Improvements in Field Rations Kits.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1896-Accepted 18th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Field Rations Kits.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Guy Henry Preston, 1st Lieutenant,
9th U.S. Cavalry, stationed at Fort Robinson, Dawes County, Nebraska, United
States of America, and Lawson Mayo Fuller, 1st Lieutenant, Ordnance
Department U.S. Ariny, stationed at Frankford Arsenal, Philadelphia, in the
County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America) 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 this invention is to make a field rations kit in a compact form
which can be readily used by the soldier or camper and in which the mess pans can
be detached and clamped together separately when it is necessary to carry cooked
rations.
This object is attained in the following manner, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of the improved field ration kit enclosed in an outer
case;
Fig. 2, is a side view of the kit without the case;
Fig. 3, shews in side elevation the outer case detached, and open;
Fig. 4, is a perspective view of the canteen;
Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the cup shewing the handle extended;
Fig. 6, is a view shewing the two mess pans detached;
Fig. 7, is a perspective view shewing the handled mess pan ready for cooking;
Fig. 8, is a detached perspective view of the hinge plate of the mess pan shewn in
Fig. 7; and,
Fig. 9, is a side view shewing the two mess pans secured together.
A is the canteen of a suitable size baving a mouth piece a to which is adapted a
cork or stopper al having a ring a; this ring is attached, by a chain a', to
a ring a on the neck of the canteen, as clearly shewn in Fig. 4.
On each
side of the canteen are rings or loops a to which can be secured suitable carrying
straps.
The canteen is preferably covered with felt or canvass in a manner common to
canteens now used in the military service.
B is a cup adapted to the base of the canteen A, as shewn clearly in Fig. 2; this
cup has a handle b which is pivoted at a point within the cup. The cup is
extended at 2 so as to form a channel or recess for the reception of the handle;
when the handle is turned in, as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 5, it rests in the
bottom of the cup and when extended, as shewn by full lines in the said figure, it
can be used for dipping or for other purposes. The cup B may contain a small
amount of water when adjusted on the canteen; this water will keep the felt
covering of the canteen moist by absorption, thus keeping the water in the canteen
cool.
The mess pans D and E are of the same size, the mess pan D being used
especially for cooking while the mess pan E is used as a cover for the mess pan D or
as a plate. The pan D has a hinge plate dto which the handle D' is secured. The
handle is pivoted at d' and when turned into the position shewn in Fig. 7 is secured
by a pin d which passes through an opening in a lug d³ on the handle and through

page_text: openings in similar lugs d on the plate d so that the handle D' is rigidly held in
the extended position.
When it is wished to turn the handle over against the bottom of the pan for
packing, the pin d² is withdrawn, the handle is then free to be turned to the position
shewn in Fig. 6.
When the two pans D and E are to be clamped together, as shewn in Fig. 9 the
pin d is passed through the opening in the lugs d on the plate d of the pan D and
also through an opening in a lug e on the pan E, and it will be noticed that the
end d' of the handle D is hooked so that when the two mess paus are placed
together a ring e' pivoted to the pan E can engage with the hooked end d³ of the
handle, thus securely holding the pans D and E together.
This arrangement is used particularly in the military service when there are
cooked rations left over; these rations are placed in the pan D and the pan E is
fastened to it, as shewn in Figure 9, the pan E acting as a cover so that the rations
can be packed either in a saddle bag or haversack.
The plate d has a lug de at one side so that the bent, portion of the pin can
be turned so as to engage with this projection and so be prevented from becoming
loose and in order to prevent it being entirely withdrawn by accident there is
formed on the pan D a projection d' as shewn in Figure 7.
Although this particular fastening arrangement is shewn other means of fastening
the handle may be used without departing from the invention.
A knife, fork, and spoon of a suitable pattern can be placed in the case along
with the other articles of the kit.
The case is preferably made in two parts as shewn in Figure 3, the part G being
recessed at g so that the ring as of the canteen will be exposed, and the cover G
is perforated for the passage of the neck of the canteen as indicated in Figure 1.
The two parts of the case are secured together by the straps glg and buckles g
the buckles being secured in the present instance to the portion G. of the case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the canteen having a mouth, pans attached to each side
of the canteen and snugly fitting thereto and extending around each end, with
devices on the pans arranged to secure the pans together when they are detached
from the canteen, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination of the mess pan D, a handle D' pivoted to the pan D, with
a bolt adapted to lock the handle rigidly to the pan when the handle is extended,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination of the mess pans D and E, a handle D' pivoted to the
pan D, and so shaped that when packed it will conform to the said pan, a pivot pin
by which the pan E is hung to the pan D, and a ring on the said pan E adapted to
engage with the end of the handle so as to lock the two mess pans together
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The combination of the pans D, and E and hinged plate d secured to the
pan D, the handle D' pivoted to the plate, a lock pin d2 adapted to an opening in
the handle and openings in the plate, a perforated lug on one end of the pan D
and a ring e on the opposite end of the pan, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
5. The combination of a canteen, a cup adapted thereto, the said cup being
recessed at 2, a handle pivoted in the said recess and adapted to be turned down
and to conform to the bottom of the cup substantially as hereinbefore described.
Daied this 12th day of March 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.