Patent GB-190309490-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the Loading, Elevating and Sighting of Heavy Guns.
Inventor: DAWSON ARTHUR TREVOR
Filed: 1903-04-27
Granted: 1904-03-31
Abstract: 9490. Dawson, A. T., and Horne, J. April 27. Turrets; mountings; sights and methods of sighting.-Relates particularly to turret mountings having two guns. The guns are so geared together that they can be elevated and sighted simultaneously by means of one sight from any one of several independent sighting stations. Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation and Fig. 2 a transverse section of the mounting. The guns A are mounted on a turntable B, having attached below it a working-chamber C and a trunk D. The turntable, working-chamber, and trunk rotate together. The guns are carried in cradles A<1>, which recoil on slideways A<2> against the resistance of brake cylinders A<3>. The slide-ways A<2> are moved in elevation, together with the guns, about the trunnions A<4> by means of hydraulic rams g, which are linked to brackets A<5> on the underside of the slide-ways A<2>. The elevating-gears are connected by a shaft a carrying, at each end, a pinion a<2> gearing with a rack a<3> carried by the ram g. When desired, the elevating-gears can be disconnected and the guns worked independently. The controlling-valves of the rams and the gear for controlling the training- motors are actuated by the double-handed levers g<1>, shown in side elevation, Fig. 5, and in plan, Fig. 6, which are pivoted to a frame g', capable of oscillation in a fixed bearing g<3>. A sleeve g<6> loosely mounted in the frame g<2> so as to be capable of longitudinal movement is connected to the levers and is depressed or raised by them to actuate the pivoted lever g<7> connected by a rod g<9> to the control valve of the rams g. The shaft g<10>, connected to the mechanism for controlling the training- motors, is keyed to the frame g<2>, so as to be turned by any horizontal movement of the levers g<1>. A similar lever control mechanism, with a pistol grip g<4> and a firing-key, is provided for use at each of the sighting-stattons. The guns may be elevated by screw-driven motors, instead of hydraulic rams. Loading-appliances.-The projectiles are loaded into the two cages I, Figs 1 and 2, from rotating bogies M at the base of the trunk D in the magazine E<1>; and the powder charges are loaded into their hoisting cages J from the trays J<1> supported in the trunk within the magazine E. Both the cages I and J are guided on rails D' in the trunk and are raised by hydraulic presses D<2>. The trays i in the cages J are tilted automatically when the cages reach the working-chamber C, so that the projectiles then roll into the inclined trays i<1>, from whence they are pushed into the loading-cage K. The powder charge is carried in two superposed compartments in the cage J, the bottom j<1> of these compartments being inclined outwards so that the charges can roll out into the trays j<3> when the hinged doors j<2> are lifted by the engagement of the sliding stop j<x> x x x, Fig. 2<a>, with the fixed stop d. The trays j
 are pivoted at their forward ends, so that they can be inclined for the charges to slide into the loading-cage K. The trunk D may be of conical form and the hoisting-rails diverge upwards. In some cases, the trunk is conical in the upper portion, and the rails diverge at the beginning of the conical part. In the arrangement shown in plan in Fig. 18, the projectiles are carried in a horizontal position, and are tilted into outwardly inclined trays i in the working-chamber C. The projectiles slide from the trays ix into an inclined way i' leading into a second tray i<5> inclined towards the loading-cage K. The powder charges are hoisted in a similar manner.