IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO KNAPSACKS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS ARTICLES FOR THE PURPOSE OF MORE CONVENIENTLY SUPPORTING THE WEIGHT THEREOF WHILE BEING CARRIED ON THE BACK
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stanley Edmiston, of Charing Cross, in the City
of Westminster, India-Rubber Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO KNAPSACKS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS ARTICLES
FOR THE PURPOSE OF MORE CONVENIENTLY SUPPORTING THE WEIGHT THEREOF
WHILE BEING CARRIED ON THE BACK."
Scaled the 21st January 1873, and dated the 17th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stanley Edmiston at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th September 1872.
I, STANLEY EDMISTON, of Charing Cross, in the City of Westminster,
India-Rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO KNAPSACKS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS
ARTICLES FOR THE PURPOSE OF MORE CONVENIENTLY SUPPORTING THE WEIGHT THEREOF
WHILE BEING CARRIED ON THE BACK," to be as follows:-
My Invention is applicable either to soldiers or to ordinary tourists'
knapsacks of the usual construction. No alteration is required in the

page_text: knapsack beyond fixing thereon a socket or sockets to receive the end
of a vertical rigid strut or support which forms the essential feature of
the Invention. This rigid strut or support may consist either of a thin
flat piece of iron or steel, or it may be made of wood of about 15 inches
in length. The lower end of this strut rests in a leather or other socket 5
fixed to the waist belt, and the upper end is inserted in a similar socket
attached to the knapsack. This vertical support or strut being central
stands parallel to and opposite to the backbone of the wearer, but in no
way incommodes him. In fact its object is to relieve the shoulders very
considerably from the weight of the knapsack, which may be secured to 1
the person by means of the ordinary straps or in any other convenient
manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Stanley Edmiston in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STANLEY
EDMISTON, of Charing Cross, in the City of Westminster, India-Rubber
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Stanley Edmiston, Her special licence
that I, the said Stanley Edmiston, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Stanley Edmiston, my exccutors,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS
APPLICABLE TO KNAPSACKS AND OTHER ANALOGOUS ARTICLES FOR THE PURPOSE OF
MORE CONVENIEntly SupportinG THE WEIGHT THEREOF WHILE BEING CARRIED ON THE
BACK," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Stanley
Edmiston, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly

page_text: 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Stanley Edmiston, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention is applicable either to soldiers' or to ordinary tourists'
knapsacks of the usual construction. No alteration is required in the
knapsack beyond fixing thereon a socket or sockets to receive the end of
a vertical rigid strut or support which forms the essential feature of the
Invention. This rigid strut or support may consist either of a thin
piece of iron or steel, or it may be made of wood of about fifteen inches
in length. The lower end of this strut rests in a leather or other socket
fixed to the waist belt, and the upper end is inserted in a similar socket
attached to the knapsack. This vertical support or strut being central
stands parallel to and opposite to the backbone of the wearer, but in no
way incommodes him. In fact its object is to relieve the shoulders very
considerably from the weight of the knapsack, which may be secured to
the person by means of the ordinary straps or in any other convenient
manner.
In the accompanying Drawing have shown a tourists' knapsack and
waist belt combined and arranged according to my improvements. The
knapsack a, a, is connected to the waist belt b, b, by means of the
shoulder strap c, c, and the rigid vertical support d made of wood or
metal as above mentioned. The waist belt is provided with straps b', b',
whereby it may be secured to the body. The belt b is also provided
with a socket e to receive the lower end of the vertical rigid support d
which is temporarily connected to the knapsack a by the sockets a¹ and a³,
the latter of which receives the upper end of the rigid support d, so that
a considerable portion of the weight of the knapsack is taken off the
shoulders and is transferred to the waist belt through the rigid vertical
support.
Although in the Drawing I have only shown the Inwontion so

page_text: soldiers' or tourists' knapsacks, as it will be obvious that a similar arrange-
ment of parts may be employed for supporting other articles or weights
on the back so as to leave the arms and hands free.
I would moreover remark that as soldiers are usually provided with a
waistbelt nothing more is required than to adapt one socket to the
ordinary waist belt and one or more sockets, as shewn, to the knapsack,
so that the rigid vertical support may be adapted thereto as above shewn
and described. For ordinary travellers however, and those who do not
usually wear waist belts, this latter article would of course be required.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements Applicable to
Knapsacks and other Analogous Articlos for the Purpose of more con-
veniently Supporting the Weight thereof while being Carried on the
Back," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid the adaptation to the knapsack or other article or weight which
requires to be supported on the back of a rigid vertical support or strut
in combination with the waist belt or band to receive the thrust and
sustain the weight of the vertical support or strut so that a considerable
portion of the weight of the knapsack or other article may be taken off
the shoulders and transferred to the waist band or belt as herein set
forth.
forth.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Stanley Edmiston, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 17th day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
H. K. WHITE,
66, Chancery Lane.
STANLEY EDMISTON. (L.S.)
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