provements in the Mountings of Large Calibre Twin Guns in Barbettes or Turrets."
Year: 1899

page_text: (The Amendments are shown in erased type).
Date of Application, 4th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1900
66
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in the Mountings of Large Calibre Twin Guns in
Barbettes or Turrets."
We, ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, of Vickers Sons & Maxim Limited, of 28
Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of London, Superintendent of Ord-
nance Works, and JAMES HORNE, of Vickers Sons & Maxim Limited, of '
Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention the two guns are mounted independently on a
turntable revolving on a roller path carried on a structure within the barbette,
but independent of the structure supporting the latter, so that in case of distortion
or partial destruction of the barbette, the roller path is not affected. The guns and
mountings are protected by an armoured shield or hood attached to the revolving
turntable, the front and sides being sloped and circular in plan, the rear part being
extended to provide the space necessary for the gun's crew. This extension also
serves to balance the guns and mounting. The opening between the turntable and
the barbette is made watertight by a flexible apron provided with screws for lifting
and lowering it as required. Below the turntable there is a chamber attached to
and revolving with the turntable, inside the circular structure which supports the
roller path. From the floor of this chamber two sets of guide rails extend upwards
to the breeches of the guns, along which ammunition cages travel carrying ammu-
nition from the chamber to the gun breeches. From the floor of the chamber, a
trunk extends down to the interior of the ship, this is attached to the chamber and
revolves with it and with the guns and mountings. This trunk is provided with
guides for the passage of projectiles and explosive charges from the shell rooms and
magazines to the chamber below the turntable.
At the base of the trunk, two revolving bogies serve for the transfer of projec-,
tiles from the overhead traveller to cages in the trunk. These bogies are provided.
with gear for running them round relatively to the ship or to the revolving trunk.
They are provided with trays which tilt allowing the projectiles to roll down on to
the cage, or they may have two or more bolts supporting the projectile until it is
in correct position and then withdrawn either by hand or automatically, so that the
projectiles can roll down to the receiving tray on the cage. The cages in the trunk
travel vertically until they reach the chamber below the turntable whereupon the
trays carrying the projectiles are automatically tilted so that the projectiles roll out
on to receiving trays. These trays are themselves tilted on a horizontal axis until
they come on line with inclined troughs leading to ammunition cages by which
the ammunition is, carried from the chamber to the breeches of the guns.
'

page_text: Suitable safety stops and bolts are arranged to ensure all the various motions
only taking place in their correct order.
The rails leading from the chamber to the gun platform have their upper parts
curved concentric with the trunnions so that the projectile carried on the cage is
always radial in the upper part of its course so that it is brought in line with the
*bore of the gun whatever be its elevation.
A loading tray arranged to work on a horizontal axis is kept by a spring in its lower
position out of the way of the gun when it recoils. This tray is raised by the
ammunition cage and swung around its horizontal axis into the bore of the gun
after the breech has been opened and in this position it effectually protects the
threads of the breech screw during the passage of the projectile and powder charges
into the gun.
At the rear of this loading tray there is raminer apparatus consisting of a raminer
head with a guiding stein and a chain which is attached to the stem and works
over a sprocket wheel the whole being so arranged that the rammer is always
in line with the longitudinal axis of the gun. This chain is suitably guided and
protected and the sprocket wheel is worked by an electric, hydraulic or other suit-
able motor, in the one direction pushing the rammer head forward to rain the
projectile and powder charges hoine, in the opposite direction to withdraw the
rammer head. To provide for the quick withdrawal of the rammer and yet
to avoid shock when it is suddenly stopped a hydraulic buffer is arranged to receive
the head on its return. A spring worked bolt is so arranged that when the rammer
head has advanced, the bolt engages with the loading cage and prevents it from
being lowered until the rammer has retreated.
The motor for working the sprocket wheel is attached to the arm which carries
the loading tray and connected, preferably through bevel gear, to the sprocket
wheel. The gearing and connections are so arranged that, should the motor or
other part of the gear fail, a clear space in line with the bore of the gun can be
obtained to provide for loading the guns by hand.
The ammunition cages are worked preferably by hydraulic cranes, but other
suitable motors may be employed.
The cages abut against fixed stops on the loading arm so as to ensure that the
projectile is brought exactly in line with the bore of the gun. In order that the
cage may keep this position should the gun be elevated or depressed during loading,
means are provided for compensating for change of the length of the crane rope
caused by the elevation or depression of the gun.
For this purpose the rope leading from the cage over the top guide pulley is
passed over a pulley carried on a moveable frame connected to the gun slide, this
frame partaking of the elevating or depressing movement. By giving this frame
with its pulley half the travel of the cage when it abuts against the stop on the
loading arm the motion of the cage is compensated however the gun's position may
be altered. Should the gun be elevated or depressed while the cage is in other
positions, the crane rope is kept tight by the rain of an auxiliary cylinder subject to
constant pressure.
This ram being connected to the crosshead of the crane cylinder always acts in
opposition to the weight of the cage which tends to force the main ram into its
cylinder.
To prevent any vacuum from occurring in the main cylinder, the exhaust water
froin the working valves passes through an overflow tank so arranged above the
crane cylinder, that, should the ram be forced outwards, when the cage is in its
bottom position, water can flow from the tank, into the cylinder and so keep it
always full.

page_text: <<
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in the Mountings of Large Calibre Twin Guns in
Barbettes or Turrets."
We, ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON of Vickers Sons & Maxim Limited, of 28
Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of London, Superintendent of Ordnance
Works, and JAMES HORNE of Vickers Sons & Maxim Limited, of Barrow-in-Furness
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to the mounting of large calibre guns in barbettes or turrets,
to details in the structure of the shields, to means of supplying the guns with pro-
jectiles and explosive charges, apparatus for loading the guns and ramining the
charges, and arrangements for stopping and holding the supply cages in proper
position while the loading and ramming proceed as we shall describe referring to
the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 is a transverse section and Fig. 3 is a plan
of a barbette with a pair of heavy guns mounted therein.
Fig. 4 is a side view partly sectional showing the ammunition cage and loading
tray and Fig. 5 is a side view of the rammer.
The two guns are mounted independently on a turntable revolving on a live
roller ring a and roller path carried on a structure within the barbette and indepen-
dent of the barbette wall b so that in case of distortion or partial destruction of the
wall, the roller path is not affected. Over the guns and their mountings is carried
on the revolving turntable an armoured hood or shield, the front and sides c of
which are sloped and circular in plan, from which a part d is extended rearwards to
give space for the gun crew, and to balance the guns and mounting. The open-
ing between the stationary barbette wall b and the revolving shield c is made water-
tight by a flexible apron e which may be raised or lowered as desired by means of
screws.
Under the turntable attached to it and revolving with it inside the roller path is
a chamber from the floor of which two sets of guide rails fextend obliquely upwards
to positions behind the breeches of the guns and cages g travel along these rails
carrying ammunition up to each of the guns. From the chamber, attached to and
revolving with it extends down into the interior of the vessel a trunk h provided
with guides along which travel cages ; j' carrying projectiles and explosive
charges from the shell rooms and magazines up to the chamber below the turn-
table
At the base of the trunk h two revolving bogies k serve to transfer projectiles
from an overhead traveller to the cages j in the trunk h. Each of these bogies has
mounted on it a vertical shaft which can be turned by a winch handle and worm
gear, and on the shaft are two free pinions the one gearing with a circular
rack on the trunk and the other with a circular rack on the
floor. Between the two pinions is a clutch sliding on a feather on the shaft /
this can by a lever m be engaged with either of the pinions but not with both at
once, and thus the bogie can be caused to travel round relatively to the trunk or
the vessel so as to bring projectiles from any position, to position facing the lift
cage of the trunk. The top of the bogie is an inclined tray on which the projec-
tile p is held by stops connected together and to a lever n by depressing which
the stops are lowered allowing the projectile to roll down on to a receiving tray
which is mounted on a horizontal axis on the cage j so that on the ascent of the
cage an arm attached to the tray becomes engaged in sloping guides q, and the
tray of the cage is thus tilted causing the projectile which it carries to roll on to
a receiving trough r which is inclined by a hand lever so that the projectile

page_text: which it receives slides lengthwise on to the cage g by which it is carried up
till it comes in line with the bore of the gun.
The rails leading from the chamber to the breech of the gun have their
upper parts curved concentric with the trunnions so that the axis of the pro-
jectile p carried on the cage g is always radial on the upper part of its course
so that it is brought in line with the base of the gun whatever be the elevation
of the gun.
As shewn in Fig. 4 a loading tray s which is pivotted on the loading arm is kept
by a spring in its lower position out of the way of the gun when it recoils, but
when the cage g ascends, a cam bar t upon it, raises the tray and swings it round 1
its pivot into the bore of the gun as indicated by the dotted line s¹, and in
this position it protects the internal screw threads for the breech plug while the
projectile and explosive charge are passed into the gun.
On the loading arm or rearward extension of the slide as shewn in Fig. 5
there is carried a rammer apparatus comprising a rammer head u having attached
to its stem a chain passing over a sprocket wheel worked by an electric,
hydraulic or other suitable motor 8. To provide for rapid withdrawal of the
rammer without shock, a hydraulic buffer w receives the rammer head on its return.
A spring bolt x which is held back by the rammer head, on the rammer beginning
to advance engages under a flange of the cage 9 and prevents it from being
lowered until the rammer is quite withdrawn, retracting the bolt.
The motor 8 for working the sprocket wheel is mounted on the arm which
carries the loading tray and connected, preferably through bevel gear, to the
sprocket wheel as shewn.
The gearing and connections are so arranged that, should the motor or other
part of the gear fail, a clear space in line with the bore of the gun can be obtained
to provide for loading the gun by hand. This is effected by fitting the sprocket
wheel and rammer to slide up and down on suitable guides by means of a
screw 9 worked by hand, this screw passing through a bracket nut 10 fixed to
the rammer frame.
•
Behind the rammer is a bogie 11 carrying a projectile which can be advanced
to the breech of the gun when loading by hand.
The ammunition cages are raised and lowered preferably by hydraulic cranes
but other suitable motors might be employed.
The cage g abuts against fixed stops on the rearward extension of the slide, when
it ascends to the position where the projectile is in line with the bore of the gun.
In order that the cage may keep this position when the gun is elevated or depressed
during loading, the change in the length of the crane rope is compensated in the
following manner.
To a pin y on a downward projection of the gun slide at a distance from the axis
of the trunnion equal to half the distance from the axis of the trunnion to the
middle of the cage g when it is in its highest position, is attached a sliding frame
carrying a pulley z. The crane rope 1 is passed down from the pulley over the cage
around guide pulleys 2, 3 and 4 and round the pulley z to the crane. When the
gun is elevated or depressed the pin y moves half the distance moved over by the
middle of the cage g and consequently the pulley which moves with the pin y just
gives out or takes up the amount by which the rope has to be lengthened or
shortened to suit the change of elevation of the gun, the cage 9 being thus kept
stationary relatively to the gun. Should the gun be elevated or depressed while the
cage g is in any other position, the rope is kept tight by a rain subject to constant
pressure in an auxiliary cylinder 5 and connected to the crosshead of the crane
cylinder 6 so as to act in opposition to the weight of the cage which tends to force
the main ram into its cylinder. To prevent any vacuum from being formed in the
main cylinder by the action of the auxiliary ram, the exhaust fluid from the working
valves passes to a tank 7 arranged above the crane cylinder, so that when the ram
is forced outwards, the cage being in its lowest position, fluid can flow from the tank
to the main cylinder keeping it always full.
1

page_text: 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 :
The-arrangement-of-a-pair-of-heavy-guns-and-their-mountings;-turntable-and
machinery-with-an--armoured--shield--over--them-and-within-but-independent-of-an
armoured-barbette-wall,-substantially-as-and-for-the-purpose-set-forth.
12. In combination with the turntable, an under chamber and trunk or lift shaft
attached to and turning with the turntable and provided with guide rails for am-
inunition cages substantially as described.
23. The bogies at the base of the trunk, the cages travelling therein and the
arrangements for transferring the projectiles to the loading cages, arranged and
operating substantially as described.
4-The-rammer-apparatus;-its-motor;-and-its-spring-belt-for-holding--the-loading
enge; substantially-as-described.
3. The appliance for raising and lowering the rammer apparatus, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
4. 6. The arrangements for compensating the change of length of the crane ropes
for the loading cages when the elevation of the gun is changed, substantially as
described.
57. In combination with the mountings of a pair of heavy guns in a turret or
barbette, the turntable with its roller race and with chamber and trunk attached
thereto, the bogies guide rails and cages for supply of ammunition, the means of
transferring the projectiles to the loading cages, the loading trays and rammers, and
means of compensating the change of length in the crane ropes, substantially as
described, with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 5th day of March 1900.