14 are respectively a side elevation,
a partial vertical section and a plan of my improved combined pick and axe.
frog consists of an attachment a of leather provided at the upper end with a loop b
through which the waist belt e passes. At the lower part of the frog are flaps de
provided with buckles fand straps 9 respectively by which the entrenching tools and
bayonet scabbard (if a separate scabbard be used) are secured to the frog. At the
back of the lower end of the frog there is a buckle h for the attachment of a strap i
and to the lower end of this strap two other straps k k¹ are attached the strap A for
connecting the implements together and the strap k serving to secure the frog a and
the implements carried thereby to the leg of the person carrying the tools as shown in
Figure 1. The frog may be used for carrying all or any one only of either the
improved or ordinary implements as required.
When the frog is required to carry a spade and a combined pick and axe as shown
in Figure 1 for example, there is connected to the frog by means of a strap 1 passing
through the loop 12 Figure 7, a leather casing m for the reception of the axe n of the
combined pick and axe (shewn in Figures 12, 13 and 14) the said axe being secured
in position in the casing by means of a strap o passing over the top thereof and

page_text: engaging a stud p on the casing as shewn clearly in Figures 1, 2 and 5. To the
upper end of the frog there is attached a hood or guards for the reception of the
blade t of the spade the said hood having attached thereto a strap q which passes
through a loop q₁ and buttons onto a stud on the frog as clearly shown in Figure 6.
When an ordinary triangular or other bayonet and scabbard separate from the
entrenching tools are used the scabbard may be connected to the frog a by passing
the hook u provided on the upper end of the scabbard w into a hole v (see Figs. 5.
and 6) in the flap d as shewn in Figures 2, 3 and 4 the lower end of the scabbard
being secured to the leg of the wearer by the straps k and k¹. When the frog is
required to carry only a separate bayonet and scabbard and a combined pick and axe
with a solid handle as shewn in Figure 2, or if only a combined pick and axe with a
hollow handle to contain a bayonet, as shown in Figure 5, be required the hoods may
be detached from the frog. If a separate bayonet and scabbard and a spade with a
solid handle as shown in Figure 3 or a spade only with a hollow handle to constitute
a scabbard for a bayonet be required to be carried by the frog, the hood s may be used
and the casing m be dispensed with. If the entrenching tools are not required the
frog may be employed simply as an attachment for carrying the bayonet scabbard w
as shewn in Figure 4 the hood or shields and the casing m being removed.
My improved combined pick and axe is illustrated by Figures 12, 13 and 14 and
consists of a cross head a having long steel straps y secured to a wooden handle by
rivets or the like at their ends 1 and by a ring 2 between the rivetted ends 1 and the
crosshead. One end of the cross head is formed as a pick 3 and on the opposite
end the axe n is formed.
X
The handle z is made hollow so as to constitute a scabbard for a knife bayonet the
mouth of this scabbard being lined with a bush 4 of gun metal or other suitable
material to preserve it from injury by the insertion of the bayonet. When the
bayonet is withdrawn from the scabbard the mouth thereof is closed by a spring flap
or cover 5 so as to prevent dirt or the like entering the hollow handle for example
when the tool is being used as a pick or an axe. The spade handle may also be made
hollow for the reception of an ordinary triangular or other bayonet as shown in
Fig. 15 in which case I prefer for the purpose of strengthening the tool to extend the
steel straps 6 which secure the blade to the handle 7 the whole or nearly the whole
length and if desired also round the crosshead 8 of the handle. A spring cover 9 is
in this case also provided for closing the mouth of the opening in the handle when the
bayonet is withdrawn and when the spade is in use. Figures 16 and 17 are views at
right angles to each other of a spade constructed according to my invention having a
solid handle to which the blade t is attached by the steel straps 6 in the ordinary
manner the blade t the handle 7 is however flatter and the blade t is at greater angle
to the handle than usual, so as to lie snugly to the side of the user when carried in
the frog a as herein before described and also to increase the strength and leverage.
Figure 18 is an edge view of a spade constructed according to my invention the steel
straps 6 by which the blade t is secured to the handle 7 being arranged with their
edges presented in the direction of the line of strain when the spade is in use whereby
the strength of the spade is materially increased without adding to the weight. The
straps 6 may extend nearly or quite up to the crosshead of the handle if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
-
1. An entrenching tool consisting of a combined pick and axe formed respectively
on the opposite ends of a crosshead attached by long steel strips to a handle of a
flattened form substantially as herein before described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
2nd. An entrenching tool consisting of a combined pick and axe attached to a
hollow handle constituting a bayonet scabbard substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by Figures 12, 13 and 14 of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 3rd. An entrenching tool consisting of a spade or shovel the blade of which is
attached to a flattened handle by steel strips extending along the sides of the handle
the edges of the strips being presented to the line of strain when the spade is in use
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figures 15 and 17 of the
accompanying drawings.
4th. An entrenching tool consisting of a spade the blade of which is attached by
steel strips to a hollow handle, constituting a bayonet scabbard, the steel strips
extending all along or nearly all along both sides of the handle and if desired also
round the crosshead at the end thereof substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by Figure 15 of the accompanying drawing.
5th. An entrenching tool having a hollow handle constituting a scabbard for a
bayonet and provided with a spring flap or closure substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described.
6th. A frog or attachment for carrying entrenching tools and a bayonet either
singly or collectively the said frog being connected at top to the waist band and at the
lower end by a strap to the leg of user substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
7th. The combination with the frog a herein before described and claimed of the
casing or shield m for the axe substantially as herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
8th. The combination with the frog a of the shield or hood for the blade of a spade
or shovel substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
9th. The combination with the frog a and means for attaching it to the user of the
casing or shield m and the hood substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
Noted this 28th d
N
1000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.