IMPROVEMENTS IN GUN CARRIAGES
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1,
ALPRED WOOLLETT, of Liverpool, Artist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
by Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster,
the Third day of April, One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in
the twelfth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Woollett, my exors,
admiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and anthority, that I, the said Alfred Woollett, my exors, adñiors,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Alfred Woollett, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within Eng-
land, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GUN CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that I, the said Alfred Woollett, should cause a

page_text: particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by
the same, reference being thereunto bad, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, T, the
said Alfred Woollett, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
My Invention consists of improvements in the construction of and
in applying apparatus to gun carriages, whereby only the upper part of
the carriage is required to be moved when pointing the gun, and the
recoil of the gun is controlled, so as at all times to cause it to be run
out at the centre of the port or opening through which the gun is to be
fired, with other details of arrangement, as hereafter explained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
A, is an eight-inch gun (sixty-eight pounder); B, B, upper and lower
checks of the carriage; C, section of a wrought iron plate; D, cast iron
plate; E, wrought iron swivel bolt connecting the upper part of the
carriage to the lower part, on which the gun can be moved round to the
greatest nicety and trained fore and aft with facility; F, is a moveable
wrought iron shaft or bar, to secure the gun in the centre of the port,
and serves to check the recoil; G, regulating screw to adjust the
upper part of the carriage; H, plan of cast iron plate, fixed in the
lower checks of the carriage; I, fore axle, fitted with four friction rollers
or sheaves, the shaft F passing through between them; J, graduated
arch for supporting the rear of the upper part of the carriage and
measuring the angles of training; K, elevation of the fore axle with
trucks; L, L, friction rollers or sheaves, the wrought iron shaft or

page_text: bar I, passing through between them, as shown; N, wrought iron shaft
for bow or stern gun, or midship gun; O, fighting bolt and socket; the
hinge P being lifted up, the gun can be transported to the next fighting
bolt. From each bolt the carriage gives 70° 00' training, by moving
round the top part of the carriage only; Q, Q, Q, fighting bolts and
sockets for a broadside gun.
I would state that many advantages result from these improve-
ments :-
First, momentary training of broadside guns, being able to point..
the guns to the greatest nicety fore and aft, or concentrate the fire
in less time than with the common carriage and without the aid of..
handspikes.
Second, the gun can be worked with much greater facility and
precision, with less men to each heavy gun.
Third, the gun is capable of being trained 40° 00' 45° 00 each side
of the centre of the port, the gun can be elevated and depressed the
same as with the old carriage, not covering more space on deck, and the
gun recoils at right angles with the port ready for loading.
Fourth, a self acting compressor, preventing the gun from recoiling
home upon the breeching, consequently no breeching can be carried
away, therefore the dangers attending such a misfortune are obviated.
Fifth, the gun much better secured within board through the nature
of the machinery, as when the gun being lashed by the usual tackle,
no violent motion of the ship can act upon the guns to disarrange
them.
Sixth, the Invention is well adapted for a bow or stern gun, being
capable of transporting from one port to another, possessing the same
advantages in firing as the pivot gun, although less, and considerably
lighter.
And, seventh, the Invention allowing of being fixed on deck, as a
pivot gun of any calibre, not covering so large a space on deck as the
slide, and weighing less, and will be less expensive.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not con-
fine myself to the details as herein described, so long as the peculiar

page_text: character of my Invention he retained. But what T claim are, the
improvements in gun carriages herein. described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Woollett, have hereunto set
my hand seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
ALFRED (L.s.) WOOLLETT.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-ninth day of
September, in the year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid Alfred Woollett
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknow-
leged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for
that purpose.