Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1887
Complete Left, 20th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th July, 1888
We, RICHARD COPLEY CHRISTIE, MANASSAH GLEDHILL, and HERBERT HANBURY
SMITH CARINGTON, all Directors of Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co. Limited, of Openshaw,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the distribution and control of fluids under pressure in
hydraulic and other apparatus, and is designed to provide means whereby a ram, piston,
plunger or other piece of mechanism to which reciprocating motion is imparted may,
after it has traversed any desired portion of its stroke or travel, be automatically arrested
and caused to return to the point from which it started.
The improved apparatus is chiefly designed for facilitating the loading of guns, and
may be advantageously used in connection with apparatus, such as is described in the
Specification of former Letters Patent dated January 2nd A.D. 1884, No. 279, for
raising the ammunition into position behind the breech in line with the axis of the
barrel.
For loading the gun, a telescopic rammer is employed having pistons or plungers,
substantially as described in the Specification of former Letters Patent dated
20th December 1884 No. 16,736. The outer or front surfaces of these pistons or
plungers are always subjected to the pressure of the liquid. A single pipe or passage
terminating at the bottom or rear end of the cylinder conveys the liquid to the inner
or rear surfaces of the said pistons or plungers.
To ram the projectile home, the pistons are caused to move to the end of their stroke,
the length of which is regulated so that the copper ring or driving band on the
projectile will be forced into the rifling of the barrel. When the cartridges or charges
ID 1171

page_text: are being rammed in, it is important, in order to avoid the crushing of the powder, that
the motion of the rammer shall be stopped at the desired moment. The automatic
stoppage and return of the pistons are effected by means of the following devices, that
is to say: A telescopic rod is arranged above and parallel with the rammer. This rod
terminates in a T-shaped piece, which enters a circular groove in the head of the
rammer. A sleeve is fitted upon the exterior rod and is provided in the interior with
keys which work in grooves formed in the said exterior rod. These grooves are partly
rectilinear and partly helicoidal. The sleeve is operated by means of a lever. When
this lever is moved into position to cause the ramming in of the projectile, the keys of
the said sleeve slide in the straight parts of the grooves. The rammer then acts
without moving the telescopic rod. When the said lever is moved into position to
cause the ramming-in of the cartridge or charge, the keys of the sleeve traverse the
helicoidal parts of the grooves and cause the rod to turn through an angle of 90 degrees.
The branches or projecting parts of the T-shaped piece then extend across the groove
formed in the head of the rammer, and, as soon as the forward motion of the said
ranmer commences, the said rod is moved along therewith. It moves with the rammer,
until a buffer at its rear extremity covered with India-rubber, strikes against the said
sleeve, which it carries forward. The sleeve returns the actuating lever to its mean
position and opens the discharge; then, under the pressure acting constantly on the
pistons, the rammer is again. moved rearward to the end of its stroke. In cases where
the charge is formed of two cartridges, when the first cartridge has been introduced
into the chamber, the second cartridge is rammed in and pushes the first cartridge into
the position which it should occupy in the said chamber. In some instances, however,
provision is made for ramming two or more cartridges or sections of a charge simul-
taneously into the gun.
The operation of the admission and discharge valves is effected in the following
manner, viz. The handle of the lever which actuates the sleeve on the telescopic
return rod, carries a spring-stop which enables the lever to be automatically held in
the position for the discharge. Upon the fulcrum or pivot of this lever is mounted a
fork or forked piece the two prongs of which act upon a stirrup provided with two
cams or projections, for keeping open one of the valves during the discharge. The
admission-valve and the discharge-valve are formed with a central orifice and have
fitted therein two small pistons mounted upon two rods formed or fixed on the said
stirrup. One of these pistons is constantly subjected to the pressure of the liquid
through small channels or passages, and the other piston communicates with the
discharge through small lateral channels or passages. The admission and discharge
valves are balanced or equilibrated in all positions, small channels or passages keeping
their exterior surfaces constantly in communication with the interior of the box or
casing. One of these channels or passages terminates below, or at the rear of, the
pistons of the rammer; and, when the lever is at one end of its stroke, the admission
valve is open, and the water under pressure enters below or at the rear of the said
pistons. When the projectile is in its place, the lever is moved back by hand to the
mean position, the water escapes, and the pistons return to the end of their stroke.
To ram in the cartridges or charges, the lever is put at the other end of its stroke; it
is then that the return rod acts to close the admission valve and effect the return of
the rammer.
The action of the said fork upon the stirrup and consequently upon the distributing
valves is the same, whatever may be the direction in which the handle or lever is
moved.
This arrangement of the slide enables the distribution to be effected without much
effort; moreover, it ensures the automatic return of the lever to the exact position for
the discharge, under the action of the pressure which is constantly exerted upon the
small piston attached to the stirrup.
The length of stroke or travel of the ram or piston before it is arrested may be
varied by placing rings or washers upon the return rod in front of the aforesaid
buffer. Or the said buffer may be made adjustable on the said rod for this
purpose.

page_text: It is obvious that the above described improved means for effecting the distribution
and controlling the action of fluids under pressure may be advantageously applied to
hydraulic rams and other apparatus in which it is necessary that the movement of any
reciprocating piece of mechanism, after the same has performed a portion of its stroke
or travel, shall be automatically arrested and the said piece of mechanism returned to
its starting point.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improved Means for Effecting the Distribution and Controlling
the Action of Fluids under Pressure in Hydraulic and other
Apparatus, Chiefly Designed for Facilitating the Loading of
Guns.
We, RICHARD COPLEY CHRISTIE, MANASSAH GLEDHILL, and HERBERT HANBURY
SMITH CARINGTON, all Directors of Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co. Limited, of
Openshaw, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention 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 the distribution and control of fluids under pressure and
is designed to afford the means whereby the rammer of a gun or other apparatus to
which to-and-fro motion is imparted may, after it has traversed the whole or any
determined portion of its stroke or movement, be automatically arrested and caused
to return to the point from which it started.
The main object of our invention is to provide for facilitating the loading of guns,
and our improved apparatus may be advantageously used in connection with a
telescopic rammer such as that described in the Specification of former Letters Patent
dated 20th December A.D. 1884, No. 16,736, and in connection with apparatus for
raising the ammunition into position behind the breech of the gun in line with the
axis of the barrel, as described in the said former Specification, or in the Specification
of Letters Patent dated January 2nd A.D. 1884 No. 279, or of Letters Patent
dated 1st July A.D. 1887, No. 9375, or of Letters Patent dated 20th July A.D. 1887,
No. 10,179.
In loading a gun by means of a hydraulic rammer, the projectile is first inserted,
the ram-rod being caused to move to the forward end of its stroke, the length of
which is so regulated that the projectile will, by such movement, be properly rammed
home in the bore of the gun. Then by the same rammer the cartridge or powder-

page_text: charge is pushed into the gun. It is important, in this operation, in order to avoid
the crushing of the powder, that the movement of the rammer shall be arrested at
the exact moment when the charge has reached its proper position in the gun.
Now an important feature of our present invention is the provision we make for
the automatic stoppage of the ram-rod at the required moment when ramming home
a cartridge or powder-charge, and for the automatic return of the said ram-rod to the
rear end of its stroke.
Our said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings we have shewn how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously applied to a hydraulic telescopic rammer such as
that described in the said former Specification No. 16,736.
Figure 1 is a plan.
Figure 2 is a side elevation.
Figure 3 is a plan, partly in horizontal section on the line a, a, Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line y, y, Figure 3, and
Figure 5 a transverse section on the line y¹, y¹, Figure 3, shewing details of
construction.
Figure 6 is a transverse section on the line x1, 1, Figure 3.
Figure 7 is a transverse section on the line x, 2, Figure 3.
Figure 8 is a side elevation, partly in vertical central section, and
Figure 9 a transverse section on the line z, z, Figure 8, illustrating details of
construction.
Figure 10) is a side elevation, partly in vertical central section, illustrating a
modification of our said invention, and
Figure 11 is a rear elevation of the rammer-head shewn in Figure 10.
Like Letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the cylinder of the telescopic rammer, which is fitted with pistons substantially
as described in the said former Specification No. 16,736. A pipe a is connected with
the forward end of the cylinder A, and is in communication with a pressure main
through the pipe or passage b, so that the outer or front surfaces of the said pistons
are always subjected to the pressure of the liquid. A pipe or passage c conducts the
liquid from the pipe 6 to a valve-box B, which communicates by a pipe d with the
rear end of the cylinder A, so that the liquid under pressure may be caused to act
upon the inner or rear surfaces of the said pistons, as hereinafter described. An
exhaust-pipe e is, moreover, connected with the said valve-box B to permit the discharge
of the liquid from the rear end of the cylinder A as hereinafter set forth.
We provide reversing gear which is constructed as hereinafter described, that is to
say C, C are the inner and outer portions of a telescopic rod, which is arranged
in suitable bearings above and parallel with the rammer-cylinder A. The rod Čis
fitted within the hollow rod C₁ so that it may slide end wise therein but must rotato
therewith. The said rod C terminates in, or has attached to its forward end either a
hook or claw D adapted to enter an annular groove E' in the head E of the ram-rod,
as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, or a T-shaped piece D* adapted to enter grooves E³, E³
in the head E as shewn in Figures 10 and 11. A sleeve F is fitted upon the outer
rod C¹ and is provided internally with feathers or keys F¹ (Figures 8 and 9) which
work in grooves C in the said rod. This sleeve has exterior grooves F' which are
partly rectilinear and partly helicoidal, and in which work pins, studs or keys G¹
fixed in an outer sleeve G. The sleeves F, G are carried in bearings A¹, A' formed
with, or firmly attached to the cylinder A. Endwise movement of the sleeve F is
prevented by collars F³ formed or fixed thereon one on each side of the bearing A³.
The sleeve G is arranged to be moved to and fro by means of a lever H which is
fixed upon a short shaft H' carried in bearings in the valve-box B, and is formed
with a slot H' through which projects a pin or stud G on the sleeve G. This sleeve
is, moreover, formed with grooves G³ and fitted to slide between guides A³ which
prevent rotation of the said sleeve.
f is the admission valve and g the discharge valve, which are arranged in the
valve-box B to be operated as hereinafter described. Each of these valves is formed
1111

page_text: with a. central chamber or cavity and has fitted therein a small piston mounted upon
a rod which is formed or fixed on a slotted piece or stirrup provided with arms or
projections for the purpose hereinafter specified. The piston i of the valve f is
constantly subjected to the pressure of the liquid in the pipe c, which has access to
the chamber or cavity through small channels or passages m; the chamber or
cavity in the valve 9 communicates with the discharge or exhaust pipe e through
small lateral channels or passages m¹, therefore there is no back pressure of the liquid
upon the piston ¹, consequently, when the lever H is moved in the direction indicated
by the arrow in Figures 1 and 3 and then released, the parts will be automatically
moved back to the position shewn in Figure 3. The admission and discharge
valves f, gare, in respect of the fluid pressure, balanced or equilibrated in all positions,
small channels or passages n through the said valves keeping the spaces behind the
same constantly in communication with the chamber B¹ of the box B. The valves f, g
are, moreover, acted upon by springs o, o¹ which tend to keep the said valves upon
their seats and to close the said valves. When the parts are in the position shewn,
the rear end of the cylinder is open to the discharge or exhaust through the pipes d, e,
the valve g being kept open and the valve fclosed.
Upon the shaft or fulcrum-pin H¹ of the lever H is mounted a fork or forked
piece p; the two arms p¹, p², of which are arranged to act upon the arms or
projections 1, 12 of the stirrup 1, so that, when the lever H is moved in the direction
indicated by the arrow in Figures 1 and 3, the arm p¹ will act upon the projection l',
and, when the said lever is moved in the reverse direction, the arm p² will act upon
the projection . It will be seen that the action of the said fork p upon the stirrup
and consequently upon the distributing valves is the same, whether the said lever be
moved in one or the other direction. The lever H is provided with a spring stop or
catch q which is adapted to enter one or other of three notches in a segment ŕ to
retain the said lever in its central position or at either extremity of its movement.
The notch is, however, suitably formed to permit the disengagement of the said
stop or catch therefrom by the force exerted upon the lever H by the rod C through
the medium of the sleeve G when a cartridge has been rammed home.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows, that is to say -For ramming home
a projectile, the lever H is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figures
and 3, into engagement with the notch ¹, thus imparting endwise forward movement
to the sleeve G, the studs or keys G₁ of which slide in the straight parts of the
grooves F from the position shown by dotted lines at G' in Figure 8. Fluid under
pressure is thus admitted to the rear end of the cylinder A, and, the rear surfaces of
the pistons being of larger area than the front surfaces thereof, as described in
the said former Specification No. 16,736, the ram-rod moves forward leaving behind
it the rod C, the hook or claw D not being in engagement with the groove E¹. When
the projectile has been pushed home in the bore of the gun, the lever H is released
and returns to the mean or neutral position, the fluid escapes from the rear end of
the cylinder A through the pipes d, e, and the ram-rod returns to the rear end of its
stroke under the pressure of the fluid entering the cylinder through the pipe a.
For ramming in a cartridge or powder-charge, the said lever H is moved in the
reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow in Figures 1 and 3. The sleeve G
is thus moved rearward and the studs or keys G¹ thereof, traversing the helicoidal
parts of the grooves F³, cause the rods C, C¹ to turn through an angle of about
ninety degrees, so that the hook or claw D enters the groove E¹ in the head of the
ram-rod, and, as soon as the forward motion of the said ram-rod commences, the said
rods C, C are moved along therewith. The rods C, C¹ move with the said ram-
rod until a buffer C³ at the rear extremity of the rod C¹ strikes the sleeve G and
moves the same forward. The sleeve G is thus caused to move the actuating lever H
back to its neutral or central position and open the exhaust e; then under the pressure
acting constantly on the pistons of the rammer through the pipe a the said ram-rod
5 is again moved rearward to the end of its stroke.
If the charge is formed of two or more cartridges or sections, the first cartridge is
placed upon the loading tray and rammed into the gun and the other cartridge or

page_text: cartridges are placed behind it and rammed in until the first cartridge occupies its
proper position in the said chamber. Or all the cartridges or sections of the powder-
charge may be rammed in together."
The arrangement of the distributing and controlling valves as hereinbefore described
allows the distribution to be effected without much effort; moreover it ensures the
automatic return of the lever H to the exact position for the discharge or exhaust,
under the action of the pressure which is constantly exerted upon the small piston i.
The length of the stroke or movement of the ram or piston before it is arrested may
be varied by placing suitable stops upon the rod C¹ in front of the aforesaid buffer C³.
Or the said buffer may be made adjustable on the said rod for this purpose.
In the apparatus shown in the drawings, the passage b extends through the pivot
upon which the rammer turns. A bearing surface A is provided for supporting the
forward end of the rammer upon a suitable bracket when it is in the loading position.
Handles A are, moreover, provided for facilitating the turning of the rammer upon
its pivot and for the securing of the said rammer when not in use.
It is obvious that the above described improved means for effecting the distribution
and controlling the action of fluids under pressure may be advantageously applied to
hydraulic and other apparatus in which it is necessary that a ram or piston should,
after it has performed the whole or any determined portion of its stroke or travel, be
automatically arrested and caused to return to its starting point.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to us by our
foreign correspondent we declare that what we claim is :---
First The employment, in hydraulic or other apparatus, of the herein described
controlling devices for the purposes specified.
Second A hydraulic rammer provided with devices which control the movements
of the ram-rod, and by means of which the said ram-rod can be moved forward to any
determined position and then be automatically returned to its starting point for the
purposes specified.
Third The distributing valves connected with the actuating lever and provided
with means for ensuring the automatic return of the said lever and valves to their
normal or neutral position, for the purpose above specified.
Fourth-The combination of parts comprising the valve-box, having the inlet and
outlet apertures as described, the valves provided with the pistons connected with the
stirrup, the lever and the forked piece adapted to engage with arms or projections on
the said stirrup, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Fifth-The mechanism comprising the distributing and controlling valves, the
actuating lever, and the sleeve connected with the said actuating lever and provided
with studs working in rectilinear and helicoidal grooves in another sleeve connected
with the telescopic rod, all substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Sixth-The combination, with a hydraulic rammer and its distributing valves, of a
telescopic rod connected with devices for operating the said valves and adapted to
engage with and be disengaged from the head of the ram-rod for the purposes
specified.
Seventh-The reversing gear substantially as hereinbefore described.
Eighth The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings for controlling
the action of the hydraulic rammer as above specified.
Dated this 20th dow of t
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.