IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR ATTACHING AND WORKING GUNS OR ORDNANCE, Applicable to TURRETS, FORTS, SHIELDS, OR OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES.
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Longsdon, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City
of London, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR ATTACHING AND
WORKING GUNS OR ORDNANCE, Applicable to TURRETS, FORTS, SHIELDS,
OR OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES.' A communication from abroad by Alfred.
Krupp, of Essen, in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturer.
aled the 13th August 1878, and dated the 16th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Longsdon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th April 1878.
ALFRED LONGSDON, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH FOR ATTACHING AND WORKING GUNS OR ORDNANCE, APPLICABLE TO
TURRETS, FORTS, SHIELDS, OR OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES." (A communication
from abroad by Alfred Krupp, of Essen, in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel
Manufacturer.)
This Invention has reference to an Invention for which Letters Patent were
granted to me the 7th September 1875, No. 3132, the primary object of which was
to entirely prevent the recoil of the gun when fired; now the object of the present
Invention is to improve the construction and arrangement described in the Speci-
fication of the Patent aforesaid.
According to this Invention the muzzle of the gun is provided as before
with a sphere or such portion thereof as may be necessary, and this sphere or
portion thereof, as the case may be, is placed in a socket or aperture in the
embrasure; the inner portion or side of the said embrasure is hollowed out by
preference in conical form to receive a correspondingly shaped collar or wedge piece,
but which may be made of one or several pieces, according to circumstances; at the
rear of collar, collars, or wedges, a screw thread, preferably of slow pitch, is cut in
the embrasure or portion thereof to receive a correspondingly screw-threaded nut or
Omins 631

page_text: ring, which, on being screwed up on to the collar, collars, wedge, or wedges, securely
holds the sphere or partial sphere of the gun in the embrasure, at the same time
allowing free movement when required for the same; or the wedge may be secured
by only partially threading the ring, and in this way it is only necessary to slip it
in and give it a partial turn, whereby it becomes securely locked in position. By
removing the screw, nut, or ring, the wedge or wedges, or collar piece or pieces
can be removed as well as the muzzle of the gun, in order to wholly remove
the latter or otherwise, as required; or the wedge piece and nut may be made in
one piece.
The Invention further consists in the employment of a shield or shutter for the
embrasure, which is rounded or bevilled on its upper edges, mounted below on a
frame, so as to be capable of being raised or lowered on slides, in order that the
embrasure, may be opened or closed as required; this slide, on which the shield or
shutter moves, forms an inclined plane, or is placed at an angle to the face of the
embrasure, and the shield or shutter is moved up and down thereon by endless
chains passing round guide pulleys, aided by a counter weight or weights, or
in any other convenient way, so that the shutter travelling up the inclined
plane is caused to rise or fall, to open or close the embrasure as the case
may be.
When the shield is in the raised position a chock, which may swivel on a pivot,
may be placed beneath it, and retained by a spring or weight.
The shutter or shield when down or lowered, and the embrasure open, rests in
and is protected by the escarpment or face works of the fort or shield.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Longsdon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th October,
1878.
ALFRED LONGSDON, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH FOR ATTACHING AND WORKING GUNS OR ORDNANCE, APPLICABLE TO
TURRETS, FORTS, SHIELDS, OR OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES." (A communication
from abroad by Alfred Krupp, of Essen, in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel
Manufacturer.)
:
This Invention has reference to an Invention for which Lettera Patent wore
granted to me the 7th September 1875, No. 3132, the primary object of which was
to entirely prevent the recoil of the gun when fired; now the object of the present.
Invention is to improve the construction and arrangement described in the Speci-.
fication of the Patent aforesaid.
According to this Invention the muzzle of the gun is provided as before
with a sphere or such portion thereof as may be necessary, and this sphere or
portion thereof,, as, the case may be, is placed in a socket or aperture in the
embrasure; the inner portion or side of the said embrasure is hollowed out, by
preference in conical form, to receive a correspondingly shaped collar or wedge
piece, but which may be made of one or several pieces, according to circumstances;
at the rear of collar, collars, or wedges, a screw thread, preferably of slow pitch, is
cut in the embrasure or portion thereof, to receive a correspondingly screw-threaded
nut or ring, which, on being screwed up on to the collar, collars, wedge, or wedges,.
securely holds the sphere or partial sphere of the gun in the embrasure, at the same
time allowing free movement when required for the same; or the wedge may be
secured by only partially threading the ring, and in this way it is only necessary
to slip it on, and give it a partial turn, whereby it becomes securely locked in
position. By removing the screw nut or ring, the wedge or wedges, or collar piece
or pieces can be removed as well as the muzzle of the gun, in order to wholly
remove the latter or otherwise, as required; or the wedge piece and nut, may be
made in one piece.
•
The Invention further consists in the employment of a shield or shutter for the.
embrasure, which is rounded or bevilled on its upper edges, mounted below on a
frame, so as to be capable of being raised or lowered on slides, in order that the
embrasure may be opened or closed as required; this slide, on which the shield or-
shutter moves, forms an inclined plane, or is placed at an angle to the face of the
embrasure, and the shield or shutter is moved up and down thereon by endless.
chains passing round guide pulleys, aided by a counterweight or weights,
or in any other convenient way, so that the shutter travelling up the inclined
plane is caused to rise or fall, to open or close the embrasure as the case.
may be.
When the shield is in the raised position a chock, which may swivel on a pivot,
may be placed beneath it and retained by a spring or weight.
The shutter or shield, when down or lowered, and the embrasure, open, rests in
and is protected by the escarpment or face works of the fort or shield.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings I have illustrated one mode of carrying
this Invention into effect, and as it is preferred to apply it for land fortifications.
Figure 1 is a vertical section through an iron embrasure and escarpment,
shewing the muzzle end of a gun applied to and united with the iron embrasure.
Figure 2 is an inner face view of this part, fitting in the embrasure.
And Figure 3 is a front elevation of the shield, cap, or shutter for closing the
embrasure.
The muzzle A¹ of the gun A is formed partly spherical, and is held in a socket or
aperture in the embrasure B; the inner, side is in this case hollowed out conically
as shewn at B', to receive a corresponding conical collar or wedge piece C, which
may be in one or more pieces, as before stated; at tlie rear of the collar C the

page_text: embrasure is formed with screw thread, partially or all round, as shewn at B², to
receive a nut or ring D, which is formed with screw thread in two opposite places
(or it might be all round), and serves to hold the gun muzzle in the embrasure B ;
at the same time the wedge collar C and the nut ring D must be so fitted that when
the latter is tightened up, the former shall allow the muzzle sphere A' to move
freely in its socket. If the ring D has screw thread in two opposite places only,
and the embrasure similarly, the ring D can be removed and placed in position
quicker than if threaded all round. The wedge collar C and the nut D may bo
made in one piece. The conical form of the collar C admits of accurate adjustment,
so that the gun is held securely and yet free to move in the socket; it also admits
of tightening up as required. By inserting one or more thin adjusting washers of
paper or other packing material between the collar C and the nut D, and by letting
the latter bottom against a shoulder it can be tightened up very securely without
jambing the sphere on the muzzle.
E is a shield or shutter for the embrasure; it is rounded off, as also shewn at
Figure 3, and slides with its flange or base part E on a face plate F,
which is fastened to the inclined outer face of the frame G supporting the
embrasure B.
H is one of two or more endless chains to which the flange E' of the shield E is
attached by the eye bracket E2; I and I¹ are guide pulleys, over which the endless
chain passes; and K is a pulley on a shaft K¹, which also carries a pulley L, to
which is fastened a rope M, passing over a guide pulley L, and carrying a counter-
weight N, which can work up and down in a well, as shewn; the weight of the
shield E being thus counterbalanced, or nearly so, the shaft K¹ can be easily turned
by means of a handle O and wheel gearing P, P¹, P².
Qis a chock, swivelling on a fulcrum pivot at Qi, and serving to support the
shield when in the raised position; Q2 is a spring for holding it in place; this
chock is moved as required by means of a bar or rope fastened to the eye Q³. The
shutter or shield E travels up and down the inclined plate F to close or open the
embrasure when impelled by the handle O, or by any other suitable winch or lifting
mechanism. When the shutter E is in the downward position it rests on and is
protected by the escarpment R, R¹.
The shield or shutter E may be made of wrought iron, or of cast steel, or of cast
iron chilled on the outside.
And having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of this Invention,
I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. For holding and forming a fulcrum for and for preventing the recoil of a
piece of ordnance formed with a spherical boss at the muzzle end, a hollow or
spherical cavity formed in a shield or armour plated or other fixed or moveable
protecting structure and a conical retaining collar C in one or more pieces, and a nut
or screwed part D, all substantially as described, and as shewn in the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly. In combination with the muzzle and muzzle-holding socket appliance
as set forth, the application of a spherical sliding protecting cap, shutter, or shield
working on a slanting face, and operated by a winch or other lifting and lowering
contrivance, all substantially as described, and as shewn in the accompanying
Drawings.
Thirdly. The particular construction of shutter and the mode of counterbalancing
and operating it, as herein described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Longsdon, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight
ALFRED LONGSDON. (L.S.)