Improvements in Shields or Screens for Military or Naval Purposes, and applicable for Use as Hospitals, Ambulances, Carts, Forts, Shelters, Bridges, or the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1899
Complete Specification Loft 14th Ann 1000
1000
Date of Application, 11th July, 1899
Complete Specification Loft,
44th
1000 Accepted, 2nd
June, 1900
Improvements in Shields or Screens for Military or Naval Purposes,
and applicable for Use as Hospitals, Ambulances, Carts, Forts,
Shelters, Bridges, or the like.
I, HENRY RYAN, of 4, South Hill Park, Hampstead, in the County of London,
Wine and Spirit Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to improvements in shields or screens for naval and
military purposes and has for its object an efficient portable shield against small
bore shots and the like which may be employed for offensive or defensive pur-
poses, or may be adapted for use as an ambulance or cart, or may be connected
to other similar shields to form a travelling or stationary hospital, or may be
used as a shelter from the weather, or to form a fort or lager, or may be
employed as a bridge.
According to my invention I mount a suitable metal plate of the required
size and shape upon a pair or other convenient number of wheels, in such
manner that the said plate can be turned into either a vertical or horizontal
position as required.
The said plate is preferably provided with a rail or rails or their equivalent
on one side and also adapted to carry removable chains and stanchions or
supports.
From these stanchions or supports an awning may be suspended when the
shield is adapted for use as an ambulance, hospital, or ammunition or other
cart or wagon or for other purpose.
To the said rail or rails a mattress or bed, an awning, the aforesaid stanchions,
blocks or skids for stopping the wheels on inclines, and other requisite articles
may be secured by means of the chain or chains or their equivalent, when the
shield is adapted for purposes of defence or offence and when travelling.
The said chains are employed for draught purposes when the shields are
adapted for use as a hospital, or as ambulances or when required.
The shields are so constructed that any required number of them may be
joined together by bolts or other suitable means to form a hospital. The axle
of the travelling wheels is passed through bosses, loops, or similar devices on
the shield; a number of such bosses, loops, or similar devices being provided
on each shield so that the wheels may be shifted when necessary.
When required for use for defensive purposes the shield is turned into a
vertical or such other position as to protect troops behind it, and the mattress,
awning, and other articles are carried at the back of the shield or on that side
which is away from the enemy.
'When required for use as an ambulance .or cart the shield is turned into a
horizontal position, the mattress (filled with air or water or other substance) is
aid upon it, and the stanchions are fixed thereon in a vertical position so as to
upport the awning.

page_text: When required for use as a hospital, as aforesaid, the shields are turned into
a horizontal position and bolted together (the wheels being shifted so as to
permit this), and the awnings are supported from the stanchions.
When required for use as a bridge, the shields are turned into a horizontal
position and chained er bolted together, or both chains and bolts may be used
to connect the shields. The stanchions are fixed in a vertical position on either
side of the bridge and connected by chains so as to form a protection at the
sides of the bridge, and the wheels may be shifted or removed, as required.
Some of the shields may have their wheels detached and may be arranged to
form an inclined approach at either side of the bridge, if required.
The mattresses may be adapted to carry water, and the plates may be pro-
vided with apertures having doors for rifle, maxim or similar gun fire.
The plates are interchangeable, may be readily attached to or detached from
their wheels or one another, or a number of them may be packed together for
travelling.
The wheels are of such size and so arranged as to carry the shields over any
ordinary obstruction.
1
1000
Dated this Hth day of July 1894
000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Shields or Screens for Military or Naval Purposes,
and applicable for Use as Hospitals, Ambulances, Carts, Forts,
Shelters, Bridges, or the like.
I, HENRY RYAN, of 4, South Hill Park, Hampstead, in the County of London,
Wine and Spirit Merchant, 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 relates to improvements in shields or screens for naval and
military purposes and has for its object to provide efficient protection against
rifle or small bore shots, by means of portable apparatus which may be employed
in offensive or defensive operations or may be adapted for use as an ambulance
or cart, or as a travelling or stationary hospital, or may be used as a shelter from
the weather, or to form a fort or lager, or may be employed as a bridge or for
similar purposes.
According to my invention I mount a suitable metal plate of the required
size and shape upon a pair or other convenient number of wheels, in such manner
that the said plate can be placed in either a vertical or horizontal position as
required.
The said plate is provided with apertures for rifle, Maxim or similar gun fire,
and has a rail or rails or their equivalent on one side, and is also adapted to
carry removable chains and stanchions or supports.
From these stanchions or supports an awning may be suspended when the
shield is adapted for use as a cart or wagon for ambulance, hospital, ammunition
or other purposes.
To the said rail or rails a mattress or bed, an awning, the aforesaid stanchions,
blocks or skids for stopping the wheels on inclines, and other requisite articles

page_text: may be secured by means of the chain or chains or their equivalent, when the
shield is adapted for purposes of defence or offence and when travelling.
Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2 is a rear elevation of a shield
mounted upon wheels and arranged in a vertical position.
Figure 3 shows in perspective a shield placed in an horizontal position and
arranged as an ambulance or other cart.
Figure 4 shows in perspective three shields bolted together and adapted to
form a field hospital.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is a metal plate which forms the shield and
is provided with sight holes a a, apertures a al for rifle fire, and an aperture a
through which a Maxim or similar gun may be fired. is a shutter or door
for closing the aperture a² when necessary. aand are holes in the plate A,
for purposes hereinafter described.
The shield is provided at the back, with lugs or bosses B, B, through which
an axle C carrying the wheels c, e passes. b, b are rails fixed to the bosses B, B.
Three rows of the bosses are provided in such positions that the axle and wheels
may be journalled at the middle or at either end of the plate A as required.
D) is a mattress and E is an awning, rolled up and placed at the back of the
shield, between the middle and lower rows of bosses. F is a chain which is
fastened to, and passed round the rails b so as to hold the mattress and awning
in position, or may be used for other purposes as hereinafter described. G, G
are sliding bolts for connecting the shield to other similar shields. Each of
these bolts is provided with necks g, carrying weights g¹, g. 9, are tubes
attached to the plate A and provided with lateral slots shown clearly in
Figure 4. These tubes g², 92, are adapted to receive the bolts of another shield
when it is required to connect two or more shields together as hereinafter
described.
In military operations during an advance or retreat, the soldiers march under
the protection of the shield and can fire through the apertures a¹ and a³, the
shield being either pushed forward or drawn back as required.
It is obvious that a number of the shields may be placed in line or arranged
to form a square, fort, or zereba. When used as a fort the shields may be con-
nected and fastened together by passing the chains F through the holes in
the bosses B, B.
Referring to Figure 3 the plate A is turned into an horizontal position. A
rod H carrying a small wheel or roller h, has its upper end reduced and passed
through the hole at in the plate A, and is secured in position by a suitable nut.
e, e are hoops or supports which are fixed in the holes a³, a³ and support the
awning E. The chain F may be attached to one of the rails 6 or to some other
convenient part of the apparatus and serves as a draught chain. If the cart is
to serve as an ambulance, the mattress D may be laid on the top of the plate A.
Referring to Figure 4, three plates A are connected together by sliding the
bolts G of one plate into the slotted tubes 2 g2 of the adjacent plate, the necks g
of the bolts of one plate passing through the slots in the tubes on the other
plate and the weights g of the said bolts being then turned down so that the
bolts cannot be accidentally withdrawn. Stanchions e are placed in the
holes a. The chains F are connected to the stanchions, the latter being pro-
vided with rings or eyes for this purpose. The awnings E are supported by
the chains and stanchions, and the mattresses I), D are laid on the plates A.
If the said shields are to be used as a fording bridge, the awnings and
mattresses would be removed therefrom, the required number of plates being
connected together by the bolts G, and the wheels placed at suitable positions
for supporting the bridge. Other plates can have their wheels removed and be
arranged to serve as approaches to the bridge. When the shields are adapted
for use as a bridge the chains may be passed under the plates A, to serve as an
additional security and to prevent accident should one or more of the bolts
happen to break or to become unfastened.

page_text: The mattresses are preferably adapted to be filled with air or water.
The stanchions, when not in use, are rolled in the awnings and the latter are
then' packed at the backs of the shields, as shown in Figure 2.
The wheels are of such size as to carry the shields over any ordinary obstruc-
tion, and they may be secured on the axles by nuts or any other suitable means
that will permit them to be readily removed.
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:
37
1. A portable shield or screen mounted upon wheels and adaptable for the
herein specified or similar purposes substantially as set forth.
2. Apparatus consisting of the portable shields or screens constructed and pro-
vided with the various appurtenances and arranged substantially as described
for the purposes specified.
Dated this 17th day of Anil 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.