IM- PROVEMENTS IN GUN CARRIAGES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wightwick Rendel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th April 1879.
GEORGE WIGHTWICK RENDEL, of Newcastle on Tyne, Civil Engineer. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN GUN CARRIAGES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in gun carriages.
I construct a gun carriage consisting of a base frame supported in front on a
pivot and at the back by rollers, in connection with which there is training
mechanism. The gun is connected with the base frame by two pair of links. The
main links pass in an inclined direction from the rear of the base frame to the
trunnions of the gun.
The second pair of links are approximately parallel to the main links and
connect the base frame with studs on the gun at some distance in front of the
trunnions.
The base plate and gun are thus connected like the two parts of a parallel ruler.
The fore part of the base plate is connected with the main links at a point below
the trunnions by an arrangement consisting of an bydraulic cylinder and piston.
The cylinder is jointed at its lower end to the base plate, and the piston rod passing
out of the cylinder through a gland is jointed to the main links. There is a slide
chamber or cistern formed on the cylinder and connected with it above and below
the piston by passages fitted with valves.
This cylinder and piston control the gun in its recoil, the liquid (by preference
glycerine) contained in the cylinder above the piston being forced into the cistern
past a valve which is heavily loaded by means of a coiled spring contained within
the cistern. At the same time liquid passes from the cistern into the cylinder
beneath the piston past a valve which prevents return. During the recoil the links
connecting the gun with the base frame approach but do not reach the vertical
position, so that the gun will run out again by gravity whenever the liquid beneath

page_text: the piston is allowed to pass to its upper side. A small tap is opened to permit the
return. A buffer consisting of india rubber rings surrounding the piston rod and
interposed between the head of the rod and the gland checks the running out.
To obtain the elevation of the gun screw adjustments are provided in the front
links; they are controlled by a hand wheel on an axis with two worms rotating
nut like parts of the links.
According to another arrangement the main links which support the gun by its
trunnions are brought forward nearer to the pivot of the base frame. The front
links are dispensed with and in lieu thereof the gun, which has breech preponderance,
is supported at the breech end behind the trunnions upon an elevating screw. The
elevating screw, together with bevilled gear for turning the nut upon it, is mounted
upon a table which in front is pivotted to the main links, and at the back is
supported from the base frame by two short links approximately parallel to the
main links.
The arrangement for preventing recoil is reversed, being placed in rear of the
main links, so that the piston rod is driven in by the recoil. If it be intended to
allow the main links to pass beyond the vertical when the gun comes back a force
pump is provided for running out the gun. The pump draws liquid from the
cistern and forces it into the cylinder below the piston.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Wightwick Rendel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th October 1879.
GEORGE WIGHTWICK RENDEL, of Newcastle on Tyne, Civil Engineer. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN GUN CARRIAGES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in gun carriages, and relates first
to a gun carriage which is similar in many respects to that shewn in the Final
Specification of my Patent dated the 14th February last, No. 590, and which is a
modified form of the arrangement to which that Patent directly refers.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 is a plan.
The carriage consists of a base frame a supported in front on a pivot b, and at
the back by rollers c, in connection with which there is training mechanism. The
gun is connected with the base frame by two pair of links d, d, e, e. The main
links d, d, pass in an inclined direction from the rear of the base frame a to the
trunnions of the gun.
The second pair of links e, e, are approximately parallel to the main links, and
connect the base frame a with studs g, g, on the gun at some distance in front of
the trunnions.
The base plate and gun are thus connected like the two parts of a parallel ruler.
The fore part of the base plate a is connected with the main links d, d, at a
point below the trunnions by an arrangement consisting of an hydraulic cylinder h
and piston . The cylinder is jointed at its lower end to the base plate a, and
the piston rod passing out of the cylinder through a gland is jointed to the main
links at d¹, d¹. There is a side chamber or cistern & formed on the cylinder h
and connected with it above and below the piston by passages fitted with valves
and m.
This cylinder and piston control the gun in its recoil, the liquid (by preferenco
glycerine) contained in the cylinder above the piston being forced into the
cistern / past the valve Z, which is heavily loaded, by means of a coiled spring n
contained within the cistern. At the same time liquid passes from the cistern into
the cylinder beneath the piston past the valve m which prevents return. During
the recoil the links connecting the gun with the base frame approach but do not
reach the vertical position, so that the gun will run out again by gravity whenever
the liquid beneath the piston i is allowed to pass to its upper side.
A small tap o
is opened to permit the return. A buffer consisting of india rubber rings p sur-
rounding the piston rod and interposed between the head of the rod and the gland
checks the running out.
To obtain the elevation of the gun screw adjustments e¹, e', are provided in the
front links; they are controlled by a hand wheel q on an axis with two worms
rotating nut like parts e², e³, of the links e, e.
My Invention also relates to an arrangement shewn at Figure 3, which is an
elevation partly in section; Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the same. The main
links & which support the gun by its trunnions are brought forward nearer to the
pivot b of the base frame, as in the arrangement shewn in the Specification of my
former Patent at Figures 1 and 2; but here the construction is such that they will
return after recoil mainly or entirely without the application of manual labour.
The front links e are dispensed with, and in lieu thereof the gun, which has breech
preponderance, is supported at the breech end behind the trunnions upon an
elevating screw r. The elevating screw r, together with bevilled gear 8, 8, for
turning the nut upon it, is mounted upon a tablet which in front is pivotted to the
main links d, and at the back is supported from the base frame by two short
links u, u, approximately parallel to the main links d.
The arrangement for preventing recoil is reversed, being placed in rear of the
main links, so that the piston rod is driven in by the recoil. If it be intended to

page_text: allow the main links to pass beyond the vertical when the gun comes back a force
pump, of which the handle is shewn, is provided for running out the gun. The
pump draws liquid from the cistern and forces it into the cylinder below the
piston.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that in respect to gun carriages in
which the gun is carried by the trunnions on links or arms jointed to the base, and
in which in the recoil liquid is driven out of a controlling press or presses past a
loaded valve,-
I claim the arrangement of the parts in such manner that the gun will return by
gravity on the opening of a valve permitting the liquid to flow back into the
cylinder of the controling press or presses.
I also claim the construction of gun carriages as described and represented in the
annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Wightwick Rendel, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
G. W. RENDEL. (L.S.)