IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING, WORKING, AND MANIPULATING GUNS AND SHIELDS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josiah Latimer Clark and John Standfield, both of 6,
Westminster Chambers, Victoria Strect, in the City of Westminster, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING, WORKING, AND MANIPULATING
GUNS AND SHIELDS."
Sealed the 20th April 1877, and dated the 23rd February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josiah Latimer Clark and
John Standfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd
February 1877.
JOSIAH LATIMER CLARK and JOHN STANDFIELD, both of 6, Westminster
Chambers, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster. " IMPROVEMENTS IN
MOUNTING, WORKING, AND MANIPULATING GUNS AND SHIELDS."
Our improvements consist chiefly in the use of inflated air bags or bellows for
supporting, cushioning, and receiving the shock of guns when fired, and also for
raising and lowering guns, turrets, and shields, and for serving and working them.
In effecting this we place the gun with its carriage and friction slides on a horizontal
frame or table which is jointed to a lower horizontal base plate by means of a series
of parallel bars jointed at each end like the bars of a parallel ruler, so as to allow
the upper table to rise and fall while always maintaining its horizontal position.
Between these two plates we place an air cushion or a number of air cushions, or
belows inflated with air under sufficient pressure to support the entire weight of the
gun and carriage. The recoil of the gun when fired tends to lower the upper table,
the parallel bars assuming an inclined position, the air cushions between the two
tables becoming compressed and easing the shock of the recoil. The parallel
bars may be placed either outside the bags or bellows, or within them, or both,
and the bellows themselves may be strengthened by a series of frames or plates and
by internal tension bars. The bellows may be placed at any convenient angle so as
to allow the gun to traverse backwards and downwards as guided by the parallel
bars, still retaining at all times a horizontal position; the flexible portion of the
bellows is formed by preference of canvas and india-rubber in layers, strengthened
in some cases by an external network of rope or chain, and the rigid portions of the
bellows may be formed of iron plates. They may be of the form of a blacksmith's
.

page_text: bellows or of the body of an accordeon, or simple inflated bags of any suitable
form.
In some cases the parallel bars are dispensed with, the gun carriage resting
only on an air cushion or cushions contained with a shallow tray or box a little
larger than the frame of the gun carriage, the frame being capable of sinking within
the tray as the air is compressed by the recoil. By increasing or diminishing the
pressure in some of these bags the gun carriage may be elevated or depressed
at will.
In some cases we relieve the horizontal strain caused by the firing of the gun by
attaching the upper plate of the bellows to a fixed point in the fort or vessel by
jointed horizontal tension bars, which allow it to rise and fall freely, but do not
admit of its movement horizontally; or we otherwise restrain it from moving
horizontally whilst leaving it free to move vertically. In this case the gun, as it
recoils, should pass along an inclined plane upon the table.
The upper frame which carries the gun and friction slides has vertical parallel
bars which maintain it in a horizontal plane as before described. Its weight rests
on the upper plate of the bellows, and when the gun is fired the frame and
gun descend in a curved line sliding over the upper plate of the bellows
which descends in a vertical line, the-bellows closing down like the body of an
accordeon.
The parallel bars may, if preferred, be each jointed in the middle with a con-
necting bar or bars to unite them, the whole framework being in the form of a
double jointed parallel rule.
In order to lower the gun and its carriage into the bottom of a gun-boat or vessel
it is only necessary to allow the air to escape from the air lift or bellows, and as
they collapse the gun will quietly descend, and may at any time be again raised
by forcing air into the bellows by means of a suitable engine.
By means of these air lifts heavy turrets or shields may be readily lowered into
the bottom of a vessel when not in use, and as readily elevated to their proper
position when required.
By providing the turret with air lifts or bellows of an annular form and the gun
with a separate interior bellows, the two may be made to balance each other, and if
connected by a tube and valves the one may be made to ascend when the other
decends for the purpose of loading, and vice versa. The power for effecting this
movement may be obtained from an independent reservoir of air, or froin the force
of the recoil of the gun.
In a similar manner we sometimes balance the gun and its carriage by a heavy
shield of iron which is raised as the gun decends, and lowered as the gun ascends,
by means of two air lifts or bellows communicating with each other by a pipe.
When the gun is fired the recoil causes it to decend and produces an increased
pressure on the air chamber under the gun which forces the air through the pipe
into the other air chamber supporting the shield and elevates it. A stop valve
retains the air until it is desired again to raise the gun and lower the shield; or in
place of the valve, the pipe is left open, the shield is made sufficiently heavy to
clevate the gun, and the gun when depressed after firing is held down by a ratchet
or pawl, or preferably by an hydraulic pawl, that is to say, by a small hydraulic
cylinder or cylinders with an internal piston and valve which allows the water to
pass freely through it as the gun is lowered, but will not allow it to return. When
it is desired that the gun should ascend, a tap is opened in a pipe communicating
with the two ends of the cylinder, which allows the water to pass and the gun to
ascend.
In some cases we prefer to mount the gun and carriage on a girder having its
fulcrum at or near the centre, counterbalanced by a shield at the opposite end
sufficiently heavy to raise the gun to its firing position; the gun is held by friction
slides, and when fired it traverses along the girder to a position in which it counter-
balances the weight of the shield and consequently descends. The top of the beam
is formed at such an angle that by slacking the friction brakes, it runs down the

page_text: incline towards the fulcrum or centre of motion, and in this last position the weight
of the shield preponderates, and it descends sufficiently for the gun to be fired over
it as before. To relieve the violence of the shock and to assist in working the gun
an air cushion or cushions may be placed beneath the girder at each end as before
described, so as to relieve the strain upon the girder.
In some cases we employ the pressure of the air to compress the friction slides of
the gun. In order to effect this we place one or more flattened tubes or air bags
between the plates or outside the plates so as to compress them together. If these
air tubes are in connection with the air cushion under the gun, the extra pressure
caused by the firing of the gun will re-act on the friction bars and cause an increased
friction between them.
In addition to the arrangements before described we sometimes employ air
cushions immediately behind the gun to lessen the recoil. This air cushion or
bellows is provided with valves which are loaded to a given pressure by weights
or springs, so that the air escapes through them as soon as it exceeds a certain
pressure, and we lead this compressed air into the cushion beneath the gun, or
into a separate reservoir, such a boiler, or a loaded air bag of an accordeon or
other form, and this compressed air is afterwards employed for working, train-
ing, and serving the gun, and for sponging and cleaning and loading it by
means of expanding the air bags. The rammer and sponge rod are is some
cases formed of a lengthened bellows which expands when the pressure of the
air is applied, and drives home the sponges or charge.
In some cases we employ these air bags to releive the weight of the gun upon its
trunnions by placing air cushions under the gun fore and aft, and we employ
these to elevate or depress the gun by means of a valve communicating with a
reservoir of compressed air; in a similar way lateral movement may be given
to the gun.
In all cases the power of these air cushions may obviously be increased by causing
two or more layers of them to act simultaneously on a common shaft or axis.
This may be effected by a vertical shaft or pillar with discs fixed on it at given
distances working within annular chambers or shelves fixed to an outer frame or
cylinder at similar distances. By placing air cushions between all these discs their
united force is brought to bear upon the central shaft.
In applying the cushions to ordinary fowling pieces we insert an india-rubber
or other air cushion in the end of the stock of the gun, so as to ease the recoil
against the shoulder.
In order to fire guns in a rolling sea in a horiztonal plane, or at any desired angle
of elevation, we employ a gyroscope hung in jimbals, carrying a small table with a
spirit level, which is kept horizontal by an attendant who watches the level, and by
slightly turning the gyroscope to the right or left maintains the table in a truly
horizontal position. The gyroscope is kept in rotation by a jet of compressedair
blowing upon vanes upon its axis; and if preferred, two gyroscopes may be employed
at right angles to each other. A light arm depends from the table, which makes a
light electrical contact with a strip of metal placed beneath it as often as the
vessel rolls for a moment on a even keel, at all other times the contact is broken.
An electrical battery is connected to the arm of the gyroscope, and the strip of
metal is connected by wires to the gun or guns to be fired as often as the vessel
rolls past the horizontal position the guns will be fired by electrical contact made
between the arm and the metal strip. The final connection with the gun is, how-
ever, only made at the last moment by the gunner on deck.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Josiah Latimer Clark and John Standfield in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 22nd August 1877.
JOSIAH LATIMER CLARK and JOHN STANDFIELD, both of 6, Westminster Chambers,
Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNTING,
WORKING, AND MANIPULATING GUNS AND SHIELDS."
Our improvements consist chiefly in the use of inflated air bags or bellows for
supporting, cushioning, and receiving the shock of guns when fired, and also for
raising and lowering guns, turrets, and shields, and for serving and working them.
To effect this we place the gun with its carriage upon a horizontal frame or table
marked A, A, in Figures 1, 2, 3, and in other Drawings. This table is jointed
to a lower table or base plate B, B, Figures 1, 2, 3, &c., by means of a number of
parallel bars marked C, C, which are jointed at the top to the upper table A, and at
the bottom to the base plate B like the bars of a parallel ruler, so that the table A
is free to rise and fall in a curvilinear direction, always retaining its horizontal
position. The
gun may be either attached firmly to the upper table A, A, or may
be connected with it by the usual arrangement of friction slides.
Between the upper plate and the base plate we place air cushions or bellows
inflated with air, under sufficient pressure to support the entire weight of the gun
and carriage. These bellows may be of various forms, and among others of the
forms shown at D, D, Figures 1, 2, and 3. When the gun is fired the recoil causes
the table A to descend in a curvilinear direction, being guided by the parallel
bars C, C, C, but this tendency is resisted by the air in the bellows D, D, D, which
becomes compressed, and gradually brings the gun to a state of rest, with the
parallel bars resting in some inclined position, such as that shown in Figure 6. The
elasticity of the air would again throw the gun up to its original position were the
table not held down by hydraulic or mechanical pawls, such as those shown at
Figures 34 and 35; these pawls are, however, not shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6.
During this action the air cushions between the two tables become compressed and
ease the shock of the recoil.
The gun when at its full elevation rests against the buffer stop shown at E,
Figures 1 and 3; this buffer stop is semicircular in plan, so as to receive the buffer
equally well in all positions of the gun. The gun when out of use and lowered to
its lowest position is shown in Figure 8 with the bellows collapsed.
The flexible portion of the bellows is formed of layers of canvas and vulcanized
india-rubber or other suitable material, stiffened if necessary by leather, or strength-
ened by a network of rope or chain.
In Figures 7 and 9 the bellows are shown constructed of jointed iron plates. In
these Figures A, A, represent plates of sheet iron or steel, which are placed within
the bellows and occupy its whole area, perforated with a few holes to allow the air
to pass from chamber to chamber; they act as tension plates to sustain the strains.
B, B, B, represent external plates of iron hinged to each other and to the tension
plates A. The whole structure is made air-tight by completely filling each chamber
with an india-rubber and canvas bag occupying its whole area; or, if preferred, by
riveting the india-rubber or webbing to the tension plates A, A, as shown at the
points C, C. At the junction of two angles of the bellows the usual accordion
arrangement of joint is resorted to. These bellows in fact resemble blacksmith's
bellows, except as regards their greater strength.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, show an arrangement in which in place of bellows a number
of cylindrical air-tight bags, cushions, or balls are placed beneath the gun in layers
separated from each other by trays. These trays marked T, T, Figures 4 and 5, are
hinged to the parallel bars C, C, C, so that they always remain in a horizontal
position and at a uniform distance from each other, whether the gun be depressed or
not. The gun is mounted on the usual friction slides. When the gun is fired part
of the recoil is taken up by the friction slides and part by the compression of the
balls or bags B, B, B, within their trays, and the expansion of the air within them

page_text: throws the gun up again after firing to its original position. In this, as in other
cases, the gun is, however, temporarily held down by pawls such as those shown at
Figure 20, and also at Figures 34 and 35, so that when the gun is being loaded it is
in a lower position than the port hole. Figure 4 shows an end elevation, and
Figure 5, a side elevation of this arrangement, and Figure 6 shows the position of
the gun after it has been fired.
Figure 10 shows one of the air cushions B, B, of a cylindrical form, strengthened.
longitudinally by a metal spindle passing through it from end to end. If preferred
spherical balls may be employed, as shown in Figure 4, and in any case these balls
or cushions roll along between the trays to a small extent as the gun descends.
Figures 11 and 12, 13 and 14, show an arrangement in which the gun when fired is
guided down in a curvilinear path in the well known manner by the parallel
bars C, C, but the bellows descend vertically and do not partake of the motion of
the parallel bars; A, A, in Figures 11, 12, 13 and 14, represent the upper table
carrying the gun and slides; B, B, B, the lower table; C, C, the bars. The upper
table rests on a second platform D, D, with a number of intervening rollers E, È, E,
guided by a frame in such a manner that the table A, A, which carries the gun is
free to roll backwards and forwards on the platform D, D. This platform forms the
top of the bellows and rotates round the pillar F, F, being guided by two
pullies G, G, which surround the pillar F in such a manner that the platform D is
able to slide up and down the pillar freely, or to turn horizontally round it, as upon
a centre. The bottom of the bellows is formed by a platform or plate B, B, which
is prolonged at H, so as to surround the pillar F, the whole platform and gun
moving radially round this pillar as a centre upon the rollers I, I, I. When the gun
is fired the recoil causes it to fly back, carrying with it the table A and the frame
and rollers E, E, which roll upon the platform D. While the gun and frame descend
in a radial arc the platform D is only free to descend vertically, and as it does so it
compresses beneath it the bellows K, K, K, so that the whole takes a position such
as that shown in Figure 14, and it is retained in this position by hydraulic pawls,
not shown in this Drawing, but which will be described hereafter. As soon as these
pawls are released the expansion of the air will cause the gun to rise again into its
original position.
Figure 12 shows an end elevation of this arrangement with the gun at its full
height ready to be fired. In this, as in all other cases, the compressed air for keeping
the bellows filled is supplied by means of pumps, and may be stored up, if required,
in a separate reservoir, so that any leakage is continually made good. Whenever a
greater degree of elasticity is required than that given by the bellows alone they
are connected by a pipe of large size, with a second chamber or bellows placed in
any convenient position, so that when the bellows descend a portion of the air enters
into this chamber, thus allowing the bellows to descend through a large arc without
causing an inconvenient degree of pressure. The connection of the bellows with
such a reservoir is so simple and well understood that it is not necessary to give any
illustration of it.
In Figures 15, 16, 17, the bellows are shown as applied to the firing of a
mortar; the upper table A, A, is maintained horizontal by parallel bars arranged as
shown by the dotted lines C, C, Figure 16, which arrangement of bars is also shown
at Figure 27. The downward shock of the mortar is relieved by the pressure of
the air bags, the backward pressure being sustained by the pulleys L, L, Figures 15
and 16, which traverse against a fixed support M. Hydraulic or other mechanical
pawls may be used, as before described.
Figures 18, 19 and 20, show an arrangement in which the bellows rock upon
centres. In these Figures A shows the upper table, B the lower table, C the parallel
bars and K, K the bellows. As the gun and upper table descend after firing
these bellows turn upon the centres L, L, becoming more horizontal as they become
more compressed and assuming a new position such as that shown in Figure 20.
The hydraulic pawls are shown in these Figures by the letters N, N, and are more
fully described further on.

page_text: Figure 21 shows an arrangement in which the tables A and B are much closer
together and are connected by shorter parallel bars C, C. The cushions or bellows
between them are marked K, K, and are either spherical or of a spindle form, as
shown in Figure 10. The movement of this arrangement is the same as that before
described though smaller in amount. These spindle-shaped cushions may be covered
coarse netting, as shown in Figures 22 and 23, care being taken that the meshes are
coarse enough to allow considerable room for expansion and elasticity. The object
of this netting being rather to prevent the wear and tear by friction than to give
strength. We sometimes employ these bellows for raising and lowering guns or
turrets, and Figures 24 and 25 illustrate a method of so employing them.
In Figure 24, A, A, A, represents the top table carrying a gun with its usual
friction slides, it rises and falls vertically within a square or circular turret B, B,
being guided in its descent by the brackets and friction wheels C, C, and C, C. The
bellows are shown at K, K, and the dotted Figures, L, L, and M, M, show the
gun and its platform when they are out of use and lowered down to the bottom
level. When the gun is at its highest point ready for firing the platform is retained
by brackets N which prevent it rising too high. It may be keyed in this position
if necessary by bolts or catches passing into the sides of the turret B, B, and into
the platform A, A, so as to support it. The object of the bellows is to enable the
gun to be lowered when not in use so as to lower the centre of gravity of the
vessel.
In Figure 25 a somewhat similar arrangement is shown in which both the turret
B, B, and the gun L, L, with its firing gear are raised and lowered together by means
of the bellows K, K. The horizontal position of the gun and turret is in this instance
maintained by the arrangement of parallel bars or lazy tongs as shown at 0, 0, 0, 0,
in which four pairs of jointed lazy tongs open and close in such a manner as to main-
tain the turret and gun at all times horizontal. When not in use the gun and turret
are ready to descend and the bellows collapse into the form shown at K, K, K,
Figure 26, when at its full elevation ready to be fired. The moveable turret B, B,
Figure 25, is secured to the fixed turret P, P, by means of bolts or catches placed at
any convenient position around the circumference of the turrets, the object aimed at
both in Figures 24 and 25 is to enable the gun and turret to be lowered when out
of use.
We sometimes balance the gun and turret against each other upon two separate
sets of bellows, so that as the gun descends the turret or shield ascends; and also on
the other hand, when the gun ascends the turret descends. Such an arrangement is
shown in Figure 26. In this Figure the gun with its firing gear and its platform or
table A, A, is shown supported on the bellows K, K, being guided up and down by
four pairs of lazy tongs as in Figure 25; two of these pairs of lazy tongs are shown at
QQ, Figure 26; two other pairs which are at right angles to these are not indicated
in the Drawing. When the platform A is at its full elevation it rests against the
projections R, R; K2, K2, represents an annular bellows of the ordinary construction
entirely surrounding the gun and its platform A.; it carries the moveable annular
turret T, T, which rises and falls upon it. A connection is made between the cir-
cular bellows K, K, and the annular bellows K2, K2, by a pipe D of large diameter,
and their respective areas are so proportioned to the weights they carry that they
balance each other as nearly as possible. When in this balanced position, if the gun
be caused to rise by any force applied to it, such as an hydraulic press or a small
internal bellows or other lifting power, it is obvious that as the gun ascends the
turret T, T, will descend, the bellows K2, K2, collapse and its air entering into the
bellows K, K; and if the circular bellows K, K, be caused to descend, the turret T, T,
will ascend by reason of the entrance of the air into K2, K2. When the gun is in its
higher level it is in a position for being fired, and when it is at its lowest level it is
in a position for being loaded and trained. The pipes connecting K with K² are
shown at D. The hydraulic press or other power used for raising and depressing
the gun are not shown in the Drawings. V, V, shows an outer fixed turret of
armour plate.
2.

page_text: It is obvious that instead of employing a circular bellows K, or a bellows in the
form of a segment of a circle, an oblong bellows may be employed; and in such case
the armour plating or turret would be semicircular or segmental, or oblong, and it
is obvious that one of these forms would be more suitable for land fortresses than
the completely circular form.
We sometimes employ the force of the recoil of the gun to raise a shield in front
of the port hole or embrasure, so as to protect the gunners while in the act of
firing. To effect this, the gun G, Figures 28 and 29, is caused to traverse on
slides along a pair of girders H, H, which are braced together and balanced
on centres at I. These frames are prolonged in front and carry at their extremity
a massive armour plate J, J, which may either hang loosely in front of the embrasure
or port hole, or work in slides. The girders H, H, are balanced in such a manner
that when the gun is moved forward in the act of firing the first end preponderates
and the armour plate descends and leaves the port hole open, as shown in Figure 28.
When the gun is fired the recoil throws it back into the position shown in Figure
29, and in this position the after end becomes the heavier, the girders turn upon
their centre I, and the armour plate J, J, is raised into such a position as to cover
the embrasure or port hole, and the whole is retained in this position by a catch or
pawl; the gun is now ready for loading and the gunners are perfectly protected.
When it is desired to lower the gun it is only necessary to unlock the pawl and
loosen the friction slides; the gun is supported on rollers K, K, which traverse along
the bed L, L, and this bed is not horizontal but has an inclination forwards sufficient
to allow the gun to roll down the incline L, L, until it overbalances the girders H, H,
and causes them to fall again into the position shown in Figure 28, the armour
plate J, J, descending with them and uncovering the port hole as before; the bellows
M, M, are introduced to regulate the speed of descent and prevent the girders rising
and falling with too great momentum; certain apertures are left in their covers
which may be enlarged or diminished so as to regulate the speed of ascent or descent;
they may be also used if required to assist the descent of the gun by admitting com-
pressed air into one of them through the tap N. The bellows may however be
entirely dispensed with and are not essential to the working of the gun; the whole
gun and platform traverses radially on the rollers O, O, which work in grooved rails,
the centre of movement being the spherical joint P which supports the armour
plate J.
We sometimes employ the bellows to raise and lower an armour plate in front
of an embrasure or port hole, such an arrangement is shown in Figure 30; the
armour plate Q is supported on a girder R or a framework which turns on tho
centre X, and is nearly counterbalanced by the weight of the opposite end of the
girder T the gun works on an independent platform of the usual construction, and
in the usual manner when the gun is being loaded the armour plate Q and the
girder or frame R, T, is raised, as shown in the Drawing, by forcing air into the
bellows S, S, from a reservoir or pumps placed in any convenient position. When
the gun is to be fired the air is allowed to escape from the bellows S, S, and the
armour plate descends into the position shown by the dotted lines V, V, V, V, and
the embrasure is opened.
It may be preferable in some cases to place the bellows behind the gun and to
make the upper part of the lever the heavier, so that the armour plate closes the
embrasure at all times except when it is lowered for the purpose of firing the gun.
We sometimes employ the bellows for the purposes of receiving the direct shock
of the recoil of the gun, such an arrangement is shown in Figure 31. The gun G
traverses upon rollers W, W, on a carriage of the ordinary character, with or without
friction slides, and its carriage carries a projection X, X, working in grooves and
pressing against the bellows Y, Y. These bellows are kept constantly distended by
being in communication with a supply of compressed air by means of jointed pipes
carried under the platform and communicating with the chamber Z; this chamber
is in free communication with the bellows, and when the gun is fired the bellows
collapse and the air is partially driven out of them in the chamber Z, the capacity

page_text: of which is so proportioned to that of the bellows as to give the necessary amount
of resistance for checking the recoil of the gun; the bellows Y, Y, are contained
within a cylinder C, C, having an opening at the top to receive the slide X, X; and
it is obvious that instead of the bellows form shown at Y, Y, globes or balls of
india-rubber may be employed within the cylinder, and two or more cylinders C, C,
may be employed instead of one.
Another form of buffer for receiving the direct shock of the gun is shown in
Figure 32; a cylinder A, A, is fixed firmly on to the base plate of the gun and an
iron buffer B, B, slides within it, being guided by a bar which protrudes through
it behind. The cylinder A contains within it a number of fixed annular rings
C, C, C, C, and the buffer B carries upon its axis similar moveable rings D, D, and
within the chambers thus formed are placed annular india-rubber bags or
cushions E, E. When the buffer plate B is thrust inwards the plates D, D, press
against the cushions E, E, which in turn rest against the fixed rings C, C, C, C, so
that the united strength and elasticity of the whole of the three cushions is trans-
mitted to the buffer B.
In Figure 33 the bellows are shown as employed for distributing the weight
of a heavy gun over its gun carriage and slides, and relieve the weight upon the
trunnions. The bellows G, G, are connected by the pipe F, F, and a constant air
pressure is maintained within them; so long as the tap H is closed the gun cannot
be moved, but when the tap H is open the gun may be raised or lower at will.
Figure 34 shows an arrangement of the hydraulic pawl before mentioned; it
consists of a cylinder J, J, filled with water, and of a piston K descending within
it; the piston can descend freely; the valves L, L, opening outwards and allowing
the water to pass into the upper portion of the cylinder, but it is prevented from
returning by the closing of the valves L which retain the water in the upper
portion of the cylinder and hold it firm. When, however, it is desired to allow
the piston to return the tap M is opened which communicates by a pipe between
the upper and lower portions of the cylinder. The water is thereby enabled to
pass from the upper to the lower portion of the cylinder, and the piston K, K, is
free to ascend slowly.
A similar arrangement is shown in Figure 35; the piston K, K, descends in the
same manner as before; but the water instead of passing through the valves within
the piston passes from the upper to the lower part of the piston by means of a
pipe N, N, of large size. The water is however prevented from returning by a ball
valve O, which falls into its seat and closes the aperture. The piston is lowered as
in the manner before described by opening the tap M in the pipe J, J, which com-
municates between the top and bottom cylinder.
In some cases we employ the pressure of the air to compress the friction slides
of the gun, as shown in Figures 36 and 37. In order to effect this we place one or
more flattened tubes or air bags K, K, between the plates P, P, or outside the
plates so as to compress them together; if these air tubes are in connection with an
air cushion under the gun the extra pressure caused by the firing of the gun will
re-act on the friction bars and cause an increased friction between them.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, we would have it understood that we claim, the several improvements,
herein-before set forth, in the mounting, working, and manipulating guns and
shields, and the general use of air bellows for working and manipulating guns and
turrets or other shields, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josiah Latimer Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOSIAH LATIMER CLARK. (L.S.)