IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING AND IN THE SERVICE OF GUNS WITH FITTINGS THEREOF, AND IN GUN CARRIAGES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham, of Bury, in
the County of Hants, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WORKING AND IN THE SERVICE OF GUNS WITH FITTINGS THEREOF, AND IN GUN
CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 3rd July 1866, and dated the 5th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Duncan Preston
Cunningham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th January 1866.
I, HENRY DUNCAN PRESTON CUNNINGHAM, of Bury, in the County of Hants,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WORKING AND IN THE SERVICE OF GUNS WITH FITTINGS THEREOF, AND IN GUN
CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to the vertical training of guns, and
consists in supporting the breech end of the gun upon a cranked shaft or axle
laid across the sides of the carriage in a position which allows the neck of the
button or cascable of the gun to rest upon it. Levers are attached to the
outer ends of the crank shaft or axle, and when these are moved the breech
of the gun is either raised or lowered, as the case may be. Thus a very
simple mode of training the gun vertically is provided.
The next part of my Invention consists in improved means of facilitating
the transport or conveyance of the projectile and ammunition to the muzzle

page_text: of the gun by means of overhead railways curved round the front or
muzzle end of the gun, so as to enable a carriage having the projectile or
ammunition suspended from it to be carried round in a convenient position
for the projectile or ammunition to be put into the gun. I erect a curved
way of angle or I or T iron, or other suitable form of way over the gun, say,
bolted to the beans and curved or configurated so as to sweep round the
front of the gun.
From the lower flange or flanges of the angle iron or way
a carriage is suspended with rollers fitted to travel upon the lower flange or
flanges. A tackle is fitted to this carriage to hoist up and suspend the projectile
or ammunition in a suitable holder or cradle. The projectile is hoisted up at
any convenient part of the way, and the carriage from which it is suspended
is then caused to travel along the curved way until it arrives at a convenient
position for transferring the projectile into the gun. The curved way may be
continued all round the gun. This overhead curved way may also be used
for helping the use of the rammer and sponges which are suspended in the
nauner before described. Overhead railways from various parts of the ship.
can be arranged to be in correspondence with the curved way.
The next part of my Invention refers chiefly to broadside guns, and is
intended to give increased security in working guns of great weight. It
consists in constructing or applying a raised curvilinear structure at the rear
of the gun slide, so that a buffer or buffing apparatus on the rear of each
bracket or side of the gun carriage shall impact upon the structure when the
gun runs into its extreme limit. This structure may also be used for pro-
tecting a ratchet or cogged curved bar when such is employed for training.
the gun.
My improvements in gun carriages consist in fitting or applying a rail on
the slide on each side of the carriage, under which rail the after-chock or both
chocks of the carriage (which chock or chocks. I elongate sufficiently for that
purpose) shall travel, and thereby prevent the possibility of the carriage-cap-
sizing from the slide. This rail may also be made available for running the
gun in and out by a ratchet way or bars fitted to it and suitable cog wheels
upon the carriage, as described in the Provisional Specification filed by me on
the 3rd August 1865, No. 2014. I also employ grooved rollers for the
carriage to run, in and out upon the slide, raised ways being fitted to the slide
for that purpose; these grooved rollers will serve to afford security and smooth-
ness of action in the working of the gun.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
DUNCAN PRESTON CUNNINGHAM, of Bury, in the County of Hants, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham, Iler special licence that I, the said
Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham,
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 WORKING AND
IN THE SERVICE OF GUNS WITH FITTINGS THEREOF, AND IN GUN CARRIAGES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Duncan Preston
Cunningham, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe.
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause 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 Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham, do
hereby declare the nature of my 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 Drawings hereunto,
(that is to say):
The first part of my Invention relates to the vertical or elevational training
of guns, and consists in supporting the breech end of the gun upon a cranked
shaft or axle.laid across the sides of the carriage in a position which allows
the button or cascable of the gun to rest upon it. Levers are attached to the
outer ends of the crank shaft or axle, and when these are moved up or down
the breech of the gun is lowered or raised. Thus a very simple mode. of

page_text: training the gun vertically is provided; when the gun is fired the quoins may
be applied or not as desirable.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings illustrates this part of my Inven-
tion. E is the gun upon the carriage D, D; A, A, is a cranked shaft resting
upon the sides of the carriage in suitable bearings, and so adjusted as regards
position that the button of the gun or the neck of the button rests upon it,
as shewn; B, B, are levers, one on each side of the cranked shalf (or one
lever may be found sufficient). It will be seen that in whichever way the
levers B are worked the cranked shaft A, with the gun resting upon it, is
raised or lowered as the case may be, and the gun thereby trained. The ends
of the levers B may be furnished with tackles as seen at M, Figure 6; an
are with a compressing screw, as seen at N in the same Figure, may also be
applied to fix the gun at the required elevation. The crank may if found
more convenient be moved by a cog wheel and pinion instead of by levers,
and the fixing compressing screw may be otherwise applied.
The next part of my Invention consists in improved means for transporting
the projectile or ammunition to the gun by means of overhead railways
curved round the front or muzzle of the gun, so as to enable a carriage baving.
the projectile or ammunition suspended from it to be carried round in a con-
venient position for either of them to be put into the gun.
A, A, A', Figure 2, represents a curved way of angle or I or T iron, or
any other suitable form of way may be applied overhead or above the gun,
and curved or configurated so as to sweep round the front of the gun; a
section of this railway is seen at Figure 3. Upon the lower flange or flanges,
or upon any other form of way used, a carriage furnished with rollers, as at C,
is fitted to travel, and upon this carriage the projectile is carried by suspensory
tackles and suitable shot or ammunition holders D. The. railway may be
applied to any extent most convenient, it may extend, only from P. to. P,
Figure 2, or.it may be carried further towards the inside, of the ship, or be
taken in any direction along the ship, as at A¹. The Figure represents
the projectile as being lifted at B, from whence. it is conveyed along the
rail to B (in the direction of the arrow), a convenient position to transfer
the projectile into the gun. The illustration here given refers to, broadside
guns, but the curved overhead. railway is equally applicable. to. guns in turrets.
A, A, Figure 5, represents. the railway, applied to a turret gun. Here the
projectile is shown as being lifted at B, having been, say, put into the. turret.
through a convenient aperture at C, and by means of the rail the projectile
is carried with great facility to D,. which is a convenient position for its transfer

page_text: to the gun E. The curved overhead railway can be employed for helping the
use of the sponge and rammers, as seen in Figure 4.
:
Figure 6 is a side view of a gun further illustrating the process of lifting
the projectile at B (or a scuttle or hatchway may be at this point to admit of
the projectile or amníuntion being lifted from the deck below). The projectile
is seen at D as having arrived at the muzzle of the gun.
The next part of my Invention is intended to give increased security in the
working of guns of great weight at broadsides; it consists in constructing
or applying a raised curvilinear structure at the rear of the gun slide, so that
a buffer or buffing apparatus on the rear of the carriage shall impact upon
the structure when the gun runs into its extreme limit. This structure may
also be used for protecting a ratchet, or cogged curved bar from injury when
such is employed for training the gun.
.
B, Figure 8, represents a section of this structure. Within the cavity
formed by the projections C and A the cogged training are A, A, Figure 7;
is fitted, which with the motive bevil wheel worked by the lever D are pro-
tected from injury from any falling body, such as a projectile or otherwise.
The projection C, Figure 8, is favorable for receiving the impact of the buffer D).
This provision, together with the use of the sweep chocks E and F at the
other end of the carriage, give great security in working a gun of great
weight on board a ship at sea or otherwise. Another advantage niay be
derived from; this arrangement. At present; for the purpose of checking the
recoil of the gun when fired, the carriage is mounted on a slide, adjusted at
an angle which forms an incline for the gun to run up, and this inclination
creates, trouble and difficulty in "running a gun in" when done by manual
labor; but by employing my backing structure the slide may be laid more
horizontal, and thus facilitate the running of the gun in by manual labor.
.
A further part of my Invention consists in the employment of grooved
rollers for the gun carriage to run in and out upon the slide, raised ways being
fitted to the slide, or the arrangement may be reversed and the grooves be upon
the slide. These grooved rollers or grooves provide for more fairness and
smoothness of action in the carriage running along the slide than in the ordinary
provision of chocks extending down between the slides.
Figure 9 is a front elevation of a gun carriage and gun mounted thereon.
A, A, are sections of the girder slides upon which the carriage runs in and out;
D, D, are raised ways or rails upon the upper part of the girders; B, B, are
the four rollers of the carriage formed with grooves which roll upon the
rails DD

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed; I declare that I claim,-
First, fitting at the breech end of guns a cranked shaft or axle in such
position that the button or cascable of the gun rests upon it, and so that when
the said shaft or.axle is turned by levers or otherwise the breech end of the
gun is raised or lowered, and the gun thereby trained vertically, substantially
as herein-before described and represented in Figure 1 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Second, constructing an overhead railway which is curved round the front
or muzzle of the gun for the purpose of facilitating the transport of projectiles
or ammunition to the muzzle, and to assist in the use of the sponge and
rammer, substantially as herein-before described and represented in Figures 2
to 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third, constructing. or applying at the rear of gun slides a curvilinear struc-
ture, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and represented
in Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, constructing gun carriages with grooved rollers to run in and out
upon the slide, raised ways being fitted to the slide, or instead thereof forming
grooves upon the slide for rollers on the carriage to run in, substantially as
herein-before described and represented in Figure 9 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of July, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six.
H. D. P. CUNNINGHAM. (L.S.)