IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AMMUNITION ON BOARD SHIP
Year: 1884

page_text: I PERCY GRAHAM BUCHANAN WESTMACOTT of the Elswick Works Newcastle
on Tyne Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AMMUNITION ON BOARD SHIP " to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for conveying
ammunition on board ship.
For this purpose a three cylinder hydraulic engine is mounted outside the
powder magazine, it is fixed against the bulkhead or partition and its axis which
is horizontal projects through into the magazine and there carries a bronze bollard
or winch head.
The admission valve of this hydraulic engine is controlled by means of a toe and
heel treddle within the magazine. The treddle is carried upon an horizontal axis
projecting through the bulkhead or partition out of the magazine and there
connected with the valve.
The treddle also is of bronze and so also is all the metal work within the
magazine.
On the ceiling of the magazine pulleys are mounted at intervals.
Rails also are fixed upon the ceiling; they are arranged in pairs and include
between them a box like cavity. On these rails carriages run.
Each carriage
consists of a pair of wheels and an axle which passes through a body descending
between the rails. At the lower part of the body there is a socket receiving a ball
and forming therewith an universal joint. A hook is connected with the ball by a
pin passing through a forked stem fixed into the ball and also through an eye on
the stem of the hook. The body of the carriage is also provided with an arm
projecting to the outer side of one of the rails and there carrying a clamping screw
which can be turned by means of a crank handle.
In the use of the apparatus the case containing the powder charge is lifted by
he aid of a rope. The rope is laid around the bollard or winch head whilst the

page_text: end is held in the hand; an arrangement which gives perfect control of the load.
When the powder case is lifted an assistant hooks it onto a carriage which is locked
in place upon the rail until the charge is wanted.
The carriage is then released and run forward along the rails to a place where
the charge is transferred to an elevator which raises it to the gun.
To lift heavier loads carriages with a pair of triple blocks are provided, the
blocks take the place of the simple hook, the upper block being suspended from the
ball and socket joint. The lower block carries a cleat for making fast.
The construction of the hydraulic engine and the position in which the same is
mounted admit of variation.
The arrangements in the shell room are similar to those in the magazine as
described above.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Conveying Ammunition on
Board Ship.
I PERCY GRAHAM BUCHANAN WESTMACOTT of the Elswick Works Newcastle
on Tyne Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AMMUNITION ON BOARD SHIP" and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :--
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for conveying
ammunition on board ship.
For this purpose a three cylinder hydraulic engine is mounted outside the
powder magazine it is fixed against the bulkhead or partition and its axis which
is horizontal projects through into the magazine and there carries a bronze bollard
or winch head.
The admission valve of this hydraulic engine is controlled by means of a toe and
heel treddle within the magazine-The treddle is carried upon an horizontal axis
projecting through the bulkhead or partition out of the magazine and there
connected with the valve.
The treddle also is of bronze and so also is all the metal work within the
magazine.
On the ceiling of the magazine pulleys are mounted at intervals.
Rails also are fixed upon the ceiling they are arranged in pairs and include
between them a box like cavity. On these rails carriages run. Each carriage
consists of a pair of wheels and an axle which passes through a body descending
between the rails. At the lower part of the body there is a socket receiving a ball
and forming therewith an universal joint. A hook is connected with the ball by a
pin passing through a forked stem fixed into the ball and also through an eye on
the stem of the book. The body of the carriage is also provided with an arm
projecting to the outer side of one of the rails and there carrying a clamping screw
which can be turned by means of a crank handle.
In the use of the apparatus the case containing the powder charge is lifted by
the aid of a rope. The rope is laid around the bollard or winch head whilst the
end is held in the hand, an arrangement which gives perfect control of the load.
When the powder case is lifted an assistant hooks it on to a carriage which is locked
in place upon the rail until the charge is wanted.
The carriage is then released and run forward along the rails to a place where
the charge is transferred to an elevator which raises it to the gun.
To lift heavier loads carriages with a pair of triple blocks are provided the
blocks take the place of the simple hook the upper block being suspended from the
ball and socket joint The lower block carries a cleat for making fast.
The construction of the hydraulic engine and the position in which the same is
mounted admit of variation.

page_text: The arrangements in the shell room are similar to those in the magazine as
described above.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. is a sectional elevation and figure 2 is a plan of a magazine arranged
in accordance with my invention.
A, A, are rails fixed beneath the ceiling of the magazine in a convenient position
in respect to the ammunition racks beneath.
B, B, B, represent cases in which charges are contained C, C, are pulleys which
are also fixed beneath the ceiling. D is an hydraulic engine outside the magazine
but with its axis projecting through the bulk head or partition and carrying the
bronze bollard within. This hydraulic engine is shown to a larger scale by the
tigures 3 and 4, Figure 3 is an elevation of the engine with the cover removed and
Figure 4 is a vertical section taken through the magazine bulk head and through
the bollard and main bearing of the engine E is the casing the main bearing is
formed of a piece with it. The casing carries the trunnions of three oscillating
hydraulic cylinders F, F, F and these cylinders have rams G G, G, abutting upon
the crank pin H¹ upon the main axis H. D¹ is the bollard fixed upon this axis
within the magazine K is the valve by which water or liquid under pressure
drawn from an accumulator is allowed to pass to the hydraulic cylinders; it entera
and leaves the cylinders by passages in the trunnions R¹ is the treddle within
the magazine which serves to stop and start the engine when the apparatus is
in use.
L is a stop valve. Figure 5 is a section showing one pair of the rails fixed
beneath the magazine ceiling and also a carriage intended to run upon these rails.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the carriage. The rails and all the metal work
within the magazine are preferably of bronze The rails enclose a box like cavity
in which the wheels M. M and the axis M' of the carriage are contained N is the
body of the carriage, it descends through the interval between the rails and forms
a socket into which the globular head O on the forked stem O' is received the
hook P is connected by a pin with the stem. Q is a locking screw passing through
an arm N' projecting from the body N of the carriage. Q¹ is a handle on the
screw, by turning the handle the screw can be caused to bear against the side of
the rail A and lock the carriage fast in position wherever it may be at the time.
The locking screw can instantly be slackened when it is desired to move the
carriage from place to place along the rails. The process of conveying ammunition
with this apparatus is as follows.
•
A rope is passed over one or other of the pulleys C beneath the ceiling of the
magazine and one end is led away to the bollard D¹ the other by a hook at its end is
made to engage with the charge case which it is desired to lift. The hydraulic
engine having been set in motion the rope is tightened around the bollard, the case
is thus lifted and it can be retained in any desired position simply by regulating
the tension which the hand applies to the rope to tighten it around the bollard
whilst the ammunition case is thus raised one of the carriages already described
(represented at R in Figure 1) is brought up and its hook is made to engage with
the handle or lug upon the ammunition case. The carriage is locked in position on
the rails and the hook of the rope is disengaged from the case.
When the charge
is required the carriage is set free and it is conducted by hand along the rails A
till it arrives at the ammunition hoist by which it is conveyed to the gun.
Figures 7 and 8 show a carriage which is employed when heavier weights are
required to be lifted within the magazine, the carriage is as before but the globular
head O, which the body of the carriage carries in its socket in place simply of
sustaining a hook, supports a three sheave block, which is, worked in connection with

page_text: another three sheave block shown by figure 8. This block has a cleat S projecting
from it on one side for making fast the lifting rope. The rope can be passed to the
bollard D¹ for the purpose of raising the weight and when this has been done the
rope can be brought back to the cleat S and there made fast.
Having now. particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The arrangement within a magazine of a pair of over head rails A, A,
enclosing between them a box like cavity within which the wheels of a carriage
for the conveyance of ammunition are able to run; such carriage being provided
with locking apparatus for securing it to the rails and having a body projecting
downwards between the rails and suitably provided for receiving the charges and
conveying them to the gun.
2. The means for lifting the ammunition within the magazine consisting of a
hydraulic engine mounted against the partition or bulk head on the outer side and
carrying a bollard within the magazine on which a rope may be worked.
3. A magazine with apparatus for conveying ammunition substantially as
described and represented by the annexed drawings.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.