Improvements in Self-acting Brakes for Field and other Travelling Gun Carriages.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-acting Brakes for Field and other Travelling
Gun Carriages.
1. ALFRED LONGsions, of 9, New Brel Street in the City of London,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention commation to
ine from abroad by the firm of Fried. Krupp, of Essen, in the Empire of Germany,
Cast Steel Manufacturers), and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and a-certained in and by the following statement :-
This invention refers to mechanism and devices as hereafter described whereby
the brake block or blocks is or are brought automatically into and out of contact
with the wheel tyres of field and other guns and the movement of the corresponding
carriage wheels are thereby controlled.
The invention will be clearly explained by the following description having
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section on the line A B of Figure 2, of so much of a
gun carriage as will be necessary to illustrate the invention.
Figure 2 being a sectional plan of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line C D of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan showing a somewhat modified construction of a portion of the
mechanism hereafter described, and
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line E F of Figure 2.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the figures.
According to this invention the brake block c is either mounted on an ordinary
brake bar a or on the brake arm b (see Figures 1 and 2), and d is the wheel tyre;
the brake bar or brake arm bis connected by connecting rode and joint pin with
the upper arm of a three armed lever g movable round the bolt h. The forward
arm of each lever forms a segment which is provided with wedge-shaped
projections upon its periphery, fitting into recesses of similar shape in the rings i
when brought into contact. These wedge shaped rings are fixed on the nave of the
carriage wheels. In order to facilitate the entrance of those wedges into the
rings the lower part of the segment is arranged somewhat eccentrically, and
approaching to the axis, whilst the really gearing upper part of the segment lies
concentrical to the axis.
Immediately the gearing of the forward arm of lever g and ring i is effected, by
properly turning the hand wheel w, the course of actions which automatically take
place when the carriage is running back after discharge, or un-limbered on the
march, is as follows:
The carriage wheels by means of the wedge shaped rings i turn the forward arm
of lever in the direction of the arrow, Figure 1, whereupon by means of the
connecting rod the brake bar a or as the case may be the brake arm b, together
with the brake blocks c, are moved towards the wheels and finally the blocks pressed
hard against the wheel tyres thus putting on the brake.
Upon the bringing in position of the gun, after discharge, the carriage wheel
automatically moves the forward arm of the lever g in the inverse direction, the
brake blocks are removed to a distance from the carriage wheels and the latter
are set free. The transmission of the motion of the carriage wheels upon the brake
blocks besides being effected by the rings described may also be attained by other
forms of friction gearing or toothed wheels.
The forward arms of the levers g and the rings i are set in and out of gear in the

page_text: following manner. The bolt or pin h which serves as an axis for the lever g is
fitted in a sliding bed, the latter (the bed k) being itself attached to any fixed
part of the carriage, in the present case to the bar 1, so that it (the sliding bed k)
can slide backwards and forwards.
To this bed & one arm of the brake lever m is connected by means of a link.
The lever m turns round a bolt p which has its seat in a fixed part of the carriage,
in this case, on the tie bar . The other arm of the lever m is in connection with
the traversing nut o either by the connecting rod a Figure 2, or directly attached to
it as shown in Figure 4. This connection may however be effected otherwise, for
example by toothed gearing between the nut o and the lever g and so forth.
The nut o can be moved backwards and forwards by turning the brake screw p
by means of the hand wheel e. The brake screw is supported on the carriage by
suitable bearings, in such a manner, that can only turn round its axis.
g
By means of the brake lever m the motion of the nut o causes a corresponding
motion of the bed and consequently of the forward arm of the lever g, which thus
is brought into and out of gear with the wedge-shaped ring upon the nave of the
wheel. In order to ensure a precise and unfailing getting in and out of gear the
third or lower arm of the lever is formed with a slot, in which fits the pin 8
carried by the bar 7. When the brake is thrown into gear by turning the brake-
screw the pin strikes the back end of the slot and presses the forward arm of the
lever forcibly into the ring i in case it has not yet fallen into the ring i owing to
its own weight. When on the other hand the brake is thrown out of gear the pin s
strikes the front end of the slot, whereby the forward arm is lifted and finally set
fast so that it cannot be thrown up and down when the gun is on the march without
use of the brake.
=
The before described arrangement can also be reversed. The arm may carry
the pin and a slot may be formed in a fixed part of the carriage; instead of the
slot two cams or projections may be provided; the pin may be replaced by a tooth
or a stud.
For the adjustment of the brake both for convenience in construction as well as
to allow for wear of the brake-blocks, the connecting rods e are formed of two parts
which are screw-threaded and tapped, so that by a few turns the length of the
connecting rod or rods may be changed.
When
To prevent the forward arm being pressed too hard into the ring i the motion of
the traversing nut o in the direction in question is limited by a stop nut screwed
on the brake screw ', which is kept in its position by the safety clasp q.
the gearing parts i and are so far worn out through long use, that the pressure
between them is insufficient, the stop nut r is correspondingly adjusted.
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 :-
A self acting brake for travelling gun carriages characterised by
1. The arrangement of friction rings or toothed wheels i, grooved and wedge-
shaped levers g, and adjustable connecting rods e, for the purpose of transmitting
the motion of the carriage wheels to the brake-blocks.
2. The arrangement of the brake screw p', with the hand wheel w, the traversing
nut o, levers m, the sliding blocks k, the stop nut r, and safety clasp g, for the
purpose of causing the friction rings or toothed wheels and the levers, to engage
or disengage, and for adjusting and regulating the pressure between the toothed
wheels and levers.
3. The arrangement of the pins a fixed to the sides of the carriage, and the
slots in the lower arm of the levers . for the purpose of assuring a precise
and reliable action of the picces and the friction ring or toothed wheels i
and moreover for holding the pieces in position when the brake is out of

page_text: gear all substantially as described and shown with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
1 2001
ALFRED LONGSDON.
By Brewer & Son,
33, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.