Improvements relating to Mounting Guns in Turrets.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1889-Accepted, 31st Aug., 1889:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Mounting Guns in Turrets.
I, ANDREW NOBLE, late Captain in the Royal Artillery, of Jesmondene House,
Newcastle upon Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements relating to mounting guns in.
turrets.
The turret contains a pair of guns mounted on carriages with hydraulic apparatus
which controls the recoil and permits the gun at once to return to the firing position
in which position the gun is loaded.
The powder charges are conveyed into the turret through a centre cylindrical trunk
beneath the gun platform to which the trunk is fixed. "The trunk contains a double
hoist worked by a winch at the lower end. The powder cases go up full on one side
and descend empty on the other. Around the trunk and immediately beneath the gun
platform there is a ring which is adapted to receive capstan bars. It can also be
driven by a hydraulic engine. The capstan ring is geared through intermediate
wheels and axes with bollards in the turret one behind each gun. These bollards are
conveniently placed to receive a rope either for thrusting forward the rammer or to
lift the shot from shot racks. The capstan ring can also by intermediate worm and
wheel gear be made to turn the pinion which rotates the turret. The shot racks are
ranged around the walls of the turret and the projectiles are lifted into and from the
racks by a rope tackle. The upper block of the tackle is carried upon a runner bar
which is pivoted to the roof of the turret and supported at its outer end on a curved
rail. The pivot is vertically over the breech of the gun and the bar is able to move
about the pivot in a horizontal plane. The rope of the tackle is hauled upon by
passing it around the bollard. The ropo passes from the bollard to a guide pulley at
the pivot of the runner bar and so to the upper block, it then descends to the hook
block which lays hold of the shot. To convey the shot to the gun there is a runner
which travels upon the bar with a single pennant which is hooked on to the shot after it
has been lifted. The runner conveys the shot to the breech of the gun where it is
deposited in front of the rammer. There is a screw forming part of the pennant by
turning which the shot is slightly lowered in order that it may be released. The
tackle serves for lifting the shot from below when the turret is stationary and suitably
placed over a hatch.
The rotation of the turret and the aiming of the gun are controlled from an aiming
station by means of two hand wheels. One hand wheel rotating in a horizontal plane
in the same direction with the turret operates a rod descending by the central trunk
to the foot thereof where it is connected with another rod passing to the valves of the
turning engines. This gear is so contrived that the rotation of the turret will itself
after a time stop the turning engines independently of the hand gear if this be left
untended. The other hand wheel rotates in a vertical plane, it elevates the gun and
simultaneously sets the sights. The breech of the gun is supported on a bar which at
its rear end is jointed to the gun platform. On this bar in front is a toothed arc with
which a spur wheel gears and this by a worm and worm wheel and intermediate toothed
wheels receives motion from the hand wheel at the aiming station. The fore sight can
be fixed upon the roof of the turret and the rear sight is carried by a bar which also
is geared with the hand wheel which elevates the gun and moves with it. So when by
turning the hand wheel the sights are brought to bear the gun, moves in accordance
and the angle between the line of sight and the axis of the gun remains as it has been
previously set to suit the distance of the object and other circumstances.
Sometimes I provide for ramming by hydraulic-power-by the rammer -pivoted in

page_text: bemind the breech of the gun. The fore end of this rammer is carried upon a
trolley on which it travels to one side out of the way. The trolley when in this position
receives the charge in front of the rammer head and it carries it to the gun. The
projectile is brought to the gun by a runner travelling upon a fixed over head rail.
As the water pipe necessarily occupies the central space beneath the turret the powder
is in this case brought up into a circular way around the base of the turret. The
powder cases are carried around by an overhead runner and are passed into the turret
by a side aperture. Sometimes however I work tho rammers by compressed air, and
this leaves the centre free for an ammunition hoist or for a trunk up which the
ammunition may be lifted by a hand winch within the turret. When using
compressed air for ramming I store the air under high pressure in portable receivers
which are brought into the turret charged and which are taken away when empty to
be refilled. By means of a trigger a valve is opened and this admits the air to a tube
within which the stem of the rammer works.
Dated this 24th, 1
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Mounting Guns in Turrets.
I, ANDREW NOBLE, late Captain in the Royal Artillery, of Jesmonddene House
Newcastle upon Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this in
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object improvements relating to mounting guns in turrots
and is illustrated by drawings annexed. Figure 1 is a plan, one half in section, and
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are vertical sections.
The turret contains a pair of guns mounted on Vavasseur carriages with hydraulic
apparatus which controls the recoil and permits the gun at once to return to the firing
position in which position the gun is loaded.
In
a u are the carriages and bb the upwardly inclined slides on which they run.
the cheeks of the carriages are the hydraulic control cylinders. The slides are
provided with permanent rollers to facilitate running out.
с
The powder charges are conveyed into the turret through a centre cylindrical
trunk beneath the gun platform to which the trunk is fixed. The trunk contains a
double hoist worked by a winch d at the lower end.
This winch is seen in Figure 5 which is a vertical section taken at the lower end of the
trunk and at Figure 6 which is a transverse section. In the trunk is a transverse partition
and a pair of powder cases e ascend and descend on either side of the partition. The cases
on one side of the partition are connected with those on the other by a wire cord or
chain passing around pulleys at the upper end of the trunk. Suitable guides for the
powder cases are provided within the trunk. The cord or chain also descends from
the cases e e to pulleys at the lower end of the trunk and then passes around the barrel
of the winch. The powder cases go up full on one side and descend empty on
the other. Thus the powder is delivered into the turret in
position between the guns. Around the trunk and immediately beneath the gun
a convenient
platform there is a ring which is adapted to receive capstan bars. It can also
be driven by a hydraulic engine below through the shafting 9 upon which at g
a clutch is provided. The capstan ring is geared through intermediate wheels and
axes as shown with bollards hh in the turret one behind each gun. These bollards
are conveniently placed to receive a ropo either for thrusting forward the rammer i
or to lift the shot from shot racks k.
forward and is the rope for lifting the shot. The capstan ring can also by intermediate
is the rope by which the rammer is thrust
worm and wheel gear 7 be made to turn the pinion which rotates the turret. is a
clutch in connection with this gear. The shot racks k are ranged around the walls of
the turret and the projectiles are lifted into and from the racks by a rope tackle. The
upper block m of the tackle is carried upon a runner bar m which is pivoted to the

page_text: roof of the turret at m² and supported at its outer end on a curved rail n. The pivot is
vertically over the breech of the gun and the bar m is able to inove about the pivot in
a horizontal plane. The rope k¹ of the tackle is hauled upon by passing it around the
bollard. The rope passes from the bollard around guide pulleys to a guide pulley m³ at the
pivot of the runner bar and so to the upper block m', it then descends to the hook block
which lays hold of the shot. To convey the shot to the gun there is a runner which
travels upon the bar with a single pennant o which is hooked on to the shot after it
has been lifted. The runner conveys the shot to the breech of the gun where it is
deposited in front of the rammer i. There is a screw forming part of the pennant by
turning which the shot is slightly lowered in order that it may be released. The
tackle serves for lifting the shot from below through a hatch in the floor of the turret
when the turret is stationary and suitably placed over a hatch or trunk descending to
the store below.
The rotation of the turret and the aiming of the gun are controlled from an aiming
station by means of two hand-wheels. One hand wheel p rotating in a horizontal
plane in the same direction with the turret operates by means of a pinion, rack and
bell crank lever a rod q descending by the central trunk to the foot thereof where it is
connected by levers with another rod r passing to the valves of the turning engines.
This gear is so contrived that the rotation of the turret will itself after a time stop the
turning engines independently of the hand gear if this be left untended. The other
band wheel a rotates in a vertical plane and operates a train of gear as shown by which
it elevates the gun and simultaneously by the act of moving the gun sets the sights.
The breech of the gun is supported on a bar t which at its rear end is jointed to the
gun platform. This arrangement admits of the ports in the turrets being of com-
paratively small dimensions. On this bar t in front is a toothed arc t¹ with which a spur
wheel gears and this by a worm and worm wheel and intermediate toothed wheels
receives motion from the hand wheels at the aiming station. The fore sight u can
be fixed upon the roof of the turret and the rear sight v is carried by a bar which also
is geared with the hand wheels which elevates the gun and moves with it. So
when by turning the hand wheel the sights are brought to bear, the gun moves in
accordance and the angle between the line of sight and the axis of the gun remains as
it has been previously set to suit the distance of the object and other circumstances.
Sometimes I provide for ramming by hydraulic power by a rammer pivoted in rear
behind the breech of the gun. This arrangement is shown in the Figures 7 and 8.
Figure 7 is a plan of a turret with the upper part removed. Figure 8 is a vertical
section. A is the rammer. The fore-end of this rammer is carried upon a
trolley B
on which it travels to one side out of the way. The trolley when in this position
receives the charge in front of the rammer head and it carries it to the gun. CC are
pawls to hold the ranimer in place. The projectile is brought to the gun by a runner
travelling upon a fixed overhead rail D. As the water pipe necessarily occupies the
central space beneath the turret the powder is in this caso brought up into a circular
way E around the base of the turret. The powder cases are carried around by an
overhead runner E' and are passed into the turret by a side aperture F. GG are the
levers for operating the valves for the hydraulic rammers. Sometimes however I
work the rammers by compressed air, and this leaves the centre free for an ammunition
boist or for a trunk up which the ammunition may be lifted up by a hand winch
within the turret. When using compressed air for ramming I store the air under
high pressure in portable receivers H H which are brought into the turret charged
and which are taken away when empty to be refilled.
The rammer I make as is shown in Figure 9 of a long cylindrical metal tube
containing a tubular piston rod with a piston attached. This piston preferably 1 pack
with a light cup leather. The piston rod carries at its outer end a head to ram the
shot. The bottom end of the cylindrical metal tube is plugged up and is fitted with a
small tube for the supply of the air the top end is fitted with a gland through which
the piston rod passes.
The compressed air is supplied to the rainmer from a reservoir placed in any con-
venient place near the pneumatic rammer. On the tube which conveys the air from

page_text: in reservoir 1 place a valve mechanism such as is shown by Figure 10 similar to the
valve of an air gun by which a small quantity of air can be passed from the reservoir
to the rammer by moving a lever or pulling a trigger..
'
Having now particularly, described and..ascertained, tho,nature of my said Inven
tion and in what manner-the same is to, he performed, I declare that what I
claim.is
:
1. The capstan ring beneath the floor of the turret and surrounding the central
trunk and the gear in connection therewith admitting of the guns being worked by
manual labour substantially as described.
2. The hollards within the turret and the gear in connection therewith facilitating
the loading of the guns by power transmitted from outside substantially as described.
3. The gear substantially as described actuated by the horizontal hand wheel p
rotating with the turret and operating the valve of the training engine.
4. The gear substantially as described actuated by the vertical hand wheel S inclin-
ing the pivot supporting bar t and giving the requisite elevation to the gun in
accordance with the sights.
5. The pivoted hydraulic rammer A. with its trolley B substantially as described.
6. Operating the rammers by compressed air stored under pressure within the turret
in portable receivers and applied substantially as described.
7. The general arrangement of turret mountings substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of July 1800.
A. NOBLE.