An Improved Mounting for Rapid Firing Guns.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1889-Accepted, 29th June, 18891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mounting for Rapid Firing Guns.
I, JOSIAH VAVASSEUR of the London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has for its object an improved mounting for rapid firing guns.
This mounting is intended as a broadside mounting for use on ship board and also
in forts.
It consists of a shield formed of an armour plate bent to a semi-cylindrical form; to
this shield are bolted cross bars, one at the top and another at the bottom. A port is
cut through the armour plate sufficiently large to admit the barrel of the gun and
allow the necessary elevation and depression and also to allow of aiming. Within this
semi-cylindrical shield bearings are fixed, one on either side and in these are carried
the trunnions of a cradle in which the gun can slide in recoil under the control of
hydraulic apparatus and springs, which latter when the recoil is expended bring the
gun back to the firing position. The bottom pivot is globular and it is received into
a corresponding cup, the gun together with the shield can be trained either by means
of a shoulder piece fixed to the gun or by gearing.
There is a worm wheel free to turn upon the exterior of the lower cup like hearing
and with this wheel a worm gears; the worm can be turned by means of a hand wheel
and intermediate axis. When it is desired to make use of the mechanical training
gear the worm wheel is locked fast upon the cup bearing and this is done by means of
clutch and friction plates which are pressed together by a ring screwing on the exterior
of the bearing. The upper pivot of the shield is cylindrical and is received into a brass
of globular form held in a bracket fixed overhead, so that the brass is able to adjust
itself in the bearing-if from the straining of the ship or any other cause the bracket
should be displaced from its original alignment.
Dated this 25th day of August 1888
J. VAVASSEUR.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mounting for Rapid Firing Guns.
I, JOSIAH VAVASSEUR, of the London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane, Southwark, 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:-
This invention has for its object an improved mounting for rapid firing guns.
This mounting is intended as a broadside mounting for use between decks on ship
board and also in forts.
It consists of a shield formed of an armour plate bent to a semi-cylindrical form; to
this shield are bolted cross bars, one at the top and another at the bottom. A port is
cut through the armour plate sufficiently large to admit the barrel of the gun and
allow the necessary elevation and depression and also to allow of aiming. Within this
semi-cylindrical shield bearings are fixed, one on either side and in these are carried
the trunnions of a cradle in which the gun can slide in recoil under the control of
hydraulic apparatus and springs, which latter when the recoil is expended bring the gun
back to the firing position. The bottom pivot is globular and it is received into a
corresponding the
cup, gun together with the shield can be trained either by means of
a shoulder piece fixed to the gun or by gearing.

page_text: There is a worm wheel free to turn upon the exterior of the lower cup like bearing
and with this wheel a worm gears; the worm can be turned by means of a hand wheel
and intermediate axis. When it is desired to make use of the mechanical training
gear the worm wheel is locked fast upon the cup bearing and this is done by means of
clutch and friction plates which are pressed together by a ring screwing on the
exterior of the bearing. The upper pivot of the shield is cylindrical and is received
into a brass of globular form held in a bracket fixed overhead, so that the brass is able
to adjust itself in the bearing-if from the straining of the ship or any other cause the
'bracket should be displaced from its original alignment.
In order that my said invention may be more fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 4 is a section of some of the parts.
In these figures the gun is shown as mounted on ship board.
Figure 5 shows in elevation the doors by which the broad-side port can be closed
when the gun is withdrawn.
A A is the semi-circular shield of a bent armour plate. B is the top cross-bar fixed
to it and carrying the upper pivot B'. C is the lower cross bar carrying the bottom
pivot C. D is the opening in the shield through which the gun E projects. F, F, are
earings fixed within the shield A, and in these bearings the trunnions G¹ G¹ of
the cradle G are carried. H is the recoil cylinder, it forms part of the cradle and is
beneath the gun; it contains the hydraulic apparatus and springs, by which the recoil
is checked and the gun returned to the firing position. This recoil apparatus is of
the ordinary description and is not shown in detail. The mechanism for closing the
breech of the gun also forms no part of the present invention and is not shewn in detail.
I is an arm projecting from the shield A and carrying the axis K on which is a pinion
gearing with a rack L attached to the cradle. This axis is turned by means of a hand
wheel M and intermediate gear, and gives to the gun the necessary elevation and
depression in aiming. N is an inclined axis with a hand wheel in one upon it, it
serves for training the gun. At its lower end the axis N is connected by a joint with
the worm O which turns in bearings upon the shield A. The worm gears with a worm
wheel P which is able to turn freely upon the exterior of the cup formed bearing Q.
This bearing, as will be seen, receives the globular pivot C" carried by the cross bar C
and it is itself suitably supported from the deck of the ship. R is a ring screwing
upon the exterior of the bearing Q; it has holes R¹ in its periphery to receive a bar,
which is used in turning it. S, S, S, are discs which are squeezed together when the
ring R is screwed down upon the bearing; some of these rings are made to engage
with the bearing so that they cannot turn around it, whilst the other alternate rings
are engaged in a similar way with the worm wheel and cannot turn independently of
it. Thus when the ring is screwed down the worm wheel is made fast with the pivot,
but when it is unscrewed (so as to relieve the pressure) the worm wheel can turn on
the pivot and then the gun can be trained quite independently of the training gear
above described, and merely by thrusting the breech end to one side or the other as
required by means of a shoulder piece which may be provided.
B' is the upper cylindrical pivot on the cross bar B. T is the globular brass into
which it is received, and this is held in a corresponding bearing U firmly attached to
the ships side, as the drawing indicates. V, V, are the doors to close the port hole.
To admit of this being done the gun is unshipped by means of gear provided for the
purpose, but which forms no part of the invention to be secured by the present patent,
and so is not iudicated in these drawings.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the armour plate shield carried upon vertical pivots, the
cradle supported by trunnions received into bearings upon the shield, and the gun free
to slide in the said cradle substantially as described.
2: The combination in a gun mounting of the shield A top and bottom cross bars B
and pivots B and C bearings F cradle G with trunnions G¹ and recoil cylinder H
substantially as described.
3. My improved broad side mounting substantially as described and represented by
the annexed drawings.