IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CARRIAGES FOR ORDNANCE,. AND IN DEVICES FOR OPERATING THE SAME, AND CHECKING THE RECOIL THEREOF
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Fitch, of Washington City, in the
District of Columbia, and United States of America, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CARRIAGES FOR ORDNANCE,.
AND IN DEVICES FOR OPERATING THE SAME, AND CHECKING THE RECOIL
THEREOF." A communication from George Robert Wilson,
residing at Washington City, District of Columbia, United States,
aforesaid.
-
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Fitch at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
¨ Declaration, on the 19th October 1868, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Fitch at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
* Declaration, on the 19th October 1868, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FITCH, of Washington City, in the District of Columbia, and United
States of America, Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS I am in possession of an -Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CARRIAGES FOR ORDNANCE, AND IN DEVICES FOR OPERATING THE SAME AND
CHECKING THE RECOIL THEREOF," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it is a
communication to me from George Robert Wilson, a person resident at
Washington City, District of Columbia, United States, aforesaid.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Fitch, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the
following statement :-
This Invention consists, first, in a novel method of constructing
carriages for ordnance; second, in a novel construction of the chassis,
and of the securing and arranging of the gun carriage thereon; third,
in providing the carriage and chassis with devices for operating the gun;
and, fourth, in a novel method of checking the recoil of the gun and its
carriage, all as herein-after more fully explained.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the chassis
and carriage mounted thercon complete; Fig. 2 is a side elevation
thereof; Fig. 3 is a front view thereof partly in section; Fig. 4 is a side
elevation of a modified form of the carriage; Fig. 5 is a front elevation
of the same; and Fig. 6, a plan view thereof.
In the construction of my improved gun carriage I provide plates of
wrought iron, bronze, or other wrought metal, or metallic compositions
of any suitable thickness, say half an inch, more or less, of sufficient
size to form an entire side piece, from which I cut out in suitable form,
as represented by A, Figs. 2 and 4, duplicate pieces, these pieces having
holes cut in them, as sliown, to any desired extent to render them as light
as possible consistent with the required strength. These side plates A
are then united near their front by a cross plate B, and also across the
bottom both front and rear by plates E, these cross plates B, E, having
their ends bent at a right angle to form flanges by which they are firmly
riveted to the side plates A, as represented in Fig. 2.. The frame thus
constructed is mounted on truck wheels bat both front and rear, the
truck wheels being secured to the side plates A, as shown in Fig. 2.

page_text: Bearings for the trunions of the gun are formed by riveting to the top
of the plates A near the front semicircular boxes a, which fit into
corresponding recesses cut in the edge of the plates, the pieces a having
flanges fitting down on each side of the plate, by which they are
securely riveted to the plates A, as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5. Above
these pieces are secured by a bolt at each end a semicircular strap of
metal a', it being so arranged that when one of the bolts is withdrawn
the strap can be turned up on the remaining bolt as a hinge. Upon the
outside of each plate A is secured a spur gear wheel T, which gears with
a pinion a, having a crank attached rigidly thereto, this pinion and
crank being mounted loosely on a stud or journal 7, on which it can be
moved to and fro far enough to throw it in and out of gear with the
wheel T at pleasure for a purpose to be herein-after explained. Under-
neath the centre and longitudinally of the carriage is secured a rod g,
which works suitable guides secured to the under side of the cross
plates E, as represented in Fig. 1, this rod being made wedge-shaped at
both ends, as represented by o, Fig. 1. A screw thread is cut on this
rod g just in front of the rear plate E, and on it at this point is mounted
a worm wheel , having a corresponding thread, this wheel being
held in place by a stirrup secured to the plate E, as shown in Fig. 1.
A rod i extends transversely across the carriage, being journalled in the
plates A directly over the wheel or nut 4, with the periphery of which
it engages by means of a screw thread r, as represented in Figs. 1 and 3,
the rod i being provided with a hand wheel or crank H, by which it may
be turned, thereby imparting a rotary motion to the nut or wheel h,
which in turn gives to the rod g a longitudinal movement to and fro,
according as the crank H is turned in one or the other direction. To
the under side of cach plate E is secured loosely by suitable guides q
two sliding bars 12, these bars n being arranged in pairs transversely
of the carriage, and having their inner ends abutting against the
wedges o on the rod g. The outer ends of these bars 12 are bent down-
ward so as to form strong flanges or angle irons, which are firmly bolted
to a wooden block I on each side; these blocks projecting below the
bottom of the carriage, and extending nearly its entire length, as shown
in Fig. 1. The carriage thus constructed is mounted on a chassis con-
sisting of two wrought-iron rails R, connected' at front and rear by a
strong wrought-iron plato L, having a projection N at its centre with a
hole in it, as shown in Fig. 1, by which the chassis may be bolted or

page_text: bars n.
pivotted to the deck or bed so as to be swung laterally either at the
front or rear as circumstances may require, there being rollers F secured
at each end of these plates L, on which the chassis is moved laterally as
desired. The rails Rare further secured together by strong rods p
at each end to prevent the possibility of their spreading apart. In
making the chassis care is taken to have the rails R slightly converging
towards their rear end for a special reason, as will be herein-after
explained. To the inner sides of the rails R wooden rails or blocks G
are firmly bolted, as shown in Fig. 3, these wooden rails or blocks lying
directly alongside of the blocks I, which are attached to and move with
the carriage, the blocks G extending nearly the entire length of the
rails R. It will thus be seen that when a gun is mounted on the
carriage, and the latter run to the front end of the chassis, the blocks I
can be adjusted or spread to the proper distance apart by turning the
wheel H, and thus moving the wedges o, which bear against the ends of
When the carriage is at the front of the chassis in position for
firing the gun the blocks I should be so adjusted as to press very slightly
or not at all against the blocks G, the convergence of the rails R and
blocks G causing the blocks I to press against the blocks G with
a constantly increasing force as the carriage is thrown back by the
recoil of the gun. By these means it will be observed that the gun and
carriage are left free to move at the instant of its discharge, and when
the charge is exerting upon the gun its maximum force; and that as
the gun recoils there is brought to bear upon it a gradually and con-
stantly increasing force to check it, thus relieving the gun of the exces
sive strain that is thrown upon it in all cases where the carriage is
retarded in its backward movement by a regular and constantly equal
force. At the same time by properly adjusting the blocks I the gun
and carriage can be stopped at any desired point with the greatest
certainty and accuracy. For the purpose of operating the gun, that is,
of running it forward or backward as occasion may require, I attach to
the outside of each rail R a rack bar m, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the
spur wheels T on the sides of the carriage projecting down and engaging
in these bars m, so that by turning the cranks with their pinions,
and thus imparting motion to the wheels T, the carriage is moved for-
ward or backward as desired; and as the power is thus greatly multiplied
a much less number of men is rendered necessary to operate the gun,
and this, especially in the case of extremely heavy guns now employed,

page_text: is very important. To prevent the carriage from being dismounted
from the chassis, and also to prevent the rails of the latter from being
spread or separated by the pressure of the blocks I as the carriage is
forced back by the discharge, the cross bars or plates E are made to
extend out over and beyond the rails R, and to their outer ends on their
under side arc secured at each end metallic pieces or clamps c which
engage under the outer top flange of the rails R, as represented in Fig. 3,
thus holding the carriage securely on the rails and preventing the latter
from spreading. The carriage and chassis as here represented is more
especially adapted for use on shipboard, where the space between decks is
necessarily limited and where it is therefore an object to bring the
carriage and gun as low down as possible. It is obvious that when they
are to be used in other positions they may be modified to suit the
circumstances, as, for instance, when they are to be used where there is
more vertical space, as in forts and similar situations, and where the parts
may be made taller; then in such cases the rod i and worm wheel / may
be dispensed with, and the rod g with its wedges o may be operated by
a hand wheel with a screw hub working directly on the rear end of the
rod g, which in such case would be made to project slightly behind the
plate E for that purpose. It is also obvious that instead of making
the rails of the chassis converging, they may be placed parallel, and the
necessary convergence secured by using wooden blocks G, which should
be wedge-shaped or thicker towards their rear end, the result being
the same.
In constructing carriages for what are termed broadside guns I
construct them of wrought-iron side plates A, varying slightly in form,
as shown in Fig. 4, and connect them at front by a similar cross plate B,
and at the rear by a horizontal cross plate V, and intermediately by
strong tie bolts, as represented in Fig. 5. The front end is mounted
on an axle C, on which is secured a wheel b at each side, the rear ends
of the carriage being provided with metallic blocks d, having their rear
ends turned up slightly, thus forming a kind of shoe or runner, on which
the rear end of the carriage slides when the recoil takes place. An eye f
is scorned to th
11.

page_text: durable than those made of wood or cast iron, and by means of the
improvements in both carriage and chassis the recoil of the gun is
controlled in a most efficient manner with less strain of the gun than
heretofore, while by means of the devices for operating the gun I
dispense with fully one-half the number of men heretofore required.
When a carriage of this kind is struck by a projectile it does not splinter,
as did the wooden carriages, and thus the danger to the gun crew is
immensely lessened. A carriage of this kind when struck and bent can
be heated and again pressed or hammered into shape, and made fit for
further use, whereas a wooden carriage struck in the same manner would
be rendered useless. In using the carriage mounted on the chassis it will
be apparent that the recoil will force it back so as to wedge it fast
between the rails. In such case it is only necessary to move the rod
and its wedges o slightly, which will release the carriage, when it can be
run forward, when the rod g should be moved an equal distance in the
opposite direction so as to ensure proper friction on the blocks at the
next fire. The cranks and their pinions 26 are arranged to slide on their
journals 1, so that when the carriage has been run forward they may be
thrown out of gear with the wheels T, and thus prevent their being
broken, or any one being injured by them accidentally as they might be
if left in gear when the gun is fired.
I am aware that gun carriages have heretofore been made of cast iron
and of iron plates rivetted together so as to form tubes, and that they
have been made of iron plates rivetted together in connection with iron
bars, but none of these are found in practice to answer fully the desired
object, and I do not claim such; but having fully described the Invention
communicated to me as aforesaid, I claim therein as new:-
1st. A gun carriage composed of a single thickness of metal plates
united as described, whereby all additional strengthening bars are
dispensed with.
2nd. The arrangement of the rack m on the chassis, and the wheels T
and u, with the crank t on the carriage, for operating the latter, as hiercin
described.
3rd. The method, substantially as herein described, of checking the
recoil of the gun, that is to say, by means of a constantly increasing
degree of friction, as hercin set forth.

page_text: 4th. The combination of the blocks I, arms or bars n, and wedges o
when applied to a gun carriage, and arranged to operate as set forth.
In testimony whereof, I, the said William Fitch, have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twelfth day of September, A.D. 1868.
WILLIAM FITCH. (L.S.)