IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF FIELD BATTERY
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michel Maric Franzini, of Naples, in the
Kingdom of Italy, temporarily residing at Lower Seymour Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
" IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF FIELD BATTERY."
k
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF FIELD BATTERY.”
Scaled the 6th October 1875, and dated the 11th August 1875.

page_text: For the purpose of the Invention I mount in a carriage protected by
shields or screens, one or more of which may be moveable and preferably
actuated on the elevation and depression of cannon or barrels mounted
therein. The carriage is provided with wheels and is capable of being
drawn by horses or other animals. Within the carriage in a frame
resting on supports I arrange a series of barrels side by side, which are
capable of adjustment for horizontal firing or for elevation and depression
on an axis, and by means of a handle working a segmental wheel on the
frame in gear with an endless screw or other equivalent contrivance
raise or lower such barrels.
At the rear of the barrels I provide a hinged breech plate or closer
common to all with plungers or strikers. These strikers serve for dis-
charging or firing the charges, and they are brought into action by a heavy
bar or hammer attached to the hinged plate or closer, which is caused to
fall thercon and thus discharge the series of barrels simultaneously.
Another bar on the hinged breech plate or closer serves to keep the heavy
bar or hammer out of the way when the loading operation is to be effected.
A catch lever is fitted to retain the breech plate open during the loading
operation, and after the barrels have been loaded the hinged or moveable
breech plate is kept in place by projections on a sliding bar, the pro-
jections engaging into grooves or recesses in the above mentioned breech
plate.
At each side of the outer barrels I attach a segmental or toothed
quadrant wheel in gear with a rack on the upper part of the front plate
or moveable portion of the carriage, so that as the barrels are raised or
lowered the upper part of the front plate or moveable portion is raised or
lowered, thus protecting the persons in the carriage. This front plate
or moveable portion is composed of two parts, the upper moveable one
above described and a lower stationary one acting as a shield, which bears
against two spring pads or buffers so as to deaden the effect of the
enemy's shot on the shield.
I employ a break formed of a flexible band of steel, and provided on
its inner surface with a band of wood, to press or bear on the wheels so
as to prevent the carriage moving from the effect of the recoil. One
end of this flexible band is bolted to the front plate or shield of the a
carriage, the other terminating in a lug or eye, which is tapped to receive
a threaded rod provided with a handle, so that by turning or screwing
up this rod into the lug or eye it causes the band to be drawn tight or

page_text: pressed on to the tyres of the wheels. This brake also prevents the mud
from coming into the carriage.
A covering of canvas or other material mounted on bars may be fitted
to the carriage for the protection of the persons in charge. The fore
part of the carriage is provided with receptacles for holding appliances,
also as a magazine for serving the battery, and such receptacles form
seats for the men.
By dismounting the barrels from the carriage the battery can be used
in forts
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Michel Marie Franzini in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the Sth February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHEL
MARIE FRANZINI, of Naples, in the Kingdom of Italy, temporarily
residing at Lower Seymour Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Michel Marie Franzini,
Her special license that I, the said Michel Marie Franzini, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Michel Marie Franzini, 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 "IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF
FIELD BATTERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Michel Marie Franzini, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause

page_text: 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 Michel Marie Franzini, 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 thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say :—
The object of the Invention is to construct field and other batteries of
a portable character with appliances for the protection of soldiers or
persons engaged in working the same.
For the purpose of the Invention I mount in a carriage protected by
shields or screens, one or more of which may be moveable and preferably
actuated on the elevation and depression of cannon or barrels mounted
therein. The carriage is provided with wheels and is capable of being
drawn by horses or other animals. Within the carriage in a frame
resting on supports I arrange a series of cannon or barrels on an axis
side by side, which are capable of adjustment for horizontal firing or
for elevation and depression, and by means of a handle working a
segmental wheel on the frame in gear with an endless screw or other
equivalent contrivance raise or lower such barrels or cannon.
At the rear of the cannon or barrels I provide a hinged breech plate
or closer common to all with spring plungers or strikers. These strikers
serve for discharging or firing the charges, and they are brought into
action by a heavy bar or hammer attached to the hinged plate or closer,
which is caused to fall on them, and thus discharge the series of barrels
simultaneously. Another bar on the hinged breech plate or closer,
serves to keep the heavy bar or hammer out of the way when the
loading operation is to be effected. A lever is fitted to retain the breech
plate open during the loading operation, and after the barrels have been
loaded the hinged or moveable breech plate is kept in place by a bar.
At each side of the outer cannon or barrels I attach a segmental or
toothed quadrant wheel in gear with a rack on the upper front plate or
moveable portion of the carriage, so that as the barrels or cannon are
raised or lowered, the front plate or moveable portion is raised or
lowered, thus protecting the persons in the carriage. This plate is

page_text: moveable and acts as a shield and bears against spring pads or buffers
to deaden the effect of the enemy's shot on the shield.
I employ a break formed of a flexible band of steel, and provided on
its inner surface with a band of wood, to pross or bear on the wheels so
as to prevent the carriage moving from the effect of the recoil. Onc
end of this flexible band is bolted to the carriage, the other terminating
in a lug or eye, which is tapped to receive a threaded rod provided with
a handle, so that by turning or screwing up this rod into the lug or eye
it causes the band to be drawn tight or pressed on to the tyres of the
wheels. This break also prevents the mud from entering the carriage.
A covering of canvas or other material mounted on bars may be fitted
to the carriage for the protection of the persons in charge from the
effects of the weather. The fore part of the carriage is provided with
receptacles for holding appliances; also as a magazine for serving the
battery, and such receptacles form seats for the men.
Be dismounting the cannon on harvals from the convinces that

page_text: supported in a framework E; these barrels or cannon are fitted on pins
or projections m and lie on bars or bed plates e, c'. A band or bar ex
passing over the cannon helps to secure them to the bed plate e, and it
is fastened thereto by bolts e². The cannon are capable of adjustment
for horizontal firing or for elevation and depression. The bed plate e
turns on an axis D which rests in supports or plumber blocks g in the
framework or supports E. The framework is steadied by bolts e³ to the
sides of the carriage.
B, B', are wheels to permit the carriage or vehicle to be drawn by
horses or other animals. To the bar or bed plate e I attach a segmental
wheel F in gear with an endless screw G; this endless screw is mounted
on a spindle g* and is held in supports Y, Y*. The screw spindle
terminates at one end in a handle H, so that by turning the handle the
endless screw engages in the teeth of the segmental wheel F, and
causes the barrels or cannon to be raised and lowered to the desired
extent. O is the hinged breech plate or closer at the rear of the barrels
or cannon common to all. N are spring plungers or strikers for striking
against the charges placed within the cannon or barrels, and they are
inserted in the breech plate and are brought into action by means of the
bar or hammer M falling on them. This bar or hammer is fitted with a
handle m² and works in supports o* fixed at each end of the breech
plate. When the cannon are to be fired the handle of the bar or
hammer is taken in the hand, and by allowing it to fall therefrom the
weight of the bar or hammer strikes against all the spring plungers N, at
the same time thus firing all the charges simultaneously.
When the barrels are to be loaded the moveable hinged breech plate O
is raised by means of a lever / attached to the pinion p, which is
mounted on the lug 2 secured to the bed plate e', and is in gear with a
segmental wheel p* mounted on the axis of the breech plate. A catch
or spring hook retains the lever h after the breech plate has been raised
for purposes of loading or otherwise.
The bar or hammer is prevented from striking the plungers by a
moveable safety bar L fitted to the projection o* of the breech plate,
and it is raised by means of a handle y. After the charges have been
inserted in the cannon or barrels the breech plate is closed, and is
secured in place by a moveable bar J fitted to abutments jou the
plate e¹. This moveable bar J is opened and closed by means of a

page_text: lever 1, and it is kept in place by a pawl and ratchet P. A counter-
balance weight on the pawl keeps it in place and prevents the bar J
from moving from the firing of the cannon; l' is also a counterbalance
weight attached to the lever for the same purpose.
U, X, are the shields or plates before mentioned; X is moveable in an
up-and-down direction, and U is capable of a slight backward and
forward movement when struck by the enemy's shot or projectiles.
The shield U works backwards and forwards by means of sliding pins &
working in sockets 8* attached to the sides of the carriage.
Four spring pads or buffers R, R*, two of which R arc fixed in
supports bolted to the platform of the carriage, press against the shield
or plate U to deaden the effect of the enemy's shot thereon, and the
other two R* are bolted to the upper part of the carriage on cach outer
side thereof, and press against the shield U for the same purpose as those
above mentioned.
At each side of the outer cannon or barrels I attach segmental or
toothed quadrant wheels Q in gear with a rack P. This rack is fitted
to the plate or shield X by abutments or distance picces t, so that as
the cannon or barrels are raised or lowered this shield or plate rises or
falls with them in order to prevent the projectiles thrown by the enemy
entering the carriage, and thus protecting the gunners or others in the
vehicle who are serving the battery. * are friction rollers on the plate
or shield X, which bear against the plate or shield U. Springs at the
back of the segmental wheel Q keep this whcel against the rack P, and
at the same time the shield X against the shield U. Pins or studs a
serving as guides regulate the travel of the segmental wheel Q when the
shields are struck by the enemy's shot. These pins or studs pass
through longitudinal slots in the segmental wheel, and are secured to
the cannon.
S is a break formed of a flexible band of steel or other metal, and
provided on its inner surface with a band of wood u. One end of this
break is bolted or otherwise fixed in a socket ux projecting from the side
of the carriage, and the other end terminates in a lug or cye u². This
lug or eye is tapped to receive a threaded rod t, which passes through
supports or projections fixed to the sides of the carriage. t is a
handle for screwing up the threaded rod on to the lug or eye u², thereby
causing the break to be drawn or pressed tightly on to the periphery of

page_text: the wheels so as to prevent the carriage moving from the effect of the
recoil. These break hands may extend far enough over the upper part
of the wheels B to prevent mud entering the carriage.
A removeable covering or awning of canvas or other material forming
a tent is fitted to the carriage for the protection of the persons therein
from the changes of the weather. a is an upright bar fixed to the
platform of the carriage, at the upper extremity of which is placed
another bar at right angles thereto, and over which the canvas or
other covering material c is placed. The covering is stretched thereon
and is kept in place by lateral bars or rods d, which take into the
material and pass through eyes in projecting rods f. These projecting
rods are removeable, and rest in sockets f* on the sides of the carriage.
The bars a' and are likewise removeable.
T are receptacles provided for holding different objects, also as a
magazine for serving the battery; such receptacles form seats for the
driver and the men.
In some instances removeable trays or receptacles attached by chains
or otherwise to the under portion of the carriage may be added to serve
for the transport of food for the animals; a covering or tent may also be
provided for them.
In the case of a barrel or cannon bursting it can be easily removed
from the bed plates and another one substituted.
By dismounting the cannon or barrels from the carriage they may be
used in forts and elsewhere than in the field.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what ;
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,—
First. The combination of a series of cannon or barrels arranged side
by side and adjustable upon an axis common to all and operated on by a
handle, such cannon or barrels having a hinged breech plate or closer,
on or to which a hinged bar or hammer is fitted, for the purposes a
described and shown in the Drawings.
Second. The arrangement and combination of shields or plates acting
as and for the purposes described.
Third. The improved break fitted to the carriage, and acting on the
wheels as described.
3

page_text: Fourth. The construction of portable field batterics provided with a
covering or awning, as shown in the Drawings, acting as and for the
purposes described.
Fifth. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting
the improved field battery in the manner described and exemplified in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michel Marie Franzini, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
Witness,
ERNEST DE PASS,
Patent Office,
68, Fleet Street,
London.
GL. M. M. FRANZINI.
(L.S.)