Other Firearms.
Year: 1885

page_text: Other Firearms.
We; GEORGE SHEPHEARD, of Ivybridge in the County of Devon, Army Pensioner,
and HENRY FRANCIS HOLMAN, of Ivybridge in the County of Devon, Manufacturer.
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE
SUPPORTS FOR CARRYING RIFLES OR OTHER FIREARMS to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to supports for carrying rifled firearms of any of the
ordinary or other kinds, but preferably magazine or repeating rifles, or other
firearms, and more especially to supports of the kind for which Her Majesty's
Royal Letters Patent were granted to George Shepheard dated February 17th.
A.D. 1885 and numbered 2213.
The present invention has for its object improved methods of constructing and
arranging apparatus for carrying, supporting, adjusting, and altering the elevation,
and direction of rifles or other firearms, and of determining the distance or range
at which the fire of two or more firearms carried by the apparatus converges.
In the Specification and drawings of the Letters Patent already referred to, is
described and shewn a support consisting of triangular inclined frames having a
fixed crossbar carrying the muzzles of any desired number of firearms, and a
moveable crossbar carrying the butts of the said firearms, in such manner that when
the latter crossbar is moved by hand the elevation and convergence of the firearms
are simultaneously altered and adjusted.
In the present invention we take a frame of any suitable material preferably
gun metal, consisting of two side bars connected together by a transverse back bar,
and by a corresponding transverse horizontal front bar, which is provided with a
sufficient number of openings or recesses to receive and carry the muzzles of a
corresponding number of rifles or other firearms, the barrels of which are capable
of moving longitudinally for a sufficient distance backward and forward through
the openings or recesses.
The frame described is preferably formed of two parts hinged together on a
horizontal transverse joint at or near the middle of its length between the front
and back transverse bars, so that when not in use the front part can be folded
back for convenience of transport,

page_text: At or near the front edge of the back half of the compound frame are formed or
fixed two strong arms one at each side projecting downward for a sufficient distance,
their lower ends being provided with eyes through which passes a strong transverse
bolt or bar which also passes through two corresponding eyes in two. standards or
lugs which rise from the opposite sides of a strong horizontal disc or circular frame,
preferably of gun metal, the lower side or face of which rests upon a corresponding
disc or circular frame, the upper disc or frame having formed upon or fixed to it a
central bolt which projects downwards through a corresponding hole or socket in
the centre of the lower disc or frame, and its lower end being screwed and provided
with a strong nut, by means of which the two discs or frames may be held together
so that the upper one turns upon the latter with any desired friction, or so that it
cannot turn.
The lower disc or frame is provided with a sufficient number of strong downward
projecting legs, hinged to it and capable of adjustment as desired, and these legs
are also stayed together by strong adjustable stays, so that they form a substantial
and steady support for the lower disc or frame.
The lower ends of the legs may be, pointed, so that they can be driven into the
ground if the apparatus is to be used on the field, flanges being provided to
prevent them from entering too deeply into the ground.
Or, the lower disc or frame, may be carried upon a permanently fixed support to
suit the position and circumstances under which the apparatus is to be used, as for
instance on board ship, or it may be fixed upon a strong carriage running upon
wheels.
The lower fixed disc is provided with an external circular flange having teeth
into which gear the teeth of a corresponding bevilled toothed wheel carried upon a
shaft the inner end of which revolves in a bearing formed upon or fixed to the
upper disc or frame whilst its outer end revolves in a corresponding bearing in an
arm or bracket upon the upper disc or frame projecting backward, so that a hand
wheel upon the end of the shaft is situated behind the back transverse bar of the
rectangular frame which carries the firearms as first described.
It will be seen that by the arrangement described, the upper disc or frame
together with the rectangular frame and firearms can be made to turn round
horizontally so as to point in any required direction, by turning the hand wheel
described.
The back moveable transverse bar is arranged so that it can slide upon the
parallel sides of the rectangular frame, and to each of these sides is fitted a screw
turning in bearings in the frame and passing through a nut or internal screwed
thread in the end of the transverse moveable bar. A bevilled toothed wheel is
fixed upon the outer end of each of these two screws, and a transverse shaft at the
back of the rectangular frame revolves in bearings fixed to the latter and carries
bevilled toothed wheels gearing with those upon the screws, so that when the
transverse shaft is turned by a handwheel fixed upon it the two screws are
actuated simultaneously and the moveable crossbar is made to traverse uniformly
backward or forward along the sides of the rectangular frame.
To the lower side of the transverse fixed bar which forms the back of the
rectangular frame, which frame is pivotted as already described upon a transverse
joint near the centre of its length, is attached the upper end of a tangent toothed
curved rack which descends through an opening in the arm or bracket which carries
the outer end of the shaft by which the apparatus is made to revolve horizontally
as first described, and a vertical endless screw gears with the teeth of the rack, the
axis of the screw turning in a bearing or socket upon the bracket and having a
bevilled toothed wheel upon its upper end which gears with a corresponding
toothed wheel upon a.short horizontal shaft also carried in a bearing or socket upon
the bracket, and having keyed upon it a hand wheel by turning which the toothed
rack and with it the back of the rectangular frame. is raised or lowered as desired.
The butt ends of the rifles or other firearms are.carried by the moveable crossbar
described, to which they are attached by screws passing through the bar and screwed

page_text: into them. The distance between the butt ends of the several firearms is preferably
made somewhat greater than that between the holes or recesses which carry their
muzzles, so that as the moveable crossbar with the butt ends of the rifles is moved
forward the convergence of the line of fire of the several firearms increases, whilst
when the crossbar is moved backward it decreases as the parallelism of the barrels
increases.
If desired however the firearms may be arranged so as to remain constantly
parallel.
The barrels may be held down if required in the holes or recesses which carry
them, by means of a cross bar held down by springs, and preferably lined or covered
with leather or other sufficiently soft material where it presses upon the barrels.
We prefer to use magazine or other rifles or firearms which can be very quickly
loaded and discharged, and in this way by using a sufficient number of suitable
firearms the apparatus constitutes an effective machine gun, some of the firearms
being preferably fired, by hand or otherwise, whilst the remainder are being loaded,
and vice versa, and so on as long as may be desired. Or ordinary breech loading
rifles may be used in the same way.
Where such ordinary breechloading rifles are used, two lugs are formed or fixed
on the bottom of the moveable crossbar one on each end, through which a transverse
round bar passes; and attached to this bar and under each rifle projects as far as
the lever on the bottom of the rifle another small bar, so that for six rifles six small
bars are secured to the first; each having a catch or link fitted so as to close over
the lever of the rifle. By means of a handle fitted on the end of the first named
transverse bar the six small bars may be made to rise or fall and so carry. the
levers of the rifle with them so as to open or close the cartridge chambers.
•
Small links or bars are fitted on the end of each of the six bars before mentioned
so that by pressing the handle to close the chambers each trigger is pulled
sufficiently to fire the rifle.
At the same time the elevation and degree of convergence of the firearms as
well as the direction in which they are pointed may be altered either simultaneously
or separately by turning one or other of the hand wheels described.
Stays of sufficient strength are provided where necessary upon the rectangular
frame and the other parts of the apparatus.
It is evident that any number of rifles or other firearms may be used with the
apparatus, and that the support and the method of operating and adjusting it may
be used to carry one or more rifled or other guns or cannon of any desired kind.
Dated this 14th dex of July 1885
EDWARDS & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: other Firearms.
We, GEORGE SHEPHEARD, of Ivybridge, in the County of Devon, Army
Pensioner, and HENRY FRANCIS HOLMAN, of Ivybridge in the County of Devon,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying drawings (that is to say):
This invention relates to supports for carrying rifled firearms of any of the
ordinary or other kinds, but preferably magazine or repeating rifles, or other
firearms, and more especially to supports of the kind for which Her Majesty's'
Royal Letters Patent were granted to George Shepheard dated February 17th
A.D. 1885 and numbered 2213.
The present invention has for its objects improved methods of constructing and
arranging apparatus for carrying, supporting, adjusting, and altering the elevation,
ánd direction of rifles or other firearms, and of determining the distance or range at
which the fire of two or more firearms carried by the apparatus converges.
In the specification and drawings of the Letters Patent already referred to; is
described and shewn a support consisting of triangular inclined frames having a
fixed crossbar carrying the muzzles of any desired number of firearms, and a
moveable crossbar carrying the butts of the said firearms, in such manner that
when the latter crossbar is moved by hand the elevation and convergence of the
firearms are simultaneously altered and adjusted.
In the accompanying drawings, which are in illustration of our present invention,
Figure 1 is a side view of an adjustable support for carrying six rifles, and figure 2
is a plan of the same.
a is a frame of any suitable material preferably gun metal, consisting of two side
bars or angle irons a³, a¹, connected together by a transverse back bar b, and by a
corresponding transverse horizontal front bar c, which is provided with a sufficient
number of openings or recesses d to receive and carry the muzzles of a corresponding
number of rifles or other fireams e, the barrels of which are capable of moving
longitudinally for a sufficient distance backward and forward through the openings
or recesses d.
The frame a described may be formed of two parts hinged together on a
horizontal transverse joint at or near the middle of its length between the front.
and back transverse bars, so that when not in use the front part can be folded back
for convenience of transport.
At or near the middle of the compound frame a are formed or fixed two strong
arms or frames f one at each side projecting downward for a sufficient distance,
their lower ends being provided with eyes through which passes a strong trans-
verse bolt or bar g which also passes through two corresponding eyes in two
standards or lugs which rise from the opposite sides of a strong horizontal disc or
circular frame i, preferably of gunmetal, the lower side or face of which rests upon
a corresponding disc or circular frame k the upper disc or frame i having formed
upon or fixed to it a central bolt at which projects downwards through a corre-
sponding hole or socket in the centre of the lower disc or frame, and its lower
end being screwed and provided with a strong nut m, by means of which the two
discs or frames may be held together so that the upper one turns upon the latter
with any desired friction, or so that it cannot turn but is held tight.

page_text: The lower disc or frame k is provided with a sufficient number of strong
downward projecting legs n, n, hinged to it and capable of adjustment as desired,
and these legs are also stayed together by strong adjustable stays o (as shewn in
plan in figure 6) so that they form a substantial and steady support for the lower
disc or frame K.
:
The lower ends of the legs n may be pointed, so that they can be driven into the
ground if the apparatus is to be used on the field, flanges being provided as shewn
to prevent them from sinking too deeply into the ground. Or, the lower disc or
frame k may be carried upon a permanently fixed support to suit the position and
circumstances under which the apparatus is to be used, as for instance on board
ship; or it may be fixed upon a strong carriage running upon wheels.
The lower fixed disc k is provided with an external circular flange p having
teeth into which gear the teeth of a corresponding bevilled toothed wheel r carried
upon a shaft the inner end of which revolves in a bearing formed upon or fixed
to the upper disc or frame i whilst its outer end revolves in a corresponding
bearing in an arm or bracket s upon the upper disc or frame projecting backward,
so that a hand wheel t upon the end of the shaft is situated behind the back
transverse bar of the rectangular frame a which carries the firearms as first
described.
It will be seen that by the arrangement described, the upper disc or frame i
together with the rectangular frame a and firearms e can be made to turn round
horizontally so as to point in any required direction, by turning the handwheel t.
The back moveable transverse bar or plate c¹ is arranged so that it can slide
upon the parallel sides of the rectangular frame a, and to each of these sides' is
fitted a screw v, v turning in bearings in the frame a and passing through a nut or
internal screwed thread in the end of the transverse moveable bar c¹. A bevilled
toothed wheel w is fixed upon the outer end, of each of these two screws, and a
transverse shaft w¹ at the back of the rectangular frame a revolves in bearings
fixed to the latter and carries bevilled toothed wheels w³ gearing with the wheels w
upon the screws v, v', so that when the transverse shaft w¹ is turned by a hand
wheel w fixed upon it the two screws are actuated simultaneously and the
moveable crossbar c¹ is made to traverse uniformly backward or forward along the
sides of the rectangular frame a.
To the lower side of the transverse fixed bar or angle iron b which forms the
back of the rectangular frame a, which frame is pivotted as already described upon
a transverse joint g near the centre of its length, is attached the upper end of a
tangent toothed curved rack, x, and a vertical endless screw x¹ gears with the teeth
of the rack x the axis of the screw a turning in a bearing or socket upon the
brackets and having a hand wheel x² at its upper end. Or it may have a bevilled
toothed wheel upon
its upper
end which gears with a corresponding toothed wheel
upon a short horizontal shaft also carried in a bearing or socket upon the bracket 8,
and having keyed upon it a handwheel, by turning which the toothed rack x and
with it the back of the rectangular frame a is raised or lowered as desired.
Or, instead of a rack and screw, the screw may be made to work through a nut
suitably connected to the frame a.
The butt ends of the rifles or other firearms, are carried by the moveable
crossbar c¹ described, to which they are attached by screws at. c (as shewn in
figures 3, 4, 5, and 7) passing through the bar and screwed into them. The
distance between the butt ends of the several firearms is preferably made somewhat
greater than that between the holes or recesses which carry their muzzles, so, that
as the moveable crossbar cl with the butt ends of the rifles is moved forward the
convergence of the line of fire of the several firearms increases, whilst when the
crossbar is moved backward it decreases as the parallel line of the barrels increases.
If desired however the firearms may be arranged so as to remain constantly
parallel.
The barrels may be held down if required in the holes or recesses which carry
them at d. by means of a crossbar held down by springs, and preferably lined or

page_text: covered with leather or other sufficiently soft material where it presses upon the
barrels.
We prefer to use magazine or other rifles or firearms which may be very quickly
loaded and discharged, and in this way by using a sufficient number of suitable
firearms the apparatus constitutes an effective machine gun, some of the firearms
being preferably fired, by hand or otherwise, whilst the remainder are being loaded,
and vice versa, and so on as long as may be desired. Or ordinary breech loading
rifles may be used in the same way, as shewn in the drawing.
Where such ordinary breechloading rifles are used, lugs y are formed or fixed on
the bottom of the moveable crossbar c¹ one on each end, through which a transverse
round bar y passes; and fixed upon this bar y¹ are levers y³ carrying a transverse
bar y so arranged that when a handle y' fitted upon the transverse bar y¹ is raised
the levers of all the rifles are moved so as to open the cartridge chambers, and by
means of another transverse bar y the chambers are closed when the handle is
depressed. This arrangement is shewn in figures 1, 3, and 4, in which also y6.
represents another transverse bar actuating the trigger of the rifles, and operates
when required by means of the handle y', or small links or bars may be arranged
so that by pressing the handle y to close the chambers each trigger is pulled
sufficiently to fire the rifle.
The elevation and degree of convergence of the firearms as well as the direction
in which they are pointed may be altered either simultaneously or separately by
turning one or other of the handwheels described.
Stays of sufficient strength are provided where necessary upon the rectangular
frame and the other parts of the apparatus.
The butt end of each rifle may fit into a separate chamber or socket upon the
crossbar c¹, as shewn in figure 7, screws being arranged as shewn so that the rifle
may be held laterally as well as at the end.
It is evident that any number of rifles or other firearms may be used with the
apparatus, and that the support and the methods of adjusting and operating it may
be used to carry one or more rifled or other guns or cannon of any desired kind.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise form, details, and methods of
arrangement, of the apparatus which may be varied more or less according to
the circumstances under which it is to be used, but, having now particularly
described and ascertained the nature of our said invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The combination of the frame a carried by the revolving frame i, the fixed
bevilled toothed wheel p, and moveable bevilled toothed pinion carried by the
frame i, substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn in the drawings.
2. The combination of the frame a pivotted upon the transverse joint g, with the
rack or nut x, and screw x², substantially as and for the purpose described and
shewn in the drawings.
3. The combination of the frame a, with the sliding plate c¹, actuated by the
screws v, v', bevilled wheels w, w³, and hand wheel w substantially as and for the
purpose described and shewn in the drawing.
4. The method of opening and closing the cartridge chambers of the rifles, by
means of the transverse bar y¹, the levers y³, and the transverse bars y³, y³, or their
equivalents, substantially as described and shewn in the drawings,
5. The general method of construction and arrangement of the apparatus,
substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 14th day of Annil 1886