IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BATTERIES FOR SHIPS, FORTS, AND OTHER DEFENCES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Mathew, of Barnet, in the County of Herts,
late Captain in the Leicester Militia, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BATTERIES FOR SHIPS, FORTS, AND OTHER
DEFENCES."
Sealed the 21st June 1864, and dated the 23rd December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Mathew at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
December 1863.
I, JOHN MATHEW, of Barnet, in the County of Herts, late Captain in the
Leicester Militia, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BATTERIES FOR SHIPS, FORTS, AND OTHER
DEFENCES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the employment of an iron tower cased in
masonry or otherwise, and covered by a glacis with an inner turret made to
rise so that the gun or guns may be fired over the glacis and fall again to
reload, the gun or guns and the gunners are thus concealed from the enemy,
and protected from fire. I mount the gun or guns on a turnstile or revolving
platform, so that they may be fired in any direction required.
The Invention may be applied to ordinary batteries, the guns being raised
so as to be fired over the parapet and again lowered to reload; each gun may
be mounted on a separate platform.

page_text: The Invention may also be applied to ships of war. I raise and lower the
gun platform, whether traversing or otherwise, by hydraulic or other power,
as may be found most convenient.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Mathew in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MATHEW, of Barnet, in the County of Herts, late Captain in the Leicester
Militia, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Mathew, Her special licence that I, the said John Mathew,
my executors, administrators, and, assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Mathew, 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF BATTERIES FOR SHIPS, FORTS, AND OTHER DEFENCES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Mathew, my executors
or administrators, 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 per-
formed, 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 John Mathew, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention as applied to forts consists in the employment of an iron or
other metal tower incased in masonry or otherwise, covered or surrounded by
glacis, and with an inner turret made to rise so that the gun or guns may
a

page_text: be fired over the glacis and fall again to reload, the gun or guns and the
gunners are thus concealed from the enemy, and protected from fire. I mount
the gun or guns on a turntable or revolving platform, so that they may be
fired in any direction required.
The Invention may be applied to ordinary batteries, the guns being raised
so as to be fired over the parapet and again lowered to reload; each gun may
be mounted on a separate platform.
.
The Invention may also be applied to ships of war. I raise and lower the
gun platform, whether traversing or otherwise, by hydraulic or other power, as,
may be found most convenient.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation with the tower in
section of a battery constructed according to my Invention, applied to a fort,
and shewing the platform raised; Figure 2 is a section through the line a, b,
of Figure 1, shewing the platform lowered.
A is the tower, incased in masonry B, and surrounded by a glacis C; D is
a table or bed for supporting the gun platform E, and made to rise, as here-
after described, so that the gun or guns may be fired over the glacis, and
again made to fall in order that the guns may be reloaded, the guns and
gunners are thus, as before stated, concealed from the enemy, and protected
froin fire while loading; F, F, are weights attached by chains to the table or
bed D, and acting as a counterweight to that of the gun platform and guns;
G is a pinion in gear with a rack on a central shaft H, which assists in
supporting the table D, and passes through a tube I; by turning the pinion
in the direction required the table D and with it the gun platform and guns
are raised or lowered. The gun platform may be made to revolve if desired
on wheels J, or otherwise, in order that the guns may be fired in any required
direction, or the guns may each be mounted on a separate platform; K is a
bomb-proof cover or roof, supported by pillars or columns L, L, which I prefer
to cover with metal plates, in order that the gunners may be protected while
firing; M, M, are chambers or rooms at the bottom of the tower, which may
serve as quarters for men, or as magazines; N, N, are other chambers at the
sides of the gun platform, which in time of war may hold ammunition for
immediate use, and in time of peace be occupied by the guns or otherwise.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of a ship of war with my battery applied
thereto, and shewing the gun platform lowered. In this case the gun platform
and guns are raised and lowered by hydraulic power. Similar letters refer to
corresponding parts to those in Figures 1 and 2.
'
I do not limit myself to the employment of weights, or of 'rack and pinion
or hydraulic power for raising and lowering the gun platform and guus, as

page_text: other means may be conveniently adopted; nor do I limit myself to the
employment of any particular metal in the construction of my batteries.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, constructing
batteries for ships, forts, and other defences in which the gun platform and
guns may be raised and lowered and manoeuvred as required, and in which
the guns and gunners are protected from the enemy's fire, substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Mathew, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
JOHN MATHEW. (L.S.)