CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MAKING AND WORKING GUN AND CARRONADE CARRIAGES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1806

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
RICHARD FRIEND, of the Broadway, Saint Thomas', in the Borough
of Southwark and County of Surrey, Gun Carriage Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the
Twenty-ninth day of January, in the forty-seventh year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said Richard Friend, my exors, adñiors,
and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge and authority,
that I, the said Richard Friend, my exors, adiiors, and assigns, during
the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
usc, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MAKING AND WORKING GUN AND CARRONADE CARRIAGES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO VARIOUS OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Richard
Friend, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's

page_text: High Court of Chancery within one calendar month. after the date of
the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being
thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
L.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Richard Friend, do hereby declare that my improvements in the
construction and working of gun and carronade carriages for sea or
garrison service, and for other purposes, are as follow:-First, I do
construct the carriage that the bod or bottom of it, when the gun is
fired, shall slide back-upon a slide or traversing platform, which I make-
(for a ship carriage) similar to the slide of a common carronade, with
the addition of two iron plates for the wheels of the carriage to run
upon, and is fixed to the ship's side in the same manner as the slide of
a common carronade för garrison service; thic slide is made similar to
that for sea service, except that instead of the plates at the fore end of.
the slide, which are called breast plates, I substitute an iron with two
straps and an eye at the end, which I fix to a piece of wood fixed between
the sides of the slide extending to any length that may be required (or I
fix it to the slide), the cyo at the end hanging upon a pivot or bolt fixed
in the floor of the garrison, and the slide resting upon four wheels may.
be traversed so as to point the gun in any direction; this slide, as also
the slide for sea service, I hang in various other ways, as the nature of
the ship or garrison may require. Secondly, after the gun is fired, and
the carriage is forced back upon the slide by the recoil, I raise the-
carriage upon four wheels by means of an iron spindle with pinions
upon it, and four iron levers or cranks with cogs or teeth at the end,.
which work in the pinions on the spindle, and the wheels running upon
the plates of iron which I let into the slide will enable the gun-to-be
got forward again without tackle and fall or handspikes, and in con-
siderably less time than the common carriage. Thirdly, I make the
carriage of two wood sides or brackets, a bed or bottom, and a transum-
or cross piece framed together. I fix the iron spindle about the middle
of the carriage a little above the bed or bottom; it is made round, and
passes through the sides or brackets, at the inside of which are two
pinions of six teeth or cogs (or any other convenient number), and a
half pinion of three (or any other number of) teeth or cogs on the

page_text: iniddle; the ends on the outside are made square to fix wrenches or
handles to to turn the spindle. 1 fix the four iron levers or cranks to
the bed or bottom of the carriage (by means of iron bolts passing
through them), two at the fore and two at the aft part of the carriage,
on the inside of the sides or brackets; the two at the fore part I make
with a hole at one end, through which, and along a groove or channel
in the bed or bottom; an iron.axle tree passes, on the ends of which, at
the outside of the levers or cranks, are two iron wheels. At the edge or
circumference of the wheels is another hole, through which, and through
the sides or brackets and bed or botton, a bolt passes, and serves as a
bearing or pivot for the levers or cranks to act upon, and also to hold
the carriage together; the other end I make with three (or any other
number of) teeth or cogs, which work in the pinions on the spindle; the
two levers or cranks at the hind or aft part of the carriage are made
similar to the two at the fore part, only being reversed; that is to say,
the hole through which the bearing bolt passes is at the end, and the
hole through which the axle tree passes is at half the diameter of the
wheel from the bearing bolt, so that by turning the spindle one way the
carriage will be raised upon its four wheels at once. I hold the carriage
upon the slide by an iron pintail similar to that of a common carronade
carriage, the bottom part or body being round, with a T head or crutch,
and passes through the mortice or channel in the slide; the head or
crutch hooking in the rebate underneath the upper part or shank is
square, and passes through a mortice in the bed or bottom; in the end
of the shank is a mortice and a brass roller fixed in it; through the
mortice above the bed or bottom, and under the brass roller, passes a
key or wedge with a rack of three (or any other number of) teeth or
cogs at the end, which work in the cogs or the middle of the spindle,
which, as it is turned, forces the key or wedge forward, so that the
distance between the T head or crutch and the key or wedge is
lengthened in proportion as the carriage rises and shortens; again as
the carriage is lowered the iron wrenches or handles which turn the
spindle are held down by two hooks at the aft end of. the carriage, or
by a latchet wheel fixed to the spindle and a pall fixed to the side.or
bracket. The iron spindle may be made square, and brass; or other

page_text: metal pinions fixed on it. Instead of making it of solid iron, I fix an
'iron socket in the aft end of the carriage for an iron bar to go into to
traverse tho carriage any-way. Ifix breeching rings,-eye bolts or loops,
and cap squares, the same as to other carriages. This carriage will
not be so liable to decay as the common carronade carriage, as when
the gun
is housed it may be raised upon its wheels, which will let the
air to it, and preserve the wood. I also apply the aforesaid levers or
cranks and spindle to ropemakers sledges, or to any thing heavy that
is wanted to lay on a flat surface, and at times required to be moved,
observing they must be proportioned according to the weight that is to.
be lefted, and the height it is to be raised.
The following reference to the annexed drawing for a ship carriage will
more fully explain the above Specification. Observe, the same letters and
fixures apply to plan, elevations, and sections, and to the iron work; drawn
separate by a double scale., A, A, are wood bearers which lay on the deck.
B, the clock, which lays on thic bearers A, A, and is bolted to the ship's
side or deck. C, is an iron plate let into the chock B, and one the same
on the under side. D; is tliesslide or platform resting on the chock-B.
E, is a truck or hind block for the aft end of the slide D to rest upon.
F, F, are iron plates let into the truck E, and two the same on the
other side, with two iron wheels or rollers between then to run upon
tho, deck. G, G, are the breast plates, which are let into the breast of
the slide D, one at the top and one on the under side, and fastened on
by six (or any other number of) rivets. I, is the fighting bolt, which i
passes through the front hole in the breast plates G, G, and through the
front hole in the plates C, in the chock Band hold the slide down.
upon it. I, is the housing bolt, which passes through the-aft hole of the
bottom plató G, and plates C. This bolt is only to be used when the gun
is to be housed-and-laid close-to-tho ship's side. K, K, are two plates
let into the top of the slide D, for the wheels of the carriage to run
upon. L, is a mortice or channel in the slide D, and a rebate on-the
under side with a plate of iron laid in it of a convenient width and
thickness. The letters M, N, N, O, constitute the carriage. M, is the
bed or bottom. N,N, are the sides or brackets. O, is the transum
or cross piece framed into the sides or brackets N,N; and a bolt passing

page_text: through holds them together. P, is the pintail, which passes in the
channel L, and through a mortice in the bed M, and plates Q. R, is
a wedge or key (with a rack of three teeth at the end) which passes
under the brass roller in the pintail P, and at the top of the bed M.
S, S, S, S, are iron levers or cranks to throw the carriage on or off' its
wheels. T, T, are iron bolts which pass through the carriage and through
a hole in the levers for them to act upon. V, V, are iron axle trees
which pass through a hole in the levers S, S, S, S, and along a groove
or channel in the bed or bottom M; on the ends are the iron wheels
U, U, which run upon the plates K, K, and play up and down in the
holes cut in the bed or bottom M. W, is a spindle with two pinions
of six teeth which work in the cogs of the levers S, S, S; S. In the
middle of the spindle is a half pinion of three teeth or cogs which work
in the cogs of the key or wedge R; this spindle may be made square,
and the pinions made of brass or other proper metal, instead of iron.
X,X, are iron wrenches, which fix on the ends of the spindle W. Y, Y,
are iron plates through which the spindle W passes. Z, Z, are iron hooks
to hold the wrenches X, X, down, which may be done by a latchet wheel
on the spindle W, and a pall on the bracket N, instead of the hooks.
No. 1, is an iron socket in the aft end of the carriage. No. 2, is an
iron bar that goes into the socket No. 1, to traverse the carriage any
way. No. 3, 3, are the breeching rings. No. 4, 4, are eye bolts or
loops to lash the slide D fast. No. 5, 5, are bolts which hold the slide
together. No. 6, 6, are eye bolts or loops to lash the carriage fast.
No. 7, 7, are the cap squares which hold the gun in its place. N.B., the
wrenches X, X, when the gun is fired, stand perpendicular (or may be
taken off'), and the bed or bottom M lays flat upon and with the recoil
slides back upon the slide D); when the gun is reloaded the wrenches
X,X, are pulled down to a horizontal direction, which turns the spindle
W, and the cogs of the pinions working in the cogs of the levers S, S, S, S,
which bear or act upon the bolts T,T, raise the carriage upon its four
wheels, and at the same time the cogs on the middle of the spindle W,
force the wedge R, from under the brass roller in the pintail P, so that
the distance between the head or crutch of the pintail and the wedge
R. is lengthened in proportion as the carriage rises, and the hooks Z, Z,

page_text: hold the wrenches X, X, down while the gun is got forward, which, as
before stated, may be done with case without the use of tackle and fall
or handspikes, and in considerably less time than a common carriage.
The traversing bar No. 2, is made to answer for a wrench X, as also
are the wrenches X, X, for a traversing bar in case of either being any
ways damaged.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Friend, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seven.
RICHARD FRIEND. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of
February, in the year of our Lord 1807, the aforesaid Richard Friend
came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknow-
leged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification
aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor of the Statute made for
that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seven.