Improvements in Scabbards.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1899-Accepted. 24th Oct., 1900.
Improvements in Scabbards.
A communication from abroad by CARLO COLLINI, Armourer, of 46, Via Campo
Marzio, Rome, Italy.
I, LEWIS HERBERT RITTMAN, Clerk, of Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London,
W.C., in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(as communicated to me from abroad) and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in scabbards by means of which certain
advantages are obtained.
The object of my invention is to obtain a strong scabbard suitable for all pur-
poses, which shall be without any seam or joint, brazed or otherwise, and which
should it become bent or damaged may be straightened or re-formed without
destruction. At present in scabbards with seams and joints it is practically
impossible to straighten or re-form a bent or dented scabbard without forcing
open the joint.
In carrying my invention into effect I take a solid billet of suitable metal, pre-
ferably of steel, as shown in Figure I, and I place it upon a lathe or other suit-
able machine. I then with a suitable boring mandrel or drill eccentrically bore
the said billet to within a short distance of one end thereof. A hollow blank
closed at one end is thus obtained. The bore in the said blank is not only
eccentric (by eccentric I mean that the geometric axis of the bore shall not be
coincident with the geometric axis of the billet) but is slightly inclined to one
side of the billet and tapered so as to become of smaller diameter as the closed
end is approached. I next reduce the hollow billet by drawing through a draw
plate until the bore is of such size, although not yet of such shape, as to suit
the size of blade for which it is intended. The blank thus obtained is then
flattened and formed by hammering until the bore and with it the blank has
attained the proper shape and dimensions for the easy fit of the blade therein.
The form of finished blank is shown in Figures II and III of which Figure III
is on a larger scale. In Figure III the eccentricity, the taper and the inclination
of the bore are clearly seen. Here it will be observed that the thickness of the
metal at the front, 1, of the scabbard increases in thickness downwards, whilst
the thickness of the metal at the rear, 2, of the scabbard is practically the same
from end to end. In other words the greatest thickness of material is where
there is the greatest strain and wear. It will also be seen from Figures II and III
that the blank has been curved downwards and backwards. This is effected
during the process of hammering.
In Figure IV I illustrate the carrying of my invention into effect in the case
of a crested scabbard. In this case I do not bore the billet so close up to the
end but instead thereof I leave a considerable mass of metal 3 at the closed end.
This is afterwards hammered out to form a crest, 4, as shown in the said figure.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The method of forming a scabbard consisting in the succession of steps sub-
stantially as set forth.
2. A. scabbard constructed substantially as set forth.
3. The new or improved scabbard substantially as set forth with reference to
Figure III.
4. The new or improved scabbard substantially as set forth with reference to
Figure III but with a crest or end piece as illustrated in Figure IV.
Dated this 20th day of October 1900.
L. H. RITTMAN,
Communicatee.