Improvements in Ammunition Hoists for Turret or Barbette Guns.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ammunition Hoists for Turret or Barbette Guns.
We, ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, of Vickers, Sons & Maxim Limited, of
28, Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of London, Superintendent of
Ordnance Works, and JAMES HORNE, of Vickers, Sons & Maxim Limited, of
Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a construction of ammunition hoists for turret or
barbette guns, such that the explosive charges alone or these along with the
projectiles are raised from the magazine and delivered in the turret or barbette
alternately on each side of a single gun or alternately to two guns mounted side
by side.
For this purpose a pair of endless chains passing round sprocket wheels below
and above are caused to travel continuously by an electric or hydraulic motor,
or it may be by hand gear, up and down a lift shaft which revolves with the
turret. To these chains are attached at suitable intervals projecting curved
blades constituting trays or holders, which at the bottom of the shaft receive the
charges, either explosive charges alone or these along with projectiles, and
carry them up to the top of the shaft. In the upper part of the shaft at the side
of the main chains above described, are another pair of chains carrying blades
constituting a single tray or holder which on the ascending side project into the
path of the trays or holders ascending with the main chain, but between their
blades.
The speed of the secondary chains exceeds that of the main chains so that as
every other charge is reaching the upper part of the shaft the tray or holder
of the secondary chains passes under and overtakes and passes through the holder
on the main chains and lifts the charge from it. Thus the elevated charges are
alternately turned over the sprocket wheels on the one side and over the wheels
on the other side and delivered on to slopes down which they run into positions
convenient for being raised to the gun or guns.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Ammunition Hoists for Turret or Barbette Guns.
We, ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, of Vickers, Sons & Maxim Limited, of
28, Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County of London, Superintendent of
[Price 8d.]

page_text: Ordnance Works, and JAMES HORNE, of Vickers, Sons & Maxim Limited, of
Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of Lancaster, 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 a construction of ammunition hoists for turret or
barbette guns such that the explosive charges alone or these along with the
projectiles are raised from the magazine and delivered in the turret or barbette
alternately on each side of a single gun or alternately to two guns mounted side
by side, as we shall describe referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 is a plan and Fig. 3 is a transverse
section of a turret with a pair of guns mounted side by side therein with
apparatus according to our invention, for supplying the guns with ammunition.
Fig. is a plan of the lower part of the ammunition hoist,
For supplying projectiles, a number of these are laid on a carrier which
has wheels revolving on a circular rail .. The carrier has internal teeth gearing
with a pinion y on an upright shaft worked by winch handles and worm gear 2:
Successive projectiles can thus be brought round to an opening through the gun
platform to he raised by a suitable crane and transferred to a suitable loading
tray, but to this we make no claim.
The charges of explosive which are stored in the magazine below, are brought
up to the turret through a hoist shaft 1 which revolves with the turret. In the
lower part of this shaft are mounted a pair of sprocket wheels 2, worked by hand
winches 3 or an electric motor 9. Round these wheels and round another pair
of sprocket wheels 4 at the top of the shaft, pass a pair of chains 5 having
curved projecting arms 6, each adapted to carry two half explosive charges.
Some of the charges loaded on these arms are delivered in the turret in a
position whence they can be lifted by hand to charge the gun. Besides the main
chains 5, and their sprocket wheels, a subsidiary pair 7, with sprocket wheels
are mounted at the top of the shaft, these chains having curved projecting
blades 8 arranged to pass through the intervals between the blades 6 of the
main chains. By causing the subsidiary chains 7 to travel faster than the main
chains 5, the blades 8 lift some of the charges from the blades 6 and deliver
them on the one hand while the blades 6 of the main chains deliver others of the
charges on the other hand.
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:-
In combination with a revolving gun turret or barbette a hoist shaft attached
to and revolving with it, and having mounted in it sprocket wheels and endless
chains extending from top to bottom of the shaft and sprocket wheels and short
chains in the upper part of the shaft, both sets of chains having curved pro-
jecting blades adapted to carry charges of explosive from the magazine below
and deliver them in the turret or barbette above, some on the one hand and
some on the 'other hand, substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of March 1900.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.