US391397A - Edmund berkeley - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

E. BERKELEY.

SHIELD. No. 391,397. Patented Oct-E23, 1888.

.. Illiiil Witnesses. 5 KIWI/674260;".

Tnaya UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND BERKELEY, OF PRINCE \VILLTAM COUNTY, VIRGINIA.

SHIELD.

BPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,397, dated October 23, 1888. Application filed October 24,1887 Serial No. 253,228. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND BERKELEY, of the county of Prince William and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Shields; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved shield for the use of soldiers, more particularly sharpshooters or skirmishers, in time of war, that will at the same time protect the user from the bullets of the enemy and prevent the missiles from continuing their flight and doing damage to others in the rear or to one side the shield.

Hcretoforc these shield devices designed for the protection of a person or persons have been constructed with two or more sides converging to a point at the front, so that when a missile struck one of these it would be deflected, but its flight would not necessarily be arrested, and, continuing, might do serious damage to others on either side the person primarily protected. Dangers from this source are materially increased by the use of the modern long-range small-arms, the missiles from which are also capable of great penetrating power; and my present invention consists in an improved shield so shaped that the missiles strilcing it will not be deflected and permitted to do execution in the rear, but will be diverted, preferably,into the ground and rendered harmless; and it further consists in a certain improved construction which I will now proceed to describe.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view showing the manner of using my invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section through the shield; Fig. 8, a front elevation of the same; Fig. 4, asectional view of a modification.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The shield, (designated by the letter A,) preferably of steel, chilled iron, or some equally hard and impenetrable material, is constructed with the top portion, 13, sloping toward the horizontal base, and the two sides 0 0 converging toward the rear, as shown. At the point at which the top and sides converge it is preferably made much thicker or harder than the sides and top, as at a, and the bottom is open, all so arranged that when resting upon the ground the tapering chamber will be formed, the ground forming the bottom. The walls and top portions may be of any desired thickness and the open end of the chamber be sufficiently large to effectually cover the body of a person lying horizontally behind it. The top B is provided with an aperture, I), for the passage of the barrel of the rifle of the marksman using the shield.

The manner of using my invention will be apparent. The shield is placed, preferably, upon the ground, and may, if desired, be secured thereto by any suitable means-such as pins driven through eyes or loops at the rear or sideswith the open end toward the enemy, the area of the front being sufficient to effectually protect his person,while his rifle may be inserted through the opening I), so as to permit his shooting without exposing himself.

Any missiles striking the front of the shield, instead of being deflected off to one sideor the other and permitted to do further execution, are directed to the rear and base of the shield and caused to bury themselves in the ground, or to so expend their force upon the re-enforced enda, thus effectually destroying them, and at the same time protecting the marksman lying behind.

It will be understood that instead of making the sides and top portion flat, as shown, they might be rounded and the Whole made in the shape of a hollow cone divided from apex to center of base, with the open side on the ground, so as to deflect the missiles in the same manner as described; but I prefer the arrangement shown, as the high corners serve to protect the marksmans shoulders and offer a larger surface behind which he can manipulate his weapon.

Instead of permitting the missiles striking the shield from passing down into the ground beneath the person, it may be desirable sometimes to employ the hardened portion or recess c at the rear with a short forward projection, as shown, to prevent this and to serve as a pocket, into which the missiles pass and expend their force against the hardened portion, and it will be noted that even where this is employed the point of impact of the missiles will be below the center of the shield, and serve to press the shield more firmly to the surface on which it rests, and to overcome the tendency to lift it might exercise when striking.

Of course the same arrangement of shield or armor can be applied for use in connection with Gatling and other machine guns, the main object being to render harmless missiles striking within the area of the front or open side of the shield, and various modifications of the form of the device could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described myinventiomwhat I claim as new is- 1. The hereindescribed improved shield having the aperture open at the front,with inclined top and converging side walls, forming the unobstructed tapering recess, the point of the recess at which the walls converge being below the center of the area covered by the open front, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described shield having the rearwardly-inclined top and the converging side walls, the recess contained within said walls being left free and unobstructed, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described shield having the rearwardly-inclined top with the perforation therein, the converging side walls, and the open bottom, the recess formed by said walls being left free and unobstructed, as set forth.

EDMUND BERKELEY.

\Vitnesses:

J. B. CHURCH, A. S. STEUART.

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