IMPROVEMENTS IN AND PERTAINING TO ORDNANCE
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, RICHARD HOLT, of 42 Richmond Gardens Paddington, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND PERTAINING TO ORDNANCE" (a communication to me
from abroad by Alexander Joyeux, Sèvres Seine et Oise, France, Official Architect)
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 improvements in appliances for sighting and laying
ordnance and has for objects to enable the operations of sighting, laying and
firing ordnance to be effected with greater accuracy, rapidity, and safety to the
operator than has heretofore been usual, and further to allow of such operations
being efficiently performed on even or uneven ground at will, without the necessity,
in the latter case, of bringing the ordinary back and front sights of the gun into
the same vertical plane. This invention further relates to an improved breech
piece for quickly and effectively closing the breech of breech loading ordnance.
In the accompanying two sheets of illustrative drawings Fig 1 is a side
elevation of a breech loading gun and a portion of its supporting carriage, with
the improvements according to this invention applied thereto. Fig 2 is a side
view of a portion of the gun with a sight mounted upon one of the trunnion
bearings. Figs 3 and 4 are end and side views respectively of a removeable and
adjustable main back sight according to this invention. Fig 5 is an end view of
a removeable and adjustable auxiliary or compensating side sight and range piece
according to this invention. Fig 6 is a side view of a plumb-bob or levelling
arrangement hereinafter described. Fig 7 is a longitudinal section of the rear end
of a breech loading gun, having an improved breech and safety piece according to
this invention, applied thereto. Figs 1 and 7 are drawn to a smaller scale than
the remaining figures.
A is the gun carried in the trunnion bearings B of the carriage or frame C.
The main back sight (Figs 3 and 4) comprises a base piece D which may be clamped

page_text: to the gun by a screw F and a sight piece E capable of accurate adjustment
thereon horizontally by a screw E¹ and milled nut E. E is the sight hole in
the piece E. This main back sight is applied to the rear end of the gun and in
order that it may readily be placed in position or removed to render the gun
useless when, for instance, it is about to fall into the bands of an enemy, the
base piece D is provided with a dove-tail shaped piece or extension D* capablo
of sliding in a correspondingly shaped recess formed. on the rear upper surface
of the gun.
The base piece D is fixed to the gun by the clamping screw F. In order to
counteract the doclivity or deviation in the firing of the shot due to the rifling
of the gun causing it to move to the right or to the left, according to the direction
of rifling after leaving the gun, J provide on the upper surface of the base piece D
adjacent to the sight piece En scale of divisions corresponding to the declivity or
deviation due to different ranges of the gun. E is an index mark on the sight
piece E adjacent to the scale. When E corresponds with the zero division of tho
scale the line of sight joining the sight hole E with the usual forward sight on
the front end of the gun is in the same vertical plane as the longitudinal axis of
the gun. The said scale may conveniently have twenty divisions of one millimetro
each in width and he numbered from left to right when the rifling of the gun is
left handed.
'
j
The auxiliary adjustable side sight (Figs 1 and 5) and range piece, for enabling
the gun to be accurately ranged and pointed for firing for any range within the
limits of the gun, comprises a rod or bar G, having degrees or divisions G³, corre-
sponding to various ranges of the gun, on one side thereof. The rod G is hinged
at G³ to a bar or spindle G³ adapted to fit into a hole or socket formed at one side
of the rear end of the gun as indicated in Fig 1. His a carrier capable of sliding
lengthwise on the bar G and of being secured thereto at any desired part of its
length, by means of a set screw or otherwise or it may fit the rod G 'tightly.
The carrier H carries a level I and a sight piece J provided with a dovetailed
portion J¹ capable of sliding in a correspondingly shaped groove or recess in the 3
said carrier.
: .
The sight piece J is provided with a sight hole J* and with a scale of
declivity J corresponding to the one on the base piece D except that it is
40 millimetres in length and numbered from right to left. The hinge joint at G'
is formed by pivotting the lower end of the rod G in the upper end of the spindle G³, 8
a projecting piece from the former extending within the latter in such a, manner
that the said projecting piece' and the attached rod G may be moved to the right
or left at will by the screw G. K₁ (Fig 2) is an auxiliary forward sight carried
by one of the trunnion 'bearings as shown.
The improved means for accurately and quickly laying the gun, for any desired 4
range within the capabilities of its construction comprises an eccentric block plate.
or frame L provided with a spindle or shaft L¹ fixed thereto and carried in
bearings in two rods or levers M. L' is a crank handle fixed to the spindle or
shaft L. These rods or levers M (one only of which can be seen in the drawings)
are connected and supported at one of their ends by a pin or spindle N, arranged 4
to work in slots N¹, formed one in each side of the carriage frame; the other or
lower ends of the rods or levers are connected by a nut piece N' arranged to swivel
therein, and supported by a screwed rod O. Curved slots P are formed in each
side of the carriage frame, for the projecting ends of the spindle or shaft L' to
work in, when the lower ends of the rods or levers M are raised or depressed by 50
the screwed rod O, which for this purpose is provided with a crank handle O¹
The block, plate, or frame L is provided with any suitable number of bearing
points or surfaces 1, 2, 3 et cetera depending upon the nature of the gun and its
requirements; the number in the example shown being nine. These bearing
points or surfaces are so formed and arranged with reference to the gun they are 5
to support, that, when the carriage or frame B rests upon a horizontal surface as

page_text: indicated in Fig 1 by the line Q, each bearing point or surface shall perfectly
support the gun in a position corresponding with some definite and previously
determined, range. Thus, for example, the surface 1 may support the gun in a
horizontal position, the surface 2 may support it with a range of 1000 yards,
metres, or other required distance, the surfaco 3 with a range of 2000 yards, the
surface 4 with a range of 3000 yards, and so on. One or more of the surfaces,
say the surface 1° may be arranged to support the gun in a downwardly-pointing
position if desired. To enable the gun to be laid to ranges intermediate between.
those provided for by the eccentric surfaces, the lower ends of the rods must bo
lowered by the screw O and nut pieco N to give it additional elevation, the extent
of downward movement necessary being indicated by a scale R on the carriago
frame, and a pointer L' attached to the spindle L'. The length of the slot P and
the indications of the scale R, are such as to allow the gun to be elevated by the
screw alone to an angle corresponding to its maximum range. By these means
therefore the gun may be accurately layed for firing when, for example, the said
block plate or frame may have been temporarily disabled, through accident.
In this case the scale R or the range scale G on the rod G, must be employed to
dotermine the elevation of the gun for any desired range as will be readily under-
stood. S is a plumb-bob pivotted to the side of the gun-carriage and serving in
conjunction with a scale T of divisions or degrees, to indicato whether the rear
end C of the gun carriage or frame C lies in the same horizontal plane as the
bearing portions of the wheels, or to what extent it differs therefrom. Each
division of the scale T may conveniently be made to correspond with each of the
divisions on the scale R. If then the end C' of the gun frame rests below tho
horizontal plane, the error that would otherwise be introduced into the range of
the gun, inay be compensated for by raising the shaft L' the necessary extent as
determined by the scales T and R, or vice versa.
It is to be understood that the sighting and laying devices herein before described
although shown applied to breech loading ordnance may be advantageously applied
to muzzle loading ordnance.
The improved breech piece for closing the breech of breechloading ordnance
comprises three main portions U₁ U U³ the portion U₁ being hinged or pivotted
to the gun and carrying the other portions U² U³. U is a bolt uniting the
portions Us Us. The portion Us is provided with an interrupted screw fitting into
a similar scrow in the body of the gun. When the portion U is turned to closo
the breech; the block slides into the gun, the interrupted portions of the threads
passing each other as is well understood. The portion U³, which constituteś &
handle, is then turned through two quarters of a revolution the first causing the
portions Us Us and bolt U₁ to move longitudinally forward to cause partial closing
of the breech, the second quarter revolution causing the portion Us to rotate
whereby its screwed portions take into the corresponding portions in the breech
thereby securely closing it. To open the breech the opposite movements must tako
place. The longitudinal movements of U, U³, U, are effected by causing pins or
projections on the piece U₁ to work in suitable cam grooves in the portion U' when
the latter is rotated. The rotary movement of U³ is effected by a projection on tho
end of U working in a semi-circular recess formed in the adjacent end of the
portion U. The portion U is provided with a copper obturator ring at its inner
end which expands, when the gun is fired, into contact with the interior of the gun
and effectively prevents escape of gas rearwards. W is the fuse hole formed in two
portions, one in the portion U₁ and the other in the portion Us and bolt U*; it is
so arranged that the two portions do not come into line until the breech piece is
properly secured in place, thus obviating liability of accident to those working the
gun by firing it before the breech is securely closed. X is a safety piece. or
projection attached to or formed in one with the portion U; it serves to deflect
upward the cap or other portion of the fuse that is ejected rearward when firing.
The operations of working the gun are as follows:-Supposing it to be desired to

page_text: fire at an object sighted at a range of 3500 yards, and that the wheels and rear
end of the gun carriage rest upon the same horizontal surface, as indicated by
the level I and plumb-bob S, after the gun has been placed in line with the object
(by means of the main back sight); then the main back sight piece E is first
adjusted horizontally by means of the nut E3 and screw E¹ to compensate for the
declivity or deflection of the shot, the extent of movement of the piece E. depending
upon the range of the gun when firing and is determined by the officer in
charge in a manner that will be readily understood by artillorists. The gun is then
placed in line with the object to be fired at by means of the main back and forward
sights. The gun breech is then unlocked in two quarter turns or revolutions and
swung open, the projectile and firing charge inserted in place, and the breech again
closed. The crank handle L' is then operated so as to bring the bearing point or
surface 4 of the eccentric block plate or frame L corresponding with a range
of 3000, yards, beneath the rear end of the gun and the screwed rod O then
operated by its handle O¹ to lower the shaft L' in the slots P to an extent
corresponding with a range of 500 yards. A fuse is then inserted in the hole W
and the gun fired. Under the above conditions the auxiliary back sight is placed
upon the rod G so as to correspond with the desired range, its correct position
thereon being determined by the scale G. The sight piece J must also be adjusted
to the left in its carrier H to compensate for the declivity or deviation of the shot
but as the line of sight between it and the auxiliary forward sight K is only
about (in the example shown) the length of that between the main back and
forward sights the extent of its movement only need be one third that of the main
back sight piece E. The auxiliary back and forward sights then serve to check the
accuracy of the main back sight and the layed position of tho gun. If the rear
end C of the gun-carriage does not rest on the same horizontal surface as the
wheels, the difference of level will be indicated by the plumb-bob S, the error in
the range of the gun due thereto, being then compensated for by raising or lowering
the shaft L to the necessary extent in the manner hereinbefore explained. If the
wheels do not rest on the same horizontal surface then the main back and forward
sights being in an inclined position with reference to the vertical plane passing
through the axis of the gun become useless for sighting and the auxiliary sights
must be employed for the purpose by first causing the rod G to partially rotate to
the right or left as may be required on its hinge at G' by means of the milled
screw G, until the level I is in a horizontal position. The auxiliary back and
forward sights are then in a correct position for sighting or pointing the gun with
accuracy.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The use in ordnance of a back sight which can be readily applied to and
removed from the gun, and which can be adjusted sideways substantially as and for
the purposes hereinbeforo described.
2. The use in ordnance of a pair of auxiliary sights used in combination with an
adjustable back sight substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
3. The use for elevating and depressing ordnance of a rotating block, plate, or
frame which in certain definite positions lays the gun for certain definite ranges
substantially as described.
4. The use in combination with a block, plate, or frame such as referred to in the
previous claim of means substantially as described for raising and lowering the said
block, plate, or frame for the purposes specified.
5. In ordnance the use in combination with a rotating block, plate or frame for
laying the gun and means for raising and lowering the said block, plate, or frame,
of a plumb-bob and divided scale to determine the initial inclination of the gun
carriage substantially as described.

page_text: 6. In breech loading ordnance forming the fuse hole in two sections which do not
come into the same straight line until the breech piece is driven or closed home
substantially as described.
7. In breech loading ordnance the use of a safety piece or projection to divert the
ejected portion of the fuse away from the persons of the artillerymen substantially
as described.
8. In breech loading ordnance the improved breech piece constructed, arranged
and operating substantially as hereinbefore described for the purposes specified.
'ZOOF JOAMerdag 1 LA DOM
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Applicant's Agent.