Improvements in Limbers and their Appliances for Field Artillery.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 27th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 27th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Limbers and their Appliances for Field Artillery.
I, THOMAS ENGLISH, of Hawley, near Dartford, in the County of Kent, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :
My invention relates to limbers for conveying ammunition for field guns and to
appliances employed therewith. 1 divide the wooden box of the limber by horizontal
and vertical wooden partitions into a number of square compartments each suited to
hold a case containing a charge of explosive and a projectile, and also into a number
of other rectangular compartments for holding fuses and firing tubes.
.
All these compartments are open to the rear, and they are all closed by a door or
lid hinged to the box at its lower edge, so that when this is lowered to a horizontal
position, in which it is held by chains or otherwise, access is given to all the
compartments. For each of the square compartments is provided a cylindrical
case of sheet metal divided by a transverse partition into two compartments. The
rear compartment holds a cartridge containing the charge of explosive, and the rear
end or mouth of this compartment is closed by a removeable leather cap secured to
the case by a strap. The front compartment which is of less diameter contains the
projectile and is of shape corresponding to it, but open on one side.
The angles of the compartments of the box are filled in with cork or other elastic
material so as nearly to fit the ammunition cases and to deaden the shocks to which
they would otherwise be subjected. When a breech loading gun has to be charged,
one of the cases is removed from the box and carried to the gun; the projectile is
taken out of the front compartment and introduced into the bore, then the mouth
of the case is opened and the cartridge is taken out and introduced into the chamber
of the gun behind the projectile. The empty case is then taken back to the rear of
the limber and replaced in any of the square compartments which may be empty.
The rectangular compartments are filled with trays containing fuses and firing
tubes.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Limbers and their Appliances for Field Artillery.
1. THOMAS ENGLISH of Hawley, near Dartford, in the County of Kent, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to limbers for conveying ammunition for field guns and howitzers
and to appliances employed therewith as I shall describe referring to the accompanying
drawings.
.
Fig. 1 is a back view and Fig 2 is a side view of the box of the limber.
Fig. 3 is a side view, Fig. 4 is a plan, Fig. 5 is a rear end view, and Fig. 6 a front
end view of the ammunition case.
I divide the wooden box A of the limber by horizontal and vertical wooden
partitions into a number of square compartments B, each suited to hold a case
containing a charge of explosive, and a projectile and also into other rectangular
compartments C for holding fuzes and firing tubes.
All these compartments are open to the rear, and they are all closed by a door or
lid D hinged to the box at its lower edge, so that when this is lowered to a horizontal

page_text: position, in which it is held by chains or otherwise, as shewn in Fig. 2, access is given
to all the compartments. For each of the square compartments B is provided a
cylindrical case E F of sheet metal divided by a transverse partition into two
compartments E and F. The rear compartment E holds a cartridge containing the
charge of explosive, and the rear end or mouth of this compartment is closed by a
removable leather cap G secured to the case by a strap H. The front com-
partment F, which is of less diameter, contains the projectile and is of shape
corresponding to it, but open on one side.
The angles of the compartments B of the box are filled in with cork or other
elastic material so as nearly to fit the ammunition cases and to deaden the shocks to
which they would otherwise be subjected. When a breech loading gun has to he
charged, one of the cases E F is removed from the box and carried to the gun; the
projectile is taken out of the front compartment F and introduced into the bore, then
the mouth cap G is taken off the rear of the case and the cartridge is taken out and
introduced into the chamber of the gun behind the projectile. The empty case is then
taken back to the rear of the limber and replaced in any of the square compartments B
which may be empty.
The rectangular compartments, which may be in a drawer C, are filled with trays
containing fuzes and firing tubes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In limbers for field artillery, dividing the wooden box into a number of com-
partments accessible on folding down a hinged cover at the rear of the box, each
compartment having its angles filled with cork or equivalent material and fitted to
receive an ammunition case slid into it, substantially as described.
2. For a limber such as is above referred to, an ammunition case made in two
compartments, the front open at one side to receive a projectile, the back fitted to
receive a cartridge of explosive and covered by a cap, substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of November 1890
ADAT
0 UDAY
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.