Improvements in Gun Mounts.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1893-Accepted, 26th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gun Mounts.
I. WILLIAM HALE DRIGGS, a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, residing
at Number 1146 Seventeenth Street, North West, in the City of Washington,
District of Columbia, and United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUN MOUNTS," and what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in recoil mounts for guns, and it consists
of certain novel arrangements in providing resistance to the gun during recoil,
whereby the necessity for nice adjustments of the recoil cylinder and its attach-
ments is obviated.
Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are
indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of the gun upon the improved
mount, parts being broken away.
Fig. represents a section of the gun and rocking slide along the broken
line of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.
the
Fig. 3 represents a plan view of the rocking slide detached.
Fig. 4 represents a front view of the rocking slide, and the reinforce band of
mounted therein, the body of the gun itself being omitted.
Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of the rocking slide detached; and
gun
Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of the reinforce band of the gun detached
from the body of the gun.
A represents the body of the gun. B represents the reinforce band secured on
the gun in the usual way, and provided with dove-tailed guides b, to engage in
corresponding recesses c on the rocking slide C, and with the recesses to diminish
the surface of the reinforce band in contact with the rocking slide and so to
diminish friction.
The reinforce band B is provided with a downwardly projecting arm B¹, having
journals 2 for purposes hereinafter to be described, and cap-squares B³.
The rocking slide C provided with trunnions C', and the sides of the rocking
slide are connected together by the curved transom C³, having at its forward
portion the rib C³. The sides of the rocking slide C are further strengthened
against springing apart by the webs C³, as shown in Fig. 3. The rocking slide is
also provided with a downwardly projecting friction flange C for the purpose
hereinafter to be described. The rib C³ of the rocking slide is provided with a
transverse, cylindrical bolt hole c, which passes through the legs c.
The trunnions C of the rocking slide are mounted upon the pivot D which may
be of any desired construction.
Through the bolt hole c* in the rib C³, the bolt E is passed, securing to the said
rib the end of the piston rod F on which is mounted the piston F', and the
spring G, enclosed in the recoil cylinder H. This recoil cylinder has the rear
portion of its bore cut in the form of a cone, tapering slightly as shown at H¹
in Fig. 1, and the piston F1 is made so as to fit closely in the contracted portion of
the conical chamber H', while there is a small clearance space between the exterior
of the piston and the interior of the chamber at the larger end of the said chamber,
as shown in Fig. 1. In order that the piston may be centered in the said chamber,
the piston rod F is extended, as at through the rear cylinder head, the said
portion passing through the stuffing box h³ in the rear end of the said cylinder.
I Price Sd

page_text: The opposite end of the said cylinder is closed by the screw head h and the stuffing
box . The recoil cylinder H is provided with trunnions H³, journalled in the
grooves 62 of the arms B', projecting downward from the reinforce band B.
trunnions are held in place by the cap-squares B².
These
It will thus be seen that the recoil cylinder H moves with the reinforce band,
and consequently with the gun as the latter recoils, while the piston is attached to
the rocking slide, and does not move actually; therefore, as the gun recoils the
recoil cylinder moves backward relative to the piston, and the liquid in the recoil
cylinder is forced from the forward side of the piston to the rear, through a passage
which rapidly diminishes in area of cross-section. Therefore the resistance of the
hydraulic recoil cylinder rapidly increases, thus neutralizing the shock of the
recoil.
The spring G should be of sufficient strength to return the gun to the initial
position after the recoil.
Owing to the fact that the recoil cylinder is trunnioned to the reinforce band,
and that the piston passes through both ends of the said cylinder, any derangement
of the parts due to faults in the mechanical construction are rendered immaterial,
for it does not make any difference whether the cylinder is absolutely parallel to
the line of fire or not.
The conical construction of the interior of the hydraulic cylinder is mechanically
very much cheaper than the manufacture of cylinders with the tapering grooves
now largely in use while the method of centering the piston in the conical chamber
enables a constantly increasing and predetermined resistance in the recoil cylinder
to be obtained.
It will be evident that the recoil cylinder may be connected by trunnions to the
rocking slide and the piston rod may be connected to the gun.
The plate C and clamping screw D² and lever D₁ are provided for the purpose
of clamping the rocking slide and gun at any desired elevation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The construction, arrangement, and combination of parts constituting
the gun mount herein described, and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Second. The use of a trunnioned recoil cylinder approximately parallel to the
axis of the bore of the gun, substantially as herein described and shewn in
Figures 1 and 2, of the drawings hereunto annexed.
Third. In a recoil gun mount of the character described, the combination with
a trunnioned rocking slide, and a gun mounted therein; of a trunnioned recoil
cylinder connected either to said gun or to said rocking slide; a piston fitting in
said cylinder; and a piston rod connected either to said rocking slide or to said
gun, respectively, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 25th day of July 1893
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.