Improvements relating to Gearing for Operating the Training and Elevating Apparatus of Guns, and for similar purposes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 16th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Gearing for Operating the Training and
Elevating Apparatus of Guns, and for similar purposes.
I, CARL HOLMSTRÖM of 32 Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to frictional gearing and to apparatus arranged in combina-
tion therewith for adjusting the same into and out of contact with the surface of a
gun platform or turn-table or other part to be operated by such gearing.
My invention is chiefly designed for use in the place of the toothed gearing
ordinarily employed for horizontally adjusting or rotating the platform or framing
of a gun-mounting for or elevating a gun, or the frame or cradle of a gun, about
its trunnions, but the said invention is also applicable for working heavy cranes or
railway turn-tables or in other cases where it is necessary or desirable to employ
driving gear which can be quickly and conveniently adjusted relatively to the
machine or apparatus to be operated thereby.
The said invention comprises an elastic shaft or tube carrying a driving gear
wheel in such a manner as to permit the said wheel to be pressed forcibly into
contact with the wheel or other part to be driven thereby. For instance, in
adapting the said invention for training a gun mounted on a platform, I arrange
the said shaft or tube at the edge of the said plat orm supported in suitable
bearings, and mount the frictional driving wheel thereon in a suitable position to
gear with a frictional surface formed around the edge of the platform. I prefer
that the said frictional surface should be in the form of a groove or channel and
that the perimeter of the driving wheel should be properly shaped to enter the
said groove and operate the platform by the pressure and friction of its sides.
against the sides of the said groove.
It is obvious that I can apply my invention in the same manner to a cone
mounting or to any other form of gun mounting wherein the upper part or top
carriage turns horizontally upon a fixed base or stand.
In one form or modification of my apparatus I mount the said driving wheel on a
shaft which extends through a steel tube and is secured by pins or keys to the ends
of the same, and outside the said tube the shaft is supported in its bearings in
which it can be rotated freely by means of a handle or hand wheel fixed on the
upper end of the said shaft. The shaft does not fit the tube except at its ends so
that there is a clear annular space between the shaft and tube between the two ends
thereof. A portion of the tube about midway between the two ends is somewhat
enlarged in diameter to form a boss on which the driving friction wheel is fixed.
The parts of the tube between this central enlarged portion and the two ends are
slit or divided and these divided parts of the tube are very elastic so that the tube
will yield readily to lateral pressure.
At the side of the shaft most remote from the gun-platform or other part to be
driven, I arrange an eccentric on a short horizontal shaft provided with a handle
or lever and in such a position relatively to the shaft that by turning the said handle
or lever in the proper direction the eccentric can be caused to press the tube
towards the platform so that if the driving wheel is not in gear with the platform
it will be forced into gear therewith. On the opposite side of the said shaft I
arrange another eccentric which serves to force the said driving wheel back or out
of gear with the platform. Moreover these eccentrics or one of them can be
caused to act as a brake to prevent the rotation of the shaft.

page_text: Instead of the above arrangement I prefer in many cases to employ the
following viz. I place around the enlarged portion of the tube a sleeve which has
at one side thereof a projection in which there is a hole or socket. In combina-
tion with the said sleeve I arrange a screw which works through a screw threaded
plate or a fixed nut arranged in front of the socket in such a position that the end
of the screw projects into the socket. The outer end of the said screw is provided
with a hand-wheel and by turning this wheel the screw can be operated to exert
lateral pressure upon the tube and thereby force the friction wheel into gear with
the platform, wheel, segment, or other part, to be operated by the friction gear.
To facilitate the working of my apparatus I place inside the said sleeve a series
of antifriction balls surrounding the tube.
In some instances it will not be necessary to slit or divide the tube as the lateral
displacement of the driving wheel necessary for the gearing or ungearing of the
same with the platform or other part to be driven thereby is very slight.
I sometimes dispense with the aforesaid tube and place the driving friction
wheel or pinion upon an elastic steel shaft in combination with which I arrange the
aforesaid sleeve, with or without the anti-friction balls or rollers, or the other
adjusting devices above described.
1 provide a convenient form of brake by constructing the sleeve with projections
arranged to enter the groove in the platform, or wheel or other part to be operated
by the friction gear. Or instead of forming such projections on the sleeve they may
be otherwise arranged but in any case they must be such that by deflecting the
shaft or tube they will be pressed into close contact with the grooved surfaces of
the said platform or other part.
Dated this 16th day of June 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Gearing for Operating the Training and
Elevating Apparatus of Guns, and for similar purposes.
I, CARL HOLMSTRÖM, of 32 Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates to frictional gearing, and to apparatus arranged in com-
bination therewith for adjusting the same into and out of contact with the surface
of a gun platform or turn-table or other part to be operated by such gearing.
My invention is chiefly designed for use in place of the toothed gearing ordinarily
employed for horizontally adjusting or rotating the platform or framing of a gun-
mounting, or for elevating a gun, or the frame or cradle of a gun, about its
trunnions; but the said invention is also applicable for working heavy cranes or
ailway turn-tables, or in other cases where it is necessary or desirable to employ
driving apparatus which can be quickly and conveniently thrown into gear with the
machine to be operated by such apparatus.
The said invention comprises an elastic shaft or tube, carrying a friction gear-
wheel so arranged relatively to a frictional surface on the gun platform or elevating
gear, or other apparatus or machine to be operated, that the driving and driven
frictional peripheries can be pressed together and held in contact with each other
without impairing their freedom of rotation.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a centre-pivot gun-mounting provided with
training-gear embodying improvements according to this invention.

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan of the mounting, in section on the line ▲ ▲ of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation of parts shown in Figure 1,
Figure 4 is a plan partly in section on the line Y Y of Figure 3,
Figure 5 is an elevation of an alternative construction of such parts, and
Figure 6 is a plan of the detail shown in Figure 5 in section on the line ZZ.
of the last-named figure; Figures 3 to 6 are drawn to a larger scale than
Figures 1 and 2.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1 to 4, A is the stationary circular base of the
mounting. A¹ is a frictional surface in the form of a groove or channel, made
upon the inner periphery of the flange A' of the base, as shewn ; A³ is a pivot
which forms part of the base A. B is a turn-table or top carriage provided with a
central cap B° to receive the pivot A³ upon which the table turns; B' is an arm
which extends radially from the cap B° for a purpose hereinafter specified
B², B2, are cheeks of the gun-mounting formed upon the turn-table, and provided -
with trunnion bearings to receive the trunnions of a gun. 'B³, B' are bearings.
provided at the edge of the turn-table and in the arm B₁ to support an elastic tube.
The said tube is slotted spirally as at C₁ to increase its elasticity, so that it will
yield readily to lateral pressure; it is enlarged, midway between the ends, to form
a boss C which has a frictional driving-wheel D secured thereon, in a suitable
position and of suitable form to gear with the frictional surface A' aforesaid. E is
a shaft which passes through the tube C, and which is connected to the said tube
by pins E or keys, or otherwise. The tube C does not, except at its ends, fit the
shaft E, so that there is a clear annular space around the shaft, midway between
the ends of the tube. The tube C is so arranged in its bearings that normally it is
slightly sprung and consequently keeps the wheel D pressed into or against the
frictional surface A' aforesaid. F, Figures 1 and 3, is a worm-wheel fixed upon
the upper end of the shaft E. G is a horizontal shaft journalled in bearings B' on
the turn-table and on an extension therefrom; the same shaft carries at its inner
end a worm G¹ to gear with the worm-wheel F, and, at its outer end, is provided
with a hand-wheel G by which the shaft G and worm G¹ can be rotated.
H is a plate which encircles the tube C, and lies upon the wheel D, the said plate
having an oval or elongated hole at H' to permit the tube to pass therethrough.
H2 is a lug or projection, in which there a hole or socket. H* is a hooked
portion of the plate II arranged to embrace a portion of the periphery of the
frictional driving-wheel D, for a purpose hereinafter specified. I is a spindle
provided with a screw-threaded portion which works through a threaded plate or fixed
nut B³ arranged on the turn-table B; the end of the spindle I engages with the
projection H2 and can turn freely in the hole or socket therein; l' is a hand-wheel'
by which the spindle I can be rotated.
While in gear with the base A the wheel D can be rotated by turning the shaft G,
worm wheel F, and worm G¹, to operate the turn-table B by the action of its
periphery against the frictional surface A¹ of the flange A². By turning the
wheel the hook portion H³ of the plate can be caused to bind against the wheel D.
to prevent it from turning, and, as the wheel thus held would simultaneously be
pressed tightly against the frictional surface A' the turn-table B would be. held
stationary. By reversing the movement of the wheel 1, the spindle I and
plate H can be moved in such a direction as to withdraw the hooked portion of the
plate from engagement with the wheel D and force the tube to yield, by reason
of its elasticity, to move the wheel D out of engagement with the frictional
surface A
•
In Figures 5 and 6 1 illustrate an alternative construction wherein the hooked
portion of the plate H is omitted, and a series of anti-friction balls J is interposed
between the plate H and the tube C to facilitate the working of the apparatus.
As there is no clearance between the said plate and the tube, such as exists in the
hole at H' in Figure 4, the said tube will be immediately affected by a slight
movement of the wheel I¹. The tube, in this example, is slit or slotted

page_text: longitudinally to increase its elasticity but these slits can be dispensed with if the
tube be otherwise made sufficiently elastic.
As a modification of the adjusting device for moving the driving wheel D laterally
I construct in some cases the following apparatus
At the side of the shaft E most remote from the gun-platform or other part to
be driven, I arrange an eccentric on a short horizontal shaft provided with a handle
or lever, and in such a position relatively to the shaft that by turning the said
handle or lever in the proper direction the eccentric can be caused to press the tube
towards the frictional surface on the stationary base of the mounting, so that if the
driving wheel is not in gear with the said surface it will be forced into gear there-
with. On the opposite side of the said shaft I arrange another eccentric which
serves to force the said driving wheel back or out of gear with the platform.
Moreover these eccentrics or one of them can be caused to act as a brake to prevent
the rotation of the shaft.
I sometimes dispense with the aforesaid tube and place the driving friction-wheel
or pinion upon an elastic steel shaft in combination with which I arrange the
aforesaid plate, with or without the anti-friction balls or rollers, or the other
adjusting devices above described.
In certain cases I provide a convenient form of brake by constructing the plate H
with projections arranged to bear against a frictional surface in the stationary part
of the mounting or wheel or other part to be operated by the friction gear. Or
instead of forming such projections on the said plate they may be otherwise
arranged.
It is obvious that I can apply my invention in the same manner to a cone mounting
or to any other form of gun mounting wherein the upper part or top carriage turns
horizontally upon a fixed base or stand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. A frictional gear-wheel mounted on an elastic shaft or tube in combination with
means for bending the said shaft or tube, for the purposes specified.
2. An elastic tube carrying a frictional gear-wheel and mounted on a shaft
which passes through the same, substantially as hereinbefore described for the
purposes specified.
3. Frictional gearing in which a frictional gear-wheel mounted on an elastic shaft
or tube is, by the elastic pressure of said shaft or tube, held in contact with a
frictional surface, for the purposes specified.
4. The turn-table or platform of a gun-mounting having a frictional surface and
in combination therewith a friction gear-wheel mounted on an elastic shaft or tube
provided with means for bending it, substantially as set forth and for the purpose
specified.
5. The combination with the elastic shaft or tube, of apparatus for bending the
same and constructed and arranged to operate also as a brake and locking device,
substantially as hereinbefore described for the purposes specified.
6. Frictional gearing apparatus constructed, arranged, and operating substantially
as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings, for the
purposes specified.
1
J
1.1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.