Improvements in Carriages and Mountings for Quick Firing Guns
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carriages and Mountings for Quick Firing Guns
1, THOMAS EXglish, of Hawley, near Dartford, Kent, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
My invention relates to the carriage and mounting of a quick firing gun, which
is arranged to be transportable on wheels, to be capable of being pivotted in
position, and to be aimed and fired from the shoulder. The trunnions of the gun
are held in blocks that can slide parallel to the axis of the gun on a cradle which
is also trunnioned and is mounted by a pivot or perch pin on the upper part of the
carriage, and which is provided in front with a pair of hydraulic recoil cylinders,
one on each side of the gun, and in the rear with a pair of springs of sufficient
strength to advance the gun after recoil to the firing position. The carriage has a
trail and a pair of wheels so that the gun can be readily moved from place to place.
When it is desired to use the gun in position, it is run onwards until the axletree of
the carriage comes vertically over a fixed base provided to receive a pivot in its
centre. This pivot is by means of a lever slid down from the body of the carriage
into the hole of the fixed base, and a ring that can revolve round the upper part of
the base is shackled to the carriage, which can then be traversed round the base, so
as to point the gun in any direction. The gunner having his shoulder against a
shoulder-piece projecting from the rear of the gun, can traverse the gun through a
limited arc on the upper pivot in a horizontal plane, and can swing the gun on the
cradle trunnions in a vertical plane. In order to relieve the shoulder-piece from
downward strain when the gun recoils, I apply to a drum forming part of the
top carriage, concentric with the trunnions of the cradle, a friction strap attached
to the cradel, which strap is usually kept loose by a spring, but which become
tightened as the gun recoils, thus acting as a brake to impede the descent of the
preponderating rear of the gun.
Dated this 28th day of April 1890.
ABEL & IMKAI,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carriages and Mountings for Quick Firing Guns.
I, THOMAS ENGLISH, of Hawley, near Dartford, Kent, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to the carriage and mounting of a quick firing gun which
is arranged to be transportable on wheels, to be capable of being pivotted in position,
and to be aimed and fired from the shoulder, as I shall describe referring to
the accompanying drawings.
Fig. is a side view and Fig. 2 is a front view of the carriage and pivot,
according to my invention, for a quick firing gun. Fig. 3 shews to an enlarged
scale the brake hereinafter described for relieving the gunner from downward strain
when the gun recoils. The trunnions of the gun G are held in blocks B which can
slide parallel to the axis of the gun on a cradle C. This cradle C is trunnioned at a
in a forked casting A which is pivotted on the carriage D by a perch pin E.
In the front of the cradle Care two hydraulic recoil cylinders F. one on each

page_text: side of the gun, and in the rear of the cradle are two springs S of sufficient
strength to advance the gun, after recoil, to the firing position. The carriage has
a trail T and a pair of wheels W, so that the gun can be readily moved from place
to place.
When it is desired to use the gun in position, it is run onwards until the axletree
of the carriage comes vertically over a fixed base H provided to receive in its centre
a pivot P which can be raised and lowered by a hand lever p. When it is
lowered into the hole of the base H, the carriage is guided by it as it is traversed
round upon its wheels, which roll on a circular racer formed on the base H. To
prevent the lifting of the carriage it is shackled at h to a ring R which can revolve
around the base H under its projecting flange.. The gunner having his shoulder
against a shoulder piece K projecting from the rear of the gun C, can traverse the
gun through a limited arc in a horizontal plane on the upper pivot E and can
swing the gun in a vertical plane on the trunnions a of the cradle. In order to
relieve the shoulder piece K from downward strain when the gun recoils, I apply a
brake in the following manner.
On the forked casting A on each side of the gun I fix a brake drum L
surrounded by a flexible brake strap, the one end M of which is fixed to the
cradle C and the other end M' to the short arm of a lever N which is pivotted on
the cradle. The long arm of this lever is pressed upwards by the end of a cross
spring Q, but while the gun is in firing position the end of the lever is kept down
by the block B, the brake strap being thus kept loose. When the gun recoils the
block moves back leaving the lever N free to be pressed up by the spring Q, thus
tightening the brake strap and preventing the rotation of the cradle on its trunnions
that would otherwise result from the unbalanced weight of the breech end of
the gun.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In combination with the transporting carriage of a quick firing gun, a fixed
base with racer for the carriage wheels and with a pivot and ring to which the
carriage is shackled, for working the gun, substantially as described.
2. In combination with the recoil cradle of a quick firing gun a brake strap
attached thereto and embracing a fixed brake drum on the mounting, substantially
as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated this 17th day of January 1891.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.