AN IMPROVED PORTABLE FORT APPLICABLE TO OTHER MILITARY PURPOSES
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN STANDFIELD of 6 Westminster Chambers in the City of Westminster
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
PORTABLE FORT APPLICABLE TO OTHER MILITARY PURPOSES, to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a new military engine for a shield and fort and
for other military uses.
Figure 1 is an end elevation and Figure 2 is a plan of the engine or portable.
fort arranged for transit.
It will be observed that it has somewhat the appearance of a street roller.
It is provided with ordinary shafts so that any draught animal may be attached
to it, or it may be drawn by manual or other power.
This portable fort consists by preference of a hollow steel cylinder A perhaps for
convenience 7 feet in diameter and which conjointly with the two light steel dish
shaped loose ends B B make it about 7 feet high, but the dimensions may be
varied to suit various cases.
A is the hollow steel cylinder, B B are the dish shaped ends which form the ends
of the roller. Either of these ends may form the top of the cylinder when it is
placed on end.
When it is desirable that it should be drawn by horses the pins F F are inserted
which makes the shafts perfectly rigid with the frame, which then occupy the
position shown in plan.
But it may sometimes be desirable for the horse to push the portable fort before
him. By this means it would be possible to advance on an enemy under cover,
without exposing either the horse or the drivers. But it also evident that it
would be exceedingly difficult to steer the portable fort while being pushed if the
shafts were rigid with the frame work; to obviate this. the pins F F are withdrawn
and the shafts may now be moved either to the left or right by turning the hand
wheel H which is connected by a vertical shaft I and the initre wheels J. J. to the
worm K which engages in the quadrant M M.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus when fixed in position as a
shield or fort.
Having pulled or pushed the portable fort into the required place the shafts S. S.
and frame D may be removed by slacking of the lock nut and removing the set
screws C. C.

page_text: By removing the dish shaped ends and tipping it up it may be immediately
converted into a hollow vertical cylinder as shown in Figures 3 and 4 which may
be rapidly sunk into sand or other soft strata by excavating on the inside and
throwing the material removed over the upper side.
Thus in a short space of time it may be sunk to the desired level and almost
under the ground. After this is completed one of the ends B. B. may be placed on
the top as a cover when it becomes a perfect fixed fort, invulnerable to almost
anything except artillery.
The cylinder is provided with automatic loop and man holes with automatic
covers and also with numbers of narrow slots, and very small holes countersunk on
the inside, through which the occupant may make observations in every direction
while under cover and without being observed.
It is also provided both in the ends and side with hinged and sliding man and
loop holes which can only be opened, closed and secured from the inside.
If necessary the cover B may be placed in position before excavating, and the
earth displaced may be passed out of the manholes.
In some cases a light wheel may be substituted in place of one of the dish shaped
covers during transit.
The cylinders may be either in one piece or may for convenience of handling, be
made up of several rolled steel rings (Figure 4).
It will be observed that there is a slight difference of construction between
Figure 3 and Figure 4. In Figure 3 an angle iron is used to receive the dish
shaped end while in Figure 4 a plain flat bar is used.
The portable forts may be constructed so that a watertight joint may be made
between the ends and the side of the cylinder and one or more of them may then
be used to form a floating pontoon for bridge work or even as a boat for conveying
men and stores across rivers etc. They can also be bolted one above another so as
to form the piers of a temporary bridge.
Having been made perfectly tight they can be filled with water and so readily
transported from place to place and on their arrival they may be used as tanks.
After being emptied they can be still used as forts, tanks pontoons &°.
Dated this 95th day of Fohn100

page_text: Purposes.
I JOHN STANDFIELD of 6 Westminster Chambers in the City of Westminster
Civil Engineer 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:-
This invention has for its object an improved portable fort applicable to other
military purposes.
This portable fort consists by preference of a hollow steel cylinder perhaps for
convenience 7 feet in diameter and which conjointly with the two light steel dish
shaped ends makes it also about 7 feet high. They may however be made any
diameter and height.
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a portable fort when in position for transit. It
will be observed that it has somewhat the appearance of an ordinary garden or
street roller.
It is provided with ordinary shafts so that any draught animal may be attached
to it; or it may be drawn by manual or other power.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
A is the hollow steel cylinder. B B are the hollow dish shaped ends of the
roller. Either of these ends may be used as the top of the portable fort.
When it is desirable that the portable fort should be drawn by horses the
pins F F are inserted which makes the frame perfectly rigid with the shafts in
the position as shown.
But it may sometimes be desirable for the horse to push the portable fort before
him. By this means it would be possible to advance on an enemy without
exposing either the horse or the drivers. But it is also evident that it would be
exceedingly difficult to steer the portable fort in any desired direction if the shafts
were rigid with the draught frame work; to obviate this the two pins F F are
withdrawn and the shafts may now be moved either to the left or right by
turning the hand wheel H which is connected by a vertical shaft I and the mitre
wheels J J with the worm K which engages in the worm wheel M.
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional elevations of the apparatus when fixed in position.
Having pulled or pushed the portable fort into position the shafts S S and the
frame D D may be removed by slacking off the lock nuts on and removing the set
screws CC.
By removing the ends and tipping it up the portable fort is immediately
converted into a hollow steel vertical cylinder as shown in Figure 3 which may
be rapidly sunk into sand or other soft strata by excavating on the inside and
throwing the material over the upper edge. Thus in a short space of time it may
be sunk to the desired level and almost under the ground, after this is completed
one of the ends B B may be placed on the top as a cover when the machine
becomes a perfect fixed fort invulnerable to almost anything except artillery.
The cylinder is provided with automatic loop holes as hereinafter described and
also with numbers of narrow slots. and very small holes countersunk on the inside

page_text: through which the occupant may make observations in every direction under cover
and without being observed.
It is also provided with hinged and sliding man holes and loop holes which can
only be opened closed and secured from the inside. If necessary the cover B may
be placed in position before excavating and the earth displaced may be passed out
of the manholes H*.
In some cases a light steel wheel may be substituted in place of one of the covers
during transit.
These cylinders may be either in one piece or may for lightness be made up of
several rolled steel rings as shown in Figure 4.
It will be observed that the portable forts in Figures 3 and 4 differ slightly in
construction. In Figure 4 a flat bar supports the end while in Figure 3 an angle
iron is used.
These portable forts may be constructed so that a watertight joint may be made
between the ends and the side of the cylinder and one or more may then be used
to form a floating pontoon for bridge work or even as a boat for conveying men
and stores across rivers or lakes, or they may be bolted one above another so as to
form a temporary bridge.
When the loop holes, man holes etc have been made perfectly tight the cylinders
may be used as tanks. They can also be filled with water and so readily trans-
ported; and after being emptied may still be used as forts, pontoons, etc.
Figure 5 shows a side elevation of a portable fort mounted on a pair of light
steel or other suitable wheels. It is composed of two cylinders a hollow vertical
steel cylinder A supported by the wheels and a horizontal cylinder B the whole
forming a Tshaped cylinder. The horizontal cylinder B may revolve in any
direction being mounted on steel or other rollers contained in the cylinder A or in
other equivalent manner.
The ends of the horizontal cylinder B may be protected by flat or dish shaped
ends perforated with holes as shown in end elevation at Figure 6.
This form of portable fort may be very lightly constructed and may then be
regarded as a suit of mail mounted on wheels.
In this horizontal cylinder may be contained a Gardner or other machine gun
with the muzzle or muzzles protruding through the holes.
It will be noticed that on descending a hill a great portion of the weight of the
portable fort would be thrown onto the horse's back. This may be obviated by
the spring steel brake C which while it checks the tendency of the cylinder to run
away also takes a considerable portion of the weight. This spring C may be
raised or lowered onto the ground by the hand wheel D which is screwed to a
vertical screwed spindle C¹ which passes through the shaft S.
Figures 7 and 8 represent a portable fort of which the vertical cylinder is in
sections by preference four in number. These four sections are stood upright on a
base ring composed of angle irons and provided with stops or V shaped pieces of
metal E E E E which receive the ends of the plates in such a manner that on
rearing the plates up on end they guide themselves into their correct positions
where they may be immediately secured with bolts. The cylinder may then be
completed with a dished or flat end F F round which an angle iron is placed so
that it fits over the four plates like a canister cover and holds them together.
The whole cylinder when bolted together may be slung into any desired position
by a crane by means of the ring bolt G.
His a hinged entrance door which may be bolted on the inside.
This cylinder has no bottom so that the occupants may excavate below it and
sink it into any desired position; the excavated earth may be passed out of the
door H.
It will be noticed that the angle iron ring forming the bottom, the four segments
of a cylinder A¹ A¹ A' A¹ forming the sides and the dished cover F F can be stowed
into a very small space for convenience in transit.

page_text: The angle iron base may be provided with steel rollers so as to form it into a
turntable similar to a small railway turntable so that the upper portion may be
a freely revolving fort.
Figure 9 shows a more complete form of Figure 2 in which the two tyres I I
mounted on the cylinder form the wheels.
To allow of the cylinder being turned in any direction with rapidity either one
or both of these tyres can freely revolve on the cylinder.
Figure 10 shows a portable fort mounted on a pair of wheels.
It may be partially supported by a brake C and hand wheel D as described in
respect to Figure 5. It is composed of a vertical cylindrical top K mounted on a
smaller vertical cylinder L. This top may be made to revolve on rollers as
described or it may be fixed to the lower vertical cylinder.
Figure 11 shows a T shaped cylinder similar to Figure 5 the top of which is
capable of revolving in any direction mounted on three wheels like a tricycle or a
perambulator it may thus be steered in any desired direction.
Figure 12 shows a section of a spherical portable fort.
Inside it is a truck or cradle M running on rollers or castors in such a manner
that whatever the position of the sphere the cradle M always maintains a hori-
zontal position at the bottom.
This truck may contain several men in perfect safety while the sphere is
proceeding along at a considerable speed.
Figure 15 shows a sectional elevation of Figure 9. This has a truck or cradle P
similar to M (Figure 12) except that instead of running on rollers it is supported
on pins R. It maintains a horizontal position by its own weight.
Figures 13 and 14 represent a forin of portable fort mounted respectively on.
two and four wheels; the top sections N N₁ of these portable forts may revolve
on steel rollers or friction plates in any direction, or they may be revolved by
gear such as an endless rack and pinion or by a lever similar to small railway
turntables.
Figure 16 shows a portable fort mounted on four nearly equal sized wheels very
like a brougham, the top portion may revolve as before described.
The ammunition box forms a scat directly over the front wheels.
Figure 17 is a plan of Figure 16.
Figure 18 shows a portable fort mounted on trolley wheels for protecting a
railway, it may be made to revolve at S or S¹ as before described.
It may be propelled along a railroad by means of a chain T or other suitable
means which may be driven by men by means of winch handles similar to a
grindstone, all of which are under cover on the inside of this portable fort.
It may also be driven by a small steam engine similar to a locomotive steam
crane.
In some instances a small locomotive steam crane may be mounted on the inside
of one of these cylinders with the jib projecting through, which may be used for
slinging portable forts similar to Figure from the platform of a truck into a
position to protect the railway.
Figure 19 shows how the portable fort may be rapidly and easily transported.
on railway trucks being either lifted on to the trucks by a crane or rolled onto
them.
Figure 20 shows a portable fort arranged so as to afford a complete protection
for the horse as well as the drivers.
It may be steered in any desired direction by means of the wheel W which is
controlled from the cylindrical top V.
Figures 21 and 22 show a similar portable. fort adapted to protect a traction or
other road engine which would be invaluable for hauling heavy guns, etc, into
position, it may be provided with a jib similar to a crane for lifting purposes.
Figure 23 shows a portable fort mounted on a railway truck and arranged so as
to afford complete protection to a crane of which the jib alone is exposed. It may
revolve at S S and may be made use of to place the smaller portable forts in

page_text: .
advantageous positions along the railroad for its protection, it may also be used
with advantage for laying the pernianent way etc.
Figure 24 shows a portable fort mounted on railway wheels by having slots cut
in the plates of the cylinder which fit over the axles.. It may revolve. at S S as
before described.
:
Figure 25 shows a sectional plan through one of the loop holes and Figure 26
is a side elevation of same. A round plug and oblong shield is rivetted or screwed
to a spring steel bar which also forms the operating lever.
Figure 26 shows the plug withdrawn and the oblong shield lowered; in this
position it acts as a ventilator and at the same time prevents the entrance of any
shot. When it is desirable to close the port the lever is raised and the round plug
springs into the orifice making the outside of the portable fort perfectly smooth,
while by lowering the lever the port may be partially or fully opened.
All these portable forts have this in common that the main parts of which they
or the principal parts of which they are composed can be rolled into position
whenever other means of transport fail.
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. Portable forts consisting of a loop holed metal cylinder with end cover as
described.
2. Portable forts consisting of a loop holed metal cylinder with end cover,
draught frame and shafts substantially as described.
3. Portable forts consisting of a metal cylinder having loop holes capable of
being closed and secured from the inside substantially as described.
4. Portable forts substantially as described and represented by the annexed
drawings.
Dated this 94th day of November 180K