AN APPARATUS FOR DEFENDING GUNS AND GUNNERS IN SHIPS OF WAR, GUN BOATS, AND LAND BATTERIES.
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cowper Phipps Coles, of Southsea, in the County
of Hants, Captain, R.N., for the Invention of "AN APPARATUS FOR
DEFENDING GUNS AND GUNNERS IN SHIPS OF WAR, GUN BOATS, AND LAND
BATTERIES.
Sealed the 29th September 1859, and dated the 30th March 1859..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cowper Phipps Coles
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th March 1859.
I, COWPER PHIPPS COLES, of Southsea, in the County of Hants, Captain,
R.N., do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN APPARATUS
FOR DEFENDING GUNS AND GUNNERS IN SHIPS OF WAB, GUN BOATS, AND LAND
BATTERIES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a large convex shield covered all over with thick
iron, and mounted upon a platform or frame which is capable of revolving
after the manner of a turntable, and which also carries the gun upon any
suitable carriage. An aperture is formed in the shield to allow the muzzle of
the gun to pass through it, and this aperture is somewhat larger, vertically:
than borizontally, in order to admit of the elevation and depression of the gun,
the lateral arm being secured by the rotation of the platform.
1 do not limit myself to any precise form or mode of construction, but, I.

page_text: prefer to make the shield hemispherical, and to construct it of a wooden
frame with timbers in vertical planes, placed close together, the whole being
covered with thick iron plates.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Cowper Phipps Coles in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th September 1859. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, COWPER
PHIPPS COLES, of Southsea, in the County of Hants, Captain, R.N., send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Cowper Phipps Coles, Her special licence that I, the
said Cowper Phipps Coles, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Cowper Phipps Coles, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "AN APPARATUS FOR DEFENDING GUNS AND GUNNERS IN SHIPS
OF WAR, GUN BOATS, AND LAND BATTERIES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Cowper Phipps Coles, my executors or administrators,
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 Oflice within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Cowper Phipps Coles, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say-
My Invention consists of a large convex shield covered all over its exposed
portion with thick iron or other metal, and mounted upon a platform or frame
which is capable of revolving after the manner of a turntable, and which also

page_text: carries the gun upon any suitable carriage. An aperture is formed in the
shield to allow the muzzle of the gun to pass through it, and this aperture is
somewhat larger vertically than horizontally in order to admit of the elevation
and depression of the gun, the lateral aim being secured by the rotation of the
platform.
I do not limit myself to any precise form or mode of construction, but I
usually prefer to make the shield hemespherical, and to construct it of a
wooden frame with. timbers in vertical planes placed close together, the whole
being covered with thick iron plates.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed, I have illustrated the manner in which
I carry my Invention into effect. Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of
a shield, constructed according to my Invention, and adapted to a land fort or
battery. The body of the shield is composed of a compact framing of timber
A, the whole exposed upper portion of which is covered with thick iron plates
B. The shield is built upon a revolving timber platform or frame C, which
turns about a central bolt or stud D, and runs upon conical rollers E, placed
beneath it near its circumference. These rollers are carried by arms F, which
are attached to a loose running central ring G. The conical rollers E, run
upon a metallic rail or tram, supported by a floor or platform II. The rotary
motion which is requisite in the training of the gun, is obtained by means of
a hand-wheel I, fitted within the shield and connected with gearing, which
works a pinion K, that travels round in teeth or cogs formed upon the circum-
ference of the metallic rail or tram. L is the aperture through which the
gun protrudes and which is of the form shewn in Figure 2. This Figure.
represents an exterior front view of the exposed portion of the shield. It will
be seen that the aperture L is only sufficiently wide to allow the muzzle of
the gun to pass through it, but is of sufficient size vertically to allow of the
depression and elevation of the piece. A narrow aperture is continued up
from the main aperture L, to admit of the gunner "sighting" the gun with
ease and accuracy.
When the shield is formed and fitted as shewn in the
Drawings, the ammunition must be supplied through an aperture made for the
purpose in the rear of the shield. But in some cases, as on board ship for
example, I prefer to employ a hollow cylindrical casing, in placo of the solid
central bolt or stud D, and pass the ammunition up from below through it.
In like manner I propose in other cases to modify other details of the apparatus.
Instead of making the shield of an arched or curved form, for instance, I make it
polygonal in horizontal section, and straight-sided in vertical section, or of any
other prismatic or other form, which will present a convex or inclined surface
throughout to shot and shell. I likewise sometimes mount the shield upon

page_text: spherical balls, or rollers, or otherwise; instead of upon the conical rollers
before described, and in place of the hand wheel and gearing for rotating it,
I employ any other suitable appliances for the purpose. Further I provido
for the escape of smoke from the shield, and for its ventilation, by forming
apertures in it for the purpose, and sometimes (as where a central upward
passage is provided for the ammunition) by forcing air continually through the
shield by means of a fan placed beneath it. Finally I propose to form the
shield large enough in some cases to cover two or even more than two guns
side by side and parallel to each other. When the shield is employed on
board ship it should be either built or placed somewhat eccentrically in order
that the common centre of gravity of the shield and the gun or guns bencath
it may be caused to fall in the centre, about which the whole rotates. This
will prevent the same from having any disposition to rotato imparted to it by
gravity as the ship rolls or pitches. I prefer to mount the guns placed
beneath the shield upon carriages resembling that invented by Mr. Marshall
in One thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, but modified to suit the
purpose more effectually.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the employment
as an apparatus for defending guns and gunners in ships of war, gun boats,
and land batteries, of a shield covered all over its exposed portion with
thick iron or other metal, and mounted upon a revolving platform or frame
essentially, as herein-before described and illustrated in the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
In witness whereof I, the said Cowper Phipps Coles, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, One thousand
COWPER P. COLES, (L.S.)
Captain, R.N.