THE TREEBY ‘CHAIN GUN’
THIS striking design is the earliest-known attempt at a linked belt of ammunition, pre-dating Hiram Maxim’s attempt by nearly 30 years. It was the invention of Thomas Wright Gardner Treeby of Paddington, London.
Treeby was born at Stoke Damerel in Devon in 1817 but moved to London, where he found both success as a builder and a wife, Mary Ann Brown (they married in 1840). Toward midcentury, he began dabbling as an inventor. On 11 July 1855 he lodged Patent No 1552 (granted 11 January 1856), which ‘consists in substituting an endless chain of chambers for the revolving cylinder of chambers used ordinarily in revolving fire-arms’. This increased capacity well beyond that of a solid cylinder that, for the same number of shots, would be impossibly bulky and heavy. Nonetheless, the extant examples remain rather cumbersome. The design is otherwise unremarkable, if outlandish in appearance, with a single-action, thumb-cocked mechanism. An unknown but small number of firearms were manufactured to this design, including a 14-shot rifled carbine in the Royal Armouries collection, one of only four known to survive. Treeby’s patent also depicted a beltfed pistol and even an artillery piece.
The Treeby carbines would have been impractical as either a military or sporting arm and the same goes for the other versions illustrated. Treeby was looking to improve this before his first patent was granted and applied for a second patent (No 2629) on 21 November 1855, of which he stated: “It is proposed to give the barrel a reciprocating sliding motion on the stock, and to employ a hinged breech-piece. A self-acting cap holder is to be used for placing caps upon the nipple.” The full patent does not appear to have been granted. A further provisional patent (No 1306) appeared in June 1858, adding an improved dual pulley system; this is fitted to the Armouries example.
The following year, a version with a belt 30 chambers long was demonstrated in front of the press and trialled at Hythe and Woolwich alongside a single-shot breechloader (currently on loan to the Royal Armouries). The chain rifle was able to fire all 30 shots in one minute with satisfactory accuracy at 200 yards, but no further military or commercial interest was forthcoming.
For a time, Treeby remained a gentleman inventor. In 1859, he came up with an ingenious mechanical target system, followed in 1861 by a new design of rifling machine. That year, he diversified his business interests by becoming a landlord and ceased applying for patents. Sadly, Treeby died in December 1874 at the age of 57.
The Treeby chain gun can be viewed by appointment at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, the national museum of arms and armour. Open daily, 10am to 5pm, during school holidays; Wednesday to Sunday in term time. Entry is free but pre-booking recommended. Tel 0113 220 1916; royalarmouries.org