Combined Intrenching Spade and Shield.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Combined Intrenching Spade and Shield.
I, HERMANN GÖTTLER, Manufacturer, and Mine Owner of Reichenstein, Silesia,
German Empire, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
The present invention consists in an intrenching spade for military purposes,
which may be easily and quickly converted into a shield or protecting plate against
the fire of an enemy. The spade consists of a double blade the two parts of which
are hinged, together at the top, the shorter, back plate of said blade being provided
with a sleeve firmly fixed thereto and in which the handle is adapted to slide.
The lower end of the sleeve is provided with a rectangular slot into which a pin on
the lower end of the handle fits to hold the latter in position when the spade is used
for intrenching purposes. The two parts of the double blade are held together in
this case by a spring catch on the lower end of the longer front plate, said catch
engaging under the bottom of the shorter back plate to which the steam is attached.
The upper end of the handle is bent round rectangularly similar to that of a walking
stick and underneath the crutch thus formed a spring catch is provided.
In case it is required to use the spade as a guard or protecting plate against the
fire of an enemy, the longer front plate of the blade is turned back towards the
upper part of the handle, the pin in the lower end of the latter disengaged from its
rectangular slot in the sleeve, and the handle pressed downward until its lower end
is flush with the bottom of the shorter back plate of the double blade of the spade,
and the crutch turned round so that the spring catch underneath the same engages
behind the now uppermost plate of the blade, thus retaining the latter. In this
position the spade inay be carried as a shield to protect the body of the soldier
when marching. The blade, in its spread out condition may be pressed into the
earth sideways, and thus used to protect soldiers lying down; in this case the
handle is preferably drawn out somewhat so as to bring the spring catch underneath
the crutch out of contact with the uppermost blade, whereupon the said crutch
may be turned round at an angle to the blade and used as a supporting leg for the
same.
The man lying behind the guard plate thus erected can shoot through the loop
hole formed at the hinge of the blade plates, which are cut away on each side of
said hinge to form the shoulders of the spade.
Dated thie 25th day of Auril 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Combined Intrenching Spade and Shield.
I HERMANN GÜTTLER, Manufacturer and Mine Owner of Reichenstein, Silesia,
German Empire, 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 present invention relates to an intrenching spade for military purposes,
capable of being easily and quickly converted into a shield or protecting plate
against the fire of the enemy. The spade is constructed with a double blade the
two parts of which are hinged together at the top, the shorter or back plate being
connected to a sleeve in which the handle slides. The lower end of the sleeve is
provided with an angular slot into which a pin on the lower end of the handle fits
61....מז

page_text: for the purpose of holding the latter in position when the spade is used for
intrenching purposes. The two parts of the double blade are held together in this
case by a spring catch on the lower end of the longer front plate, the said catch
engaging with the shorter or back plate to which the sleeve is attached. The
upper end of the handle is bent at right angles and is provided with a spring catch
for retaining the blades in position as hereinafter explained.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents the implement in condition
for transport or for being carried on the march.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 represent the implement in rear, front and side elevation
respectively in condition for being used as a spade or intrenching tool.
Figure 5 illustrates a detail of the handle.
Figures 6 and 7 represent the implement arranged for use as a shield or protecting
plate and
Figure 8 shews the position occupied by the parts when employed as a breast
plate or shield to be carried in front of the body.
Figure 9 represents the implement in readiness for being employed as a fixed
rampart or screen and
Figures 10 to 13 illustrate the arrangement of the implement when set up on the
ground to form a breast-work or shield to protect the soldier lying behind it.
The spade proper is composed of two blades a and a¹ connected together by a
hinge b. When travelling (Figure 1) and when the implemement is used as a
spade (Figures 2 to 4) the blades a and a' are folded together and are secured in
this position by a spring catch or hook c. A tubular metal socket d is attached to
the back of the blade a for the reception of a shaft or handle e which slides in this
socket and is secured in position by a bayonet joint or slot and pin arrangement ff.
The construction of this part of the shaft is illustrated separately in Figure 5.
When the implement is to be carried the shaft is pushed through the socket until
the end is flush with the bottom edge of the plate or blade a (Figure 1). The
spring catch e then engages with a groove g (Figure 5) provided in the shaft e.
The handle of the implement is also provided with a spring h (Figure 4) forming a
catch which retains the blade a in the open position when the implement is used as
a portable shield (Figure 8).
C
In order to use the implement as a spade the shaft or handle e is connected to
the socket d this being effected by sliding the handle in the said socket until it
assumes the position represented in Figure 2 the handle being at the same time
rotated so as to cause the pin f on the handle to engage with a notch in the side of
the slot (Figures 1 and 6) in the socket.
When the implement is required to be used as a shield or screen the handle or
shaft is released from the socket by rotating and sliding the former so as to free
the catch c (Figure 6). By releasing this catch the blade a can now be turned
upon its hinges band caused to assume the position indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 6 and by full lines in Figures 7, 8 and 9, the blades a a¹ and socket d being
caused to rotate upon the shaft e so as to occupy the position indicated in Figure 7.
When the parts are in this position the handle can be readily rotated in the socket
and placed in the position indicated in Figure 7. The end of the crutch of the
bandle can then be pressed into the ground with one hand whilst the blades a a¹
are pressed in with the other hand holding them by the narrow part x Figure 9
tne pressure being applied in the direction indicated by the arrows in this figure.
By these means the spade is converted into a fixed shield or screen which enables
the soldier lying down behind it to take steady aim through the recess at x without
exposing himself to the fire of the enemy.
Figure 10 represents the shield simply erected upon the ground and Figure 11
represents it combined with earthwork. In the latter case it is simply necessary to

page_text: throw up a few spadefuls of earth before setting up the shield and in the former
case the shield is placed in an inclined position as represented in Figure 12 so that
when hit by a bullet it deflects the latter upwards in the direction indicated by the
arrow in the perspective view Figure 13.
The shield may also be used as a breast plate to protect the body of the soldier
when advancing under fire by causing the spring h to engage with the blade a and
retain the latter in the open position as represented in Figure 8 so that the shield
can be conveniently carried in front of the body.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An intrenching spade having its blade made in two parts (a a¹) connected
together by a hinge joint and provided with a sliding handle (e) by which the said
parts can be rigidly secured in position for the purpose of enabling the spade to be
used as a shield or protection from the bullets of the enemy, substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting a combined
intrenching spade and shield substantially as hereinbefore described.
FAL of Janu1902
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.