IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR CARRYING OR SUPPORTING KNAPSACKS FOR MILITARY OR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clayton Mewburn of 169 Fleet Street in the City
of London Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR CARRYING OR SUPPORTING KNAPSACKS FOR
MILITARY OR OTHER PURPOSES communicated to him from abroad by Alfred
Mendel of Strehlen near Dresden Saxony
'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clayton Mewburn.at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th October 1883.
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR CARRYING OR
SUPPORTING KNAPSACKS FOR MILITARY OR OTHER PURPOSES [communicated to
him from abroad by Alfred Mendel of Strehlen near Dresden Saxony]
The object of this invention is to provide means, by which the load or weight of
the knapsack, generally carried on the back by soldiers, tourists, elc, is removed
from the shoulders and distributed over a larger area of the body.
In the ordinary mode of carrying knapsacks the entire weight or load rests by
means of straps on the comparatively small surface or arca presented by the
shoulders; the straps used by soldiers in some countries provided with hooks by
which such straps are hooked underneath the swordbelt, do not relieve the
shoulders.
It is well known that the mobility of the shoulders greatly increases the facility
of marching and as by the hereinafter described means the necessary mobility of
the shoulders is not interfered with by the knapsack, the marching faculties of the
carrier are much increased. The purpose in view is attained by giving the knapsack
at its under surface a rest or support on a bearer or carrying piece, which picco is
carried or supported by a chain or its equivalent, this chain in its turn being fixed
to and carried by the coat in such a manner that the entire coat forms in a way a
broad belt carrying the knapsack. Thus the load or weight of the knapsack does
not rest as heretofore by small straps upon comparatively small parts of the body
but is supported by the area of the body, extending upward from the swordbelt (in
caso of soldiers) in front and on the sides of the buttoned coat. The shoulder straps
will merely servo to keep the knapsack against the back.

page_text: At the same timo, the bearer or carrying piece, upon which the knapsack rests is
not carried by the sword belt (though the bearer or carrying piece is attached to this
belt) but is carried or supported by the above mentioned chain.
The bearer or carrying piece consists mainly of an angle piece of sheet iron or
steel; a horizontal part of this angle piece forms the support or rest for the knapsack
and is supported by a brace piece. A vertical part of the angle piece is provided
with a hook into which the chain takes. The vertical part of the bearer or carrying
picce is either inserted into a sheath fastened to the belt or it is fixed to tho belt
by means of a screw bolt and nut. In using this bolt and nut it is recommended
to insert or place between the belt and the carrying piece a pad or cushion stuffed
in any suitable manner; but this cushion may also be used as a repository for lint
or other soft articles usually carried by marching men. This cushion transfers the
pressure of the vertical part of the angle piece to a large area of the body.
The chain may be hooked into two hooks protruding from the coat at any
convenient part, or it may be fixed at one end to the coat by a button, a ball, or an
eye, and may be hung at its other end to a hook or ring according to the required
length, this hook or ring being also fixed to tho coat. The chain must be of such
length that it actually supports or carries the bearer or carrying piece by the hook
so that this bearer is not supported or carried by the belt. It is very important
that the two devices for fastening the chain to the coat, namely the button, ball or
eye on one side and the hook or ring on the other side, should not be merely sewn
or attached to the cloth or its lining, but be sewn or attached to straps or pieces of
leather or similar strong material, which extend over a large area at the inside of the
coat. Thus the load or weight of tho knapsack is transferred or transmitted by
means of the chain and of the bearer or carrier to a large area of the body; in fact,
the coat buttoned in front forms a broad belt, supporting or carrying the knapsack.
The shoulders are perfectly free from pressure, load or weight and their mobility is
not interfered with.
For military purposes the field or camp kettle may be used as the bearer or
carrying piece by attaching or fixing it in the manner above described or in any
other convenient way to the swordbelt. The chain is hooked to the two lugs of the
field or camp kettle and may be made in two parts one for each side of the kettlo.
The lid or cover of the kettle forms the support or rest for the knapsack, the kettle
itself being the bearer or carrying piece which hangs from the chains, the chains
being supported by the buttoned coat in the manner above described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Clayton Mewburn in the Patent Office on the 24th April
1884
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBUN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London Patent'
Agent and Consulting Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR CARRYING OR
SUPPORTING KNAPSACKS FOR MILITARY OR OTHER PURPOSES (A communication
to me from abroad by Alfred Mendel of Strehlen near Dresden, Saxony)
The object of this invention is to provide means by which the load or weight of
the knapsack generally carried on the back by Soldiers, tourists, & is removed from.
the shoulders and distributed over a larger area of the body.
In the ordinary mode of carrying knapsacks the entire weight or load rests by
means of straps on the comparatively small surface or area presented by the
shoulders. The straps used by soldiers in some countries are provided with hooks.
by which such straps are hooked underneath the sword-belt, but they do not relieve
the shoulders. The freedom of movement in the shoulders greatly promotes comfort
and facility in marching. By tho hereinafter described means the necessary mobility
of the shoulders is not interfered with by the knapsack, and the soldier is better.
able to endure exertion or fatigue. The object sought is attained by providing a
bearer or support for carrying the knapsack, which piece is supported by a chain-
fixed to and carried by the coat in such a manner that the coat forms a broad-belt
for distributing the weight of the knapsack over the body. The load or weight of the
knapsack does not rest as heretofore, by small straps upon comparatively small
parts of the body, but is carried or distributed in front and on the sides of the
buttoned coat. The shoulder straps will merely serve to hold the knapsack to the
body. The bearer or carrying piece, upon which the knapsack rests, is not carried
by the sword belt, (though the bearer or carrying piece is attached to this belt) but
is carried or supported by the connection to the coat.
In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents part of a coat, with my knapsack-
holding device in place. Fig: 2 is a section. Fig: 3 represents a modification of
the manner of connecting the carrying-piece to the belt, and Fig: 4 illustrates how
a camp-kettle may be connected to the sword-belt and form the support for the
knapsack. Fig: 5 shows a modification for attaching the chain or belt to the
knapsack bearer.
The bearer or carrying-piece a consists, mainly of an angle-piece of sheet iron or
steel. The horizontal part 6 of this angle-piece forms the rest for the knapsack.
The part 6 is supported by the brace-piece c. The vertical part d is provided with
a hook, e, into which the chain i is passed. The bearer or carrying piece a, with
its vertical part d, is now either inserted into a sheath, k, fastened to the belt l, as
seen in Fig: 3, or it is fixed to said belt by means of a screw bolt f, and nut g, as
shown in Figures. 1 and 2. In using this bolt and nut it is recommended to insert
or place between the belt and the carrying piece a a cushion, h, stuffed in any
suitable manner; but this cushion may also be used as a repository for lint, or other
soft articles usually carried by marching men. This cushion transfers the pressure
of the part d to a larger area of the body. The chain i may be hooked into 2 hooks,
protruding from the coat at any convenient part; or it may be fixed at one end to
the coat by a button, a ball, or an eye, and may be hung with its other end to a
hook or ring, according to the required length, this hook or ring being also fixed
to the cont. The chain must be of such length that it actually carries the bearer a
by the hook e, so that this bearer a is not carried by the belt l.
It is of importance that the 2 devices for fastening the chain to the coat-
namely, the button, ball or eye on one side, and the hook or ring on the other

page_text: side-should not be merely sewn or attached to the cloth or its lining, but be sewn
or attached to straps or pieces of leather or similar strong material, which extend
over a large area at the inside of the coat. The load or weight of the knapsack is
transferred by means of the chain i and the bearer or carrier a bed to a large area
of the body; in fact, the coat, buttoned in front, formus a broad belt carrying the
knapsack. The shoulders are perfectly free from pressure, load or weight, and their'
mobility or freedom is not interfered with while marching.
For military purposes there may be used instead or in the place of the bearer or
carrying-piece a the field or camp.kettle a', which would then be attached or fixed
to the sword belt in the manner abovo described. The chain i is hooked into the
2 lugs of the field or camp kettle a' and may in this instance be made in 2 parts―
one for each side of the kettle. The cover of the kettle a¹ forms the rest for the
knapsack; the kettle a¹ itself forms the bearer or carrying-piece, which hangs by
the chains i, the chains being supported by the buttoned coat in the manner above
described.
Having now described the nature of the said invention as communicated to me
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim :--
The means hereinbefore described for carrying or supporting knapsacks, the said
means consisting of the bearer or carrying piece a or a, on which the knapsack
rests, such bearer or carrying pieco being attached to a belt around the waist and
being supported by a chain or equivalent i, which is carried or supported by the
front and sides of the buttoned coat, substantially as set forth and shown in the
annexed drawings.
"
In witness whereof I the said John Clayton Mewburn have hereunto set my
hand and Seal this twenty fourth day of April One thousand eight hundred and
eighty four