AN IMPROVED HAVERSACK
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Houghton, of No. 10, Foster Lane, Cheapside,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED HAVERSACK."
·Sealed the 3rd October 1862, and dated the 10th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Houghton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
April 1862.
I, JOHN HOUGHTON, of No. 10, Foster Lane, Cheapside, in the City of
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
HAVERSACK," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in forming baversacks with two divisions or flaps,
with pockets therein, so that when suspended in the middle the one flap may
hang over and cover the other flap. This is effected in the following manner :-
At or near the middle of the haversack, I form a pocket intended to receive
a metal or other case, of novel construction, formed with one or more com-
partments; to the ends of the pocket containing the aforesaid case, I fasten
ordinary slings or straps by which the haversack is supported and suspended,
so that when in use the two flaps of the haversack hang down, one from each
side of the case, situate at or near the middle of the haversack as aforesaid.
Each flap of the haversack is provided with pockets on its inner side, and
when the pockets are not required to be used, the divisions or flaps may be
rolled round the centre case and secured by a strap fastened to one of the

page_text: flaps; to the upper part of the inner flap of the haversack is fastened a strap
which may be passed round the waist of the wearer, and thus secure the
haversack in its place; or said strap or straps may be so adjusted as to sling
the haversack at the back of the wearer as a knapsack.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Houghton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HOUGHTON, of No. 10, Foster. Lane, Cheapside, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Houghton, Her special licence that I, the said John Houghton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Houghton, 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, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED HAVERSACK,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Houghton, 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 per-
formed, 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 John Houghton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
that is to say:-
This Invention consists in forming haversacks with two divisions or flaps,
with pockets therein, so that when suspended in the middle the one flap may
hang over and cover the other flap. This is effected in the following manner:
At or near the middle of the haversack I form a pocket intended to receive

page_text: a metal or other case of novel construction, formed with one or more com-
partments; to the ends of the pocket containing the aforesaid case, I fasten
ordinary slings or straps, by which the haversack is supported and suspended,
so that when in use the two flaps of the haversack hang down, one from each
side of the case, situate 'at or near the middle of the haversack as aforesaid.
Each flap of the haversack is provided with pockets on its inner side, and
when the pockets are not required to be used, the divisions or flaps may be
rolled round the centre case and secured by a strap fastened to one of the
flaps. To the upper part of the inner flap of the haversack is fastened a strap,
which may be passed round the waist of the wearer, and thus secure the
haversack in its place; or said strap or straps may be so adjusted as to sling
the haversack at the back of the wearer as a knapsack.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now pro-
ceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
accompanying these Presents and to the numeral figures and letters of refer-
ence marked thereon respectively as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents my improved haversack as it would appear when
opened to its full extent; Figure 2 is an end view of the haversack when
closed; Figure 3 is a front view of the haversack adapted as a knapsack;
Figure 4 an edge view of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an elevation of my improved
case bottle or canteen. At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar
letters of reference to denote corresponding parts in so far as such parts appear
or can be seen at each of such said Figures respectively. A, A, are the flaps of
the haversack of leather, American cloth, or other suitable material. B, B, C,
pockets; the pocket C is intended to contain the case or bottle represented at
Figure 5, of novel construction, hereafter fully described. D is a strap for
connecting the flaps A, A, together, as at Figure 2. E, E, are straps (only one
of which is shewn by the Drawing) for carrying a coat, cape, or other article
or parcel. G, G, are straps intended to be passed over one shoulder when the
Laversack is in use. I would here remark that when the haversack is out of
use the flaps thereof may be rolled around the middle pocket C and fastened
by the strap D and button a.
5 I now proceed to describe the construction of the case or bottle represented
at Figure 5 as follows:-H is a vessel formed of tin, or it may be of glass, or
elastic or other material; said vessel is formed with two compartments b and
c, the one to contain spirits, wine, or other beverage, and the other compart-

page_text: -ment water, if desired. I, I, are screw stoppers (should the vessel H be formed
of glass, then cork stoppers would be used). K, K, are drinking cups fitting
over each end of the vessel A, as denoted by the dotted lines. I now proceed
to describe the mode of adapting the haversack as a knapsack, as follows,
observing that the only alterations necessary are to form the ends of the
haversack stiff and parrallel as at Figure 4, instead of flexible or collapsible as
at Figure 2, and also to arrange the straps in the manner exhibited at
Figure 3. The straps L, L, pass over the shoulders of the wearer, and the
straps M, M, fasten round the chest.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "An improved Haversack," I would remark in conclusion that
what I claim as my Invention, intended to be secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is as follows:-I claim the new combina-
tion of parts above described and represented with reference to Figures 1, 2, 5,
of the accompanying Drawings, as constituting an "Improved Haversack."
In witness whereof, I, the said John Houghton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN HOUGHTON. (L.S.)