AN IMPROVED BULLET-PROOF SCREEN FOR USE IN WARFARE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ROBERT SCIPIO MARSH DE RICCI of Molesey House Palace Road, Hampton
Court Barrister at Law, do hereby declare the nature of my' invention for AN
IMPROVED BULLET-PROOF SCREEN FOR USE IN WARFARE to be as follows:-
The Rifle Screen is composed of five separate parts:—
1. A shield of a thin sheet or sheets of metal or partly of metal and partly of
other substances.
2. A mat composed of fibre or partly of metal and partly of. fibre.
(
3. Supports and attachments of metal for connecting and carrying the above
mat and shield.
4. A bullet-proof movable concave metal plate attached to the chase of the gun.
5. A canvas valise fitted with straps and beckets.
The principle upon which this Screen is designed is as follows:—
The Screen being suspended in front of a gun the metal shield receives the first
impact of the enemy's bullet, checks its flight and partially flattens it; while the
mat behind stops it altogether.
The Screen is pierced to allow the muzzle of the gun to pass through and the
bullet plate is intended to stop any bullets which might come through that way.
The concave side of the plate should be turned towards the muzzle of the gun and
it should have a slot for sighting.
A short distance from the ground the Screen might be pierced with a few slots
for rifle fire.
In action the Screen would hang clear of the wheels of the gun froin two movable
supports attached to the axle, having each two arms terminating in hooks to connect
with tlie attachments at the extremities of the upper edge of the Screen and two
intermediate points on the same edge.
When not in actual use the Screen should be rolled up and packed in a canvas
valise; to faclitate which the metal shield should be divided into vertical sections
of convenient width, each strongly and permanently attached to the adjoining one.
The mat may be made strong enough to be used without the metal plate.

page_text: I, ROBERT SCIPIO MARSH DE RICCI of Molesey House Palace Road Hampton
Court, Barrister-at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN
IMPROVED. BULLET-PROOF SCREEN FOR USE IN WARFARE" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
:
According to my invention I construct a bullet proof screen as follows:-
1. A shield of a sheet or sheets of metal, or partly of metal and partly of other
substances such as are hereinafter referred to divided into sections of convenient
dimensions, each strongly attached to the adjoining one by a hinge connection,
allowing of the sections being [folded together like a manifold screen, or rolled up
like a steel shutter.
2. A splinter mat made of fibre, or partly of fibre and partly of wire, which may,
or may not, be suspended bebind the shield.
3. Supports and attachments of metal for connecting and carrying the above
shield and mat.
4. A bullet proof, moveable, concave metal plate, fitted to surround and be
attached to the chase of the gun, or corresponding part of the machine gun.
In action the screen would stand or hang in front of the gun either suspended
from props or supports resting upon the ground or it would stand without stays
or props or it might stand partially alone and partly supported by stays and props,
and it might be made in several pieces jointed together permanently or otherwise
and in one two or more parts, it may also be attached to supports mounted upon
the carriage of the gun and it may be made pierced for the wheels of the gun part
of the screen being inside the wheels and part being outside and part beneath the
axle. The screens may be inclined at a suitable angle to cause the bullets striking
it to glance off and the side portions may be turned back to give protection from
flanking or enfilading.fire.
The screen being pierced to allow the muzzle of the gun to pass through, the
bullet plate is intended to stop any bullets which might come through that way.
The concave side of the plate should be turned towards the muzzle of the gun,
and it should have slots for sighting.
At convenient intervals the screen may be pierced with a few slots for rifle
fire.
The shields may be constructed of steel, of aluminium bronze (Webster's Patent)
or compressed paper strengthened with one or more thicknesses of metal plate or
'wire (steel, or Webster's bronze) incorporated with it under hydraulic pressure ;
or all or any of these materials may be used together or separately.
The splinter mats may be made of Manilla hemp strengthened with one or more
thicknesses of steel or Webster's bronze wire in front or at the back, or incorporated
in it, or all or any of these methods may be used together or separately.
The bullet plate will be made of steel, or of Webster's bronze, and it may have a
hinged axis to enable it to be folded up when not in use on the gun.
The splinter mat may be made strong enough to be used without the metal
sliield, or the shield without the mat; and they may be made of various dimensions,
suitable for creating shelter from rifle or machine gun fire under every condition of
circumstances occurring in war.
In constructing the before described shield of two or more separate sections, one
situated above the other or one beside the others, such sections may be secured
together either by forming eyes on the one section that pass through slots in the

page_text: other section and are there secured by keys, or the sections may be arranged to
overlap each other, and be secured together by keys passing through both.
The openings through which the guns are fired, are provided with hinged
doors, so arranged that they can be opened or closed from the inside by a chain
passing through the shield.
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 use of a folding bullet proof screen divided into sections, constructed and
operating substantially as herein described.
2. The use of a splinter mat serving as a bullet screen, such splinter mat
consisting of a fabric of fibrous material combined with metal webbing sub-
stantially as herein described.
3. The use of a bullet proof concave metal plate fitted to surround the chase of
the gun, substantially as herein described.
4. The combination of a folding bullet proof screen divided into sections with
a splinter mat and a concave bullet plate arranged and operating substantially as
herein described.