Year: 1886

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
Charles Eaton Creecy of Washington in the United States of America Counseller
at Law) 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 gun-carriages designed for the manipulation of heavy
guns.
The object of the invention is to improve the construction of a gun-carriage in
which the different movements of the carriage and the gun are effect by means of
aeriform fluid under pressure applied through the medium of cylinders, the piston-
rods of which are suitably connected to movable parts of the gun-carriage or to
the gun.
To these ends the invention consists essentially in the combination with a gun
carriage and gun of a cylinder or cylinders of novel construction mounted upon the
carriage having their piston-rods connected to the gun in such manner that the
movement back and forth of the piston-rods will move the gun back and forth on
its slides for the purpose of running it out or to battery and in for the purpose of
loading; the said cylinder or cylinders being provided with ports at each end to
allow the introduction or escape of compressed fluid according to the direction in
which the piston is to be moved; the cylinder or cylinders being also provided
with means whereby a quantity of compressed air is held in the cylinder in such
manner as to form a cushion against which the force of the recoil is exerted and
having connected therewith means whereby the escape of the fluid is allowed
when having been compressed by the recoil of the gun and performed its office in
restraining such recoil, its elasticity begins to throw the carriage forward;
furthermore the invention consists in the combination with a gun and gun
carriage of two approximately horizontal cylinders placed one on each side
of the gun connected to the same by suitable intermediate mechanism by which
the reciprocatory motion of their pistons is converted into an approximately
vertical movement of that portion of the gun to which they are connected the said

page_text: cylinders being provided with inlet and outlet ports at each end for the admission
and escape of compressed fluid whereby the gun may be raised and lowered by
admitting air upon different sides of the pistons; furthermore the invention
consists in the combination with a gun and gun-carriage of a traversing device
consisting of two cylinders provided with ports for the inlet and outlet of
compressed fluid above and below their pistons the said pistons being both
connected to the crank upon the shaft of a wheel which serves to support the
rear end of a carriage and situated at unequal distances therefrom; and finally
the invention consists in various novel details of construction whereby the objects
are attained and the general effectiveness of the device is ensured.
I have illustrated the invention in the accompanying drawings in which the
same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures. In these drawings ;-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of this improved carriage.
Figure 2 is a side elevation with a portion of the side of the lower portion
removed to show the internal disposition of parts.
Figure 3 is a rear view of the gun carriage showing the device for regulating
the admission of compressed fluid to traverse the gun.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the carriage the outline of the gun being shown in
dotted lines.
Figure 5 is a detailed view of the valves by which the admission of compressed
fluid to the cylinders for accomplishing the traversing of the gun and the escape
therefrom is regulated.
In these drawings A represents the main portion of the frame of the carriage
the sides A¹ of which are preferably made thick and strong and project upward
a. sufficient distance to protect the interior and working parts of the device.
Mounted upon this lower portion of the frame are two cylinders B B₁ provided
with pistons C the rods C₁; of which are connected to the cheeks D of the gun
carriage. The cylinders are provided with the forward ports B² and the rear
ports B³ through which the compressed fluid is introduced or allowed to escape
according to the direction in which the rod is to be moved. The piston-rod being
connected to the cheeks of the gun, the compressed fluid which is utilized to run
the gun out or to battery and which is confined between the rear-side of the piston
and the end of the cylinder, is compressed when the gun recoils and this body of
compressed fluid forms a cushion for taking up the force of the recoil, and
preventing severe shock to the gun and gun-carriage. If no means were provided
to allow the escape of the compressed fluid after the recoil of the gun the latter
would be thrown forward as soon as the force of the recoil had been expended, and
therefore in order to prevent this, and at the same time retain the cushion I provide
a device now to be described for checking the counter-recoil.
This consists of the supply pipe E which extends along the carriage beneath the
gun, from the front of the carriage rear-ward to a four-way cock F by which it is
connected with the pipes G and H with the branch pipes g g and h h leading
respectively to the front and rear ports of the cylinders.
As the gun approaches the limit of its backward movement in recoiling
compressed air is admitted upon the front side of the pistons in the cylinders B
thus preventing forward motion of the gun caused by the elasticity of the air
which is compressed in the rear end of the cylinder, and then the compressed air
in the rear-end of the cylinder is allowed to escape permitting the gun to be forced
back against the rear buffers by the compressed air which is admitted into the
front end of the cylinder,
The four-way cock is operated by means of a rod I which extends to a
convenient point outside the casing where it is provided with a lever J by which
the cock may be turned to admit compressed fluid to the front or rear of the
cylinders as desired the lever being so connected to the cock that when it is
elevated the cock is turned to admit fluid to the front ends of the cylinders and
when it is depressed the cock is turned to admit fluid to the rear ends of the
cylinders.

page_text: In order that the admission of air to the front ends of the cylinders and its
release from the rear ends thereof may be accomplished automatically I provide
the device now to be described :-
This consists of a slide d attached to the side of one of the cheeks D of the
gun in which slides are placed the adjustable stops d¹ and d which stops are
respectively engaged by the upper ends of the levers K and L. The bell-crank
lever K is pivoted to the side of the frame of the carriage, in such position that
the spring seated extension k¹ will be struck by the projection d as the carriage
moves back to the appropriate point for the admission of air in front of the
pistons.
When the lever is moved backward by coming in contact with the projection
from the frame its rectangular portion is moved downward and this motion
being imparted to the lever K the four-way cock is moved to admit air to the
front of the piston. As the carriage completes its backward movement the lever L
which is connected by means of a rod with an escape valve L' connected with
the rear ends of the cylinders, comes in contact with the stop d' thus opening the
escape valve and allowing the gun to be moved back and retained in position
against the rear buffers.
It will of course be understood that the guns run in and out at will by turning
the band lever J to admit air on the proper side of the pistons.
The
The elevating and depressing of the breech of the gun is effected by means of
the horizontal cylinders M one of which is placed upon each side of the gun.
piston-rods M¹ of these cylinders are provided at their outer end with racks M
which engage with a pinion Ms mounted upon the inside of the cheek of the gun.
N. N represent racks one of which is placed upon each side of the gun and
attached thereto at their upper ends; their lower ends engaging with the pinion M³
mounted in the cheeks. Thus it will be seen that a reciprocating motion of the
piston rods M will be converted by the means thus described into an approximately
vertical movement of the breech of the gun. Each of the cylinders M is provided
with ports near each end for the admission and discharge of compressed fluid
according to the direction in which the rod is to be moved.
The
The traversing of the gun is effected by means of an engine consisting of the
two oscillating cylinders O and O placed at the rear end of the carriage.
piston-rods of each of these cylinders are connected to a crank O¹ on a shaft P
mounted in suitable brackets at the rear of the carriage. These cylinders are
mounted at unequal distances from the crank upon the shaft P and at such an
angle that there is no dead centre. Each of the cylinders is provided near its end
with inlet and outlet ports for the admission or escape of compressed fluid by
means of which the pistons are moved.
The fluid is supplied to the respective ports of each cylinder through a suitable
supply pipe which communicates with the valves Q' shown in Figure 5 of the
drawing. These valves consist of the discs R composed of the hollow portion S
into which the fluid is received from the supply pipe and the portion T which has
openings to admit the air either from the hollow portion S into a port of the
cylinder or to allow the escape of the fluid from either end of the cylinder. To
effect this each portion T of the valves is provided with a series of passages which
extend directly through the side portion and communicate with the air supply and
ports of the cylinders and with another series which communicate with the ports
of the cylinders and the outer air, a single passage of each series only being shown
in the drawing. These different openings are placed side by side and so by
turning the valve an appropriate distance either of the passages is made to register
with the ports of the cylinder and the admission of fluid to move the piston or the
escape of the same is permitted.
In order that the admission or escape of air to the two pistons may be
accomplished simultaneously, I provide the valves upon their periphery with a
series of teeth as shown in Figure 3 and I mount upon the rear frame of the
carriage a lever V provided at its lower end with a circular plate so constructed as

page_text: to engage with these teeth. By the movement back and forth of this lever the
admission and escape of the compressed fluid is regulated.
The motion of the shaft P is communicated to the carriage by means of a cog
wheel placed upon the end of said shaft and meshing with a corresponding cog
connected to the wheel which aids in supporting the rear-end of the carriage. By
the revolution of the shaft P the supporting wheel is turned and the carriage is
traversed.
I do not wish to be understood as laying claim broadly to a gun-carriage
operated solely by aëriform pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :—
1. As a means for operating guns a cylinder or cylinders having the piston rod
or rods connected to the sliding portion of a gun-carriage, provided with suitable
ports for the inlet and outlet of compressed air and with an escape valve operated
by contact with a moving portion of the carriage, upon the recoil of the gun
substantially as described.
2. As a means for operating guns a cylinder or cylinders mounted upon the
stationary portion of a gun-carriage and having the piston-rod or rods connected
to the sliding portion thereof the said cylinders being provided with inlet and
outlet ports and an escape valve an operating rod connected to the escape valve
and a projection on the sliding portion of the carriage, whereby the operating rod
is struck and the compressed air allowed to escape substantially as described.
3. As a means for operating guns a cylinder or cylinders mounted upon the base
of a gun-carriage and having the piston rod or rods connected to the sliding
portion of the carriage the said cylinder being provided with inlet and outlet ports
and an escape valve an operating rod connected to the escape valve and to a lever
mounted upon the base of the carriage and a projection from the sliding portion
coming in contact with the lever substantially as described.
4. As a means for operating guns a cylinder or cylinders mounted upon the base
of the carriage having the piston rod or rods connected to the sliding portion
thereof and provided with inlet and outlet ports a supply pipe connected by
branch pipes to the cylinder, a four way cock placed at the juncture of the supply
pipe and branch pipes and connected with an operating lever a lever connected
thereto and mounted upon the base of the carriage and a projection from the
sliding portion of the carriage for operating the same substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
5. The combination with the operating cylinder of a gun carriage provided with
an escape valve and suitable supply pipes of the sliding portion of the carriage
provided with two projections and two levers mounted upon the base of the
carriage and in line of movement of said projections and connected respectively to
the cock governing the inlet of air to the cylinders and the escape valves
substantially as described.
6. As a means for operating guns a cylinder or cylinders mounted upon the base
of a gun-carriage having the piston-rod or rods connected to the sliding portion
thereof the said cylinders being provided with inlet and outlet ports and an escape
valve a supply pipe connected by branch pipes to the cylinders and provided with
a four way cock connected to an operating lever a lever mounted upon the base of
the carriage connected to the operating lever operated by a projection upon the
sliding portion of the carriage an operating rod connected to the escape valve and
connected to a lever mounted upon the base of the carriage and a second projection
from the sliding portion of the carriage, whereby upon the recoil of the gun, air is
admitted upon the front portion of the piston and then the compressed air in rear
thereof is allowed to escape substantially as described.
:
7. As a means for elevating and depressing the breech of a gun one or
more approximately horizontal cylinders, provided with inlet and outlet ports and

page_text: mounted upon the sliding portion of the carriage, their pistons, a depending arm
or arms connected to the breech of a gun and mechanism between such pistons and
such arm or arms for converting the horizontal motion of the pistons into a vertical
motion of the breech of the gun substantially as described.
8. As a means for elevating and depressing the breech of a gun one or more
approximately horizontal cylinders mounted upon the cheeks of the carriage having
their piston rods provided with a rack a toothed bar or bars connected to the gun
and set at an angle to the piston rods and a pinion meshing with the piston-rods
and the bars whereby a horizontal movement of the pistons is converted into an
approximately vertical movement of the breech of the gun.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.