IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR ATTACHING AND WORKING GUNS OR ORDNANCE, APPLICABLE TO TURRETS, FORTS, SHIELDS, OR OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Longsdon, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City
of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY
FOR ATTACHING AND WORKING GUNS OR ORDNANCE, APPLICABLE TO TURRETS,
FORTS, SHIELDS, OR OTHER SIMILAR STRUCTURES." A communication from
abroad by Alfred Krupp, of Essen, in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel
Manufacturer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Longsdon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th February 1880.
ALFRED LONGSDON, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London. “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR ATTACHING AND WORKING GUNS OR
ORDNANCE, APPLICABLE TO TURRETS, FORTS, SHIELDS, OR OTHER SIMILAR
STRUCTURES." (A communication from abroad by Alfred Krupp, of Essen, in the
Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturer.)
This Invention refers to and is for improvements on Inventions for which British
Letters Patent were granted to me the 7th September 1875, No. 3132, and on the
16th April 1878, No. 1514.
This Invention relates, first, to the application of a special front piece of combined
material in one or more pieces for the socket portion of the muzzle pivotted gun or
ordnance.
Second. To the sighting apparatus.
Third. To the slide, and for providing more efficient means than heretofore for
removing and renewing such parts as may be damaged.
Fourth. To the fore shield.
Fifth. To the fastenings or holdfasts for the armour plates, all as hereinafter
described.
According to this Invention the ball or sphere end of muzzle of the shield-gun or
piece of ordnance rests in a front piece that may be of one piece or of two or more
pieces. The material of which this front piece (or of the foremost part if the piece
consists of more than one) is made may be a combination, that is, the exterior of
hard metal, the interior of soft metal.
The different pieces may be connected one to another and to the iron fort by
dovetails or divided rings, or by screws, clamps, wedges, or other suitable means.
DC21

page_text: The front piece is preferably made in two parts, the foremost, a small one, which
contains the whole embrasure of hardened cast steel, the hindmost, the larger one,
containing the screw thread of wrought iron, or if possible of very soft steel.
The steel ring forming the back half of the muzzle-ball socket rests with its under
half in the wrought iron piece, while the upper half rests in a corresponding hole of
the foremost steel piece but without touching it in front.
The two pieces are connected by a dovetail, and in the same manner the lower
part of the wrought iron piece is fastened to a cast iron foundation block.
The middle wrought iron plate over the front piece is shaped nearly as the key-
stone of an arch and if of greater thickness than the lateral plates it is fastened by
screws to a large horse shoe shaped wrought iron ceiling that goes round along the
inner face of the battery and gives a solid hold to the whole construction.
The screws for fastening the plates and the keystone to this ceiling are very thick
and strong, they do not penetrate completely the outer plates but reach only to
the middle of the thickness so as they cannot be hit by projectiles.
The sighting-hole may be at the joint between the front-piece and the armour
plate above it. By this arrangement none of these parts are weakened by a hole in
the interior.
The sighting apparatus is as follows:-
The tangent scale is formed at its lower extremity into a hoop to encircle the gun
and swings on a special trunnion. At the top it carries loosely on a pin one end of
the sighting rod, the other end of which is formed into a ball or into a half-ball
centred in the narrowest part of the sighting hole in a socket bearing which allows
a free movement of the rod. Through the ball head of the rod the sighting opening
is cut, the centre of it is at the same time the centre of the ball, and marked by the
point of the front sight of the gun. The centre of the ball of the sighting rod is
placed vertically above the centre of the ball forming the muzzle of the gun.
There may also be a fixed front sight in the sighting hole and no sighting rod.
In this case the tangent scale swings freely on its trunnions. The divisions of the
scale must correspond to the different modes.
If several rounds are to be fired at the same object it is not necessary to aim for
each following round; the gun is pointed by two dial apparatus connected or
with the gearing of the elevating apparatus or directly with the gun or the carriage.
The slide, shield, or shutter, for covering the embrasure may be formed of two
parts connected by bolt or screw. The lower part provided with the guiding and
moving mechanism is placed in the interior so that it cannot be hit by direct shot
blows. The shield proper covering the embrasure and the surrounding parts forms
the upper parts.
By this arrangement the upper piece or shield proper may when damaged be
exchanged above if necessary without exchanging also the slide or piece for the
guiding and moving of same.
The movement of the slide may be effected by a lever carrying on the arm
opposite to the slide a counterweight that may be lifted and lowered by a chain
windlass or a second lever or by any other means.
When the slide is lifted it rests upon a ratchet which may be shipped and
unshipped by hand. By these means the lifting apparatus is withdrawn from the
effect of a shot blow upon the slide.
In order to prevent injury to the exterior armour plates (if the whole fort in its
upper part is constructed only of wrought iron) from reaching to the interior and
to the inner socket part of the muzzle ball, and in order to permit of an easy
renewal of the damaged pieces a fore shield of less thick and less heavy plates may
be placed before the main armour. This foreshield may rest directly upon the main
armour or be separated from it by an intermediate layer of wood or another suitable
elastic material.
The armour plates may be jointed below to the foundation blocks by means of
dovetails in connection with wedges which can be set up by a screw if they become
loose.

page_text: At the head the armour plates may be jointed by screw bolts to a strong wrought
iron arch which goes along the inside of the battery.
These bolts do not completely pierce the armour plates but go only to about half
of the thickness so that they cannot be injured directly. Only that part of the
bolt which rests in the armour plate is provided with thread (round or trapezoidal
thread); that part in the arch is smooth.
The bolts are bored nearly their whole length and have in this bore another thin
screw of soft iron, the head of which does not touch that of the main bolt but allows
a certain distance between both. By this arrangement the head of a main bolt
broken off by the concussion of a blow cannot fly off and wound the attendants; it
is held by the head of the inner screw.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Longsdon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd July
1880.
ALFRED LONGSDON, of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London. "IMPROVE
.MENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR ATTACHING AND WORKING GUNS OR
ORDNANCE, APPLICABLE TO TURRETS, FORTS, SHIELDS, OR OTHER SIMILAR
STRUCTURES." (A communication from abroad by Alfred Krupp, of Essen, in the
Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturer.)
This Invention refers to, and is for improvements on Inventions for which
British Letters Patent were granted to me the 7th September 1875, No. 3132, and
the 16th April 1878, No. 1514.
The Invention relates,―
First. To the application of a special front piece of combined material in one or
more parts for the socket portion of the muzzle pivotted gun or ordnance.
Second. To the slide, and for providing more efficient means than heretofore for
removing and renewing such parts as may be damaged.
Third. To the fore shield.
Fourth. To the fastenings or holdfasts for the armour plates.
Fifth. To the sighting apparatus, all as hereinafter described.
And in order that this Invention may be more fully understood, I will now
describe the same with reference to the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings,
which illustrate modes of carrying the same into effect.
On Sheet I. I have shown a mode of constructing the parts connected with the
ball or sphere end of the muzzle of the shield gun, Figure 1 being a vertical
longitudinal section of same, Figures 2 a plan, Figure 3 a part front elevation, and
Figure 4 a separate horizontal section through the slide shield or shutter.
According to this Invention the ball or sphere end of the gun or piece of
ordnance rests in a front piece A, which is made in one part as here shown (or may
be in more than one part, as will be described further on). The material of which
A is made should be a combined material, that is, so that the outside is hard while
the interior is of soft metal, for instance, in about the proportion shown by the
sectioning in Figure 1. The object of this arrangement is to use a more suitable
material for this most exposed part than for that of which the rest of the armour
wall consists, and this part may if damaged by a projectile easily be replaced by a
new one. is a ring in parts for fastening the piece A to the iron fort R; or it
may be fastened thereto by dovetails or screws, clamps, wedges, or other suitable
means.
The nut G and wedge piece E are of the same general construction as those
described in the Specification of my aforesaid Patent, No. 1514, of 1878.
The slide, shield, or shutter for covering the embrasure may be forined of two
parts b and a, which are connected by a bolt c; the lower part a, which mainly
forms the guide, and is connected with the moving mechanisin is, as shown in
Figure 1, placed in the interior, so that it cannot be hit by direct shot blows.
The upper part b or shield proper serves to cover the embrasure and the surrounding
parts when in its raised position.
By this arrangement the shield proper b may when damaged be exchanged alone
without exchanging also the slide or piece a for the guiding or moving of the
shield b.
The movement of the slide a with its shield b may, as here shown, be effected by
a lever & carrying on the arm opposite to the slide a counterweight e that may be
lifted or lowered by a chain f and windlass, or by a second lever, or by any other
suitable means.
When the slide a is lifted it rests with a ratchet notch on a ratchet tooth g,
which by means of the levers b, j, k, can be shipped or unshipped by hand. The

page_text: shield protects also the lifting apparatus against the effects of a shot. In Figure 7,
on Sheet II., is shown a modified arrangement of shield, in which the part 6 simply
rests with a knuckle shaped part in a corresponding recess in the part a, the two
parts being united by a stout screw bolt.
On Sheet II. I have also shewn some other arrangement of parts constructed
according to this Invention, Figure 1 being a vertical longitudinal section, one
arrangement of the parts connected with the ball or sphere end of the muzzle of
the gun, Figure 2 an end view of same; Figures 3 and 3ª are respectively vertical
longitudinal section and front elevation of another arrangement; and Figures 4
and 4 respectively vertical longitudinal section and plan of another arrangement;
Figure 5 is a vertical section of part of the armour at the side of the embrasure,
and Figure 6 is plan of armour at the embrasure and the adjoining part.
The front piece for receiving the ball end of the gun or piece of ordnance is, as
shown in Figures 1 and 2, made in two parts B and C, the former or outer one
being by preference the smaller one, and containing the whole embrassure, and
made of cast steel hardened in front to a suitable depth as shown; the part C
containing the screw thread is made of wrought iron, or, if possible, of a very mild
or soft steel.
The steel ring E forming the back half of the muzzle ball socket rests with its
lower half in the wrought iron piece C, while its upper half rests in a corresponding
hole or recess in the foremost steel piece B, but without touching it in front.
The two pieces B and C are connected by dovetail parts m, and in the same
manner the lower part of the wrought iron piece C is fastened to a cast iron
foundation block R by the dovetail parts n, n.
The object of this arrangement is, as stated with reference to Sheet I., to make
the most exposed part, or the embrasure proper, of a stronger material than the
surrounding or adjoining parts, and arrange it so that it could easily if damaged
be replaced by a new one.
The middle wrought iron plate P over the front piece b is shaped nearly as the
keystone of an arch, and is of greater thickness than the lateral plates P¹, both are
shown in plan in Figure 6, and the plate P¹ is shown in vertical section in Figure 5;
the plates P, P', are by means of screws S fastened to a large horse shoe shaped
wrought iron ceiling beam Q which goes along the inner face of the battery, and
connects the parts of the armour, giving solidity to the whole construction.
The screws S for fastening the plates P¹ and the key stone piece or plate P
to this ceiling beam Q are very thick and strong; they do not completely penetrate
the outer plates P1, P, or may reach only to the middle of the latter so that they
cannot be hit by projectiles. Only that part of the screw bolt which rests in the
armour plate P, P¹, is provided with thread, rounded or trapezoidal, while the part
in the horse shoe shaped beam Q is plain.
The bolts S are bored down a great proportion of their length, as shown in dotted
lines in one case in Figure 6; in this bore which is screw threaded fits another, and
long and thin screw i of soft iron; the head of this screw i does not touch the head
of the main screw bolt S, but a certain distance is left between both. By this
arrangement the head of a main bolt S should it be broken off by the concussion
of a blow by a projectile cannot fly entirely off and wound the attendant, but will
be stopped and held by the head of the inner screw i. Instead of screwed bolts i
plain bolts may be used fitting into plain recessed holes in the bolt S, and held fast
therein by cotter passing through the said bolts S, as shown in Figure 8. These
bolts may be applied to the fastening or connecting of armour plates in general.
In order to prevent injury (if the whole fort in its upper part is constructed only
of wrought iron) from reaching to the interior and to the inner socket part of the
muzzle ball, and in order to permit of an easy renewal of the damaged pieces the
arrangement shown in Figures 3, 3, 4, and 4ª, may be adopted. V is a fore shield
or outer armour plate of thinner or lighter substance, which is placed on the main
armour H. It may rest directly upon the latter H, as shown in Figure 3 and in
Figure 4 (the right half of the latter view), or it may be separated therefrom by

page_text: an intermediate layer z, of wood or other suitable elastic material, as shown in
Figure 4 and in Figure 4ª (the left half of the latter view).
The armour plates may be joined below to the foundation blocks by means of
dovetails, as shown in Figure 5, in connection with wedges which can be set up
by screw if they become loose.
The sighting hole may, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet I., and in Figures
1, 2, 3, 3, 4, and 4ª, on Sheet II., be at the junction between the front piece
containing the gun muzzle, ball socket, and the armour plate above it. By this
arrangement none of these parts are weakened by a hole through same.
Referring to Figures 3, 3, and 4, on Sheet II., I will now describe a sighting
apparatus which may conveniently be used in connection with this Invention.
The tangent scale is at its lower extremity formed into a hoop, to encircle the
gun, and swings on a special trunnion formed by a pivot o on each side of the gun.
At the top it carries loosely on a pin the sighting rod p, the other end of which is
formed into a ball q (or it may be a half ball, as shown in Figure 1, Sheet I.)
centred in the narrowest part of the sighting hole in a ball socket bearing, which
allows a free movement of the rod p. The sighting opening is cut through the
ball head the centre of it is at the same time the centre of the ball and marked
by the point of the front sight of the gun. The centre of the ball q is placed
vertically above the centre of the muzzle ball of the gun.
Or, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, Sheet II., the sighting rod p may be omitted
and a fixed front sight only arranged in the sighting hole. In this case the tangent
scale swings freely on its trunnions.
The divisions of the scale must correspond to the different modes above
referred to.
If several rounds are to be fired at the same object it is not necessary to take
aim for each following round; the gun is pointed by two dial apparatus connected
or with the gearing of the elevating apparatus or directly with the gun or the
carriage.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, and
how the same is or may be carried into effect I declare that I claim,―
First. Retaining the ball part of a muzzle pivoted gun or ordnance in a special
front piece of combined material and made in one or more parts, all substantially
as and for the purposes set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The combination of parts forming the sliding shield, so arranged that a
damaged part of same may be replaced without exchanging the other, substantially
as set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The application of a fore shield or outer armour which may be replaced
when damaged, substantially as set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. Fastening or connecting armour plates by means of bolts which do not
quite pierce the plates, and which are fitted with safety screws or bolts for
preventing injury by the bolt heads flying off, substantially as set forth and as
illustrated in the accompanying Drawinga.
Fifth. The combination of parts forming the improved sighting apparatus, sub-
stantially as set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Longsdon, have hereunto. set my hand
and seal, this First day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
ALFRED LONGSDON. (L.S.)