Improvements relating to Recoil-presses for Heavy Guns.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 16th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 25th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Recoil-presses for Heavy Guns.
We, ANDREW NOBLE, a Companion of the Bath, late Captain in the Royal Artillery,
and CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, both of Elswick Works, Newcastle upon Tyne,
Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a method whereby when a pair of recoil presses are fitted
with a loaded valve between them, so as to enable them to be used as presses for
running in and out the gun, the load on this valve, which interferes with the regularity
of recoil when using varying charges in the gun is removed automatically by the
recoil pressure from one of the recoil presses.
This is arranged for in the following manner.
The gun carriage is provided with a pair of recoil presses either attached to the
carriage or formed in one piece with it, these presses are laid either side by side, or
if there is available length end to end, and each is fitted with a piston rod and piston.
The piston rod of one press passes out at the front end of the carriage and the
piston rod of the other press passes out at the rear end of the carriage and these
piston rods are attached to the gun slide at the front and rear end of the slide
respectively.
The pistons of these recoil presses are fitted up with either a rotating valve or a key
valve made of a suitable form to give equal pressures in the recoil presses during and
throughout the full length of the recoil.
As the gun recoils one ram enters its reçoil press and displaces a volume of liquid
which is passed into the other press where space is made for it by the exit of the other
ram from its press.
This liquid passes by a channel joining the rear ends of the recoil presses and in this
channel is placed a loaded valve which the liquid has to lift in passing. The load on
this valve must be sufficient to keep in the pressure of water which has to be used
from the hydraulic mains when running the gun out. The load on this valve interferes
with the regularity of recoil because it offers a constant resistance to the recoil of the
gun whereas the recoil presses without the loaded valve offer a resistance which
depends upon the amount of work they are called upon to take up which depends on
the weight of charge and projectile fired from the gun.
It is desirable to retain the constant length of recoil and at the same time to retain
the loaded valve.
By our invention we do this by fitting to the front end of that recoil press which
has the outgoing ram, a small cylinder with plunger which is in open communication
with it and therefore at once receives the recoil pressure when the gun is fired, and
so makes a stroke of the plunger. This stroke of the plunger we make remove the
spring pressure from the valve in the channel between the two recoil presses. The
small plunger is attached direct to a crosshead attached to the spring or by any other
convenient mechanical or hydraulic connections which the circumstances may permit.
As soon as the recoil has spent itself the plunger returns to its former position by
the elasticity of the spring on the loaded valve. The recoil presses are then ready to
be used for running the gun out and in by the pressure from the hydraulic main
which enters each recoil press by a passage drilled up the middle of the recoil ram
and comes into the presses on the sides of the pistons which are not subject to the
recoil pressure, so that no recoil pressure can enter the hydraulic mains.
The pressure from the mains which enters one press tends to close the loaded valve
still tighter and although the same pressure is tending to remove the spring load
from the valve that is immaterial.

page_text: The pressure which enters the other press is still insufficient to lift the loaded valve
because the spring is then acting with its full force.
The advantages we claim for this invention are that while employing a system of
recoil presses which can be used for running in and out the guns and by which no
recoil pressure passes to the hydraulic mains, we obtain uniform length of recoil for
varying charges fired from the gun.
Dated this 14th day of December 1990.
Improvements relating to Recoil-presses for Heavy Guns.
We, ANDREW NOBLE, a Companion of the Bath, late Captain in the Royal Artillery,
and CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, both of Elswick Works, Newcastle upon Tyne,
Engineers, 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: -
This invention relates to a method whereby when a pair of recoil presses are fitted
with a loaded valve between them, so as to enable them to be used as presses for
running in and out the gun, the load on this valve, which interferes with the regularity
of recoil when using varying charges in the gun is removed automatically by the
recoil pressure from one of the recoil presses.
This is arranged for in the following manner:
The gun carriage is provided with a pair of recoil presses either attached to the
carriage or formed in one piece with it, these presses are laid either side by side, or
if there is available length end to end, and each is fitted with a piston rod and piston.
The piston rod of one press passes out at the front end of the carriage and the piston
rod of the other press passes out at the rear end of the carriage and these piston rods
are attached to the gun slide at the front and rear end of the slide respectively.
The pistons of these recoil presses are fitted up with either a rotating valve or a
key valve made of a suitable form to give equal pressures in the recoil presses during
and throughout the full length of the recoil.
As the gun recoils one ram enters its recoil press and displaces a volume of liquid
which is passed into the other press where space is made for it by the exit of the
other ram from its press.
This liquid passes by a channel joining the rear ends of the recoil presses and in
this channel is placed a loaded valve which the liquid has to lift in passing. The load
on this valve must be sufficient to keep in the pressure of water which has to be used
from the hydraulic mains when running the gun out. The load on this valve
interferes with the regularity of recoil because it offers a constant resistance to the
recoil of the gun whereas the recoil presses without the loaded valve offer a resistance
which depends upon the amount of work they are called upon to take up which
depends on the weight of charge and projectile fired from the gun.
It is desirable to retain the constant length of recoil and at the same time to retain
the loaded valve.
By our invention we do this by fitting to the front end of that recoil press which
has the outgoing ram, a small cylinder with plunger which is in open communication
with it and therefore at once receives the recoil pressure when the gun is fired, and so
makes a stroke of the plunger. This stroke of the plunger we make remove the
spring pressure from the valve in the channel between the two recoil presses. The
small plunger is attached direct to a crosshead attached to the spring or by any other
convenient mechanical or hydraulic connections which the circumstances may
permit.
As soon as the recoil has spent itself the plunger returns to its former position by
the elasticity of the spring on the loaded valve. The recoil presses are then ready to
be used for running the gun out and in by the pressure from the hydraulic main

page_text: which enters each recoil press by a passage drilled up the middle of the recoil ram
and comes into the presses on the sides of the pistons which are not subject to the
recoil pressure, so that no recoil pressure can enter the hydraulic mains.
The pressure from the mains which enters one press tends to close the loaded valves
still tighter and although the same pressure is tending to remove the spring load from
the valve that is immaterial.
The pressure which enters the other press is still insufficient to lift the loaded valve
because the spring is then acting with its full force.
The advantages we claim for this invention are that while employing a system of
recoil presses which can be used for running in and out the guns and by which no
recoil pressure passes to the hydraulic mains, we obtain uniform length of recoil for
varying charges fired from the gun.
In order that our said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 3 is a transverse section.
At the
a is a girder frame adapted to be pivotted at a¹ a¹ within a turret or otherwise
b is a carriage capable of sliding longitudinally upon the girder frame and in this
carriage the gun is held as is indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. c¹ c² are two
cylinders upon the carriage arranged in this case side by side d¹ d³ are two rams fixed
to the girder frame a one at the front and the other in rear; they are received into
the cylinders c c² respectively and at their ends are pistons c³. The pistons do not
fit the cylinders closely but allow liquid to pass them by apertures so adjusted as to
permit the speed of movement desired. The cylinders c¹ c² are connected by the
passage e which serves when the gun recoils to permit liquid to pass from the
cylinder c¹ into the cylinder c²; liquid being expelled from the former by the entrance
of the ram d' whilst room is made for it in the latter by the withdrawal of the ram d²
fis. a valve in the passage e it is pressed down to its seat by a spring g. This valve is
required to allow of the hydraulic apparatus being made use of for running the gun
out and for running it in without firing and for these purposes also the rams d¹ d³ are
each formed with a passage d* through them and liquid under pressure can be supplied
to either of them by means of jointed pipes h¹ h² and suitable valves. When it is
desired to run the gun out liquid is admitted through the pipe h' to the cylinder c¹
and the ram being expelled from the cylinder the carriage is driven forward
same time liquid is allowed to pass out from the cylinder c² by the pipe 2. The
valve at this time prevents the passage of liquid from the cylinder c' to the cylinder c²
the spring g keeping the valve closed. Similarly the gun can be run back without
firing by admitting liquid under pressure to the cylinder c² and permitting it to
escape from the cylinder c¹. But as already stated the action of the loaded valve fis
injurious when the apparatus comes into use for checking the recoil and it is the
special object of the present invention to overcome this difficulty. This we do by
causing the recoil automatically to diminish the load upon the valve. The spring gas
will be seen is contained in a case i fixed to the carriage b and at one end of the case
there is a fixed abutment i¹ on which the spring rests. At its outer end the spring
bears upon a disc or crosshead k at the end of a rod I which at its end enters the valve
box and applies the requisite pressure to the valve f to keep it upon its seat whilst the
gun is being run out. The disc or crosshead k is connected by a rod k¹ with another
rod on which is a piston m. The piston m is contained in a small cylinder n which by
a passage n¹ communicates freely with the the interior of the cylinder c³. At the
commencement therefore of the recoil when the gun is fired the piston m moves and
draws the disc or crosshead k inwards coercing the spring g and relieving the valve f
from its pressure. The valve then opens and opposes but little resistance to the passage

page_text: of liquid from the cylinder c' into the cylinder 2 leaving nearly the whole of the
retardation requisite to check the recoil to be done in the cylinders c c by the
impediment offered to the passage of the liquid from one side of the piston to
the other.
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. In combination with a pair of recoil presses with rams at opposite ends and a
passage by which liquid can pass from the cylinder of one press to the cylinder of the
other and a loaded valve in this passage offering such a resistance to the flow that the
presses may be used separately for running the gun out and in; mechanism actuated
by the recoil and operating automatically to relieve the valve from its load as herein
set forth.
2. In recoil apparatus substantially as described the means for preventing resistance
to the flow during recoil of liquid from cylinder to cylinder resulting from the presence
of a valve in the passage connecting the cylinder; which valve enables the hydraulic
apparatus to be used in running the gun out and in as herein set forth.
Dad this 11th dow of Contember 1800
A. NOBLE.
C. H. MURRAY.