IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MOUNTING AND WORKING OF DEFENSIVE ARMOUR FOR THE PROTECTION OF ORDNANCE IN BATTERY AND IN SHIPS, FORTIFICATIONS, AND ELSEWHERE, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Berney at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
May 1869.
I, THOMAS BERNEY, of Bracon Hall, in the County of Norfolk,
Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MOUNTING AND WORKING OF DEFENSIVE ARMOUR FOR THE PROTECTION
OF ORDNANCE IN BATTERY AND IN SHIPS, FORTIFICATIONS, AND ELSEWHERE, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements in the mounting and working
of defensive armour for the protection of ordnance in battery and in
ships, fortifications, and elsewhere, and in apparatus connected therewith,
in manners herein-after described.
Ordnance has been mounted on a carriage which is itself supported on
a moving fulcrum, and a counterweight or (spring of equivalent power)
has been applied, which balances the gun, so that when the gun is fired

page_text: it recoils below the level of the parapet, and the force of the recoil is
met and its energy stored by the counterweight or spring of equivalent
power, in such a manner that the gun will rise into the firing position
when required. This has been effected by mounting the gun on a
carriage which is supported by two wheels, curved rollers, or segmental
blocks called "elevators," which have a rolling motion on the rails
which support them, and are connected together by a transverse axle
near their periphery, on which the gun rests. To the opposite ends of
these elevators (or those ends which are lowest when the gun is in the
firing position) a counterweight or spring of equivalent power as a
balance to the gun is attached, the point of contact between the
"elevators" and the rails which support them being the moving fulcrum
above referred to. When the gun is fired the transverse axle which
supports the gun descends in a cycloidal or other curve until the action
of the counterweight or the springs of equivalent power exhausts the
energy of the recoil by putting a strain on the opposite ends of the
elevators to those on which the gun is supported. When the recoil is
ended the gun will be at its lowest position, and the gun which that axle
supports will be in the loading position. In that position it is held by a
check. When that check is removed the action of the counterweight or
spring of equivalent power will tend to bring the gun back to the firing
position by causing the clevators to roll forward by the strain thus
brought upon them.
In the carrying out of the above-mentioned Invention it was preferred
to support the rear of the gun carriage in one of three ways, viz., first,
by fixed guides, in or on which apparatus supporting the rear of the gun
carriage was to slide or roll; secondly, be elongating the gun carriago
into a trail which was to be supported by a transverse bar at the back of
the frame; thirdly, by radius bars having a fixed centre below the
frame.
The counterweight is suspended from a transverse axle between the
elevators or parts of each perhery opposite to those between which the
gun axle is mounted, and the improvements claimed in the mounting and
working of ordnance consist of lowering and raising mounted orduance
in the manner and for the purpose above described.
My improvements upon such Inventions consist of several parts. The

page_text: first consists of converting and arranging that which by such previous
Invention is used as a counterweight into and as defensive armour, and
in utilizing the recoil and the weight of the gun and gun carriage
mounted on a fulcrum as means to bring the said armour into the
position which may be necessary to afford protection to the gun or some
part thereof when it is in the loading position.
For these purposes, though not essential, I prefer, secondly, to make
this defensive covering armour in two parts. The said armour is made
of any suitable forms and materials for the purposes required, but by
preference of hollow figures presenting rounded forms, so as to tend to
cause falling projectiles to glance from off it or them externally. The
first part is mounted on the same moving fulcrum as the gun, and is
so situated with regard to its fulcrum that when the gun is in the
loading position the said part of the armour has been brought up to the
position requisite for it to be in to cover and protect a part of the
gun, and by preference of the fore part of it.
Thirdly. In the second part of the said defensive armour being
mounted separately from the other part upon another moving fulcrum,
or upon part of a lever frame which is mounted on separate bearings
which form a fulcrum to it. This second moving fulcrum is caused also
to move or roll, or this lever frame is caused also to turn upon its axis so
that the said second part of the said armour can be brought into a position
so as to cover and protect the other part of the gun, and by preference
the after part.
The second said moving fulcrum or lever frame is connected to the
first in any suitable manner, so that they act reciprocally in the same
manner as the counterweight of previous Invention or otherwise. When
the gun is in the loading position the two parts of the armour are pre-
ferred to meet together or against any intermediate cushion to diminish
the shock, so as to form a complete covering of rounded forms over
the
gun, & forming a protection from falling projectiles.
Having now entered into particulars, I should observe that although
the arrangement and construction of parts and the means of actuating
the same as herein shewn and described are those which I prefer
and consider to be most advantageous and advisable for explaining
the object of this Invention as far as a Provisional Specification needs
to go, I do not mean or intend to confine myself thereto in the con-
struction and form and arrangement of parts, and also the means of

page_text: actuating the working parts admit of considerable variation and modi-
fication without departing from the nature of this Invention or the principle
upon which it is founded. I therefore reserve to myself the right.
to adopt such means and modifications in form, and otherwise as
may be found most convenient and effective to carry out the object of 5
this Invention.