On this day in 1893 Richard Gatling was granted the patent for Machine Gun. U.S. Patent No. 502,185.
The invention relates to the class of machine guns commonly known as Gatling guns, the object being to provide a gun of this class which can be readily changed so as to be fired with great rapidity either by hand or by power, the power driving mechanism being so constructed that it may be quickly removed, or attached in such manner that it is out of sight and not a mark for hostile projectiles or in the way of the gunners; and further to so construct the mechanisms of the gun that the parts may be quickly removed and assembled, and enable cartridges of small caliber to be used and positively extracted after being fired.
To this end the invention resides in a gun having a frame or casing supporting a cylindrical cam and a central revolving shaft bearing coils of wire, a group of barrels and a cylinder with reciprocating locks, and in details of the construction of these parts.
