US826183A - Battery. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. W. E. MURRAY.

BATTERY. APPLICATION FILED AUG.2. 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

N WAN WITNESSES PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. W. B. MURRAY.

BATTERY.

PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

W. E. MURRAY.

BATTERY. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2. 1904.

3 SHBETS-SHEET 3 COI, WASHINGTON. D- a.

nu- NORRIS PETERS Nrrnn STATES PATENT orrion BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed August 2,1904. Serial No. 219,246,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,W1LL1AM EDWARD MUR- RAY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, at present residing in the city of Los'Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, in the State of California, have invented a certain Improved Battery, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description or specification.

The apparatus constituting my present invention has for its object to provide increased capability of offensive and defensive operations by heavy guns both at sea and on land and my invention consists of a rotating annular shield on a floor or equivalent support, within which the guns are carried so as to be fired and to recoil in a radial direction-that is to say, transversely of the floor of the annular shieldthe guns being always maintained within the shield in suchpositions that the breeches of the guns are always facing the central compartment within the annular shield, from which the ammunition used in the guns is served directly to the breechchambers thereof.

The annular shield constituting my invention is provided with antifriction-rollers at its bottom, and these antifriction-rollers carry the weight of the annular shield and that of the guns within it upon annular railways, forming part of whatsoever structure the annular shield with its guns are or may be mounted on.

The structure upon which the apparatus or device constituting my present invention is carried may consist of a steady floating body, or it maybe the hull of a ship, orit may consist of a stationary tower, mound, or fort situated anywhere on land. The structure constituting my invention is essentially a ring-shaped inclosure containing the guns at suitable in-i tervals Within it, the exterior of the inclosure being preferably inclined and having ports in.

the inclined portion through which the muzzles and front portions of the guns project. When the shield and guns are being rotated, great facility is afforded for discharging the guns in succession upon the object or objects they are operated against. The guns are reloaded by the gun crews within the rotating shield or inclosure. This is quickly effected by suflioient ammunition being moved from a magazine to within a stationary central chamber. and transferred therefrom by the gun crews at any instant into the breechchambers of the guns, this central circular chamber forming part' of the improved device or apparatus constituting my present invention.

In order that my said invention may be the better understood, 1 have hereunto appended drawings showing my invention and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect,

and of which drawings Figure 1 is in part an elevation andv in part a transverse section of my annular rotating shield, gun carrying floor, and the other parts thereof, showing one of the guns within the shield, also the port-holes through which the muzzles and front parts of the other guns project, and the central chamber from which ammunition is supplied to the guns as required, it being here explained that the magazine from which the ammunition is withdrawn for supplying the guns is located at such depth within the structure upon which my annular shield and guns are carried that it is out of reach of the missiles of opposing guns. Fig. 2 is a detail of the revolving gear and 'some adjacent parts of my rotating shield.

Fig. 3 is in part anelevation and in part a transverse section of a steady floating structure, on a smaller scale than Fig. 1, the said steady floating structure being shown as ada ted for being mounted with my annular shie d-inclosure and guns within the same.

Fig. 4 is in part a plan and in part a series of horizontal sections corresponding to Fig. 3, the sectional orinterior parts being severally drawn to correspond with the dotted line a a in Fig. 3.

With reference to Fig. 1 my present improvement consists of the annular shield or inclosure (marked A) which is constructed of an annular bottom B, beneath which rings of rollers C are secured, and whereby the weight of the shield A, that of the un-floor D, and the weight also of the severrfi guns E is carried and supported rotatably upon the annular rails F, fastened down to the upper deck G of the steady floating structure of the kind hereinbefore referred to. Between some of the rings of rollers C there are secured projecting downwardly from the annular bottom B circular racks of spur-teeth (marked H) With Which the toothed pinions I, carried on one of the driving-shafts J, gear. It is here explained that several driving-shafts J, with toothed pinions I gearing into the several circular toothed racks H, are used for rotating the annular shield A, these being placed at intervals beneath the upper .deck

G, in which openings are cut to allow a part of each pinion to project upward through each such opening, as shown at both Figs. 1 and 2. tated at the same speed, so as to produce conformity of rotation of the shield and guns. The driving-gear engines by which these shafts J are driven do not constitute any part of my present invention, as any of the well-known types of engines and drivingglear adapted for the purpose may be em- 0 ed. p The central chamber K around which the annular shield A is situated is built up from the deck G, and that portion thereof which is situated within the annular shield A is constructed with openings, such as the archways L, (shown at Figs. 1 and 3,) through which access is had to the guns E in the annular shield A, whose interior central part is also constructed with openings or archways M. Through these two sets of openings or archways ample free space is provided for the gun crews and the transmission of ammunition from the central chamber -K and the interior of the annular rotating shield A. The upper part of the central chamber K may constitute a gun-turret, as shown at Figs. 1, 3, and 4," but this constitutes no part of my present invention. The lower part of the structure (shown at Figs. 3 and 4) represent a complete steady floating structure constructed according to my aforesaid allowed application for Letters Patent, and the weights and cables 0 and P, respectively, correspond to the weights, cables, and anchoring arrangements described in the specification of my aforesaid application, and therefore con stitute no part of my present invention.

Having now described my said invention and the best system, mode, or manner I am at present acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I desire to observe The several driving-shafts J are roin conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the invention to be secured to me by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The rotatable annular shield or inclosure provided with gun floor or platform, guns and port-holes, the whole being carried upon antifriction-rolle'rs, movable on circular rails, gear for rotating the same, carried on the deck or upper part of a floating, or stationary support, the central chamber, archways in both the annular shield and central chamber for access between the rotating shield and'the central chamber, to the latter of which ammunition is supplied and from which ammunition is delivered to the guns, the archways in both the annular shield and central chamber, substantially as hereinbefore described. 2. The combination of the rotatable annular shield having guns, gun floor or platform, archways and means for rotating the shield, and the central chamber with archways, and around which central chamber the annular shield and its guns are rotatedfall operating in'the manner and for the purposes substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. The combination in the steady vertically-movable floating battery or structure adapted to be loaded to a greater or less depth of immersion, of a rotatable annular shield, a gun floor or platform forming part of said shield, guns mounted thereon, a relatively stationary central chamber and a weighted l and yielding anchoring apparatus, substanl tially as hereinbefore described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, in the presence of two sub- I scribing witnesses, this 26th day of July,

WILLIAM EDWARD MURRAY. [L s] ltnesses:

ST. JOHN DAY, IRNIE BATEMAN.

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