Improvements in Carriages or Mountings for Artillery.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carriages or Mountings for Artillery.
I, HERMAN JAKOBSSON, of Victoria Mansions, 32 Victoria Street, Westminster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 wheeled carriages or mountings for artillery and is
designed to increase the stability and durability of such mountings and to facilitate
the elevation and training of the guns thereon.
The gun is, in one construction, so attached to the axle that when turned for
elevation the axle turns with it; sometimes however in accordance with this inven-
tion the gun is made to turn for elevation about a transom secured to the trail
sides or to the axle. In the former case the axle may be formed in two parts con-
nected together by the said transom. The gun is morcover so mounted as not to
be raised very much above the axis of the wheels, and it can be horizontally
adjusted for fine or accurate laying, independently of the carriage.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a gun mounted in accordance with
this invention, the mounting being shown in section.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the gun and part of the mounting taken in a
plane containing the carriage axle.
Figure 3 is a plan of the cradle and part of the mounting, the gun being
removed.
Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form of the mounting.
Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section of the gun and cradle taken through the
centre of the supporting transom.
Figure 6 is a plan of a part of the mounting hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is another view similar to Figure 1, but showing a still further modified
form of the mounting.
Figure 8 is a plan of the same.
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the gun; B is the cradle ; C is the axle; D, D are the wheels; E is the
trail. Referring to Figures 1 to 3, which show a recoil mounting provided with
hydraulic recoil brakes and a cradle in which the gun slides, the central part of
the axle is flattened, and the cradle is pivoted to the flat part by a pin B' so that
it can turn about said pin for horizontal laying or pointing, but must turn with the
axle for elevation. C is a cover plate passed underneath the axle and bolted to
the cradle by bolts C² or otherwise removably secured thereto. The axle extends
through bearings E, E, attached by bolts, rivets or otherwise to the cheeks of the
trail, said bearings being prevented from endwise displacement on the axle by inner
plates E, E, secured thereto, between which and the said bearings are enclosed
collars C3 C3 formed on the axle. Outside of these bearings are the wheels D
which are fitted to turn freely upon the axle. In this construction therefore the
ends of the axle serve as the trunnions, and the wheels as the trunnion bearings,
about which the gun is turned for elevation.
For controlling the vertical turning movement of the gun and axle and for
training or turning the gun horizontally for fine or accurate laying, without
moving the trail of the carriage, provision is made as follows, that is to say:
F is a suitable frame or arm secured at its forward end to the axle by bolts or
otherwise, and entering at its rear end a guide G which is secured to the gun
cradle. The said guide G can move laterally on the frame F as hereinafter
described when the gun is trained for fine or accurate laying. The elevating gear

page_text: comprises a screw-threaded shaft H pivoted by its upper end at H' to the frame F
and working through a nut H' supported by a tubular piece H³ trunnioned in the
trail sides. The said nut H2 can be rotated by a hand wheel H' at the side of the
trail acting through bevel gear wheels H³. The rear edge of the frame F is pro-
vided with a toothed segment F1 having the pin B' as its centre; with the said
segment there engages a worm I the shaft of which is carried in bearings formed
on or attached to the cradle. I is a hand wheel for turning said worm.
The
worm is not capable of endwise movement relatively to the cradle and hence when
it is rotated and thereby caused to travel along the toothed segment, the cradle is
carried with it and turns about the pivot pin B' thus effecting the fine lateral
pointing or laying of the gun without moving the trail. The recess B in the
cradle which receives the flattened portion of the axle is made of such dimensions
as to permit the cradle to turn horizontally as above set forth through the desired
angle. The guide G also is made sufficiently long to allow of the desired amount
of lateral turning movement. It will be observed that the shock on the elevating
gear due to the jump of the gun when firing is not transmitted through the
horizontal training gear, and hence the latter is not injuriously strained.
In case of a non-recoil mounting the gun would be mounted directly on the axle
in the manner above described with reference to the cradle, and the horizontal
training worm would be carried directly by the gun. The axle is shown straight,
but in some cases it is cranked downwards to lower the axis of the gun with respect
to the carriage axle. Moreover the cradle might be attached below the axle
instead of above it as shown.
In the modified form of mounting shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 the axle C is made
in two parts secured to the trail sides which are in this case joined by a central
solid or hollow transom J on which the gun cradle is mounted and about which the
cradle turns for elevation. The mode of mounting the cradle is as follows, that is
to say, the rearwardly extending frame or arm F is constructed at its forward end
to turn on the transom J to which it is removably attached. For example the
frame or arm is formed with jaws that pass over the transom and are held in
place by a block F' that fits between the jaws on the under side of the transom and
is secured by bolts F³. F is a table preferably formed whole or in one piece with
the frame or arm F and adapted to receive the cradle which is furnished with
pieces B³ hook-shaped in transverse section that engage with the edges of the table
and prevent the cradle from rising. The forward and rear ends F5, F5 of the table
are curved to form arcs of circles having a common centre, and the two sides F,
of the table are flat, as clearly shown in Figure 6. The opposite curved portions
of the table together form a pivot about which the cradle can turn for horizontal
laying. The flat sides enable the cradle to be placed on and taken off the table.
The removal and replacement are effected when the cradle is turned through a
quarter of a revolution from its normal position. It will be observed that the
transom J is not quite in line with the axis of the two parts of the axle C but is
slightly in advance thereof. By this means the weight of the gun is utilized for
partially balancing the trail. The transom may however be coaxial with the two
parts of the axle or may be placed in rear of the same if desired. In this mounting
moreover the guide G is formed by a projection from the cradle which is hook-
shaped in transverse section, and constructed to engage a similar hook shaped
projection F' from the frame or arm F. The remaining parts of this mounting
are constructed in substantially the same manner as those of the mounting shown
by Figures 1 to 3.
Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, which show what is termed a "galloping"
carriage, the gun in this construction is pivoted to turn for elevation about an
axis K carried by short cheeks K' secured to the axle C. The mode of mounting
the
gun is as follows, that is to say, L is a clip constructed to fit round the axis K
and having an upper flat face on which a flat part B' of the cradle rests; B' is a
pivot pin securing the cradle to the clip, and about which the gun can turn for fine
horizontal pointing. L' is a distance block inserted between the part B* and the

page_text: axis K. The forward edge of the clip L is curved to an arc of a circle having the
pivot pin B' as a centre. "B³ is a claw engaging with said curved edge and pre-
venting the gun from lifting. The arm F is secured at its forward end to the
axis K and at its rear end is constructed substantially like the corresponding arm
in the mounting last described. The rest of the mounting is also substantially like
that above described.
Instead of hydraulic brakes I may use india-rubber or steel springs or buffers or
other devices for controlling the recoil of the gun. The said invention is also
applicable not only to cradle mountings but also to other forms of recoil or
non-recoil mountings.
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:-
1. A carriage or mounting for artillery so constructed that the gun, or its cradle,
is mounted on the wheel axle with which it turns for elevation and at the same
time is capable of turning horizontally for fine or accurate laying independently of
the carriage, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
2. The combination, with a gun so mounted, of the means for effecting the lateral
adjustment of the gun, substantially as described.
3. A carriage or mounting for artillery wherein the gun, or its cradle, is carried
by a transom fixed to the trail about which it turns for elevation, the gun being
at the same time capable of turning horizontally, independently of the trail,
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
4. The modification of the mounting claimed in the last preceding claiming
clause wherein the gun is carried by an axis supported by side cheeks secured to
the wheel-axle, substantially as described.
5. A carriage or mounting for artillery constructed substantially as described
with reference to Figures 1 to 3, or to Figures 4 to 6, or to Figures 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings, and operating as, and for the purposes, specified.
Dated this 26th day of October 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.