Patent GB-191205903-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Gun Mountings.
Inventor: BACON REGINALD HUGH SPENCER
Filed: 1912-03-08
Granted: 1913-03-10
Abstract: 5903. Bacon, R. H. S., Redpath, R., Barr, A., and Stroud, W. March 8. Mountings.-Relates to gun-mountings of the kind having variable-speed elevating and training motors, and consists in the apparatus and means described below whereby, as the sights are moved to follow a target moving either in azimuth or altitude, or both, the gun is moved in advance of the sight by an amount controlled by a range-finder on the mounting to allow for the movement of the target during the flight of the projectile. Correcting - gear is also included for varying the drift correction and the tangent-angle as the target-altitude increases. Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively right and left hand side elevations of the gun mounting, and Fig. 2<A> is an enlarged view of part of Fig. 2. The gun 1 is mounted in a cradle 2, which in turn is trunnioned at 3 in a supplementary cradle 4. The cradle 2 is adjustable in elevation relatively to the cradle 4 by the engagement of a pin 83, Fig. 2, on the cradle 2 with a camgroove formed in a member 82 which is traversed backwards or forwards in guides on the cradle 4 by a screw 81, rotated by worm-gearing 80 through bevel-gearing 79 driven by a handwheel 78. The cradle 4 and the superposed devices referred to below are elevated upon the trunnions 3, carried by the pivot 5 of the mounting, by a pinion 9 engaging a sector 8 secured to the cradle. The pinion is driven by a constant speed motor 12 through a variablespeed hydraulic transmission 131. The rate of elevation is varied to cause the sights 21, 211, carried by a cross - connecting bracket 20 mounted on the cradle 4, to follow target movements in altitude by a hand-wheel 181, which, through worm and bevel gearing 171. rotates a shaft 161 connected by screw-and-nut mechanism with the control-lever 151 of the transmission 131. The lever 151 is pivoted at 191 to the pivot 5. The gun is trained by the motor 12 through a second variable-speed hydraulic transmission 13 driving the usual training-gear worm shaft. The rate of training, to follow target movements in azimuth, is varied by a hand-wheel 18 acting through similar gearing 17, 16 upon the control-lever 15 of the transmission 13. The lever 15 is pivoted at 19 to a slide 46, on the pivot 5, the function of which slide is described below. A range-finder 24 is supported by a bracket 23 upon the cradle 4, and is connected to the sight bracket 20 by a rod 25 so as to move with the sights in elevation, and is connected to the sight 21 by a rod 26 for deflexion. A transverse rod 22 connects the two sights 21 and 211 for deflexion. The setting of the range-finder by a hand-wheel 39 effects, through a shaft 38 and worm-gearing, the rotation of a transverse axis 36. which carries at its 'extremities disks 35 and 351 formed with cam-grooves 34 and 341, respectively. These cam-grooves. in conjunction with approximately radial cam-grooves 33 and 331 in the cheeks of the cradle 4, guide pins 32, 321 which form movable fulcra for two similar levers 31, 311. The rear ends of the levers are pivoted to nuts 29, 291 which are raised or lowered in guides 30, 301 by screws 27, 271 driven by the training and elevation control hand - wheels 18, 181. A rod 40, pivoted at 41 to the lever 31, acts through rack-and-pinion and wormgearing 42, 43, and an arm 45, to deflect the sights laterally, the amount of deflexion depending upon the position of the fulcrum 32 and of the nut 29, and hence upon the range and the rate of training. A speed correction for the altitude of the target is made by a toothed sector 50 on the cradle 4, which sector acts upon the slide 46. through gearing 49, 48, 47, and displaces the pivot 19 of the control-lever 15. The drift correction is varied for the altitude by a lever 53 pivoted to the cradle 4, one arm of which lever is guided by a fixed cam-groove 51 as the gun is pointed, and the other arm effects an axial displacement, without rotation, of the screw 27 and hence rocks the lever 31. The corresponding devices 401 and 531 at the other side of the gun alter respectively the lead-angle of the sights for the range and speed of elevating, to follow the moving target, and for the altitude of the target. The elevation for the range is effected by the hand-wheel 78, as described above, the gun being correctly elevated when a pointer 77 on the member 82 is in register with a movable index 75 controlled by the range-finder 24. If the range is changing, the position of the index is automatically adjusted. to correct for rate of change of range multiplied by the time of flight of the projectile by mechanism controlled by the range-finder and by a constantspeed device 65 carried by the cradle 4. An alternative means for adjusting the index 75 is described in the Provisional Specification.