Improvements in Ordnance.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 21st June, 1890
UOMELETE DIEUITICALIUN
Improvements in Ordnance.
We JAMES KELLY of 1133 Third Street, Carpenter, and EDWARD DOUGHERTY of
1561 Columbia Street, Real Estate Dealer, both of San Diego, in the State of
California, in the United States of America, 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 :—
Our invention relates to ordnance and consists first in an improvement in devices
for laying the gun at any elevation and secondly to vent stoppers.
The first part of our invention is illustrated on sheet 1. of the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1. is a side elevation of a field piece (part of the near wheel being broken
away), showing our device attached thereto.
Figure 2. is an enlarged detail view of our invention.
Figure 3. is an enlarged rear end view of the gun, with our device attached
thereto.
Tangent scales in the breach of the gun, or a scale of degrees, cut and numbered
on the upper quarters of the base ring in conjunction with a dispart sight, and notches
in the side of the muzzle have been used to give the necessary elevation.
The usual degrees of practice range from 10 to 10°.
The object of this part of our invention is to provide a simple device, by means of
which the gunner may be enabled to lay the gun properly whether upon a level plain,
or a hillside inclining to the right or to the left, and the device consists of a circular
bracket A, either cast upon the gun, or made separately and secured thereto by screws
in the usual manner.
Said bracket A is of semi-circular shape, and its diameter or base line is set in line
with the centre of the bore of the gun or parallel thereto. On the face of the bracket A
is rigidly secured a semi-circular scale B, its zero point being a prime vertical when
the axis of the bore of the gun is in a horizontal plane. From the zero point, the
degrees are marked off and numbered each way, consecutively, as far as required.
10° each side of the zero will usually be sufficient.
Pivotally secured in the centre of the scale B is a jointed index, or pointer, C, con-
structed of two portions, an upper or pointer portion b, and a lower hinged portion,
provided with a pendulum weight E. F is the hinge connecting together the two
parts of the pendulous pointer. D is the pivot on which the pointer is held in position.
e is a screw passing through pointer C into its pivot D.
The scale B may be placed above or below the axis of the bore of the piece, the
essential condition of the accuracy of its readings being that its zero point shall be at
right angles to the axis of the hore of the gun.
The hinge F, or its equivalent, is so placed that the lower part of the rod shall have
a second plane of oscillation at right angles to its plane of oscillation on the pivot D,
and it is readily seen (as shown by dotted lines in Figure 3) that on a hillside the
lower weighted portion will incline to the right or to the left in such a manner as to
relieve the pivot D of undue friction, and thus add to the accuracy of the device.
The second part of our invention is shown on sheet 2 of the accompanying
drawings in which :-
:-
Figure 1. is a top view of a piece of ordnance, having our invention applied
thereto.
Figure 2. is a side elevation of the same, partly in section.
Figure 3. is an enlarged vertical cross section of the sliding plate.
Figure 4. is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the breech of the gun and the
guide plate.
This part of our invention which relates to vent stoppers for ordnance; has for its

page_text: object to give a secure and reliable device whereby the vent of a fired gun may be
so completely covered as to eliminate all danger to the gunners while cleaning and
reloading the gun. Many accidents have occurred by the premature discharging of
a field piece, or other large gun when the new load was being rammed home after a
previous firing of the picce."
The vent stopper consists of four essential parts: a guide plate B provided with
a groove, or dove tailed recess, a, and secured by screws over the vent A of the
gun; a dovetailed sliding plate C; a thumb screw E; and an elastic pad G.
The guide plate B, may, if preferred be cast upon the gun when it is made. Wo
have shown it here as made separately, and attached to the gun by screws in the
usual manner.
By means of a dove tailed recess a in the guide plate, it is adapted to receive
the sliding plate (.. Said plate C is provided with collar D, screw-threaded
internally as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The rear end of plate B is open, as
shown in Figure 4, so as to permit the padded end of screw E to come into
close contact with, and thereby firmly seal, vent A. Set screw E is fitted nicely
into collar D. The lower end of said screw E is recessed, as shown at F in
Figure 2, for the reception of a pad G, which may be of rubber or other suitable
material adapted to seal vent A.
It will be seen from the above that the sliding plate will be in the position
shown in Figure 1, when the gun is to be fired, and that immediately after the
discharge of the piece the slide must be pulled to the rear of the gun, the screw E
being then directly over the vent, as shown in Figure 2; then, by giving a turn
of the thumb screw, the pad G will be pressed tightly into the vent, making it
absolutely air and gas tight. If the vent is perfectly covered, no premature
explosion can take place. After reloading the gun, the screw E is loosened, and
the sliding plate restored to its former position; as shown in Figure 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination with a field gun, or other piece of ordnance, of a fixed
circular scale, numbered from zero each way, and a hinged pointer rod secured to
the gun by a pivot, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
2. The combination with a gun of a guide plate 3, a sliding plate provided
with an internally-threaded collar D, and a set screw E, adapted to screw into
collar, and provided with a pad G at its lower end, substantially as herein set
forth.
3. A vent stopper for ordnance, consisting of a sliding plate, suitable guides for
said sliding plate, and a padded set screw passing through said sliding plate, as
herein substantially described and for the purpose set forth.
4. The improvements in guns herein before shown and described.
Dated this 29th day of April 1890.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.