Improvements in or relating to Guns and Gun Mo
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1897-Accepted, 18th Sept., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Guns and Gun Mo
KONRAD HAUSSNER, of Zella, St. Blasii, Thüringen, in the Empire of
Germany, 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:―
This invention relates to improvements in ordnance and has for its object to
prevent the recoil of the gun carriage, the parts liable to injury being protected
and to enable the spring required for moving the gun forward after the recoil to
be easily introduced and compressed.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of the gun carriage with tubular brake.
Figure 1 a cross section of the front part of the gun barrel.
Figure 2 is a plan of the carriage.
Figure 2 shows the connecting piece M°.
Figure 3 is a cross section through the ring a Fig. 1.
Figure 3 a cross section of the part E of the gun carriage.
Figure 3 is a cross section similar to that in Fig. 3 the flanges e and the part E
being omitted.
Figure 4 is a cross section of Fig. 1 through the part R and the rear armour f¹.
Figure 5 is a cross section of Fig. 1 through the part R the rear portion of the
support E and the trail G.
Figure 6 is a side-elevation of the spade shown in Fig. 1.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the tension device after the introduction
of the springs F1 F2.
Figure 7 is a rear view of Figure 7.
Figure 7 is a cross section of Figure 7 through the ring a.
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation of the shaft and parts of the tension device.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the tension device illustrating the intro-
duction of the springs, on a larger scale than that of Figures 7 and 8.
Figure 9 rear elevation of Figure 9.
To stop the recoil of the gun barrel A any tubular brake may be used. In the
accompanying drawings is shown, by way of example, a hydraulic brake con-
sisting of a brake cylinder B and piston having a piston rod D.
The brake cylinder B is connected with the barrel A by means of rings a and b,
said cylinder being firmly screwed into or secured to the lower projection ¹ of the
ring a and loosely mounted in the projection 6' of the ring b (Figures 1 and 3").
[Price 8d.1

page_text: When the gun is fired the barrel A slides back in a support E (Figures 1, 3, 34).
This support is of a special shape is made preferably of a single piece of metal and
is of circular or oval tube like cross section with walls of uniform thickness
throughout and is provided with flanges e e directed inwards (Figures 3 3) or
it may be outwards, guide grooves (262 being made in the lower part a b' of the
rings a band engaging with said flanges (Fig. 3").
Owing to its shape the support E af very small cross section and weight affords
a most efficient protection to the brake cylinder B and its parts (piston. C and
piston rod D) (Figure 1) and also to the springs F 12 (Figure 7) surrounding said
cylinder, if such springs are employed, against the enemies fire and generally
prevent any foreign matter from entering, which protection is necessary if the
sliding path is to be kept in good order.
In order also to protect the flanges e e serving as guides and the recesses a² 2 of
the rings engaging with them the barrel A is provided on both sides with armour
constituted by bars or plates e³ e arranged outside the flanges e e said bars being
secured to projections a³ ³ on the rings a and b (Fig. 3). The armour f¹ (Fig. 1)
protects the surface of the slide and the rear-portion of the brake cylinder B, at
the top, the front plate f forming a protection for the front portion of the brake
cylinder B and at the same time serving for securing the piston rod D to the
support E.
The support E is connected to the axle M by means of a pivot p (Fig. 1) on
the support said pivot engaging in a corresponding recess ° (Fig. 1) of the axle M.
A nut prevents lateral movement, so that the support E can only turn about the
axis of p.
The trail G is connected to the axle M by means of a connecting piece M
(Figs. 2 and 2), whose cylindrical portion m° (Figs. 1 and 2^) is secured to the trail,
the bearings m¹ m² surrounding the axle M between the colars m m.
In order to advance the barrel A after the recoil of the gun has taken place
there is arranged in the trail G (Fig. 1) a spring F enclosed in the cylinder H
which is arranged centrally in the tubular trail G. At the rear end of the
spring F there is arranged a piston K connected by a wire-rope to the parts
which move back when the recoil takes place (for instance to the barrel A at kº)
(Fig. 1) and serving to act upon and compress the spring F.
The front cover or trail of the cylinder K affords an abutment for the forward
end of the spring F and the cylinder itself is prevented from moving by a pin h¹
or in other convenient manner (Fig. 1).
The use of a wire rope is of great technical importance for it is elastic and
weighs less than a chain or rack, etc., as the material is here subjected only to
tension and further, wire rope does not make any noise during firing or driving
and there is much less wear of parts than when other devices are used.
The spring mechanism (FHK) of the trail G to advance the barrel after the
recoil is protected by the trail G itself and as it is arranged concentrically with an
annular space (similarly to the recoil mechanism in the support E), the indenting
or blows that may be caused by the enemies shots will not affect the proper
working either of the spring mechanism or of the recoil mechanism.
So far this does not yet constitute a completely protected field piece; for this
purpose it is also necessary to arrange a device for directing the gun sideways and
in a vertical direction as well as a device when recoil brakes are used with springs
for advancing the gun barrel after the recoil and when the spring mechanism
is arranged horizontally round the brake cylinder B and inside the support E for
enabling said spring or springs to be easily inserted such as is shown in
Figs. 7-9.
The device for directing the gun in a horizontal direction must be made much
lighter than hitherto in order to compensate for the increase of weight in the
gun carriage according to the present invention caused by the armour as compared

page_text: To make
to gun carriages used hitherto and not having such protective armour.
said device lighter without affecting its strength it is constructed as follows:-
Instead of the hitherto used rigid connection of the rear part R and the central
axle M on which the support is caused to turn to either side about the pivot p
(Fig. 1) in the well known manner by means of a hand wheel r worm s° and tooth
rack z (Figs. 1, 2, 4) in the present invention said rear part R and the central
axle M are connected by jointed or hinged struts S S which are secured at s s
(Figs. 1 and 2) to the fixed part R and at s¹s towards the ends of the axle.
these struts are only subject to tension and pressure, they do not require to be
made very heavy are easily interchangeable and at the same time prevent the
axle from becoming bent.
As
In consequence of the spring being arranged in the trail G the regulating screw
flaying the gun in a vertical direction cannot pass through the cylinders G and H
said screw is therefore arranged on one side of the trail (Fig. 5). The inner screw
is provided with an arm T for supporting the part R centrally said arm engaging
with a slide block on the under side of the part R.
The trail G may be provided with a späde extension having points n¹ n¹
(Figs. 1, 2 and 6).
Owing to the jointed arrangement of the horizontal aiming device such an
arrangement is advantageous if the screw is broken by pressure or strain. When
the support E is moved up or down by the vertical aiming. screw the pivot p causes
the axle M to participate in that movement (and the struts S.$ also participate
in this movement at the same time.
The axle itself turns in the bearings of the connecting piece M° and in the usual
wheel bearings.
Instead however of arranging the spring for advancing the gun A in the trail G
as shown in Fig. 1 with this arrangement of the recoil cylinder B the spring For
the springs FF can be arranged horizontally round the brake or recoil cylinder
inside the support E whereby the spring is also efficiently protected against
enemies fire and deformation (Fig. 7).
For this purpose the device shown in Figs. 7 to 9 is employed the chief part of
which is the detachable abutment L which is detachably connected with the
support E by bolts and the springs F F are inserted and compressed by a device
consisting of a screw threaded rod S* a screwed nut S* thereon, and support
block S* The rod or spindle S* is screwed with its end s* (Fig. 8) into the screw
threaded recess *1 (Fig. 7) in the rear cover or end of the cylinder B on the
support for the purpose of introducing the springs. The springs F1 F2 having
been pushed over the brake cylinder down to the ring a and the abutment L and
the part S* and turning nut S*1 placed on the spindie S* the abutment L is
caused to advance by turning the nut S*! whereby the spring is compressed until
the bolts on the support E pass through the holes of the abutment so that the
abutment can be firmly secured to the support E by nuts (Fig. 9). The springs
may be removed by a reverse operation.
In order to enable the gun carriage to be adapted for quick firing it must be
prevented from jumping side ways, otherwise the horizontal aiming device would
be insufficient for pointing the gun after a few shots. To ensure this the wheels
must not be allowed to rise from the ground. Although the gun carriage shown
owing to its peculiar construction jumps very little even on ground sloping back
very much still even this small amount of movement would render the side aiming
device insufficient after continued quick firing without the use of a pointing pole.
To obviate this drawback a device is arranged at the front end of the barrel A
(Fig. 1 and 1^). It consists of an extension of the barrel provided with slots u
the total area of which is preferably greater than the area of the bore of the exten-
sion of the barrel said extension being provided with a short tuber projecting
upwards in a backward direction.
By means of this device the greater part of the gases is forced to escape back-
wards at the top of the band and owing to this reaction the recoil and rising of the

page_text: nozzle is diminished to such an extent that the average pressure on the brake
produced is not sufficient to lift the wheels.
The angle of inclination of the tube if such as to prevent the gases from
reaching the men using the gun whatever be the elevation of the gun.
The extension or the whole device can be arranged so that it can be detached
and replaced like a bayonet, which is of importance for transport purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a gun mounting a slide support such as E formed from one piece of metal
having flanges engaging with guides or recesses connected to gun barrel A which
support contains the brake cylinder B and if desired the spring or springs surround-
ing the latter and serving to advance the barrel a space being left between the
support and the parts therein so that the support itself forms a protective shell
for the brake and its accessories substantially as described.
2. A gun mounting in which the sliding path for the gun barrel is protected by
plates (such as e³ ³ f¹) connected to the barrel and covering the slide path intervals
being left if desired between the plates and the parts to be protected so as to
prevent indentations of the plates from affecting the mobility of the sliding parts
substantially as described.
3. In a gun mounting a wire rope and spring or springs for the purpose of
advancing the barrel after the recoil has taken place the spring being arranged
inside the hollow trail G and operated by means of the wire rope k passing over
guide pulleys and connected with the gun and brake cylinder substantially as
described.
4. A construction of the device set forth in Claim 3 in which the spring is
arranged in a separate cylinder H placed concentrically in the hollow trail G
an annular space being left between the two so that increased protection against
damage is attained and indentations of the trail G will not affect the working of
the spring substantially as described.
5. A lateral aiming device for gun carriages comprising a rear part R adjust-
able in a guide of the support E and connected with the ends of the axle M by
jented struts S S connected to the axle substantially as described.
6. A. vertical aiming device for guns having a hollow trail containing the spring
accumulator or the like comprising a regulating screw arranged in a lateral pro-
jection on the trail and connected with the part R by a slide t pivotted on its lateral
arm T so that in spite of the screw being arranged laterally it engages with the
centre of the part R substantially as described.
7. In a gun mounting the arrangement of an easily detachable abutment L on the
support E containing a recoil cylinder as B surrounded by spring or springs F1 F2
for the purpose of advancing the barrel after the recoil has taken place the cylin-
der being secured at one end to the barrel A at a and the cylinder itself sliding in
a bracket or cover of the support as L whereby the spring enclosing the brake
nder becomes compressed substantially as described.
8. In an arrangement such as set forth in claim 7 a device characterised by the
spring or springs on a screw threaded spindle being compressed by a nut as S*,
screwed forward on said spindle temporarily screwed into the rear end of the
cylinder the spring being maintained compressed by a plate as L secured to the
casing E said plates acting as guide to the brake cylinder and an abutment to the
spring substantially as described.
9. In a gun an extension of the barrel as provided with slots as u of a larger
total area than that of the bore of the barrel extension in combination with a
casing as to provided with a short tube projecting upwards and backwardly
for the purpose of preventing the wheels from being lifted off the ground when the
gun is discharged substantially as described.

page_text: 10. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete gun
mounting and recoil apparatus, substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 or in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Th
1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.