Improvements in Apparatus for Loading Heavy Guns.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Loading Heavy Guns.
We, ANDREW NOBLE, Companion of the Bath, and late Captain in the Royal
Artillery, of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer,
and CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, Engineer of Elswick Works, Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In guns which automatically open at the breech on running out after recoil, it
is necessary that the loading tray should not only enter the gun to protect the
threads but since the gun is loaded in the run-out position it must provide the
means of carrying the projectile over the space swept by the recoiling gun.
According to this invention we employ a telescopic hydraulic rammer and attach
to the outer ram a bogie running on wheels, or sliding on a smooth incline when
the gun is loaded at elevation or on a level plane when the gun is loaded
horizontally. The front end of the bogie forms the loading tray and projects
forward so as to enter the gun and cover up the screw threads.
The rest of the tray which does not enter the gun forms a receptacle for,
first the projectile and then the powder.
The whole apparatus is part of the hydraulic rammer and when the rammer
is set to work, the bogie-loading-tray which is attached to the outer ram, moves
forward until the front end in the gun when the shot or powder is carried close
up to the gun. The inner ram then carries on the work by pushing the shot or
powder off the tray into the gun. The inner ram then returns onto the bogie and
all go back out of the way of the gun.
When this apparatus is fitted on the turret or turntable so as to train with the
guns, the railway or plane on which the bogie runs is constructed on the turntable.
When the apparatus is placed outside the turret the railway is partly fixed up
outside and partly inside and these parts are in line only when the turret is in the
proper loading position.
In this case we sometimes make the railway very rigid and strong and the
bogie of strength and length sufficient to form a sort of bolt to lock the turret
in place so long as the bogie is in action, that is to say, the bogie being partly
on one part of the railway which is fixed, and partly on the other part of the
railway which is movable, the two parts are locked together immovably and there
is no danger of damage to the rammer by the turret being trained before it is
clear as sometimes happens with hydraulic rammers at present. Neither can the
gun be depressed as in a similar manner the bogie locks the gun slide. We
employ with this combined rammer, bogie and loading tray, a special ammunition
hoist and cage placed not in line with the gun and rammer as is usual but off to
one side. From this ammunition hoist the bogie loading tray receives its charge
from a door at the side of the hoist which in order to control the movement of
the charge efficiently is opened steadily by hydraulic or other power so as to let
the powder or shot roll out into the bogie gently, to facilitate this action we
make the curved top plate of the bogie tilt over towards the ammunition lift by
means of a cam rod and lever. Whenever the bogie loading tray is alongside of
the ammunition hoist the top is therefore tilted over towards the hoist, so that the
powder or shot in sliding down from the cage of the hoist easily passes over the
low side of the curved plate but is very safely checked by the high side. On
the bogie loading tray moving away from the hoist to carry the charge to the gun,

page_text: the curved top plate is twisted over or righted by the lever and cam rod before
mentioned.
Dated thin and do CLI
1000
A. NOBLE.
C. H. MURRAY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Loading Heavy Guns.
We, ANDREW NOBLE, Companion of the Bath, and late Captain in the Royal
Artillery, of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer,
and CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, Engineer, of Elswick Works, Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, 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 :-
In guns which automatically open at the breech on running out after recoil, it is
necessary that the loading tray should not only enter the gun to protect the threads
but since the gun is loaded in the run-out position it must provide the means of
carrying the projectile over the space swept by the recoiling gun.
According to this invention we employ a telescopic hydraulic rammer and attach
to the outer ram a carriage running on wheels, or sliding on a smooth incline when
the gun is loaded at clevation or on a level plane when the gun is loaded
horizontally. The top of the carriage forms the loading tray and its front end
projects forward so as to enter the gun and cover up the screw threads.
The rest of the tray which does not enter the gun forms a receptacle for first
the projectile and then the powder.
The whole apparatus is part of the hydraulic rammer and when the rammer is
set to work, the loading carriage which is attached to the outer ram, moves
forward until the front end is in the gun when the shot or powder is carried close
up to the gun. The inner ram then carries on the work by pushing the shot or
powder off the tray into the gun. The inner ram then returns on to the loading
carriage and all go back out of the way of the gun.
When this apparatus is fitted on the turret or turntable so as to train with the
guns, the railway or plane on which the loading carriage runs is constructed on the
turntable. When the apparatus is placed outside the turret the railway is partly
fixed up outside and partly inside and these parts are in line only when the turret
is in the proper loading position.
In this case we sometimes make the railway very rigid and strong and the
loading carriage of strength and length sufficient to form a sort of bolt to lock
the turret in place so long as the loading carriage is in action, that is to say, the
loading carriage being partly on one part of the railway which is fixed, and partly
on the other part of the railway which is movable, the two parts are locked
together immovably and there is no danger of damage to the rammer by the turret
being trained before it is clear as sometimes happens with hydraulic rammers at
present. Neither can the gun be depressed as in a similar manner the loading
carriage locks the gun slide. We employ with this combined rammer, loading
carriage and tray, a special ammunition hoist and cage placed not in line with the
gun and rammer as is usual but off to one side. From this ammunition hoist the
loading tray receives the charge from a door at the side of the hoist which in order
to control the movement of the charge efficiently is opened steadily by hydraulic
or other power, so as to let the powder or shot roll out into the tray gently. To
facilitate this action we make the tray or curved top plate of the carriage tilt over
towards the ammunition lift by means of a cam rod and arm.
Whenever the
loading carriage is alongside of the ammunition hoist the top or tray is therefore tilted
over towards the hoist, so that the powder or shot in sliding down from the cage

page_text: of the hoist easily passes over the low side of the tray but is very safely checked
by the high side. On the loading carriage moving away from the hoist to carry
the charge to the gun, the tray is righted by the arm and cam rod before
mentioned.
In order that our said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section and shows at a the breech end of the gun, at ba
portion of the slide along which the gun recoils, at a portion of the wall of the
turret in which the gun is mounted or of the turntable on which it is carried; and
at d a platform outside the turret; the loading mechanism is also represented in
this figure.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the ammunition hoist; the cage e is
shown raised to its highest position and ready to deliver the powder cartridge f into
the bogie or ammunition carriage g.
Figure 3 is a section of the ammunition carriage with the parts in another
position.
Figure 4 shows the small bydraulic cylinder which opens the door of the
ammunition hoist.
In Figure 1 a part of the main hydraulic cylinder of the ramming apparatus is
seen at ; it is fixed upon the platform d. i is a ram working within the cylinder /
and at its fore end it is attached to the carriage g, so that when water under
pressure is admitted by a valve to the cylinder the carriage g is moved forwards
into the position in which it is represented in Figure 1. By altering the position
of the valve the carriage can be made to retire when required. The carriage here.
shown has wheels g¹ g₁ and these run upon rails k k¹ k². The guide rails k are fixed
alongside of the ammunition hoist; the rails are on the turntable or turret and
move with it; the rails are on the gun slide. Before commencing to load the
rails k¹ and k³ are brought to meet end to end.
On the carriage 9 is the loading trough g' and the fore end 9* of this enters the
gun and covers the screw thread in the breech as is shewn in Figure 1. The
trough or receiver g² is supported on wheels g³ and it can be moved easily upon
these wheels from the position in which it is shewn in Figures 1 and 3 to that in
which it is shewn in Figure 2. 94 is a forked arm projecting downwards from the
underside of the trough and embracing the bent guide bar l. The guide bar / is in
two parts, one which is stationary alongside of the ammunition hoist; the other is
upon the turntable or turret and is moveable with it. m is the head of the rammer,
it is upon the end of the rod n this rod enters within the ram i which is hollow and
receives the rod n within it. Water under pressure is supplied to the interior of
the ram in such manner that at pleasure the rod n can be made to emerge from the
ram or to retire into it.
The cage e of the ammunition hoist has two compartments, e¹ for the shot and e
for the powder cartridge both compartments are furnished with doors and their
floors are inclined so that when the doors are lifted the shot or the cartridge as
the case may be rolls out. There is also a door o in the side of the ammunition
hoist it is mounted upon an axis o' which is controlled by the little hydraulic
cylinder p to which water is supplied by a valve moved by a hand lever p₁ to hold
the door closed and drawn off to allow it to open.
In working the apparatus, the turret or turntable and the gun are brought to the
loading position and the ammunition carriage is brought alongside the ammunition
hoist as in Figure 2. The cage of the hoist also is raised from the magazine below
carrying the ammunition upon it.
When the shot compartment is opposite the door o this door is allowed to open
and the shot rolls out overcoming the weight of the inner door of the cage con-
partment e. The shot is received into the loading tray 9 and the carriage 9 is

page_text: made to advance. As the carriage passes away from the ammunition hoist, it is
righted to the position shewn in Figure 3. The shot is thus carried safely over
the distance along which the gun recoils and is placed ready for ramming home.
Then as is seen in Figure 1 the head m of the rammer is made to advance and it
drives the shot before it to its proper place within the gun. The parts i gm and n
retire and the ammunition carriage places itself in position to receive the powder
cartridge as in Figure 2 the cage of the ammunition hoist being then in the highest
position. By a repetition of the movements the loading is completed.
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 show a modification.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal and vertical section.
Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section of the ammunition hoist.
Figure 7 is a section of the ammunition carrier or slide.
Figure 8 is an end view of the carrier and shows the hydraulic apparatus to
control the door of the ammunition hoist.
Figure 9 is a plan of the carrier and hoist.
The arrangement here shown differs from that shown by the Figure 1 to 4 mainly
in that the ammunition carrier is not a wheeled carriage, also it is designed in
special reference to firmly locking the turret and gun slide during the loading
operation, the carrier y being prolonged rearwards with this object.
The rocking movement is in this case imparted to the trough or receiver g² in a
somewhat different manner from that shown in the preceding figures; it is jointed
to the upper end of levers g and an arm on the axis of these levers at its lower end
enters between guide rails ** which are suitably curved.
In Figure 5 the carrier is shown by full lines in the position it occupies when
receiving the charge from the ammunition hoist; in addition some of the parts are
shown by dotted lines in a second position namely that which they occupy when
the shot is about to enter the gun.
The advantages attained by this invention are
(1) A saving of time in the operation of loading the gun over any existing
system, because the loading tray has not now to be actuated as formerly by
separate movements.
(2) The danger of destroying the rammer is entirely obviated as on this new
plan the rammer works past the side of the hoist and not through it, and the
ammunition carriage forms a locking bolt which prevents the turret or the gun
from moving until the rammer is withdrawn.
(3) A saving of time in charging the hoist, as the hoist is free to descend as
soon as the powder is delivered into the bogie-loading-tray without waiting for the
powder to be rammed into the gun and the rammer withdrawn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. For loading guns in the forward position: a mechanical rammer actuating a
carriage (with or without wheels) and making it to advance with the ammunition
upon it over the space in which the gun recoils, and causing it to insert a loading
tray into the breech of the gun to cover the screw thread therein and afterwards
causing a ram head to advance and to thrust the ammunition off the carriage into
the gun.
2. In loading apparatus substantially as described the ammunition carriage
serving as a bolt preventing the movement of the turntable and gun until it is
withdrawn.
3. In loading apparatus substantially as described the ammunition hoist with
delivery door at the side and so arranged that as the door is opened it permits the
ammunition to roll out of the cage on to the carriage which conveys it to the
breech of the gun..
4. In loading apparatus substantially as described the moveable receiving trough

page_text: of the ammunition carriage automatically tilted to one side when it is in position to
receive the ammunition and brought back to a level position as the carriage
advances to the gun.
5. Loading apparatus substantially as represented by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 21st day of March 1893.
A. NOBLE.
C. H. MURRAY.