IMPROVEMENTS IN FIELD ARTILLERY
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the Firm of
Mennons and Telescheff, Home and Foreign Patent Agents, of Abingdon
Chambers, in the City of Westminster, and 24, Rue de Dunkerque,
Paris, in the Empire of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FIELD ARTILLERY."-A communication from Nicolas de Telescheff,
late Captain of Artillery of the Russian Imperial Guard, residing at
No. 16, Malaïa Morskaïa, St. Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia.
Sealed the 2nd December 1864, and dated the 15th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th June 1864.
I, MARC ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the Firm of Mennons and
Telescheff, Home and Foreign Patent Agents, of Abingdon Chambers, in the
City of Westminster, and 24, Rue de Dunkerque, Paris, in the Empire of
France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIELD ARTILLERY," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in attaching plates of metal to the guns of
field batteries, so that these plates shall be vertical or nearly so, and shall
present their surface to the enemy when the battery is brought into action,
thus affording shelter from the bullets to the men serving the guns. The
guns should load by the breech, and should be so made as to be very light,

page_text: thus allowing strong plates to be used without making the total weight of
gun and armour greater than that of the gun alone in an ordinary field
battery. I do not, however, restrict myself to the use of any particular system
of light guns.
I find half an inch sufficient thickness for plates of good steel
to resist the penetration of the leaden bullets fired by infantry, and of grape
shot or pieces of shell fired by field artillery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 'filed
by the said Marc Antoine François Mennons in the Great Seal Patent
Office on-the 7th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the Firm of Mennons and Telescheff, Home
and Foreign Patent Agents, of Abingdon Chambers, in the City of West-
minster, and 24, Rue de Dunkerque, Paris, in the Empire of France, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth 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
Marc Antoine François Mennons, Her special licence that I, the said Marc
Antoine François Mennons, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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 FIELD ARTILLERY,"
a communication from Nicolas de Telescheff, late Captain of Artillery of the
Russian Imperial Guard, a person resident at No. 16, Malaïa Morskaïa, St.
Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in attaching plates of metal to the guns of field
batteries, so that these plates shall be vertical or nearly so, and shall present
their surface to the enemy when the battery is brought into action, thus
affording shelter from the bullets to the men serving the guns. The guns
should load by the breech, and should be so made as to be very light, thus
allowing strong plates to be used without making the total weight of gun and
armour greater than that of the gun alone in ordinary field batteries.
I do
not, however, restrict myself to the use of any particular system of light guns.
I find half an inch sufficient thickness for plates of good steel to resist the
penetration of the leaden bullets fired by infantry, and of grape shot or pieces
of shell fired by field artillery.
If so desired the armour may be formed of two parts, the upper one move-
able, and so arranged as to be thrown back at will over the gun; while the
remaining portion is secured to the trunnions and axle. In the same manner
the upper armour of the fore-carriage may be constructed to form when
required the lid of the caisson, while the lower section serves to cover the
sides.
Having now described the nature of the said improvements, and the
manner of carrying them into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details of construction and arrangement above laid down,
as these may obviously be modified at will without deviating from the prin-
ciple or main features of the Invention; but what I claim and desire to
protect by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the division of
the weight allowable for field guns between the gun itself and armour plates
so attached thereto as to present when in action their surfaces to the enemy,
and thus afford shelter from bullets, grape shot, and similar projectiles.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
M. F. MENNONS. (L.s.)