IMPROVE- MENTS IN ORDNANCE AND IN GUN CARRIAGES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ORDNANCE AND IN GUN CARRIAGES."-A communication from
abroad by Theophilus Alexander Blakely, at present residing in Saint
Petersburg, Russia.
Sealed the 29th November 1864, and dated the 2nd June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd June 1864.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE AND IN GUN CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist, firstly, in making guns of such a shape that
they shall themselves afford protection to the men serving them and to the
gun carriage or support, thus doing away with the necessity for revolving
towers; secondly, in forming gun carriages so that they also act as a shield;
thirdly, in adding to guns external plates or rings (by preference of soft iron
for the protection against the enemy's shot of the gun carriages and men
working the same.
In an ordinary turreted ship each turret weighs about 100 tons, and the two
guns in it about twelve tons each.
By the present plan each gun with the protecting rings and plates would

page_text: weigh about 30 tons, more or less. I fit a ring of iron at or near the muzzle
of the gun, and in front of the trunnions another ring. To this latter ring
I fit a frame and fix armour plates at an incline between the first-named ring
and the frame. For carriages I fit a ring of iron on the front of the gun
carriage and another ring or frame between the front and rear of the carriage,
and I strengthen such second ring or frame by bars carried at an angle from
the rear of the carriage to the back of such frame. I fit armour plates at
an incline between the front ring and the fore part of the frame, round
the muzzle of the gun an annular shield. Again, I apply to the front
of the carriages, say of field pieces, armour plates which extend across.
between the wheels, and which have an aperture to allow the gun to pass
through and to move up and down to the extent required for the elevation
and depression of the gun.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 ORDNANCE AND IN GUN
CARRIAGES," (a communication from abroad by Theophilus Alexander Blakely,
at present residing in St. Petersburg, Russia, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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

page_text: 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
These improvements consist, firstly, in making guns of such a shape that
they shall themselves afford protection to the men serving them, and to the
gun carriage or support, thus doing away with the necessity for revolving
towers; secondly, in forming gun carriages so that they also act as a shield;
thirdly, in adding to guns external plates or rings (by preference of soft iron)
for the protection against the enemy's shot of the guns, carriages, and men
working the same.
In an ordinary turreted ship each turret weighs about 100 tons, and the two
guns in it about 12 tons each.
By the present plan each gun with the protecting rings and plates would
weigh about 30 tons, more or less. I fit a ring of iron at or near the muzzle
of the gun and in front of the trunnions another ring; to this latter ring I fit a
frame, and fix armour plates at an incline between the first-named ring and
the frame. For carriages I fit a ring of iron on the front of the gun carriage
and another ring or frame between the front and rear of the carriage, and I
strengthen each second ring or frame by bars carried at an angle from the
rear of the carriage to the back of such frame. I fit armour plates at an incline
between the front ring and the fore part of the frame, round the muzzle of the
gun an annular shield. Again, I apply to the front of the carriages, say of
field pieces, armour plates which extend across between the wheels, and which
have an aperture to allow the gun to pass through and to move up and down
to the extent required for the elevation and depression of the gun.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation; Figure 2 a
longitudinal section; Figure 3 a view of the rear end; and Figure 4 a plan
of a gun fitted with a ring of iron A at the muzzle of the gun, and another
ring B in front of the trunnions. I fit a frame C to the ring B, and fix armour
plates D at an incline between the ring A and the frame C, as shewn.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a gun in a battery or vessel with an annular
shield A shrunk on or secured to the muzzle.
Figure 6 is a side elevation; Figure 7 a view of the rear end; and
Figure 8 a plan of a field piece and carriage with armour plating A applied

page_text: to the front of the carriage. The armour plating extends across between the
wheels and has an aperture to.allow the gun to pass through and to move up
and down to the extent required.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, fitting rings of iron, frames, and armour plates to ordnance substan-
tially in manner herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of
the accompanying Drawings.
Second, fitting rings, frames, bars, and armour plates to gun carriages sub-
'stantially in manner herein-before described.
Third, shrinking on or securing to the muzzle, of ordnance an annular
shield as herein-before described and represented in Figure 5 of the accom-
panying-Drawings: .-
Fourth, applying armour plates to the fronts of gun carriages substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 6, 7, and 8 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, havo here-
unto 'set my hand and seal, this Second day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.