for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF PREVENTING THE HEATING AND FOCULING OF GUNS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Wilson Ager, of the City, County, and State of New
York, United States of America, now of No. 4. Railway Place, Fenchurch
Street, in the City of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN
for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF PREVENTING THE HEATING AND FOCULING OF GUNS," to
be as follows:--
The said Invention consists, in the employment of a blast or current of cold
air to prevent the heating of fire-arms and cannons when in use, and also to
carry off the smoke and gases, and to clear out the barrels after each discharge,
the said blast being obtained by means of a fan or other suitable apparatus
and forced thereby into and through the barrels of the said guns or cannons.
In applying this Invention to the repeating gun," described in the
Specification of my Patent dated January 17th, 1866, No. 152, which fires from
one hundred to one hundred and fifty shots a minute, and which is constructed
with an outside casing round the barrel, a blast of cold air is also driven through
the space between the barrel and the said casing as well as through the barrel.

page_text: In the said "repeating gun" the blast or current of cold air is by preference
introduced by means of tubes leading from the fan or other apparatus to tho
desired points: hence the instant the ball passes from the carriers in the
said gun the revolving chambers move and a strong current of air is driven
at once through the barrel through an aperture made in the wings of the
said revolving chambers, and is continued until another carrier is brought into
position for firing, and at the same time a strong current of air passes from
the breech-end to the muzzle through the space between the barrel and the
outside casing. One or more tubes can be so arranged as to supply the
gunner with a current of fresh, pure, cool air, thereby preventing loss of
strength from perspiration, and from inhaling the fumes of smoke or gasses.
This Invention can be applied to guns and fire-arms of every description
and calibre either hand guns or guns and cannons mounted on carriages
and adapted for service in the fields, in forts, or on the decks of vessels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Wilson Ager in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1. WILSON
AGER. of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
now of No. 4. Railway Place. Fenchurch Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July. in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six. in the thirtieth year of Her
reign. did. for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me.
the said Wilson Ager. Her special licence that I, the said Wilson Ager,
my executors, administrators, and assigns. or such others as I. the said Wilson
Ager. 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 of "AN IMPROVED MODE
OF PREVENTING THE HEATING AND FOULING OF GUNS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that 1, the said Wilson Ager, 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,

page_text: 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 Wilson Ager, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming
a part of this Specification:-
The said Invention relates to the employment of a blast or current of cold
air to prevent the heating of fire-arms and cannons when in use, and also to
carry off the smoke and gases, and to clear out the barrels after each dis-
charge, the said blast being obtained by means of a fan or other suitable
apparatus and forced thereby into and through the barrels of the said guns
or cannons.
"
In applying this Invention to the "repeating gun described in the Speci-
fication of my Patent dated January 17, 1866, No. 152, which fires from one
hundred to one hundred and fifty shots a minute, and which is constructed with
an outside casing round the barrel, a blast of cold air is also driven through
the space between the barrel and the said casing as well as through the
barrel.
In the said "repeating gun" the blast or current of cold air is by preferenco
introduced by means of tubes leading from a fan or other apparatus to the
desired points. The instant the ball passes from the carrier in the said gun,
the revolving chambers move and a strong current of air is driven at once
through the barrel through an aperture made in the wings of the said
revolving chambers, and is continued until another cartridge tube is brought
into position for firing. At the same time a strong current of air passes from
the brecch end to the muzzle of the gun through the space between the barrel
and the outside casing. The necessity of keeping the barrel of a gun cool
and clean is greater in proportion to the rapidity with which the said gun is
fired. My improved mode of preventing heating and fouling is therefore
herein described more especially in reference to the repeating gun above men-
tioned and in order that my present Invention may be more clearly understood
the construction of the said gun (though the same forms no part of the said
Invention) will be first explained.

page_text: of the same partly in section; Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the same;
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the said apparatus showing the same attached
to the rear end of the gun; Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line 2, 2,
Figure 2; like letters refer to the same parts in each of the Figures.
A is the frame or gun stock; B is the carriage which is supported on the
wheels C. The rear end of the gun barrel D is firmly secured into the
framing A; the said framing is supported upon the top surface of the swivel-
ling bracket A' which turns upon the fulcrum pin A². The revolving series
of chambers E in which the steel carriers a are held while the cartridges are
being discharged turns upon a pin or stud F. The arrangement of these
chambers allows each one of the carriers u in turn to be brought accurately in
line with the bore of the barrel D in which position the cartridges are dis-
charged by the percussion hammer G, the breech being at the same time
securely closed by a strong sliding wedge H. The chambers E communicate
with the receiving box or hopper I which contains the loaded carriers a pre-
vious to their discharge. These carriers are introduced from the hopper into
the revolving chambers through the passage b. The ends of the carriers a
when in the chambers E project beyond the rearward surface of the said
chambers and come in contact with the wedge H which slides through the
aperture e formed in the framing A. This wedge is firmly secured to the
slide J, the said slide being moved up and down by the excentric K fixed on
the spindle L. This slide J also carries the catch by which the revolving
chambers are turned on the centre pin F at each discharge of the piece, the
said catch taking into the notches in the chambers E which are held at the
time of firing by the spring pawl h. The excentric K is operated by means
of the handle M secured on the end of the spindle L. The said spindle L
also carries the cam N which draws back the percussion hammer G, the force
expended by the said hammer in delivering its blow being derived from the
mainspring O. The springs Pallow the wedge H to slide up and down
freely in its guide ways but at the same time will always keep the said wedge
close up to the ends of the loaded carriers.
The framing carrying the barrel D is connected by means of a ball-and-
This screw
socket joint Q, Figures 2, 4, and 5, to the elevating screw R.
works through the boss of a hand wheel S. The socket to which the screw
R is attached is fitted to slide in the box fixed or formed on the swivelling
bracket A'. By raising this socket the plates a¹ and a are separated and the
barrel D and other parts in connection therewith are supported entirely upou
the ball-and-socket connection Q. This enables the barrel to be pointed in
Bay direction, and allows the gun to be worked with the greatest case, however

page_text: irregular the ground may be, as in whatever position the wheels may stand
the position of the barrel D and hopper I cannot be affected thereby. When
the barrel D has been properly adjusted upon the ball-and-socket joint Q it.
can be secured by means of the set screw T. The handle or lever U pro-
jecting from the rear end of the framing A is provided to enable the barrel
to be more quickly pointed in any required direction.
In applying my present Invention to the gun above described the blast or
current of cold air is by preference produced by a fan or blower Y, and is con-
ducted by the lubes Z to the interior of the barrel D. Another tube Z' con-
ducts the air to the space b' between the said barrel D and the outer casing
D'. The fan Y is secured to the gun by bolts or screws which pass through
the flanges C (formed on the casing of the said fan) into the frame A. The
revolving chambers E are cut away at their forward end to allow the
current of air from the fan Y to pass more directly into the barrel D. A
toothed wheel E' is secured upon the spindle L, and this wheel is by means
of the pinion F' and friction wheels G' and H' geared in connection with the
fan spindle 1. The said wheels are of proper relative proportion to commu-
nicate the required velocity to the fan blades J' when the handle M is turned
to discharge the gun. The instant the ball passes from the carrier a the
revolving chambers E move and a strong blast or current of air is driven at
once through the tubes Z and through the barrel D, which blast or current is
continued until another of the carriers or tubes a is brought into position for
firing, and at the same time a strong current of air passes from the breech end
to the muzzle through the space b' between the barrel D and the outside
casing D'. One or more tubes can be so arranged as to supply the gunner
with a current of fresh, pure, cool air, thereby preventing loss of strength from
perspiration, and from inhaling the fumes of smoke or gases.
This Invention can be applied to guns and fire-arms of every description
and calibre, either hand guns, or guns and cannons mounted on carriages and
adapted for service in the field, in forts, or on the decks of vessels. Any
suitable blowing apparatus may be employed instead of the fan Y for pro-
ducing the blast or current of air, and the said apparatus may be permanently
attached to the gun or fire-arm, or may be so constructed as to he readily
removed from and secured fo the said gun or fire-arm when required.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shown how the same
may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice. I wish it under-
stood that I do not claim the construction of any of the ordinary parts of a
gun or fire-arm, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the said Inven-
tion herein set forth and illustrated, but I claim,-

page_text: First, the employment of a blast or current of air forced into or through the
interior of the barrels of guns and fire-arms to prevent the heating and fouling
of the same when in use.
Second, the application of the blast or current of cold air to the interior and
exterior of the barrel of a repeating gun, substantially in the manner set
forth.
Third, the combination with the mechanism for discharging the gun of a
fan or other blowing apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Wilson Ager, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of January in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
WM. ROB. LAKE.
8, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.
WILSON AGER. (L.8.)