IMPROVEMENTS IN KNAPSACKS AND OTHER MILITARY EQUIPMENTS
Year: 1859

page_text: Spence,
50, Chancer, Lane,
ՂՈՒ
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN KNAPSACKS AND OTHER MILITARY EQUIPMENTS."--A communication from
abroad by John Rider, of New York, United States.
Sealed the 27th October 1859, and dated the 11th May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
May 1859.
I, WILLIAM SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN KNAPSACKS AND OTHER MILITARY EQUIPMENTS," (being a communication
from John Rider, of New York, United States,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the combination of a sheet or sheets of gutta
percha, cloth, or other similar material of suitable form or shape with straps,
buckles, strings, and other fastenings adapted to render the same useful as
a soldier's knapsack or-case for his blanket and clothing, and for other military
purposes. Also, when not required to serve the purpose of a knapsack or
valise, the said sheet may be used as a garment, or as a waterproof bed, to
protect the soldier from the moisture of the earth, or as a bed cover, or several
sheets may be combined together in such a manner as to form when properly
supported either a temporary shelter or a more permanent tent.
Price Sd1

page_text: The buckles and straps are fixed at one end of the sheet, in such positions
as may be adapted for enclosing the bag or bundle in the manner of a knap-
sack, and also for connecting the same to the ordinary shoulder strap, and
forming a sling for securing it. on the soldier's back. The hooks at the lower
extremities of the sling straps may be passed through the buckles or through
rings united thereto. Overlapping edges are formed on the sides of the sheets
for the purpose of combining two or more when required, and they are com-
bined or joined at the ends by means of buttons and button holes; but these
modes of combining the sheets may be varied. When used as a tent or shed,
the sheets thus combined are secured by means of straps at one end to a pole
or upright, and at the other end to pins or stakes driven into the ground.
These straps and buckles are fixed to the sheet at the lap joint or otherwise,
so as to unite them securely therewith. There are also strings inserted at
intervals along the side of the sheet, which strings are respectively passed
through one sheet, and project from the lap piece of the sheet to be united
therewith, so as to admit of a secure junction of the sheets being formed by
the tying of the strings.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th November 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in
in the twenty-second. year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Spence, Her special license that I, 'the said William
Spence, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Spence, 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
'IMPROVEMENTS IN KNAPSACKS AND OTHER MILITARY EQUIPMENTS," being a com-
munication from John Rider, of New York, United States. upon the condition

page_text: (amongst others) that I, the said William Spence, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 William Spence, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
'
This Invention of "Improvements in Knapsacks and other Military Equip-
ments" consists in the combination of a sheet or sheets of guita percha, cloth,
or other similar material of suitable form or shape with straps, buckles, strings,
and other fastenings, adapted to render the same useful as a soldier's knap-
sack or case for his blanket and clothing, and for other military purposes.
Also, when not required to serve the purpose of a knapsack or valise, the said
sheet may be used as a garment, or as a waterproof bed to protect the soldier
from the moisture of the earth, or as a bed cover, or several sheets may be
combined together in such a manner as to form when properly supported either
a temporary shelter or a more permanent tent.
The buckles and straps are fixed at one end of the sheet, in such positions
as may be adapted for enclosing the bag or bundle, in the manner of a knap-
sack, and also for connecting the same to the ordinary shoulder strap, and
forming a sling for securing it on the soldier's back. The hooks at the lower
extremities of the sling straps may be passed through the buckles or through
rings united thereto. Overlapping edges are formed on the sides of the sheets
for the purpose of combining two or more when required, and they are com-
bined or joined at the ends by means of buttons and button holes; but these
modes of combining the sheets may be varied. When used as a tent or shed,
the sheets thus combined are secured by means of straps at one end to a pole
or upright, and at the other end to pins or stakes driven into the ground.
These straps and buckles are fixed to the sheet at the lap joint or otherwise,
so as to unite them securely therewith. There are also strings inserted at
intervals along the side of the sheet, which strings are respectively passed
through one sheet and project from the lap piece of the sheet to be united
therewith, so as to admit of a secure junction of the sheets being formed by
the tying of the strings.
Having this stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS. -
Fig. 1 represents the sheet of gutta percha, cloth, or other material, with
the straps, buckles, and other means of connection and attachment applied
thereto. a, a, b, are the buckles, and c, c, d, the straps fixed at one end of
the sheet A, so as to be capable of securing the sheet in the form of a knap-
sack by the straps being passed round it and through the buckles, and in this
manner enclosing a soldier's kit, as shewn at Fig. 2. B is another sheet.
The strap d, which is passed round the centre of the knapsack, serves also for
suspending the same to the shoulder strap e by means of the sling straps f, I,
as shewn at Figs. 2 and 3. The former Figure represents the knapsack A as
containing the usual articles, and the latter as empty. The hooks at the
lower extremities of the sling straps f, f, may be connected directly to the
buckles a, a, or rings (as at Fig. 1) may be combined with the said buckles
for the reception of the sling hooks. The mode of slinging the knapsack may,
however, be varied.
Fig. 4 represents a sack or bag made of some light fabric, intended to
contain the blanket and clothing of the soldier preparatory to enclosing the
same in the sheet or knapsack. This sock or bag would also serve other pur-
poses, which it is not necessary to mention.
Fig. 5 represents the mode of uniting two sheets. For this purpose
laps g, g, of the material are formed at the sides of the sheets which are united
by means of the strings h, h, projecting outwardly through the folds of the
said laps, and the strings i, i, which are passed through the sheet near the
inner edges of its laps, the junction of the strings being formed as shewn. Or
the sides of a couple of sheets may be united by means of their laps g, g, and
either series of strings h, h, or i, i.
Fig. 6 represents a tent; and Fig. 7, an open shed formed out of the sheets
or equipment. For these purposes several sheets are united by means of
buttons and holes k, k, or in other convenient manner. The buckles and
straps j, i, which are connected to the outer angles of the foot or lower part of
the sheets, are intended to secure the lower ends of a series of united sheets to
the tent pins when the said sheets are supported by a tent pole and two
uprights (or other suitable means of support) in the manner represented at
Fig. 6. And when the united sheets are to be supported in such a manner as
to form a sloping shed before a camp fire, the entire series of buckles and

page_text: straps a, a, b, and c, c, d, readily serve the purpose of fixing one extremity of
the sheets to a ridge pole or sustaining rope, and the straps and buckles i, i,
serve to secure their opposite extremities to the tent pins, as shewn at Fig. 7.
The blanket of each soldier when engaged on scouting service might be
compactly enveloped in the sheet or knapsack above described, and slung in
the manner represented at Fig. 3, which would admit of its being carried in
three different positions, that is to say, on either hip by allowing the strap e to
rest on the opposite shoulder, and on the back by passing the strap over the
breast. It will thus be perceived that by means of the equipment above
described each private soldier when employed on the most rapid scouting
service is enabled to carry with facility his blanket, together with a covering
and protection from the weather.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I would remark that the Invention is not confined
to the precise uses indicated, nor to the precise forms and arrangements of
the parts represented and described; but I declare that what I claim as of the
invention communicated to me as aforesaid, is, the military equipment consist-
ing of a sheet or sheets of gutta percha, cloth, or other similar material, with
fastenings and appurtenances, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Spence, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
GEO. BEDELL COULCHER,
50, Chancery Lane,
Law Stationer.
WILLIAM SPENCE. (L.S.)