IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING, LOADING, AND CHECKING THE RECOIL OF GUNS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALBERT SAUVÉE, of 22 Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING, LOADING,
AND CHECKING THE RECOIL OF GUNS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the apparatus for loading guns in
"barbette " or revolving turrets in any position of the platform on which is fixed
the mounting of the gun, and to effect such loading while following the movements
of the vessel attacked, and further in the arrangement of the apparatus to check
the recoil of guns.
This Invention may also be applied to carriages not mounted in turrets for land
or sea service.
The object of this Invention is to simplify and render the whole operations for
loading guns easy and rapid, and to enable such loading to be effected at any point
of the training, by means of a central tube which may form the pivot on which
the
gun turns.
These new arrangements in certain cases enable the diameter of the turrets to
be considerably diminished and consequently their weight greatly reduced.
This
By these improvements it. is no longer required to bring the turret back to one
determined position for loading the gun, such result being obtained by the employ-
ment of a special lift raising the charge inside a tube forming a central pivot
which is attached to the platform on which rests the mounting of the gun.
elevating apparatus consists of a hydraulic cylinder provided with two or more
telescopic pistons, of which the smallest carries the table provided with rollers,
on which rests the charge carrier containing the projectile and the two half charges
of powder.
The table is guided in its movements up and down by two slide blocks working
in grooves cut in vertical guide bars attached to the central, tube. The charge
carrier is guided in its movements by two side rollers, which work in grooves cut
also in the guide bars, but to a greater depth than the grooves for the table slide
D

page_text: blocks. These grooves branch off near the top of the tube, and the side rollers
working in them, the charge carrier is caused to travel backwards on the rollers of
the table, and is brought into a position which will lead it behind the breech of the
gun, when the side rollers leaving the grooves in the guide bars, the continued
ascent of the piston raises the charge carrier vertically between the rear transom
of the slide and a bracket fixed under the breech of the gun. When the projectile
arrives at the height of the axis of the gun, the pistons of the lift being at the top
of their stroke, stop the ascent of the carrier and the projectile is rammed home by
hand or by any suitable mechanism. As the table of the lift is mounted on the
top of the piston rod which moves in the-line of the axis of the turret, so as to be
capable of turning on such rod, it is evident that whatever the position of the
turret, the charge carrier partaking of its movements will always arrive behind
the breech in line with the axis of the gun.
The charge carrier that moves on the table at the top of the lift can be modified,
as well as the table itself and the guide grooves, according to circumstances and
the system of breech loading mechanism employed.
In one modification the charge carrier is replaced by a carrier pivotted at the
extremity of a lever which can turn round an axis. The vertical guides for the
two side rollers are curved in such a manner that as soon as these rollers leave
the vertical part of the guides, the charge carrier tips slightly and two other rollers
bear on two inclined planes, at the top of which the fore part of the lever resting
fairly on the table, the charge carrier is raised behind the breech of the gun in the
proper position for loading. In this case the apparatus for ramming home the
projectile and the two half charges will have to be arranged at an inclination.
inserting a lever or handspike in holes the charge carrier by a partial rotation can
be brought to the proper position for ramming each component part of the charge
into the gun.
By
In another arrangement which may be employed in certain cases, the charge
carrier revolves on a central axis, and the revolving of this carrier which will
allow each of the tubes containing respectively the projectile and the two half
charges, to be brought in succession behind the breech, can be effected either by
means of a lever or handspike as in the previous case or by means of a worm and
worm wheel.
Any suitable apparatus can be employed for elevating or training the gun, for
revolving the turret and ramming home the charge into the breech of the gun after
it has been raised in the required position as above described.
The pipe that brings the water under pressure for working the.apparatus inside
the revolving turret starts froin a distributing box. The upper part of this box
(which can turn round the pressure cylinder of the lift) is caused by the guide bars
for the table and charge carrier, to follow the revolving motion of the turret.
lower part of the box is fixed and receives the pipe that brings the water from the
compressing machinery.
The
The pipe that leads the water into the revolving turret is bolted to a branch
pipe and rising parallel to the table guides it is divided at the top into three
branches one leading to the cylinder for elevating the gun, one to the apparatus
for running the gun in and out, and the last leading to the mechanism for ramming
the charge home.
The hydraulic cylinder for running the gun in and out is provided with a valve
box for the proper distribution of the water for effecting this object, and at the
same time this box is so combined that it allows the water to return to the
accumulator when the gun recoils after firing, or it can let the water run to waste.
I use this running in and out cylinder when I employ independent hydraulic
brakes for checking the recoil of the gun. Inside the piston rod are provided two
water passages one leading the water on one side of the piston and the other on
the opposite side thereof. These two passages are respectively connected with
openings in the valve box where they are separated by a spring loaded valve.
This valve and also the annular space on the inner face of the piston are, in their

page_text: normal state, exposed to the pressure of water kept by the accumulator.
When
the carriage is run out the pressure of water is the same on each side of the piston,
but as the surface of the piston is much greater than that of the inner or annular
surface the carriage is kept in position whatever may be the rolling of the ship.
Before firing, two screw valves in the valve box are closed and when the gun is
fired and it recoils, the cylinder which is attached to the carriage slides along the
piston which is itself fixed and attached to the slide. The water inside the cylinder
is forced back to the distributing box; it lifts up the spring valve (this valve is
exposed to the pressure from the accumulator in addition to that of a spring that
insures its proper working) and it rushes partly back to the accumulator and partly
against the rear face of the piston. The recoil being checked by the cylinder
brakes, the spring valve closes again under the action of the spring and the carriage
remains in the run-in position it has assumed, and the pressure on the rear face of
the piston is such that it prevents any movement which might occur from the rolling
of the ship.
To run the gun out to fire, a valve is opened by means of a hand wheel, the
pressure of the water bears at once against the front end of the cylinder which
travels back on the fixed piston and brings the gun into the firing position.
If it be required to stop the carriage in any intermediate position this valve is
closed, and to run the carriage in, a waste valve is opened. It will thus be seen
that the carriage can be run out without any loss of water if the capacity of the
accumulator is sufficient to contain the water forced back by the recoil.
In order to avoid any violent shock when the carriage is nearly fully run out the
opening that 'passes the water to the back of the piston is so made that the area of
this opening is gradually reduced and closed as the cylinder is nearly run out.
When the cylinder is nearly run in there is a conical plug fixed inside the front
cover of the cylinder, which enters the opening of the other passage through the
piston rod and gradually reduces the area of the opening for the escape of water,-
the water, so kept in, acts as a sort of hydraulic buffer.
In a new arrangement of hydraulic brake the brake cylinders are utilized also.
for running the gun carriage in and out.
The regulator of the hydraulic brake in this apparatus consists of a rod carrying
at one end a roller working in a slide groove cut into a bar attached to the gun
carriage; the other end of the rod is conical and can close, to a greater or less
extent, the passage connecting the rear to the front end of the two cylinders in
such a manner that the pressure in the cylinders remains constant during the whole
of the duration of the recoil; the shape of the groove has been calculated to effect
this result.
The action of this regulator is as follows:-
Inside a valve box is a piston loaded by disc or any suitable springs to a pressure
slightly above that of the accumulator or the compressing pumps.
When the gun
is in its firing position the valve closes the communication between the two passages
which lead the water under pressure to the back of the cylinders and two other
passages which lead the water to the front part of the cylinders. The section of
the orifice between the latter pipes and the passage closed by the spring valve,
varies according to the position of the conical end of the rod, and the orifice is
completely closed when the gun is at the extreme end of the recoil.
By this arrangement it is obvious that the liquid can only pass from the back of
the two cylinders to the front of both when the valve is raised. At the moment
of firing the valve is raised by reason of the extra pressure of the liquid under the
piston of the right hand cylinder and also above the piston of the left hand
cylinder. The liquid therefore passes freely from the back to the front of the
pistons through the passages, the rod opening the orifice more and more during
the first inches of the recoil, then the inclination of the groove changing direction,
the rod recloses gradually the orifice, thereby creating an increasing pressure
against the pistons until the extreme end of the recoil, when it closes completely.

page_text: As soon as the gun has recoiled to its fullest extent the valve closes again the
communication between both ends of the cylinders, and, as these are full of water
that cannot escape, the carriage is kept in; to run the gun again out for firing two
pipes are employed. They are connected to a valve box and each of them may
serve alternately for the introduction or the discharge of the liquid. If one pipe
is placed in communication with the pumps or the accumulator, the liquid will
press on the right face of the pistons, and as they are attached to the carriage they
move it with them, and the running out will be effected by a pressure equal to the
pressure in the pumps or accumulator multiplied by the area of the whole surface
of the top piston plus the anunlar surface of the bottom piston. If, on the
contrary, it is desired to run the gun in, this pipe is run to waste and the other
pipe is connected with the pumps; the pressure will then be exerted on the left
face of the pistons (the whole of the surface of the bottom piston and the annular
surface of the top piston). The surface of these pistons is calculated so that the
running out of the gun can be effected easily with the gun at any angle of
elevation, taking also into account any extra angle due to the rolling of the
vessel.
The particular
The shape of the groove can vary to suit requirements.
arrangement of the rods of the cylinders does not form a special feature of this
Invention, and it will be readily understood that the rods may if desired be
arranged in any other suitable manner; and instead of being secured to the slide,
the cylinders may in certain cases be secured to the gun carriage, while the pistons
are secured to the slide.
The improvements herein described may be applied to different systems of guns,
and may be modified in form and varied in size according to requirements without
departing from the principle of the Invention.

page_text: I, ALBERT SAUVÉE, of 22 Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING, LOADING,
AND CHECKING THE RECOIL OF GUNS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
"
This Invention relates to improvements in the apparatus for loading guns in
" barbette or revolving turrets in any position of the platform on which is fixed
the mounting of the gun, and to effect such loading while following the movements
of the vessel attacked, and further in the arrangement of the apparatus to check
the recoil of guns.
This Invention may also be applied to carriages not mounted in
turrets for land or sea service.
The object of this Invention is to simplify and render the whole operations for
loading guns easy and rapid, and to enable such loading to be effected at any point
of the training, by means of a central tube which may form the pivot on which the
gun turns.
These new arrangements which in certain cases enable the diameter of the
turrets to be considerably diminished and consequently their weight greatly
reduced, are illustrated in the 7 Sheets of Drawings annexed to this Specification
and in which
Fig. 1 (shown partly on Sheet 1 and partly on Sheet 2) is a longitudinal section
through the centre of a revolving turret and also of the hydraulic brake.
Fig. 2 is a section through the axis of the hydraulic cylinder for running the
gun in and out, and also a section of the valve box used in connection with it."
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of a regulator for the hydraulic brakes, when I use
these brakes for running the gun in and out, the cylinders themselves being shown
in plan.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the axis of the telescopic lift for raising the
projectile and powder charges behind the breech of the gun, and further of the
apparatus I call "distributor" for supplying water under pressure to the moveable
bydraulic gear of the carriage. A plan view of this Fig. is also shown.
Fig. 5 shows a further modification of the elevating apparatus in which the
component parts of the charge are put into a revolving carrier.
Fig. 7 is a part plan view of Fig. 1.
It will be seen that by these improvements it is no longer required to bring the
turret back to one determined position for loading the gun, such result being
obtained by the employment of a special lift raising the charge inside a tube L
forming a central pivot which is attached to the platform on which rests the
mounting of the gun. This elevating apparatus consists of a hydraulic cylinder K
provided with two or more telescopic pistons, k and k', of which the smallest carries
the table T provided with rollers t, t, t, on which rests the charge carrier P
containing the projectile and the two half charges of powder.
The table T is guided in its movements up and down by two slide blocks t¹, t¹,
working in grooves cut in the vertical guide bars I, I, attached to the central
tube L. The charge carrier is guided in its movements by two side rollers p³
which work in grooves J cut also in the guide bars I, but to a greater depth than
the grooves for the table slide blocks. These grooves J branch off near the top of
the tube, and, the rollers p³ working in them, the charge carrier is caused to travel
backwards on the rollers of the table T, and is brought into a position which will
lead it behind the breech of the gun, when the rollers p³ leaving the grooves J the

page_text: continued ascent of the piston raises the charge carrier P vertically to the position
shown in Fig. 1, between the rear transom of the slide and a bracket ja fixed under
the breech of the gun. When the projectile arrives at the height of the axis of
the gun, the pistons of the lift being at the top of their stroke, stop the ascent of
the carrier and the projectile is rammed home by hand or by any suitable
mechanism. As the table T of the lift is mounted on the top of the piston rod
which moves in the line of the axis of the turret, so as to be capable of turning on
such rod, it is evident that whatever the position of the turret, the charge carrier
partaking of its movements will always arrive behind the breech in line with the
axis of the gun.
The charge carrier that moves on the table at the top of the lift can be modified,
as well as the table T itself and the guide grooves J, according to circumstances and
the system of breech closing mechanism employed.
Fig. 5 shows a modification in which the charge carrier P of Fig. 1 is replaced
by a carrier V pivotted at the extremity v2 of a lever v¹ which can turn round the
axis 2. The vertical guides for the two rollers p3 being curved in such a manner
that as soon as these rollers leave the vertical part of the guides, the charge carrier
tips slightly and two other rollers 2 bear on two inclined planes, at the top of
which the fore part of the lever v resting fairly on the table T, the charge carrier
is raised behind the breech of the gun in the proper position for loading. In this
case the apparatus for ramming home the projectile and the two half charges will
have to be arranged at an inclination. By inserting a lever or handspike in the
holes o and of the charge carrier by a partial rotation can be brought to the proper
position for ramming each component part of the charge into the gun.
Fig. 6 shows another arrangement of charge carrier which may be employed in
certain cases. In this arrangement the charge carrier revolves on a central axis,
and the revolving of this carrier which will allow each of the tubes containing
respectively the projectile and the two half charges to be brought in succession
behind the breech, can be effected either by means of a lever or handspike as in the
previous case or by means of a worm and worm wheel as shown.
Any suitable apparatus can be employed for elevating or training the gun, for
revolving the turret and ramming home the charge into the breech of the gun after
it has been raised in the required position as above described.
The pipe that brings the water under pressure for working the apparatus inside
the revolving turret starts from the distributing box M. The upper part of this
box (which can turn round the pressure cylinder K of the lift) is caused by the
guide bars I, I, for the table T and charge carrier, to follow the revolving motion
of the turret. The lower part of the box is fixed and receives the pipe that brings
the water from the compressing machinery.
The pipe that leads the water into the revolving turret is bolted to a branch
pipe m, and rising parallel to the table guides is divided at the top into three
branches, one leading to the cylinder for elevating the gun, one to the apparatus
for running the gun in and out, and the last leading to the mechanism for ramming
the charge home.
Fig. 2 shows section of the hydraulic cylinder for running the gun in and out,
and also a section of the valve box for the proper distribution of the water for
effecting this object, and at the same time this box is so combined that it allows the
water to return to the accumulator when the gun recoils after firing, or it can let
the water run to waste. I use this running in and out cylinder when I employ
independent hydraulic brakes for checking the recoil of the gun.
Inside the piston rod are provided two water passages one leading the water on
one side of the piston and the other on the opposite side thereof. These two
passages are respectively connected (as shown by the dotted lines) with the
openings 1 and 2 in the valve box T, where they are separated by the spring
loaded valve t. This valve and also the annular space on the inner face of the
piston are, in their normal state, exposed to the pressure of water kept by the
accumulator. When the carriage is run out the pressure of water is the same on

page_text: each side of the piston, but as the surface of the piston is much greater than that
of the inner or annular surface the carriage is kept in position whatever may be the
rolling of the ship.
Before firing the two screw valves u and v are closed and, when the gun is fired
and it recoils, the cylinder C2 which is attached to the carriage slides along the
piston which is itself fixed and attached to the slide. The water inside the cylinder
is forced back to the distributing box; it lifts up the spring valve t (this valve is
exposed to the pressure from the accumulator in addition to that of a spring that
insures its proper working) and it rushes partly back to the accumulator and partly
against the rear face of the piston. The recoil being checked by the cylinder
brakes, the valve t closes again under the action of the spring and the carriage
remains in the run in position it has assumed, and the pressure on the rear face of
the piston is such that it prevents any movement which night occur from the
rolling of the ship.
To run the gun out to fire the valve u is opened by means of a hand wheel, the
pressure of the water bears at once against the front end of the cylinder which
travels back on the fixed piston and brings the gun into the firing position.
If it be required to stop the carriage in any intermediate position the valve u is
closed, and to run the carriage in the waste valve is opened. It will thus be
seen that the carriage can be run out without any loss of water if the capacity of
the accumulator is sufficient to contain the water forced back by the recoil.
In order to avoid any violent shock when the carriage is nearly fully run out the
opening o that passes the water to the back of the piston is made in the form shown
in the detached plan view of piston in Fig. 2, whereby the area of this opening is
gradually reduced and closed as the cylinder is nearly run out as represented in
the Drawing. When the cylinder is nearly run in there is a conical plug fixed
inside the front cover of the cylinder, which enters the opening of the other passage
through the piston rod and gradually reduces the area of the opening for the escape
of water, the water, so kept in, acts as a sort of hydraulic buffer.
Fig. 3 represents a new arrangement of hydraulic brake which enables the brake
cylinders to be utilized also for running the gun carriage in and out.
The regulator of the hydraulic brake in this apparatus consists of a rod c carrying
at one end a roller e working in a slide groove cut into a bar attached to the gun
carriage; the other end of the rod is conical and can close, to a greater or less
extent, the passage connecting the rear to the front end of the two cylinders in
such a manner that the pressure in the cylinders remains constant during the whole
of the duration of the recoil; the shape of the groove has been calculated to effect
this result.
The action of this regulator is as follows:-
When
Inside the valve box A is a piston b loaded by disc or any suitable springs to a
pressure slightly above that of the accumulator or the compressing pumps.
the gun is in its firing position the valve closes the communication between the two
passages 1 and 2 which lead the water under pressure to the back of the cylinders
and the two passages 3 and 4 which lead the water to the front part of the
cylinders. The section of the orifice between the pipes 3 and 4 and the passage
closed by the spring valve b, varies according to the position of the conical end of
the rod c, and the orifice is completely closed when the gun is at the extreme end
of the recoil.
By this arrangement it is obvious that the liquid can only pass from the back of
the two cylinders to the front of both when the valve b is raised.
At the moment of firing the valve b is raised by reason of the extra pressure of
the liquid under the pistons of the two cylinders. The liquid therefore passes
freely from the back to the front of the pistons through the passages 3 and 4, the
rod c opening the orifice more and more during the first inches of the recoil, then
the inclination of the groove d changing direction, the rod c recloses gradually
the orifice, thereby creating an increasing pressure against the pistons until the
extreme end of the recoil, when it closes completely.

page_text: As soon as the gun has recoiled to its fullest extent the valve b closes again the
coinmunication between both ends of the cylinders and, as these are full of water
that cannot escape, the carriage is kept in; to run the gun again out for firing the
two pipes 5 and 6 are employed. They are connected to a valve box and each of
them may serve alternately for the introduction or the discharge of the liquid. If
the pipe 5 is placed in communication with the pumps or the accumulator, the
liquid will press on the right face of the pistons, and as they are attached to the
carriage they move it with them, and the running out will be effected by a pressure
equal to the pressure in the pumps or accumulator multiplied by the area of the
annular surface of the right hand piston plus the annular surface of the left hand
piston. If, on the contrary, it is desired to run the gun in, pipe 5 is run to waste
and pipe 6 is connected with the pumps; the pressure will then be exerted on the
front faces of the pistons. The surface of these pistons is calculated so that the
running out of the gun can be effected casily with the gun at any angle of elevation,
taking also into account any extra angle due to the rolling of the vessel.
The shape of the groove d can vary to suit requirements. The particular
arrangement of the rods of the cylinders shown in Fig. 3 does not form a special
feature of this Invention, and it will be readily understood that the rods may if
desired be arranged in any other suitable manner; and instead of being secured to
the slide, the cylinders may in certain cases be secured to the gun carriage, while
the pistons are secured to the slide.
The improvements herein described may be applied to different systems of guns,
and may be modified in form and varied in size according to requirements without
departing from the principle of the Invention.
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 use of a moveable central tube attached to the platform of the gun
carriage and moving with it, for the passage of the projectile and the charge and
for raising them to the proper position for loading, either by means of straight
guides with an oblique bifurcation or branching off in the manner described in the
first arrangement and shown in Fig. 1 of the Drawings, or by means of guides and
articulated levers carrying the charge and the projectile and which slide along
inclined planes so as to arrive behind the breech of the gun, the table on which the
charge carrier rests being worked by an hydraulic telescopic lift, chains, screws, or
tackles, and the charge carrier itself being able to slide ou the table, or capable of
swinging or rotating, all substantially as herein described and shown in the
Drawings.
2. The combination of the usual hydraulic buffers with a special running in and
out bydraulic cylinder and valve box which allows the water driven out of such
cylinder during the recoil of the gun to return to the accumulator, as described.
3. The arrangement and disposition of hydraulic brake cylinders for checking the
recoil of the gun by forcing the water from one side of the piston to the other
through orifices varying in section by means of the apparatus described and shown
in the Drawings.
«
4. The distributor" for supplying water under pressure to the mechanism in
the revolving turret, the top part of the distributor following the rotary movement
of the turret, whilst the bottom part receiving the compressed water is fixed,
substantially as herein described and shown.