New or Improved Ammunition Hoists for War Vessels, Armoured Turrets, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Ammunition Hoists for War Vessels, Armoured
Turrets, and the like.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inveu-
tion (a communication from the Firm of Fried Krupp, of Essen, in the Empire
of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an ammunition hoist which is designed for war
vessels, armoured turrets and the like, and which differs advantageously from
known constructions by its simple arrangement, and also by the fact that it is
able in case of necessity to convey a large quantity of animunition rapidly to
the place of consumption. The invention consists in that the ammunition is
conveyed in a tube by means of a to and fro operated pawl or ratchet mechanism
and that the motion of the latter is interrupted immediately, in case the cartridge,
projectile, etc., that has arrived at the place of consumption, is not taken out of
the tube.
According to one arrangement of the invention, the guide shaft for the ammuni-
tion consists of a tube which is formed with a longitudinal slot on one side:
exteriorally of the tube on the slotted side thereof there is a vertically movable
rod carrying spring pawls which latter extend through the slot of the guide
tube. The rod is capable of sliding up and down in a guide, arranged on the
guide tube.
On the side of the guide tube, opposite to the slot there are pro-
vided on the tube, similar spring ratchet pawls, which extend through slots in
the side of the tube into the interior thereof. The distance apart of the pawls
carried by the sliding rod is, similarly to that between the stationary pawls,
equal to the length of the stroke of the sliding rod, whilst the lowest stationary
ratchet pawl is similarly arranged the length of a stroke away from a table,
which is designed to receive the ammunition to be hoisted, and is located at the
base of the tube.
It will now be understood that when ammunition, for example a cartridge, is
placed upon the table and the sliding rod is reciprocated in a direction parallel
with the tube, the lower ratchet pawl on the sliding rod will move down under the
table, will come below the cartridge and raise it up to the level of the lower
stationary ratchet pawl and will deliver it to the latter which then comes under
the base of the cartridge and supports same. Whilst the sliding rod moves down
again, the cartridge remains above the stationary ratchet pawl, to be grasped (on
the next following upward movement of sliding rod which carries, if necessary
a new cartridge away from the table) by the second higher ratchet pawl of the
sliding rod, and be raised up to the level of the higher stationary pawl.
in this

page_text: manner the cartridge is conveyed to the upper end of the guide shaft where it is
removed by hand or by other means from the shaft.
The driving of the sliding rod is effected in the following manner:-
An endless chain is passed over pulleys of which one is rotated by means of
wheel or worm driving gear. In the chain there is included a piece or collar,
which embraces and is capable of sliding upon an arm projecting from the
conveying or sliding rod, and which collar moves (in its rotation over the pulleys
along the arm).
According as the sliding collar is situated during the movement of the chain,
in the upwardly travelling or in the descending stretch of the chain, the sliding
rod is moved up or down accordingly. In order to prevent the cartridge which
has reached the top end of the hoisting tube from being ejected out of the tube by
the next following cartridge, in case it is not removed, the arrangement is such
that the driving gear will throw itself automatically out of operation. For
this purpose there are arranged on a common axle situated at the upper end of
the hoist tube, two levers, which for the purposes of this description will be
termed A and B respectively, provided with contact pieces. Two flat springs
fixed to the lever A and bearing against the sides of the lever B cause the lever B
to follow generally the movement of the lever A. A stop piece limits the outward
travel of the lever B. Normally the contact is closed, and it remains closed even
when the lever A projecting into the hoist tube is pressed aside by the cartridge
arriving at the top, because the lever A carries the lever B along with it.
Simiany, both levers are caused by the action of a helical spring to return
together into their original position when the ascending uppermost cartridge is
at once removed. But if this latter operation be not effected, the lever B remains
in the dotted position in which it is situated in the path of a tappet piece carried
upon the upper end of the sliding rod. Then at the moment when the topmost
cartridge is placed upon the upper stationary ratchet pawl, the tappet piece strikes
against the lever B and presses the latter outwards. Consequently, the contact
which acts directly or indirectly upon the driving mechanism of the rod, in any
suitable manner, is broken, and the hoist is stopped. After the removal of the
topmost cartridge the lever A returns under the influence of the helical spring
back to its original position.
Since the lever B cannot share this movement, because it bears against a fixed
stop bar, the contact is remade and the movement of the sliding rod begins
anew.
The stationary pawls, which are fixed to the hoist tube, may in some cases be
replaced by pawls which are arranged on a second sliding rod, which latter is
similar in arrangement and mode of operation but is moved in an opposite
direction to the first sliding rod before described, and the weights of the two
sliding rods balance each other, and each of the rods need only make one half of
the stroke which is necessary when one sliding rod is used.
Another means may be employed for driving the sliding rod, according to which
the sliding rods of two hoists arranged side by side are driven from one and
the same shaft. A connecting rod is pivotted by one end to the sliding rod,
and is guided through a strap which limits the stroke of the connecting rod.
The lower end of the connecting rod is included and takes onto the driving chain.
According as the latter end of the connecting rod is situated in the ascending
or descending stretch of the chain, so the sliding rod will move up or down.
It is also obvious that without altering anything in the nature of the invention,
the up and down movement of the rod may also be produced by other means,
such as, for example, by means of automatically reversing gear or by means of
hydraulic cylinders. Also the hoist shaft may assume any desired position.
Thatod i 1+1 durat
1000

page_text: New or improved Ammunition Hoists for War Vessels, Armoured
Turrets, and the like.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried Krupp, of
Essen, in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:--
This invention relates to an ammunition hoist which is designed for war
vessels, armoured turrets and the like, and which differs advantageously from
known constructions by its simple arrangement, and also by the fact that it is
able in case of necessity to convey a large quantity of ammunition rapidly to
the place of consumption. The invention consists in that the ammunition is
conveyed in a tube by means of a to and fro operated pawl or ratchet mechanism,
and that the motion of the latter is interrupted immediately, in case the cartridge,
projectile, etc., that has arrived at the place of consumption, is not taken out of
the tube.
I11 the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 shew in elevation and in
sectional plan respectively, one construction of this new ammunition hoist. Figs. 3
and 4 are similar views of another form of construction of the hoist. Fig. 5
illustrates a modified form of driving mechanism for the hoist, whilst Fig. 6
thews in what manner two hoists arranged side by side can be driven at the
same time.
According to one arrangement of the invention, referring to Figs. 1 and 2,
the guide shaft for the ammunition consists of a tube which is formed with
a longitudinal slot g on one side; exteriorally of the tube d on the slotted side
thereof there is a vertically movable rod c carrying spring pawls bbwhich latter
extend through the slot 7 of the guide tube d. The rod is capable of sliding
up and down in a guide r, arranged on the guide tube d. On the side of the
guide tube d, opposite to the slot there are provided, on the tube d, spring
ratchet pawls e el, which extend through slots in the side of the tube into the
interior thereof. The distance apart of the pawls carried by the sliding rod
is, similarly to that between the stationary pawls e c', equal to the length of
the stroke of the sliding rod c, whilst the lowest stationary ratchet pawl e is
similarly arranged the length of a stroke away from a table a, which is designed
to receive the ammunition to be hoisted, and is located at the base of the tube.
It will now be understood that when ammunition, for example a cartridge l'
is placed upon the table a and the sliding rod c is reciprocated in a direction
parallel with the tube d, the lower ratchet pawl on the sliding rod c will, see
Fig. 3, move down under the table a, will come below the cartridge and raise it
up to the level of the lower stationary ratchet pawl e and will deliver it to the
latter which then comes under the base of the cartridge and supports same.
Whilst
the sliding rode moves down again, the cartridge P remains above the stationary
ratchet pawl e, to be grasped (on the next following upward movement of the
sliding rod which carries, if necessary a new cartridge away from the table a)
by the second higher ratchet pawl 6 of the sliding rod and be raised up to the
level of the higher stationary pawl el.
In this manner the cartridge is conveyed to the upper end of the guide shaft d
where it is removed by hand or by other means, from the shaft d
The driving of the sliding rod c is effected in the following manner:
An endless chain S is passed over pulleys 1 m of which one is rotated by means

page_text: of wheel or worm driving gear. In the chain there is included a sliding piece
or collar k, which embraces and is capable of sliding upon an arm i projecting
from the conveying or sliding rod c, and which collar moves in its travel over
the pulleys and m along the arm i.
According as the sliding collar is situated, during the movement of the chain S,
in the upwardly travelling, or in the descending stretch of the chain S, the
sliding rod c is moved up or down accordingly. In order to prevent the cartridge P
which has reached the top end of the hoisting tube d, from being ejected out of
the tube by the next following cartridge, in case it is not removed, the arrangement
is such that the driving gear will throw itself automatically out of operation.
For this purpose there are arranged on a common axle, situated at the upper end
of the hoist tube, two levers f and g, provided with contact pieces and u. Two
flat springs W fixed to the lever f and bearing against the sides of the lever g,
cause the lever g to follow generally the movement of the lever f. A stop
limits the outward travel of the lever g. Normally the contact tu is closed, and
it remains closed even when the lever f projecting into the hoist tube d is pressed
aside by the cartridges arriving at the top, because the lever f carries the lever g
along with it (see dotted position in Fig. 1). Similarly, both levers are caused
by the action of a helical spring h to return together into their original position,
when the uppermost cartridge is at once removed. But if this latter operation
be not effected, the lever g remains in the dotted position in which it is situated
in the path of a tappet piece v carried upon the upper end of the sliding rod c.
Then at the moment when the topmost cartridge is placed upon the upper stationary
ratchet pawl el, the tappet piece v strikes against the lever g' and presses the
latter outwards. Consequently, the contact tu which acts directly or indirectly
upon the driving mechanism of the rod in any suitable manner, is broken, and
the hoist is stopped. After the removal of the topmost cartridge the lever f
returns under the influence of the helical spring h back to its original position.
Since the lever g cannot share this movement, because it bears against a fixed
stop bar, the contact tu is remade and the movement of the sliding rod c begins
again.
The stationary pawls e e¹ which are shewn fixed to the hoist tube d in Figs.
and 2, may in some cases be replaced as shewn at Figs. 3 and 4, by pawls 5,
and 61, which are arranged on a second sliding rod c¹ which latter is similar in
arrangement and mode of operation to the first sliding rod e before described but
moves in an opposite direction. The general arrangement and especially the
common driving gear will be readily understood from the Figures 3 and 4
without further description. The two sliding rods eel balance each other, and
each of the rods need only make one half of the stroke which is necessary when
one sliding rod is used.
Fig. 5 shews another means for driving the sliding rod c, the said driving
gear being shewn in side elevation in Fig. 6, according to which the sliding rod c
of two hoists arranged side to side, are driven from one and the same shaft.
connecting rod n is pivotted by one end o to the sliding rod c, and is guided at p
through a strap, which limits the stroke of the connecting rod. The lower end z
of the connecting rod n is connected to the driving chain S. According as the
latter end of the connecting rod n is situated in the ascending or descending
stretch of the chain $ so the sliding rod c will move up or down.
It is also obvious that without altering anything in the nature of the invention,
the up and down movement of the rod c may also be produced by other means,
such as, for example, by means of automatically reversing gear or by means of
hydraulic cylinders. Also the hoist shaft may assume any desired position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
--
1. In ammunition hoists for war vessels, armoured turrets, and the like, a rod c

page_text: which is arranged in a hoist shaft for conveying the ammunition, which rod c is
moved up and down, and is provided with ratchet pawls bb, the arrangement being
such that said rod takes the ammunition from off a table a, and conveys it by
means of ratchet pawls e e¹, mounted on the hoist shaft, to the place of use.
2. A form of construction of the ammunition hoist specified in Claim 1, in
which instead of the fixed ratchet pawls e e¹, a second rod c¹ is used, which is
provided with ratchet pawls b, b', and which moves in the opposite direction to
the first rod g.
3. A form of construction of the ammunition hoist specified in Claims 1 and 2,
in which the cartridge on arriving at the place of use, moves a lever g into the
path of a stop arranged on the rod c, which stop when the cartridge is not
removed from the hoist, presses the lever g aside, so that a contact which acts
upon the driving gear, is broken and the hoist is stopped.
4. A form of construction of the ammunition hoist specified in Claims 1 and 2,
in which an endless chain S is employed in combination with a sliding piece or
collar and an arm i, or with a connecting rod n, for the purpose of converting
the rotary motion of the driving shaft into an up and down motion, or into a
to and fro motion of the hoist rod c.
Dotad th; 20th day of Novamhan 1808
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.