Patent GB-190415441-A (GB)
Title: Automatic Firing Apparatus for Guns having Electrical or Electro-mechanical Ignition.
Inventor: PECHY HEINRICH VON
Filed: 1904-07-11
Granted: 1904-09-15
Abstract: 15,441. PÚchy, H. von, and Rea, V. July 11. Ordnance, discharging by means external to breech mechanism.-In an automatic electric firing-device, particularly intended for naval ordnance, the amount of " lead " is automatically adjusted to the particular velocity ot rolling. The device is described as used when the gun is to be fired with a rising muzzle, though it may also be used with a descending muzzle. The device consists of a contact-pendulum carrying a correction pendulum, which swings freely outwards as the muzzle moves downwards, but is subject to a retarding-influence during its inward movement as the muzzle rises, so that the position of the centre of gravity of the whole pendulum, and consequently the position of its contact-end, depends upon the velocity of the rolling motion. The instant of contact is therefoie advanced or delayed according as the actual velocity is greater or less than a certain velocity, which is determined by the amount of retardation of the correction pendulum. The contact-pendulum 2, Fig. 1, swings in bearings 1 in a plate swinging in bearings 9 in a frame 11, which may be attached to the sight-bar 31, Fig. 9. The upper end 3 of the pendulum moves between buffer-stops 4, 5, circuit being completed when the end 3 is against the contact 6. The correction pendulum is carried in bearings 14 upon an arm 12 of the pendulum 2, and is retarded during its inward swing by means of an air pump, shown in section, Fig. 4, of which the barrel 20 and piston 19 are carried by the pendulum 2 and the correction pendulum, respectively. Each of these parts of the pump is carried by universal joints. During the outward swing of the pendulum, air is drawn in freely through the valve 23, and, during the inward swing, escapes through the passage 25, which is adjusted, so as to secure the desired amount of retardation, by means of the screw 26 carrying an arm 27 clamped on the arc 28. During the downward roll, the end 3 of the pendulum 2 bears against the stop 4, while the correction pendulum swings freely outwards. During the upward roll, the correction pendulum swings in under the influence of its air brake, and the pendulum end 3 touches the contact 6 when the sightbar is at an angle with the horizontal determined by the rate at which the correction pendulum moves in, this rate being determined by the setting of the brake screw 26 and the particular velocity of rolling. In order to prevent the gun from being fired after it has reached the proper direction, the firing-circuit is broken by means of an electromagnet 34, Fig. 10, through which sufficient current to draw down its armature 35 and brake the contact 36 of the firing-circuit only passes when the contact 3, 6 is made before the firing-key has been depressed. The electromagnet coils form a shunt to the pendulum and ignition devices, and are of higher resistance than these in series, so that, when the firing-key 33 is depressed, there is not sufficient current passing through the electromagnet coils to cause the armature to be drawn down to break the contact 36. When the key 33 is not closed, the whole current passes through the electromagnet and the armature is drawn down.