AN IMPROVED CON- STRUCTION OP OPPENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE EQUIPMENT FOR CAVALRY
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cruickshank, of Marcassie, in the County of
Elgin, North Britain, Farmer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTION OP OPPENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE EQUIPMENT FOR CAVALRY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cruickshank at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
May 1855.
I, JOHN CRUICKSHANK, of Marcassie, in the County of Elgin, North Britain,
Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF OPFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE EQUIPMENT FOR CAVALRY" to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to render the attack of cavalry more formid-
able than hitherto, by providing horses with a means of destroying troops
against which the attack is directed. For this purpose I propose to surround
the horse with a rigid frame or shield (adjustable as to proportion), which
frame is supported at front by means of jointed rods attached to a hame, which
may be applied to an ordinary horse collar, and at back by a strap that passes
over the hind quarters of the horse. This frame carries a wedge-shaped cutting
edge, which projects forward in front of the horse, and is connected to two
rocking arms, which have their fulcrum of motion one on either side of the
frame. The hinder ends of these rocking arms rest on swing catches also

page_text: jointed to the frame, and adjustable rods affixed to and standing up from either
side of the hame are provided to receive chains, which connect them to the
rocking levers. The cavalry soldier, when moving forward to attack, will let
down the wedge-shaped cutting edge to a level with the horse's chest by means
of these chains, and it will be maintained rigidly in this position by the swing
catches; but when the horse is not required to charge, the soldier raises the
cutting edge above the horse's head by withdrawing the swing catches and
pulling up the chains and hooking them on to pins which project from the rods
that stand up from them.
I also propose to cover the horse's head with a head piece sufficiently strong
to resist a sword cut, and to provide it with a moveable screen, which will
obscure his view in front when he is required to rush into danger.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cruickshank in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CRUICKSHANK, of Marcassic, in the County of Elgin, North Britain, Farmer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Cruickshank, Her special license that I, the said John Cruickshank,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Cruickshank, 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A IMPROVED CONSTRUC-
TION OF OPPENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE EQUIPMENT FOR CAVALRY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Cruickshank, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, 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.
•

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Cruickshank, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to render the attack of cavalry more for-
midable than hitherto, by providing horses with a means of destroying troops
against which the attack is directed. For this purpose, I propose to surround
the horse with a rigid frame or shield (adjustable as to proportion), which
frame is supported at front by the hame of the horse collar, and at back by.a
strap that passes over the hind quarters of the horse. Attached to this frame
or shield (which forms a defensive armour to the horse and the lower extremi-
ties of the rider) are cutting edges, which are capable of being adjusted to act
as offensive weapons during an attack, and of being returned to an innocuous
position when not required for action.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents, in side view, a mounted
charger provided with my improved offensive and defensive armour; Fig. 2
represents, on an enlarged scale, the inner face of the front portion of the
shield; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the same, shewing also the arrangement of
the cutting edges or blades; Fig. 4 shews one of the blades in edge view and
attached to the shield; and Fig. 5 shews the hame which I employ for sup-
porting the front part of the frame or shield. The front part, marked a, a, I
construct, by preference, of plates of steel, and the sides and hinder part b, b,
of stout buffalo leather. The hame c, c, Fig. 5, I provide with two projecting
arms d, d, one on either side thereof. The extremities of these arms enter
holes made in socket plates e, e, attached to the shield a, which socket plates
are provided with a series of holes to permit of the adjustment of the shield,
both vertically and longitudinally. Keys or wedges are inserted into the
extremities of the arms to make good the attachment of the shield to the haine.
f (Fig. 2) is one of two chains with which the shield is provided, for hooking
on to the upper extremities of the hame, and thereby holding the front part of
the shield in position. For securing the hinder part of the shield, straps h, h,
are passed across the horse's hind quarters and attached to the crupper of the
saddle. The leather portion b of the shield is overlaid with rods of iron, to
prevent the leather from being injured by accidental contact with the project-
ing side blades of an adjacent horse of the troop. An opening is made in the
leather portion of the shield at i, i, to enable the horseman to mount, and when
he has mounted he closes the shield by means of the straps and buckles. The
adjustable blades are shewn at 9,9; they are respectively jointed at their

page_text: forward extremities to a metal bar k, which is rivetted to the shield, and at
their hinder ends are connected by means of a coupling rod to a stop piece 2,
which slides in a slot formed in the shield, and is provided with a bolt or catch
(shewn best at Fig. 2), for dropping over a stud pin 1, and holding the blade
firmly in an advanced position, or of bearing against a stud pin 2, when the
blade is drawn back, and retaining it in the position of rest. The projecting
bark I propose to cover with wood, and by making it project beyond the
breadth of the blade, no accidental injury can result therefrom when the blade
is returned to the position shewn by dots at Fig. 3.
Figures 6, 7, and 8 represent, in front and side views, an improved construc-
tion of helmet which I propose to fit on to the cavalry horse. This helmet is
formed of two plates of steel m, m, attached together by a central hinge, which
facilitates adjustment. Sight holes are made in the helmet, as shewn, and
these holes are guarded by bars. The attachment of the helmet to the head
of the horse is effected by straps and buckles, as shewn. For the purpose of
covering the sight holes of the helmet when occasion shall require, as when
the horse is required to face danger, I provide a sliding piece or blind n, which
may be made of leather or other material. This blind is fitted with rings
which run on guide rods, and by means of cords passing upwards and through
guides at the top of the helmet, the soldier is enabled to raise the blind at any
moment to the position shewn at Fig. 8, and retain it at that position.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Offensive and Defensive Equipment for Cavalry," and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First, applying adjustable blades or cutting edges to shields or frames which
are fitted to envelope the body of a war horse, in the manner and for the
purpose above described.
And, secondly, the application to horse helmets of the sliding blind, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cruickshank, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JOHN CRUICKSHANK. (L.8.)