Revolving Fortification for Coast Defence.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Revolving Fortification for Coast Defence.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Andrew Huff, of Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Inventor,) to be as follows :-
:-
This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of forts, especially
applicable for coast defence.
By this invention a fort is constructed which is capable of being revolved, so as
to bring the guns mounted radially around it into the line of fire, and further to
present a fresh face to the front when a part of the fort becomes damaged.
The construction of the fort has a converging circular roof formed of an inner
layer of boards, a steel sheathing. above said inner layer, layers of railroad iron
above said sheathing, an outer steel sheathing, and a protective armour extending
divergingly from the line of port-holes into the ground.
The floor is supported by tapering beams which extend from a central block
located centrally of said floor. Rollers are arranged on the under side of said
floor and block, both of which are supported by an inner and central pier.
An outer wall surrounds the structure, and supports the outer edge of the floor
which rests upon rollers upon the wall. A toothed rack is arranged around the
inner side of the wall, and a toothed wheel adapted to be rotated by a crank-
handle meshes with the teeth thereof. By this mechanism the fort can be rotated
at will.
Dated this 20th day of November 1800
J. P. BAYLY, ·
Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Revolving Fortification for Coast Defence.
I, JOHN PITT BAYLY, of 18 Fulham Place, Paddington, in the County of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Andrew Huff, of Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Inventor,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to that class of fortifications built of circular and conical
form, and supported upon a central pivot and rollers, whereby it may be revolved
to cause the muzzles of the guns within it to register with its gunports at stated'
intervals, thus enabling such guns to be served with less danger from the fire of
the enemy, and enabling the structure to be revolved from within its interior with
but a moderate expenditure of power..
To these ends my invention consists of the details of construction and arrange-
ment of parts as hereinafter described and claimed, and as shown in the accom-
panying drawings forming part of this Specification, in which-.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, part in section, showing the special arrangement of
gearing for revolving the fortification.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 is a plan view with the floor removed showing the arrangement of beans
for supporting the floor.

page_text: Fig. 4 shows a portion of a circalar rack and a pinion gearing therewith for the
purpose of revolving the fort.
In the drawings I denotes the flooring supported by a base consisting of beams 2
made in sections and bolted and braced together extending from a central block 3,
resting on a pivot 4, and rollers 5 on top of pier 6, as shown in Fig. 1 of the
drawings. In order to render the floor rigid and form a strong brace for the lower
part of the fort the beams 2 are tapered or inclined on the inner side outwardly to
the sides of the fort, as shown in Fig. 1. The pier 6 and wall 7 are arranged in a
pit of such depth as will admit of the proper solidity of the foundation, and support
the floor of the fort below the ground. The outer edge of the floor rests on rollers 8
upon the wall 7 as plainly seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The wall 7 of the
foundation is provided with an extension 10 reaching to the surface of the ground,
and has its upper part protected by an armour of railroad iron 9 extending into the
ground and at an angle parallel with the pitch of the roof 32, as shown in Fig. 1 of
the drawings.
The inner skin or layer of the roof of the fort is built up of oak boards bolted
together and consisting of sections 13 extending to the top of the fort. One or
more port holes 11 are formed in the armour 9 which forms the lower part of the
roof and from the port-holes the roof tapers upwardly to a ring 12. The inner
layer 13 of the roof is supported by angle-irons 14 and iron braces 15 and 16
extending from the floor 1 to the roof, and arranged in the manner shown to support
the roof against contact of shot from the enemies guns. On top of the tapering
wood-work 13 is a steel sheathing 17 six inches thick, and on it are one or two
layers of railroad iron 18 and upon the railroad iron a steel plate 19 one foot thick.
The railroad iron 9 of the other slanting sections forming the roof of the fort are
supported by the vertical section 10 of the wall, and the whole structure, save the
armour 9, forming a protection for the stonework, rests on the rollers 5 and 8 and
is kept thereon by the central pivot 4. It is, of course, understood that the under
side of the floor is provided with suitable tracks for the rollers.
The guns may be worked in any well-known manner for loading and firing and
prevented from rebounding all as is well known and needless for me to describe.
When, however, the fort is to be rotated, the guns must be drawn inward to clear
the port-holes:
%
I provide such mechanism as may be operated by one man on the inside of the
fort for revolving it from one position to another to bring the guns into the desired
position, and to this end I provide the wall 7 on the inner side with a circular
rack 20, with which meshes a gear-wheel 21 just below the bevel pinion 22 on a
vertical shaft 23 supported by hangers in any well-known manner.
The horizontal
shaft 24 carries bevel-pinions 25 and 26, the smaller 25 meshes with the pinion 22,
and the larger 26 meshing with the pinion 27 on a vertical shaft 28 extending up
through the floor and provided with a pinion 29 in gear with a wheel 30 on one end
of a horizontal shaft having at its other end a crank 31, all substantially as shown.
The part above the floor of the revolving mechanism is held by such suitable
boxing, and supports, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.
From this construction and arrangement of gearing one man can readily revolve the
fort and bring into position the several guns as fast as they are fired and reloaded,
and thus all the guns may be fired at a stationary object.
I would have it understood that the foregoing-described fortification can be used
as a turret for a ship with little modification in the foundation, and do not therefore
desire to limit myself to any special location.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A revolving fort, having a tapering and converging roof formed of an inner
layer of boards, a steel sheathing above said inner layer, layers of railroad iron
above said sheathing substantially as shown and described

page_text: 2. In a revolving fort, a tapering and converging roof consisting of an inner
layer of boards a layer of sheet-steel, railroad iron and an outer steel sheathing
supported against inward strain by iron girders 14 and braces 15 and 16 extending
from the floor, substantially as described and shown by the drawings.
3. A revolving fort having a floor supported by tapering beams extending from
a central block located centrally of said floor, rollers 8 and 5 on the under side of
said floor and block, in combination with the inner pier 6 and the outer wall 7, and
mechanism whereby the fort is revolved, all as set forth.
4. A revolving fort having a tapering and converging roof formed of an inner
layer of boards, a steel sheathing above said inner layer, layers of railroad iron
above said sheathing, and a protective armour extending divergingly from the line
of port-holes into the ground, as set forth.
5. The combination, with a revolving fort of the recessed block 3 located
centrally of and beneath the floor of the fort, rollers 5 on said block, foundation 6,
located beneath the block and having the pivot 4 thereon adapted to enter the
recesses in the block, rollers 8 on said floor, the outer foundation 7, having the
rack 20 thereon, pinion 21 and gearing-mechanism as described adapted to be
operated above the floor to revolve the fort, all substantially as described.
Dated this 29th day of August 1891.
J. P. BAYLY,
Applicant.