IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE, AND IN THE CARRIAGES AND PROJECTILES USED FOR THE SAME
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Warry at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd April
1861.
I, ROBERT WARRY, of Chatham, in the County of Kent, Armoury Sergeant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE, AND IN THE CARRIAGES AND
PROJECTILES USED FOR THE SAME," to be as follows, that is to say-
The first part of my Invention relates to the construction and mode of
forming breech-loading cannons, and consists in the particular manner in which
I form the breech of these, and also in the means and mechanism by which I
introduce my projectile and charge, and also for discharging the same. I
form the gun with the bore running right through the whole length from the
muzzle to the outer end of the breech. Within this bore at the outer end
I form a female screw, within which a male screw cut on a hollow spindle
works; this hollow screw spindle is open at both ends, so that to a certain
extent it may be said to be a continuation of the bore, of the gun;. the
one end of this spindle projects beyond the end of. the breech, and has a
wing or lever attached to it, by means of which it is caused to rotate; and
inserted or withdrawn from the gun; the inner extremity of the spindle beyond
the thread has a hollow box fixed on it; the free end of this boss has a ring
formed on it, on the periphery of which are a number of leaves or pinion teeth;
the annular face is smooth, the ring which projects from the periphery of the
boss forming a shoulder between the two. A straight rammer passes through
the hollow screw and boss, and may be pushed inwards within the bore of the
gun, or may be withdrawn wholly from it. A short distance from the end of the

page_text: breech and in the front of the aforesaid screw 1 form a slot or chamber cut
horizontally through the gun from side to side and open at each side, inter-
secting horizontally the bore of the gun; this I call the breech slot or chamber.
Within this chamber I place and work the breech carriage, which when in
action traverses from side to side of the chamber. This carriage, which I pre-
ferably cast in brass or gun metal, has one of its sides formed so as to receive
within it the projectile to be used; the other side has a circular perforation in
it to receive and carry the breech chamber hereafter described. A small plate
fixed on the bottom of the carriage and projecting from it has a number of
teeth cut on its upper surface so as to form a rack when the carriage is placed
within the breech chamber; the teeth of the ring on the end of the screw boss
work in this pinion, and gives the traverse motion to the carriage which carries
it from side to side of the chamber, and causes each side of the carriage alter-
nately to project beyond the outer periphery of the gun, and expose either the
recess for the projectile or that for the breech chamber. This latter piece, as
I before mentioned, is freely inserted within a recess formed in and passing
right through the breech carriage, so that it can move within the recess in a
plane parallel to the axis of the bore. The breech piece is a hollow cylinder
having a bore about the same diameter as that of the gun open at the front
end, closed at the rear, where there is a vent hole communicating with a
nipple outside; the face of the outer end is formed partly conical, so that
when it meets and comes in a line with the bore of the gun it fits into a
similar conical ring let into the open end of the bore, and thus forms a perfect
joint on the solid end of the breech-piece, and on the top portion is fixed a
small spindle or finger; when the piece is put into the recess of the breech
carriage this finger projects inwards, and works within the shoulder formed by
the serrated ring on the end of the screw boss. Supposed now it is wished to
work the cannon; the carriage is put within the breech chamber, the latter
having the breech-piece within it, the finger working in the collar or shoulder
of the screw boss, the carriage is in the position where the projectile side
stands beyond the outer periphery of the gun, the projectile is inserted, a turn
of the screw causes the carriage to traverse to the other side of the chamber
by means of the rack and the pinion ring on the screw boss; in this position
the projectile is brought into line with the bore of the gun by means of the
rammer pushed through the hollow screw spindle; it is forced from its récess
in the carriage into the bore of the gun, at the same time the other side of
the carriage having the breech-piece projects beyond the gun, leaving the
mouth of the latter exposed; while one man is ramming the projectile home
another is placing the charge in the mouth of the breech-piece; the screw is

page_text: then reversed, the carriage again traverses, and the breech-piece is now
brought into line with the bore and the mouth forced into it, the screw and
boss holding it firmly up; the cap having been placed on the nipple before the
motion of the carriage the latter is discharged, and with it the cannon, by
means of a sharp blow given by a spring hammer, which passes through to
the interior of the breech chamber; at this moment the carriage is receiving
another projectile, and the same operation is again repeated.
The next part of my Invention relates to the mode of mounting the gun on
the carriage. I place the trunions of the gun in bushes or bearings made
each in one piece, having the outer faces turned cylindrically, and made so as
to turn easily with the gun, within the blocks on which they are placed, and
in a plane parallel to the axis of the gun, their bottom surfaces are slightly
coned, so as to fit into a similar cone in the face of the block in which they
move; these blocks, which have their inner surfaces made to fit those of the
bushes before mentioned are fixed to the gun carriage; one of the blocks,
however, is divided in two, the upper portion being formed so as to slide upon
the lower in a horizontal plane. This is effected by means of a slot in the
lower portion, in which travels a rod connected with the upper; this rod is
itself moved by one or more levers or other gear from any convenient position.
The object of the above described arrangements in mounting the gun is to
enable the gunner to give it a horizontal plane without moving the carriage;
this it will be seen is obtained by causing the slide block to move backwards
and forwards by means of the gear and levers; this movement causes the
bushes to rotate in their seats within the blocks, and carry with them the gun
by means of the trunnions; the adjustment in the vertical plane is obtained
in the usual way. In some cases the horizontal adjustment may be obtained
by forming the upper part of the carriage separated from the under, and
mounting the upper part upon a swivel plate attached to the lower, then by
means of gear, as before, the upper part may be moved on the swivel like
an ordinary carriage to an angle.
The next part of my Invention relates to a method I have of forming my
projectiles. I cut a spiral thread on the bottom portion, and within the
grooves so formed is wound a piece of rope, cord, hemp, or such like
materials, pinning or fastening it down at each end; this I find will give the
projectile when discharged the proper movement of rotation.