IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES AND PROJECTILES, AND IN THE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Joel Livsey and William Weild, both of the
City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES AND PROJECTILES, AND IN THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Joel Livsey and
William Weild at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 16th December 1854.
We, PETER JOEL LIVSEY and WILLIAM WEILD, both of the City of Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARTRIDGES AND PROJECTILES, AND
IN THE CONSTRUCTION, MOUNTING, AND WORKING OF ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
Our improvements in cartridges consist in forming them of metallic plate
or other suitable material, and in providing each with a tube placed in its axis,
by which the fireing is conveyed to any point of the charge; the end of the
tube projecting out of the cartridge has a cap fixed upon it till the cartridge is
to be inserted in the gun, which is then removed and replaced by a percussion
cap, which is struck in a peculiar manner when placed in the gun, which will
be hereafter referred to. Our improvements in projectiles consist in a peculiar
arrangement, by which a part of the projectile is made to expand and fill the
bore of the gun, to destroy "windage" on the Minie principle. One end of the
projectile is cast or formed conical, and on it a ring of lead or other suitable

page_text: soft metal is placed, and a plate is arranged against this, which, when the
charge is ignited, will force the ring up the cone, which will thus expand it to
the full size of the bore of the gun. In the construction of ordnance, our
improvements refer more particularly to the heaviest class, by which method of
construction the size and weight of ordnance may be very largely increased;
it consists in constructing the guns in sections or rings, which are truly jointed
with each other, and which are bolted or otherwise secured together by means
of flanges and bolts, or other suitable means.
In the construction of ordnance, it also consists in a peculiar arrangement
by which cartridges, constructed as herein-before described, are ignited when
placed in the gun, as follows:-A spindle is fitted in the breech of the piece
of ordnance, having a head, which acts as a valve against vent when the
cartridge is ignited; the end of this spindle projects outside of the breech, and
when the cartridge is to be ignited, it is struck by a hammer arrangement,
and its other end is thus made to strike against the percussion cap, causing it
to ignite the cartridge.
Our Invention further consists in a peculiar mode of rifling ordnance, by
fixing ribs by screws or other suitable means, which fit into grooves cut or
formed into the projectile; and it further consists in fixing these ribs, or in
forming rifling grooves of such curve that the projectile will at the first have
no revolving motion, but so that it will gradually receive one, being delivered
from the muzzle of the gun with the greatest revolving motion intended to be
given to it. The accelerating curve here referred to is one that would produce
a motion similar to that given by the crank to the piston of a steam engine,
which commences at nothing and gradually increases up to mid stroke.
In mounting ordnance, our Invention relates to a very heavy class, and for
land purposes it principally relates to such as are intended for permanent uses,
as the protection of ports, &c., and consists in mounting them on an arrange-
ment of mechanism similar to that used as "turn-tables" for railway purposes,
by which they may be pivoted round to any required point along with other
machinery for working them, which will be hereafter referred to, or in mount-
ing them on a floating table arrangement, or circular boat placed in a tank of
water.
For naval purposes, it consists in mounting the gun so that its bore will be
parallel with and vertically over the keel, the gun being swiveled or turned by
turning the vessel. It also consists, both for military and naval purposes, in
employing a "buffer," or apparatus to give way to and destroy the shock and
absorb the force of recoil in the gun when discharged, and in an arrangement
whereby the direction of recoil is in the line of the axis of the bore of the gun,

page_text: the breech and trunnions of the gun being placed in guides to secure this
object.
In working heavy ordnance for military or naval purposes mounted in the
manner above referred to, it consists in an arrangement of machinery, such
as chains and gearing, whereby the gun is brought to a position in which
other machinery may operate to charge it, and whereby it is caused to assume
the required elevation in which it is to discharge its projectile.
For charging, it consists in a ramrod arrangement for sponging out the gun
or forcing home the charge, which is worked in slides by chains or tooth
geering, or other suitable means, which ramrod arrangement can when neces-
sary be slided on one side, or lowered out of the way when the gun is to be
discharged; and it consists in an arrangement of an hoist, in suitable guides,
which by chains and other suitable geering is used to elevate the charge
opposite the muzzle of the gun, from which it is slided by the ramming
apparatus; and, lastly, it consists in employing steam or other motive power
to give motion to the machinery here referred to for working heavy ordnance.
All the before-mentioned improvements may be used and combined in one
nices of ordnance
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Joel Livsey and William Weild in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 16th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, PETER
JOEL LIVSEY and WILLIAM WEILD, both of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Peter Joel Livsey and William Weild, Her especial licence, that we, the
said Peter Joel Livsey and William Weild, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Peter Joel Livsey and William Weild,
our 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 CARTRIDGES AND PROJECTILES,
AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION, MOUNTING, AND WORKING OF ORDNANCE," upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that we, the said Peter Joel Livsey and William
Weild, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 we, the said Peter Joel Livsey and William Weild,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings (in
which the same letters and figures of reference are repeated on similar and
corresponding parts, that is to say) :-
Our improvements in cartridges relate principally to such as are intended for
a heavy class of ordnance, and consist in forming them of metallic plate or
other suitable material, and in providing each with a tube placed in its axis, by
which the fireing is conveyed to any point of the charge. The end of the tube
projects out of the cartridge, and has a cap or cover fixed upon it until it is
required to be inserted into the gun, when the cap or cover is removed and
replaced by a percussion cap, which is struck in a peculiar manner when the
cartridge is inserted in the gun, which will be explained herein-after in describing
our improvements in the construction of ordnance. We have shewn in Sheet 1
two views of a cartridge formed in the manner above described. Fig. 1, a side
sectional view; Fig. 2, an end view. a, metallic case; a', tube for conveying
the fireing a², cap screwed or otherwise fixed on the end of the tube. The
case is sunk round the end of the tube (a'), on which the percussion cap is
placed, so that it may be protected from any accidental blow while being
inserted in the gun.
66
Our improvements in projectiles consist in a peculiar arrangement, by which
a part of the projectile is made to expand and fill the bore of the gun to destroy
windage," on the "Minie principle." One end of the projectile is cast or formed
conical, and on it a ring of lead or other suitable soft material is placed, and a
plate is arranged against this, which when the charge is ignited will force the
ring up
the cone, and thus expand it to the full size of the bore of the gun.
We have shewn a projectile constructed in the manner described by Fig. 3 (a
side view, hind part, in section), and Fig. 4 (end view, plate supposed partly
broken away), Sheet 1. b, projectile, the hind part of which is conical; 6', ring
of lead or other suitable soft material; 6², plate secured against the ring to the
hind part of the projectile by a bolt 63. Space is left between the plate and
ring & the hind part of the projectile to allow the ring to be forced up the

page_text: cone sufficiently to give it the required amount of expansion. In casting pro-
jectiles, belts, or raised parts (6*) are formed, which, when accuracy is required,
may be turned to fit truly the bore of the gun. Projectiles constructed in the
manner described are adapted either for smooth or rifle-bored guns.
Our improvements in the construction of ordnance refer more particularly to
the heaviest class, by which method of construction the size and weight of
ordnance may be very largely increased. It consists in constructing the guns
in sections or rings, which are truly jointed with each other, and which are
bolted or otherwise secured together by means of flanges formed on the sections
or other suitable means. Fig. 5 shews a large gun constructed in the manner
described. The Figure represents a longitudinal view, one half an outside
view and the other half a sectional view. The sections are marked c; the
breach section c¹; the section upon which the trunnions are formed c². Each
section has a projection c³ formed on it, which fits into a recess in the section
with which it is jointed (see Figs. 10 and 11), which serve to keep the sections
concentric. The sections may be made with either one or two flanges (c*).
We have shewn both in Fig. 5; at the breech end, sections with two flanges,
and at the muzzle with one flange. A few bolts are drawn (which are such
as have nuts at each end) at the muzzle and breech, to shew the manner of
bolting the sections together. Very heavy guns may be built in position by
first mounting the trunnion section c³ in its place, and alternately screwing
sections on each side of it, or adding sections that will keep it nearly balanced.
The sections may be made of either cast or wrought metal, and of any con-
venient length. If made of wrought iron, plates of metal may be taken, which
may be cut out on a face plate in the lathe to near the size required; they may
be then bolted together (like a number of washers piled upon each other), and
will then only require to be made to adhere together by welding or other
means. By Figs. 6, 7, and 8, we have shewn respectively a plan, longitudinal
muzzle and breech end view, of a smaller gun, constructed in sections, which
are bolted together without flanges, by bolts & passing from end to end. The
sections may be turned and faced to joint them together in the lathe, then
bolted together, and bored out in the ordinary manner for small sizes; but for
large sizes, such as are represented in Fig. 5, a few of the sections may be
bolted together, and bored out by an apparatus similar to that used for boring
steam engine cylinders.
Our improvements in the construction of ordnance also consists in a peculiar
arrangement by which cartridges constructed as herein-before described are
ignited when placed in the gun. The arrangement consists of a spindle, which
is fitted in the breech of the piece of ordnance in the line of the axis of the

page_text: bore, having a head at the inner end, which acts to prevent the spindle from
being blown out, and as a valve against vent when the cartridge is ignited.
The end of the spindle projects outside the breech, and when the cartridge is
to be ignited it is struck by a hammer arrangement, and thus its other end is
thus made to strike against the percussion cap fixed on the tube of the cartridge,
which will be opposite it when inserted in the gun. Fig. 5 shews this arrange-
ment of mechanism. d, spindle; and d', head forming the valve. A spring
may be fixed upon the spindle, which will exert its force (when not otherwise
acted upon) to keep the head forming the valve within the recess in the
interior of the breech. The mechanism for striking the end of the spindle may
be any of the ordinary percussion hammer arrangements, proportioned to give
a sufficient blow on the end of the spindle, which may be considered the
"nipple" of the ordinary percussion gun lock.
Our improvements in the construction of ordnance further consist in a
peculiar mode of rifling ordnance, by fixing ribs by screws or other suitable
means, which fit into grooves cut or formed into the projectile; and it also
consists in fixing the ribs or in forming rifling grooves of such curve that the
projectile will at first have no revolving motion, but so that it will gradually
receive one, being delivered from the muzzle of the gun with the greatest
revolving motion intended to be given to it. The accelerating curve here
referred to is one that would produce a motion similar to that given in a steam
engine by the crank to the piston, which motion commences at nothing, and
gradually increases up to mid stroke. Fig. 9 and 10 exhibit respectively
side and edge sectional view of one of the sections of a gun at the breech end
(Fig. 5), in which is shewn the method of fixing rifling ribs e, each by two
screws e; and Fig. 11 is a Diagram (in which the interior surface of the bore
is supposed to be spread on a plane), shewing the method of obtaining the
curve of the rifling.
Our Invention in the mounting or construction of ordnance also consists in
employing a "buffer," or apparatus to give way to and destroy the shock, and
absorb the force of the recoil in the gun when discharged; and in an arrange-
ment whereby the direction of recoil is caused to be in the line of the axis of
the bore of the gun. We have shewn the arrangements referred to in Fig. 5,
and a modification of the same in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. In the method shewn in
Fig. 5, the parts *, corresponding with the trunnions on the section marked
c², project into the interior of cylinders f, which are placed on each side of the
gun, and form the axis, upon which it oscillates vertically, the projecting parts
(*) from the section being at liberty to slide longitudinally in a slot formed
across the interior of each cylinder f; but in the modification exhibited by

page_text: Figs. 6 and 8, the gun is formed without trunnions, being fitted so as to be
free longitudinally in a casing g, which encircles it, upon which casing the axis
or trunnions are formed.
At the breech end of the gun a stein h is fixed or formed, and upon it a
plate his fitted, so as to be free to slide upon it; this plate is connected to
the cylinder axes f in Fig. 5, or trunnion casing g, Fig. 6 and 8, by tie rods g',
bent in the staple form, which will be better understood reference unto the
Figures on Sheet 2. The "buffer" or spring arrangement is placed between
the back of the breech and the plate h'. We prefer buffer springs formed by
vulcanized india-rubber rings h², arranged between plates h³, in the manner
shewn in Fig. 5. The action of the buffer spring in Fig. 5 tends to force the gun
forward, until the parts ca*, projecting into the interior of the cylinders f, come
against the sides of it; and in Fig. 6 and 8, until a shoulder formed on one of
the sections of the gun comes against one formed in the casing f. The pressure
which is required to be exerted upon the gun by the buffer can be regulated
by nuts on the ends of the rods g'. It will now be understood that at what-
ever elevation the gun is discharged, the direction of the recoil will be in the
line of the bore; the stem projecting from the breech will be slided through
the plate ', which will resist the action of the recoil by the buffer spring,
interposed between it and the breech of the gun. To destroy the shock of
the counter recoil, pieces of vulcanized india-rubber f' are placed in the slot
formed in the cylinder axis, as shewn at f', Fig. 5; or, when constructed as
shewn in Fig. 6, rings of india-rubber are placed round the gun, to come
between the shoulders formed on the gun and the casing f.
"
Our improvements in the mounting of ordnance relates to a very heavy
class, and for land purpose it principally relates to such as are intended for
permanent uses, such as the protection of ports, &c.; and it consists in mounting
them on an arrangement of mechanism similar to that used as "turn-tables
for railway purposes. For naval purposes, it consists in mounting the gun so
that its bore will be parallel with, and vertically over, the keel of the vessel, the
gun being swivelled by turning the vessel. We have exhibited the manner in
which we propose to accomplish this by the Figures in Sheet 2 of the accom-
panying Drawings, in which Figures the guns represented are of the same
size, construction, and arrangement as that shewn on an enlarged scale by
Fig. 5, Sheet 1, which has a bore twenty-three feet long, and eighteen inches
diameter, weighing upwards of one hundred tons. Fig. 12 is a sectional eleva-
tion, and Fig. 13 a plan view. k, beams or girders upon which the gun is placed,
the axis or trunnion parts resting in bearings k', secured to the beams, which
are connected by cross and tie beams with a ring k², forming together a circular

page_text: table, which is secured on a cross head ³, that is fixed on a hollow vertical
shaft k, which descends into a bearing k³, that is secured to a plate k³, resting
on foundation walls A; the end of the shaft k rests on a series of steel anti-
friction discs, which are supported on the head of an hydraulic ram k³, by
which means the shaft I can be risen sufficient to give clearance to the table
when it is to be revolved, and then lowered so as to cause it to rest upon the
side walls A when the gun is about to be discharged. A toothed rack is
placed round the table, attached either to the table or to the masonry, so that
by other wheels gearing with it the table may be revolved to any required
point.
Fig. 14 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 15 a plan view, shewing the manner
of mounting heavy guns for naval purposes. I are beams or bulkheads, upon
which it is mounted. The guns, both for military and naval purposes, are
elevated and depressed (the breech end having the preponderance), to suit the
required range, by screws 7, which screw through a beam I, upon which a face
or projection from the plate h¹ rests (or upon packing placed upon it). The
ends of the beam work in slides or guides 1, secured to a frame or to the side
bulk-heads . The screws are revolved by a shaft, having winch handles and
suitable geer, such as worm wheels on the screws, and worms on a cross
shaft, geering with both worm wheels. The foot of each screw revolves
in steps fixed on a frame to the bottom of the vessel for naval purposes, but
for military purposes the screw guides, with geering and shafts for revolving
them, are all mounted on a frame, or on brackets ², descending from the
table, so as to be carried round with it.
Our improvements in the working of heavy ordnance for military or naval
purposes, mounted in the manner last described, consist in an arrangement of
machinery, such as chains and geering, whereby the gun is brought to a
position in which other machinery may operate to charge it, and whereby it is
caused to assume the required elevation in which it is to discharge its projectile.
The machinery for charging consists of a ramrod arrangement for spunging
out the gun or forcing home the charge, which is worked in slides or guides
by chains or toothed geer, or other suitable means, which ramrod arrangement,
when necessary, can be slided on one side or lowered out of the way when the
gun is to be discharged; and it consists in an arrangement of hoist in guides,
which, by chains or other suitable geering, is used to elevate the charge oppo-
site the muzzle of the gun, from which it is slided by the ramming apparatus ;
and, lastly, it consists in employing steam or other motive power to give motion
to the machinery here referred unto for working heavy ordnance.
In Sheet 2 we have shewn all our improvements combined, and the manner

page_text: in which we believe they may be best carried into effect.
We shall par-
ticularly describe, first, the machinery and mode of working for military
purposes, as shewn by Figs. 12 and 13. B. is a bomb-proof house, in which
the machinery is placed for working the gun below it; and under ground is the
powder magazine; and on each side of it, also under ground, are magazines
for projectiles. When the gun is to be charged, it is revolved round till the
muzzle is brought in a line corresponding to that of the ramming apparatus,
where it is held during the time of charging by a catch, which falls into a
hole in the table, (similar to that employed for fixing turn-tables for railway
purposes.)
a
At the time the gun is being revolved into this position, it is also pulled
down at the muzzle till it assumes an horizontal position, that is, till it assumes
the same line as the ramming apparatus. This is accomplished by a rope or
chain, which is attached to the muzzle of the gun, and passes round a pulley
fixed to the table; then round one (2) fixed on the table, over the centre of
its hollow axis (4), through which it descends, and through holes formed in
the centre of the antifriction steel discs (), below which it passes round
pulley (3) that is fixed to the bearing (k) of the shaft (k), and works in a
groove in the head of the hydraulic ram; from here it passes round another
pulley (4), fixed in the wall of the magazine, up an hollow in the wall over
another pulley (5), then to the barrel of a crane or crab (6). The ramrod m
consists of an hollow shaft, having formed at its under side a toothed rack; it
slides backwards and forwards in a trough-formed guide m', which is supported
and fixed on feet m². The ramrod is worked by a pinion m³, which geers with
the toothed rack on the under side of the ramrod. The pinion is placed on a
shaft m', that works in bearings at that end of the ramrod nearest the muzzle
of the gun when loading.
The cartridge and projectile is lifted from below by a cradle or hoist n, that
works in guides fixed to the walls. The cradle or hoist is risen or lowered by
chains or ropes attached to each side of it, that pass over pulleys fixed over the
hoist, and then on to the barrel of a crane or crab n². A loose piece n³ is
made to cover the pit of the hoist when the gun is not charging. This piece
also works in guides, so that when the cradle or hoist is wound up, it comes
against it, and lifts it also; and when lifted to a certain height, a latch prevents
it from descending, by which means a cover is formed to protect the charge
while it is being inserted into the muzzle of the gun, and prevents anything
descending below. The protecting cover may be made to remain till the
cradle lifts it slightly, when the latch may be drawn out of the way by pulling.

page_text: at a rope attached to it, when the covering piece may be allowed to descend
and rest in its position level with the floor.
The cradle or hoist n, as it is risen above the level of the muzzle, may be
lowered on latches, which are adjusted, to cause the hoist or cradle to rest on a
level with the bore till the charge is slided into the muzzle of the gun, when
the latches may be pulled back, as explained in reference to the covering
piece (n³), when the hoist or cradle may be allowed to descend to bring up
another charge. When the hoist is down at the bottom, the cartridge may
be delivered directly from the magazine through a hole in the wall and into
the hoist.
We have before explained that the table may be revolved by a toothed rack
fixed round it and a pinion geering with it. This pinion may be fixed on a
vertical shaft p, geering by bevil wheels with a horizontal shaft p', which geers
with another horizontal shaft på at right angles to it. In connection with the
shaft p, geering may be arranged so that the position of the gun may be
adjusted by a winch handle. The steam engine q, to give motion to the parts
described, may be placed as shewn, q' being the first motion or crank shaft.
Upon this shaft a series of fast and loose pulleys are placed, corresponding to
fast and loose on the parts to be driven, motion being conveyed from one series
of pulleys to the other by belts, open and cross belts being used for forward
and reverse motions. The ramrod requires a forward and reverse motion, and
consequently two belts are used, one open and the other crossed; the gearing
for revolving the table the same, but the hoist and gun only require one belt
each, as they may be lowered by the brake of the crane or crab which hoists
them. We need not describe the construction of the cranes or crabs em-
ployed; they may be of ordinary construction, adapted to the position; nor need
we describe the manner in which the belts are guided from one series of
pulleys to give motion, stop motion, or reverse motion; this is well understood
by mechanics. The water is conveyed to the cylinder of the hydraulic ram 8
by a piper from a force pump, which may be worked by the engine. On the
pipe communicating between the pump and ram a three-way cock may be
fixed, so that when the cock is in one position the water pumped by the force
pump will pass into the ram, and when in another position it will be prevented
from going to the ram, being directed back to the place from which it is
pumped; and when in the third position, the water will be allowed to escape
from the ram, while that pumped is still directed back to the place from which
it is pumped. The steam for working the engine may be generated in boilers
placed under ground, at any safe distance from the magazine.

page_text: We have next to describe the modifications of the machinery, shewn in
Figs. 12 and 13, to adapt it to naval purposes. The gun is supposed to be
mounted on a vessel propelled by power. The magazine is placed between
the side bulk-heads, on which the gun is mounted, and under the ramrod
apparatus, and the magazine for projectiles may be formed on each side of it.
The deck may be made bomb-proof, and a bomb-proof hood or cover B may
be formed over the hind part of the gun, as shewn in Fig. 14, if thought
desirable. The gun is pointed by turning the vessel, as before mentioned,
which may be done in steering the vessel, or when the vessel is at anchor, by
an anchor at the bows and two at the stern, one on each side of the vessel,
cables from the two latter anchors passing to a capstain, which, by turning one
way or the other, will bring the vessel in the position required. The arrange-.
ment of the hoist or cradle n and covering plate (n³), and the mode of
working it, is the same as that described in reference to Figs. 13 and 14.
The guides for the hoist or cradle are formed by hollow iron frames n',
extending above deck on each side of the muzzle and to the bottom of the
vessel, the rope or chains for raising the hoist passing over pulleys in the
frames down their interiors to the crab or crane n². The gun is pulled into a
horizontal position by a rope or chain attached to its muzzle, which passes over
a pulley (1), to the crab or crane (6), as described in reference to Figs. 13
and 14. The arrangement of the ramrod m is also the same as that described
in reference to Fig. 13 and 14, except that it is made to rise up into the
position shewn, when required, then lower out of the way, until its top surface
comes flush with the deck, into a recess of which it sinks; shafts m are placed
as shewn, which work in bearings formed in the iron cover, placed over the
powder. magazine. To these shafts arms m² are keyed, the ends of which arc
jointed with parts projecting from the guide (m¹) of the ram. With this
arrangement it will be seen that by moving the shafts m, the ramrod and
guide may be made to rise and fall, in the manner of a parallel ruler. On each
end of the shafts m³, at the outside of the side bulk-heads, other arms m³ are
keyed (shewn in dotted line), upon which weights are fixed to counterbalance
the ramrod and guide, and on the two end shafts arms me are keyed at right
angles to the other arms m³, m³, which are connected together by rods m²,
jointed with them, by which the motion communicated to one shaft is conveyed
to the other. Motion is conveyed to the end shaft m** by a toothed quadrant m³,
keyed upon it, which geers with a pinion on a shaft at mo. When the ramrod
is brought to its highest elevation, a catch or pawl is caused to enter into a
notch in the quadrant, which will resist the thrust caused by the operation of
the ramrod. This catch is lifted out of the notch before the ramrod can be

page_text: lower in the deck. The pivot of the joint, formed by the end of the arms m²
and the ramrod guide, is a shaft upon which the pinion is keyed, that geers
with the teeth of the rack formed on the under side of the ramrod, and on the
end of this shaft another tooth wheel t is geered, that geers with a wheel 1,
free to revolve on the shaft mx. With this arrangement the ramrod is in
geer with the driving power in every position. A shaft t, working in bearings
on the plate or cover of the magazine, before referred unto, gives motion by
a pinion keyed upon it to the wheel t¹, free to revolve on the shaft m*. The
engine for giving motion to the geering referred to is placed between the
side bulk-heads under the gun, and imparts motion to the mechanism by means
of belts and pulleys, as before explained in reference to Figs. 13 and 14.
Two belts may be used for working the screws for changing the elevation of
the gun, and two for raising and lowering the ramrod. The arrangement
of the belts for imparting motion to the mechanism is shewn in dotted lines.
Steam for working the engine may be brought by pipes from the boilers that
work the engines for propelling the vessel. It will be observed that the men
working the gun will not be exposed, being below water line, and that they will
be out of the smoke, the deck intervening.
We have now particularly. described the nature of our Invention, and the
manner in which it may be carried into effect, and claim, the improvements in
cartridges and projectiles, and in the construction, mounting, and working
of ordnance herein-before described, so long as their peculiar features are
substantially retained.
In witness whereof, we, the said Peter Joel Livsey and William Weild,.
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
PETER J. LIVSEY. (L.S.)
WILLIAM WEILD. (L.S.)
PETER J. LIVSEY. (L.S.)
WILLIAM WEILD. (L.S.)