AN IMPROVED MILITARY OUTFIT FOR SOLDIERS IN CAM- PAIGN, INTENDED TO PROTECT THE MEN, THEIR PROVISIONS AND AMMUNITIONS, AGAINST DAMPNESS AND RAIN, AND ALSO FOR SEVERAL OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lewinski Yvose-Laurent, of No. 17, Rue Neuvo
Popincourt, Paris, Impervious Cart and Waggon Tilt Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MILITARY OUTFIT FOR SOLDIERS IN CAM-
PAIGN, INTENDED TO PROTECT THE MEN, THEIR PROVISIONS AND AMMUNITIONS,
AGAINST DAMPNESS AND RAIN, AND ALSO FOR SEVERAL OTHER USEFUL
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 10th February 1865, and dated the 18th August 1864.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Lewinski Yvose-Laurent at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Decla-
ration, on the 18th August 1864, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
5 TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEWINSKI
YVOSE-LAURENT, of No. 17, Rue Neuve Popincourt, Paris, Impervious Cart
and Waggon Tilt Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MILITARY.
OUTFIT FOR SOLDIERS IN CAMPAIGN, INTENDED TO PROTECT THE MEN, THEIR PRO--
O VISIONS AND AMMUNITIONS, AGAINST DAMPNESS AND RAIN, AND ALSO FOR SEVERAL
OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the
same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am the first and true Inventor.
thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Lewinski Yvose-Laurent, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and scal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
in which the samo is to be performed, that is to say :-
The chief object of my Invention is to afford to soldiers in campaign an
efficacious means of protection, when lying in tents, against the dampness
arising from the ground, my Invention consisting in the particular fitting and
preparation of a piece of impervious cloth, which may also be appropriated to
several other useful purposes besides that above mentioned.
This Invention suggested itself to me in consequence of several workmen
in my employ being afflicted with chronic rheumatic pains which often pre-
vented them from attending to their work, and even compelled them to enter
hospitals, which caused loss to master and men. This induced me to enquiro
into the source of such ailments, and I ascertained that all of them had been
soldiers and bad often slept on the bare ground under tents, either in Africa
or in the Crimea, where the dampness issuing from the soil in the night pene-
trated through their garments to the skin. This information led me to
experiment in the following manner :-In the evening I laid on the ground a
piece of air and water-tight cloth, and the next morning I found that the side
of the impervious cloth which touched the ground was completely covered
with an abundant moisture, while tho upper sido remained dry. From this
fact I inferred that if the soldiers were to lie on a piece of waterproof cloth
under the tent, the dampness of the soil could not penetrate through their
clothes, and that consequently they would not be afflicted as above mentioned.
It appeared to me that the impervious piece of cloth needed by every soldier
for the purpose above mentioned could bo made available, not only for lying
upon, but also for sheltering his shoulders, ammunition, provisions, and arms,
from rain when marching in the fields, and consequently 1 contrived to mako
out from this primary idea an outfit or piece to be easily carried about by
the soldiers without much increasing the burden with which ho is already
Jaden.
The annexed Sheet of Drawing is an illustration of my Invention, shewing
the said piece of impervious cloth or encampment carpet applied to several
.useful purposes.
The Figures 1 and 2 show the said encampment carpet completely unfollod
on both sides, with the buckle, straps, buttons, and eyelets required for the
several duties to which it is to be applied; Figure 8 shows a soldier lying
upon the impervious carpet, his head supported on his knapsack, and his body
preserved during his sleep against the dampness of the soil; Figure 4 shews

page_text: the same carpet fixed by means of straps and buckles over the shoulders of a
soldier marching in rainy weather, part of his clothes and arms being pro-
tected from the rain, and his provisions and ammunition kept dry; Figure 5
shews two men carrying water in the carpet, forming a sort of bag or poke,
so that they can fetch water from a distance as readily as with buckets, and
bring it to the camp; lastly, Figure 6 shows the same carpet used as a
receiver to gather the rainy water when the camp is set in a dry and barren
spot.
In the Figures 1 and 2 the letters a, a, a, b, b, b, are the buttons and
button-holes used to connect together several carpets to shelter provisions,
ammunition, goods, or wounded men; B and C are the buckle and strap used
to fix it on the shoulders of the soldier marching in rainy weather. This carpet
being folded and rolled up is but of small bulk, say, from 15 to 18 inches
long, and about 4 to 5 inches thick; in such shape it can easily be lodged on
the top of the knapsack of infantry and pedestrians, and before the saddle of
horsemen. This carpet can also be used as a hammock, being then hung by
ropes or straps running through metallic eyelets fitted at the four corners.
Lastly, it can also be usefully employed in civil or field hospitals by stretching it
under the sick or wounded men to gather the ejected matters or blood, and
thus protect the mattress or bed clothes from being spoiled.
My Invention being now described, and a true idea of it being conveyed to
mind by the annexed Sheet of Drawing, I claim the solo and exclusive right
of manufacturing and selling to the military, or to civilians, carpets or military
outfits made for the several purposes and substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lewinski Yvose-Laurent, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed and sealed in the
presence of
L. D'AUBRÉVILLE, C. E.
YVOSE-LAURENT. (L.s.)