Patent GB-205801-A (GB)
Title: Distant control installation for anti-aircraft artillery
IPC: F41G5/08
Filed: 1923-10-15
Abstract: 205,801. Compagnie des Forges et AciÚries de la Marine et d'HomÚ- court. Oct. 17, 1922, [Convention date]. Sights and methods of sighting. - A distant-control apparatus, on which the: observed azimuth height and actual horizontal distance of the target are set up, furnishes in a continuous manner by means of a mechanical triangle the future angles ot azimuth and elevation and the fuse time for use at the gun station. Fig. 25 shows diagrammatically the instrument at the observing station B. a represents the observed position of the target, f the future position, and A<1> the gun. The observed azimuth is converted into a rotation of the disc P. P<1> about B so as to keep the point a on a fixed diameter BO. A tracer at a is movable along BO in accordance with the observed horizontal distance of the target and is actuated at equal time intervals to trace out the path of the target as shown by the dotted line. Pivoted at a is a ruler a, f which is constantly directed along the tangent to the dotted path, and is graduated with a uniform time scale representing the uniform speed of the target. The member A<1>, f, termed the alidade, is pivoted at A<1> to the disc and is graduated with a non-uniform time scale, for the projectile, prepared from the chart, Fig. 2, which shows trajectories for various angles of elevation. The distances reached by the projectile in equal times are marked on the trajectories in the form of equal-time curves d. At a given altitude XX the curves d will be intersected at #<1>, #<2>, #<3>, giving a scale which indicates times of flight for a given altitude. The scales on A<1>, f and a, f are varied in accordance with the observed height of the target and the position of f is determined when a slider on A<1>, f registers the same time on both scales. The determination of f enables the azimuth O<1>, A<1>, f, the horizontal distance A<1>, f and the fuse time to be communicated to the gun. Fig. 35 shows the general arrangement of the observing-station B, the control station D and the gun station A. The path of the target is traced on a transparent disc 1 by a tracing point mounted at the centre of a disc 13 which can be rotated to set the ruler 15 along the tangent to the dotted path. The disc is carried by a slide 10 connected with the range-finder R by a wire 6<1> so as to be radially adjustable to suit the observed horizontal distance of the target. The disc 1 is rotated by wires 6, 6 to suit the azimuth of the target observed by the range-finder. The disc is geared to an inner concentric disc 65 which adjustably carries the pivot of the alidade 41. The coincidence of graduations on the ruler and alidade is observed by a telescope 53, Fig. 12, adjustable in jumps along the alidade by a spring-operated reversible escapement 57 released by press-buttons 58. The jumps are electrically conveyed to rotary cylinder 80, Fig. 28, having curves for various heights which convert " horizontal distance " into angle of gun elevation and fuse time. On each side of the cylinder a pointer 85 is kept in coincidence with the curves on the cylinder by another escapement device 88. Racks such as 87 are connected to transmitters which continuously set up the elevation and fuse time on dials 96, 97 at the control station, which dials are situated near the dial 95 on which the azimuth is set up. The gunners at the control station by means of controls 98, 99, 100 operate the training-gear, elevating- gear and fuse-setter so as to make the pointers 102, 104, 106 follow the pointers 101, 103, 105.