Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Up the Recoil of Guns.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Taking Up the Recoil of Guns.
I, ANDREAS RADOVANOVIC, of Radetzkyplatz 14, Pilsen, Bohemia, Austrian
Empire, 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 :-
1
This invention has reference to a construction of apparatus for taking up the
recoil of guns, whereby a very long recoil relatively to the space occupied by the
apparatus can be obtained.
In such apparatus according to this invention the recoil is taken up by two or
more brakes which are connected to the gun carriage or to the gun in such a
manner that they will each take up a part of the recoil the sum of the parts taken
up being equal to the total amount of recoil necessary in each case.
In the arrangements heretofore usually employed an example of which is shown
diagrammatically in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, only one brake cylinder
is used for a given lengths of recoil. In this case the brake cylinder must be of a
length greater than that of the recoil by an amount equal to the length of the
stuffing box, the thickness of the cylinder covers &c., whilst the slide must be made
about double the length of the recoil.
Now according to this invention in order to provide for long recoils in places
where the employment of long slides is not practicable, two or more brakes are
employed each of which takes up about one half of the force and the extent or
length of the recoil, in such a manner that their movements when added together
are equal to the total length of recoil. For this reason I apply to my improved
apparatus the term adding-up brake."
The brake-cylinders in this case are made of a length which is only about half
the length of the ordinary brake cylinder indicated in Fig. 1.
The running out or forward movement of the gun can be effected either by
elastic or spring buffers that are compressed on firing, or by means of gravity if
the gun slides be inclined.
The accompanying drawings show a number of modified arrangements of recoil-
carriages with adding-up brake according to this invention.
Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive being illustrative diagrams; whilst
Figs. 8 to 19 inclusively illustrate the construction of various arrangements.
Figs. 2, 8 and 9 illustrate an arrangement of recoil carriage with adding-up
brake, in which the gun R rests in a trunnion bearing a mounted on the upper of
the two superposed brake cylinders c¹ c³, the arrangement being such that the upper
cylinder moves on a slide F¹ on the lower cylinder c' and the latter moves on a
slide F on the carriage. On firing, the two cylinders act either simultaneously or
in succession, and, for the greatest recoil, assume the position shown in dotted lines
in Fig. 2.
In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 10, the gun rests in bearings a
which are fixed to a separate sliding carriage S that slides along two inclined
guides F. Between these guides F there is arranged a brake with cylinders
arranged telescopically so that the inner brake cylinder c¹ constitutes the piston rod
for the outer cylinder c². On firing, each cylinder moves with relation to its piston
to the extent of about one half of the recoil so that the brake, for the greatest
recoil, is situated in the position shown in Fig. 4.
In the two arrangements described, the piston rod of one cylinder is connected
to the carriage, whilst the other cylinder moves with the gun. In the arrangements
shown in Figs. 5 and 6 in Figs, 11 and 12 and in Figs. 13 14 and 15 however the

page_text: piston rod of one brake cylinder c¹ can be connected to the carriage, whilst the
piston rod of the other cylinder e³ can be connected to the gun R so as to be carried
along thereby.
Figs. 5 and 6 show the positions before and after firing respectively. The
cylinders may be arranged either laterally of the gun or over the barrel or it may
be side by side below the gun barrel.
Instead of two brake cylinders, a greater number may as before stated, be
employed.
Figs. 7, 16 and 17 show an arrangement of three brake cylinders, of which
two c¹ c¹, are arranged on opposite sides of the gun, whilst the third cylinder c² is
beneath the same. The piston rods of the cylinders c¹ c¹ are connected to the gun
whilst that of the cylinder c² is connected to gun carriage.
In the construction shown in Figs. 11 to 17 inclusive, the gun is mounted in a
saddle or intermediate support O carrying the two or three brake cylinders, and in
which the barrel moves through a distance equal to one half the recoil.
This saddle or intermediate support O is guided in the outer frame M, and also
moves therein relatively through half the recoil so that the gun moves through the
sum of the two amounts of recoil. The frame M carries the two trunnions n
about which it is capable of turning in a vertical plane for the purpose of altering
the elevation.
The axes of the trunnions are located either in a horizontal plane containing the
axis of the gun, or, as shown in full lines in Figs. 13 to 15 below the same. In the
latter fig. longitudinal fillets are shown forged on the gun barrel, these fillets
sliding in the saddle or intermediate piece O.
The adding-up brakes may also be suspended from swinging levers.
Figs. 18 and 19 show two modifications of an arrangement of this kind. In
Fig. 18 there is mounted in the swinging levers H a special recoil carriage C
provided with a brake cylinder c² the piston rod of which is connected to the breech
end of the gun R which latter makes its recoil movement within the said carriage.
The swinging levers H are connected at their lower ends to the other or second
brake c¹ which is pivoted to the gun carriage proper. On firing, the gun makes a
recoil movement equal to the sum of the recoils s¹ and s², the first (s) corresponding
exactly with the length of stroke of the piston in the brake cylinder 2 whilst the
latter s² represents the length of stroke of the piston in the cylinder c¹ increased in
consequence of the relation of the unequal lever-arms y z which connect the
trunnions a to the piston of the cylinder c¹.
In Fig. 19, the gun R rests directly in the swing levers H whose pivots or
journals p are however mounted on one brake cylinder or two brake cylinders c',
which slides or slide along an inclined surface on the gun carriage. Thus in this
case, there are added together the recoil s¹ of the brake-cylinder c with the recoil s²
which corresponds to the length of stroke of the piston of the brake cylinder c
increased at the trunnion a by reason of the proportion of the lengths of the
unequal arms y z of the levers H as in the previous case.
Thus it will be readily understood that the brakes described may be combined
together in any desired manner and number, and may be constructed as hydraulic,
pneumatic or friction brakes.
When hydraulic brakes are employed, the dimensions of the cross sectional area
of flow for the brake-liquid in the several cylinders, may be made such that either
both cylinders will come into operation simultaneously or one after the other.
Also in the arrangements illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, and Figs. 11 to 17
inclusive, the corresponding spaces of the cylinders c' and may be connected
together, with the result that the same pressure will obtain in both cylinders.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
Apparatus in which the recoil of a gun is taken up by two or more brakes

page_text: which are connected to the gun carriage and to the gun in such a manner that they
will each take up a portion of the recoil, the several portions being added together
and being equal to the total recoil of the gun substantially as herein described.
Dated this 14th day of December 1892.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.