Improvements in the Sighting of Ordnance.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in the Sighting of Ordnance.
We, Sir W. G. ARMSTRONG, WHITWORTH & COMPANY LIMITED, Manufacturing
Engineers, and ALBERT GEORGE HADCOCK, late R.A., both of Elswick Works,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
111
This invention relates to improvements in the sighting of ordnance whereby
the sight can always be aligned on the object irrespective of the elevation of the
gun and the gun subsequently given the correct elevation for the range of the
object.
.
For this purpose we employ preferably a curved bar on which is mounted the
rear sight, it is attached by a bar to its front or fore sight, the whole arrangement
pivotting about the centre line of the trunnions of the gun, or about the trunnions
of the frame in which the gun slides in recoiling, or about the centre line of
oscillation of the gun. The rear sight is so connected with the standing part of
the carriage that it can be elevated or depressed in relation to the carriage, the
gun being subsequently brought opposite the elevation mark on the curved bar
corresponding to the range of the object.
Arrangements are made whereby the sighting arrangement is clamped to the
carriage as stated above or can be clamped to the gun so that it may be used in
precisely the same manner as that ordinarily adopted.
Dated this 15th day of March 1898.
We, Sir W. G. ARMSTRONG, WHITWORTH & COMPANY, LIMITED Manufacturing
Engineers, and ALBERT GEORGE HADCOCK, late R.A., both of Elswick Works,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 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 improvements in the sighting of ordnance whereby
the sights can always be aligned en the object, irrespective of the elevation of the

page_text: gun, and the gun subsequently given the correct elevation for the range of the
object.
Figures 1 and 2 are side and 'rear elevations showing a gun fitted with the
improved sighting apparatus and mounted on a combined cradle and recoil press
on which it is free to slide when recoiling. The cradle a is provided with
trunnions a which revolve in bearings in a carriage b when the gun is elevated
or depressed. The sighting apparatus is attached to the carriage and therefore
does not recoil with the gun.
The front and rear sights c and d are mounted on a rocking bare which is
pivotted to the carriage at a point et on the same axial line as the trunnions of
the cradle. Fixed to the rocking bar e and forming part of it is an arc f of which
the centre is on the axis of the trunnions, the arc is graduated on its rear face
with a range scale and is also provided with teeth on its side with which a toothed
pinion g engages as shown to a larger scale in Figs. 3 and 4.
A hand wheel h is connected with the toothed pinion through a worm j and
worm wheel j. A carrier k is fixed to the carriage and carries the pivot of the
rocking bar e at its front end, also the hand wheel h, worm gear jj and toothed
pinion g at its rear end, it also forms a guide in which the arc slides.
The gunner by means of the hand wheel can raise or lower the arc until the
sights are aligned on the object aimed at, and this operation may be done without
moving the gun which may be loading the time that the sights are being aligned..
A pointer is attached to the cradle and moves with the gun when being elevated
or depressed, the pointer slides on the arc and the gun may be given the correct
elevation for any desired range by moving it until this pointer indicates the range
on the range scale.
Sometimes it may be desirable to disconnect the sights from the carriage and.
connect them to the gun so that they may be used in precisely the same manner
as that ordinarily adopted. Figures 3 and 4 are views to a larger scale showing
one method by which this may be done. The shaft of the worm is free to slide
axially to a small extent in the worm ; and this shaft is mounted in a bearing m,
which is hinged at a point m¹.. By withdrawing the shaft until its end is clear
of its bearing, the worm can be turned away clear of the teeth of the worm wheel
and retained in this position by the shaft engaging in another bearing m³. The
sights are thus free from the carriage and are clamped to the pointer at any
required point on the range scale by means of the clamp bolt n, and clamp
handle n', and thus, move with the gun when elevating, and are aligned on the
object aimed at by raising or lowering the gun.
This sight may also be attached to a gun or carriage without a recoil cylinder,
or to a gun carriage which recoils on a platform or slide in which cases the sights
recoil with the gun or carriage.
Figure 5 is side elevation showing a modification in which the sights are
shown fitted to a mounting which allows the gun in recoiling to disappear below
a parapet where it may be loaded and manipulated under cover. The sights do
not recoil with the gun and may be aligned on the object aimed at during the
time that the gun is being loaded below.
The sighting apparatus is fixed on a pillar in any convenient position on the
mounting and may be just high enough to allow the sight line to clear the top
of the parapet. The rocking bar e which carries the sights is not fixed to the
range scale f in this case but is connected with it by means of a rod f¹ so that
any movement of the rocking bar raises or lowers the the range scale. The
pointer which indicates the required range on the scale is connected to the
elevator rods P which elevate or depress the breech of the gun. In the arrange-
ment shown in the drawing the range scale moves in the same guides as the
elevating arc of the mounting.
If in any arrangement one of the sights were at the pivot of the other it might
obviously be fixed. Again the scale might be carried by the gun and the pointer
by the sight.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The sights and the range scale affixed to a rocking bar pivotting at the axis
of the trunnions of the gun or of the gun cradle or the centre line of oscillation of
the gun.
2. The combination of a pivotted sight or sights free to move independently
of the gun, a range scale moving with the sight or gun and a pointer moving with
the gun or sight.
3. Apparatus for sighting ordnance substantially as described and illustrated
in the drawings.
SIR W. G. ARMSTRONG, WHITWORTH & Co., LIMITED,
A. NOBLE,
Director,
T. M. FALKNER,
Secretary.
A. G. HADCOCK.