Improvements in or relating to Automatic Ordnances of Large Calibre.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897.
тог
Improvements in or relating to Automatic Ordnances of Large
Calibre.
I, CONSTANTIN VON HANNEKEN, of Kurfürstendamm 136 Berlin in the Empire
of Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a method of serving guns having a large diameter of
bore entirely automatically. The great weight of each cartridge and the large
quantity of the explosive matter contained therein, require that, contrary to the
hitherto known methods of serving ordnance automatically which is applicable only for
guns having
a small calibre, the gun of large calibre is entirely in its position of
rest during the loading operation. In operating according to this main condition I
proceed in such a manner that the gun by its recoil compresses two accumulators,
which can afterwards only give out the stored energy quite independently of each
other, in order to separate completely as regards time the charging operation of the
gun when at rest, from the operation for returning the gun into that position
(firing position) from which the compression of the accumulators commenced. For
compressing the accumulators always the same extent of recoil is necessary. But
as the recoil power produced differs, according to the elevation of the gun, only a
part of the recoil which is less than the minimum, is employed for compressing the
accumulators, while the excess of the recoil power is taken up by a buffer brake which
in giving out the absorbed power, serves to advance the gun into an exactly determined
position (loading position), in which it is locked, for being loaded by ineans of the
mechanism provided for this purpose.
This loading process is carried out in such a manner, that, after the gun has
noved into its loading position a suitable disengaging device brings the first of the
two accumulators compressed by the recoil of the gun (loading accumulator) into
action, whereby a loading mechanism, supported independently of the running in and
recoil motion of the gun, is actuated for transporting the cartridge situated ready for
use in an independent ammunition-magazine, from the latter into the cartridge
chamber of the gun. After this loading operation has been finished, the second
accumulator (accumulator returning the gun to battery) is put in action by means of
a second disengaging device, moving the ordnance into the firing position, where it is
discharged either automatically or by hand; the resulting recoil being made to compress
the two accumulators anew, for repeating the above mentioned automatic loading
operation. The other operations which are still to be carried out, such as the
pening and closing of the breech mechanism, the preparation, ready for use, of a
fresh cartridge in the ammunition-magazine, and the disengaging or engaging of the
stop mechanisms for the gun are carried out directly by the recoil and running-in
motion respectively of the gun to battery.
The described method is advantageously put in operation simultaneously in two guns
coupled together in such a manner, that each carries only one accumulator, these
having such a reciprocal action relatively to each other, that the return action of one

page_text: of them effects the return of its own gun to battery and, at the same time, effects the
loading of the other gun, and conversely....
Thus the discharged gun No. I compresses its accumulator by the recoil and entering
into its fixed loading position it disengages the compressed accumulator of the charged
ordnance No. II. The latter returns the gun II into the firing position and actuates
at the same time the loading mechanism of the gun I. If then gun II is discharged,
it compresses by its recoil its accumulator, and in entering into its rest position it
disengages the accumulator of the gun I, moving the latter into the firing position
and effecting the charging of gun II. In this manner the single accumulators of
twin-guns act relatively to each other in the same way as explained with respect to the
two accumulators of the single gun.
The Figs. 1 to 35 of the accompanying drawings shew the construction of the
above mentioned apparatus as applied to twin guns while the Figs. 36 to 39 illustrate
the arrangement for a single gun as far as its construction differs essentially from the
forner. The designation of the several figures will be given at the corresponding
places in the following description.
The mounting of the automatic twin-gun, which will be first fully described, is
carried out in such a manner, that a common substructure of known construction
according to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, with grappled foundation
plate, are of traversing platform C¹, roller crown, spur-gear C2, platform, roller
rail and cogged racer training-gear (not represented), carries the whole arrangement.
The two lower gun carriages stand firmly upon the platform, and each of them
carries at the front end an accumulator casing, the hydropneumatic buffer belonging
thereto, and also the stop mechanism for the rest position of the gun; at the rear
part it carries the journal bearing of the ammunition-magazine and the standards
with the guide for the whole loading device, and above, upon the fore part, the
guide rails for the upper gun carriage.
In the accumulator casing is lodged the spring accumulator and upon the casing
are the brakes serving to control the return of the gun to battery, hereinafter briefly
termed "return-brakes." The upper gun carriages sliding upon the lower carriages
are firmly coupled to their spring accumulators and to their return-brakes, they carry
pressure levers for actuating the locking pawls and the loading mechanism of the
neighbouring gun, and upon the trail furnished with conical slide rollers is the
discharging box. Behind, upon the rear part of the stationary lower carriage there is
carried by peculiarly arranged shaft a rotatable ammunition drum with reaction-
springs constituting one arrangement of the cartridge supply. The upper gun
carriages support the two guns with the vertical wedge closure and closure slides; the
guns are also connected by arms with the pointing devices secured to the accumulator
casings, the said pointing devices of the two guns being actuated by a common
crank.
The most important details of the Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings
shewing the whole arrangement of the twin gun in plan view and in longitudinal
section and those of the Figures 3-6 representing respectively a longitudinally section,
plan view and cross section of the gun carriages and accumulator casing etc. are
drawn separately in the Figs. 7-30 for facilitating the understanding of the
construction; these details will always be mentioned at the corresponding place.
Each lower gun-carriage consists of a strong frame C open at top and set off at its
rear part, which, below, is rigidly connected to the platform and carries above upon
the edges of the fore part of the longitudinal walls the rails for the upper gun-
carriage. On the inner longitudinal sides are arranged, as shewn in Fig. 18, the
guides C³ for the accumulator casing to be inserted in an adjustable manner in the

page_text: lower gun carriage. The rear lower end of the frame carries (in the first construction
of the cartridge supply) upon brackets the journal bearings of the ammunition drum
belonging to each gun carriage, also the standards St necessary for guiding in a
straight line the rammer of the loader, and imbedded therein the transverse shaft w,
carrying the moveable parts of the loading device. In the raised part of the lower
gun carriage there is arranged, across to the axis of the gun the shaft w carrying the
pawls sp for the upper carriage, arranged within the frame. At their facing ends,
the shafts of the pawls are lengthened beyond the gun carriage sides and each carries
a tappet t; (see plan view 19) by means of which each pawl shaft is actuated from
the neighbour-gun in the manner hereinafter described.
The accumulator casings imbedded in the lower gun carriages consist each of two
strong cheeks made of sheet metal A A firmly embracing at the rear the tube a of
the spring accumulator. The cheeks and tube are guided in the guides C" of the
lower carriage by means of slide-blocks a'. The cheeks of sheet metal also carry on
the outside of their fore part the guide and the casing of the pointing device R
(Fig. 2) of the guns, and nearly at their middle, the trunnions Z° carrying the curved
bar of the breech closure.
The accumulator tube contains a system of Belleville springs g carried by the rod h
screwed, on one hand, into the bottom of the accumulator-tube and guided on the
other hand in a bearing i on the front walls of the lower carriages. The length of
bore of the accumulator-tube a is equal to the length of the compressed spring
systein. The accumulator-tube terminates with a piston guided in the cylinder of
the hydropneumatic buffer B acting as a power accumulating brake for the surplus
of the recoil power. This buffer, arranged within the lower carriage, is firmly
connected with the platform and is of ordinary construction.
The front wall of the accumulator-casing is formed by a fluid-receiver c, from which
are fed the hydraulic brakes serving as return-brakes b for the upper gun carriage.
The hydraulic brakes are supported by the accumulator casing. These brakes consist of
two cylinders b furnished with plunger-pistons and connected with each other in the
fluid receiver by a cross-tube d provided at its centre with the starting valve e. This
valve opens automatically on the suction stroke of the plunger-pistons for filling the
cylinders, but it is closed at once when pressure is exerted and can then only be
actuated again from without by means of mechanical or electrical devices, for the
purpose of returning the guns to battery. The transmission of the movement is
effected by coupling the rear ends of the pistons b' to the upper gun carriages, as
shewn at Fig. 3.
THE UPPER GUN CARRIAGES.
T
The upper gun carriages D consist, like the usual upper gun carriages of heavy
ordnance, of two side cheeks with transom connection. They slide in a horizontal
direction upon the rails of the lower gun carriages and, in order to insure an effectual
guiding they lap over on both longitudinal sides by means of the guide-rails rivetted
thereto and containing loose guide rollers l', the rails hooking over the upper
projecting edge of the cheeks of the lower carriages. The fore transom D is formed
in cross section (Figure 3) in its upper part in shape of a triangle, provided at the
fore and rear parts with downward directed parts, the front one of which, O, extends
down into the interior of the lower gun carriage, fitting over the rod h and in front
of the spring system g, while the rear one 01 passes over the rear ends of the brake
pistons b₁.

page_text: On the sides facing each other of the two upper gun-carriages, the guide rail of
the right upper gun carriage (gun II) carries on its lower edge, and the guide rail
of the left upper gun carriage (gun I) on the upper edge, the projecting pressure-
arms and p respectively, the length of which corresponds to the distance of the
two lower gun carriages from each other. These pressure-arms are each firmly
connected to a rod v2 Figure 2 leading to the loading device, and they have moreover
for their purpose to actuate at the recoil of the upper gun carriages, the tappets t
and consequently the pawls sp for locking the gun.
The cheeks of the gun carriages are lengthened rearwards like a tail. There is
arranged on this tail upon a suitable frame, the discharging box E (Fig. 8).
This is a box-like piece having approximately the length of a cartridge and its inner
dimensions correspond to the diameter of the cartridge base. A tongue z made of
sheet metal is fastened in a moveable manner to the rear upper and lower edge of the
box (Figs. 8 and 9) according as the empty cartridge is to be evacuated upwards or
downwards. On the tail of the gun carriage a transom D2 Fig. 3 having a square
cross section forms the connection between the two cheeks of the gun carriage. This
transom is arranged in such a nanner that it bears with its sharp fore edge against the
pawls sp when the latter are in their raised, i.e. locking position.
There is provided in the transom a recess Figs. 1 and 2, corresponding to the axle
bearing of the ammunition drum; at both sides of this recess two small conical
rollers Fig. 2 are arranged, which at the final movement of the recoil of the upper
gun carriage press against the nave of the ammunition-drum. Two arrangements for
loading the gun and for storing up the cartridges are hereinafter indicated, the second
of which will be described later on.
In the arrangement to be first described there are provided upon the rear lower
platform of the two lower gun carriages axle bearings in the prolonged vertical plan of
the middle axis of each upper gun carriage for supporting special ammunition drums.
The drums M, the length of which corresponds to the length of the cartridges, carry
on their periphery the cases m for receiving the cartridges. These cases are split in
the longitudinal direction for allowing the loader arm u to penetrate therein from
above at the loading motion.
The height of the shaft of the drum is calculated in such a manner, that the axis of
the upper shell m and of the cartridge m¹ Fig. 8 lying therein is a little lower than the
axis of the bore of the gun, when the latter is in its loading position.
This has for its object to compensate, in conveying the cartridge from the drum
into the discharging box and thence into the bore of the gun for the difference between
the radius of the projectile and of the base of the cartridge. The position of the
cartridges within the cases is assured by trisecting locking and centring-rings, Fig. 7
which, when the cartridge leaves the case, spring off freely.
The ammunition drum is adjustable upon its shaft, which is prevented from rotating
by means of a locking pin in its rear bearing. At the end of the recoil motion of the
gun a slight shock is imparted to the drums by means of the conical rollers 70 Fig. 2
arranged in the tail of the upper gun carriage. Behind the drums between the latter
and the rear axle bearing, a spring n is provided. By the action of this spring the
drum is moved forward into its original position after the upper gun carriage having
entirely completed its recoil, has been returned into its loading position. The shaft of
the drum is provided with a system of grooves, Figs. 14 and 17; this system of
grooves is constructed in the manner of self acting railway switches and for assuring a
sure guiding there are provided on the traversing points from one groove to the other
small, stop springs f, see Fig. 17.
The number of grooves corresponds to the number of cases arranged on the periphery
of the drum. In the nave of the drum there are provided pins sliding in the grooves
The groove system is such that on the return motion of the drum, the pins run in the

page_text: straight grooves, while on the forward motion they pass into the oblique grooves
thereby causing the drum to revolve through a division.
To allow of a quick revolution of the drum when charging the latter, the above
mentioned locking pin of the shaft is removeable. The platform of the lower gun
carriage carries at both sides of the drum the supports of the loading device.
On the supports St mounted on the lower gun carriage, beside the ammunition-drum
there are arranged parallel to the lengthened axis of the hore, above the ammunition
drums, U shaped guide rails st. In the grooves facing each other of these rails slide
the guide-pieces q¹ provided with small rollers in order to reduce the friction. The
two guide-pieces are connected with each other by means of a transverse rail q, provided
with a loading arm u projecting in an oblique direction downwards and carrying in the
direction of the axis of the cartridge case, the loading piston u¹.
are
The two loading levers P, working against the two ends of the transverse rail
firmly secured to the shaft w crossing the lower gun carriage, so that the two levers
are obliged to make the same movements. They are provided on their upper ends
with a long slot, wherein is guided the transverse rail g by means of the guide
pieces q also provided with small rollers in order to reduce the friction.
The loading levers are lengthened downwards beyond their axis of revolution by an
angular piece carrying a weight w³.
The lever situated towards the neighbouring gun is connected by a horizontal rod v²
and the pressure arm p with the upper carriage of the neighbouring gun. This
connection is not a rigid one, but by means of a disengaging device it can be
disengaged in such a manner, that the loading mechanism of the gun to be loaded is
uncoupled by the movement of the neighbouring gun shortly before the latter has
finished its return to battery, and is brought anew under the control of the said gun,
when the recoil of the fired gun is finished.
For this purpose the loading lever is provided with an adjustable edge v on which
acts, by means of a second disengageable edge the horizontal rol v². The edge v is
adjusted in such a manner, that the disengagement takes place exactly at the
moment, where the cartridge m¹ is introduced by the piston completely into the
cartridge chamber.
THE TWO Guns.
Figs 1, 2, 10 to 12.
As usual the guns are supported in the trunnion boxes of the upper gun-carriage.
They differ from any other gun only by a trunnion ring 1 eing pushed on the chase
of the gun for the poiuting arms of the contrivance for elevating guns, and by the
pivot for the closure bars on the rear upper edge of the breech. The closure is a
vertical wedge closure, and, as usual for rapid fire guns, it is provided with selfacting
cocking, extractor and selfacting trigger contrivance. The opening and closing of
the breech is effected by the fact, that the position of the gun with respect to the
accumulator casing when in the firing position is different from that in the loading
position, and these operations are effected either by a curved rail (Figs. 10 and 11)
or by radial guide rails, Fig. 12.
Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings shew diagrammatically the arrangement of the
curved rail.
The breech closure is raised or lowered in the vertical direction by two bent
levers 28, 29, 30 at both sides of the breech.
The axis of revolution of these bent levers is at 28 in the side wall of the breech
of the gun. The lever arms 29, 28 engage with their pivots at 29 into a
corresponding groove on both sides of the closure.
The other lever arms 30 terminate in pivots at 32 projecting on both sides below

page_text: the breech of the gun. When the closure is closed, that is to say, in the firing
position, this pivot is at 30 and it corresponds, in its position on the lower edge of the
breech, to the pivot 33 on the upper edge of the breech.
Round these two points there is described with the distance of the latter from the
centre of the trunnion an arc of a circle which is lengthened downward to the
pivot 34 on the accumulator case.
Corresponding to this are of a circle two strong steel rails a are fastened to the
pivot 34 on both sides of the accumulator casing, so as to pivot thereon. By means
of longitudinal grooves arranged on the inner sides of these rails, the latter engage
with the pivots 30 and 33. At the recoil of the gun from the firing position to the
loading position the position of the curved rail changes, as the pivot 33 fastened to
the gun moves hackward, while the pivot 34 fastened to the accumulator casing
remains at first stationary. The curved rail has therefore the position of 33, 32, 34.
The lever arm 28 30 is moved to 28, 32 and the arm 28, 29 attacking the closure
wedge moves into the position of 28, 31, whereby the closure wedge is raised through
the angle 29, 28, 31. The accumulator casing participates in the remainder of the
recoil taken up by the buffer, so that no further displacement of the pivots 33 and 34"
relatively to each other, will take place. The closure is closed in the same manner
at the return the gun battery. The second construction of a self-acting breech-
closure-mechanism is shown in Fig. 12. At both sides of the breech piece there are
fixed horizontal guide rails 35; in these rails 35 slide two cheeks 36. These cheeks
are connected by cross heads 37 running in the guide rails and to which are secured
radial guide rods, with frames, secured at both sides, outside the upper gun carriage,
upon the accumulator casing. For this purpose corresponding horizontal slots are
arranged in the ride walls of the lower gun carriage.
These frames are provided on the points corresponding to the position of the
trunnions in the firing position of the gun, with two small trunnion-holes 38 wherein
rotate the radial rods having corresponding trannions. On the inner face of the
cheeks oblique grooves 39 are arranged, into which engage lateral pins of the closure.
At the recoil of the gun the cheeks are stationary. Owing to the displacement of
the breech between the cheeks, the lateral pins of the closure are raised within the
grooves 39 thereby on the recoil the closure wedge is raised. No alteration in the
above action is effected in either case by the vertical turning of the gun in assuming
at its return to battery, its elevation or depression as in the first case the curved rail
is bent according to the arc of the circle described by the breech and, in the second
case, the cheeks follow the arc-motion of the breech block owing to the radial rods
rotatable on their trunnions. In practice it is advantageous to construct the
lateral grooves on the closure in the first case, or the grooves in the cheeks in the
second case with a partial dead motion so that the opening of the breech closure only
begins at the last part of the recoil, while the closing is already finished, when the
gun is moved into the firing position. Also in both constructions the two are-rails
and the two cheeks respectively are connected with each other above the breech of
the gun, by means of a cross rail in order to increase their stability.
Two POINTING DEVICES HAVING A COMMON HAND WHEEL.
Figs. 1, 2, 28 to 30.
These contrivances are provided with a moveable toothed segment, a bar for the
toothed segment, and pointing arms, all these parts being of the same construction
as usual in the Armstrong disappearing guns. The guide bars of the toothed
segments are fixed by screws to both sides of the accumulator casing between these
bars move the toothed segments having projections for the pointing arms r, as shewn
in the drawing illustrating the accumulator easing. The toothed segments are
actuated by two corresponding driving wheels, the common shaft w of which passes
through the accumulator casing. The driving wheels lying on the sides of the gun
carriages facing each other, are coupled with bevil wheels the second shaft of which
carries a toothed wheel . Upon the main platform there are arranged opposite and
parallel to each other, two long toothed pinions with which gear the two adjustable

page_text: and carrying a man
Dy acting upon this wheer the
pointing apparatus of the two guns are actuated simultaneously.
WORKING OF THE PAWL MECHANISM.
Figs. 2 and 2, B, C, 18, 19.
Before I explain the manner of working of the twin guns it will be advisable to
shew in what manner the pawl mechanism of the two guns are alternately actuated.
The position of the tappets t on the pawl shafts w', with respect to the pawls
themselves, is such, that pawls and tappets of one gun carriage form levers of the
second kind, and those of the other gun carriage, levers of the first kind see
Figs. 2, 18, 19, so that by the descent of the elevated tappet on one gun the
elevated pawls are lowered, and on the other gun the lowered pawls are raised; and
inversely, by the raising of the tappet on one gun the pawls are raised too, and on
the other gun the pawls are lowered.
Figs. 2, 2 and 2 shew in diagram the positions of the pawls corresponding to the
different positions of the gun carriage.
Fig. 2 being a plan view and Fig. 2, a front elevation of Fig. 2. The play of
the pawls for the different positions, in starting from the firing position of the
gun No. I is as follows:
First position. Gun No. I has been fired, it recoils, its pressure arm p¹ lowers the
the pawi sp of the gun No. II from the locking position, it raises the pawl of gun I
into the locking position.
Second position. Gun I has been advanced again by the buffer action up to the
pawl and is caught by the latter (loading position); gun II is disengaged from the
pawls, and as hereinafter explained, it is retained only by the return brakes.
The position of the pawls is the same as in position I.
Third position. Gun I is still in the loading position, gun II has returned to the
firing position; the position of the pawls is the same as in position I.
Fourth position. Gun II has been fired, it recoils, its pressure arm p strikes down
the pawl sp of gun I, it raises the pawl of gun II into the locking position.
Fifth position. Gun II has been advanced again by the buffer up to the pawl
and is caught by the latter, (loading position). Gun I is free and it is retained only
by the brakes.
Sixth position. Gun II is still in the loading position, gun I in the firing
position.
Seventh position. The same as position I.
It will clearly be seen from the above, that the automatic movements must be
carried out with certainty in the indicated sequence.
WORKING.
The working of the twin guns is as follows:-
The two guns have been placed first by any suitable mechanical means into the
loading position, the brake cylinders have been filled and the hydropneumatic buffer
has been compressed by means of compressed air. The loading mechanism of gun I
has been put in activity either by means of tackles or the like, or the gun is charged
by hand and by opening the starting valve e of the return brakes it is moved into the
firing position, where, as hereinafter described, as first. automatic action, the closure
of the breech will take place, and at the same time the loading mechanism of the
second gun will be actuated.
If the first gun has moved into the firing position, the second gun is loaded having
its breech closure open, but it is caught by its pawls in the loading position.
In discharging the gun I, the upper gur carriage, owing to the recoil of the said
gun, will slide backwards upon the rails of the lower gun carriage. By the front lug o
of the upper gun carriage the spring system g of the accumulator will be compressed
to such an extent, that the lug of the upper gun carriage will lie against the mouth

page_text: of the accumulator tube. At the same time the two pistons b' of the recoil brake b
will be drawn out by the rear lug o' of the upper gun carriage, so that the cylinders
of the said brake will entirely be filled with liquid.
During this compression of the accumulator the gun itself has altered its position
towards the accumulator casing to an extent corresponding to the amount of coin-
pression of the accumulator, the pivot 2 on the upper edge of the breech of the
gun has therefore turned the closure rails & round the pivot z on the accumu-
lator casing through a certain portion of an arc of a circle. By this means the
position of the closure rail on the lower edge of the breech-block of the gun has
been altered to a corresponding portion of an are and the pivot of the bent lever
of the closure has been turned accordingly. By this turning of the bent lever
the closure has been raised and in consequence opened, when the compression of
the accumulator is completed.
The remainder of the recoil power, which as before stated is not entirely consumed
by the compression of the accumulator, is transmitted by the lug of the upper gun
carriage to the cylinder a of the accumulator and from the latter to the piston of
the hydropneumatic buffer B firmly connected with the cylinder of the accumulator
and it is forced into the cylinder of the buffer. During this motion the compressed
accumulator and the casing with the brake cylinder partake of the movement of the
upper gun carriage; a further movement of the closure does therefore not take
place.
In this last part of the recoil movement the pressure arm pl of the gun I passes
over the tappets of the pawl-shafts of the two guns, whereby the pawls of gun I are
raised into the locking position, while those of gun II are lowered, so that this gun
becomes free.
The pressure of the buffer-piston has compressed in the buffer the compressed air
contained in the brake cylinder, which after the recoil-power has been exhausted,
expands again, so that the buffer-piston, the accumulator casing and the upper gun
carriage are moved backward up to the point where the lug of the upper gun
carriage lies against the accumulator tube.
At this moment the cross-bar D2 of the cheeks of the upper gun carriage of gun I
bears with its sharp edges against the raised pawls. The gun held by the pawls, is
then in the loading position, but at the same time the brake cylinders are also filled
with liquid and cannot be emptied by the pressure of the pistons of the brake cylinder,
as the valve e of the connecting pipe d is closed. The upper gun carriage is there-
fore locked in the loading position in two ways, on the one hand by pawls and on the
other hand by hydraulic brakes, while the gun II is retained in the loading position
only by the hydraulic brake, as its pawls have been struck down from the locking
position by the pressure arm of gun I.
The last portion of the recoil movement of the gun is utilised in the first described
manner of loading the gun, for causing the ammunition drum to commence its rotary
motion.
For this purpose the length of the trail of the upper gun carriage is so calculated,
that it bears with the two conical rollers r° against the nave of the ammunition drum M,
when the lug 01 of the upper gun carriage lies against the mouth of the accumu-
lator tube a. At the further backward movement of the upper gun-carriage D which
now takes place, the drum is pushed backward on the shaft of the drum by the
pressure exerted by the trail of the gun carriage. The pins of the nave then slide in
the straight grooves of the shaft. The helical-spring n arranged between the rear
axle-bearing and the nave of the drum is compressed. When the piston of the buffer
cylinder and in consequence also the upper gun carriage again moves forward, the
drum under the action of the spring n will follow this forward movement, the pins of
the nave then run through the oblique grooves of the shaft and pass over into the
next following groove; the ammunition drum is thereby turned through one
division and a fresh projectile is brought into the direction of the extended axis of
the bore of the gun. The conical rollers arranged in the trail of the gun carriage
have for their purpose to reduce the friction between the nave and the trail.

page_text: During the whole backward motion of the upper gun carriage I, the rod connected
to the pressure arm of the said gun carriage and belonging to the loading mechanism
of the gun II has been pushed hackward. At the last portion of the recoil the edge
has passed over the edge v attached to the loading lever and is behind this edge.
In order to obtain this, the loading lever has been pressed down a little and it has
compressed by means of its bent arm a small buffer spring P arranged on the
platform (see Figure 2) and by the action of which it is returned again. When the
rod with the upper gun carriage is pulled forward again by the action of the buffer.
the edge v is brought under the control of the edge (see diagram in Fig. 16,
pos. 1).
The valve e of the cross tube of the hydraulic brake of gun II is now opened.
This can be effected either directly by means of a hand lever or by a suitable
electrical contrivance. After this valve has been opened the spring system of the
accumulator of gun II presses against the lug of the upper gun carriage and moves
the upper gun carriage forward according to the velocity of efflux of the liquid from
the brake cylinder into the liquid reservoir, until the spring system is entirely
relaxed. The relaxed spring system corresponds to the position of gun II in the
firing position.
During this forward movement the pressure arm of gun II has moved forward the
rod of the gun I belonging to the loading mechanism. This rod moves the loading
levers P forward by means of the edge connection, describing thereby a circular are.
This movement in a circular arc is converted into a straight movement of the
loading piston u¹, by the slides q2 sliding in the longitudinal grooves of the
loading levers and thereby causing the cross rail v guided in the guide rails at
to move forward.
The loading piston u attached to the cross rail u then presses against the base of
the cartridge and pushes the cartridge from the drum through the discharging box E
into the chainber of the gun. The length of the loading piston is such that it
corresponds exactly to the distance of the cartridge chamber up to the rear end face
of the gun. The stroke of the lever is such that the chord belonging to the arc of
the stroker corresponds to the length of the distance run through by the cartridge from
the ammunition drum into the bore of the gun.
When the cartridge has in this manner reached the chamber of the bore of the
gun (Fig. 16, pos. 2) the edge v' passes over the edge v, the upper gun carriage of
the gun II has then still to travel a very short distance, in consequence whereof the
loading lever of gun I is disengaged and returns, swing to its counterweight, into its
first position, the loading piston u then sliding back through the discharging box E
and the case m of the ammunition drums at present empty (see Fig. 16, pos. 3).
After this operation the gun II is in the firing position ready for being discharged while
gun I is in the loading position, having a cartridge in the chamber of the bore of the
gan and the breech-closure open. If the gun II is discharged automatically, by
hand, or by electricity, the recoil of the gun II takes place, whereby, as formerly in
gun I, the accumulator of the gun II is compressed, the brake-cylinders of gun II are
filled with liquid, the hydropneumatic buffer takes up the surplus of the recoil
power, the ammunition drum is pushed backward in a straight line, and the connection
between the rod of the lever of gun 1 and the loading lever of gun I is reestablished
(Fig. 16, pos. 4), also at the reaction-movement of the drum spring, simultaneously
with the reaction-movement of the buffer-piston, the ammunition drum is turned
through a division and finally the upper gun carriage of gun II is held fast by its
pawls in the loading position, after the reaction-movement of the buffer-piston has
heen completed such holding being effected by the passage of the pressure-arm of
gun II over the tappets of the pawls of the guns I and II, whereby the pawls of
gun II have been raised to the locking-position, and the pawls of gun 'I have
been lowered from such position.
By the lowering of the pawls of gun I the latter is ready for returning to battery
but is held fast by the brake device alone. If now by hand lever or by electricity the
valve e of the return-brakes of gun I is opened, gun I will return to battery, whereby

page_text: its breech closure is closed by the curved rail in the same manner as it was opened
by the recoil. In this manner the mutual serving of the two guns is effected until
the ammunition in the ammunition-drums is exhausted.
With respect to the pointing device I would remark, that by the hand wheel the
pointing devices of the two guns are adjusted simultaneously for the same angle of
elevation or depression, without producing an alteration of the loading position of
the gun. The gun occupies only the angle of elevation determined by the position
of the pointing are, when the gun enters into its firing position. By this means it
is still possible to correct the elevation during the loading as well as during the
return of the gun to battery and the recoil-moveinent.
For the pointing gunner of the twin guns it is therefore immaterial which gun is
about to fire, he can make his corrections at once according to the shot last observed,
as in a single gun, for causing the next shot to hit the object aimed at.
It is of course the same with the device for laying the gun for direction, which
device serves the two guns at the same time, as the two guns are mounted upon the
same platform.
At the termination of firing, both the guns will be in the loading position, having
both the breech closure opened, one gun having a cartridge in the bore, and the
other being without cartridge.
When firing ceases the cartridge in the gun is pushed back from the latter into
the case of the ammunition drum. For reopening firing it is only necessary to again
push forward the cartridge in the same manner, whereupon the beginning of the
automatic activity is dependent only on the opening of the respective valve.
The whole arrangement is surrounded by a track communicating with the
ammunition magazine. When the cartridges in the ammunition-drum are exhausted,
the latter is charged again from waggons specially constructed for this purpose.
Such a waggon is run on the track behind the drum, and the cartridges are arranged
upon the waggon in such a manner, that they can be introduced directly into the
lowermost case of the ammunition drum.
The locking key of the rear bearing of the drum-shaft is then withdrawn, so that
the shaft of the drum can rotate in its bearing and can be revolved in such a way,
that all the cases are moved successively into the lowest position.
The Figures 31-34 show twin guns having a modified loading mechanism and
feeding device for ammunition. The discharging box E necessary in the first
construction represented in the Figs. 8 and 9 is here dispensed with.
The illustration of this new arrangement has been utilised also for showing in
Fig. 31 another modified disposition of the accumulator, permitting a better
distribution of the space in the frame-box and in particular the shortening of the
large pressure lug D¹ of the upper gun carriage.
The parts of the hereinafter described mechanism corresponding to the parts acting
in a similar manner of the above explained loading device are marked with the same
letters of reference.
The accumulator A with the box B of the hydropneumatic buffer are rotatable on a
pair of trunnions arranged on the buffer; w and w° are the shafts (supported only at
one end in the inner walls of the frame box) of the two levers P and Po carrying,
moveable in links, a swinging cartridge plate M° connecting the said levers with
each other.
Below the plate there is arranged a rammer lever X suspended in a moveable
inanner on the end turned towards the gun. The rammer lever N carries on its other
end the link-piece N° connecting the lever N with the rammer-piston u. Below the
piston u¹ there is provided a small projection u Fig. 33 engaging with a longitudinal
groove 11 Fig. 34 in the cartridge trough M° and having a button 12 sliding in the

page_text: inwardly enlarged groove 11, which, on the pushing movement transmitted by the
link of the forward swinging rammer-lever N, causes the piston to move in a straight
line, that is to say, in the direction of the axis of the bore of the gun.
The shaft w° of each lever P (Fig. 32) passes through the frame box and it carries
in addition to the driving wheel 13 the inner driving wheel 14. These two wheels and also
the lever Po are firmly secured to the shaft. From the pressure arm of the other gun
a driving-rope 15 passes over the outer driving wheel 13 to which it is fastened, and
it actuates each pair of levers P and P, when the other gun returns into the firing
position. Another driving rope 16 (see Figs. 31, 34) passes from the cross-bar D² of
the upper gun carriage from below over the inner driving wheel 14 belonging thereto,
to which it is fastened, and when the gun returns into the firing position, it lowers
its pairs of levers together with the cartridge trough. When the other gun returns
to battery, this cartridge trough is raised, owing to the revolution of the outer driving
wheel 13, by the corresponding turning of the levers P and P. This movement is
transmitted to the rammer-lever N also firmly secured to its shaft, carrying firmly.
fixed thereto outside the frame-box a driving-wheel segment 18 connected likewise
by means of a driving rope 17 with the pressure arm of the other gun. The length
of this rope lis so calculated that it becomes tight only when the cartridge trough Mo
has raised the rammer lever N up to the height of the axis of the bore. The ratio
of the length of the lever to the radius of its driving segment is such that the lever,
when the driving segment rotates, moves through double the distance through which
the cartridge trough moves. Therefore while the latter continues its way up to the
rear face of the key-hole, the rammer-piston u pushes the cartridge from the trough
into the chamber of the gun. The return movement of the lever-arms P and N with
the cartridge trough M is produced by the driving-rope 16 revolving the driving-
wheel 14 in the opposite direction when the gun returns to its firing position.
The ammunition feeding device here consists as shown in the Figures 33 and 34,
of a frame of a railway-truck 1, driven on a railway track 2 up to the platform of the
gun, close to the cartridge trough. The frame carries a platform 3 inclined towards
the gun and bearing with its lower edge nearly against the lowered cartridge trough.
Upon this inclined plane the cartridges are arranged one beside the other in such
a manner, that the bases of the cartridges catch one behind the other, and for holding
them in a sure position, they are guided in grooves 4. The cartridges are conveyed
from the platform of the truck to the cartridge trough by a rolling action. To
prevent too rapid a motion a nose 5 is provided in front of the cartridge next to the
lower edge. This nose 5 is connected with an arm of a lever of the first kind 6
revolving on a horizontal shaft 7 supported in the frame of the truck. An extension 8
of this lever-arm extends horizontally beyond the frame of the waggon; it catches
underneath the cartridge trough and is supported by a spring 9 arranged on the
frame of the truck; the other lever arm carries a second nose 10 catching in front of
the second cartridge when this arm is in its raised position, see Fig. 33, on the left
side. The cartridge trough M° pressed down indirectly by the driving wheel 14
presses upon the extension 8 of the lever; it overcomes the pressure of the spring 9
and lowers the nose 5 of the lever arm, at the same time the other lever arm rises
and its nose 10 is placed in front of the second cartridge, while the disengaged first
cartridge rolls upon the cartridge plate. When the cartridge plate carrying the
cartridge rises for introducing the projectile into the chamber of the hore, the
lever-arm is pressed upward again by the spring 9, the nose 10 is lowered, while
the nose 5 is raised again and placed in front of the second cartridge which rolls
down into the place of the first cartridge.
The working in the twin gun is shown in diagram in Figure 35, position I to IV,
Figure 35, position I, shows the gun I in its loading position having the cartridge
in the bore, while gun II is in the firing position ready for being discharged. When
the gun is returned to battery, the pressure arm of gun II has rotated, by means of
the driving ropes, the driving wheels of gun I to such an extent, that the lever-
arms P and P have raised the cartridge trough M up to its position behind the
breech of the gun, and the lever-arm N has introduced the cartridge into the chamber

page_text: of the bore; by the movement of the lever-arms also, the driving wheel 14 of the
gun I has been rotated so far, that the rope 18 is stretched.
In position II the gun II has been fired and performed its recoil; the accumulator
is compressed, and the gun is held by the pawls in the loading position; its pressure
arm has struck down the pawls of gun I and drawn along backward the flat ropes 15
and 17 (preferably of steel) of the driving wheels 13 and 18 of gun 1 which lie
in a slack condition over the said wheels.
In position III the gun I is about to return to battery after its brake-valve has
been opened. The rope 16 attached to its upper gun carriage rotates the driving
wheel 15 in the direction indicated by the arrow, whereby the shaft of the rear
lever Po is turned and the cartridge trough with the rammer lever N are lowered.
The two outer driving wheels 13 and 18 partake of the movement of the
levers Pand N and the ropes 16 and 17 are rolled up again upon their driving
wheels.
By the pressure-arm of gun I the driving wheel 13 of gun II is rotated in the
direction indicated by the arrow, it thereby raises the cartridge trough M' and
consequently also the rammer-lever N. The rope 17 of the driving wheel 18
helonging to this lever is still in a slack condition, as its length is so calculated,
that the rope only becomes tight in the last part of the return-movement to
battery. In this final movement the two outer driving wheels are uniformly
rotated but as the rammer-lever N is considerably longer than the P P of the
cartridge trough, the stroke of the former will move the rammer-piston ul, and
consequently the cartridge from the trough into the chamber of the bore while the
trough continues its motion up to the front-face of the key-hole. By the movement
of the levers of gun II also, the driving wheel 14 of gun II is rotated in the
direction indicated by the arrow, that is to say, inversely as in gun I, whereby
the rope 16 belonging thereto is stretched again.
In position IV the return to battery of gun I is completed. By the pull of
the flat rope 16 attached to the upper gun carriage, the inner driving wheel has
been completely revolved backward, the cartridge trough M with the levers N
have been lowered, and by the pressure exerted against the lever-extension 8 of the
ammunition truck a fresh cartridge has been placed upon the trough, the outer
driving wheels have partaken of the motion of the levers and by this the rope 15 of the
driving wheel 13 has been drawn tight, while the driving rope 17 of the driving wheel 18
hangs down in a slack condition on account of the difference in length. The pressure-
arm of gun I has completely rotated the outer driving wheels of gun II by means of
the driving ropes 15 and 17, whereby the loading has been effected and the driving
wheel 14 has been rotated to such an extent that the rope 16 attached to the upper
gun carriage is stretched. The gun I is now in the position of gun II shown in
Figure 36 and gun II is in the position of gun I of the same figure. By discharging
gun I both guns will perform the same operations relatively to each other, in the
inverse manner to that above described.
THE SINGLE GUN.
Figures 36 to 39.
The single gun is provided with two accumulators A A' in lieu of one. (see
Figures 38, 38). The loading accumulator A¹ is arranged below the return-
accumulator A in the same casing. The accumulator A is constructed and acts in
the same manner as that of the twin guns, the accumulator A¹ is compressed at the
same time as the accumulator A, but it is relaxed independently of the latter, whereby
a direct action on the loading levers takes place.
Figure 36 shows the working of the two accumulators diagramatically.
First position: The gun has returned to battery; the two accumulators are under
the direct influence of the motion of the upper gun carriage.
Second position: The gun has been fired and has recoiled, the two accumulators
are compressed by the recoil.
Third position: The loading accumulator has been relaxed, the gun is loaded and
ready for returning to battery.

page_text: Fourth position: Same as the first position.
For placing the loading accumulator as required for the recoil, under the control
of the upper gun carriage D and for disengaging the return to battery, the lug 19
of the upper gun carriage D is provided at the lower end with a semicircular recess
(see Figure 38) through which the accumulator A¹ can always pass. On the two
lowermost ends of the lug, laterally of the recess there are provided two catches 20
(Figure 38-38). The lug 19 does not act directly on the loading accumulator,
but by means of a cross-bar 21 which, forining the cover of the loading accumulator,
is firmly connected with its main rod 22 and the two secondary rods 23. The latter
carry on the head-end at both sides small shoulders 24 rounded off on the fore part,
while at the rear they are wedge shape; the two catches 20 pivot on horizontal
shafts and they have a looped shape (Figure 38%), so that in the raised position they
permit the secondary rods to pass through, while in the lowered position they bear
against the rounded side of the shoulders 24.
The shaft w of the catches 20 carries, outside the lug 19 a lever arm 26 (see
Figure 38), capable of revolving forward a little independently on the catch 20
while owing to a projection on the shaft it can rotate in the other direction only
when, at the same time, the shaft w revolves and with it the catch. Shortly
before the recoil is finished, this lever 26 slides without turning the catch, over a
projection 27 arranged on the lower gun carriage (see Figure 38, ""). At the return-
movement it strikes at the same place (loading position) in the other direction against
the projection, raises thereby the catch and disengages the compressed loading
accumulator which nets by its secondary rods directly on the loading thechanism.
On the return to battery of gun, after the loading of the latter has been completed,
the catches 20 are raised by the rear inclined planes of the shoulders 24 as soon
as they pass each other, and shortly before the return to battery is finished, they
fall down again in front of the wedges, whereby the rods of the loading accumulator
are brought again under the control of the said catches. The working of the catches
is diagrammatically shown in Figure 37.
First position: The return of the gun to battery is completed.
Second position: The gun has nearly completed its recoil.
Third position: The gun has returned to the loading position. The loading
accumulator is disengaged.
Fourth position: The gun is loaded.
Fifth position: The return of the gun to battery is nearly completed; the loading
accumulator is caught.
Sixth position: Same as first position.
A difference between the single-and-twin guns consists also in the circumstance
that in the single-gun the pressure arms p pl actuating the pawls sp for holding fast,
and disengaging the gun in the loading position, must be in connection with the
two necumulators, that is to say, that the loading accumulator, as soon as it is
entirely relaxed, strikes away the pawls, while the return accumulator (or the upper
gun carriage) in passing, at the recoil, the loading position, on the return to
battery, puts the pawls in condition for holding fast the gun in the loading position.
In other respects the constructions are the same.
The working of the single gun provided with the loading device described in the
first instance, is as follows:-
After the same preparatory operations have been carried out as in the twin-gun, the
valve of the brake is opened and the gun returns to battery. In the meanwhile the
breech closure is closed and the catches 20 catch the rod of the loading accumulator A
The gun is fired, it recoils and compresses the two accumulators A and A¹. As soon
as the gun passes the loading position, a pressure-arm of the upper gun carriage
raises the pawl, for holding fast the gun at its return. In the same manner as in
the twin-gun, the ammunition drum is rotated and the loading mechanism is caught
by the rod v, shortly before the gun, under the reaction of the buffer, has
again reached the loading position, where it is held fast by the pawls, the
catches 20 on the rod of the loading accumulator are disengaged by the lugs 27 of
of the lower gun carriage. The loading accumulator is set free and relaxed, and it

page_text: actuates the loading mechanism. The latter is disengaged from the loading
accumulator shortly before this accumulator is completely relaxed, but after the
loading operation has been finished, and it moves back again. At the same time a
pressure-arm fastened to the loading accumulator strikes down the pawls holding fast
the gun in the loading position; so that the gun can return to battery as soon as
the valve of the return brakes has been opened. In this manner the movements
of the single ordnance are repeated as often as desired.
A SINGLE ORDNANCE PROVIDED WITH A LOADING DEVICE CONSTRUCTED ACCORDING
TO FIGURES 31-34.
If the loading device represented in the Figures 31-34 is to be applied to a
single ordnance, nothing will be altered in the general arrangement above described.
The driving rope 15 actuating the upper outer driving wheel 13, and in consequence
thereof the cartridge trough is coupled directly to the loading accumulator of the
single-ordnance in lieu of to the second pressure arm in the twin-gun. As soon as
this loading accumulator is relaxed the lever pair P and Po and the cartridge trough
will be raised.
Under the same conditions as described on page 38 etc. the third driving rope 17
acting on wheel 18, is also connected to the loading accumulator, so that, when the
latter is relaxed, the cartridge will be introduced in proper time into the chamber of
the bore.
The working of the single gun provided with this loading device, is diagrammatically
shown in Figure 39; this figure explains the several steps of serving a single gun,
as they are illustrated with respect to the twin guns in Figure 35. The accumulators
are arranged here in such a manner, that by the recoil of the gun only the
accumulator returning the gun to battery will be compressed. By the relaxation of
the latter accumulator not only is the gun moved into its firing position, but the
loading accumulator is also compressed. This is effected by passing the driving
rope 16 attached to the gun carriage rearward from below over the driving wheel 14
and hence forward for attacking the rod of the loading accumulator arranged
laterally in the fore frame-box. From the rod of the latter the driving ropes 15
and 17 pass in the same manner to the driving wheels 13 and 18 as above described
with respect to the twin guns. The same construction of catches which has been
described for the single ordnance with reference to Figures 37-38 (with the
modification however, that the lug 27 is arranged on the upper gun carriage in lieu
of on the lower gun carriage, while the catch 20 is secured to the lower gun carriage
in lieu of to the upper gun carriage), holds the loading accumulator in a compressed
condition until the recoil has been finished. The rod of the relaxing loading
accumulator puts by means of the ropes 15 and 17 the driving wheels 13 and 18 in
rotation and thus operates the loading. By the end novemment of the loading
accumulator the pawls sp of the gun carriage are disengaged, as above explained,
whereupon the latter compresses by the return movement to battery by means of the
rope 16 the loading accumulator, while at the same time the wheel 14 is rotated and
the levers P Po with the cartridge trough M° and the rammer-lever N are lowered,
and by a pressure exerted on the lever extension 8 of the ammunition truck a fresh
cartridge is placed upon the trough Mo.
This position of the gun is shown in position I of Figure 39; in position II the
gun has been fired and it has performed its recoil, the rope 16 hangs down in a
slack condition; by the end-movement of the recoil the pawl of the loading
accumulator is disengaged and the loading accumulator is relaxed (position III), by
means of the ropes 15 and 17 it rotates the driving discs 13 and 18 whereby the gun
is loaded and the driving rope 16 drawn tight. Position IV shows the gun again in
the position I above described.
Lamban 1900
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Automatic Ordnances of Large
Calibre.
I, CONSTANTIN VON HANNEKEN, of Kurfürstendamm 136, Berlin, 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 a method of serving guns having a large diameter of bore
entirely automatically. The great weight of each cartridge and the large quantity of
the explosive matter contained therein, require that, contrary to the hitherto known
methods of serving ordnance automatically which is applicable only for guns having
a small calibre, the gun of large calibre is entirely in its position of rest during the
loading operation. In operating according to this main condition I proceed in such
a manner that the gun by its recoil compresses two accumulators, which can after-
wards only give out the stored energy quite independently of each other, in order to
separate completely as regards time the charging operation of the gun when at rest,
from the operation for returning the gun into that position, (firing position) from
which the compression of the accumulators commenced. For compressing the
accumulators always the same extent of recoil is necessary. But as the recoil power
produced differs, according to the elevation of the gun, only a part of the recoil
which is less than the minimum, is employed for compressing the accumulators, while
the excess of the recoil power is taken up by a buffer brake which in giving out the
absorbed power, serves to advance the gun into an exactly determined position
(loading position), in which it is locked, for being loaded by means of the mechanism
provided for this purpose.
This loading process is carried out in such a manner, that, after the gun has moved
into its loading position a suitable disengaging device brings the first of the two
accumulators compressed by the recoil of the gun (loading accumulator) into action,
whereby a loading mechanism, supported independently of the running in and recoil
motion of the gun, is actuated for transporting the cartridge situated ready for use
in an independent ammunition-magazine, from the latter into the cartridge chamber
of the gun.
After this loading operation has been finished, the second accumulator
(accumulator returning the gun to firing position) is put in action by means of a
second disengaging device, moving the gun into the firing position, where it is
discharged either automatically or by hand, the resulting recoil being made to
compress the two accumulators anew, for repeating the above mentioned automatic
loading operation. The other operations which are still to be carried out, such as the
opening and closing of the breech mechanism, the preparation, ready for use, of a
fresh cartridge in the ammunition-magazine, and the disengaging or engaging of the
stop mechanisms for the gun are carried out directly by the recoil and running-in
motion respectively of the gun to firing position.
The described method is advantageously put in operation simultaneously in two
guns coupled together in such a manner, that each carries only one accumulator,
these having such a reciprocal action relatively to each other, that the return action
of one of them effects the return of its own gun, to firing position and, at the same
time, effects the loading of the other gun, and conversely. Thus the discharged
gun No. I compresses its accumulator by the recoil and entering into its fixed loading
position it disengages the compressed accumulator of the charged gun No. II. The
latter returns the gun II into the firing position and actuates at the same time the
loading mechanism of the gun I. If then gun II is discharged, it compresses by its
recoil its accumulator, and in entering into its rest position it disengages the
accumulator of the gun I, moving the latter into the firing position and effecting the

page_text: charging of gun II. In this manner the single accumulators of twin-guns act
relatively to each other in the same way as explained with respect to the two
accumulators of the single gun.
The Figs. 1 to 35 of the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification
shew the construction of the above mentioned apparatus as applied to twin guns
while the Figs. 36 to 39 illustrate the arrangement for a single gun as far as its
construction differs essentially from the former. The designation of the several
figures will be given at the corresponding places in the following description.
The mounting of the automatic twin-gun, which will be first fully described, is
carried out in such a manner, that a common substructure of known construction
according to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification
with grappled foundation plate, arc of traversing platform C¹, roller crown, spur
gear C², platform, roller rail and cogged racer training-gear (not represented), carries
the whole arrangement. The two lower gun carriages stand firmly upon the platform,
and each of thein carries at the front end an accumulator casing, the hydropneumatic
buffer belonging thereto, and also the stop mechanism for the rest position of the
gun; at the rear part it carries the journal bearing of the ammunition-magazine and
the standards with the guide for the whole loading device, and above, upon the fore
part, the guide rails for the upper gun carriage. In the accumulator casing is lodged
the spring accumulator and upon the casing are the brakes serving to control the
return of the gun to firing position, hereinafter briefly terıned "return-brakes."
The upper gun carriages sliding upon the lower carriages are firmly coupled to their
spring accumulators and to their return-brakes, they carry pressure levers for
actuating the locking pawls and the loading mechanism of the neighbouring gun,
and upon the trail furnished with conical slide rollers is the discharging box. Behind,
upon the rear part of the stationary lower carriage there is carried by a peculiarly
arranged shaft a rotatable ammunition drum with reaction-springs constituting one
arrangement of the cartridge supply. The upper gun carriages support the two
guns with the vertical wedge closure and closure slides; the guns are also connected
by arms with the pointing devices secured to the accumulator casings, the said
pointing devices of the two guns being actuated by a common crank.
The inost important details of the Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings shewing the
whole arrangement of the twin gun in plan view and in longitudinal section and those
of the Figures 3-6 representing respectively a longitudinal section, plan view and
cross section of the gun carriages and accumulator casing etc., are drawn separately in
the Figs. 7-30 for facilitating the understanding of the construction; these details
will always be mentioned at the corresponding place.
Each lower gun-carriage consists of a strong frame C open at top and set off at its
rear part, which below, is rigidly connected to the platform and carries above upon the
edges of the fore part of the longitudinal walls the rails for the upper gun-carriage. On
the inner longitudinal sides are arranged, as shewn in Fig. 18, the guides C3 for the
accumulator casing to be inserted in an adjustable manner in the lower gun carriage.
The rear lower end of the frame carries (in the first construction of the cartridge
supply) upon brackets the journal bearings of the ammunition drum belonging to
each gun carriage, also the standards St necessary for guiding in a straight line the
rammer of the loader, and imbedded therein the transverse shaft w, carrying the
moveable parts of the loading device. In the raised part of the lower gun carriage
there is arranged, across the axis of the gun, the shaft w¹ carrying the pawls sp for
the upper carriage, arranged within the frame. At their facing ends, the shafts of
the pawls are lengthened beyond the gun carriage sides and each carries a tappet t;
(see plan view 19) by means of which each pawl shaft is actuated from the neighbour-
gun in the manner hereinafter described.

page_text: The accumulator casings imbedded in the lower gun carriages consist each of two
strong cheeks made of sheet metal A A firmly embracing at the rear the tube a
of the spring accumulator. The cheeks and tube are guided in the guides C3 of the
lower carriage by means of slide-blocks a². The cheeks of sheet metal also carry on
the outside of their fore part the guide and the casing of the pointing device R
(Fig. 2) of the guns, and nearly at their middle, the trunnious 34 carrying the
curved bar of the breech closure.
The accumulator tube contains a system of Belleville springs g carried by the rod h
screwed, on one hand, into the bottom of the accumulator-tube and guided on the
other hand in a bearing i on the front wall of the lower carriage. The length of bore
of the accumulator-tube a is equal to the length of the compressed spring system.
The accumulator-tube terminates with a piston guided in the cylinder of the
hydropneumatic buffer B acting as a power accumulating brake for the surplus of the
recoil power. This buffer, arranged within the lower carriage, is firmly connected
with the platform and is of ordinary construction.
The front wall of the accumulator-casing is formed by a fluid-receiver c, from which
are fed the hydraulic brakes serving as return brakes 6 for the upper gun carriage.
The hydraulic brakes are supported by the accumulator casing.
These brakes consist of two cylinders 6 furnished with plunger-pistons b¹ and
connected with each other in the fluid receiver by a cross-tube d provided at its
centre with the starting valve e.
This valve opens automatically on the suction stroke of the plunger-pistons for filling
the cylinders, but it is closed at once when pressure is exerted and can then only be
actuated again from without by means of mechanical or electrical devices, for the
purpose of returning the guns to firing position. The transmission of the movement
is effected by coupling the rear ends of the pistons 6' to the upper gun carriages, as
shewn at Fig. 3.
THE UPPER GUN CARRIAGES.
Figs. 2 to 4 and 24 to 27.
The upper gun carriages D consist, like the usual upper gun carriages of heavy
ordnance, of two side cheeks with transom connection. They slide in a horizontal
direction upon the rails of the lower gun carriages, and, in order to insure an effectual
guiding they lap over on both longitudinal sides by means of the guide-rails rivetted
thereto and containing loose guide rollers, the rails hooking over the upper
projecting edge of the cheeks of the lower carriages. The fore transom D¹ is formed
in cross section (Figure 3) in its upper part in shape of a triangle, provided at the fore
and rear parts with downward directed parts, the front one of which, O, extends down
into the interior of the lower gun carriage, fitting over the rod h and in front of the
spring system g, while the rear one 01 passes over the rear-ends of the brake pistons b¹.
On the sides facing each other of the two upper gun carriages, the guide rail of
the right upper gun carriage (gun II) carries on its lower edge, and the guide rail
of the left upper gun carriage (gun I) on the upper edge, the projecting pressure-
arms p and respectively, the length of which corresponds to the distance of the two
lower gun carriages from each other. These pressure-arms are each firmly connected
to a rod v2 Figure 2 leading to the loading device, and they have moreover for their
purpose to actuate at the recoil of the upper gun carriages, the tappets t and
consequently the pawls sp for locking the guns.
The cheeks of the gun carriages are lengthened rearwards like a tail. There is
arranged on this tail upon a suitable frame, the discharging box E Fig. 8.
This is a box-like piece having approximately the length of a cartridge and its

page_text: The drums M, the length of which corresponds to the length of the cartridges, carry
on their periphery the cases m for receiving the cartridges. These cases are split. in
the longitudinal direction for allowing the loader arm to penetrate therein from
above at the loading motion.
The height of the shaft of the drum is calculated in such a manner, that the axis
of the upper shell m and of the cartridge m¹ Fig. 8, lying therein is a little lower
than the axis of the bore of the gun, when the latter is in its loading position. This
has for its object to compensate, in conveying the cartridge from the drum into the
discharging box and thence into the bore of the gun for the difference between the
radius of the projectile and of the base of the cartridge. The position of the cartridges
within the cases is assured by trisected locking and centring-rings, Fig. 7, which,
when the cartridge leaves the case, spring off freely. The ammunition drum is
adjustable upon its shaft, which is prevented from rotating by means of a locking pin
in its rear bearing.
At the end of the recoil motion of the gun a slight shock is imparted to the drums
by means of the conical rollers 7° Fig. 2 arranged in the tail of the upper gun carriage.
Behind the drums between the latter and the rear axle bearing, a spring n is provided.
By the action of this spring the drum is moved forward into its original position after
the upper gun carriage having entirely completed its recoil, has been returned into
its loading position. The shaft of the drum is provided with a system of grooves,
Figs. 14 and 17; this system of grooves is constructed in the manner of self acting
railway switches and for assuring a sure guiding there are provided on the traversing
points from one groove to the other small, stop springs f, see Fig. 17.
The number of grooves corresponds to the number of cases arranged on the
periphery of the drum. In the nave of the drum there are provided pins sliding in
the grooves. The groove system is such that on the return motion of the drum, the
pins run in the straight grooves while on the forward motion they pass into the
oblique grooves thereby causing the drum to revolve through a division.
To allow of a quick revolution of the drum when charging the latter, the above
mentioned locking pin of the shaft is removeable.
The platform of the lower gun carriage carries at both sides of the drum the supports
of the loading device.
LOADING DEVICE.
Figs. 26 13 to 16

page_text: there are arranged parallel to the lengthened axis of the bore, above the ammunition
drums, Ushaped guide rails st. In the grooves facing each other of these rails
slide the guide-pieces q' provided with small rollers in order to reduce the friction.
The two guide-pieces are connected with each other by means of a transverse rail q,
provided with a loading arm a projecting in an oblique direction downwards and
carrying in the direction of the axis of the cartridge case, the loading piston u¹
The two loading levers P, working against the two ends of the transverse mil q are
firmly secured to the shaft w crossing the lower gun carriage, so that the two levers
are obliged to make the same movements. They are provided on their upper ends
with a long slot, wherein is guided the transverse rail 7 by means of the guide pieces q
also provided with small rollers in order to reduce the friction.
The loading levers are lengthened downwards beyond their axis of revolution by an
angular piece carrying a weight w³.
The lever situated towards the neighbouring gun is connected by a horizontal
mod and the pressure arm p or pl with the upper carriage of the neighbouring gun.
This connection is not a rigid one, but by means of a disengaging device v¹ it can be
disengaged in such a manner, that the loading mechanism of the gun to be loaded is
uncoupled by the movement of the neighbouring gun shortly before the latter has
finished its return to the firing position and is brought anew under the control of
the said gun, when the recoil of the fired gun is finished.
v
For this purpose the loading lever is provided with an adjustable edge von which
acts, by means of a second disengageable edge the horizontal rod v. The edge
is adjustable in such a manner, that the disengagement takes place exactly at the
moment, when the cartridge m¹ is introduced by the piston w completely into the
cartridge chamber.
THE TWO GUNS.
Figs. 1, 2, 10 to 12.
As usual the guns are supported in the trannion boxes of the upper gun-carriage.
They differ from any other gun only by a trunnion ring being pushed on the chase of
the gun for the pointing arms of the contrivance for elevating guns, and by the
pivot 33 for the closure bars on the rear upper edge of the breech. The closure is a
vertical wedge closure, and, as usual for rapid fire guns, it is provided with selfacting
cocking, extractor and selfacting trigger contrivance. The opening and closing of
the breech is effected by the fact, that the position of the gun with respect to the
accumulator casing when in the firing position is different from that in the loading
position, and these operations are effected either by a curved rail (Figs. 10 and 11
or by radial guide rails, Fig. 12.
Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings shew diagrammatically the arrangement of the
curved rail.
The breech closure is raised or lowered in the vertical direction by two bent
levers 28, 29, 30 at the sides of the breech.
The axis of revolution of these bent levers is at 28, in the side wall of the breech
of the gun. The lever arins 29, 28 engage with their pivots at 29 into a corresponding
groove on both sides of the closure.
The other lever aris terminate in pivots at 30 projecting on both sides below the
breech of the gun. When the closure is closed, that is to say, in the firing position,
this pivot is at 30 and it corresponds, in its position on the lower edge of the breech,
to the pivot 33 on theupper edge of the breech.
Round these two points there is described with the distance of the latter from
the centre of the trunnion an arc of a circle which is lengthened downward to the
pivot 34 n the accumulator case.
Corresponding to this are of a circle two strong steel rails s Fig. 2 are fastened
to the pivot 34 on the sides of the accumulator casing, so as to pivot thereon. By
means of longitudinal grooves arranged on the inner sides of these rail, the latter
engage with the pivots 30 and 33. At the recoil of the gun from the firing position
to the loading position the position of the curved rail changes, as the pivot 33

page_text: fastened to the gun moves backward, while the pivot 34" fastened to the accumulator
casing remains at first stationary. The curved rail has therefore the position
of 33, 32, 34.
The lever arm 28, 30 is moved to 28, 32 and the arm 28, 29 engaging the
closure wedge moves into the position of 28, 31, whereby the closure wedge is raised
through the angle 29, 28, 31. The accumulator casing participates in the remainder
of the recoil taken up by the buffer, so that no further displacement of the pivots 33
and 34 relatively to each other, will take place. The closure is closed in the
same manner at the return of the gun to firing position. The second construction of
a self-acting breech-closure-mechanism is shewn in Figure 12. At both sides of the
breech piece there are fixed horizontal guide rails 35; in these rails 35 slide two
cheeks 36. These cheeks are connected by cross heads 37 running in the guide rails
and to which are secured. radial guide rods, with frames, secured at both sides,
outside the upper gun carriage, upon the accumulator casing. For this purpose
corresponding horizontal slots are arranged in the side walls of the lower gun
carriage.
These frames are provided on the points corresponding to the position of the
trunnions in the firing position of the gun, with two small trunnion-holes 38 wherein
rotate the radial rods having corresponding trunnions. On the inner face of the
cheeks oblique groups 39 are arranged, into which engage lateral pins of the
closure. At the recoil of the gun the cheeks are stationary. Owing to the displace-
ment of the breach between the cheeks, the lateral pins of the closure are raised
within the grooves 39 thereby on the recoil the closure wedge is raised. No altera-
tion in the above action is effected in either case by the vertical turning of the gun
in assuming at its return to firing position, its elevation or depression as in the first
case the curved rail is bent according to the are of the circle described by the breech
and, in the second case, the cheeks follow the arc-motion of the breech block owing
to the radial rods rotatable on their trunnions. In practice it is advantageous to
construct the lateral grooves on the closure in the first case, or the grooves in the
cheeks in the second case with a partial dead motion so that the opening of the
breech closure only begins at the last part of the recoil, while the closing is already
finished, when the gun is moved into the firing position. Also in both constructions
the two arc-rails and the two cheeks respectively are connected with each other
above the breech of the gun, by means of a cross rail in order to increase their
stability.
Two POINTING DEVICES HAVING A COMMON HAND WHEEL.
Figures 1, 2, 28 to 30.
These contrivances are provided with a moveable toothed segment, a bar for the
toothed segment, and pointing arins, all these parts being of the same construction
as usual in the Armstrong disappearing guns. The guide bars of the toothed
segments are fixed by screws to both sides of the accumulator casing B between these
bars move the toothed segments having projections for the pointing arms r, as shewn
in the drawing illustrating the accumulator casing. The toothed segments are actuated
These contrivances are provided with a moveable toothed segment, a bar for the
toothed segment, and pointing arins, all these parts being of the same construction
as usual in the Armstrong disappearing guns. The guide bars of the toothed
segments are fixed by screws to both sides of the accumulator casing B between these
bars move the toothed segments having projections for the pointing arms 7, as shewn
in the drawing illustrating the accumulator casing. The toothed segments are actuated
by two corresponding driving wheels, the common shaft w of which passes through
the accumulator casing. The driving wheels r lying on the sides of the gun carriages
facing each other (Figs. 28, 30) are coupled with bevil wheels gearing with other
bevil wheels on the shafts of which are toothed wheels 2. Upon the main platform
there are arranged opposite and parallel to each other, two long toothed pinions
with which gear the two moveable toothed wheels 2. The two long toothed pinions
are actuated by means of bevil gear arranged between them and carrying a hand
wheel R. By acting upon this wheel the pointing apparatus of the two guns are
actuated simultaneously.

page_text: shew in what manner the pawl mechanism of the two guns are alternately
actuated.
The position of the tappets t on the pawl shafts w₁, with respect to the pawls.
themselves, is such, that pawls and tappets of one gun carriage form levers of the
second kind, and those of the other gun carriage, levers of the first kind see
Figures 2, 18, 19, so that by the descent of the elevated tappet on one gun the
elevated pawls are lowered, and on the other gun the lowered jawls are raised; and
inversely, by the raising of the tappet on one gun the pawls are raised too, and on
the other gun the pawls are lowered.
Figures 2, 2 and 2 shew in diagram the positions of the pawls corresponding to
the different positions of the gun carriage.
Figure 2 being a plan view and Figure 24, a front elevation of Figure 2. The
play of the pawls for the different positions, in starting from the firing position of
the gun. No. I is as follows:-
First position. Gun No. I has been fired, it recoils, its pressure arm p' lowers the
pawt ap of the gun No. II from the locking position, it raises the pawl of gun
the locking position.
Second position. Gun I has been advanced again by the buffer action up to the
pawl and is caught by the latter (loading position); gun II is disengaged from the
pawls, and as hereinafter explained, it is retained only by the return brakes.
The position of the pawls is the same as in position I.
Third position. Gun I is still in the loading position, gun II has returned to the
firing position; the position of the pawls is the same as in position I.
Fourth position. Gun II has been fired, it recoils, its pressure arm p strikes down
the pawl sp of gun I, it raises the pawl of gun II into the locking position.
Fifth position. Gun II has been advanced again by the buffer up to the pawl and
is caught by the latter, (loading position). Gun I is free and it is retained only by
the brakes.
Sixth position. Gun II is still in the loading position, gun I in the firing
position.
Seventh position: the same as position I. It will clearly be seen from the above,
that the automatic movements must be carried out with certainty in the indicated
sequence.
WORKING.
The working of the twin guns is as follows:-
The two guns have been placed first by any suitable mechanical means into the
loading position, the brake cylinders have been filled and the hydropneumatic buffer
has been charged with compressed air. The loading mechanism of gun I has been
put in activity either by means of tackles or the like, or the gun is charged by hand
and by opening the starting valve e of the return brakes it is moved into the firing
position, where, as hereinafter described, as first automatic action, the closure of the
breech will take place, and at the same time the loading mechanisin of the second
gun will be actuated.
If the first gun has moved into the firing position, the second gun is loaded having
its breech-closure open, but it is caught by its pawls in the loading position.
In discharging the gun I, the upper gun carriage, owing to the recoil of the said
gun, will slide backwards upon the rails of the lower gun carriage. By the front
Tug o of the upper gun carriage the spring system g of the accumulator will be
compressed to such an extent, that the lug of the upper gun carringe will lie against
the mouth of the accumulator-tube. At the same time the two pistons b¹ of the
recoil brake b will be drawn out by the rear lug 01 of the upper gun carriage, so that
the cylinders of the said brake will entirely be filled with liquid.
During this compression of the accumulator the gun itself has altered its position
towards the accumulator casing to an extent corresponding to the amount of
compression of the accumulator, the pivot 33 on the upper edge of the breech of the
gun has therefore turned the closure rails & round the pivot 34 on the accumulator

page_text: casing through a certain portion of an are of a circle. By this means the position of
the closure rail on the lower edge of the breech-block of the gun has been altered to
a corresponding portion of an arc and the pivot of the bent lever of the closure has
been turned accordingly. By this turning of the bent lever the closure has been
raised and in consequence opened, when the compression of the accumulator is
completed.
The remainder of the recoil power, which as before stated is not entirely consumed
by the compression of the accumulator, is transmitted by the lug of the upper gun
carriage to the cylinder a of the accumulator and from the latter to the piston k of
the hydropneumatic buffer B firmly connected with the cylinder of the accumulator
and it is forced into the cylinder of the buffer. During this motion the compressed
accumulator and the casing with the brake cylinders partake of the movement of the
upper gun carriage; a further movement of the closure does therefore not take
place.
In this last part of the recoil movement the pressure arm pl of the gun I passes
over the tappets of the pawl-shafts of the two guns, whereby the pawls of gun I are
raised into the locking position, while those of gun II are lowered, so that this gun
becomes free.
The pressure of the buffer-piston has compressed in the buffer the compressed air
contained in the brake cylinder, which after the recoil-power has been exhausted,
expands again, so that the buffer-piston, the accumulator casing and the upper gun
carriage are moved backward up to the point where the lug of the upper gun carriage
lies against the accumulator tube.
At this moment the cross-bar D of the cheeks of the upper gun carriage of gun I
bears with its sharp edges against the raised pawls. The gun held by the pawls, is
then in the loading position, but at the same time the brake cylinders are also filled
with liquid and cannot be emptied by the pressure of the pistons of the brake
cylinder, as the valve e of the connecting pipe d is closed. The upper gun carriage
is therefore locked in the loading position in two ways, on the one hand by pawls and
on the other hand by hydraulic brakes, while the gun II is retained in the loading
position only by the hydraulic brake, as its pawls have been struck down from the
locking position by the pressure arm of gun I.
The last portion of the recoil movement of the gun is utilised in the first described
nanner of loading the gun, for causing the ammunition drum to commence its
rotary motion.
For this purpose the length of the trail of the upper gun carriage is so calculated,
that it bears with the two conical rollers against the nave of the ammunition
drum M, when the lug 01 of the upper gun carriage lies against the mouth of the
accumulator tube a. At the further backward movement of the upper gun-carriage D
which now takes place, the drum is pushed backward on the shaft of the drum by the
pressure exerted by the trail of the gun carriage. The pins of the nave then slide in
the straight grooves of the shaft. The helical-spring n arranged between the rear
axle-bearing and the nave of the drum is compressed. When the piston of the baffer
cylinder and in consequence also the upper gun carriage again moves forward, the
drum under the action of the spring n will follow this forward movement, the pins of
the nave then run through the oblique grooves of the shaft and pass over into the
next following groove; the ammunition drum is thereby turned through one division
and a fresh projectile is brought into the direction of the extended axis of the bore of
the gun. The conical rollers arranged in the trail of the gun carriage have for their
purpose to reduce the friction between the nave and the trail.
During the whole backward motion of the upper gun carriage I, the rod connected
to the pressure arin of the said gun carriage and belonging to the loading mechanism
of the gun II has been pushed backward. At the last portion of the recoil the edge
has passed over the edge y attached to the loading lever and is behind this edge." In
r der to obtain this, the loading lever has been pressed down a little and it has
ompressed by means of its bent arm a small buffer spring P' arranged on the
la tform (see Figure 2) and by the action of which it is returned again. When the

page_text: rod with the upper gun carriage is pulled forward again by the action of the buffer,
the edge is brought under the control of the edge v₁ (see diagram in
Fig. 16, pos. 1).
The valve e of the cross tube of the hydraulic brake of gun II is now opened.
This can be effected either directly by means of a hand lever or by a suitable
electrical contrivance. After this valve has been opened the spring system of the
accumulator of gun II presses against the lug of the upper gun carriage and moves
the upper gun carriage forward according to the velocity or efflux of the liquid from
the brake cylinder into the liquid reservoir, until the spring system is entirely
relaxed. The relaxed spring system corresponds to the position of gun II in the
firing position.
During this forward movement the pressure arm of gun II has moved forward the
rod of gun belonging to the loading mechanism. This rod moves the loading
levers P forward by means of the edge connection, describing thereby a circular are.
This movement in a circular are is converted into a straight movement of the
loading piston w, by the slides q sliding in the longitudinal grooves of the
loading levers and thereby causing the cross rail q guided in the guide rails st
to move forward.
The loading piston u' attached to the cross rail u then presses against the base of
the cartridge and pushes the cartridge from the drum through the discharging box E
into the chamber of the gun. The length of the loading-piston is such that it
corresponds exactly to the distance of the cartridge chamber up to the rear end face of
the gun. The stroke of the lever is such that the chord belonging to the arc of the
stroke corresponds to the length of the distance run through by the cartridge from
the ammunition drum into the bore of the gun.
When the cartridge has in this manner reached the bore of the gun (Fig. 16, pos. 2)
the edge v passes over the edge v, the upper gun carriage of the gun If has then
still to travel a very short distance, in consequence whereof the loading lever of gun I
is disengaged and returns, owing to its counterweight, into its first position, the
loading piston u then sliding back through the discharging box E and the case m of
the ammunition drums at present empty (see Fig. 16, pos. 3). After this operation
the gun II is in the firing position ready for being discharged while gun I is in the
loading position, having a cartridge in the chamber of the bore of the gun and the
breech-closure open. If the gun II is discharged automatically, by hand, or by
electricity, the recoil of the gun II takes place, whereby, as formerly in gun I, the
accumulator of the gun II is compressed, the brake-cylinders of gun II are filled with
liquid, the hydropneumatic buffer takes up the surplus of the recoil power, the
ammunition drum is pushed backward in a straight line, and the connection between
the rod of the lever of gun II and the loading lever of gun I is re-established (Fig. 16,
pos. 4), also at the reaction-movement of the drum spring, simultaneously with the
reaction-movement of the buffer-piston, the ammunition drum is turned through a
division and finally the upper gun carringe of gun II is held fast by its pawls in the
loading position, after the reaction-movement of the buffer-piston has been completed
such holding being effected by the passage of the pressure-arm of gun II over the
tappets of the pawls of the guns I and II, whereby the pawls of gun II have been
raised to the locking-position and the pawls of gun I have been lowered from
such position.
By the lowering of the pawls of gun I the latter is ready for returning to battery
but is held fast by the brake device alone. If now by hand lever or by electricity
the valve e of the return-brakes of gun I is opened, gun I will return to firing position
whereby its breech closure is closed by the curved rail in the same manner, as it was
opened by the recoil. In this manner the mutual serving of the two guns is effected
until the ammunition in the ammunition-drums is exhausted.
With respect to the pointing device I would remark, that by the hand wheel the
pointing devices of the two guns are adjusted simultaneously for the same angle of
elevation or depression, without producing an alteration of the loading position
of the gun. The gun occupies only the angle of elevation determined by the position of

page_text: the pointing are, when the gun enters into its firing position. By this means it is
still possible to correct the elevation during the loading as well as during the return
of the gun to firing position and the recoil-movement.
For the pointing gunner of the twin guns it is therefore immaterial which gun is
about to fire, he can make his corrections at once according to the shot last
observed, as in a single gun, for causing the next shot to hit the object
aimed at.
It is of course the same with the device for laying the gun for direction, which
device serves the two guns at the same time, as the two guns are mounted upon the
same platform.
At the termination of firing, both the guns will be in the loading position, having
both the breech closure opened, one gun having a cartridge in the bore, and the
other being without a cartridge.
When firing ceases the cartridge in the gun is pushed back from the latter into
the case of the ammunition drum. For reopening firing it is only necessary to
again push forward the cartridge in the same manner, whereupon the beginning of the
automatic activity is dependent only on the opening of the respective
valve.
The whole arrangement is surrounded by a track communicating with the
ammunition magazine. When the cartridges in the ammunition-drnm are exhausted,
the latter is charged again from waggons specially constructed for this purpose.
Such a waggon is run on the track behind the drum, and the cartridges are arranged
upon the waggon in such a manner, that they can be introduced directly into the
lowermost case of the ammunition drum.
The locking key of the rear bearing of the drum-shaft is then withdrawn, so that
the shaft of the drum can rotate in its bearing and can be revolved in such a way,
that all the cases are moved successively into the lowest position.
A MODIFIED LOADING DEVICE AND A CONTRIVANCE FOR SUPPLYING AMMUNITION.
The Figures 31-34 shew twin guns having a modified loading mechanism and
feeding device for ammunition. The discharging box E necessary in the first
construction represented in the Figs. 8 and 9 is here dispensed with.
The illustration of this new arrangement has been utilised also for shewing in
Fig. 31 another modified disposition of the accumulator, permitting a better dis-
tribution of the space in the framing and in particular the shortening of the large
pressure lug D¹ of the upper gun carriage.
The parts of the hereinafter described mechanism corresponding to the parts acting
in a similar manner of the above explained loading device are marked with the same
letters of reference.
The accumulator A with the box B of the hydropneumatic buffer are rotatable
on a pair of trunnions arranged on the buffer wand we are the shafts (supported only
at one end in the inner walls of the framing) of the two levers P and P carrying,
moveable in links, a swinging cartridge plate M connecting the said levers with
each other.
Below the plate there is arranged a rammer lever N suspended in a moveable
manner on the end turned towards the gun. The rammer lever N carries on its other
end the link piece No connecting the lever N with the rammer-piston u.
Below the piston
piston u. there is provided a small projectiou uº. Fig. 33
engaging with a longitudinal groove 11 Fig. 34 in the cartridge trough M and
having a button 12 sliding in the inwardly enlarged groove 11, which, on the pushing
movement transmitted by the link of the forward swinging rammer-lever N, causes
the piston to move in a straight line, that is to say, in the direction of the axis of the
bore of the gun.
The shaft of each lever Po (Fig. 32) passes through the frame box, and it
carries in addition to the driving wheel 13 the inner driving wheel 14. These two
wheels and also the lever Po are firmly secured to the shaft. From the pressure
arm of the other gun a driving-rope 15 passes over the outer driving wheel 13 to
which it is fastened, and it actuates each pair of levers P and Po, when the other gun
returns into the firing position.

page_text: Another driving rope 16 (see Figs. 31, 34) passes from the cross-bar D³ of the
upper gun carriage from below over the inner driving wheel 14 belonging thereto, to
which it is fastened, and when the gun returns into the firing position, it lowers its
pairs of leveis together with the cartridge trough. When the other gun returns to
firing position this cartridge trough is raised, owing to the revolution of the outer
driving wheel 13, by the corresponding turning of the levers P and P. This
movement is transmitted to the rammer-lever N also firmly secured to its shaft,
carrying firmly fixed thereto outside the frame-box a driving-wheel segment 18
connected likewise by means of a driving rope 17 with the pressure arm of the other
gun. The length of this rope is so calculated that it becomes tight only when the
cartridge trangh M has raised the rammer lever N up to the height of the axis of
the bore. The ratio of the length of the lever to the radius of its driving segment
is such that the lever, when the driving segment rotates, moves through double the
distance through which the cartridge trough moves. Therefore while the latter con-
tinues its way up to the rear face of the key-hole, the rammer-piston u pushes the
cartridge from the trough into the chamber of the gun. The return movement of
the lever-arms P and N with the cartridge trough Me is produced by the driving-
rope 16 revolving the driving-wheel 14 in the opposite direction when the gun returns
to its firing position.
The ammunition feeding device here consists as shewn in the Figures 33 and 34,
of a frame of a railway-truck 1, driven on a railway track 2 up to the platform of the gun,
close to the cartridge trough. The frame carries a platform 3 inclined towards the
gun and bearing with its lower edge nearly against the lowered cartridge
trough.
Upon this inclined plane the cartridges are arranged one beside the other in such
a manner, that the bases of the cartridges catch one behind the other, and for hold-
ing them in a sure position, they are guided in grooves 4. The cartridges are
conveyed from the platform of the truck to the cartridge trough by a rolling action.
To prevent too rapid a motion a nose 5 is provided in front of the cartridge next to
the lower edge. This nose 5 is connected with an arın of a lever of the first kind 6
revolving on a horizontal shaft 7 supported in the frame of the truck. An extension 8
of this lever-arm extends horizontally beyond the frame of the waggon; it catches
underneath the cartridge trough and is supported by a spring 9 arranged on the
frame of the truck; the other lever arm carries a second nose 10 catching in front
of the second cartridge when this arm is in its raised position, see Fig 33, on the
left side. The cartridge trough M° pressed down indirectly by the driving wheel 14
presses upon the extension 8 of the lever; it overcomes the pressure of the spring 9
and lowers the nose 5 of the lever arin, at the same time the other lever arm rises
and its nose 10 is placed in front of the second cartridge, while the disengaged first
cartridge rolls upon the cartridge plate. When the cartridge plate carrying the
cartridge rises for introducing the projectile into the chamber of the bore, the lever-
arm is pressed upward again by the spring 9, the nose 10 is lowered, while the nose 5
is raised again and placed in front of the second cartridge which rolls down into the
place of the first cartridge.
The working in the twin gun is shewn in diagram in Figure 35, position I to IV.
Figure 35, position I, shews the gun I in its loading position having the cartridge
in the bore, while gun II is in the firing position ready for being discharged. When
the gun is returned to the firing position the pressure arm of gun II has rotated, by
means of the driving ropes, the driving wheels of gun I to such an extent, that the.
lever arms laud Po have raised the cartridge trough M° up to its position behind the
breech of the gun, and the lever-arm N has introduced the cartridge into the chamber
of the bore; by the movement of the lever-arins also, the driving wheel 14 of the
gun I has been rotated so far, that the rope 18 is stretched.
In position II the gun II has been fired and performed its recoil; the accumulator
is compressed, and the gun is held by the pawls in the loading position; its
pressure arm has struck down the pawls of gun I and drawn along backward the
flat ropes 15 and 17 (preferably of steel) of the driving wheels 13 and 18 of gun I
which lie in a slack condition over the said wheels.
D

page_text: In position III the gun is about to return. to firing position after its brake-valve.
has been opened. The rope 16 attached to its upper gun carriage rotates the
driving wheel 14 in the. direction indicated by the arrow, whereby the shaft of the
the rear lever Po is turned and the cartridge trough with the rammer lever N are
lowered..
The two outer driving wheels 13 and 18 partake of the movement of the
levers P and N and the ropes 15 and 17 are rolled up again upon their driving wheels.
By. the pressure-arm of guu I the driving wheel 13 of gun II is rotated in the
direction indicated by the arrow, it thereby raises the cartridge trough Mº and
consequently also the rammer-lever N. The rope 17 of the driving wheel 18 belonging
to this lever is still in a slack condition, as its length is so calculated, that the rope
only becomes tight in the last part of the return-movement to the firing position.
In this final movement the two outer driving wheels are uniformly rotated but as the
rammer-lever N is considerably longer than the levers P P of the cartridge trough,
the stroke of the former will move the rammer-piston u¹, and consequently the cartridge
from the trough into the chamber of the bore while the trough continues its motion
up to the front-face of the key-hole. By the movement of the levers of gun II
also, the driving wheel 14 of gun II is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow,
that is to say, inversely as in gun I, whereby the rope 16 belonging thereto is stretched
again.
In position IV the return to firing position of gun I is completed. By the pull of
the flap rope 16 attached to the upper gun carriage, the inner driving wheel has been
completely revolved backward, the cartridge trough M° with the levers N have been
lowered, and by the pressure exerted against the lever-extension 8 of the ammunition
truck a fresh cartridge has been placed upon the trough, the outer driving wheels
have partaken of the motion of the levers and by this rope 15 of the driving wheel 13
has been drawn tight, while the driving rope 17 of the driving wheel 18 hangs down
in a slack condition on account of the difference in length. The pressure-arın of
gun has completely rotated the outer driving wheels of gun II by means of the
driving ropes 15 and 17 whereby the loading has been effected and the driving wheel 14
has been rotated to such an extent that the rope 16 attached to the upper gun carriage
is stretched. The gun I is now in the position of gun II shewn in Fig. 35 and gun 11
is in the portion of gun I of the same figure. By discharging gun both
guns will perform the same operations relativy to each other, in the inverse
manner to that above described.
THE SINGLE GUN.
Figures 36 to 39.
The single gun is provided with two accumulators A A¹ in lieu of one
(see Figures 38, 38). The loading necumulator A¹ is arranged below the
return-accumulator A in the same casing. The accumulator A is constructed and acts
in the same manner as that of the twin guns, the accumulator A¹ is compressed at
the same time as the accumulator A, but it is relaxed independently of the latter,
whereby a direct action on the loading levers takes place.
Figure 36 shews the working of the two accumulators diagrammatically.
First position: The gun has returned to the firing position; the two accumulators
are under the direct influence of the motion of the upper gun carriage.
Second position: The gun has been fired and has recoiled, the two accumulators
are compressed by the recoil.
Third position: The loading accumulator has been relaxed, the gun is loaded and
ready for returning to the firing position.
Fourth position: Same as the first position.
For placing the loading accumulator as required for the recoil, under the control
of the upper gun carriage D and for disengaging the return to firing position, the
lug 19 of the upper gun carriage D is provided at the lower end with a
semicircular recess (see Figure 38) through which the accumulator A can always pass.

page_text: On the two lowermost ends of the lug laterally of the recess there are provided
two catches 20 (Figures 38-38). The lag 19 does not act directly on the
loading accumulator, but by means of a cross bar 21, which, forming the cover of
the loading accumulator, is firmly connected with its main rod 22 and the
two secondary rods 23. The latter carry on the head end at both sides small
shoulders 24 rounded off on the fore part, while at the rear they are wedge shape,
the two catches 20 pivot on horizontal shafts and they have a looped shape
(Figure 38), so that in the raised position they permit the secondary rods to pass
through, while in the lowered position they bear against the rounded side of the
shoulders 24.
The shaft w of the catches 20 carries, outside the lug 19 a lever arm 26
(see Figure 38c) capable of revolving forward a little independently on the catch 20
while owing to a projection on the shaft w it can rotate in the other direction
only when, at the same time, the shaft w revolves and with it the catch. Shortly
before the recoil is finished, this lever 26 slides without turning the catch, over a
projection 27 arranged on the lower gun carriage (see Figure 38B, C,). At the return
movement it strikes at the same place (loading position) in the other direction
against the projection, raises thereby the catch and disengages the compressed
loading accumulator which acts by its secondary rods directly on the loading mechanism.
On the return to the firing position of the gun, after the loading of the latter has
been completed, the catches 20 are raised by the rear inclined planes of the
shoulders 24 as soon as they pass each other, and shortly before the return to the firing
position is finished, they fall down again in froat of the wedges, whereby the rods
of the loading accumulator are brought again under the control of the said catches.
The working of the catches is diagrammatically shown in Figure 37.
First position: The return of the gan to the firing position is completed.
Second position: The gun has nearly completed ita recoil.
Third position: The gun has returned to the loading position. The loading
accumulator is disengaged.
Fourth position: The gun is loaded.
Fifth position: The return of the gun to the firing position is nearly completed;
the loading accumulator is caught.
Sixth position: Same as first position.
A difference between the single-and-twin guns consists also in the circumstance,
that in the single gun the pressure arms p p actuating the pawls sp for holding fast
and disengaging the gun in the loading position, must be in connection with the two
accumulators, that is to say, that the loading accumulator, as soon as it is entirely
relaxed, strikes away the pawls, while the return accumulator, (or the upper gun
carriage) in passing, at the recoil, the loading position, on the return to battery puts
the pawls in condition for holding fast the gun in the loading position. In other
respects the constructions are the same.
The working of the single gun provided with the loading device described in the
first instance, is as follows-
After the same preparatory operations have been carried out as in the twin-gun,
the valve of the brake is opened and the gun returns to the firing position. In the
meanwhile the breech closure is closed and the catches 20 catch the rod of the
loading accumulator A. The gun is fired, it recoils and compresses the two
accumulators A and A¹. As soon as the gun passes the loading position, a pressure-
arm of the upper gun carriage raises the pawl, for holding fast the gun at its return.
In the same manner as in the twin-gun, the ammunition drum is rotated and the
loading mechanism is caught by the rod v, shortly before the gun, under the
reaction of the buffer, has again reached the loading position, where it is held fast
by the pawls, the catches 20 on the rod of the loading accumulator are disengaged
by the lugs 27 of the lower gun carriage. The loading accumulator is set free and
relaxed, and it actuates the loading mechanism. The latter is disengaged from the
loading accumulator shortly before this accumulator is completely relaxed, but after
the loading operation has been finished, and it moves back again. At the same

page_text: time a pressure-arm fastened to the loading accumulator strikes down the pawls
holding fast the gun in the loading position, so that the gun can return to the firing
position as soon as the valve of the return brakes has been opened. In this manner
the movements of the single gun are repeated as often as desired.
A SINGLE GUN PROVIDED WITH A LOADING DEVICE CONSTRUCTED ACCORDING TO
FIGURES 31-34.
If the loading device represented in the Figures 31-34 is to be applied to a
single gun, nothing will be altered in the general arrangement above described. The
driving rope 15 actuating the upper outer driving wheel 13, and in consequence
thereof the cartridge trough is coupled directly to the loading accumulator of the
single gun in lieu of to the second pressure-arm in the twin-gun. As soon as this
loading accumulator is relaxed, the lever pair P and Po and the cartridge trough
will be raised.
Under the same conditions as described on page 38 etc. the third driving rope 17
acting on wheel 18, is also connected to the loading accumulator, so that, when the
latter is relaxed, the cartridge will be introduced in proper time into the chamber
of the bore.
The working of the single gun provided with this loading device, is diagrammatically
shewn in Figure 39; this figure explains the several steps of serving a single gun,
as they are illustrated with respect to the twin-guns in Figure 35. The accumulators
are arranged here in such a manner, that by the recoil of the gun only the
accumulator returning the gun to the firing position will be compressed. By the
relaxation of the latter accumulator not only is the gun moved into its firing position,
but the loading accumulator is also compressed. This is effected by passing the
driving rope 16 attached to the gun carriage rearward from below over the driving
wheel 14 and hence forward for engaging the rod of the loading accumulator
arranged laterally in the fore frame box. From the rod of the latter the driving
ropes 15 and 17 pass in the same manner to the driving wheels 13 and 18 as above
described with respect to the twin guns. The same construction of catches which
has been described for the single gun with reference to Figures 37-38° (with the
modification however, that the lug 27 is arranged on the upper gun carriage in lieu
of on the lower gun carriage, while the catch 20 is secured to the lower gun carriage
in lieu of to the upper gun carriage), holds the loading accumulator in a compressed
condition until the recoil has been finished. The rod of the relaxing loading
accumulator puts by means of the ropes 15 and 17 the driving wheels 13 and 18 in
rotation and thus operates the loading. By the end movement of the loading
accumulator the pawls sp of the gun-carriage are disengaged, as above explained,
whereupon the latter compresses by the return movement to firing position by means
of the rope 16 the loading accumulator, while at the same time the wheel 14 is
rotated and the levers P P with the cartridge trough M° and the rammer lever N
are lowered, and by a pressure exerted on the lever extension 8 of the ammunition
truck a fresh cartridge is placed upon the trough Mo.
This position of the gun is shewn in position I of Figure 39; in position II the
gun has been fired and it has performed its recoil, the rope 16 hangs down in a slack
condition; by the end movement of the recoil the pawl of the loading accumulator is
disengaged and the loading accumulator is relaxed (position III.), by means of the
ropes 15 and 17 it rotates the driving discs 13 and 18 whereby the gun is loaded and
the driving rope 16 drawn tight. Position IV shews the gun again in the position 1
above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In combination with a gun, two independent accumulators adapted to be
compressed by the recoil, the one of which effects, after the recoil is terminated, the

page_text: loading of the gun, and the other returns the gun, after the loading operation is
completed, to firing position, substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of the arrangements set forth in the first claim with twin guns
in such a manner that the one gun is connected to the one accumulator and the other
gun to the other accumulator and that each accumulator returns its own gun to firing
position and effects at the same time the loading of the other gun, substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. For a gun operating as set forth in Claim 1, controlling the release of the two
accumulators in such a manner that shortly before the gun reaches its loading rest
position, rotatable catches 20 holding fast the rod of the loading accumulator are raised
by projections 27 on the lower gun carriage (Fig. 38) whereupon the loading
accumulator A¹ actuates the loading lever and strikes down at the end of its release
the pawls preventing the gun from returning to firing position, while at the end of
the return movement of the gun to firing position the said loading accumulator is
brought back again under the control of the upper gun carriage by the catches falling
down again and placing themselves in front of the shoulders 24 of the rod of the
accumulator (see Fig. 38").
4. For twin guns operating as set forth in Claim 2 arranging the accumulator of
each gun to actuate the loading mechanism of the other by means of pressure
arms p p arranged preferably on the sides facing each other of the two upper gun
carriages D, and forming a connection between the upper gun carriage D of one gun
and the rod v2 of the loading mechanism of the other gun (Figs. 2, 5.) substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
5. Coupling the accumulator system A. a (Figs. 2, 3) which is under the control of
the upper gun carriage D and moveable in the under gun carriage C, with the piston k
of a hydropneumatic buffer B which in its rest position is under pressure so that,
after the accumulator has been compressed the excess of the recoil power is taken up
by this buffer and is used to advance the gun having its accumulator compressed into
the loading rest position, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
6. The arrangement of pawls sp (Figs. 6, 19) pivotted on the lower gun carriage so
as to be raised by the recoiling upper gun carriage into a position to lock the upper
gun carriage when advanced by the buffer, and in the case of twin guns those of the
one gun to be disengaged by the recoil of the upper gun carriage of the other gun
(Figs. 2, 2) substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
7. In the loading mechanism Figs. 2 and 4, the loading lever P on shaft w
supported in the lower gun carriage and actuating by means of guides st-g the loader u
in a horizontal direction, the said loading levers carrying an adjustable nose v worked
by the rod of the accumulator actuating the loading device by means of a cam v¹ in
such a manner, that after the cartridge has been introduced into the gun, the
connection between the rod and the loading lever is disengaged and the loading levers
under the action of the counter-weight and springs are returned automatically to their
primary position, see Figs. 13, 16, substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
8. The coupling of the accumulator system or of the upper gun carriage with
hydraulic brakes, the two brake cylinders b of which are connected with each other by
a pipe arranged in the liquid receiver c and provided with a valve e by which the
cross section of the orifice of the exit is controlled, so that the gunner can control the
described with reference to
velocity of firing, see Figs. 3 and 4, substantially as
the accompanying drawings.
9. Actuating the vertically moving wedge-closure of the gun in such a way, that
arc-shaped or radial closure-rails, connected on the one hand with the accumulator
which returns the gun to the firing position and on the other hand with the closure, work
the closing mechanism only during the longitudinal displacement and independently
of the vertical turning of the gun in such a manner, that on the beginning of the
recoil or at the end of the return of the gun to firing position the movement of the
E

page_text: rail causes a loss of time, so that the closure is opened only after a part of the recoil
has already been effected, and is completely closed before the return of the gun to
firing position has been completed, see Figs. 2, 10, 12, substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
10. Guiding the toothed arc of the pointing device in the accumulator casing A.
.11. The modified arrangement of the loading mechanism, comprising the
levers P P arranged to raise a cartridge plate M° and cartridge up to the breech of
the gun, a lever-arm N° with its rammer-piston arranged then to push the cartridge
into the gun, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
12. For automatic supply of ammunition a cartridge waggon running upon a track
up to the gun platform the said waggon having an inclined floor carrying the cartridge
and provided with stops acted on by the cartridge plate in such manner that only one
cartridge is fed on to the plate at a time, substantially as described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
13. The pointing mechanism for twin guns worked by a common hand-wheel R,
see Fig. 1, 4, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
ليوم
1008