IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING BATTERIES, AND IN THE MEANS FOR WORKING THE SAME
Year: 1867

page_text: Sealed the 20th March 1868, and dated the 14th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th October 1867.
1. WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING BATTERIES, AND IN THE MEANS FOR WORKING THE
SAME," a communication, to be as follows:--
The said improvements relate to the construction of revolving batteries for
military and naval defence. to the machinery for operating the same, and to the
arrangement and working of the guns in the said batteries. Instead of
surrounding the guns or other weapons of war with armour which revolves

page_text: with the battery, I use fixed or stationary armour, and arrange the battery
within the said armour movable in such a manner that the said battery may
command all necessary and useful points of horizontal and vertical range.
The fixed armour or casemate is pierced with the required number of embra-
sures or port holes, each of the same being of such form as to permit the
horizontal and vertical ranges aforesaid. The said battery is arranged on a
platform which may be rotated by proper mechanism, and the guns or other
weapons of the said battery are arranged to move with their carriages on
proper slides, thus admitting a motion of the said guns and their slides inde-
pendently of the platform. The said guns or cannons are manoeuvred by
suitable mechanism on the said slides to bring them into position for firing or
loading. All of the said operations of manoeuvring may be effected either
solely by manual power through proper mechanical devices or by the aid of
steam or similar power.
In floating batteries or ships the turret or casing of the battery is per-
manently secured to the deck of the vessel, and the pilot house is fixed upon
the roof of the turret. la a vessel carrying a battery of four or more guns
the same are encased in a combination turret. The armour for the battery
being connected with the ship or with the base whereon the entire defence is
to rest, great strength is added to the armour and also to the deck and other
parts of the vessel, thus increasing the defensive power of resistance of all the
said parts; moreover, the said arrangement permits the chimneys to be
cnclosed whenever combination turrets are used, thereby saving the armour
otherwise needed to protect the chimneys, and causing less obstruction to the
guns.
Within the fixed casing is arranged the revolving battery or a series
of revolving batteries. The guns with their gun slides rest and move upon
the main or rotating platform; the latter is strengthened by proper beams,
and rests upon a circular base which is supported upon friction rollers; these
rollers turn upon the upper face of a strong central column or support which
rests on the vessel or other structure supporting the battery. In order to rotate
the platform and thus bring the guns to the proper ports, the following devices
are used: An auxiliary platform or table is supported by the main platform
and turns with the same. Hand cranks are fixed on a shaft which is firmly
secured to the main platform: on the said shaft is a screw which gears into a
screw gear wheel firmly secured near the outer circumference of the central
column or support. The said gear wheel being stationary, the screw moves
along the circumference of the same, and the said screw being fastened to the

page_text: main platform carries the latter with it in its circular motion. In order that
the platform may be effectually guided in this rotary motion the conical friction
rollers are connected to an inner spindle, and in like manner the circular
base of the main platform is connected to the said spindle, the latter being
firmly held in its position by proper connections with the central column and
with the bottom of the vessel or other structure. When the guns have thus
been brought to the proper ports they are manceuvred with reference to their
horizontal range by the following devices: Another shaft supported upon the
platform is provided with hand cranks and with a screw or worm; the latter
is geared into a worm wheel on a vertical shaft whose upper end carries a
pinion; the turning of this pinion will move a rack in a longitudinal direction.
and this rack being firmly connected with the gun slides, will move the rear
portions of the guns about the muzzle which forms the centre or axis. This
motion of the guns is aided by arranging rollers under the gun slides which
move freely upon the platform, and the motion is regulated by guide bars
firmly secured to the said platform, against which bars the rollers are guided;
at the same time the said rollers and guide bars retain the guns and slides in
proper position during the recoil of the guns after firing, or when the vessel
carrying the batteries rolls from the action of the waves: instead of these
guide bars a bolt may be used.
The guns are supported in the gun carriages, which rest on rollers, and are
moved on the gun slides. To run the guns in and out of position for firing,
it may be desirable to employ the following devices by which the power of the
operator may effect this motion.-A hand crank is employed which can be
thrown into connection with a sleeve screw by moving it into a clutch on the
said sleeve. By turning the said crank and screw a nut secured to the gun
carriage is moved in a horizontal direction in the line of the said screw, thus
moving the gun carriages back and forth on the gun slides. When it is
desired to accomplish these movements, or when the gun is about to recoil,
the screw nut is opened to release the sleeve screw. To give the gun the
desired angle of elevation or depression, the crank is secured to its shaft by
moving it from the sleeve into a clutch secured on the end of the said shaft.
Each side of the crank eye is provided with a clutch arrangement to couple
into the clutch on the sleeve on one side and into the clutch on the end of the
shaft on the other side, thereby turning the screw and a screw pinion; the
said pinion causes an elevating screw to move up or down. As the trunnions
of the gun rest upon bearings which are supported on the said screw the gun
is by the motion of the latter adjusted into the position required; in order,

page_text: however, that the portholes may be of a minimum size. the centre of motion
or nozzle of the gun in its horizontal vibration is, by the arrangement of the
guide bars, placed in the centre of the port. Moreover, the said centre of
motion in the vertical vibration of the gun is retained by channels in the gun
carriage slides wherein the trunnion bearings move, which channels are arcs of
circles drawn from the muzzle. An adaptation of devices for manoeuvring the
guns similar to those in common use may also be employed.
To work the guns by steam or similar power a cylinder is placed between
the gun slides and firmly secured to the same. The piston of this cylinder is
connected by its cross head and braces to the gun carriage. The steam is
admitted through a valve into the cylinder on one side of the piston head, and
propels the gun toward the point of firing or of loading. Owing to the
resistance of the steam in the cylinder the gun carriage is held in its proper
position notwithstanding any movement of the vessel. When the gun has
been run into position for firing the piston is drawn out, and on recoiling the
movement of the piston compresses the steam in the cylinder, thus checking
the recoil. The gun owing to its momentum in recoiling compresses the steam
in snch wise that after the momentum of recoil is spent the compressed steam
causes a rebound, and the gun is moved forward toward the port. To check
this motion, and to bring the gun into the proper position for loading, the
following devices are used:-To the side of the gun carriage a slide bar is
secured, and a slide is fitted to move on the said bar. When the gun
rebounds after recoil a cam in the said slide is forced or jammed upon the
bar, thus for the time securing the slide to the bar and to the gun carriage.
The slide being connected with the valve gear of the cylinder, reverses the
valve in such manner as to cause steam to enter the said cylinder and over-
come the rebound and run the gun back to its position for loading. To
regulate the movement of the valve in its admission of steam to check the
rebound, the cam is released from its contact on the bar by an inclined stop
secured to the gun slide. In order that this cam may not interfere with the
movement of the gun when the same is run into position for firing, the said
cam may be held and kept from any connexion or contact with the bar. The
slide moves only so far as may be necessary to reverse the valve, at which
point the cam is released by the inclined stop: the said cam is so arranged
as to hold the bar only in one direction, the said bar being free to move in the
other direction. When the gun is adjusted for firing a weight on the cam
lever is raised up to prevent the clamping of the bar by the cam, and is
released before the moment of firing. The screw nut is opened to, release the

page_text: sleeve screw by means of a lever, the said nut being formed in three pieces
which are opened and closed by a cam actuated by the lever in a manner
similar to the opening and closing of the dies in a screw-cutting machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence that I, the said William
Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
1. the said William Robert Lake, 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN REVOLVING BATTERIES, AND IN THE MEANS FOR WORKING THE SAME,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert
Lake, 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 Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I. the said William Robert Lake. do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed. to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement. reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
forming a part of this Specification:-
The said improvements relate to the construction of revolving batteries for

page_text: military and naval defence, to the machinery for operating the same, and to
the arrangement and working of the guns in the said batteries. Instead of
surrounding the guns or other weapons of war with armour which revolves
with the battery, as in those defences which are more nearly similar hereto,
and whereupon this Invention is claimed as an improvement, I arrange
the armour as fixed or stationary, or secured to the vessel bearing the same
and only movable therewith: and arrange the battery within the said
fixed armour, movable in such wise that the said battery may command all
points of horizontal and vertical range which it may be necessary or useful to
command, and this accomplish by piercing said casemate or armour with
the necessary number of embrasures or portholes, each of the same being of
such form as to permit the horizontal and vertical ranges aforesaid, and by
arranging the said battery on a platform which may by proper mechanism be
rotated. thus rotating the battery thereon, and by arranging the guns or other
weapons forming the said battery to move with the carriages whereon they are
placed on proper slides, thereby admitting a motion of the said guns, and their
slides independently of the platform. And, lastly, by arranging to manoeuvre
the said guns or weapons on the said slides to run the same by means of
proper mechanism into the positions for firing or loading. All of the operations
of manoeuvring the battery may be effected either solely by the power of the
operators acting upon proper mechanical devices or by the aid of steam or
similar power controlled by operators.
In the accompanying Drawings the several Figures on Sheet No. 1
represent a war vessel carrying a battery of two guns. Figure 1 shows the
vessel and its encased battery in side elevation; Figure 2 shows the same in
end elevation, and Figure 3 is a sectional plan in the horizontal plane of the
centres of the ports. A is the hull of the vessel; B is the turret or casing of
the battery permanently secured to the deck of the vessel; C is the pilot house
permanently secured to the roof of B. The battery B', Figure 3, will be
herein-after more fully described.
On Sheet No. 2, Figure represents a partial side elevation, and on Sheet 3,
Figure represents a partial end elevation, both being on an enlarged
scale, of a vessel carrying a battery of four guns, these being' encased in a
combination turret, as more fully indicated by the sectional plan Figure 1 of
Sheet No. 4. The latter Figure shows the arrangemnt of two two-gun
batteries B' in the said combination turret B as well as the plan for enclosing
the chimneys D of the vessel within the said turret .B.
On Sheet No. 5. Figure 1 shows a vessel in side elevation as arranged to

page_text: carry ten guns; Figure 2 shows the same in end elevation, and Figure 3 is a
sectional plan in the horizontal plane of the centre of ports. Here again B
represents the casing or casemate surrounding the batteries B', the latter being
formed of two guns each, although there might be a greater or less number.
The casing B is firmly secured to the deck of the vessel and similarly the
pilot house C is firmly secured to the roof of B. The chimneys D are enclosed
within the turret walls, thus protected by the same. By thus firmly con-
necting the armour for the battery with the ship itself or with the base whereon
the entire defence is to rest great strength is added to the armour and also to
the deck of the vessel, and thus to the vessel itself, or to the base whereon the
casing rests, thus increasing the defensive power of resistance of all the said
parts. Moreover, this arrangement permits the chimneys to be enclosed
whenever combination turrets are used, thereby saving first the armour other-
wise needed to protect the chimneys, and giving secondly a more unobstructed
sweep to the fire of the guns. Within the fixed casing B is arranged a
revolving battery B'. or a series of revolving batteries B', the detailed
arrangement whereof will more fully appear by reference to the several Figures
on the several Sheets now to be described.
On Sheet No. 6, Figure is a sectional plan of the battery showing the
guns in position for direct firing, and Figure 2 is a sectional plan showing
the guns in position for oblique firing.
On Sheet No. 7, Figure I represents a sectional elevation of the fixed
turret and battery, the section being made on the line, y, of Figure 1 of
Sheet 6, and the gun being represented at its maximum depression, and in
the position for firing.
On Sheet No. 8. Figure 1 represents a central sectional elevation through
the axis of the gun, showing the gun in position for firing, and at its greatest
angle of elevation.
On Sheet No. 9, Figure 1 represents a central sectional elevation of the turret
and battery on the line 2', y', Figure on Sheet 6.
On Sheet No. 10, Figure 1 is a sectional plan showing the devices for rotating
the gun platform. and also a portion of the devices used to manoeuvre the
guns on the platform. On this Sheet Figure 2 shows in plan the mechanical
devices connected with the gun slides and also the steam cylinder, all of which
are used or may be used in manoeuvring the gun.
On Sheet No. 11, Figure 3 is a plan showing more fully the devices connecting
the gun and gun slides with the other manceuvring devices for the guns;
Figure 2 is a rear end elevation of the gun and gun carriages and machinery

page_text: connected therewith; and Figures 3 and 4 respectively are a front end elevation
and central sectional transverse elevation of the gun and gun carriage and
machinery therewith connected.
On Sheet No. 12, Figure I shows in elevation, and Figure 2 in plan, the
mechanical devices which may be used to control the motion of the gun when
the same is run into and from battery by steam or similar power, as also
indicated on Figures 1 and 2 of Sheet No. 13. Wherever similar parts are
shown they are indicated by the same letters of reference.
The fixed turret or armour is represented by B. the ports being shown
at bin sectional plan in Figures 1 and 2 of Sheet No. 6, and in elevation
in Figure of Sheet No. 7. The guns G with their gun slides H rest
and move upon the platform E, the latter is strengthened by proper beams
and rests upon a circular base e supported upon friction rollers e', these
resting and turning upon the upper face of the central support F, which
again rests on the vessel itself or upon the general support of the battery.
In order to rotate the platform E, and thus bring the guns to the proper
ports, the following devices are used, the same being more fully shown
in Figure of Sheets No. 7, 8, and 9, and in Figure of Sheet No. 10.
The operator standing on a platform which is supported from the main
platform E, and turns with the same, turns the hand cranks on the
shaft f, which is firmly secured to the platform E. On the shaft is the
screw which gears into the screw gear wheel f', which is firmly secured
about the outer circumference of the support F. The said gear wheel '
being stationary the screw f' moves along the circumference of the said wheel
and thus by its permanent fastening to the platform E carries the latter
with it in its circular motion, thereby causing the rotation of the gun plat-
form E. In order that the platform may be effectually guided in this rotary
motion, the friction rollers e' (which, owing to the arrangement of the several
parts, are conical) are connected to an inner spindle f, and in like manner
the circular base e of the platform E is connected to the spindle f. the latter
being firmly held in its position by proper connections with F, and with the
bottom of the vessel or other base. When the guns have thus been brought to
the proper ports they are manoeuvred with reference to horizontal range by
the devices and in the manner following:-These devices are represented in
the several Figures herein-before last referred 10, and furthermore in Figure 2
of Sheet No. 10, and in the several Figures of Sheet No. 11. The operator
again standing upon the platform e turning the hand cranks g upon the shaft g
operates the screw upon the said shaft, and also the screw gear wheel 3

page_text: upon the vertical shaft g', on the upper end of which is the pinion g. All
these parts are directly or indirectly connected with and secured to the plat-
form E. The turning of the pinion
will then move the toothed rack g in
firmly connected with the gun slides g
This motion of the guns is aided by
a longitudinal direction, and this being
will swing the guns about a centre Z.
arranging rollers under the said gun slides g' which move freely upon the
platform E, and such motion is regulated by the guide bars g, which are
firmly secured to the platform E, against which the rollers g° are guided. At
the same time the rollers g and guide bars g retain the guns and slides in
the proper position during the recoil of the guns after firing, or when the vessel
carrying the batteries is rolling owing to the action of the waves. Instead of
the said guide bars g a fighting bolt g may be used, and the gun slide frame
connected herewith as indicated in Figure 1 of Sheet 11.
The guns G are supported in the gun carriages H which rest on rollers and
are thereon moved on the gun slides g. To run the guns in and out of
position for firing it may be useful to employ the following devices by which
the power of the operator effects the said motion, as shown in the several
Figures herein last referred to. h is a hand crank which can be thrown into
connection with a sleeve screw by moving it into a clutch on the said sleeve
on a shaft . By turning the crank hand screw a nut secured to the
gun carriage H is moved in a horizontal direction in the line of the screw h',
thus moving also the gun carriages back and forth on the gun slides. When
it is desired to accomplish these movements by the aid of the other devices
herein-after mentioned, or when the gun is about to recoil, the screw nut ³ is
opened to release the sleeve screw '. In order to give the gun the desired
angle of elevation or depression the crank h is secured to the shaft by
moving it from the sleeve and into a clutch secured on the end of the shaft.
Each side of the crank eye is provided with a clutch arrangement to couple
into the clutch on the sleeve on one side, and into the clutch on the end of
the shaft on the other side, thereby turning the screw and the screw
pinion, fully shown in Figure 2 of Sheet No. 10. The pinion causes the
elevating screw h", as shown in Figure 1, Sheet No. 7, to move up or down.
As the gun rests through its trunnions upon the bearings h, which again rest
on the said screw ", the gun is by the motion of h adjusted in the position
required. In order, however, that the portholes b may be of a minimum size
the centre of motion Z of the gun in its horizontal vibration is by the arrange
ment of the guide bars placed in the centre of the port. Moreover the
centre of motion in the vertical vibration of the gun is retained at the same

page_text: point by the arrangement of the slots (which are arcs of circles drawn
from Z) in the gun carriage sides in which the bearing
move.
of the trunnions
To show that the special devices described for manoeuvring the guns on
the platform are in no wise absolutely necessary in connection with the
present arrangement of fixed turret and inner rotating platform, an adaptation
of devices similar to those in common use for the said purposes of manoeuvre
are indicated in Figure 2 of Sheet 11. In order to run the guns into or from
battery by steam or similar power the steam cylinder I is placed between the
gun slides g and firmly secured thereto. The piston i connects by its cross-
head and braces to the gun carriage H. In accordance with the operation of
the hand lever by the operator the steam (or similar medium of power) is
passed, owing to the position of the valve into the cylinder on one side of the
piston head or the opposite one, thus propelling the gun toward the point of
firing or of loading. At the same time, owing to the resistance of the steam
in the cylinder J, the gun carriage is held in its proper position notwith-
standing any movement of the vessel." When the gun has been run into
position for firing the piston is drawn out, as indicated in Figure 1 of Sheet
No. 8, and on recoiling the movement of the piston compresses the steam in I,
thus checking the recoil. In this recoil movement the gun, owing to its
momentum, compresses the steam in suchwise that after the said momentum
of recoil is spent the compressed steam causes a rebound and the gun is
moved forward toward the port. To check this motion and to bring the gut
into the proper position for loading the devices represented in Figures 1 and
2 of Sheet No. 12 are used in the manner following:-To the side of the gun
carriage H is secured the slide bar h, upon which the slide moves. When
the gun rebounds after recoil a cam in the slide presses upon the bar ki,
thus for the time securing ¹ to the bark and to the gun carriage. The slide
being connected with the valve gear of the cylinder I reverses the valve in
suchwise as to cause steam to enter the said cylinder and overcome the
rebound, and run the gun back to its position for loading. To regulate the
movement of the valve in its admission of steam to check the rebound the
cam can be released from its contact on the bark by the inclined stop
secured to the gun slide; and in order that the cam may not interfere with
the movement of the gun when run into position for firing the same (by a
lever under the control of the operator) may be held and prevented from any
connection or contact with the bar . The slide moves only so far as may
be necessary to reverse the valve, at which point the cam is released by the

page_text: inclined stop. The cam is so arranged as to hold in one direction
the bar being free to move by it in the other.
When the gun is run out for firing the weight on the cam lever is raised
up to keep the cam from clamping the bar k, and is released before the
moment of firing. The screw nut his opened to release the sleeve screw h
by means of the lever . The nut being formed in three pieces which
are opened and closed by a cam movement actuated by the lever in a
manner similar to the opening and closing of the dies in a screw cutting
machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
5
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.B.)
Witness,
THOS. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Mess. Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.