Improvement in Gun-mountings.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 30th Apr.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LAURENCE V. BENET, Artillery Engineer, of 21,
Rue Royale, Paris, France.]
Improvement in Gun-mountings.
HOTCHKISS ORDNANCE CO. LIMITED, 19, Parliament Street, London, S.W., 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 provide a portable mounting for automatic or
other machine guns which, besides folding into compact compass for transportation,
shall also be capable:
1. Of enabling the gun to be fired either with the operator seated upon the
mounting or lying prone beside it, and
2. Of enabling the mounting to be used as a litter for transporting the gun
by hand.
Furthermore, this arrangement of mounting comprises a device for clamping
the gun at any required angle of elevation and also a device for controlling the
horizontal field of fire of the gun.
In the annexed drawings, the improved gun-mounting is shown as applied to
the well-known Hotchkiss automatic machine-gun, but it is clear that by obvious
changes in dimensions and proportions of the various parts, it may be adapted to
other similar fire-arms.
Fig. 1 shows the improved gun-mounting supporting a machine-gun, as
arranged for firing, with the operator seated upon the trail.
Fig.
is a similar view, in which the legs and the trail are extended, the
operator being assumed to lie prone beside the mounting, the latter ready to be
carried as a litter by two men.
Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 shows the gun removed and the mounting folded for stowage or trans-
portation.
Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are separate views of the socket.
Figs. 9, 10 and 11 show in detail the upper end of the trail.
Figs. 12 and 13 show in detail the upper end of each of the front legs.
Fig. 14 is a side view of Fig. 2 showing the pivot.
Figs. 15 and 16, on a larger scale, show the pivot as well as the device for con-
trolling the horizontal field of fire of the gun, at an angle of 180° with reference
to Figs. 14 and 2.
Figs. 17 and 18 are details.
The trail is composed of two sections 1, 1ª which are preferably made of drawn
steel tubing and of which the one 1" is provided with the usual shoe 2 carrying
the ordinary link or handle 3 for transporting, and with an adjustable support 4
carrying the saddle 5. The sections 1, 1ª are coupled together by two pieces 6,6°
by means of the pins 7, 7*, of which 7 is fixed and 7 is removable. By removing

page_text: the pin 7", one section of the trail can be swung around the pin 7 and be laid
against the other section, when folding for transport, see Fig. 4.
On the section 1 is attached the device for clamping the gun at any required
angle of elevation. The device is composed of a support 8 which can be slid so
as to set it in any suitable position on the section 1 and through which passes a
transverse axis 9, Fig. 3, in the head 10 of which is drilled a transverse hole for
the reception of an adjustable rod 11; the screw-threaded end of the axis 9 carries
a clamping handle 12 which, when screwed tight, clamps the support S in position
upon the section 1 and, at the same time, fixes the rod 11 in the position into which
it shall have been adjusted. The head of the rod 11 is provided with a horizontal
arm 13 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3) engaging an eye-piece 14, Fig. 1, fastened
to the lower portion of the gun.
At the upper end of the section 1 is attached a fork-shaped head 15, Figs. 1, 2,
4, 9, 10 and 11, which is pivoted to an axis 16 fitted in a lug 17 on the socket 18,
which receives the pivot of the gun, see Figs. 4, 5, 7 and 8; the said head is pro-
vided with two tangs 19, 19. In a lug 20 on the front of the socket 18 is fitted a
horizontal axis 21, Figs. 17 and 18, each end of which terminates in two ears 22, 22
for receiving an axis 23. Upon both these axes 23, 23 are fitted the tangs 24, 24
of the two front legs 25, 25 which are thus mounted on substantially universal
joints formed by the horizontal axis 21 and the axes 23, 23. The movement of
the said legs around the axis 21 is limited by stops 26, 26 on the socket 18, against
which the said tangs 24, 24 abut when the mounting assumes its lowermost
position shown in Fig. 2, and their movement around their respective axes 23, 23
is limited by two surfaces 27, 27 on the socket 18 against which the said tangs
abut when, on the contrary, the mounting assumes the highermost position shown
in Fig. 1.
In the position shown in Fig. 1, the parts are securely locked as the tangs 24, 24
of the front legs abut, on the one hand, against the surfaces 27, 27 of the socket 18
and engage, on the other hand, with the tangs 19, 19 of the head 15 of the trail,
the said tangs 24, 24 being held in place by the hooked projections 28, 28; again,
the front legs 25 are absolutely-locked in so much that they can neither swing
apart because the tangs 24, 24 abut against the surfaces-27; 27 nor move towards
each other owing to a device for locking 'together the tangs 24, 24 and the
tangs 19, 19, such device consisting of an inclined surface 29, Fig. 13, which,
when the parts are engaged, as in Fig. 1, comes face to face with a correspondingly
inclined surface 30, Fig. 9, on the underside of each tang 19. In other words,
the end of each tang 24 terminates in a tooth 31, Fig. 13, which fits into a
corresponding cavity 32, Figs. 10 and 11, on the underside of each tang 19.
The face of each tang 24 which lies against the abutment surface 27 on each side
of the socket 18 is designated by 33, Fig. 13. It is obvious that this locking
device is such that the front legs must first be set in position and the surfaces 33
of the tangs 24 must lie against the surfaces 27 of the socket 18 before the tangs 19
of the trail are turned down on to the tangs 24 of the front legs. When the parts
are to be unlocked, the tangs 19 necessarily require to be raised somewhat before
the front legs can be turned so as to cause them to come together.
Likewise, in the position shown in Fig. 2, the parts are also secured in position;
the tangs 24 of the front legs lie in recesses 34, Figs. 6, 7 and 8 formed in the
rests or abutments 26, 26 of the socket IS and the forked head 15 is stopped by
an abutment 18" on the socket 18, Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 8.
In either one of these two extreme positions of the mounting, shown in Figs. 1
and 2 respectively, the axis of the pivot of the gun always remains vertical. In
the position shown in Fig. 2, the operator lying prone beside the mounting can
fire the gun, thus permitting him to take advantage of the cover afforded by
inequalities of the ground or by hasty entrenchments; in this same position, the
operator can point the gun at will and make it assume, for instance, the positions
shown in full lines and in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Finally, the said lowermost

page_text: sition of the mounting is that which is suitable for transporting the gun as on
litter.
In order to limit the horizontal field of fire, we have devised a controlling device
hich is shown in Fig. 15 and 16 on a somewhat larger scale than that of the remain-
g figures. The device is composed of a pin 35 fitted in a support 36 on the socket 18
ad provided with a horizontal knob 37 passing through a helicoidal slot 38,
hilst its upper end terminates in a little projection 39. In the fork 40 of the
ivot 41 is arranged a horizontal axis 42 having right and left threads, upon which
re mounted a milled knob 43 and two nuts 44, 44 which can be made to move
owards or to recede from each other upon the axis 42 by rotating the milled knob 43,
ut which are prevented from rotating by a tongue 45 (shown in dotted lines in
Fig. 16) working in a groove not shown. The distance of the nuts 44, 44 from
ach other, between which is placed the projection 39, determines the angle of
otation of the pivot in its socket 18 and, consequently, the extent of the horizontal
ield of fire. Such distance apart of the said nuts can be varied at will. But
when the knob 37 is turned toward the right, Fig. 15, the projection 39, in moving
downwards, is no longer placed between the nuts 44 and the gun is free to be
urned or pivoted to any amount, without its being arrested in its motion, as is
the case where the parts are in the position of Figs. 15 and 16.
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 combination, with the socket, of front legs; means for pivoting theim
jointly to the socket; means for pivoting them individually and a trail pivoted to
the socket; means for locking the front legs and trail together, substantially as
described and shown.
2. The combination, with a socket, of front legs; means for pivoting them
jointly to the socket; means for pivoting them individually; a trail made of
folding sections pivoted to the socket and means for locking the front legs and
trail together, substantially as described and shown.
3. In a gun-mounting, the herein described means for locking the front legs
and the trail together, consisting in a tooth 31 formed on the end of the tang 24
of each front leg and engaging a corresponding cavity 32 formed in each tang 19
of the fork-shaped head 15 of the trail, substantially as described and shown.
4. The combination, with a socket, of front legs; means for pivoting. them
jointly to the socket; means for pivoting them individually; stops 26, 26 for
limiting the motion of the tangs 24, 24 of the front legs; a trail pivoted to the
socket and means for locking the front legs and trail together, substantially as
described and shown.
5. The combination, with a gun-mounting, of a device for clamping the gun
at any required angle of elevation, consisting of an adjustable rod 11 pivoted to
the gun-mounting and connected at its upper end with the automatic machine or
other gun, and of means for clamping the said rod to the gun-mounting,
substantially as described and shown.
5 6. The combination, with a gun-mounting, of a device for controlling the hori-
zontal field of fire of an automatic machine or other gun, consisting of a pin 35
fitted to move up or down in a support 36 on the socket 18 and having a projec-
tion 39 at its upper end, a right and left threaded axis 42, fitted horizontally in
the fork 40 of the pivot 41, means for operating it and nuts 44, 44 moving toward
0 or away from each other on the said axis 42, substantially as described and shown.
7. The combination, with the socket, of front legs; means for pivoting the said
legs to the socket to swing together in parallel planes, and means for pivoting
them to swing at right angles to the said parallel planes; a trail pivoted to the
socket; and means for locking the front legs and trail together, substantially a
15 described and shown.

page_text: 8. In a gun-mounting, the combination, with the socket, of front legs; means
for pivoting the said front legs jointly to the said socket, and means for pivoting
them individually; a trail pivoted to the said socket, and means for locking the
parts in their highest and lowest positions, while allowing the axis of the pivot of
the gun to remain vertical, and enabling the gun to be transported as on a litter
when the said mounting is in its lowest position, substantially as described and
shown.
9. In a gun-mounting, the combination, with a socket and an axis journalled
therein, of front legs pivoted to the said axis; a trail pivoted to the said socket;
means for limiting the movement of the said legs and trail; and means for locking
the said legs and trail in their upper or lower position, substantially as described
and shown.
10. In a gun-mounting, the combination, with a socket and a pin vertically
adjustable in the said socket, of a fork pivoted in the said socket to support the
gun; adjustable stops on the said fork on each side of the said pin, to limit
the movement of the said fork about its axis, substantially as described and
shown.
11. In a gun-mounting, the combination, with a socket, of front legs pivoted to
the said socket; a trail formed of folding sections also pivoted to the said socket;
means for locking the said sections rigidly together; and means for locking the legs
and trail together, substantially as described and shown.
12. In a gun-mount, the combination, with a socket, of front legs pivoted to
the said socket; a trail also pivoted to the said socket; a block adjustably mounted
on the said trail; a rod connected at its upper end with the gun and adjustably
connected to said block, and means for locking the several parts in position,
substantially as described and shown.
LOBU
For the Applicants,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.