Improvements in and connected with Guns or Ordnance, and Carriages or Mountings therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in and connected with Guns or Ordnance, and
Carriages or Mountings therefor.
1, CARL JOHAN MALCOLM AFZELIUS, of 39, Chantry Road, Brixtor, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :—
My invention relates to guns or ordnance and to carriages or mountings therefor,
and it comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
According to my invention the ordinary trunnions of a gun are dispensed with
the axis upon which the gun is moved for effecting the elevation and depression of
the gun being placed below the gun so as to intersect the axis upon which the
traversing movements of the gun are effected.
By this arrangement I am enabled to effect all the movements of a gun by means
of a universal joint and also to bring the axis of movement for the elevation and
depression of the gun much nearer to the axle of the gun-carriage than heretofore.
In carrying out my invention I advantageously employ a bar, the ends of which
are supported in the cheeks of the carriage and serve as trunnions upon which the
gun can be moved. This bar supports the cradle, in which the gun recoils, for
which purpose the forward part of the cradle at the underside is provided with a
recess or claw adapted to receive the said bar. A vertical pin is passed through
the cradle and through the bar and serves as the axis upon which the traversing
movements of the gun can be effected. In order to relieve the said pin from any
strain during the firing of the gun, the forward part of the said bar is adapted to.
lic closely against the recess in or claw on the cradle in which it is placed so as to
directly bear the force of the recoil. In order at the same time to permit of the
traversing movement of the gun the said bar and recess or claw are curved to
the are of a circle the centre of which is the centre of the said pin.
1 can also, if desired, employ a joint consisting of a ball secured to the underside
of the gun and working within a socket upon the carriage or vice-versa.
A pin is passed horizontally and transversely through the said ball and socket,
which pin is made partly of one diameter and partly of another diameter, the con-
necting portion between the parts of different diameter being curved to the arc of
a circle having its centre at the centre of the ball. The hole in the ball, through
which hole the pin passes, is slightly coned out from the curved part to allow the
ball to move in a plane passing through the axis of the pin.
This form of joint is advantageously used in connection with the elevating screws
of guns.
In order to prevent the spring (which is used in guns wherein the force of the
recoil is utilized for performing various operations in working the gun) from
operating too quickly I provide improved means for cushioning the piston against
which the spring acts and which is enclosed in a cylinder containing liquid. For
this purpose the said piston is provided with an open-ended tube adapted to enter
and fit into a recess formed in the opposite cylinder_cover. The passage through
the said tube communicates with the ordinary valved passage through the piston.
head. When, however, the said tube enters the corresponding opening in the
cylinder cover it is obvious that the liquid between the tube and the walls of the
cylinder cannot escape through the said tube but only through the ordinary small
passage formed in the cylinder walls whereby during the last part of the stroke of.
the piston the speed of the latter is considerably reduced.
The hydraulic buffer is advantageously placed beneath the gun, the cylinder
being formed integral with the cradle. This cylinder is made to open at the rear

page_text: end, and is provided with a screw-cap recessed on the inner side to receive the end
of the spring. The said screw-cap is made of considerable length to permit of
adjusting the pressure of the spring.
Dated the 18th day of June 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Guns or Ordnance, and
Carriages or Mountings therefor.
I, CARL JOHAN MALCOLM AFZELIUS, of 39, Chantry Road, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, 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 guns or ordnance and to carriages or mountings therefor,
and it comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
According to my invention the ordinary trunnions of a gun are dispensed with,
the axis upon which the gun is moved for effecting the elevation and depression
being below the gun so as to intersect the axis upon which the traversing movements
of the gun are effected.
By this arrangement I am enabled to effect all the movements of a gun by means
of a universal joint and also to bring the axis of movement for the elevation
and depression of the gun much nearer to the axle of the gun-carriage than
heretofore.
In carrying out my invention I advantageously employ a bar, the ends of which
are supported in the checks of the carriage and serve as trummions upon which the
gun can be moved. This bar supports the cradle or frame in which the gun
recoils, for which purpose the forward part of the cradle at the underside is pro-
vided with a recess or claw adapted to receive the said bar. A vertical pin is
passed through the cradle and through the bar, and serves as the axis upon which
the traversing movements of the gun can be effected.
In order to relieve the said pin from any strain during the firing of the gun,
the forward part of the said bar is adapted to lie closely against the cradle so
as to directly bear the force of the recoil."
To enable my invention to be fully understood will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure represents so much of a gun-mount as is necessary to illustrate the
application of my invention: and,
Figure 2 is a plan of the same:
Figure 3 is an end view partly in section and represents a gun mounted in the
cradle :
Figure 4 is a detail view of the universal joint:
Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view shewing the arrangement of a carriage
for sliding in the cradle; and
Figure 6 is an end view of the same partly in section and representing a gun in
position:
Figure 7 is a detail view of the universal joint shewn in Figures 5 and 6; and,
Figures 8 and are a plan and sectional view illustrating a slight modification:
Figures 10 and 11 are sectional views at right angles to each other of the joint
I advantageously use in connection with the elevating screw of my apparatus:
Figures 12, 13 and 14 are views illustrating another modification of my
invention:
Figure 15 is a longitudinal section of a recoil buffer and piston shewing the
application of my improved means for cushioning the piston.
a indicates the trail of a gun-carriage, and the cradle. is the bar, the ends

page_text: of which serve as trunnions and which advantageously supports the cradle between
the cheeks of the carriage, and d is the claw which forms the recess in which the
said bar is located. e is the vertical pin passed through the cradle and the bar and
serving as the axis upon which the traversing movements of the gun can be effected.
In order to relieve the said pin from any strain during the firing of the gun, the
forward part of the said bar is adapted to lie closely against the recess on the
cradle, as shewn clearly in Figure 4, so that the force of the recoil will be felt
directly upon the front of the bar and not upon the pin. In order to admit of the
traversing movement of the gun, the said bar and the surface against which it bears
are curved concentrically with the axis of the pin e.
In Figure 3 the gun is provided with projecting pieces f, which enter guides g, g
in the cradle, but, where my invention is to be used in conjunction with existing
guns having trunnions, the gun is mounted upon a carriage adapted to slide in the
cradle, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6. With the arrangement hereinbefore
described it will be understood that any movement of elevation or depression takes
place upon the axis of the bar e and that any traversing movement is effected upon
the axis e.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 5 and 6 the bar c instead of being moved
into the recess in the cradle from the back is inserted therein from the bottom,
and is there confined by a cap secured by the nut upon the bottom end of the
pin e.
In some cases | advantageously arrange antifriction balls between the bar and
the cradle in the manner indicated in Figures 8 and 9.
indicates the joint which I advantageously use in conjunction with the elevating
screw: this joint comprises a ball j' attached to the upper end of the elevating
screw and fitting into a socket on the underside of the cradle. A pin m is
passed through the said ball and socket, the said pin being formed with a spherical
shoulder and fitting a corresponding recess in the ball, the centre of the said
spherical recess being the centre of the ball. The pin m on one side of its spherical
shoulder is tapered, and the hole through which it passes in the ball is made
parallel, while on the other side of the spherical portion the pin is made parallel
and the hole tapered. This formation of the pin and ball allows of the traversing
movement of the gun.
Although I have described this joint as applied to the elevating screw it is to be
understood that it may also serve for carrying the gun or the cradle in which the
gun slides, or for any other purpose in the gun-mounting.
Figures 12, 13 and 14 are a sectional side clevation, sectionals end elevation and
sectional plan shewing the application of my invention to a mount adapted to be
moved on a carriage n. In this case the arrangement is substantially the same as
that hereinbefore described, that is to say, as regards the cradle 6 and the bar c.
In order to effect the training of a gun thus mounted, I fix upon or form integral
with the said bar c two toothed segments o and p, with which respectively engage
worms and, the worm y being on a shaft supported in bearings s, s on the
cradle b, and the worm r on a shaft supported in bearings t, t on the carriage n.
It will be obvious that by rotating the worm q, by means of a hand wheel, the gun
will be traversed upon its vertical axis e and that by rotating the worm 7, gun
will be elevated or depressed upon the axis of the bar c.
the
In order to prevent the spring (which is used in guns wherein the force of the
recoil is utilized for performing various operations in working the gun) from
operating too quickly, I provide improved means (illustrated in Figure 15) for
cushioning the piston against which the spring acts and which is enclosed in a
cylinder containing liquid.
For this purpose the said piston is provided with the open-ended tube §¹
adapted to slide and fit in a recess t¹ formed in the cylinder cover.
The passage
through the said tube communicates with the ordinary valve-passage u through
the piston. During the greater portion of the return stroke of the piston under
the action of the spring, the liquid passes freely through the tube s' and through the

page_text: passage u. When, however, the said tube s enters the recess in the cylinder
cover, the liquid, enclosed in the spaces between the tube and the walls of
the cylinder, cannot escape through the said tube but only through the ordinary
small passages we, wo formed in the cylinder walls, whereby, during the last part
of the stroke of the piston the speed of the latter is considerably reduced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Mounting a gun upon a cradle or frame, wherein the gun can recoil, the
said cradle being carried upon a bar or support pivoted in the cheeks of the carriage
or mount, the said cradle being capable of movement for the horizontal training
of the gun around an axis vertical to the axis of the said bar, substantially as, and
for the purpose, set forth.
2. Pivotally mounting the cradle or frame carrying a gun upon a bar or
support capable of movement upon its horizontal axis, the said bar being formed
with a face concentric with the axis of the pivot, a corresponding face on the
cradle being adapted to bear against the said concentric face, substantially as
described.
3. In a gun mounting a joint having a ball formed on a screw or shaft working
within a socket, the said ball and socket having passed through them a pin, which
is formed with a spherical-shoulder fitting a corresponding recess in the ball, the
centre of the said spherical-shoulder being the centre of the ball and socket,
substantially as described.
4. A gun mounting constructed substantially in the manner hereinbefore described
and illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination with a gun mounting of the kind hereinbefore described, of
means for training the gun, substantially as described with reference to Figures 12,
13 and 14 of the accompanying drawings.
6. The arrangement substantially as described with reference to Figure 15 of
the drawings for preventing the too rapid return of the buffer-piston.
Dated the 18th day of March 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.