IMPROVE- MENTS IN SHIELDS FOR GIVING PROTECTION AGAINST SHOT AND SPLINTERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOSIAH VAVASSEUR of the London Ordnance Works Southwark in the County
of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SHIELDS FOR GIVING PROTECTION AGAINST SHOT AND SPLINTERS,” to be
as follows:-
These improvements relate to the construction of shields either attached to Gun
mountings or used in connection therewith to afford some protection to the Gun's
Crew against machine gun fire and splinters from projectiles.
I construct the shield of bars of channel section placed vertically or in case of a
flat shield the face may be inclined the length of the Channel bars corresponding to
the height of the shield.
The channel bars have the base or flat portion at least one inch thick and at
either side a flange projecting by preference outwards from the flat portion These
flanges are of sufficient length to allow of joining together two contiguous bars by
means of screws or rivets through the flanges. Also on one or both faces of the
flat portion I form in some cases ribs or projections by preference parallel with the
flanges so as to be easily rolled.
The spaces on the outer faces between the flanges or between the flange and the
ribs I fill up with strips or blocks of elm or other suitable material to check any
splashes of bullets or splinters.
These strips may be either in one continuous length from top to bottom or cut
into short lengths to prevent any splitting caused by a shot extending beyond
the section on which it struck. The strips or blocks are attached to the metal
shield by means of screws passing through them from the outside and tapped into
the metal so as not to have any heads on the inside which might be detached and
fly inwards towards the mounting if struck.
The upper and lower edges of the shield have on the outside projecting bars or
piece of angle section the horizontal flanges of which form abutments for the ends
of the facing strips-These angle bars are by preference also attached to the shield
by screws passing through them from the outside and tapped into the shield
metal.
Around the embrasure or port through which the Gun passes-I prefer to fit on
the outside an edge piece or rim made either as a casting or a forging and

page_text: connected to the shield either by screws from the outside tapped into the shield
metal or by screws through the flange of the shield bars and tapped into the metal
of the edge piece.
In the case of shields fixed on the Gun mounting they may be attached by
means of screw-bolts and nuts or other fastenings a packing of wood or other
material softer than metal being used by preference between the inner face of the
shield and the points of attachment on the mounting to deaden vibration when
struck.
For a mounting having a pivot near its centre or to the rear of the shield it is
convenient to make the face of the shield of polygonal form with angles projecting
outwards each side of the polygon being composed of one or more of the vertical
channel-bars united in the manner previously described.
For Bat shields considerably inclined I prefer to place the channel bars trans-
versely so as better to stop the ricochet of bullets or splinters filling in the spaces
with the strips or blocks as previously described.
Improvements in Shields for Giving Protection against Shot
and splinters.
I JOSIAH VAVASSEUR of the London Ordnance Works Southwark in the County
of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
" and
MENTS IN SHIELDS FOR GIVING PROTECTION AGAINST SHOT AND SPLINTERS
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
These improvements relate to the construction of shields either attached to gun
mountings or used in connection therewith to afford some protection to the gun's
crew against machine gun fire and splinters from projectiles.
I construct the shield of bars of channel section placed vertically or in case of a
flat shield the face may be inclined the length of the channel bars corresponding to
the height of the shield.
i
The channel bars have the base or flat portion at least one inch thick, and at
either side a flange projecting by preference outwards from the flat, portion. These
flanges are of sufficient length to allow of joining together two contiguous bars by
means of screws or rivets through the flanges. Also on one or both faces of the
flat portion. I form in some cases ribs or projections by preference parallel with the
flanges so as to be easily rolled,

page_text: The spaces on the outer faces between the flanges or between the flange and
the ribs I fill up with strips or blocks of elm or other suitable material to check any
splashes of bullets or splinters.
These strips may be either in one continuous length from top to bottom-or cut
into short lengths to prevent any splitting caused by a shot extending beyond the
section on which it struck. The strips or blocks are attached to the metal shield
by means of screws passing through them from the outside and tapped into the
metal so as not to have any heads on the inside which might bo detached and fly
inwards towards the mounting if struck.
The upper and lower edges of the shield have on the outside projecting bars or
pieces of angle section the horizontal flanges of which form abutments for the ends
of the facing strips. These angle bars are by preference also attached to the shield
by screws passing through them from the outside and tapped into the shield metal.
Around the embrasure or port through which the gun passes I prefer to fit on
the outside an edge piece or rim made either as a casting or a forging and
connected to the shield either by screws from the outside tapped into the shield
metal or by screws through the flange of the shield bars and tapped into the
metal of the edge piece.
In the case of shields fixed on the gun mounting they may be attached by means
of screws bolts and nuts or other fastenings a packing of wood or other material
softer than metal being used by preference between the inner face of the shield and
the points of attachment on the mounting to deaden vibration when struck.
For a mounting having a pivot near its centre or to the rear of the shield it is
convenient to make the face of the shield of polygonal form with angles projecting
outwards each side of the polygon being composed of one or more of the vertical
channel bars united in the manner previously described.
For flat shields considerably inclined I prefer to place the channel bars trans-
versely so as better to stop the ricochet of bullets or splinters filling in the spaces
with the strips or blocks as previously described.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
T
11
1
Figure 1 shows a section of the bars of which the shields are constructed; the
base or flat portion a is at least one inch thick. A flange bat either side projects
outwards and is of sufficient length to allow of joining together contiguous bars by
means of screws or rivets c. On one or both faces of the flat portion ribs or
projections d-are formed.
The spaces on the outer faces between the flanges and ribs are filled up with
strips or blocks c of clm or other suitable material, either in one continuous length
from top to bottom or cut into short lengths as shown in vertical section by.
Figure 2. These are attached to the bars by screws f passing through them from
the outside and tapped into the plate. To the upper and lower edges of the shield
are fitted on the outside angle bars g the horizontal flanges forming abutments for
the end of the facing strips e. The angle bars are secured to the shield by screws h
passing through thein froin the outside and tapped into the shield plate a.
Around the embrasure or port through which the gun passes I fit on the outside
a cast or forged steel rim or edge piece i. The casting or forging i is represented
in Figures 3, 4 and 5 it is connected to the shield either by screws k tapped into
the shield metal or by screws & through the flanges of the shield bars and tapped
into the metal of the edge piece.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 also show a method of attachment of the shield to the
brackets m n on the gun slides. This is by means of bolts and nuts and a
packing o of hard wood fitted between the shield metal and the faces of the
brackets, in order to deaden vibration when struck.

page_text: Figures 6, 7 and 8 show the shield of polygonal form as adapted to a mounting
having a pivot to the rear of the shield at p the arrangement of the flanges of the
bars is shown more clearly on the enlarged view Figure 9.
Figures 10 and 11 show a flat shield q with wood facings, which may be used in
connection with the front pivoted mountings. Such a shield may be fitted to the
outside of a ship's upper works; an embrasure or port being formed in it for the
gun to work through.
The same figures also show a shield fitted to the mounting itself. This shield r
is considerably inclined it is attached to the gun carriage and recoils therewith.
In this case the bars are placed transversely so as better to stop the ricochet of
bullets or splinters.
The vertical flat wing shields 8s attached to the slide are similarly faced with
wood strips. These wing shields may also be fitted so as to lay close to the slide
when not in use, and to be fixed at any desired angle with the slide to clear the
ship's side at points of extreme training.
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). A shield composed of bars of channel section filled with strips or blocks of
elm wood or like suitable material.
(2). A shield composed of bars of channel section filled with strips or blocks of
elm or like material and a casting or forging with an opening in it serving as an
embrasure or port.
(3). Shields substantially as herein described and illustrated by the annexed
drawings.
Dated this 7th day of September 1885.