Improvements in or connected with Intrenching Spades.
Year: 1891

page_text: ate of Application, 15th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 13th June, 1'9
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Intrenching Spades.
TEC
We, JULIUS ALEXANDER NICOLAI RASMUSSEN of the Royal Armoury
Copenhagen in the Kingdom of Denmark, Director of the Royal Small Arms
Factory, and FRANZ MARCOTTY of 29, Bülow Strasse Berlin in the Empire of
Germany Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to improvements in or connected with spades used as
intrenching implements by soldiers and consists in a peculiar construction of the
handle of the spade, by which the latter is made more handy and adapted to be
attached to the rifle to serve as a support in aiming and firing.
The new spade possesses for convenient portability a hollow short telescopic
handle which is adapted to be elongated by a single movement to the proper
length.
The soldier after having thrown himself upon the unintrenched ground or
intrenched himself properly can separate the handle-elongation from the spade and
attach it in a moment to his rifle in such manner that it constitutes a support
thereto in aiming and firing.
A simple movement releases the rifle from the support which is easily
reconnected with the spade.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.
Figure
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
is a front view of the spade representing the handle elongation
extended for use.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof taken at right angles to Figure 1 but
showing the handle compressed for transport.
Figure 3 shows the handle-elongation attached to the rifle and serving as a
support thereto.
The spade consists of a suitably shaped blade a; of a hollow handle e fastened
into the socket and preferably made of a sheet steel tube; and of the handle
elongation d made also of a steel tube slidden into the hollow handle c and
furnished at its upper end with a suitable bow for a hand-hold.
In order to reinforce the union of the blade a with the handle e a piece of hard
wood is fitted into the socket and the lower end of the handle e and rivetted to
both.
The upper end of the handle is strengthened by a collar c.
r
The handle-elongation d is provided at its lower end with a plug furnished with
a universal joint and a spring catch f¹.
The catch is acted upon by a spring to force it outward into a recess in the
tube or handle which is covered by a plate c' and the handle elongation d is thus
held in its normal compressed or retracted position.
r
e
The bow is united to the upper end of the handle elongation & by a plug
through which passes the rod and which is forced upward by a spring f acting
upon the head thereof.
The lower end of the rod f
slot in the catch f' and acts to
by pressing upon the head
is formed like a wedge which passes through a
force back the latter as the rod is pushed down
thereof after which the handle elongation d can

page_text: be drawn upward until the catch takes into the recess e provided in the
collar.
C
In order to ensure this taking place notwithstanding that the tubes c and d may
not always occupy the same relative positions an annular groove is provided inside
the collar c² into which enters the catch and which prevents the entire drawing
out of the handle elongation d.
The latter is then turned until the catch takes into the recess e and securely
unites the two parts ed of the handle.
If it is desired to entirely remove the handle elongation d from the handle c
the catch must previously be retracted by pressing upon the head f' of the
rod f³.
The plug has attached thereto by a pin g' the trunnion g' of a hinge piece g in
such manner that the latter by reason of the oblong form of the pin hole is able to
turn a partial revolution around its axis.
The second hinge part which turns upon the pin is furnished with n
cylindrical gudgeon ground which the connecting lug g is moveable. When it is
desired to use the handle elongation d as a support for the rifle it is drawn out of
the handle e and the lug which is notched on its edges is then pressed into
a slit in the stock plate h of the rifle in which position it is secured by a spring
catch h¹.
By the employment of the universal joint hereinbefore described the rifle can be
turned in all directions and the soldier can readily place the rifle in the easiest
position for shooting without the necessity for altering the support or he can leave
the latter attached to the rifle and turn it backward so as to lie along the stock of
the rifle so that in advancing or retiring he can clasp both pieces by one hand.
In order to detach the support from the rifle it is only necessary to press back
the spring catch h'.
We would here remark that in lieu of the universal joint hereinbefore described
a ball and socket or other suitable universal joint may be employed in lieu
thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is :-
1. In an intrenching spade fixing the tubular handle elongation d either in its
retracted normal or in its extended position by means of a spring catch f1 entering
suitable recesses in the handle and releasing it by pressing down the spring
rod furnished with head ƒ' and wedge substantially as described and for the
purpose explained.
h³
2. In an intrenching spade of the character referred to in Claim 1 the employ-
ment of a universally moveable lug g or its equivalent on the lower end of the
handle elongation d by which acting in conjunction with a spring catch
provided on the rifle stock, the handle elongation d can be attached to the rifle,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose explained.
Dated this 15th day of April 1891.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agent-.