IMPROVEMENTS IN KNAPSACKS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents;
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNAPSACKS."-A communication from
abroad by Joseph Short, of the City of Boston, in the United States of
America
Sealed the 18th February 1862, and dated, the 10th December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th December 1861...
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNAPSACKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention of "Improvements in Knapsacks" consists, 1st, in forming
a knapsack of a single piece of cloth or other proper material, which may be
manipulated and secured together in a permanent form so as to constitute the
body and flap of a knapsack.
Secondly, it consists in the use of a neck and shoulder strap which passes
round the nape of the neck-and-over-the-shoulders, and so attached to the
knapsack that, practically considered, no portion of the weight of the latter or
its contents will fall or draw upon the canvas or sacking which composes
its body...

page_text: Thirdly, it consists in suspending the weight of a knapsack and its contents
from its bottom when in position upon the back and shoulders of the wearer.
Fourthly, it consists in employing adjustable straps to support and confine a
knapsack to or upon the shoulders and back of the wearer so that the line of
gravity towards or from the back and shoulders may be varied at the will of
the wearer, and while upon the back and shoulders of the wearer.
Fifthly, it consists in further arranging and adapting adjustable straps to
support and confine a knapsack to the shoulders and back of the wearer so
that it can be raised and lowered in a vertical line or nearly in a vertical line
upon the back and shoulders of the wearer and be held at varying heights on
such vertical line by means of such adjustable straps.
Sixthly, it consists in the use of a single strap which acts as a neck and
shoulder strap so as to sustain a knapsack in the several positions described
simply by means of connections formed with the top and base of a knapsack
or with points near the top and base.
It consists, seventhly, in forming the side walls of a knapsack concave, so
as to make them accommodate themselves to the outline or form of the back
and shoulders of the wearer & give and preserve a proper form to the knap-
sack. It is also prevented from "bagging" when its body is made. of pliable
material by means of cross straps which secure the parts together.
The top
and bottom of the knapsack is also stiffened with sole leather or other suitable.
material.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton, in the Great Seal Patent Office
ou the 10th June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM"
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County.
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS-Her-most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord-
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her"
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns;
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all

page_text: .
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 "Iы-
PROVEMENTS IN KNAPSACKS," being. a communication from abroad,. upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is, to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference, being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
.
This Invention relates, first, to the construction, from a single piece of cloth
or other proper material, of. the body and flap of a knapsack, the form of the
body being modified the better to fit the back and shoulders of the wearer;
and, secondly, to a novel arrangement of the straps for slinging or supporting
knapsacks."
-No portion of the accoutrements of an infantry soldier becomes so
burdensome on a long march as the knapsack worn upon his back and
shoulders, and particularly if it is heavily laden, as is usually the case.. To
supply the means whereby the. weariness engendered by carrying such burden
may be relieved while the soldier is yet upon the march is one of the objects
of this Invention, at the same time overcoming the well-known objections
to the use of the ordinary knapsack..
These objections, enumerated in brief, are,-first, the knapsack, under one
of the modes of ordinary construction, maintains upon the back and shoulders
of the wearer but one position, it therefore calls into action only a given set of
muscles of the body of, the wearer aud soon wearies the soldier.
Second, under another mode of construction the knapsack slips down from
the shoulders to the "small of the back," thus bringing the greatest exertion:
to_sustain-its-weight-directly-upon-the-weakest part of the body of the
wearer..
Third, those knapsacks which obviate the "slipping down" and yet maintain.
practically but one position upon the back and shoulders inevitably, in very.
hot weather and on a long march, overheat the spine and thus induce. "sun
Stroke."
:

page_text: To enable others skilled in the arts to make and use the Invention I will
proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing and the letters and figures marked thereon, like letters in the several
Figures indicating the same or analogous parts.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a piece of canvass cut to a' suitable shape for
forming a knapsack. This Figure shews certain portions thereof cut away at
the sides and a portion cut out near the centre of one of the main divisions of
the canvas to form the clothes hole. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical central
section of Figures 1, 4, and 6; Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of Fig. 2, showing
the handle and short straps attached to the bottom of a knapsack as seen in
section in the last-named Figure; Fig. 4 is a perspective view with a neck
and shoulder strap, as shown in the section, Fig. 2, and with the crossed back
straps, shown in Fig. 1, dispensed with; Fig. 5 is a perspective view with the
neck and shoulder: strap attached to' back straps running lengthwise of a
knapsack and not crossed, as seen in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a plan of the knapsack,
shown in section at Fig. 2, with the flap thrown back; and showing the flap
straps crossed over the clothes hole. In Fig. 7 the knapsack is shown in
black lines in the ordinary position upon the back and shoulders of a soldier ;
the line of gravity, when it is set as shown in red lines, varies from the line of
its gravity, as shown in black. In Fig. 8 the knapsack, shown in black in
Fig. 7, is represented as elevated on a vertical line upon the back and shoul-
ders of the wearer, the red lines in this Figure shew a variation from the line
of gravity of the knapsack while in an elevated position.
Referring again to Fig. 1, which represents a piece of canvas of the proper
dimensions for making a medium-sized knapsack (say, twenty-two inches wide
by sixty-three inches in length), certain parts thereof, it will be seen, are cut
away, as shown at a3 and 2. The portions a³ cut from the sides of the canvas
are in dimensions three and a half inches in width by four inches in length,
and the dimensions of the opening 9 are four inches in width by eight in length:
This Figure thus represents the canvas properly cut into an outline or form
ready to be manipulated into the body of a knapsack. The canvass so cut
forms three major divisions, A, B, and C, and two minor divisions, A' and B'.
Division A, within the dotted lines, is seventeen and a half inches in length by
fifteen inches in width, and constitutes the back of the knapsack, and when in
permanent position is overlapped or covered by the "flap." Division B,.within
the dotted lines, is of the same dimensions as A, and constitutes the front of
the knapsack, and rests against the back and shoulders of the soldier when in
use. Division C, within the dotted lines, is twenty inches in length by fifteen.
inclies in width, and, in connection with its edges e¹ and g', forms a piece of

page_text: canvas. twenty inches in length by twenty-two in width, to constitute the flap
which overlaps the back and sides of the knapsack and extends down to, and
.slightly below the bottom of the knapsack when complete. The minor divisions
A and B are situate. intermediate between divisions A and B and B and C,
and are four inches in width by. fifteen inches in length, and constitute in part
the top and bottom-foundations of, the knapsack. These foundations are ren-
dered of the proper stiffness for assisting_to, maintain the form of the knapsack
.by. securing to their under surfaces strips. of sole leather of the same dimen-
sions.. These strips are clearly shown in section at w in Fig. 2. To;bring. the
several parts of the canvas, shewn in Fig. 1, into the requisite position in
which they are to be permanently secured, the parts a, b, c, d, shown outside
of the red dotted lines x, x, Fig. 1, and on either side of divisions A and B,
are turned up at:right angles to those divisions. The parts a, b, c, and d¹,
thus form the sides of the knapsack; and as the front division A is turned up
over division B, its projecting edges a¹ and b¹ enclose and overlap the projecting
edges c and d of the rear division B of the knapsack, as shown in Figure. 5:
The flap C is then turned up over the two major divisions A and B, with 'the
minor or foundation, division B' abutting against or adjoining the upper ends
of the projecting edges a, b, c, and d'; of the knapsack, whereupon the
projecting edges are sewn; to each other and to the. ends of the foundation A!
and B¹, as shewn in Figures, 3 and 5, and in section, Fig. 2; and if desired,
the sewing may, pass through and, confine the upper ends of the projecting
edges e¹ and g¹ to the upper foundation or minor division B', as shown in Fig. 4;
thus leaving the edges e¹ and g¹, below their upper.ends, to loosely overlap. and
protect the sides of the knapsack..
:
.)
For." slinging" or clothing with straps a knapsack of a medium size, the
body of which is constructed as above described, or in any other of the well-
known manners, I use a main leather strap a, Fig. 4, which from end to end
is, say, two feet eight inches in length, by an inch and a quarter in width,
perforated with a series of buckle holes, commencing at the ends and running
lengthwise of the: strap to the extent of seven inches from each end, the buckle
holes being one and a half inches apart. This strap constitutes.a. neck and
shoulder strap, its ends being passed through buckles a³ and a', attached to
-straps d, which are eight inches in length, and are secured by rivets to the sole
5 leather of the foundation AL in the same manner-as-straps-b-are attached by
rivets tand.t.to the top foundation B' through the sole leather w, as shewn
in section, Fig. 2. The straps b, Figures 2 and 4, may be twelve inches in
length, and perforated from their outer ends with buckle.holes an inch.and a
half apart,. or.of a length equal. to the extreme extent it is desirable. to have

page_text: the knapsack fall away from the back and shoulders of the wearer when in
use, as will be herein-after described, on each side, and four and a half inches
distant from a point midway of the length of the neck and shoulder strap a.
.I attach buckle straps c, as shown in Fig. 4, through which the straps bare
passed and secured, thus connecting said neck and shoulder strap to the top
and bottom of the knapsack. The neck and shoulder strap when in use as
designed embraces the nape of the neck, passes over and in front of the right
and left shoulders, and down beneath each arm of the wearer, as indicated in
Figures 7 and 8. Blanket straps e are likewise attached to the top founda-
tion B by rivets passed through the sole leather w of the foundation, as shewn
in Figures 2 and 4. If desired the above-named straps c may be made to
óccupy the position of straps 6, and the straps 6 to occupy the position of
straps c, as clearly shewn in Fig. 10, thus removing the buckles of straps c
from the neck and shoulder strap to the top of the knapsack, where they
will not come in contact with the gun carried on the shoulder of the
soldier.
In the inverted plan, Fig. 3 (of Fig. 2), is shown the relation of the straps d,
Fig. 4, to the lower foundation A¹ of the knapsacks, together with the
handles and short buckle straps h, which receive the ends of flap straps g,
shown in Figures 2 and 6. These flap straps at their upper ends are secured
between the canvas and sole leather w of foundation B' by rivets. They pass
through two loops p', one of which is shewn in section in Fig. 2 attached
to the inside of the canvas of division B, and situate just beneath the face of
the sole leather of the foundation B¹, and thence down obliquely, crossing each
other as they pass out of the clothes hole q, and on through loops p (Figures 2
and 6); and then through loops s on the inside of the flap, and finally enter
and are secured at their lower ends in buckle straps h, as shown in Figures 2
and 3.
Fig. 1 of the Drawings shews the same principle of clothing or slinging
knapsacks, with the addition of back straps f; crossed midway of division B,
_their_lower ends being secured by rivets to the sole leather w of the founda-
tion A¹, and between the buckle straps d and the outer surface of that
foundation. The outer ends of the back straps f (Fig. 1), pass through
loops n, attached to the canvas of division B, and thence through loops i,
which are attached by rivets to-the sole leather w of the upper foundation B,
and thence are intended to pass into and be secured with buckle straps c
(Fig. 4), attached to the neck and shoulder strap a.
.
I have thus shewn two modes of carrying out my Invention, both of. which
illustrate the principle of supporting a knapsack at its bottom, and both being

page_text: capable of adjusting, in various fixed elevated positions, a knapsack upon the
back and shoulders of the wearer in a vertical line or nearly so corresponding..
with the erect position of a soldier's body, and also permitting the knapsack to
assume varying lines of gravity with reference to the back and shoulders of the
wearer when in any one of the several elevated positions of which it is
capable.
These functions of a knapsack when slung or clothed with straps, 'after my
mode, are clearly illustrated by Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawings, -Fig. 7.
showing a knapsack A in black lines occupying the usual position on the back
of a soldier, with the line of gravity, as shewn at x, x, in blue, and a variation
therefrom, as shown by x²; a¹, effected by merely letting out or lengthening the
straps 6 between their points of attachment to the knapsack and the neck and'
shoulder strap.
b
Fig. 8 shews still another variation in the position of the knapsack A of
Fig. 7, effected by buckling, up the ends of neck, and shoulder strap ä, and
letting out or lengthening the straps 6 between their points of attachment to
the neck and shoulder strap, and the knapsack, the, ends of a being buckled up
the same length that the straps 6 are let out, thus causing the knapsack to
rise in a vertical line or nearly so above the horizontal line it occupied, as
shown in black in Fig. 7, and while in this elevated position, as shown in
black lines in Fig. 8, the knapsack may still be made to vary, its position, as
illustrated in red lines, by simply still further letting out the straps b
the bottom of the knapsack retaining the same point of elevation previously
given it.
It is thus obvious that, very many changes may be given to a knapsack
constructed according to this Invention, each variation in the position being
readily made and while the soldier is on the line of march, thus bringing into
action either a different set of the muscles of his body or causing the strain
upon one set of muscles to be transferred to another, and thereby relieving him
from a monotonous and long-continued strain upon a given set.
Fig. 5 shows the application of the neck and shoulder strap to the top and
bottom of a knapsack, which has back straps frunning lengthwise instead of
being crossed upon division B. These straps at their bottom and top ends
pass loosely_through_loops attached.to.the-top-and-bottom-foundations-of-the-
knapsack, and are connected to the neck and shoulder strap a.
Fig. 9 represents the form of wooden side walls X, which are to be adjusted
inside the knapsack, their ends abutting against the ends of the upper and
lower foundations B' and A', their length being the same as the inside length
of the knapsack, and their width at their extremities the same as the inside width

page_text: of the knapsack in which they are intended to be used. They may be three-
eighths of an inch in thickness; and hollowed-out on their inner face edge, as
ata, thus measurably conforming that part of a knapsack which adjoins the
back and shoulders to the outline of those parts of the body of the wearer.
They thus cause the knapsack to present to the back and shoulders an outline
of abutment which affords under some positions greater ease and comfort,
prevent the." bagging" of the knapsack, at the same time subserving the
purpose in a general sense of securing to it proper form and stability. These
walls are removable at pleasure.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Knapsacks" as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect; I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim constructing knapsacks in the manner
and for the purpose above described. .
1. In witness whereof,. I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal; the Tenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
1
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane..
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)