in the Construction of such Guns.
Year: 1885

page_text: in the Construction of such Guns.
I, Sir EDWARD JAMES REED, Knight Commander of the Bath, Member of
Parliament, of Broadway Chambers, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex,
Naval Constructor, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING AND WORKING LARGE GUNS, AND ALSO IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SUCH GUNS, to be as follows:-
The primary object of my Invention is to enable guns, and more especially heavy
ordnance, to be loaded and worked with comparative safety, both in land batteries
and in ships and vessels at sea, in such manner that, while they may be fought at
the necessary height, all or most of the armour now employed in the form of
breast works, turrets, barbette batteries, &c. may be dispensed with, and the cost
both of land batteries and of armoured or partially protected ships and vessels be
thereby largely reduced.
The method of mounting and working guns to be hereafter described being
substantially the same whether employed on land or at sea it will suffice to
describe the same in connection with sea service, and in relation to ships which
are more or less protected by armour.
In all armoured ships heretofore constructed, whether carrying breech-loading or
muzzle-loading ordnance, the guns have been more or less protected by either fixed
batteries, breast works, barbettes, or revolving turrets, or by some of these combined,
the armour in every case rising to, or being situated at, a considerable height above
the sea level to enable the guns to be fought above the waves at sea. In all
cases the guns when run out are exposed to the blows of the enemy's shot and
shell in so far as they project beyond the ports where ports are employed. In
those cases in which the barbette system is employed, whether in conjunction with
machinery for causing them to disappear or not, the guns are at times wholly
exposed to such blows. Breech-loading guns of recent date have become of such
great lengths in proportion to their calibres and weight that even when partially
protected they present long and slender projecting barrels to the enemy's fire; and
where the partial protection is withheld, and such guns are wholly raised, either for
a time or permanently, above barbette batteries, the exposure is, at times, still
greater. This great exposure of guns of light and slender type in proportion to
their calibre and weight, involves the risk of having the principal guns of the ship,

page_text: even when carried in turrets or barbettes readily put hors de combat either by
direct injury to themselves, or by injury to their working machinery or mountings
transmitted through the guns when they are struck with violence. At the present
time armoured warships exceeding 10,000 tons, carrying immense weights of
armour to protect only two guns placed close together, are liable from the causes
explained to have both those guns completely disabled by a single blow of the
enemy's shot or shell upon either of them.
In so far as the guns themselves as at present constructed are concerned,
therefore, their total and continuous exposure would not add very greatly to
their liability to injury, and certainly would introduce no new element of danger.
When strengthened and protected as hereinafter described they would, in fact, be
much safer against derangement and destruction than any large guns now are
when mounted for fighting on any system at present practiced.
I therefore dispense with the protection afforded by the ordinary breastworks,
barbettes, and turrets in so far as the guns themselves are concerned, and render
them unnecessary for the protection of the gun mountings, by making the exposed
portion of those mountings of sufficient strength to resist the blows of shot and
shell, and placing all the hydraulic machinery and other delicate parts of the
mountings below the armoured deck which is usually fitted in armoured ships at
the top of the armoured belt, or below an armoured deck otherwise suitably
situated and covering a protected space.
The first part of my Invention therefore consists in mounting large guns, either
singly or in pairs, upon an arm, lever, or frame, or upon arms, levers, or frames, so
made as to be either proof to the blows of shot and shell, or but little susceptible
to derangement therefrom, and imparting the necessary motions to the said arms,
levers, or frames (on which the gun is rigidly supported) by means of controlling
machinery placed below under protection.
The necessary motions are two-fold: first, a motion for bringing the gun into
its loading position, which is effected by allowing the gun, with its supporting arm,
lever, or frame, to recoil around a strong axis fixed in or near the armoured deck
which protects the controlling machinery, the arm, lever, or frame being suitably
mounted upon this strong axis, and extending below it, there coming into con-
nection with the controlling machinery. The recoil is allowed to take place
through a large angle, sufficient in fact to cause the breech of the gun to be thus
brought down to and through the armoured deck, or into a dwarf turret or other
protected space, the loading being then effected from below, and in safety, by any
usual or suitable loading apparatus. The hydraulic or other controlling machinery
which regulates the recoil, and where necessary assists to bring the gun into its
loading position, afterwards raises the gun when loaded to its fighting position,
and by the same motion there gives to it whatever amount of elevation or
depression may be desired. The second motion is that which is necessary for
giving to the gun the desired training, and in order to facilitate this I prefer to
carry the gun, with its supporting arm, lever, or frame, and the axis upon which
that works, together with as much of the controlling machinery as may be
necessary or convenient, upon a revolving platform, after the manner in which like
objects have been heretofore accomplished with guns differently mounted; but to
this use of a revolving platform I of course lay no exclusive claim. I do not limit
myself to the use of this arrangement, as there are other arrangements by which
the training may be imparted to guns mounted as before described. But whatever
arrangement may be adopted, the axis about which the gun revolves for loading,
elevation and depression must be protected, and part of my Invention consists (as
one means of effecting this) in carrying this axis upon a revolving platform or
other equivalent arrangement, and in protecting the axis or other parts which are
situated at or upon, or which pass through, the armoured deck, by a small sleeve,
cylinder, or turret of armour, passing through the said deck, and made watertight
with it by weighted flaps or other suitable contrivances. Or I employ a fixed glacis
and turntable within it, or some equivalent arrangement.

page_text: The aperture in the armoured deck, whether surmounted or not by a dwarf
turret or glacis, I close when the gun is raised by rising, sliding, revolving, or other
covers of sufficient substance to protect the space below from suffering injury from
shot and shell, such covers being so arranged as to be readily moved out of the way
and replaced as required.
The amount of armour and weight saved by the adoption of the foregoing first
part of my Invention is very great, and in some cases I propose to appropriate part
of it to the strengthening and protection of the guna
The second part of my Invention therefore consists in so constructing the guns
themselves as to enable them the better to resist the direct blows of shot and
shell, and this I do by wholly or partially encasing them with hoops or sheathings
of armour, by preference compounded of iron and steel, which hoops or sheathings
may either be directly and tightly applied to the guns, or may surround them at a
short distance from them, the space between being either left vacant, or filled in
with "backing" of any suitable description. In either case the armour sheathing
will be connected to the gun by suitable means, one condition of the application of
which must be that the gun proper may not be penetrated, or so penetrated as to
be unduly weakened thereby. In the former case-that of the protective armour
sheathing being directly applied to the guns-it may sometimes be convenient and
proper to work the protective material into the original construction of the guns,
thus making it a substantial part thereof, and simply giving to the gun a size and
weight beyond, or a form different from, those which it would require or receive in
order merely to withstand the effects of its explosive charges and of the wear and
tear of its projectiles. A gun so constructed would obviously differ substantially
from all existing guns, and would come completely within the scope of my present
Invention.
Guns constructed with protective hoops or sheathings as before described would
of course exceed in weight the guns of like calibre and power at present con-
structed, and their excess of weight would reduce the violence of the recoil, and
thus enable them to be the better mounted and worked by hydraulic, or steam, or
other like machinery, as before described.
Although I prefer to give to guns mounted in accordance with the first part of
my Invention the additional strength and the protection described as in the second
part of my Invention, I do not limit the application of my above improvements
in mounting guns to guns so strengthened and protected, as the said improvements
can obviously be applied to large guns of all descriptions, and I reserve to myself
the exclusive right of applying them to any and all guns whatever, and whether
specially strengthened or not.
Instead of utilizing the recoil for bringing breech loaders into the loading
position as before described I may employ in certain cases muzzle-loading guns,
using the elevating machinery for bringing them on into the loading position.
Instead of hoops or sheathings for guns as heretofore described I sometimes
prefer to give to the protecting material other forms, such as thick disca, tapering
shields, or other like devices for either resisting or glancing off the shot or shell
which may strike them.

page_text: Improvements in mounting and working Large Guns, and also
in the Construction of such Guns.
I, Sir EDWARD JAMES REED, Knight Commander of the Bath, of Broadway
Chambers, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Naval Constructor do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING AND WORKING
LARGE GUNS, AND ALSO IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUCH GUNS, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The primary object of my Invention is to enable guns, and more especially heavy
ordnance, to be loaded and worked with comparative safety, both in land batteries
and in ships and vessels at sea, in such manner that, while they may be fought at
the necessary height, all or most of the armour now employed in the form of
breastworks, turrets, barbette batteries, &c. may be dispensed with, and the cost
both of land batteries and of armoured or partially protected ships and vessels be
thereby largely reduced.
The method of mounting and working guns to be hereafter described being
substantially the same whether employed on land or at sea, it will suffice to
describe the same in connection with sea service, and in relation to ships which are
more or less protected by armour.
In all armoured ships heretofore constructed, whether carrying breech-loading or
muzzle-loading ordnance, the guns have been more or less protected by either fixed
batteries, breastworks, barbettes, or revolving turrets, or by some of these combined,
the armour in every case rising to, or being situated at, a considerable height above
the sea level to enable the guns to be fought above the waves at sea. In all
cases the guns when run out are exposed to the blows of the enemy's shot and shell
in so far as they project beyond the ports where ports are employed. In those
cases in which the barbette system is employed, whether in conjunction with
machinery for causing them to disappear or not, the guns are at times wholly
exposed to such blows. Breech-loading guns of recent date have become of such
great lengths in proportion to their calibres and weight that even when partially
protected they present long and slender projecting barrels to the enemy's fire; and
where the partial protection is withheld, and such guns are wholly raised, either
for a time or permanently, above barbette batteries, the exposure is, at times, still
greater. This great exposure of guns of light and slender type in proportion to
their calibre and weight, involves the risk of having the principal guns of the ship,
even when carried in turrets or barbettes, readily put hors de combat either by
direct injury to themselves, or by injury to their working machinery or mountings
transmitted through the guns when they are struck with violence. At the present
time armoured warships exceeding 10,000 tons, carrying immense weights of
armour to protect only two guns placed close together, are liable from the causes
explained to have both those guns completely disabled by a single blow of the
enemy's shot or shell upon either of them.
In so far as the guns themselves as at present constructed are concerned,
therefore, their total and continuous exposure would not add very greatly to their

page_text: liability to injury, and certainly would introduce no new element of danger. When
strengthened and protected as hereinafter described they would, in fact, be much
safer against derangement and destruction than any large guns now are when
mounted for fighting on any system at present practiced.
I therefore dispense with the protection afforded by the ordinary breast works,
barbettes, and turrets in so far as the guns themselves are concerned, and render
them unnecessary for the protection of the gun mountings, by making the exposed
portion of those mountings of sufficient strength to resist the blows of shot and
shell, and placing all the hydraulic machinery and other delicate parts of the
mountings below the armoured deck which is usually fitted in armoured ships at
the top of the armoured belt, or below an armoured deck otherwise suitably
situated and covering a protected space.
The first part of my invention therefore consists in mounting large guns, either
singly or in pairs, upon an arm, lever, or frame, or upon arms, levers, or frames, 80
made as to be either proof to the blows of shot and shell, or but little susceptible
to derangement therefrom, and imparting the necessary motions to the said arms,
levers, or frames (on which the gun is rigidly supported) by means of controlling
machinery placed below under protection.
The necessary motions are two-fold: first, a motion for bringing the gun into
its loading position, which is effected by allowing the gun, with its supporting
arm, lever, or frame, to recoil around a strong axis fixed in or near the armoured
deck which protects the controlling machinery, the arm, lever, or frame being
suitably mounted upon this strong axis, and extending below it, there coming into
connection with the controlling machinery. The recoil is allowed to take place
through a large angle, sufficient in fact to cause the breech of the gun to be thus
brought down to and through the armoured deck, or into a dwarf turret or other
protected space, the loading being then effected from below, and in safety, by any
usual or suitable loading apparatus. The hydraulic or other controlling machinery
which regulates the recoil, and where necessary assists to bring the gun into its
loading position, afterwards raises the gun when loaded to its fighting position,
and by the same motion there gives to it whatever amount of elevation or
depression may be desired. The second motion is that which is necessary for
giving to the gun the desired training, and in order to facilitate this I prefer to
carry the gun, with its supporting arm, lever, or frame, and the axis upon which
that works, together with as much of the controlling machinery as may be
necessary or convenient, upon a revolving platform, after the manner in which like
objects have been heretofore accomplished with guns differently mounted; but to
this use of a revolving platform I of course lay no exclusive claim. I do not limit
myself to the use of this arrangement, as there are other arrangements by which
the training may be imparted to guns mounted as before described. But whatever
arrangement may be adopted, the axis about which the gun revolves for loading,
elevation, and depression must be protected, and part of my Invention consists (as
one means of effecting this) in carrying this axis upon a revolving platform or
other equivalent arrangement, and in protecting the axis or other parts which are
situated at or upon, or which pass through, the armoured deck, by a small sleeve,
cylinder, or turret of armour, passing through the said deck, and made water-tight
with it by weighted flaps or other suitable contrivances. Or I employ a fixed
glacis and turntable within it, or some equivalent arrangement.
The aperture in the armoured deck, whether surmounted or not by a dwarf
turret or glacis, I close when the gun is raised, by rising, sliding, revolving, or
other covers of sufficient substance to protect the space below from suffering injury
from shot and shell, such covers being so arranged as to be readily moved out of
the way and replaced as required.
The amount of armour and weight saved by the adoption of the foregoing first
part of my Invention is very great, and in some cases I propose to appropriate
part of it to the strengthening and protection of the ønns.

page_text: The second part of my Invention therefore consists in so constructing the guns
themselves as to enable them the better to resist the direct blows of shot and shell,
and this I do by wholly or partially encasing them with hoops or sheathings of
armour, by preference compounded of iron and steel, which hoops or sheathings
may either be directly and tightly applied to the guns, or may surround them at a
short distance from them, the space between being either left vacant, or filled in
with "backing" of any suitable description. In either case the armour sheathing
will be connected to the gun by suitable means, one condition of the application
of which must be that the gun proper may not be penetrated, or so penetrated as
to be unduly weakened thereby. In the former case-that of the protective
armour sheathing being directly applied to the guns-it may sometimes be
convenient and proper to work the protective material into the original con-
struction of the guns, thus making it a substantial part thereof, and simply giving
to the gun a size and weight beyond, or a form different from, those which it
would require or receive in order merely to withstand the effects of its explosive
charges and of the wear and tear of its projectiles. A gun so constructed would
obviously differ substantially from all existing guns, and would come completely
within the scope of my present Invention.
'
Guns constructed with protective hoops or sheathings as before described would
of course exceed in weight the guns of like calibre and power at present constructed,
and their excess of weight would reduce the violence of the recoil, and thus enable
them to be the better mounted and worked by hydraulic, or steam, or other like
machinery, as before described.
Although I prefer to give to guns mounted in accordance with the first part of
my Invention the additional strength and the protection described as in the second
part of my Invention, I do not limit the application of my above improvements in
mounting guns to guns so strengthened and protected, as the said improvements
can obviously be applied to large guns of all descriptions, and I reserve to myself
the exclusive right of applying them to any and all guns whatever, and whether
specially strengthened or not.
Instead of utilizing the recoil for bringing breechloaders into the loading
position as before described, I may employ in certain cases muzzle-loading guns,
using the elevating machinery for bringing them on into the loading position.
Instead of hoops or sheathings for guns as heretofore described I sometimes prefer
to give to the protecting material other forms such as thick discs, tapering shields,
or other like devices for either resisting or glancing off the shot or shell which may
strike them.
I believe that every part of my Invention hereinbefore described will be
readily understood, and can be well and effectually carried into practice, by
skilled persons without further description and without illustration by drawings.
But I nevertheless proceed to describe and illustrate the principal features
thereof, observing, however, that the following are but examples or selected
instances, chosen from a great variety of methods, which may be adopted in
carrying out my Invention. The accompanying drawings illustrate some of the
methods by which the objects are to be accomplished. Fig. 1 represents the
longitudinal sectional view of part of a vessel in which a single gun is mounted
and carried at the middle-line of the ship, so as to secure a middle-line right-ahead
fire over the upper deck. The gun A is supported upon arms or levers B B which
are either proof to the blows of shot and shell, or but little susceptible to derange-
ment therefrom. The necessary motion is imparted to these arms or levers by
means of controlling machinery, hydraulic or otherwise, of the usual or any other
suitable description, placed beneath a protecting deck. The gun A is in this case
made of unusual strength, by a moderate increase of its thickness, so as to enable
it the better to resist the direct blows of shot and shell in accordance with
this Invention. (In some cases I propose to strengthen and enlarge. the gun to a
much greater proportionate extent.)..The arms or levers B are in this case rigidly

page_text: connected to the gun, their exposed parts being made sufficiently strong to be
proof against the blows of shot and shell. The axis Cupon which they work is
formed as shown and is of very great strength. The necessary motion for bringing
the gun into its loading position is effected by allowing the gun with its supporting
arms or levers to recoil around this strong axis C fixed in this case at about the
level of the armoured deck (shown by a thick black line) and protected from above
by a curved armoured turntable, and by the deck and side armour of the vessel, all
of which equally protect the controlling machinery below. The ticked lines
indicate the gun in its loading position. The loading hood D is a dwarf armoured
structure of the necessary height and size to afford as much space above the level
of the armoured deck as is required to perform the loading operations. This
armoured structure D affords ample protection to the projectile and powder charge
during the loading operation, and also to the machinery employed at the breech of
the gun, and at the same time protects the breech itself whilst the loading is being
proceeded with. The breech of the gun is formed so as to be conveniently opened
and closed from within the protected space. The loading chamber is, where
necessary, to be effectually closed by means of an armoured shutter or cover-by
preference inside and strongly supported there-which may be revolved or slid
into its position, or by other efficient means. Similar arrangements may be
employed in the case of muzzle-loading guns. The armoured shield, cover, or
turntable E which covers in the space necesssary for allowing the gun to receive
the desired training, elevation, and depression, is directly over the strong axis
about which the gun revolves for this loading elevation and depression, and is
supported on, and attached to, the turntable or revolving platform F. The rotation
given to the revolving platform for the desired training of the gun is consequently
also given to the armoured cover E. The arms or levers B which support the gun,
and on which in this case it is rigidly fixed, pass through the armoured cover E,
and the space requisite for clearance between the arms or levers and the armoured
cover is made watertight by india-rubber or by means of sliding or other covers,
or any other suitable means.
Fig. 2 shows a transverse section of the gun and its mountings, and also illustrates
the method by which in this case the machinery and the delicate parts of the
mounting are placed below under the armoured protection E. The levers or arms BB
to which the gun in this case is rigidly attached, are actuated by means of hydraulio
or other controlling machinery which impart to them the necessary motion about
the axis C, and which, being of a usual character, need not be here described. The
axis C is fixed on, and carried by, the revolving platform or turntable F, and in
this case is placed, as before stated, at the level of the armoured deck. I do not
limit myself to placing this axis C in this position, as in some cases it is desirable
to place it below and in others above this level. In any case, however, I arrange
for giving it the necessary armoured protection either in the manner illustrated or
by means of a small sleeve, cylinder, or turret of armour or equivalent arrangements,
which must obviously vary as the height of the axis is raised or lowered.
The requisite motion is given to the turntable F by means of hydraulic or other
machinery as is usually adopted for such purposes, or otherwise.
Fig. 3. shows the plan of the armoured cover or turntable E and the glacis plate G
around it, which plate is also shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In Fig. 3 is also indicated
the clearance H which it is necessary to allow in order that the gun and its
carrying arms may have the desired motion about the axis C for elevation and
depression, so as to admit of the breech or muzzle, as the case may be, being
brought into position for loading or for aiming purposes.
Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate another method for carrying my Invention into effect.
In this case a pair of strengthened guns A A are arranged en echelon on opposite
sides of the vessel, the bow of the vessel being carried up to the height necessary
.for great speed. --The arrangements for actuating the arms or levers B B, and the
rotation of the revolving platforms or turntables F F, also the armoured covers EE,

page_text: necessary for allowing the required elevation, depression, loading and training of
the guns, are in the main similar to those described in Figs. 1, 2, & 3. These
Figs. (4 and 5) also indicate another means of arranging the requisite loading
hoods, which in this case are so disposed as to form with economy of armour a
single loading hood for both guns, and at the same time to form a substantial
support for an armoured conning tower J from which the guns may be effectually
directed and fired. Between the lower part of this conning tower J and connecting
it with the armoured loading chamber D, a shot proof circular armoured communi-
cating tube K is built, through which the necessary appliances for conning and
fighting the ship are led to the interior of the ship and protected in an efficient
manner, and which likewise serves as a protected passage by which officers and
inen can pass up and down between the loading chamber and the pilot tower.
Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal elevation of one of the guns through the line L L
(Fig. 5), and further illustrates the relation of the gun to the loading hood D, and
its relation to the communication tube K and the conning tower J. Fig. 7 shows
a section of the same gun through the line M M (Fig. 5).
In the preceding illustrations the gun is to be aimed from the pilot or directing
tower, within which are to be situated the levers and other appliances for giving
motion to the elevating and the training machinery, and within which, when
deemed necessary, is also to be placed a rod or miniature gun driven by gearing or
otherwise from the gun-working machinery so as to exactly correspond in its
movements with the gun itself.
In the preceding illustrations the guns are shown to be rigidly attached to the
carrying arms or supports; but in some cases, in order to avoid excessive or
inconvenient elevation of the gun in the loading position, I prefer to introduce a
trunnion joint, and to give the gun a certain amount of motion around that joint,
by means of suitable appliances; or I accomplish the like object by duplicating the
supporting arms, or by any other suitable means.
I deem it unnecessary to illustrate by drawings the various methods by which,
and the different degrees to which, I strengthen guns. for the purposes of, and in
pursuance of, my Invention, as these present no difficulties to gun manufacturers
or others, and must be arranged to suit the nature and size of the gun and of the
ship or land battery in which it is to be carried; nor do I deem it necessary to
illustrate the method of carrying a pair of guns upon a single revolving turntable,
as the requisite modifications must be obvious.
And having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do
not limit my claims to the arrangements and particulars hereinbefore described
and illustrated, as the same may be largely varied and extended within the scope
and carrying out of my Invention; but what I claim is :-
First. The mounting of guns, either singly or in pairs, upon an arm, lever, or
frame, or upon arms, levers, or frames, so made as to be either proof to the blows
of shot and shell, or but little susceptible to derangement therefrom; and imparting
the necessary motions to the said arms, levers, or frames (on which the gun is
supported) by means of controlling machinery placed below under protection as
bereinbefore described and illustrated by examples.
Second. The carrying of the axis of a gun or guns mounted in a ship or vessel
as herein before described upon a revolving platform, and any arrangement
equivalent thereto, and the protecting of such axis or such other parts as may be
situated at or upon, or which pass through, an armoured deck by means of a sleeve,
cylinder, or turret of armour passing through the said deck, and made watertight
by flaps or other suitable contrivances as herein before described.
Third. The employment of armoured turntables and fixed glacis plates, forgings
or castings in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated,

page_text: Fourth. The construction of guns so as to enable them the better to resist the
direct blows of shot and shell, by wholly or partially encasing them with hoops or
sheathings of armour, by preference compounded of iron and steel, which hoops or
sheathings may either be added during the original construction of the guns (and
thus increase their strength and their ability to withstand the explosions of their
own charges), or be directly and tightly applied to the guns, or surround the guns
at a short distance from them as hereinbefore described.
Fifth. The protection of guns by means of thick discs, tapering shields, or other
like devices for either resisting or glancing off the shot or shell which may strike
them.
Dated this twenty-ninth day of Tune 1906