US54807A - Improvement in slinging arms - Google Patents

Description

`NTTED STATES PATENT EMPROVEMENT IN SLINGING ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,507., dated May 15, 1866.

To all whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER EVANS 1VVOQDS, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements kin Sliuging Arms, Equipage, and Aecouterments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear., and exact description of the nature, construction, and operation of the same, sufiicient to enable one skilled in the art 'to which the invention appertains to fully understand and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made part ot' this specification, and in which- Figure lis a front view, illustrating the several parts in a position which they may occupy when applied to the person. Figs. 2, 3, 4E, 5, and 6 are detached views explanative of the several fea-tures to be hereinafter more particularly referred to.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severa-l figures.

My invention relates to the method ot' slinging the gun, bayonet, cartridge-box, and canteen, and to the appliances for adjusting the equipage carried upon the knapsack. The particulars and advantages will be understood from the following description.

A represents the knapsack, and B the gun. The `knapsack and the straps A' A2, by which it is applied to the person, are in themselves similar to the regulation knapsack, or that now employed in the service of the United States.

C is a strap, made fast at one end, by rivet ing or otherwise, to the right shoulderstrap A' of the knapsack.

D D are hooks fixed into the strap C, and each adapted to receive the sling-loop E of the musket.

F is a strap, the looped ends of which embrace the straps G G, whereby the blanket H, sheltertent, or other equipage may be secured upon the knapsack.

When the gun is to be carried upon the shoulder in a manner approximating to the rightshoulder shift, or with the barrel in an obliquely-vertical position, the weight ot' the piece may be made -to devolve upon either ofthe hooks D D', according as the gun is carried in a higher or lower position, and in eitherease the barrel may be passed between the strap F and the blanket H, or, in the absence of the latter or other equipage, the barrel is thrust between the strap F and the knapsack itself. The object in thus supporting the gun-that is to say, by bitching the sling-loop E upon one ot' the hooks D D' and retaining the barrel beneath the straps F-is twofold: First, the weight of the partially counterpoise the knapsack and that which may be secured thereto; second, the soldier-s hands are made free, as the gun will need no attention when thus supported. If preferred, the gun may be carried without using the hands and without passing the barrel under strap F by simply hooking" the sling-loop upon one of the hooks DD', and when the gun is sustained by the lower hook, D', its position may be reversedthat is, it may be carried after the manner of secure arms.7 The hooks ma)T be hitched to any convenient part of the mountings instead of to the sling-loop E. The strap F is attached in the manner shown by means ot' its looped ends, in order that it may be shifted to suit the requirements of' each particular circumstance.

I I represent blind buckles or loops attached at about the juncture of the front and top'of the knapsack. The straps G, which secure the blanketH upon the knapsack, pass through the buckles I I, and may thereby be made to retain the blanket or other equipage in a forward position close to the neck. This feature of the invention is deemed important, for the weight ot' the equi page upon the knapsack, being kept forward of the center of the knapsack,- causes the weight to devolve more strictly upon the shoulders, and give a steadiness and compactness which are conducive tothe comfort ot the soldier, whereas by the ordinary arrangement, when the only point ofattachment of the blanket-straps is at the center' of the knapsack the latter, under the various mot-ions ofthe body, is liable to sway back and forth, thus subjecting the soldier to constant jerking and thumping actions, which soon pr0- duce exhaustion and impair the health.

J represents the canteen, the strap J' of which is provided with a hook, J 2, by which it may be suspended from either of the rings K Kl K2 K3, or to various partsl of the knapsack. The canteen and its appurtenances are shown detached in Fig. 5.

L (see Fig. 4) represents the haversack, which has the ordinary strap L', in order that it may be carried independently or detached gun is made to Wholly or from the other equipage. To adapt it to be slung to the'equipage it is provided with a hook, L2, and buckle L3, the hook L2 being attached to the ring K3 on the under side of the knapsack, and the buckle L3 being buckled to the strap M, which may be secured to the 1eft-ha11d strap A2 of the knapsack.

N N represent pendent straps attached to the shoulder-straps of the k1iapsack,and commonly known as the \vaist-straps.7 Under the ordinary method of suspending the cartridgebox the shoulder-belt of the latter extends across the breast and obstructs the action of the lungs. I dispense With the use of this shoulder-belt and sustain the cartridge-box l? -by means ot' the Waist-strap N, which is perforated to admit of the insertion ot' the prong o of the hook O, as seen in Fig. l. The hook- O is riveted or otherwise fastened to the top of the cartridge-box, and the waist-belt passes through the back loops of the cartridge-box in customary manner. The advantage of this method of slinging the cartridge-box is that the breast is left entirely free or open and the action of the chest is not restrained by the pressure of a strap.

In Fig. 2 is represented my method of holding open the main flap l? of the cartridgebox to facilitate the manipulation of the eartridges during action. The strap p, which fastens the flap P to a stud or button at the under side ot' the cartridge-box, may be hooked to either of the hooks D D on the gun-strap G, so as to hold open the iiap 1?', as seen in Fig. 2, and thus permit ready access to the cartridges.

Under the ordinary method the weightof the bayonet R devolves directly upon the Waist-belt Q, so that the Waist-belt mustbe kept constantly buckled around the waist, in order to support the bayonet in a convenient position. I attach to the bayonet-loop R a hook, R2, whereby itmay be attached to the Waist-strap N', as shown in Fig. 1. Hence it', on a route step,or arms at will7 the Waistbelt be unbuckled at the front to aft'ord relief to the stomach, the bayonet, as before, is sustained in the desired position by the Waiststrap N'.

It' desired, the cartridge-box, as well as the bayonet, may be shifted to and sustained by the ring K2 at the rear of the kn apsack, which is done when a portion ot' the Weight is required to be transferred to the rear to effect the more perfect equipoise of the burden.

S may represent a strap held under the loop S on the left shoulder-strap ot' the knapsack,

and employed to secure any additional equipage that may be carried at the front.

The cap-box T has a strap, T', which fastens over the button T2 on the yWaist-belt, and is thus supported when the waist-belt is unbuckled.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. Slinging the gun by means of the strap C and one or more hooks, D 1)', substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A hook, O, attached to the cartridge-box P, to adapt the latter to be attached to and lsupported by any part of the equipage.

3. The method of holding open the iiap of the cartridge-box.

4. Providing the bayonet With a hook, R2, to enable it to be slung to the equipage, as and for the p'urpose specified.

5. Slinging the cartridge-box behind to the knapsack in any manner, substantially as described.

G. The blind buckles I I, or their equivalents, attached to the front of the knapsack, to enable the blanket or other equipage to be retained by the coat-straps G G in a position rorward of the center ot' the knapsack, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

7. The ring` K2, attached to the under sideof the knapsack, to support the accouterments when shifted to the rear.

To the above specification of my improvements in slinging arms, equipagc, and accouterments, I have signed my hand this lst day of March, 1866.

OLIVER EVANS WOODS.

Witnesses:

G. D. SMHH, C. A. PETTIT.

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