IMPROVEMENTS IN GUN CARRIAGES OR MOUNTINGS
Year: 1885

page_text: I THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GUN CARRIAGES OR MOUNTINGS" to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to improve the gun carriages or mountings at
present used, more especially the carriages used for guns of comparatively small
calibres such as so-called quick firing guns.
At present most guns of less than 6 inch calibre are mounted on board ship and
in fortifications in such a manner
1-either that the changes in elevation and depression as well as changes in
lateral direction when aiming are given by screw gear moved by hand wheels
2-or that the gun when mounted on a pivot is moved for elevation and
depression as well as for lateral direction by means of a shoulder piece affixed to
the breech of the gun.
The first named mode of giving vertical and lateral aim is the more rigid but as
both hands of the gunner who lays the gun are occupied with the two hand wheels
he may not always be also ready to pull the trigger the instant the line of sight
covers the object to be fired at.
The latter mode of giving both vertical and lateral aim by means of one shoulder
piece fixed to the breech of the gun gives more rapid movements to the gun for
rough aiming but the shoulder action is not sufficiently delicate for the very small
variations in vertical aim which have to be made for varying elevations at long
ranges and further the elevation is disturbed by the motion of the breech mechanism
and by the firing when the gun is only supported in the vertical direction by the
shoulder and when the ship pitches and rolls it is difficult to keep the gun steady
when no other means are provided for keeping the gun steady vertically than the
shoulder of the gunner.
In order to avoid these disadvantages in previous mountings I construct a carriage
in which the elevation and depression are given to the gun by means of an elevating
screw while the lateral direction is given to the gun by means of a shoulder piece
fixed to the breech of the gun, such shoulder piece can be made much shorter and
more convenient than when it is wanted to support the gun vertically and give
vertical direction to the gun. The gun is mounted in a cross head with a pivot
which fits into a socket and which has bearings for the trunnions of the gun; this

page_text: cross head is extended rearwards in the shape of an arm which supports the
elevating screw the nut of which is turned round either directly by a hand wheel
or by a hand wheel working a cogwheel gear; the hand wheel is so placed as to
be easily reached by the gunner while it is out of the way of the breech mechanism
when opened. The shoulder piece at the rear of the breech has a spring or padding
or both to prevent the jar or recoil on firing from hurting the gunner, and it can be
extended rearwards so that while its upper portion resta against the shoulder of the
gunner the extended part of it can be held firmly between the upper part of his
arm and his body.
It will be easily understood that while the gunner applies his shoulder to the
shoulder piece his one hand is always free to work the handwheel of the elevating
screw and the back sight while the other hand is free to pull the trigger of the gun
without loss of time when the line of sight is brought to bear upon the object fired
at. The elevating screw allows of the most delicate adjustment of elevation the
gun remaining undisturbed at the same elevation after each shot is fired, while the
gun can be quickly laid laterally. As the gunner need not support the gun by
the shoulder piece or hold it firm vertically it is less disturbed by the motion
of the ship and it can be more conveniently fired in boats and other positions
where the gunner is cramped for room.
Although this improvement is more specially suitable for non-recoil carriages it
is also applied to recoil carriages where the shoulder piece is fixed to the part of
the carriage which does not recoil instead of being fixed to the breech of the gun
itself.

page_text: I THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of 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:―
The object of this Invention is to improve the gun carriages or mountings at
present used more especially the carriages used for guns of comparatively small
calibres such as so called quick firing guns.
At present most guns of less than 6 inch calibre are mounted on board ship and
in fortifications in such a manner that either
1) the changes in elevation and depression as well as changes in lateral direction
when aiming are given by screw gear moved by hand wheels or that
2) the gun when mounted on a pivot is moved for elevation and depression as
well as for lateral direction by means of a shoulder piece affixed to the breech of
the gun.
The first named mode of giving vertical and lateral aim is the more rigid, but
as both hands of the gunner who lays the gun are occupied with the two hand
wheels he may not always be also ready to pull the trigger the instant the line of
sight covers the object to be fired at.
The latter mode of giving both vertical and lateral aim by means of one shoulder
piece fixed to the breech of the gun gives more rapid movements to the gun for
rough aiming but the shoulder action is not sufficiently delicate for the very small
variations in vertical aim which have to be made for varying elevations at long
ranges and further the elevation is disturbed by the motion of the breech mechanism
and by the firing when the gun is only supported in the vertical direction by the
shoulder and when the ship pitches and rolls it is difficult to keep the gun steady
when no other means are provided for keeping the gun steady vertically than the
shoulder of the gunner.
In order to avoid these disadvantages in previous mountings I construct a
carriage in which the elevation and depression are given to the gun by means of
an elevating screw while the lateral direction is given to the gun by means of a
shoulder piece fixed to the breech of the gun, such shoulder piece can be made
much shorter and more convenient than when it is wanted to support the gun
vertically and give vertical direction to the gun.
The gun is mounted in a cross head with a pivot which fits into a socket and
which cross head has bearings for the trunnions of the gun; this cross head is
extended rearwards in the shape of an arm which supports the elevating screw the
nut of which is turned round either directly by a hand wheel or by a hand wheel
working a cog wheel gear; the hand wheel is so placed as to be easily reached by
the gunner while it is out of the way of the breech mechanism when opened. The
shoulder piece at the rear of the breech has a spring or padding or both to prevent
the jar or recoil on firing from hurting the gunner and it is extended rearwards so

page_text: In this position with one hand on the wheel and the other on the trigger or on a
handle near the trigger so that he can conveniently reach the same, the gunner has
perfect command of the piece.
Figure 3 is a side elevation Figure 4 is a plan and Figure 5 is a rear elevation of
a gun mounting in which the recoil of the gun is controlled by a hydraulic buffer
and spring substantially in the manner described in the Specification of a former
patent granted to me No 1072 in the year 1882 but with which mounting I have
now combined a shoulder piece by which the gun can be rapidly traversed laterally
whilst the requisite elevation is given to it by mechanical gear.
In the centre of a base plate or ring, is a pivot around which the under carriage N
of the gun mounting is able to turn freely. The under carriage supports a
horizontal axis O on which a pair of levers P. P. are carried. At the upper ends
of the levers P are bearings and the trunnions of the gun Q are held in these
bearings. Arms also project rearward from the axis O, these are connected
together to form a frame R which by the link S is connected with the breech end
of the gun so that the bore of the gun is parallel to the frame R. This frame at
its rear end carries a trunnion socket T; within the socket there is a nut and at
the lower end of the nut is a bevelled wheel U. The elevating screw V, which is
jointed at its lower end to the under carriage of the mounting works through the
nut, and when the nut is turned the frame Ŕ is raised or depressed at its rear end,
and corresponding movement is given to the breech of the gun.
W is a bevelled pinion gearing with the wheel U it is fixed to a hand wheel X.
These parts W and X turn upon a stud axis which is fixed to the frame R.
The frame R terminates rearwards in sockets R¹ R¹, either of which may be
employed to receive the stem of a shoulder piece Y which is constructed substan-
tially in the manner already described in respect to the Figures 1 and 2 of the
drawing except that in this case the stem is upon the shoulder piece and is
received into a socket on the gun mounting. In the previous figures the arrange-
ment is reversed, the socket is upon the shoulder piece and it receives a stem
connected with the gun.
In the arrangement shown in these figures as in that previously described, the
elevation of the gun is given by means of the hand wheel, but the lateral direction
is given by turning the gun about the central pivot by the pressure of the body or
arm upon the shoulder piece. When the gun recoils it does so independently of
the frame R and therefore the main shock of the recoil does not fall upon the
shoulder of the gunner, whilst the jar which nevertheless he might experience is
softened by the spring which is interposed between the shoulder piece and the gun
mounting.
The recoil is mainly sustained and controlled by the hydraulic compressor Z the
cylinder of which is connected by a joint a Z¹ with the under carriage N of the gun
mounting.
As described in the specification of my former patent, the levers P are connected
to the piston rod of the compressor and the compressor cylinder also contains
springs abutting upon the piston, one on either side of it; the remaining space in
the cylinder is filled with liquid. The gun in its movements compresses and
releases these springs. The rapidity of the movements of the gun is controlled by
the liquid in the cylinder, which has to find its way through shallow grooves in
the cylinder walls.
Figures 6 and 7 show to a larger scale the details of a shoulder piece suitable to
be substituted for that shown in Figures 1 and 2. The shoulder piece is in this
case constructed for the most part of sheet metal stamped in two halves which are
soldered or otherwise put together; or the sheet metal may be bent to a tubular
form. The shoulder piece may also be partly constructed of wood.
Figures 8 and 9 show the details of the shoulder piece represented in Figures 3
and 4 in this case, as will be seen, the part of the shoulder piece which comes
directly against the shoulder is of wood.

page_text: :
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. A non recoil mounting with mechanical elevating gear operated by a hand
wheel or handle and a shoulder piece attached to the gun by which the gun can be
traversed around its central support substantially as described.
2. A mounting having an hydraulic buffer or other controlling apparatus to
control the recoil and having mechanical elevating gear operated by a hand wheel
or handle and with. also a shoulder piece on a part of the mounting which does
not recoil and serving to traverse the gun around a central support or pivot
substantially as described.
3. The improved shoulder piece applicable generally to quick firing gun
mountings and formed as represented in the drawing with a part to abut upon
the shoulder and with another part immediately below to pass between the arm
and the body and with a spring between these parts and the gun or mounting
substantially as described.
4. My non recoil mounting as illustrated by the drawings annexed.
5. My recoil mounting with hydraulic buffer and also elevating gear and shoulder
piece for traversing as illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated this 8th day of February 1886.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.