Patent GB-190320194-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Gun Mountings.
Filed: 1903-09-19
Granted: 1904-09-15
Abstract: 20,194. Beardmore & Co., W., and Bremberg, A. Sept. 19. Mountings field carriages methods of sighting.-Consists of combined sighting and elevating-gear as applied to a field carriage, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2, a rear sectional elevation, and Fig. 3<a> part sectional side elevation. The gun is elevated by the handwheel A<5>, Figs. 1 and 2, which rotates the shaft A' on which is the pinion A<1> in gear with the elevating-arc A, and a pinion C<2>, in gear with the sight-elevating-arc C<1> concentric with the arc A, and formed on a loose sleeve C<3> to which is keyed a " sighting-disc" D'. Spring toothed plungers D<3> carried by the disc D' engage the teeth D' of the " elevating-disc" D keyed on the shaft A<2>, and lock the elevation and sight gears together ; the plungers, which are spaced on the " Vernier principles that only one engages the disc D at a time, are released by pins D<9>, Fig. 2, on connected rings D<7>, D<8>, which engage the cam pieces D'‹, Fig. 3, of the plungers, so that by a rotation of the rings D<7>, D<8>, the sights are elevated independently of the elevating-gear. The two gears are then interlocked and the gun elevated until the sight-line is on the object.. If the range is found to be wrong, the sighting disc D<2> is locked to the bracket A<3> by pressure on a spring catch D<6>, the serrated edge of which engages the serrations D<5> on the disc D<2> and the plungers D' are released from the teeth D<1> by a slight rotation of the rings D', D<8>; the gun may then be adjusted while the sights remain fixed. The range drum which is attached to the sight bracket is enclosed in a box, through an aperture in which the range is read, and is rotated against the action of a spiral spring by a steel band attached to the cradle and passing over a cylindrical or cam surface on the spindle of the drum. The sight-bar C', Fig. 1, is pivoted to the pin C<7> at one end, and passes through a sleeve on a coarse thread spindle C<8> screwed eccentrically into the trunnion B' of the gun, so that the sights are automatically deflected. In other mountings the deflection is obtained in various ways such as setting the sights at 2‹ in the usual manner, or in the case where right and left hand sights are employed for elevating and traversing, the sight-bars may be pivoted to the trunnions, the trunnion axis being slightly inclined to the horizontal; or when the two sightbars are connected across the cradle, a pin on one of the connecting arms may engage a cam groove formed in the top of the cradle, or vice versÔ; when connected in this manner the sight bars are pivoted so that they may be deflected for windage or speed by one deflection spindle or worm. Another arrangement of sighting and elevating gear is shown in Fig. 6 applied to a field carriage though applicable with slight modifications to other mountings. The spindle A<2> rotated by the hand - wheel A<5> carries a worm C<2> in gear with the sighting-arc C', and a worm A‹ driving a worm-wheel A<7> and elevating pinion A', in gear with the elevating-arc A ; the range scale E is shown attached to the cradle B. Fig. 8, shows the principle of the clutch arrangement by which the gun may be elevated independently of the sights, though the arrangement of the worms is different to that shown in Fig. 6. The hand. wheel A<5> is hollow, and the handle is made in three parts F, F<1>, F<4> ; the part F<1>, on which are collars F<2>, F<3> slides between the other two which are fixed by the pin F<5>, and pulls back the pin G, lever G<3>, and spring rod G<6>, and through the bell crank G<9> depresses the spindle H<1>, cottar H<4>, and clutch H<5> against the action of the spring H<8>. The teeth H<6> of the clutch H<5>, and worm sleeve H<7>, being disengaged the elevating-worm A<6> is alone rotated. Modifications of this clutch device are described the principle being the same, and in a device described in the Provisional Specification the sight, and elevating pinions are on separate shafts, with clutches so arranged that either or both gears may be operated.