IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH GUNS FOR THROWING LINES FOR SAVING LIFE, AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Evans, Mariner, and Robert Low, Engineer, both
of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH GUNS FOR THROWING LINES FOR
SAVING LIFE, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Evans and Robert
Low at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th August 1881.
JOHN EVANS, Mariner, and ROBERT Low, Engineer, both of Dundee, in the
County of Forfar, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH
GUNS FOR THROWING LINES FOR SAVING LIFE, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention has for its object the construction or arrangement of a gun, and
parts in connection therewith, so as to throw a line in a better and more satisfactory
manner than has been hitherto effected by apparatus used for saving life in cases
of shipwreck.
In carrying out the Invention the gun or cannon, which may be either muzzle-
loading or breech-loading, but by preference the former, has a central tube fixed
through its breech end. The tube projects forward beyond the muzzle of the gun
and is open at both ends and completely through it. A portion of the line to be
thrown is coiled or wound in the form of a cop such as is used in a shuttle in
weaving, and this cop is placed in a canister which externally fits the bore of the
gun, and which has holes in its ends to pass on the central tube of the gun, the
cop being formed with a hollow core to also pass on the tube. The cop is placed
or arranged so that the line uncoils from what is the inner or back end when the
canister is in the gun, the other end of the cop being fixed to the front end of
the canister, or to a cap closing the front end. A packing of asbestos or other
sufficiently uninflammable material is applied to the hole at the back end of the
canister to prevent passage of flame into the canister, and a ring of asbestos is also
by preference applied round the canister at or near its inner end to make it fit the
bore of the gun with sufficient tightness. In loading, the charge of gunpowder or

page_text: other suitable explosive is first introduced into the gun, and a wad being placed
in, if thought desirable, the canister is placed in and forced home, with the end of
the line from the cop passing through the core and out at the front end. The end
of the line is attached to a second portion, of line which passes through the tube,
and is continued behind in the form of a cop or coil in a stationary canister. There
may be two or more of such stationary canisters or coils, the back end of one coil
being attached to the front end of the next in order.
The apparatus may be modified by making the gun without the central tube,
but with a hole in its breech end, and by having each of the canisters that is to be
projected formed with a tube extending from its back end to pass through the
hole in the breech end of the gun.
Amongst the purposes for which the improved apparatus is applicable is the
throwing of a line attached to a harpoon or similar instrument for attacking
whales.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Evans and Robert Low in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th February 1882.
JOHN EVANS, Mariner, and ROBERT Low, Engineer, both of Dundee, in the
County of Forfar, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH
GUNS FOR THROWING LINES FOR SAVING LIFE, AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Our said Invention has for its object the construction or arrangement of a gun,
and parts in connection therewith, so as to throw a line in a better and more
satisfactory manner than has been hitherto effected by apparatus for saving life in
cases of shipwreck.
In carrying out our Invention the gun or cannon, which may be either muzzle-
loading or breech-loading, but by preference the former, has a central tube fixed
through its breech end. A portion of the line to be thrown is coiled or wound in
the form of a cop such as is used in a shuttle in weaving, and this cop is placed
in a canister which externally fits the bore of the gun, and which has holes in its
ends to pass on the central tube of the gun, the cop being formed with a hollow
core to also pass on the tube. The end of the portion of the line coiled in the
canister is attached or bent on to a second portion of line which passes through
the tube, and is continued behind in the form of a coil or cop which may be in a
stationary canister or uncovered. There may be two or more stationary cops or
coils, the back end of one being attached to the front end of the next in order.
The apparatus may be modified by making the gun without the central tube,
but with a hole in its breech end, and by having each of the canisters that is to be
projected formed with a tube extending from its back end to pass through the hole
in the breech end of the gun.
Amongst the purposes for which our improved apparatus is applicable is the
throwing of a line attached to a harpoon or similar instrument for attacking
whales.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, we hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings
to be hereinafter referred to, and representing one modification of our improved
apparatus.
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings are longitudinal
sections of the gun without and with the projectile canister; and Figure 3 is a
side elevation of the gun having the projectile canister in place as when the gun
is loaded; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the gun as mounted on a tripod and as
having just been fired; Figures 5 and 6 are an enlarged side elevation, and a.
section of the front end of the projectible canister; Figure 7 being a section showing
the complete cop in place in the canister; Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged views of a
small block for giving light by which the course of the projectile canister can be
seen at night. In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark
the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The gun 10, shown in the Drawings, is of the common muzzle-loading kind, but
bas a tube 11 fixed through its breech end. The tube 11 projects forward beyond
the muzzle of the gun, and is open at both ends and completely through it. The
gun may be carried or mounted in any convenient way; it is however represented
as having trunnions, and as being held by means of them in a fork 12, an arc 13
being fixed to the gun and passing through a slot or groove in the fork piece, in
which a pinching screw 14 is fitted for fixing the gun at any desired inclination.
The fork 12 is fitted to swivel in a vertical bearing 15, which is fixed to three
legs 16, forming a tripod or stand intended to be fixed to the deck of a ship or to

page_text: any suitable base. A pinching screw 17 is fitted to the bearing 15 to fix the gun
in any desired azimuth.
A canister or tube 18 of thin sheet metal is used as a projectile, and in this
canister there is placed a portion of the line to be thrown, this line being wound
in a form of a cop 19. The canister 18 is provided with a cap 20 fitted so that it
can be secured to the front end of the canister by bayonet fastenings; and this
cap 20 has fixed to its inside an eye 21 to which the end of the line at the front
end of the cop 19 is attached when preparing the projectile for use. The cap 20 is
formed with a central hole to pass over the tube 11 of the gun, and the cop 19
is wound with a hollow core for the same purpose. The end of the line is led from
the back end of the cop 19 through the hollow core of the cop, and through the
central hole of the front cap 20; and when the canister 18 has been placed in
the gun (after first ramming home a suitable annular cartridge and wad) the line
is continued through the tube 11 from its front end, and beyond the back end of
the tube is joined to or continued in a stationary cop 22 (Figure 4). A small
spring clip 23 is fixed to the cap 20 of the projectile canister 18 to hold a block 24
of rocket composition, and this block 24 has attached to it a frictional igniting
tail 25, which is secured by a cord 26 to pins provided for the purpose on the
gun. When the gun is discharged the tail 25 is torn off and causes the ignition
of the rocket block 24, the light from which shows the path of the projectile in
the dark.
Our improved gun and apparatus can be used for throwing a line from the
shore to a vessel being shipwrecked, but it can be conveniently carried on board
ship, and we believe it will be very advantageous for ships to be provided with the
apparatus, so as to be able to communicate with any shore where there may not
happen to be on shore any apparatus for throwing a line. A ship provided with
our apparatus will also be able to throw a line to another vessel at sea, such, for
example, as a tug steamer or a pilot boat.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated, but that what we believe to be novel
and original and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
1. Constructing guns and combining apparatus therewith substantially in the
improved manner hereinbefore described for throwing lines for saving life, and
other purposes.
2. The throwing of a line from a gun by means of a projectile canister having
the line or a portion of it placed in the form of a cop in the canister, substantially
as hereinbefore described."
3. The providing of the gun or the projectile canister with a central tube
through which the line may pass from one or more stationary cops or coils, in
continuation of and connected to the cop in the projectile canister, substantially as
herein before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Evans and Robert Low, have hereunto
set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our
JOHN EVANS. (LS.)
ROBERT LOW. (L.S.)