AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TEACHING MILITARY DRILL
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Podmore Clark, of Bath, in the
County of Somerset, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR TEACHING MILITARY DRILL."
Sealed the 12th June 1874, and dated the 3rd January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Podmore
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 3rd January 1874.
I, EDWARD PODMORE CLARK, of Bath, in the County of Somerset,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR TEACHING MILITARY DRILL," to be as follows :-
My Invention relates to an improved apparatus designed for
facilitating the learning of military drill, for instance, company and
battalion drill. I am aware that model or liliputian regiments have
been contrived with a similar object, but the chief feature which
distinguishes my Invention from others, is the mounting the figures
or men on pivots, each man being independent of the others, and

page_text: removable from its pivot, so that the men may be placed in the various
positions required for executing the different movements.
The apparatus consists of a base plate in which are fitted vertical
pins in rows or otherwise in the positions the men will be required to
take up. Upon each pin a man is placed, the pin serving as a pivot on
which the figure turns. Each man is fixed on a disc-shaped base
grooved like a pulley, and the several discs or pulleys may be geared
together by a band or otherwise, so that movements like the " right or
left turn may be executed simultaneously by all the men, but they
may be turned by hand without the aid of the cord if preferred.
"
In the above arrangement the men would be fitted to turn on
fixed pins, but I may fit the pins or spindles themselves to turn in
bearings, and gear them together so that the whole will be, operated
simultaneously. In this case the men would be fitted on a squared
part of the spindle and be turned therewith.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Podmore Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
PODMORE CLARK, of Bath, in the County of Somerset, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Podmore Clark, Her
special licence that I, the said Edward Podmore Clark, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Podmore Clark, my executors, 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 "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR TEACHING MILITARY DRILL,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward

page_text: Podmore Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Podmore Clark, 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
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
My Invention relates to an improved apparatus designed for
facilitating the learning of military drill, for instance, squad, company,
battalion, and brigade drill, although it is obvious that it may be
applied for teaching cavalry and artillery drill. I am aware that model
or liliputian regiments have been contrived with a similar object, but
the chief feature which distinguishes my Invention from others, is the
mounting the figures or men on pivots. Each man may be independant
of the others and removable from its pivot, so that the men may be
placed in the various positions required for executing the different
movements.
The apparatus consists of a base plate in which are fitted vertical
pins, in rows or otherwise, in the position the men will be required to
take up. Upon each pin a man is placed, the pin serving as a pivot on
which the figure turns. Each man is fixed on or formed in one with a.
disc-shaped base grooved like a pulley; and the several discs or pulleys
may be geared together by a band (or by substituting toothed wheels
for the grooved discs) so that movements like the right, left, or
rear turn may be executed simultaneously by all the men; but
the discs may be turned by hand without being geared together, if
prefered.
In the above arrangement the men would be fitted to turn on fixed
pins, but the pins or spindles themselves may be made to turn in
bearings and geared together by toothed wheels or otherwise. In this
case the men would be fitted on a squared part of the spindle and be
turned, therewith.

page_text: Figure 1 shows a front view, and Figure 2 a plan of the improved
apparatus.
a, a, is the base plate having fixed in it two rows of pins b, b,
on which are to be placed the figures to represent the front and rear
ranks of an infantry company in line formation, for the sake of
example. There are twelve pins in each rank in this illustration of the
Invention, although it will be understood that any suitable number of
pins may be used.
The pins 6 serve as pivots for the figures or men c, each figure being
attached to a small disc-shaped base d having a circular hole through
the centre large enough to allow the disc to turn freely on its pin b
(see detached view, Figure 3).
By turning each figure by hand on its pivot b, the men may be suc-
cessively faced in any direction desired. This may be readily done by
running the finger along the row of discs d; but for convenience in
handling a company, I may groove the edges of the discs d and gear
them together by means of a small cord or band d', as shown encircling
each of the discs, so that the whole of the front or the rear rank may
be simultaneously faced in any direction by simply turning the files on
either flank. Moreover the two ranks besides being geared amongst
themselves may also be geared, the one rank with the other, by one or
more cords in order to turn both ranks at once.
In order to adapt the apparatus for use in teaching company drill,
such as the formation of columns, of half companies, or sections, company
squares, and other movements, I may divide the base plate a in two or
four parts, as shown, dowelled or otherwise fitted together so as to be
readily taken apart in order that the half companies or sections may be
placed in the positions desired. But I would have it understood that
this forms no part of my Invention. To facilitate these movements the
files would be geared together by cords, as shown at d², Figure 2, instead
of gearing the ranks as before.
Instead of using grooved discs and cords I may replace them by
toothed wheels, each of which forms the base for a figure as before;
the whole being geared together by intermediate or idle wheels pivoted

page_text: on the plate a, as hereafter described in reference to Figures 4 and 5,
which Figures show respectively an elevation and plan of another
arrangement of the apparatus.
The figures or men instead of turning on fixed pins as before
described, are fitted on the squared ends of revolving spindles 6' so as
to be more readily removable and avoid disconnecting the gearing. In
this case the base plate a is made double, the spindles 6¹ being stepped
in the lower plate a² and turning in the upper plate a¹. On each spindle
is fixed a small toothed wheel c', and the wheels of both ranks are
geared together and with one another, not directly, but through inter-
mediate or idle wheels c³ mounted so that both ranks will turn
simultaneously in any direction desired according to the movement to
be performed.
In liew of employing cog wheels in this arrangement they may
be grooved pulleys geared together by means of cords, or other
known methods of gearing them together may be adopted, as found
convenient.
The different movements may be imparted either by turning one or
other of the flank files, or a small crank handle may be used for the
purpose attached to a prolongation of one of the spindles, as at 6³,
Figure 3, on the under side of the bottom plate a².
In Figure 2 I have also shown extra pins in sufficient numbers to
mark the supernumery rank (officers, markers, &c.) in all the different
positions required for the various movements in teaching battalion drill,
it being simply necessary to transfer the figures of this supernumery
rank from one to another of the pegs, or to face them in the direction
desired, as the case may be, according to the instructions laid down in
the drill exercise book.
Lastly, I would observe that although I have shown one single
company only, it will be understood that in teaching battalion or brigade
drill a number of similar companies would be combined and the whole
be worked as inits of a battalion or brigade.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
In model apparatus for teaching military drill, as herein described,
mounting the figures or men to turn each upon its own axis or pivot,

page_text: substantially as and for the purpose specified, and whether geared
together or not.
2ndly. Fitting the figures or men on spindles mounted to turn in
bearings and geared together, substantially as described and shown in
Figure 3 for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Podmore Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
EDWARD PODMORE CLARK. (L.S.)