IMPROVEMENTS IN CANNON AND PROJECTILES TO BE USED THEREWITH
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Giovanni Battista Naglost, of Vienna, in the Empire
of Austria, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CANNON AND PROJECTILES
TO BE USED THEREWITH."-Partly a communication from abroad by Joseph
Zöchling, resident at Vienna aforesaid.
Sealed the 19th November 1861, and dated the 22nd May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Giovanni Battista Naglost
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd May 1861.
I, GIOVANNI BATTISTA NAGLOST, of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CANNON
AND PROJECTILES TO BE USED THEREWITH," (partly a communication from abroad
by Joseph Zöchling, resident at Vienna aforesaid,) to be as follows:-
This Invention relates more particularly to breech-loading cannon, which
I propose constructing in such a manner that they may be rapidly loaded and
discharged without heating. The cannon is to be firmly secured within an
outer casing of suitable metal, the space between being filled with water,
which may be allowed to escape when warm by a tap or cock at the under
side, or a hose may, in some instances, be attached above and below to allow
of a free circulation of cold water within the said space. The cannon is to be
bored rather larger at the breech end than in the entire length, for the purpose
.of inserting a metal-cased cartridge, which cartridge is supplied with a grooved

page_text: nipple to place a percussion cap upon. At the rear of the breech is a weighted
lever which actuates suitable apparatus for catching hold of the groove in the
nipple of the cartridge and closing or locking the breech, which is effected by
raising the lever from its suspended position, when it pushes the loose breech
up close to the body of the cannon by travelling on stout metal rods attached to
the cannon itself. When the lever is brought up into position ready for firing
the groove in the nipple is firmly held by a piece of forked metal, or a piece
having a longitudinal slot cut therein, so that when the gun is discharged (by
pushing the lever close up) and the lever is again brought back, the metal
cartridge case is withdrawn, when the holder comes in contact with an incline,
which draws it back and releases the nipple and case, which then falls to the
ground and may be re-charged. The bore is to be smooth at the breech end
of the exact length of the cartridge case, from whence it commences to be
rifled or grooved. When mounted on a gun carriage for field use it may be
elevated or depressed by a suitable screw, and receives side motion by means
of a pinion working into a semicircular toothed bar; thus the gun may be
discharged many times (say, about thirty) in one niiuute without heating or
fear of bursting. The iron ball is to be coated with lead for the purpose of
cleansing the gun at each discharge, and it will be found that these guns aro
especially adapted for ships' use on account of the ready water supply.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Giovanni Battista Naglost in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, GIOVANNI
BATTISTA NAGLOST, of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Giovanni Battista Naglost, Her special licence that I, the said Giovanni
Battista Naglost, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such other
as I, the said Giovanni Battista Naglost, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all 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

page_text: Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CANNON AND PROJECTILES TO BE USED THERE-
WITH," "<
partly my Invention and partly communicated to me from abroad by
Joseph Zöchling, resident at Vienna aforesaid," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Giovanni Battista Naglost, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 Giovanni Battista Naglost, 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 following statement:-
This Invention relates more particularly to breech-loading cannon, which I
propose constructing in such a manner that they may be rapidly loaded and
discharged without heating. The cannon is to be firmly secured within an
outer casing of suitable metal, the space between being filled with water,
which may be allowed to escape when warm by a tap or cock at the under
side, or a hose may in some instances be attached above and below, to allow
of a free circulation of cold water within the said space. The cannon is to
be bored rather larger at the breech end than in the entire length, for the
purpose of inserting a metal-cased cartridge, which cartridge is supplied with
a grooved nipple to place a percussion cap upon. At the rear of the breech
is a weighted lever, which actuates suitable apparatus for catching hold of the
groove in the nipple of the cartridge and closing or locking the breech, which
is effected by raising the lever from its suspended position, when it pushes the
loose breech up close to the body of the cannon by travelling on stout metal
rods attached to the cannon itself. When the lever is brought up into
position ready for firing, the groove in the nipple is firmly held by a piece of
forked metal, or a piece having a longitudinal slot cut therein, so that when
the gun is discharged (by pushing the lever close up), and the lever again
brought back, the metal cartridge case is withdrawn, when the holder then
comes in contact with an incline, which draws it back and releases the nipple:
and case, which then falls to the ground, and may be re-charged. The bore
is to be smooth at the breech end of the exact length of the cartridge case,
from whence it commences to be rifled or grooved. When mounted on a'
gun carriage for field use it may be elevated or depressed by a suitable screw,
and receives side motion by means of a pinion working into a semicircular
toothed bar; thus the gun may be discharged many times (say, about thirty)

page_text: in one minute without beating or fear of bursting. Iron balls are to be
coated with lead for the purpose of cleansing the gun at each discharge, and
it will be found that these guns are especially adapted for ships' use on account
of the ready water supply.
In order to explain the said Invention as completely as possible, I will
now proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying
the same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet
of Drawings hereto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shews a side elevation of the cannon mounted on a carriage.having
one wheel detached; Fig. 2 is a side view of the metallic cartridge case with
nipple to be used with the cannon.
At Fig. 1 will be seen the muzzle of the gun a protruding through the end
of a water casing b, the gun running the entire length of the water casing, as
shewn in dotted lines. This water casing is for the purpose of keeping the
gun cool when being fired repeatedly, and may be either filled with water.
through a hole on the upper part, or a continuous flow of water may circulate
around the gun by placing one hose on the top of the case and another at the
bottom to carry off the water; this arrangement being more particularly adapted
for ships' use.
The method of loading and firing the gun is as follows:-The ball and
Jever c is to be drawn down in the direction of the arrow's flight, which lifts
the parts & and e, with the quadrant f, until the pins on the quadrant take into
the teeth on the horizontal bar g, which causes the box to travel on the
guide rods i, i, one on each side of the breech in a backward direction, and
thus opening the breech of the gun ready for the insertion of the cartridge
case, Fig. 2, which is charged with powder, leaving the ball projecting from
the mouth of the case. The case having been inserted in the breech of the
gun with the nipple & capped, the ball and lever c have but to be brought up
into a vertical position, by which time the breech of the gun is closed and the
gun discharged. The mechanism by which this is performed is arranged
in the following manner :-Upon one of the guide rods i, on the side opposite
to that shewn at Fig. 1, is affixed a piece of metal having a horizontal bar,
the end of which nearest to the breech of the gun is formed with a projecting
inclined piece, a trigger is attached to the stem, which passes through the
spring barrel 1, so that as the spring barrel and box are brought back by the
action of the ball and lever c, the trigger comes in contact with the inclined

page_text: piece, which winds the spring up to the required pitch, thus as it were putting
the lock on full cock, and by suitable mechanical arrangements inside the
box h, and the pin or stud m on the top of the box, which is depressed by the
piece d, when the ball and lever c is brought to a vertical position, the spring
within the barrel becomes released, and a blow is given to the cap on the
end of the cartridge nipple, which then discharges the gun. On again lowering
the ball and lever, the cartridge case is withdrawn by means of a forked piece
taking hold of the waist of the nipple piece at n, Fig. 2, until the mouth is
released from the breech, by which time the forked piece has been displaced,
and the cartridge case falls to the ground, and may afterwards be re-charged.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention of "Improvements
in Cannon and Projectiles to be used therewith," and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would remark, in conclusion, that I do not
confine or restrict myself to the precise details herein described and shewn in
the accompanying Drawing, as many slight modifications and variations may
be made therein without in any way departing from the principle of the same;
but what I claim as the Invention, and therefore desire to be secured by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the general arrangement and
combination of parts as herein described and illustrated for the purposes herein
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Giovanni Battista Naglost, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, One thou-
sand eight hundred and sixty-one.
25 Witness,
ALEX
PRINCE,
GIOVANNI BATTISTA NAGLOST. (L.S.)
Agent for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.