IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF CHECKING THE RECOIL OF GUN CARRIAGES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wightwick Rendel, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in
the County of Northumberland, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF CHECKING THE RECOIL OF GUN CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 30th September 1864, and dated the 15th April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wightwick Rendel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th April 1864.
I, GEORGE WIGHTWICK RENDEL, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the County of
Northumberland, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF CHECKING THE RECOIL OF
GUN CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
The object is effected by an improved form of compressor applicable to any
kind of gun carriage mounted on a naval or garrison slide. This compressor
operates to arrest the recoil of the carriage by friction against the surfaces of
the slide. It consists of two rubbing plates connected by a clamp plate in
such a manner that screws acting through the ends of the clamp plate either
squeeze the rubbing plates together so as to make them grip tight upon the
opposite surfaces of the intervening slide bar, or free them. One of the clamp
plate screws is put in action by a lever, the end of which is connected with the
gun carriage. The other screw forms an adjustment by which to regulate.
the amount of grip which the action of the lever will cause the compressor

page_text: to exert upon the slide, or by which the grip can be relieved altogether. The
compressor is so applied on the slide that the carriage has a certain amount
of free run, either backward or forward before coming in contact with the
compressor, but when in contact must drive it along. The screw lever of the
compressor is connected with the carriage directly without any free run, so
that while the compressor is stationary on the slide and the carriage moving
up to strike it in either direction, the compressor screw is being either tightened
or slackened, but when the carriage strikes the compressor, and they commence
to move together, the action of tightening or slackening ceases. Thus in the
act of recoiling the carriage first tightens the compressor, and then drives it
back, but in the act of running forward it first slackens the compressor and
then moves it along freed from the friction of the rubbing plates. Two
compressors are proposed to be used with each carriage, but the slide may be
arranged for the application either of a single compressor or of several.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Wightwick Rendel in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th October 1864.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WIGHTWICK RENDLE, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the County of Northumber-
land, Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.!
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, 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 George Wightwick Rendel, Her special licence that I, the said George
Wightwick Rendel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Wightwick Rendel, 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 THE MEANS OF CHECKING THE RECOIL OF GUN CARRIAGES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I the said George Wightwick Rendel 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,

page_text: 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.:
NOW KNOW YE,. that I, the said George Wightwick Rendel, 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:-
I, George Wightwick Rendel, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in the County' of
Northumberland, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "Improvements in the Means of Checking the Recoil
of Gun Carriages," to be as follows:-
The object is effected by an improved form of compressor applicable to any
kind of gun carriage mounted on a naval or garrison slide, or having a direct-
ing bar. This compressor operates to arrest the recoil of the carriage by
friction against the surfaces of the slide, or of the directing bar, or of any beam
or bar fixed for the purpose. It consists of two or more rubbing plates connected
by a clamp plate in such a manner that screws acting through the opposite
ends of the clamp plate either squeeze the rubbing plates together, so as to
make them grip tight upon the opposite surfaces of the intervening bar, or free
them. One of the clamp plate screws is put in action by a lever, the end of
which is connected with the gun carriage. The other screw forms an adjust-
ment by which to regulate the amount of grip which the action of the lever
will cause the compressor to exert upon the slide, or by which the grip can be
relieved altogether, and this adjusting screw instead of being made to act
through the opposite end of the clamp plate may be passed through the lever
screw, which may be made hollow to receive it. The compressor is so applied
on the slide or directing bar or bean that the carriage has a certain amount of
free run either backward or forward before coming in contact with the com-
pressor, but when in contact must drive it along. The screw lever of the
compressor is connected with the carriage directly without any free run, so
that while the compressor is stationary on the slide or beam, and the carriage
moving up to strike it in either direction, the compressor screw is being either
tightened or slackened, but when the carriage strikes the compressor, and they
commence to move together, the action of tightening or slackening ceases.
Thus in the act of recoiling the carriage first tightens the compressor and
then drives it back, but in the act of running forward it first slackens the com-
pressor and then moves it along freed from the friction of the rubbing plates.
It is proposed to use two compressors when the carriage is mounted on a slide

page_text: and one when a directing bar is used, but the number of compressors may be
varied as most convenient..
In witness whereof, I, the said George Wightwick Rendel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
G. W. RENDEL. (L.S.)