IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE AND IN MARINE APPARATUS FOR ÅTTACK AND DEFENCE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Christian Lobnitz, of Renfrew, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE
AND IN MARINE APPARATUS FOR ÅTTACK AND DEFENCE."
Sealed the 10th July 1877, and dated the 13th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Christian Lobnitz
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th January 1877.
"
HENRY CHRISTIAN LOBNITZ, of Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE, AND IN MARINE APPARATUS FOR ATTACK
AND DEFENCE."
This Invention relates to improvements specially devised for application in
carrying out the system of combined rams and guns, described in the Specification
of Letters Patent obtained by the present applicant, and dated 20 May 1876,
(No. 2132), and comprises a novel arrangement of breech-loading ordnance, which
whilst of peculiar advantage and importance when applied in immediate combi-
nation with a ram, is also suitable for submarine guns.fitted at any part of a ship
or other partly or wholly immersed structure, and also for above water and land
guns or batteries.
In carrying out the present Invention, according to one modification, the ram and
gun are made practically one structure, and when the gun is ready for firing, the
charge is situated within a comparatively short distance of the external orifice, so
that there is little or no water in the barrel in front of the charge to interfere with
the free discharge of the gun.
The sluice valves and vent tubes described in the earlier Specification herein-
before referred to, as placed between the charge space and the external orifice, are
altogether dispensed with, so that any risk arising from possible improper adjust-
ment or derangement of such valves is completely avoided. The gun is extended
backwards or inwards from the charge space in the form of a barrel, having at a
conveniently accessible part an opening (by preference in its upper side) for the
introduction of the charges, the bore of the barrel being slightly larger at and near
the opening than at and in front of the charge space. In what may be termed the
after barrel there is fitted to work freely a ram bar attached to the piston or

page_text: plunger of a hydraulic cylinder, which is employed according to the modification
now being described for moving forward the charge into its firing position.
In In loading the gun for the first time there is first placed in the after barrel a
piston plug, which may be of hardened steel packed with lead rings, or in any
sufficient manner, so as to be water-tight when moved forward to the front of the
charge space. A shot or shell is next introduced, and then the charge of powder or
other explosive agent, after which a second piston plug is put in and pushed forward
by the ram bar to form the back stop of the charge space, being held there by the
ram bar, which may itself be locked by a key or other rigid locking mechanism, or
by confining the water in the hydraulic cylinder. Or the hydraulic cylinder may
communicate with a suitably loaded relief valve, so as to admit of the ram bar
and back piston plug yielding to the recoil action of the discharge.
The charge may be fired by means of an ignition tube, which will serve for the
exit of air from the charge space when loading, or the charge may be provided with
one or more concussion fuses adjusted to act on the ram striking the enemy's ship,
or electrical wires may be used for firing the charge.
After a discharge the gun is loaded again as herein-before described, excepting
that the piston plug which formed the back stop of the preceding charge is moved
forward to the front of the charge space to exclude the water; and it will be obvious
that with this arrangement the water can never get access to the interior of the ship,
a result which is obtained in the simplest possible manner, and with perfect ease
and safety to the submarine gunners.
The details of the arrangement are obviously susceptible of various modifications.
Thus the shot for each charge may be made to serve as the back stop for the
preceding charge, and be subsequently moved forward to the front of the charge
space, thus dispensing with separate piston plugs.
The ram bar may be worked by screw gearing or other mechanism driven by
means of a steam engine or capstan, and it may have connected to it any suitable
recoil brakes or other mechanism.
It is one important advantage of the present improvements as applied to sub-
marine guns that they admit of practice being made with the guns without incon-
venience or difficulty.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Christian Lobnitz, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th July 1877.
HENRY CHRISTIAN LOBNITZ, of Renfrew, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE, AND IN MARINE APPARATUS FOR ATTACK
AND DEFENCE."
My said Invention relates to improvements specially devised for application in
carrying out the system of combined rams and guns, described in the Specification
of Letters Patent granted to me, and dated 20 May 1876 (No. 2132), and
comprises a novel arrangement of breech-loading ordnance, which whilst of peculiar
advantage and importance when applied in immediate combination with a ram, is
also suitable for submarine guns fitted at any part of a ship or other partly or
wholly immersed structure, and also for above water and land guns or batteries.
In carrying out my present Invention, according to one modification, the ram and
gun are made practically one structure, and when the gun is ready for firing, the
charge is situated within a comparatively short distance of the external orifice, so
that there is little or no water in the barrel in front of the charge to interfere with
the free discharge of the gun.
The sluice valves and vent tubes described in my earlier Specification herein-
before referred to as placed between the charge space and external orifice, are

page_text: altogether dispensed with, so that any risk arising from possible improper adjust-
ment or derangement of such valves is completely avoided. The gun is extended
backwards or inwards from the charge space in the form of a barrel, having at a
conveniently accessible part an opening (by preference in its upper side) for the
introduction of the charges, which after introduction are pushed forward by a
loading bar, piston plugs being provided in front and in rear of each charge to
completely exclude water.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I hereunto append two Sheets of explanatory
Drawings to be herein-after referred to and representing two modifications of gun
rams as fitted with my present improved apparatus. In these Drawings the
same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever
they are repeated.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal vertical
section of the forward part of a war ship as constructed with my improved ram and
gun. The rain R is shown as penetrating the side of an enemy's vessel E, shown
as a first class ironclad; Figure 2 is a horizontal section corresponding to a part of
Figure 1. The Figures show a gun ram of about 2000 tons fitted with a single
gun G, which instead of being placed at the inner end of a ram tube, as in the
arrangements described in my earlier Specification herein-before referred to, is
situated as far forward as possible, and is practically one structure with the most
projecting part of the ram R. The charge space (1, 2,) shown as occupied by an
explosive charge 1 and a shot or other projectile 2 is situated at a very short
distance inwards from the external orifice of the gun, and the gun is extended
backwards or inwards from the charge space 1, 2, in the form of a barrel 3 having
near its inner end an opening 4 for the introduction of the charges, the bore of the
barrel 3 being inade slightly larger at and near the opening 4 than at and in front
of the charge space, in order to facilitate the introduction of the charges. In what
may be termed the after barrel 3 there is fitted to work freely a loading bar 5
attached to the piston 6 of a hydraulic cylinder 7, which is employed in the
modification now being described for moving forward the charge into its firing
position.
In loading the gun for the first time there is first placed in the after barrel 3 a
piston plug 8, which may be of hardened steel packed with lead rings, or in any
sufficient manner so as to be water-tight when moved forward to the front of the
charge space 1, 2. A shot or shell 2 is next introduced, and then the charge 1 of
powder or other explosive agent, after which a second piston plug 9 is put in and
pushed forward by the loading bar 5 to form the back stop of the charge space,
being held there by the loading bar 5 which may itself be locked by a key 10 or
other rigid locking mechanism, or simply by confining the water in the hydraulic
cylinder 7. Or the hydraulic cylinder 7 may, be made to communicate with a
suitably loaded relief valve so as to admit of the loading bar 5, and back piston
plug 9 yielding to the recoil action of the discharge.
The charge may be fired by means of an ignition tube 11, which will serve for
the exit of air from the charge space when loading, or the charge may be provided
with one or more concussion fuses adjusted to act on the ram striking the enemy's
ship E, or electrical wires may be used for firing the charge.
After a discharge the gun is loaded again as herein-before described, excepting
that the piston plug 9, which formed the back stop of the preceeding charge, is moved
forward to the front (8) of the charge space to exclude the water, and it will be
obvious that with this arrangement the water can never get access to the interior of
the battery compartment, a result which is attained in the simplest possible manner,
and with perfect ease and safety to the submarine gunners.
The details of the arrangement are obviously susceptible of various modifications.
Thus the shot (2) for each charge may be made to serve as the back stop for the
preceding charge, and be subsequently moved forward to the front of the charge
space, thus dispensing with separate piston plugs (8, 9,).

page_text: The loading bar (5) may be worked by screw gearing or other mechanism driven
by means of a steam engine or capstan, and it may have connected to it any suitable
recoil brakes or other mechanism. Any suitable kind of shot, shell, torpedoes, or
other projectiles may be fired from the gun or guns, or be otherwise projected through
it or them.
Figure 3 on Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal vertical
section, and Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the forward part of a gun ram fitted
with two guns G, arranged and combined with the ram R in the improved manner
constituting the main feature of my present Invention. The two guns G are placed
at slightly different levels, and so as to form opposite horizontal angles with the keel.
The centre lines of the guns cross each other at a short distance inwards from the
external orifices, so that these orifices are a little on each side of the nose or most
projecting part of the ram R, which in front view presents a vertical cutting edge
in this modification.
The other arrangements in connection with each gun G are similar to those herein-
before described with reference to Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
It is one important advantage of my present improvements as applied to
submarine guns that they admit of practice being made with the guns without
inconvenience or difficulty.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated; but that what I believe to be novel and original,
and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
1. The constructing of ordnance with an after barrel (3), and the fitting of the
same with a loading bar (5), and parts connected therewith combined with the
system of using for a back stop to each charge a piston plug or shot, which is after-
wards moved forward to the front of the charge space for the succeeding charge, all
substantially as herein-before described.
2. The constructing or fitting of a ship or other floating structure with a ram
having combined with it a gun or guns constructed, fitted, and operating substantially
as herein-before described, and for the purposes indicated in my earlier Specification
herein-before referred to.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Christian Löbnitz, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
HENRY C. LÖBNITZ. (L S.)