Improvements in Armour-plated Shields.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 8th Jan.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Armour-plated Shields.
I, WILHELM SCHALKAU, of Luisenhöhe, Koenigsberg, in East Prussia, in the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:
This invention has for its object to prevent the destructive or dangerous action
of the scattering of bullets shattered in shooting at armour-plated shields. It
is known that an armour-plated shield made from hardened steel of relatively
little thickness offers sufficient resistance even to the greatly enhanced piercing
power of the modern infantry shots of to-day. Whilst specially arranged trials
bear witness to the fact that a man lying behind such an erected armour shield
is protected from hostile shots, he is still threatened with no less danger by
hostile shots striking the shields of other men placed near him. Each shot that
strikes an armour-plated shield breaks up into a number of pieces which rebound
or glance in various directions from the shield and place in great danger the
men stationed in its vicinity.
It is thus possible for a ball shattered on such an armour-plated shield and
thereby split into a multitude of pieces to disable more people than the same
ball would effect without the use of an armour-plated shield.
According to the present invention the armour-plated shield is formed of two
layers placed one over the other. Of these, the upper layer is of only some
millimetres thickness offering a relatively small resistance to the shot, while the
lower layer is formed of a hardened steel plate. Both layers lie directly one over
the other without an intermediate layer and are connected to the edges of the
shield by rivetting, turning over the edges, screwing, soldering, fusing or the
like. If a hostile ball should hit an armour-plated shield made according to.
this invention it will penetrate the upper layer, come in contact with the hardened,
steel layer and be shattered to pieces on the latter. But now the diverted scatter-.
ing pieces instead of being free to fly to a distance are kept within bounds by
the upper layer and the shot is thus transformed into a pulverised mass which
remains stuck fast in the intermediate space between the two layers without
further lateral action.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in Armour-plated Shields.
I, WILHELM SCHALKAU, of Luisenhöhe, Koenigsberg, in East Prussia, 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
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to prevent the destructive or dangerous action
of the scattering of bullets shattered in shooting at armour-plated shields. It
is known that an armour-plated shield made from hardened steel of relatively
little thickness offers sufficient resistance even to the greatly enhanced piercing
077

page_text: power of the modern infantry shots of to-day. Whilst specially, arranged trials
bear witness to the fact that a man lying behind such an erected armour shield
is protected from hostile shots, he is still threatened with no less danger by
hostile shots striking the shields of other men placed near him. Each shot that
strikes an armour-plated shield breaks up into a number of pieces which rebound
or glance in various directions from the shield- and place in great danger the
men stationed in its vicinity.
It is thus possible for a ball shattered on such an armour-plated shield and
thereby split into a multitude of pieces to disable more people than would be the
case with the same ball without the use of an armour-plated shield.
According to the present invention the armour-plated shield is formed of two
layers placed one over the other. Of these, the upper layer is of only some
millimetres thickness offering a relatively small resistance to the shot, while the
lower layer is formed of a hardened steel plate. Instead of arranging only one
layer on the hardened steel plate, several such layers may be employed. The
layers lie directly one over the other without an intermediate layer and are con-
nected to the edges of the shield by rivetting, turning over the edges, screwing,
soldering, fusing or the like.
:If a hostile ball should hit an armour-plated shield made according to this
invention it will penetrate the upper layer or layers, come in contact with the
hardened steel layer and be shattered to pieces on the latter.
But now the
diverted scattering pieces, instead of being free to fly to a distance are kept
within bounds by the upper layer or layers and the shot is thus transformed into
a pulverised mass which remains stuck fast in the intermediate space between the
two layers without further lateral action.
The upper layer of the armour plated shield consists preferably of pure
aluminium whilst the lower layer is formed of a bullet-resisting steel plate over
which the aluminium casing is sharply drawn and flanged round the edges of
the steel plate or strengthened by the aluminium being rolled on and rivetted.
A covering of aluminium of 3 to 4 millimetres in thickness suffices for the object
of the invention.
The invention is applicable to breast plates and to shields used for sheltering
men kneeling or reclining behind them and avoids the danger of bullets splintering
against and flying from other adjacent shields. Shields made in accordance with
the invention may also serve for protecting artillery men if arranged to right
and left of the gun. The opened port holes also on ironclads, if provided with
aluminium covers, will not endanger the men standing behind them by the lead
splintering from bullets striking the opened steel doors.
Ironclad. turrets may also be coated with aluminium in accordance with the
invention in order to protect the men from flying splinters.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The improvement in armour-plated shields, which consists in forming or pro-
viding them with two or more layers having different powers of resistance con-
nected with one another in such a way that shots encountering the shield pene-
trate the upper layer or layers and are shattered on the under layer whilst the
fragments or splinters are retained and prevented by the upper layer from spread-
ing laterally, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
P A
1907
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant..