AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TEACHING OF MILITARY DRILL
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Colborne, of Grafton Club, Grafton Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Captain in H. M. 11th Regt. of
Foot, Honble, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
Sealed the 9th August 1872, and dated the 14th February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Colborne at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th February 1872.
I, JOHN COLBORNE, of Grafton Club, Grafton Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Captain in H. M. 11th Regiment of Foot, Honble, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TEACHING OF MILITARY DRILL," to be as
follows (that is to say) :—
My Invention has reference to an apparatus for manœuvring a pigmy
battalion upon a miniature field, in the form of an interesting game,

page_text: with the view to simplify the teaching of military drill, and enable
volunteers, militia, or others intended for the army to acquire a more
ready and thorough knowledge of the theory and practice of field
evolutions than at present, and consists in employing for the above
purpose an arrangement of plates or slides fitting into each other by
projecting side flanges, so as to admit of receiving and holding the
figures of the men in any required position through the medium of
horizontal grooves formed in the rims or outer edges of each plate or
series of plates in connection with corresponding rails or side springs
secured to the upper surface, under which each seperate foot plate of
the men are slid and held for being moved about upon the board or
field as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Colborne in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th August 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
COLBORNE, of Grafton Club, Grafton Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Captain in H. M. 11th Regiment of Foot, Honorable, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Colborne, Her special
licence that I, the said John Colborne, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Colborne, 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, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE TEACHING OF MILITARY DRILL," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Colborne, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or

page_text: their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Colborne, 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 and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to
say):
:-
My Invention has reference to an apparatus for manœuvring a pigmy
battalion, battalions of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, separately or all
combined, upon a miniature field, according to plans now in the
regulation drill book or in the form of an interesting game, by which
two persons can manoeuvre battalions or armies against each other with
the view to simplify the teaching of military drill and enable military
men, volunteers, militia, or others intended for the army to acquire a
more rapid and thorough knowledge of the theory and practice of field
evolutions in a more easy and ready manner than can be learnt at
present, and consists in employing for the above purpose an arrangement
of plates or slides fitting into each other by projecting side flanges or by
any other suitable means which may hereafter be found necessary, so as
to admit of receiving and holding the figures of the men in any required
position through the medium of horizontal grooves formed in the rims
or outer edges of each plate, or in connection with corresponding rails
or side springs secured to the upper surface, whereby the men are
enabled to be moved about upon to the board or field as required, and this
combination of sections, half companies, companies, half battalions,
battalions, brigades, or otherwise can be readily made and formed as in
actual service by real men.
And in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood
and readily carried into effect, I now proceed to describe the same by
aid of the accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters
and figures thereon marked (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 represents a front view of a slide and mode of holding the
miniature figures of men armed and accoutred for being quickly formed
into sections, half companies, columns, battalions, files or fours, or
'
$

page_text: 5. 6, 100 prate of one of the men.
Fig. 6, the map or field explanatory of the manoeuvres; and
In each Figure
Fig. 7, perspective view of case containing the men.
the same letters of reference denote similar corresponding parts.
A, A, model figures of the men forming the pigmy battalion with
proper compliment of field officers, guides, markers, band, drummers,
and buglers; B, B, the foot plates upon which the men stand and are
secured; C, C, connecting slide plates for receiving and holding the
men in any required position; D and D¹, tongues and grooves for
attaching the plates to each other; E, E, spring clips for holding the
foot plates of the model men; F, F, body of the plan or field.
In conclusion to the foregoing description I would here briefly note
that the map or field may be otherwise varied in detail, or formed upon a
scale of an inch to so many miles, and admit in like manner of whole
armies being manœuvred.
And I would again note that by my improved system of teaching
military drill, the merest tyro can form up and put through every
evolution in the drill book without a possibility of his making a mistake
in his words of command, and thus an invaluable assistance is offered to
young officers who may not have yet learnt the new system of drill to
enable them rapidly to master its details and acquire a thorough
knowledge of the subject, each change of position being practically
represented and shewn at a glance.
And I would further note that the lilliputian regiment placed in the
hands of boys intended for the army, while affording intense amusement
will also thoroughly initiate them in the theory and practice of military
life.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed
and carried into effect, I would have it clearly understood that I do

page_text: not intend to confine myself to the precise details herein-before set
forth and described, as the same may be otherwise varied or receive
such other modifications as in practice may be found necessary without
departing from the general principle of these my said improvements,
nor do I claim as new and of my said Invention the exclusive use of
the several parts, combinations, and arrangements above referred to,
except when the same are employed in and for the purposes of my said
Invention, which I hereby declare to consist in forming and employing
model figures of soldiers and other military equipage in conjunction
with a miniature field for facilitating the teaching of military drill or
enabling a game of war to be played.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Colborne, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
B. F. WEATHERDON,
Law Chambers,
Chancery Lane.
JOHN COLBORNE. (L.S.)