IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING AND TRAINING GUNS
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Lanphier Anderson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th May 1871.
I, WILLIAM LANPHIER ANDERSON, of Clarendon House, Caterham,
in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING AND TRAINING GUNS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object a more convenient method of working
and
and training guns, affording protection to both gunners and gun,
consists in providing the embrasure or port with a ball and socket to.
which the muzzle of the gun is fitted, and upon which ball as a centre
fulcrum or pivot the gun is trained, in manner herein-after described
and shown by the Drawing annexed. The ball or pivot A is set into..
plating B, B, of any required thickness, entirely filling up the port or
embrasure, and is held in position by rings C bolted one on either side,.
being thus capable of turning in any direction on its axis. A conical
aperture D, D, through the ball receives the muzzle of the gun, which
may be pivoted, elevated, or depressed on this ball A as a pivot or centre

page_text: in any convenient manner, but by preference I employ the carriage and
apparatus herein-after described. When the gun has been fired and
recoiled from the ball A, a conical stopper E is immediately placed in
the aperture D, D, completely filling it and thereby rendering the ball
a complete sphere, the ball being then turned in its socket in any
direction by means of a knob on the stopper E till the ends of the
stopper pass partly under the socket or rings C by which the ball is
held, the stopper cannot fall or be knocked out.
In order that the gun when elevated or depressed may readily recoil
from the ball or pivot A the part of the muzzle which enters the
aperture D in the ball and the aperture itself are tapered or coned to
an angle equal to that of the greatest elevation or depression of which
the gun is desired to be susceptible.
Existing guns when fired on my system are bushed at the muzzle
with a collar or jacket having the requisite taper. When an aperture
for sighting is required a separate opening F for this purpose is made
in the plating or armour B immediately above the ball A which is closed
with an iron door G when not in use. The elevation or depression of
the gun is effected by racks H and pinions I, operating upon the
trunnions J within the carriage, actuated by worm wheels K on the
exterior, which are revolved by winch handles L. The two racks H
are in the form of arcs of a circle of which (when the gun is in position
for firing) the ball A is the centre, and work against guides M of similar
form attached to or sunk in the cheeks of the carriage. The movements
on either side are connected by a transverse shaft N at the fore part of
the carriage fitted with suitable bevil gearing and for a similar purpose
of connecting, the rack pinions on each side are keyed upon the same
shaft disposed transversely across the interior of the carriage.
trunnions J are brought through the sides of the carriage and move in
segmental slots O, the force of recoil thus always bears directly upon
the carriage and no strain can come upon the elevating gear. The rear
of the carriage is fitted with a pair of vertical right and left handed
screws P pivoted at their lower ends and carrying nuts Q upon a pair of
spur wheels R working together. One of the nuts is furnished with
handles or spokes by which it may be turned, and the nuts Q made
to follow the movement of the gun as it is elevated or depressed,
thus affording support to the cascable when the gun recoils from its
pivot at the muzzle.
The

page_text: .
It will be readily understood that one screw only may be sufficient
in many instances:-The gun is rendered susceptible of ready adjust-
ment for firing by the following disposition and distribution of the
weight. One-half approximately of the gross weight rests in the ball
or pivot A and the remainder is balanced by two counterweights S
attached by chains to either extremity of a cross piece or yolk I fixed
to the neck of the cascable. The chains pass over flanged pullies U
fixed above the gun in a suitable frame, the counterweights being
steadied by vertical guides. In the case of light guns or where cir-
cumstances render the counterbalances undesirable this system of
balancing may be dispensed with.