Improvements in Shields for Ordnance.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shields for Ordnance.
WILLIAM SKERRY Railwayman 48 Snow Street Newcastle-on-Tyne do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
The nature and subject of this invention consists in the system of covering over
the exposed parts of shields with pices of iron or steel or other metal which being
properly tempered may be called springs because being fastened down to the shield
by one end only the other end when struck by a shot is free to yield or vibrate
and will return to its original position. The manner in which this is carried out is
as follows the shield is made in the ordinary way with substantial fraim the skin or
shell plates need not be more then one inch in thickness. These shields may be
made any shape or size but I prefer them being made similar in shape to the prow
of a ship or in the form of a triangle as being inore suitable for the application of
this invention these shields can either be made to revolve or a fixture in each case
the stem or what I call the frunt through which the gun is projected is set towards
the point of attack these pices of iron or steel which I call springs may be made
about 3 feet long by 8 inches wide by 1 inch thick at the end that is fixed tapering
off to inch at the outer end but the size can either be increased or made less these
are fixed to the shield by meens of bolts or rivets and are arrainged in such a
manner that they partly overlap each other from the frunt of the shield to the back
after the fashion of the feathers of a bird but insted of the ends turning in as do
feathers the ends of these springs turn out so as to throw off the shot.
Dated 21st day of June 1894.
WILLIAM SKERRY,
WILLIAM SKERRY Railwayman 48 Snow Street Newcastle-on-Tyne 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 nature and subject matter of this invention consists in covering over the
exposed parts of shields with pieces of spring steel iron or other suitable metal
being properly tempered may be called springs being fixed down to the shield by
one end only permits the other end when struck by a shot to yield, after which it
carried out is as
will return to it's original position. The manner in which this
follows the shield is made in the ordinary way with substantial frame the skin or
shell plates need not be more then one inch in thickness. These shields can be
made any size and of various shapes but I prefer them being made the same in
shape as the prow of a ship or in the form of a triangle as being more suitable for
the application of this invention, they can either be made to revolve or to be a
tixture or they can be attached to an ordnance carriage in each the stem or front
pice (as shown by B in illustration Figs. 1 and 2) through which the gun is
.n

page_text: projected is set towards the point of attack.
These pieces of iron or steel which I
call springs (as shown by ecin illustrations) which constitutes the subject matter
of this invention may be madu about 3 feet long by 8 inches wide by 1 inch thick
at the end that is fixed tapering off to inch at the outer end, the thick end can be
made up of various pieces or can be made in one piece. The sizes of these pieces of
iron or steel must be modified according to the size of shield they are fixed to the
shield by means of bolts or rivets and are arranged in such a manner that they
partly overlap each other from the front of the shield to the back after the fashion
of the feathers of a bird except that instead of the ends turning in as do feathers
the end of these springs turn out (as shown by ee in illustration Fig. 1) so as to
throw off the shot.
Illustration Fig. 1 is a top view showing the position of the springs by cc.
A is the gun.
13 the stem or front piece. D is an screen to protect the men from
shells exploding close behind. E E is the two entrances into shield.
Fig. 2 is a side view which is to be read the same as Fig. 1 except that the outline
of shield is shown by dotted lines.
Now the improvements and advantages claimed for this my invention are these
let that these shields provide protection for the men as well as protecting the gun
2nd that they can be used for storing ammunition for immediate use 3rd that they
can be made very light and can be more easily moved from one position to another
also that for this reason of lightness they are most suitable for the navy as they
would lessen the deck load. 4th that these shields can be made at a little cost
considering their effectivenesss.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is
CLAIM.
A shield made any suitable shape that will enable it to be brought to a point in
front as herein set forth having the parts exposed to the fire of an enemy's caunon
covered over as a protection (as shown by ee in Figs. 1 and 2) with pieces of
spring steel iron or other suitable metal substantially fixed on to the shield by one
end ouly the other end as it points backward inclines off from the shield so as to
produce a yielding substance also that these said pieces of metal are arranged
on the shield as to partly over-lap each other from the front of the shield to the
back after the fashion of feathers on a bird except that instead of the ends
turning in upon the bird as do feathers the ends turn out and stand off from the
shield so as to throw off the shot.
Dated this 6th day of March 1895,
WILLIAM SKERRY.