Improvements in Quick Firing Field-gun Carriages.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 11th Sept.,
1897
+
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Quick Firing Field-gun Carriages.
I, COUNT AUGUSTO ALBINI, of No. 49 Place of St. Opostles Rome, in the Kingdom
of Italy, Reserve Admiral of the Italian Navy, 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 consists in a special arrangement or combination of parts of a field
gun carriage, intended to suppress recoil and to contribute to increase rapidity of
the fire.
In order to obtain the above result, I make use of two expedients namely; one
in regard to the anchorage of the gun-carriage on the ground by means of a spike
fixed under the axis of the gun-carriage and a training roller with projecting ledge
at the extremity of the carriage tail; the other refers to the modifications of the
recoil-break.
These modifications are shown in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 shows a plan of a quick firing gun-carriage constructed according to
my invention.
Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the said gun carriage partly in section.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the gun carriage shown in Figure 2 with the
limber attached thereto.
Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section to a larger scale of the pneumatic press,
employed in connection with my improved gun carriage.
Figure 5 shows a cross section of the same taken on the line a b of Figure 4.
Under the cheeks of the carriage I attach a pressure spike A B, capable of
rotating on the pivot B. On the front part of this spike, I attach a toothed
arch C, D, moved by a pinion E, and this latter is moved by an endless screw n
which is moved in its turn by a fly-wheel m, in order to produce a sufficient
pressure to cause the spike to enter the ground. The tail of the gun carriage
instead of ending in the usual form is designed as shown at G, P, O, where the
two cheeks G, P, are intended to support a small shaft S, carrying a roller T,
which is provided with a circular projecting ridge V, all round, and at the front
end of this small shaft is fixed a small toothed pinion t, which being worked by
another pinion I, at right angles connected with a spindle, a rotary motion can be
imparted to the roller with sufficient power to overcome the resistance on the
ground for training purposes. On the two cheeks of the carriage I place two seats
of suitable shape as shown at t, y, intended to permit the gunner who loads and
fires to sit in one, and the other who trains the gun to sit in the other. Both
gunners will be able to do their work even if the gun should recoil as the men will
recoil with the gun. Each seat is fixed to the carriage by a rod or shaft, as shown
at U, Z, and with an adjusting bolt as at K, L which can be removed to another
hole when the tail of the carriage is united to the limber for marching so as to
Keep the seats in a vertical position as shown in Figure 3.
By means of the arrangement above described, the carriage can be anchored to
the ground by means of the pressure spike A, B, at such a point that while it
resists recoil it does not interfere in any way with the training of the gun but on

page_text: the contrary it will act as a centre of rotation while the tail is moved to the right
or to the left. By means of the roller T, the gunner sitting on the seat above the
tail can train the gun easily by means of the gear connected with the roller shaft,
and the movement of training can be carried out even at the very last moment of
firing without removing the resistance to recoil obtained by the ridge V, on the
roller.
In order to further increase the power of the carriage to resist recoil, I fit an air
pressure cylinder W, underneath the saddle W, intended to absorb a certain
amount of the recoil of the gun and at the same time to act as a spring to bring
back the gun to its former position. This cylinder which can be constructed to
form part of the structure of the saddle W, of the carriage is made of uniform
internal diameter and fitted inside as shown at Figure 4 with a piston S¹, and a
piston rod S2, intended to be attached by means of a screw to the breech ring 1,
on the gun. The internal space at the back of the piston S¹, is filled up with as
many india-rubber rings $3 as it can contain. These rings are made out of strong
india rubber tubes completely air tight. One or two of these rings are also placed
in front of the piston. If necessary these rings can be filled with air compressed
at any suitable pressure. These rings can be placed inside the cylinder either ene
bearing directly against the other or each of them separated by a metal disc
capable of sliding on the piston rod S2. By means of the above described arrange-
ment when the gun is fired and the piston rod S2, attached to the tail of the gun t,
is drawn backwards every ring at the back of the piston being compressed air
contained in each of them will be also compressed and therefore a resistance to
recoil will be produced. As soon as the recoil will be absorbed by the carriage,
the compressed air will react and will tend to push the piston forward as a spring,
and consequently to replace the gun in the firing position. The rings in front of
the piston will act as a buffer in the return motion of the piston and therefore
the carriage will absorb the shock without inconvenience.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
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1. An improved carriage for quick firing field guns characterized by a pressure
spike fixed under the axis of the carriage, and by a roller with circular projecting
ridge fixed on the extremity of the carriage tail for the purpose of penetrating the
ground characterized by the application of a pneumatic brake or press and
movable seats for the gunners, the whole substantially as described and illustrated
in the drawing.
2. In the improved gun carriage described in Claim 1 the application of a toothed
arch; of an endless screw and a bevel gearing for transmitting the movement to
the spike and to the roller.
3. In the improved gun carriage with pneumatic brake, claimed in Claim 1
the construction of the said brake or press by means of very hard, hollow, elastic
indiarubber rings perfectly air tight, which are in communication with each other
or can be separated by means of metallic discs fixed loosely upon the axis of the
piston, the whole substantially as described and illustrated in the drawing.
Dated this 10th day of April 1897.
HASLETINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.