IMPROVED MECHANIS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Shoemaker Tyson, of the County of
Prince George, in the State of Maryland, and United States of
America, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Shoemaker Tyson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 30th March 1868, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; CHARLES
SHOEMAKER TYSON, of the County of Prince' George, in the State of
Maryland and United States of America, Engineer, send' greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVED
MECHANISM FOR TAKING UP THE RECOIL OF HEAVY ORDNANCE," and have
petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me; my executors, administrators,

page_text: and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made
solemn Declaration that I am the first and true Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Shoemaker Tyson, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under
hand
my
and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the follow-
ing statement
The nature of my Invention consists in taking up the recoil of the
gun by means of springs running back between bars or other surfaces
inclining towards each other rearward, forming a wedge-shaped space
in which the springs move so that the recoil force will encounter a
regularly increasing resistance as the carriage runs back.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gun
carriage to which my improvement is applied; Figure 2 is a plan view
of the same, with the upper transom plate which covers the springs
removed; Figure 3 is a cross section through the centre of the forward
axle showing the crank E which operates the links to spread the springs
apart and draw them towards each other.
A is the lower carriage or frame which supports the gun carriage
proper; this frame is constructed in the usual manner and is to be
mounted on trucks as heretofore. B, B, are two strong wrought-iron
bars running the whole length of the carriage or frame A, and connected
thereto at the front and rear by the hurters H. These bars are elevated
a little above the trucks on which the carriage wheels W run, as will
be seen by the Drawings, their upper, lower, and outer sides are parallel,
but their inner sides incline towards each other rearward as far back as
the springs run. Two rails A', A', on the sides of the carriage of the
same dimensions vertically as the bars B, B, work against said outer
parallel sides of said bars, and the upper and lower parallel sides of said
bars are embraced by and between a cross bar G on the rear end of the
carriage below the bars B, B, and plates g, g, above them also on the
rear end of the carriage; C, C, are two powerful springs attached
together by a hinged coupling f f f f; Dis a transom plate firmly
attached to the under sides of the side rail of the carriage A', A'; and D'
(shown in Figure 3) is a similar, transom plate attached to the upper
sides of the same side rails. These transom plates are of wrought iron

page_text: five-eighths of an inch thick, and being secured firmly above and below
the bars B, B, and the intermediate mechanism hold the springs, their
hinged coupling, and slides in position so that no piece or part can get
displaced. I, I, are intermediate bars or slides against which the springs
press; these are not made fast to any other part of the machine, but
are kept in place by the transom plates, the studs J, J, and the springs;.
they can be easily taken out and replaced by removing the upper
transom D'. J, J, are studs between the said transom plates D and D',
and to which both of said plates are secured by screw bolts; they
prevent the intermediate bars I, I, from going too far forward, only the
front carriage wheels W are represented in the Drawing. The rear
wheels and their axle being made and operating precisely as heretofore
and not being connected to any part of my improvements, it is deemed
unnecessary to show them. On the centre of the front axle there is a
short crank E to which is pivoted a link bar e, and the rear end of this
link bar is pivoted to the centre of the hinged coupling which connects
the springs. When the gun is in battery and about to be discharged
(the springs and their coupling being in the position shown by, the
black lines in Figure 2) one-third of a revolution is given to the axle by
means of the manoeuvering bars which brings the crank E and link
bar e in line, and this also forces the hinged coupling f.f.f, f, into a
straight line pressing the springs apart as shown in the red lines,
Figure 2. The springs are now in position to press upon the inclined
bars B, B, and so resist the recoil as the carriage slides back. When
the gun is to be run back into battery a reverse motion of the axle by
means of the manoeuvering bars releases the springs, bringing their.
coupling again into the position shown by the black lines, Figure 2.
The pivot bolts i, i, of the hinged coupling f extend above and below
the coupling bar, passing through slots in the transom plates in which
they move as the springs are spread apart and drawn towards each

page_text: If the springs, and all other parts of my improvement are made
sufficiently strong, the recoil of the heaviest gun, whatever may be the
weight of the projectile or charge of powder, will be so far checked
before the carriage reaches the hurters, that no damage can result from
its contact therewith.
It is manifest that considerable changes may be made in the
construction of various parts of my improvement without changing the
principle of my Invention.
Having thus fully described my Invention and its operation, what I
claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. A mechanism for taking up the recoil of heavy guns consisting
of a spring or springs working against or between inclined surfaces, so
that the spring or springs will be more and more compressed as the
carriage runs back opposing a regularly increasing resistance to the
recoil force, substantially as described.
Second. In combination with the springs C, C, and the inclined bars
B, B, claim the crank E on the forward axle of the carriage, the link
bar e and the hinged coupling of the springs, all constructed, arranged,
and operating substantially as described.
Third. In combination with the inclined bars and springs I claim
the intermediate sliding bars I, I, as and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. In combination with the side rails of the carriage pressing
against the outer sides of the bars B, B, and the cross bar G and
plates 9, 9, pressing against the upper and lower sides of said bars and
the springs C, C, I claim said bars B, B, with their outer, upper, and
lower sides parallel, and their inner sides inclined, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. In combination with the inclined bars B, B, springs, hinged
coupling, and intermediate sliding bars substantially as described.

page_text: claim the transom plates D and D', to hold all the parts in place as set
forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Shoemaker Tyson, hereunto
set my hand and affix my seal, this Twelfth day of March, A.D.
1868.
CHAB. SHOEMAKER TYSON. (L.S.)