Portable Protective Shields for Military Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Portable Protective Shields for Military Purposes.
I, JOHN WATSON SPENCER, of Newburn Steel Works, in the County of
Northumberland, Steel Manufacturer and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to enable a movable shield to bo constructed
aud so mounted, by swivelling attachments, upon a wheeled carriage as to be
capable of following the movements of infantry in the same alignment, whether
moving to the front, flanks or rear, with the view to their protection from the
fire of small arms and machine guns.
For this purpose I mount a shield, constructed of a thin plate of, by preference,
steel, of a special alloy to ensure the greatest ductility and hardness combined,
upon light wheels of similar construction as for tricycles and light carriages.
Each shield can be made of such a size as to cover one, two or more
but two will probably be preferable as more readily meeting the various infantry
'files,"
formations.
"
The wheeled shield may be conveniently propelled by one or more light shafts
or bars behind by one or more men, which shaft, or shafts, when let down, will
serve as a strut, or struts, the wheels then being swivelled so as to give the
carriage the greatest possible stability while under fire.
Each shield can be pierced with loop holes covered by a movable flap, so that
when required the front and rear rank men can aim and fire through them, or
may be arranged with suflicient spaces between the shields to admit of one "file"
of front and rear rank firing through such interspaces and the other "file"
through the loop holes.
'
These shields can follow every movement of a company or battalion, whether
in line, column, square or skirmishing, in every case protecting the "files arranged
for.
In case of forming squares they will offer a formidable obstacle to cavalry
or the inrush of an undisciplined savage force. In skirmishing they will act as
movable shelter trenches and on the march they can be furnished with attach-
ments, whereby the "kit" of the men can be packed and carried, and after an
engagement they can be used as ambulance carts for the wounded or dead by
turning the shield into a horizontal position.
Though of most use in savage warfare, or against an enemy armed only with
sanall arms or machine guns, nevertheless in the presence of artillery fire they
could be turned into the horizontal position to avoid their destruction and in an
open country will, when "lägered," act as a fort or protected encampment.
Dated this 8th day of December 1897

page_text: Portable Protective Suletus for y
1, JOHN WATSON SPENCER, of Newburn Steel Works, in the County of
Northumberland, Steel Manufacturer and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention. and in what manner the same is to be performed. to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to enable a movable shield to be constructed
and so mounted, by swivelling attachments, upon a wheeled carriage as to be
capable of following the movements of infantry in the same alignment, whether
moving to the front, flanks or rear, with the view to their protection from the
fire of small arms and machine guns.
For this purpose 1 mount a shield, constructed of a thin plate of, by preference,
steel, of a special alloy to ensure the greatest ductility and hardness combined,
upon light wheels of similar construction as for tricycles and light carriages.
files,"
Each shield can be made of such a size as to cover one, two or more
but two will probably be preferable as more readily meeting the various infantry
formations.
"
The wheeled shield may be conveniently propelled by one or more light shafts
or bars, behind by one or more men, which shaft, or shafts, when let down, will
serve as a strut, or struts, the wheels then being swivelled so as to give the
carriage the greatest possible stability while under fire.
Each shield can be pierced with loop holes covered by a movable flap, so that
when required the front and rear rank men can aim and fire through thom, or
may be arranged with sufficient spaces between the shields to admit of one "file"
file"
of front and rear rank firing through such inter-spaces and the other
through the loop holes.
"4
These shields can follow every movement of a company or battalion, whether
in line, column, square or skirmishing, in every case protecting the "files” arranged
for.
In case of forming squares they will offer a formidable obstacle to cavalry
or the inrush of an undisciplined savage force. In skirmishing they will act as
movable shelter trenches and on the march they can be furnished with attach-
ments, whereby the "kit" of the men can be packed and carried, and after an
engagement they can be used as ambulance carts for the wounded or dead by
turning the shield into a horizontal position.
Though of most use in savage warlare, or against an enemy armed only with
small arms or muchine guns, nevertheless in the presence of artillery fire they
could be turned into the horizontal position to avoid their destruction, and in an
open country will, when "lägered, act as a fort or protected encampment.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
I now proceed to describe my invention and by the accompanying 3 sheets of
drawings to shew certain forms in which 1 propose to carry it out.
Sheet 1, Figs. 1 and 2 shew a side and end elevation of a shield mounted upon
one large and two small wheels, Sheet 2, Figs. 3 and 4 in side and end elevation,
a shield mounted upon two large and two small wheels, and on Sheet 3, Figs. 5
and 6 shew a side and end elevation of the same shield turned into horizontal
position to form un ambulance.
The same letters indicate the same or equivalent parts on all the figures.
Referring to Sheet 1, A, is the shield mounted by the frames B, B', upon the
wheels C, C, on which it is carried and can swivel, and fitted with a coiled spring D,

page_text: to give elasticity to the shield in action. A, is a handle by which it is traversed,
which handle can be turned down to form a strut when in action. F, are aper-
tures through which to aim, the two lower for the front rank men kneeling,
and the upper for the second rank men standing, and are covered when required
by flaps G. H, shews the spaces between the shield A, and those on each side right
and left through which spaces the men can also fire. Referring to Sheet 2, Fig. 3
shews the shield A, in fighting position the handle E, forming a back strut with
a point to penetrate the ground, Fig. 4 being a back end view, shows the
frames B, B', carried upon the two large wheels C, and the two small wheels C¹,
which give the shield much greater stability. The curved concave part at A',
is to clear the two large wheels C, and the frame when the shield is turned
back into a horizontal position as to form a carriage for the "kit" of the men
or to serve as an ambulance for the wounded or to carry the dead (as shewn by
Figs. 5 and 6, Sheet 3) or, when in presence of artillery fire, in this position
they would be protected from destruction or when in open country will when
lägered" form a protected encampment.
66
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1st. For the protection of infantry in action the use of shields mounted upon
wheels in such manner as to swivel and cover troops in the same alignment
whether moved by the rank and file to the front, flanks or rear, or any evolution
of infantry, substantially as described.
"
2nd. The portable protected shields mounted upon wheels with swivelling
grar as on Sheets 1, 2, and 3, convertible into ambulance carts or to carry the
kit" of the men or to form a protected encampment in lager, comprising the
various parts, constructed, combined, and operating substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
T. J. DANSON, F.C., Inst., P.A..