Improvements in Valise Equipments for Military and other Purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 26th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 2nd June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Valise Equipments for Military and other
Purposes.
We, ALFRED SAVILL TOMKINS, of 4 Heene Terrace, Worthing, in the County
of Sussex, Captain in the Victoria Rifles, and HERBERT FERDINAND WOODGATE,
Captain of South Wales Borderers, of Gymnasium, Woolwich in the County of
Kent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to a construction of valise equipment described in the
Specification to H. F. Woodgate's Patent No. 13462 of 1890 in which a valise or
pocket containing the kit of a soldier or other person was combined with a water-
proof sheet that served as a bed, the valise or pocket being secured to one end of
the sheet, the two sides of which were firstly folded over longitudinally and secured
by buttoning, after which the sheet was rolled up round the pocket in compact
form, and was then strapped up.
According to our present improvements we firstly adapt the waterproof sheet for
the reception of a considerable number of cartridges, and secondly we make the
valise or pouch for containing the kit separate from the sheet, and arrange it in
such manner that it can be easily withdrawn therefrom while in a folded condition,
so that the soldier, when going into action, can rapidly relieve himself of the
unnecessary weight of the kit, leaving this behind in camp &c., and retaining only
the folded sheet with its receptacles for cartridges so placed as to be easily
accessible to the hand, while the sheet when unfolded constitutes a waterproof bed
at night.
For these purposes the valise may be constructed of any suitable known form,
such as a simple bag closed by a flap and straps at one end, while the sheet is
provided near one end thereof with a number of small pockets placed transversely
side by side with their open ends presented to the outer edge of the sheet, each
pocket being of a size to take a packet of cartridges, which is secured therein by a
flap with a suitable fastening. These pockets may be arranged so that when the
sheet is folded up they are situated either on the inner or on the outer side thereof,
and the fastening is so arranged that the soldier can easily undo it by reaching his
hand behind him. Between the two rows of cartridge pockets thus provided on the
sheet, a pouch may also be fixed thereto for containing necessary articles, or
provisions. The edges of the longitudinal sheet are by preference folded over to a
certain extent, so as when unfolded to give a sheet of somewhat greater width than
the valise, but such folding is arranged so as not to interfere in any way with the
easy removal of the valise by drawing it out from the one or the other open side of
the folded sheet. If necessary for securely holding the valise in the folded
sheet, this may be provided in addition to the necessary straps for strapping it
together in the folded condition, with a strap or straps passing round the open
sides thereof.
Although the above described improved valise equipment is more particularly
applicable for military purposes, yet it may also be used by sportsmen or exploring
parties.
and this 20th day of July 1892
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Valise Equipments for Military and other
Purposes.
We, ALFRED SAVILL TOMKINS, of 4 Heene Terrace, Worthing, in the County
of Sussex, Captain in the Victoria Rifles, and HERBERT FERDINAND WOODGATE,
Captain of South Wales Borderers of Gymnasium, Woolwich, in the County of
Kent, 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:-
Our invention relates to a construction of valise equipment described in the
Specification to H. F. Woodgate's Patent No. 13,462 of 1890 in which a valise or
pocket containing the kit of a soldier or other person was combined with a water-
proof sheet that served as a bed, the valise or pocket being secured to one end of
the sheet, the two sides of which were firstly folded over longitudinally and secured
by buttoning, after which the. sheet was rolled up round the pocket in compact form,
and was then strapped up.
According to our present improvements we firstly adapt the waterproof sheet for
the reception of a considerable number of cartridges, and secondly we make the
valise or pouch for containing the kit separate from the sheet, and arrange it in
such manner that it can be easily withdrawn therefrom while in a folded condition,
so that the soldier when going into action can rapidly relieve himself of the
unnecessary weight of the kit, leaving this behind in camp &c., and retaining only
'the folded sheet with its receptacles for cartridges so placed as to be easily
accessible to the hand, while the sheet when unfolded constitutes a waterproof bed
at night.
For these purposes the valise may be constructed of any suitable known form,.
such as a simple bag closed by a flap and straps at one end, while the sheet is
provided near one end thereof with a number of small pockets transversely side by
side with their open ends presented to the outer edge of the sheet, each pocket
being of a size to take a packet of cartridges which is secured therein by a flap
with a suitable fastening. These pockets may be arranged so that when the sheet
is folded up they are situated either on the inner or on the outer side thereof, and
the fastening is so arranged that the soldier can easily undo it by reaching his hand
behind him. Between the two rows of cartridge pockets thus provided on the sheet,
a pouch may also be fixed thereto for containing necessary articles, or provisions.
The edges of the longitudinal sheet are by preference folded over to a certain
extent, so as when unfolded to give a sheet of somewhat greater width than the
valise, but such folding is arranged so as not to interfere in any way with the easy
removal of the valise by drawing it out from the one or the other open side of the
folded sheet. If necessary for securely holding the valise in the folded sheet, this
may be provided in addition to the necessary straps for strapping it together in the
folded condition, with a strap or straps passing round the open sides thereof.
Although the above described improved valise equipment is more particularly
applicable for military purposes, yet it may also be used by sportsmen or exploring
parties.
The construction and arrangement of the above described equipment will be
readily understood from the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 shews the waterproof sheet unfolded.
Fig. 2 shews the separate valise or bag.
Fig. 3 shews a perspective view of the sheet rolled round the valise in the form
of a knapsack.
Fig. 4 shews a perspective view of the folded sheet, when the valise has been
withdrawn, and
Fig. 5 shews an elevation of the side of the folded sheet which comes against the
back of the soldier.

page_text: The sheet A is made of any suitable strong waterproof material to which is by
preference secured at the part which comes against the back, a piece of leather or
other strong material B, and on this are secured the pockets CC by preference of
such a form as each to take an ordinary packet of cartridges. These pockets are,
in the arrangement shewn at Figs. 1 to 5, situated on the outer side of the sheet;
they may however be arranged on the inner side as shewn at Figs. 6 and 7. These
pockets are closed by flaps C which button on to studs D fixed on the inner
side of the sheet A.. The latter is made of a greater total width than the width
when folded, so that the two side portions A have to be folded inwards before
rolling and these parts may have button holes as shewn which button on to the
studs D before buttoning the flaps C¹ thereto.
.
To the sheet A are fixed straps and buckles E E', so that when the valise or
bag F is placed thereon and the sheet A is folded round it, the latter can be secured
by the straps as shewn at Fig. 3. The sheet A is provided with any suitable
attachments for securing the arm straps or other parts of the equipment thereto,
and between the pockets C C it may carry a pouch G for containing food or other
articles. Fig. 6 shews a part of the opened sheet with the pockets C and pouch G
fixed on the inner side thereof, so that when folded they appear inside as at Fig. 7.
The parts A of the sheet are in this case folded over the ends of the pockets C so
as to protect the cartridges and if made sufficiently wide as shewn by the dotted
line on the left hand side, they may be buttoned on to the studs D of the pockets.
To get at the cartridges, the folded edge would have to be first pulled out as shewn
at Fig. 7.
Although we prefer to make the valise or bag F separate from the sheet A with
the cartridge pockets C for the object described, yet it may also be attached
thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A valise equipment consisting of a waterproof sheet, serving as a bed and
having attached thereto pockets for containing cartridges, and a separate valise or
bag containing the kit round which the sheet is folded and secured by straps so
that when required the valise can be removed and the folded sheet with the supply
of cartridges be alone carried, substantially as described.
2. The use for a valise equipment, of a waterproof sheet having a number of
pockets for containing a supply of cartridges, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a waterproof sheet A with pockets C for containing
cartridges, and a valise or bag F, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of April 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.