Improvements in Sighting Ordnance.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Sighting Ordnance.
I, LOTHIAN KERR SCOTT, C.B, Lieutenant Colonel, late of the Royal
Engineers, of Forest Lodge, Farnborough, Hants, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
At the present time for the purpose of night defence by fire from ordnance,
the held of fire is illuminated and searched by a beam of light thrown from
powerful electrical or other apparatus over the different portions of the area
to be defended.
As soon as a target has been discovered by this beam of light, the gun is
laid by means of the line of sight from an autosight or otherwise on the target,
and the gun is then fired, if in the meantime the target has not moved.
Now it appears to me, that if the beam of light could be operated automati-
cally in correspondence with the line of sight of an automatic sight (such
as is described in my Patents Nos. 159, of 1894, and 7584 and 18731 of 1898)
the gun could be laid at night, more rapidly than by the present method, by
the illuminating beam of light alone for close anges, and for longer anges
where greater accuracy of laying would be requned, by the beam of light
simultaneously and in connection with the "line of sight of the autosight.
The present method of might fing with the ordinary sights aided by the
electric light consists in the following operations—
1. Finding the target with search fight.
2. Finding the range of the target.
3 Setting the sights.
4. Laying the gun.
5. Fiing.
These 5, when an autosight is used, are reduced to 3 operations tiz.
1. Finding the target with search light.
Laying the gun.
3. Firing
"
With my proposed method the 2 operations of, finding the target with search
light and laying the gun are simultaneous and automatic, so that with my pio-
posed method it will be seen that there is only one operation required in each
case before fining uz at close quarters getting the beam of light on to the
target by turning the autosighting elevating gear at long ranges by getting
the line of sight on to the target simultaneously with the beam of light by
means of the autosighting elevating gear
It will thus be seen that the speed of firing with my method will be quicker
and more likely to to take effect against a moving target.
In order to multiply the amount of fire under the control of one layer, I
make an oscillating platform (resembling in its action the movement of a gun
in its carnage) sufficiently large to carry as many guns as may be desired, and
I apply an autosight furnished with the beam of light referred to above, to

page_text: this platform in the same manner as I would to a single non-recoil mounting
already described in my previous Patents of 1894 and 1898 on the autosighting
of ordnance
Improvements in Sighting Ordnance.
I. LOTHIAN KERR Scort, C.B, Lieutenant Colonel, late of the Royal
Engineers, of Forest Lodge, Farnborough, Hants, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
The present system of night fing for coast defence consists in the per-
formance of several operations carried out by different operators independently
of each other. For instance the field of fue is illuminated by search lights by
one set, whilst the laying of the guns is carried out by another set of. operators
This is evidently unsatisfactory, for as soon as the target has been dscovered
by the search light worked by one operator, the layers of the guns have to
traverse then guns in the direction of the illuminated target, to lay them, and
to fire them, that is to say, of, in the meantime during the performance cl the
above operations, the target has not quitted the fixed or temporary illuminated
area provided by an operation entirely independent of the layers.
The object of my invention is to accelerate the laying and increase the
efficiency of the firing of ordnance at night, by placing under the control of
one man all the operations required for moving the search light and for laying
the guns
According to my invention I mount the search-light apparatus on trunnions
and elevate or depress it simultaneously with the gun, preferably through the
intervention of a cam which automatically sets into motion the line of sight
of the telescopic or other sight, by the elevating screw of automatic sighting
apparatus of the type descubed in the por Specification No 159 or No. 75848
or No. 187318, thereby enabling the gun to be laid by the axis of the beam of
light alone for close ranges, (thus making use of the axis of the beam of light
as the line of sight for the time being), or by the line of sight in conjunction
with the beam of light for longer ranges where greater accuracy of laving is
required.
To multiply the amount of fire under the control of one layer, I make an
oscillating platform which resembles in its action the movement of a gun in
its carnage, and is of sufficient size to carry any required number of guns.
To this platform I apply an "auto-sight of the aforesaid type, in a similar
manner as to a single non-recoil mounting, and provide this platform with
search-light apparatus adapted to operate automatically and simultaneously
with the line of sight
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carmed
into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully in connection with
the accompanying drawings in which..
Figure 1 is a plan of the oscillating platform, omitting the guns
Figure 2 is a partly sectional side elevation on line - Figure 1, showing
a gun mounted on the platform.

page_text: Figure 3 Is a similar figure to Figure 2. showing a modification of the
invention
is the
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 2, showing a further modification.
Refering to Figures 1 and 2. A is the oscillating platform. B is a turn-
table on which the platform A is mounted and the roller path of which is, if
desired, made capable of being levelled by screw wedges or other suitable
means. is a ball and socket which forms the pivot of the turn table and
enables the latter to be levelled by the said wedges or other means.
trunnion of the platform A.
The trunnion
which are capable of vertical adjustment, by screws b',
is mounted in beanings b b
between guides caned by the turn table; or
in grooves or
the said bearings may be
adapted to be vertically adjusted in other convenient manner Cis an arm
having one end mounted loosely on the trunnion
The arm Crests by
gravity upon the ordinary elevating screw S operated by a wheel s. S is the
autosight elevating screw the lower end of which bears on the arm C and
which engages with a suitable screw threaded hole in the platform A.
the wheel for operating the screw S. Dis a sleeve which carries the search
light and is provided with trunnions d d supported by beatings carried by
standards fixed to the arm C. are struts for supporting the standards e
dis an arm or platform on which the layer is seated, projecting rearwardly
from the sleeve D. E is a cam attached to the arm d. F is the auto-
sighting crank lever which is pivoted at f to a standard carried by the aim C.
One arm of the lever is pivoted to an arm a depending from the platform A,
and the other aim of the level F carries a roller f¹ upon which the cam E
rests by gravity The curvature of the cam E is adapted to automatically
give the necessary adjustment to the sight for range when the platform is
operated as hereinafter described. Gis the telescopic sight. His the gun
mounted suitably on the platform A In Figure 1 the longitudinal axes of the
guns are indicated by dot and dash lines
118
When the screw S is operated, the aim C, the platform A with its guns, the
auto-sighting apparatus and the search-light may be together elevated or
depressed for tuining the sight at zero on any desired point, for correcting fore
and aft dip of the turn table B, or for laving the guns for point blank ranges
by directing the search light on the target without automatically giving the
adjustment for range to the telescopic sight G or to the axis of the beam of
light. Any suitable means may be provided for clamping the arm C when
required.
By operating the screw S¹ the platform A with its guns is elevated or
depressed and at the same time, through the intervention of the lever F and
cam o cui ve E, the necessary adjustment for 1ange is given to the sight G and
to the axis of the beam of the searchlight. By the single operation of turning
the wheels, therefore, in such manner as to direct the axis of the search light
upon the target, the guns on the platform A are laid, the adjustment to the
sight for range being given automatically
Refening to Figure 3. the platform A, the guns, trunnion a, turn-table B,
arm C. standards and auto-sighting lever and cam E, and the elevating
Screws S and S1, are arranged as in Figures 1 and 2. The platform canes
the telescopic sight G and is provided with tunnions supported in bearings
carried by the standards c. A vertical arm I depending from the aim C carries
an horizontal platform provided with standards which carry bearings in
which the trunnions d of the sleeve D are journalled Jis an arm fixed to
one of the trunnions d. y is a cam or curve carried by the arm J. K is an
rm which depends from the oscillating platform A and caries a roller k If
he turntable B were provided with means for being itself levelled to correct
fore and aft dip," the arm I might be attached to it instead of to the arm C.
The sleeve and search light are arranged to over balance the curve causing
t to rest by gravity against the roller k. The curvature of the cam is such

page_text: that the axis of the searchlight will intersect the line of sight of the tele-
scope G at the target when these two lines are simultaneously set in motion
by the automatic sight elevating screw S as hereafter explained. If the
aim 1 is attached to arm C clearance room must be provided in rear of 1 for
operating the search light as hereinafter explained.
By operating the screw S the platform A with its guns, the auto-sighting
apparatus and the search light are elevated or depressed together without auto-
matically giving to the sight or to the axis of the beam of light the adjust-
ment for ange,i.e without altering the angle of elevation which should exist
between the line of sight of the telescope, the axis of the beam of light and
the axis of the gun. Thus for close defence of men of war or other objects,
the guns may be laid point blank by simply directing the beam of the search-
This is
light upon the target by means of the ordinary elevating sciew S.
also convenient for enabling the zero of the curve at the shortest range to be
obtained.
By operating the screw S₁ the platform A with its guns, may be elevated or
depressed, and the adjustment for range given automatically to the sight G by
the lever and cam E, the search-light being simultaneously elevated or
depressed automatically by means of the arm K, cam and arm J, so as to con-
verge on the target seen through the telescopic sight Thus by a single opera-
tion of the screw S the guns may be laid as quickly and as well at night as
they can by day.
The
Kefering to Figure 4 the platform A with its guns, trunnion a, arm C, turn-
table B, and the elevating screws and S', are arranged as before. M is a
lever pivoted at m to a projection on the turntable B. The upper end of the
lever M carries the telescopic sight G and also a seat N for the gunnei
lower end of the lever M canes the sleeve D and the search light, which latter
15 capable of adjustment by a lever D¹ attached to its tunnion and worked
by the layer from his seat Aange curve E' is carried by the lever M which
latter is so arranged that the curve E¹ rests by gravity on a roller f¹ carried
by the platform A.
By the single operation of turning the elevating screw S₁ the platform A
with its guns is elevated or depressed simultaneously with the search light and
the telescopic sight, the necessary adjustment for range being at the same time
given to the line of sight by the curve E' The search light may be indepen-
dently elevated or depressed by the gunner by means of the lever D1, if required
Referring to all the above figures, the turn table may be operated and levelled
by any convenient means The transveise levelling of the oscillating platform
may be effected by the screws or other convenient means The guns may
also be provided with ordinary sights and elevating gears adapted to operate
independently of each other and of the oscillating platform The guns may
be dispersed over the oscillating platform or may be concentrated in tiers over
the centre or other convenient part of said platform
I preferably attach to the platform a shield for the gunner, such as L
Figures 3 and 4
The guns may be mounted on the oscillating platform or may be simply
placed on the said platform on their field or other carriages, provision being
made to keep the gun wheels in a fixed position.
If the auto-sight and search light are to be used in conjunction for laving
guns on board ship, the arm C must be provided with means for keeping it
level automatically, such for instance as a cam operated by a pendulum weight
pivoted to the turn table and adapted to oscillate with the movement of the
ship.
It is obvious that the "auto-sight." and search light may be applied to a
single gun in a similar manner to that above described with reference to the
Oscillating platform.
"

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 in the sighting of ordnance is:-
1. A gun, or an oscillating platform carrying a number of guns. adapted to
be laid by the single operation either of directing the axis of the search light
alone upon the target or of simultaneously operating the axis of the search
light in conjunction with the line of sight of an auto-sight," substantially
as and for the purpose specified
2. A gun or an oscillating platform carrying a number of guns, provided
with a search light, and means, operated either by the ordinary elevating screw
or by the automatic sight elevating screw, for elevating and depressing the
said search light simultaneously with the line of sight, substantially as and
for the purpose specified
3 Means for causing the line of sight and the axis of the search-light to
simultaneously converge upon the target, substantially as and for the purpose
specified
4 Apparatus for laving guns, constructed arranged and operating substan-
tially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings for the purpose
specified
Dated this 7th dox of Dream……. 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.