Improvements in Gun-mountings
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 10th May, 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from. abroad by DIE ACTIEN GESELLSCHAFT GRUSONWERK, of
Magdeburg, Buckau, in the Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in Gun-mountings
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The invention hereinafter described relates to gun-mountings the gun-bearer of
which is designed at the same time to serve as an embrasure-shutter.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide a gun-bearer formed in two
halves which are connected to each other by means of bolts. The said gun-bearer is
supported in the armour-plate by means of suitable journals. The external form of
the said gun-bearer corresponds to that of a rotatory body, and fits accurately into a
corresponding recess in the armour-plate.
The said gun-bearer may be either spherical cylindrical or of other suitable form.
If the gun-bearer is turned upon its journals it will form a perfectly tight joint with
the embrasure in every position.
The caps of the bearings which receive the recoil of the gun, may be connected in
any suitable manner with the armour-plate. A brake-screw provided with a suitable
lever serves to fix the gun-bearer in any desired position.
The gun-bearer is hollowed out in such a manner that it fits tightly in a lateral
direction against the gun but permits the said gun to turn or pivot upon its trunnions.
The said trunnions are supported in the centre of the gun-bearer and the cavity in the
latter is formed so as to converge on both sides towards the interior, in such a manner
that the wall of the gun-bearer fits approximately against the gun in every elevation
of the latter. The gun-bearer thus forms a perfect joint in every respect with the
embrasure and consequently solves the problem of a gun-mounting for an embrasure
by the employment of which any special device for closing the embrasure may be
dispensed with.
Dated this 16th day of August 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gun-mountings.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
my said 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 gun-mounting wherein the gun is arranged to turn about
the centre of an universal joint, that is to say, the gun is mounted upon trunnions in
a bearer or support which is itself mounted upon trunnions in an armour-plate
provided with a port-hole or embrasure through which the gun protrudes, the said
bearer or support being arranged to turn about an axis at right angles to, and
preferably intersecting the axis about which the gun turns in the said bearer or
support. The gun-bearer or support is, moreover, so constructed that it serves as a
closing device or shutter for the said port-hole or embrasure. The gun can, therefore,
be aimed or pointed by turning it about the said universal joint without at any time
opening the port-hole or embrasure.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing, I have shown how the said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan, partly in horizontal section, and
Figure 2 a side elevation, partly in vertical section, showing one form of the
improved gun-mounting.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts in these two figures.
A is a portion of the wall of a turret or casemate which is provided with a port-hole
or embrasure A¹. B is the armour-plate which is built into or otherwise secured to
the said wall, and is provided with a corresponding port-hole or embrasure B'. C is
the gun-bearer which is partly of spherical form and fits into a corresponding recess
or socket formed in the armour-plate B. The said gun-bearer may, however, be of
cylindrical or other suitable shape if desired. It is provided with trunnions C¹ by
means of which it is supported in suitable bearings in the said armour-plate B. The
caps B2 of the said bearings which receive the recoil of the gun, are firmly connected
in any suitable manner with the said armour-plate B. The said gun-bearer is formed
in two parts which are firmly connected by means of bolts D, Figure 2. The gun
is mounted by its trunnions E¹ in the said bearer or support C, which is provided
with an elongated aperture C2 through which the gun protrudes, and which permits
the required movement of the gun for vertical pointing or elevation. A small slit is,
moreover, formed in the gun-bearer to permit the sighting of the gun.
E
It will be seen that the gun-bearer Ccan be turned or pivoted upon its trunnions C₁
for the purpose of training the gun, and will close the port-hole or embrasure B' in
any position to which it may be adjusted.
F is a clamping-screw which is provided with a suitable handle or lever F¹ for
operating it, and which can be caused to bear against the cap B2 of the upper bearing,
to secure the gun-bearer in place when the gun has been trained to any desired angle.
G is a pointer adapted to indicate, upon a properly graduated scale H secured to the
said cap B2, the angle to which the gun is trained.
The gun is so fitted in the bearer or support C that, whilst capable of turning or
pivoting upon its trunnions through a certain angle for vertical pointing or elevation,
it will fit closely at the sides against the said bearer or support at any angle of
elevation. The gun is secured at any desired angle of elevation by means of a lever-
nut J fitting upon a screw-threaded stud which projects through a slot. C³ in the
gun-bearer concentric with the trunnions of the gun.
In the manner above described, I construct an embrasure gun-mounting which
does not require any special closing device.
It is evident that, if desired, the gun may be arranged to turn in the bearer or
support C about a vertical axis for the horizontal pointing or training, the said bearer
or support being arranged to turn in the armour-plate B about a horizontal axis for
effecting the vertical pointing or elevation of the gun.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents I wish it understood that I claim :-
First. A gun-mounting wherein the bearer or support for the gun is so formed and
arranged that it serves (at any angle of elevation or training of the gun) as a closing
device or shutter for the embrasure through which the gun protrudes.
Second. A gun-mounting wherein the gun protrudes through an embrasure in an
armour-plate and is arranged to turn about a suitable axis in a bearer or support,
which itself turns about an axis perpendicular to that of the gun, and whereby the
said embrasure is closed at all angles of elevation or training of the gun.
Third. The improved gun-mounting constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawing for the purposes specified.
Dated this 10th day of Mov 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.