Patent GB-214995-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to fire control apparatus for naval guns
Filed: 1924-04-23
Abstract: 214,995. Krupp Akt.-Ges., F. April 25, 1923, [Convention date]. Addition to 212,934, [Class 92 (ii), Ordnance &c.]. Hunting switches. - Relates to distantlycontrolled naval guns mounted on a rolling platform and fired by electric contacts one of which is stabilized by a gyroscope. In the parent invention, a motor E imparts a substantially uniform velocity to the gun K and the non- stabilized contact a<1> as they pass through the firing position during the rolling-up movement. According to the present invention, the motor E is connected through a transmitter H and receiver J to a hunting-switch device N which controls the supply of electric current from the mains M<5> to a gun-elevating motor M to cause the gun to move synchronously with the contact a<1> under the action of the motor E. Whilst the gun is being loaded, the contact a<1> together with a pointer a<4> are turned through an angle corresponding to the range by operating a handwheel D to the reading of a range drum d<3>. On adjusting a sector B by turning a wheel f<2> until the pointer a<4> registers with a secondary mark g<2>, the transmitter H is moved to cause the receiver J to operate the switch device N and energize the gun-elevating motor M. When a switch m<7> is moved to the position I, the motor M moves the gun through the range angle less the small angle a referred to in the parent Specification and represented by the distance between the marks g', g<2>. The hunting-switch device shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2 is in three sections. The first section comprises contacts i<4> to i<7> connected with the armature i<1> of the receiver J and movable over a fixed commutatorlike body n<1> relatively to which contacts k<6>, k<7> driven from the gun are movable. The second section comprises contacts i<14>, i<15> driven through reduction gearing from the armature i<1> and movable relatively to a ring k<11> driven through corresponding reduction gear from the gun. The third section comprises contacts i<16>, i<17> driven through a further reduction gear and movable relatively to a ring k<12> driven through corresponding reduction gear from the gun. The contacts on being moved from the neutral position shown in Fig. 2 establish circuits through the armature of the motor M which moves the gun by means of an elevating-arc k<1> a secondary arc k<2> acting through a shaft k<3> to restore the contacts to their neutral positions to stop the motor. Coarse and fine dials k<15>, k<16> and f<6>, f<7> situated at the observation station or the gun station indicate agreement between the movements of the gun and the firing contact a<1>. Marks b<5>, g<3> indicate when the gun is in the horizontal or loading position. The switch m' is placed in position II to complete a circuit through a lamp P at the observation station to show that the gun is loaded and ready to fire. The motor E can then be brought into operation during the roll-up by closing a switch e<3> and actuating the clutch e<2> as described in the parent Specification. The switch e' also enables the motor E to be reversed to restore the gun to the loading position.