TRAIRE ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Sidebottom, of Harewood, near Mottram, in
the County of Chester, Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer, for the Inven-
tion of "TRAIRE ARMS AND ORDNANCE"
Sealed the 5th March 1861, and dated the 15th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Sidebottom at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th January 1861.
I, JOHN SIDEBOTTOM, of Harewood, near Mottram, in the County of Chester,
Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," to be
as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists in making the barrels of fire-arms and
ordnance capable of revolving on their own axes, and the application thereto
of suitable machinery or apparatus for imparting the required rotary motion,
or causing the same to be produced by the recoil of the projectile. In the
former case the barrel may be left smooth, or provided with grooves or guides
parallel to tho axis, but in the latter case the barrels must have grooves Of
guides made in any convenient manner. When the barrel is smooth, or when
made with grooves parallel to its axis, the rotary motion of the barrel, which
is imparted by a spring or wheels, or any other equivalent agents, gives

page_text: rotary motion around its axis to the shot, shell, or projectile, and when the
barrel is grooved the projectile is caused to rotate on its axis with a force equal
to the power required to put the barrel in motion around its axis.
When my Invention is applied to ordnance the barrel can be made to rotato
by a small charge of gunpowder acting on the circumference of the barrel,
which charge is let off at the same time or immediately before the discharge
of the piece of ordnance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Sidebottom in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SIDEBOTTOM, of Harewood, near Mottram, in the County of Chestor, Cotton
Spinner and Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Sidebottom, Her_special licence that I, the said John
Sidebottom, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Sidebottom, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Sidebottom, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the samo was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in tho
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 John Sidebottom, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
The nature of my Invention consists in supporting the barrels of fire-armis

page_text: and ordnance in two bearings or in a swivel busb, and in applying to the said
barrels a curved groove or scroll which acts on a fixed stud, projection, or
bowl, thereby causing the rectilinear motion due to the recoil to impart a
rotary motion to the barrel when the fire-arm or piece of ordnance is being,
discharged; by means of these improvements a rotary motion is given to the
shot, shell, or projectile issuing from a smooth-bored barrel, or a barrel pro-
vided with one or more grooves or guides parallel to its axis.
When my improvements are applied to fire-irons or ordnance provided with
diagonal grooves or guides in the barrel, an additional rotary motion is im-
parted to the shot, shell, or projectile.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 an end elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan, of a
piece of ordnance, to which one mode of constructing my improvements is
applied.
a is the barrel, the bore of which is either smooth or provided with grooves
parallel to the axis; the barrel a is supported in tho two bearings b, 6, which
are cast or fixed to the bed plate c, and this bed plate is connected by trun-
nions or otherwise to the carriage or other article on. which the piece of
ordnance is mounted; or the barrel may be supported in a bush furnished
with trunnions. The barrel a is loaded at the breech or at the muzzle, but it
must be cylindrical in those parts that are supported in the bearings b, b; the
barrel a is provided with the curved groove d, in which the swivel stud e
enters; this stud fits in a recess in the bed plate c. The Drawing represents
the barrel in the position it occupies whon ready for being. discharged; the
stud e, shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 2, is now in that part of the curved
groove d where it forms the sharpest angle with the axis of the barrel; con-
sequently when the piece of ordnance is discharged the commencement of tho
recoil imparts a gradual rotary motion to the barrel, but as the rectilinear.
motion due to the recoil of the barrel continues, the rotary motion thereof
increases, owing to the gradually increasing angles of the curved groove d.,
When the force of the recoil has nearly expended itself the barrel has receded
until the end of the curved groove comes against the stud e, which prevents
the barrel from moving too far in a rectilinear direction. As soon as the barrel
has been reloaded it is turned round by handles fixed to the barrel or other-
wise, in the contrary direction to that in which it is; made to rotate by the
recoil, in order to bring the barrel into the position shewn in the Drawing, to

page_text: be ready for the next discharge. I wish to remark that instead of a curved
groove, as shewn, a curved scroll may be applied to the barrel, or a stud
similar to may be attached to the barrel, and the curved groove or scroll
connected to the plate c or other fixture.
When my improvements are applied to smooth bored fire-arms and ordnance,
it is evident that the projectile must fit with sufficient accuracy to impart
the rotary motion of the barrel to the projectile, but when my improvements
are applied to fire-arms and ordnance provided with grooves or guides
parallel to the axis of the barrel, the projectile which must be made with
corresponding guides or grooves may have a little play, as in this case the
guides or grooves impart the rotary motion of the barrel to the projectile. It
is well known that projectiles issuing from a smooth bore travel at a much
greater velocity than from a rifled barrel, but in the latter case greater
accuracy in the aim can be attained, owing to the projectile rotating on its
axis, which heretofore could not be imparted by a smooth bore; by incans of
my improvements the advantages of both are combined, and the accuracy of
the aim is further increased by supporting the barrel in two bearings, as
described, instead of in trunnions as now customary.
When my improvements are applied to fire-arms or ordnance having rifled
barrels, the rotary motion imparted to the barrel by the curved groove d or scroll
gives an additional rotary motion to the projectile. In small arms, such as
muskets, fowling-pieces, and rifles, the curved groove or scroll, above referred
to, or a screw is applied at or near the breech end of the barrel and the stud,
before referred to, or a screw nut is attached to the stock, to which are also
fixed the bearings or bushes in which the barrel can rotate; in small arms it
is desirable to connect the barrel to the lock in such wise that when the
trigger is at full cock the barrel shall be pushed forward into the requisite
position for the subsequent discharge. My improvements are particularly
advantageous in firing shot or pellets out of a smooth bore, as the rotary
motion given to the barrel will prevent the shot from scattering, as now
customary.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the details set forth, as the same may be considerably varied or modified,
but what I claim is,―
First, the improvements herein-before described or any modification thereof,
for imparting a rotary motion to the shot, shell, or projectile issuing from a
barrel with a smooth bore, or with grooves or guides parallel to the axis of
the barrel.

page_text: Secondly, supporting the barrels of fire-arms and ordnance in two bearings,
s shewn and described.
And, thirdly, imparting a rotary motion to the barrels of fire-arms and
rdnance by means of the recoil, combined with a curved groove or scroll, as
hewn and as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Sidebottom, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
J. SIDEBOTTOM. (L.S.)