Patent GB-191022043-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the Breech Actuating and Loading Apparatus of Heavy Guns.
Inventor: DAWSON ARTHUR TREVOR
IPC: F41A5/32
Filed: 1910-09-22
Granted: 1911-09-21
Abstract: 22,043. Dawson, Sir A. T., and Horne, J. Sept. 22. Loading-appliances.- Relates to automatic hydraulically - operated breech mechanism for opening the breech during the run - out movement of the gun, and consists in the provision of improved control mechanism whereby a self-stopping breechactuating motor may be carried by the gun slide or other non - recoiling part of the mounting and be under the control of the pivoted loading-tray so as to close the breech when the loading - tray has assumed its lowest position. The loading tray is operated by the hoist cage, which is controlled by the breech mechanism as described in Specification 20,129/10. Figs. 1 and 5 are diagrammatic side elevations of the apparatus before firing and during the run-out respectively. The hydraulic breech-actuating motor C and its control valve C<1> are carried by the gun slide B. A pinion AX on the hinge-pin A' of the breechscrew carrier gears with a rack A<2> slidably mounted in guides on the gun A. When the gun recoils, it carries the rack A<2> with it, and an extension a of the rack passes to the rear of two spring bolts B<2>, B3 arranged in a casing B<1>, which is slidably mounted, by arms b, b<1>, in guides b<Î>, b<1Î> on the slide B. The bolts are controlled by bell-crank levers b<2>, b<3>, both of which are connected by a rod c<1> with the upper end of a lever C' pivoted at c to the control lever C<2> of the valve C'. The bolt B<3> is further controlled by a plate b<4Î> on the bolt B<2>. When cleared by the rack-bar extension a, the bolt B<2> rises, so that, when the gun run outs, the rackbar engages the bolt, pushes the casing B' forwards, and thereby, through the link b<0>, rocks the lever C<2> about its pivot c‹ into the position shown in Fig. 5, and actuates the valve C<1>. The motor C then opens the breech at such a speed that the pinion A<Î> gives to the rack A<2> a motion equal and opposite to the run-out motion of the gun. The rack therefore remains stationary relatively to the slide B. The displacement of the levers C<2>, C<3> also enables the bolt B<3> to rise into a recess a<1> in the rack-bar so that, if the gun does not fully run out, the pinion A<Î> will, through the rack A<2> and bolt B3, draw the casing B<1> rearwards and so stop the motor. The lever C<2> is restored to the central position, and the motor stopped, by a nut c<3Î> on a screw-shaft C<Î> driven by the motor. Before actuating the lever C<2>, the nut engages a projection c<3> on the lever C<3> and rocks that lever so as to depress the bolts B<2>, B<3> and release the rack-bar A<2>. After loading, the descent of the loading-tray D into the position shown in Fig. 1, causes a projection D<Î> thereon to engage with a spring bolt d<Î> mounted in a second sliding casing D<2> on the slide B, which casing is connected by a rod D<1> with the lower end of the valve lever C<2>. The lever C<2> is thus rocked into the breech-closing position, and the motor C is started and continues to run until a second nut c<2Î> on the shaft C<Î> rocks the lever C<2> back into the cut-off position. The nut c<2Î>, before it actuates the lever C<2>, rocks a lever C<4> pivoted at c<4> to the lever C<2>, and, through the link D<1Î> and bell-crank lever d<1>, withdraws the bolt d<Î> so that the casing D<2> may be moved back again by the lever C<2>.