In the wonderful world of US patents now open I found this http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT4192216&id=UHEvAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&dq=best+armored&num=100&as_drrb_ap=q&as_minm_ap=1&as_miny_ap=2007&as_maxm_ap=1&as_maxy_ap=2007&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=2007&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=2007&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPA1-IA1,M1
I have long dreampt of a tiny AFV designed to fit through most doorways, able to drive up stairwells, into elevators, etc, to be used by the fire department, police, etc, inside of large buildings. Apparrently someone beat me to it! Although I think that vehicle in the patent would probably do very poorly in its assigned missions.
And that little one-man mobile shield thing is very cool. I have seen many foot-propelled infantry shields, but never a wheeled one that could actually be driven by crank! Very interesting.
Thank you very much for posting these!
I suppose that a complete book of One-Man AFVs would have to include the man-powered infantry-shields of WWI. Although, it seems like an entire book could be written about all the various models of infantry shields! If memory serves, the Japanese even used prone man-powered infantry shields in WWII in Manchuria, although only in ones and twos on rare occasions.
I have long dreampt of a tiny AFV designed to fit through most doorways, able to drive up stairwells, into elevators, etc, to be used by the fire department, police, etc, inside of large buildings. Apparrently someone beat me to it! Although I think that vehicle in the patent would probably do very poorly in its assigned missions.
And that little one-man mobile shield thing is very cool. I have seen many foot-propelled infantry shields, but never a wheeled one that could actually be driven by crank! Very interesting.
Thank you very much for posting these!
I suppose that a complete book of One-Man AFVs would have to include the man-powered infantry-shields of WWI. Although, it seems like an entire book could be written about all the various models of infantry shields! If memory serves, the Japanese even used prone man-powered infantry shields in WWII in Manchuria, although only in ones and twos on rare occasions.
---Vil.
There was another patent about 1920 something for an armoured one man vehicle intended to do exactly what you propose. It was intended for bank guards, police etc and looked rather like a Darlek. I posted something on this about a year ago
Re infantry shields, I've been slowly accumulating info on these. Firstly they fall into two classes - defensive and offensive. The defensive are such things as sniper shields, portable ramparts etc. They may be wheeled but are intended to be moved into defensive positions (for example to block a road). Designs for these date back to at least the American Civil War although such things were actually around in the middle ages. Offensive shields also date back a long way - to ancient times, originally as a means of approaching a defensive position (such as a city wall) that is being attacked. One can usually tell the two apart as defensive shields are usually much less well protected on their flanks. I don't think that I would classify either as vehicles though (with the posible exception of that hand propelled design) any more than I would a wheelbarrow.
