Smith's locomotive battery, 1862. Creator: Unknown
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Smith's locomotive battery, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Smith's locomotive battery, 1862. This is a design for a small one-gun battery intended to travel on common roads. It. is the invention of F. Smith...The battery is proposed to be constructed of iron of sufficient thickness to resist the shot from such artillery as usually accompanies an army "on the march"; its dimensions to be 24ft. in length, 12ft. in height, and 16ft. in width. These proportions, it is thought, will allow of its passing easily along turnpike roads whose minimum width is fixed by law at thirty feet. The battery is intended to be propelled by steam machinery...the inventor has devised a means of preventing accidents and consequent delays caused by the wheels that support the battery breaking through the crust of the road. He proposes to place behind the fore-wheels of the engine a horizontal roller of the entire width of the machine, measuring from outside to outside of the axle-boxes, so that, should the small wheels sink below a fixed limit, the weight of the engine is at once transferred to the larger bearing-surface of the roller...The battery will be armed with one rifled pivot-gun and twelve breech-loading rifles'. From "Illustrated London News", 1862
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Media ID 35123219
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Armaments Armoured Vehicle Battery Cannon Cannons Diagram Invention Locomotive Mobile Rifle Rifles Steam Steam Power Tank Tanks Vehicle Illustrated London News White And Black
EDITORS COMMENTS
This image showcases a design for a revolutionary one-gun battery, known as Smith's Locomotive Battery, created by F. Smith in 1862. The battery, depicted here, was designed for military use on common roads, enabling rapid deployment and mobility for the army. Measuring 24ft in length, 12ft in height, and 16ft in width, this iron fortification was intended to withstand artillery fire and easily navigate turnpikes, whose minimum width was legally mandated at thirty feet. The innovative battery was propelled by steam machinery, allowing it to outpace traditional artillery on foot. To prevent accidents and delays caused by the wheels sinking into the road, Smith devised a clever solution: a horizontal roller, the width of the machine, was placed behind the fore-wheels of the engine. This roller served as an additional bearing surface, transferring the engine's weight to the roller should the small wheels sink below a safe limit. Armed with a single rifled pivot-gun and twelve breech-loading rifles, this mobile battery represented a significant advancement in military technology during the mid-19th century. Its combination of mobility, protection, and firepower made it a formidable asset for any army on the march. This design, published in the Illustrated London News in 1862, offers a fascinating glimpse into the engineering ingenuity of the past.
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