IMPROVEMENTS IN GUN CARRIAGES, AND IN THE MEANS OF WORKING HEAVY ORDNANCE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jaques Hermann Auguste Gruson, of Buckau, in
the Kingdom of Prussia, Engineer, but at present residing at the West-
minster Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GUN CARRIAGES, AND IN THE MEANS OF WORKING HEAVY
ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 14th May 1867, and dated the 19th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jaques Hermann Auguste
Gruson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th November 1866. .
I, JAQUES HERMANN AUGUSTE GRUSON, of Buckau, in the Kingdom of
Prussia, Engineer, but at present residing at the Westminster Palace Hotel,
in the City of Westminster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUN CARRIAGES, AND IN THE MEANS OF WORKING HEAVY
ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
My Invention of "Improvements in Gun Carriages, and in the Means of
Working Heavy Ordnance," has for its object to so construct gun carriages and
arrange the working parts of the same that the loop holes of batteries,
fortifications, and ships of war may be reduced to a minimum in size, so that
the gunners shall be as much as possible protected from the fire of the enemy.
This is effected by mounting the trannions of the gun in bearings which are
supported at the end of triangular or bell-crank levers, which are capable of
being raised and lowered by hydraulic or other power by causing the piston

page_text: rod of the hydraulic machinery to act on and push forward the lower arm of
the bell-crank lever. These triangular or bell-crank levers have their fulcrums
in a pair of horizontal levers which have their bearings in the fixed framing.
By this means I am enabled to place the centre of motion of the gun about or
slightly in advance of the muzzle, so that although the port hole may be of
the minimum size the gun may be elevated or depressed to the required
degree, even although the port hole may be reduced in size to the minimum.
It will now be understood that in place of elevating and depressing the muzzle
of the gun by causing the gun to turn simply on its trunnions, these latter are
capable of being raised and lowered by acting on the bell-crank levers which
support their bearings, and therefore the centre of motion will be some
imaginary point in the line of the longitudinal axis of the gun, but in
advance of the muzzle, and near the port hole of the battery, ship, or
fortification.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jaques Hermann Auguste Gruson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAQUES
HERMANN AUGUSTE GRUSON, of Buckau, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Engineer,
but at present residing at the Westminster Palace Hotel, in the City of
'Westminster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Jaques Hermann Auguste Gruson, Her special licence that I, the said
Jaques Hermann Auguste Gruson, my executors, administrators, -and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Jaques Hermann Auguste Gruson, my executors,
'administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUN CARRIAGES, AND IN THE
MEANS OF WORKING HEAVY ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Jaques Hermann Auguste Gruson, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their

page_text: hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jaques Hermann Auguste Gruson,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Gun Carriages, and in the Means of
Working Heavy Ordinance," has for its object to so construct gun carriages
and arrange the working parts of the same that the loop holes of batteries,
fortifications, and ships of war may be reduced to a minimum in size, so that
the gunners shall be as much as possible protected from the fire of the enemy.
This is effected by mounting the trunnions of the gun in bearings which are
supported at the end of triangular or bell-crank levers, which are capable of
being raised and lowered by hydraulic or other power by causing the piston
rod of the hydraulic machinery to act on and push forward the lower arm of:
the bell-crank lever. These triangular or bell-crank levers have their fulcrums
in a pair of horizontal levers which have their bearings in the fixed framing.
By this means I am enabled to place the centre of motion of the. gun about.
or slightly in advance of the muzzle, so that although the port hole may be of
the minimum size the gun may be elevated or depressed to the required:
degree..
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1, Sheet I. is a side elevation of a gun
and gun carriage, constructed, arranged, and worked on my improved plan, .
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
The trunnions of the gun are mounted in moveable bearings a, which are .
capable of sliding up and down in the curved guides b, b, made in or attached
to the fixed framing of the gun carriage. The moveable bearings a are
supported by a pair of links c, c, jointed to one end of the bell crank or
triangular levers d, d, shown by dots in Fig. 1; the opposite ends of the
upper arm of the levers d, d, are jointed to the side levers e, e; the inner ends
of these leverse are jointed to the fixed framing while the opposite end is
connected to the fore part of the gun somewhat in rear of the muzzle. The
piston rod of an hydraulic cylinder f is made to act against the lower arms
of the bell-crank levers d, d. When the pump 9 is set to work the levers d.

page_text: and links c will raise the bearings a, and consequently the hinder end of the
gun. In consequence of the fore end of the gun being held down by the lever e
the position of the muzzle, and consequently the pointing of the gun, is controlled
by the combined motions of the two levers d and e, and these parts are so
arranged and combined that the centre of motion of the gun is at some
imaginary point on the longitudinal axis of the piece and somewhat in
advance of the muzzle. The gun carriage is mounted on curved slides,
and the recoil produced by the explosion of the charge is modified and
reduced by means of a break arrangement, which is made to act on the
two rollers h, h, which are linked together as shown in Fig. 1.
In Sheet II. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, Fig. 4 a plan view, and Fig. 5 a
front view of a modification of the arrangement shown in Sheet I. In this
modification the bearings a work in curved guides b, b, and are connected by
links c, c, to the 'levers d, d, which have their fulcrums in the side framing,
but instead of being operated by hydraulic power. the bearings are raised by
means of screws h, h, which are driven by the toothed gearing i, i, i, i, actuated
by the winch handle j. To the forward end of the lever d, which has its
fulcrum in the fixed framing of the gun carriage, is connected a chain k, the
other end of which is attached to the cam roller or wheel mounted on an
axle connected with the fixed framing. Another chain m is connected by one
end to another cam or roller P, and by its opposite end to the fore part of the
gun. When the trunnion bearings a are raised by the screw h the fore end
of the lever D will be depressed and will give out the chain k in the direction
indicated by the arrows. This will allow the fore part or muzzle of the gun
to be raised to such an extent proportionate to the elevation of the breech
end as will keep the centre of motion of the piece at some imaginary. point
somewhat in advance of the muzzle and on the longitudinal axis of the gun
as in the former instance.
It will now be understood that in place of elevating and depressing the muzzle
of the gun, by causing the gun to turn simply on its trunnions, these latter are
capable of being raised and lowered by acting on the bell crank or other
levers which support their bearings, and therefore the centre of motion will
be some imaginary point in the line of of the longitudinal axis of the gun, but
in advance of the muzzle and near the port hole of the battery, ship, or
fortification. The recoil is taken by a chain n connected by one end to the
gun carriage framing, as seen at Fig. 3, and by the other or opposite end to
the piston rod o of a steam cylinder p, which when filled with steam will form
a cushion or steam buffer which will take the recoil and lessen its effects upon
the gun carriage.

page_text: Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Gun Carriages,
and in the Means of Working Heavy Ordnance," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the combination of parts constructed
and arranged so as to form a readily adjustable gun carriage in the manner
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jaques Hermann Auguste Gruson, bave
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.