The Washington herald., 1921-04-05
Gun CARRIAGES STAND
MILLION FOUND RECoIL.


MILLION POUND RECoIL.
Guns that develop breech .res-
sures of 100000 or more pounds
can be fired with perfect mobility
from artillery carriages weighing
only a few Thousand pounds" Ma.
J. B. Rose Of the Ordnance Depsrt-
ment Of the army. said at the recent
meeting of the Washington Section
OF the American Society Of Mechan-
ical Engineers as he told Of the de-
velopment Of recoil mechanisms for
different types Of artillery.
For many centuries gun car
riages as used by armies in the field
were so constructed that the gun
was rigidly attached to the cav
riage. no relatively movement being
permitted except that given the qua
when elevating IL or when giving IL
lateral movement" he said This
resulted in violent shock TO the car
riage upon firing and prevented ac-
curste and rapid pointing Of tho
gun, since IL was necessary to re-
peat each operation after every
round fired. In about 1897 the
French perfected a recoil system
which allowed the gun with certain
parts attached TO IL. to recofl upon
the carriage. Similar developments
were taken up about the same time
in Germany, Great Britain and by
'he Ordnance Department of the u.
S. Army
Introduction Of the recon system
has reduced a great many times the
forces acting upon the carriage
structure. thus allowing the adop-
tion Of more powerful guns and at
the same time permitting a decrease
in weight OF the carriage itself, he
explained. The rate Of f-e has been
greatly increased as the sight is not
thrown of the target by the shock
Of the discharge.
The mechanism. to be perfect,
must control very nicely the return
Of the gun to it's in-battery posi-
tion, and the construction Of the
counter recoil or recuperstor part
Of the mechanism has become a
highly-developed art" said Mr..
Rose.
The early types Of these mech
anisms used in this country checked
recon Of the gun by means Of a
piston acting on oil. and the coun-
ter recoil was effected by springs
which returned the gun to its ini-
tial position. The latest types OF
mechanisms have replaced springs
by the use OF air. In recoiI the gun
congresses the air, which thus
acts as a spring Many types OF
these mechanisms have been devei-
oped to meet the various condi-
tions of the service. While all OF
the types are simple in the prIn-
4fr fW
Of construction become quite in
volved. thus making Il one OF the
most difficult parts Of the carriage
to construct.
The ordnance department Of the
United states Army is now develop
ing many kinds OF these mechan-
isms for the various types Of ar
tillery which are now being con-
structed experimentaliy. and great
effort is being made TO simplify de-
tails OF construction while at the
same time retaining all Of the vir-
tues Of the best existing types"
sSLEEPING- AND TALKING
SICKNESS SAME DISEASE.
Sleeping sickness" and talking
sickness" the maladies that are re-
ported from time 10 time. are both
forms OF epidemic encephalitis. a
disease that causes Inflammation OF
the brain. This sickness seems "a
be an after-enect OF influenza. and
Is probably a heritage Of the dis
ordered conditions Of Europe during
the war.
Just now epidemic encephalitis ts
spreading. and how TO cure IL is not
known. In all parts OF the world.
particularly in New York under the
direction Of DR.. Simon FIexner and
others, and in Great Britain, inten-
sive research work is being done to
determine methods OF combating this
present epidemic which has. since its
first appearance in 1917 in Austria.
travelled westward through Italy,
France, England and then TO all
parts Of the United States.
Reports received by the Public
Health Service from Great Britain
say that it has been discovered that
IL is probable that encephslitis Is
not a germ or contagious disease,
hut that Il is caused by poisons pro-
duced by some 'disordered function
OF the body. This latest explanation
ie considered probable because Il has
not been possible TO reproduce en-
cephalitis in animals.
Encephalitis lethareica. commonly
called sleeping sickness" should
not be confused with true sleeping
sickness. caused by a germ. typano-
some, carried by the Tsetse ny,
which practically makes the center
Of Africa uninhsbitahle.
BUREAU OF MINES PLANS
TECHNICAL SAFETY suHvEYs.
The National Safety Council and
the Bureau OF Mines have entered
into cooperative aEreement
whereby a mining engineer will
visit all coal and metal mines OF the
country to scqusint operating COM
panies with a comprehensive safety
program which they have inauEu-
rated. This is the FIRST time that
mines have been visited for the
purpose Of personally assisting the
operators In applying information
published by the Federal govern
ment on mine safety subjects At
the same time a general study "f
imrovement of.safety practices viii