US295013A

US295013A - Shield for fire-arms

Info

Publication number: US295013A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1884-03-11
Anticipated expiration: 1901-03-11

Description

(No Model.)

' J. HUNTER@ SHIELD FOR PIRE ARMS.

N0. 295,013. Pate-Md Mar. 11, 1884*,

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SHIELD FOR FIRE-ARMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,013, dated March 11, 1884.

Application tiled January 4, 18S-l.

To all when@ t '11m/y concern.-

Bc it known that' I, J Ainns HUNTER, a sub ject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Camden, New-Jersey, have invented a certain Improved Shield for Fire-Arms, oi" which the fbllowing'is a specification.

The object of my invention is to furnish a soldier with an effective shield against the fire of an enemy, the shield being such that when not in use it canbe compactly foldedand carried withoutinconvenience, so as to be always at hand when needed. This object I attain in the manner hereinafterset forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichm Figure l is a'view showing one manner in which the shield can be used; Fig. l, a face view of the shield as it appears when in condition for use; Fig. 3, aview showing the same folded; Fig. et, an enlarged transverse section of part ofthe shield, Fig. 5, a perspective view of part of the saine; Fig. G, a view of part of a -modiiied form of shield, and Fig. 7 a further modification.

rIhe invention consists, essentially, of a folding shield applicable to the barrel of a rifie,

. niusket, or Carbine, and serving, when expanded, as an effective shield for the head and body of the soldier, and capable, when folded, of being carried at the side with as little inconvenience as that caused by a sword or bayonet. rIhe shield is made of some material cz pable of resisting rifle or musketry fire at an ordinary range, and the soldier is lthus provided with the means of instantly and effectively protecting himself from the fire of an enemy. rI'he shieldis, in effect, a portable fortification, more effective than a rifie-pit, so that bold skirmishing movements can with safety be made in the face of an enemy; or, in the ease of a general engagement, new lines of attack and defense can be readily formed, or troops moved under an enemys fire without risk of heavy loss. By raising the shield above the head, the soldier is protected from fragments of bursting shells when subjected to shell-lire, and when used inthis way the shield is available also as a protection from the direct rays of the sun when the soldier is on the (No model.)

march, on guard duty, or otherwise engaged, i

ing a series of connected segments, a, attachedto bars b, the pivot-pins of which are adapted to slots in plates d, notched for adaptation to thebarrel of the fire-arm. rFhe shield, when expanded, should be of sufficient diameter to protect the vital parts of a person using the firearm; and the segments may -be furnished with sighting-slots, as shown, the bars b being preferably of such length as to provide a rest for the shield and gun when the soldier assumes the position shown in Fig. l. rIhe segments a are preferably arranged to overlap and slide on eachother, and are guided and retained by means of a pin, j', on each segment, adapted to a slot, g, in the adjoining segment, the slots being recessed for the reeeption of thehcads of the pins, `as shown in Fig. 5. rIhe segments may, however, be constructed so as to fold, and bc provided with hingejoints, as in Fig. 6; or the shield maybe made of a continuous web of flexible materialsucli, for instance, as cloth with a metallic warp or weft or small interlocked linksand it may be made to operate in the same manner as an umbrella, as shown ip Fig. T. In fact, I wish it to be distinctly understood that the main feature of my invention is not limited to any particular construction of folding shield, or to any special means of folding or expanding the the same, nor is it necessary that the shield should be detachable from the barrel of the fire-arm, although this is of course preferred.

I am aware that it has been proposed to make shields of metal plates eonstructedfor being hinged together at the edges, each plate being of large size, and the series of plates be` ing intended to rest upon the ground, so as to serve as a substitute for an earth-work or like fortification; but my invention is entirely dis- 9 tinct from this, as each shield is a complete self-contained device capable of being folded into small compass and carried by the firearm when in use, but of such a character as not to interfere with'the ordinary uses of the arm.

IOO

VVithont therefore claiming, broadly, a portable shield or breastwork, I claim as my inventionl. As a new -article of manufacture, a bullet-proof shield constructed so as to be folded intoconipact form, as described, and having, when expanded, a central opening for the reception of the barrel of a fire-arm, as set forth.

2. The combination of a re arm WithV a bullet-proof shield attached to and carried by the barrel of said fire-arm, and capable of being folded, as set forth. v

3. The combination of a fire-arm with a folding shield of bullet-proof material attached'to and carried by the barrel of the hre-arm, but constructed so as to be readily detached therefrom, as set forth.

4:.' The Within-described folding shield for having pins f and slots g for their guidance and retention, as set forth.

6. The combination of the fire-arm With the folding shield having opposite projecting bars b b, serving as a rest, as set forth.

g In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES HUNTER. Witnesses:

J QHN M. CLAYTON, HARRY SMITH.