Improvements in Recoil Presses for Gun Carriages.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 11th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 19th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Recoil Presses for Gun Carriages.
We, Sir ANDREW NOBLE, K.C.B., F.R.S., of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle-
on-Tyne, and RALPH THEW BRANKSTON, Engineer, of Elswick Works, Newcastle-
on-Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention is applicable to recoil presses in which the running out of the gun
after recoil is controlled by a controlling ram passing into a longitudinal hole in the
piston rod of the recoil cylinder piston.
The piston rod we provide with a valve opening inwards to admit liquid freely
from the recoil cylinder to the hole in the piston rod. The hole in the piston rod
is bored larger than the ram and the hole is contracted to fit the ram at the
entering end.
The action of the valve is as follows. When the gun is fired a water pressure is
set up
in the recoil press, the pressure opeus the valve and forces liquid into the
hole in the piston rod and completely fills the empty space formed by the piston
rod moving away from the ram. The length of the ram is made such that it never
leaves the contracted part of the piston rod hole, the consequence is that at the
termination of the recoil the space originally occupied by the controlling ram is
completely full of liquid and immediately the gun attempts to return into the firing
position the valve closes and locks in the liquid which has then to escape down the
centre of the controlling ram and out by the small valve into the press, this valve
can be adjusted to regulate the speed of the gun in running up into the firing
position. It is preferred to use a ball valve held in by means of a screwed seat but
a spindle valve may also be used.
أبجد
1
SML 1004
A. NOBLE.
R. T. BRANKSTON.
on-
We, Sir ANDREW NOBLE, K.C.B., F.R.S., of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle-
n-Tyne, and RALPH THEW BRANKSTON, Engineer, of Elswick Works, Newcastle-
on-
n-Tyne, 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:-
I
•
The invention is applicable to recoil presses in which the running out of the gun
after recoil is controlled by a controlling ram passing into a longitudinal hole in the
piston rod of the recoil cylinder piston.
The piston rod we provide with a valve opening inwards to admit liquid freely
from the recoil cylinder to the hole in the piston rod. The hole in the piston rod
is bored larger than the ram and the hole is contracted to fit the ram at the
entering end.
The action of the valve is as follows. When the gun is fired a water pressure is
Bet up in the recoil press, the pressure opens the valve and forces liquid into the
hole in the piston rod and completely fills the empty space formed by the piston

page_text: rod moving away from the ram. The length of the ram is made such that it never
leaves the contracted part of the piston rod hole, the consequence is that at the
termination of the recoil the space originally occupied by the controlling ram is
completely full of liquid and immediately the gun attempts to return into the firing
position the valve closes and locks in the liquid which has then to escape down the
centre of the controlling ram and out by the small valve into the press, this valve
can be adjusted to regulate the speed of the gun in running up into the firing
position. It is preferred to use a ball valve held in by means of a screwed seat but
a spindle valve may also be used.
In the drawings annexed we have shewn the invention applied to a gun mounted
in a gun cradle furnished with springs which are compressed when the recoil takes
place and subsequently effect the running out of the gun in a well known manner-
but the recoil press might be applied to gun mountings in which the running out is
effected in other ways.
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the cradle and gun. Figure 2 is
a rear end view of the same.
Figure 3 is a section on a larger scale of a portion of the pistou of the recoil
cylinder and the valve carried by it.
Figure 4 is an underside view of the valve.
A is the rear end portion of the gun B the rear end of the cradle in which the
gun can slide backwards and forwards. B' is the cylinder for controlling the recoil
secured to the underside of the cradle and B B are two cylinders also forming
part of the cradle and each containing springs for running out the gun in the
ordinary way. C is a piston in the cylinder B-the piston rod C' is secured to
the rear end of the gun as shewn in Figure 1. Other rods D D also secured to the
ear end of the gun pass into the cylinders B' and have discs or pistons at their
forward ends which bear against the forward end of coiled springs contained in
these cylinders in the ordinary way.
C' is a hole bored into the piston rod from its forward end. E is a ram fixed to
the forward end of the cylinder B' and passing into the hole bored in the piston
rod. C³ is a bush screwed into the mouth of the hole and fitting to the piston rod.'
E is a hole bored lengthwise through the ram E. E' is a hole bored through the
side of the forward end of the ram and opening into the hole E'. E' is a pin
screwed into the forward end of the hole E, its rear end passes beyond the hole E'
and limits the passage from the hole E' to the hole E to regulate the speed at
which the gun is run out. C is a slot cut through the piston at one point of its
circumference. B is a metal rod fixed to the side of the cylinder B' and passing
through this slot-the rod is shaped as usual to more or less close the passage
through the slot C and so control the speed of recoil. C' is a screw plug screwed
into a recess bored radially into the piston from the slot C. C are holes bore.
through from the bottom of this recess into the hole C in the piston rod. C' is a
ball valve contained in the interior of the screw plug C³.
In one position the ball closes the passage C formed through the plug-in the
other position of the ball the passage is open and liquid can pass freely through
the passage C and holes C to the hole C' in the piston rod.
When the gun recoils the speed of recoil is checked as usual by the speed at
which liquid in the cylinder B₁ can pass through the slot C. from the rear to the
front of the piston C at the same time the valve C7 opens and liquid can pass freely
to the hole and fill this hole as the piston rod goes back. When the recoil is
ended and the springs in the cylinders B commence to run the gun out again the
valve C closes and the liquid with which the hole Cis filled can only escape fron
it through the hole E' and small hole E bored in the ram.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
'claim is :-
1. The use of a valve substantially as described to ensure the speed of running

page_text: out of a gun after recoil being under control from the commencement of the
running out movement.
2. In a recoil press in which a ram fixed to the forward end of the recoil cylinder
enters a hole bored into the piston rod from its front end making the mouth of this
hole to fit to the ram and also placing a valve in a passage through the piston rod
to allow liquid to pass freely from the cylinder to the hole as the gun recoils but
not to press back in the reverse direction when the gun is run forward—the liquid
then having to escape back into the cylinder through a small hole provided for the
purpose.
3. The construction of a recoil press for gun carriages substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 14th day of November 1894.
A. NOBLE.
R. T. BRANKSTON.