Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, -1837
Complete Left, 2nd Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th Apr., 1888
We, ANDREW NOBLE, a Companion of the Bath, late Captain in the Royal
Artillery, of Jesmonddene House, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer
and CHARLES HENRY MURRAY of the Elswick Works Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In all the usual methods of making the gun disappear when fired, the descent of
the gun takes place during the recoil, we propose a method on which the gun can be
allowed to expend its recoil first and then descend below the parapet afterwards
automatically, by the action of its own weight in running out. To do this we employ
an ordinary gun carrriage preferably fitted with the well known Vavasseur recoil
presses in order that the full recoil of the gun may be always obtained with all
charges of powder without readjustments of the recoil controlling apparatus.
This carriage we mount on an ordinary slide inclined at an angle of 10 degrees or
so, in order that it may run out after firing with sufficient force. The carriage and
slide we mount on a turntable top placed on a balanced pillar similar to that described
in the Specification of a patent applied for by one of us and numbered 7259 in the
year 1886, but with the following further improvements.
The balance weight is arranged to act on the pillar and its load through ropes or
bands passing over pullies mounted on axles as is described in that Specification but
the axles we now arrange to be free to roll on level planes, by which means the
friction is reduced to a very small fraction of the total weights in motion.
Below the carriage we fix a toothed rack which recoils with the carriage and
gears into a pinion so fitted to a shaft that it is free to revolve on the shaft when the
carriage recoils and turn the pinion without turning the shaft, but when the carriage
runs out again, immediately after recoiling, the rack and pinion then turn the shatt
and also turn a drum keyed to the shaft. A cord attached to this drum and to the
balance weight is thus wound on to the drum by the running out of the carriage, and
by it the balance weight and the gun and mounting on the pillar are drawn towards
one another, and the gun descends to its lowest position to be loaded under cover.

page_text: After the gun is loaded and when it is desired to put the gun up for firing a clutch
on the shaft enables the pinion to be set free so that the balance weight is no longer
supported by the cord and being made slightly heavier than the combined weight of
the gun, carriage, slide and pillar, it descends and pulls up the gun.
When firing at elevation it is unnecessary to let the gun go the full distance up,
so long as the muzzle of the gun is sufficiently above the parapet to enable it to fire
clear. In this case therefore the clutch can be replaced to stop the descent of the
weight at any moment when the gun is as high as is desired.
A clamp is provided to prevent the descent of the gun if desired, by stopping
the movement of the pillar until the clamp is released.
The training of the gun which when mounted on the turntable provided with live
rollers requires very little power to perform, we do by means of one or two hand
spikes fitted into hinged sockets so that when the gun is up the handspike hangs
down in a convenient position for a man to walk round with it and when the gun is
down the handspike can be hinged up so as also to be reached by the man.
If left
in place when the gun is descending the handspike will hinge out of the way when
its and strikes the ground.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1887
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Disappearing Gun Carriages.
We, ANDREW NOBLE, a Companion of the Bath, late Captain in the Royal
Artillery, of Jesmonddene House, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer
and CHARLES HENRY MURRAY of the Elswick Works, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
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 :-
In all the usual methods of making the gun disappear when fired, the descent of
the gun takes place during the recoil, we propose a method on which the gun can be
allowed to expend its recoil first and then descend below the parapet afterwards
automatically, by the action of its own weight in running out. To do this we employ
an ordinary gun carriage preferably fitted with the well known Vavasseur recoil
pressos in order that the full recoil of the gun may be always obtained with all charges
of powder without readjustments of the recoil controlling apparatus.
This carriage we mount on an ordinary slide inclined at an angle of 10 (degrees)
or so, in order that it may run out after firing with sufficient force. The carriage
and slide we mount on a turntable top placed on a balanced pillar similar to that
described in the specification of a patent applied for by one of us and numbered
7259 in the year 1886 but with the following further improvements.
The balance weight is arranged to act on the pillar and its load through ropes or
bands passing over pullies mounted on axles, the axles we arrange to be free to roll
on level planes, by which means the friction is reduced to a very small fraction of the
total weights in motion.
Below the carriage we fix a toothed rack which recoils with the carriage and
gears into a pinion so fitted to a shaft that it is free to revolve on the shaft when the
carriage recoils and turn the pinion without turning the shaft, but when the carriage
runs out again, immediately after recoiling the rack and pinion then turn the shaft
and also turn a drum keyed to the shaft. A cord attached to this drum and to the
balance weight is thus wound on to the drum by the running out of the carriage, and
by it the balance weight and the gun and mounting on the pillar are drawn towards
one another, and the gun descends to its lowest position to be loaded under cover.
After the gun is loaded and when it is desired to put the gun up for firing, a
clutch on the shaft enables the pinion to be set free so that the balance weight is no
longer supported by the cord and being made slightly heavier than the combined
weight of the gun, carriage, slide and pillar, it descends and pulls up the gun.
When firing at elevation it is unnecessary to let the gun go the full distance up, so
long as the muzzle of the gun is sufficiently above the parapet to enable it to fire
clear. In this case therefore the clutch can be replaced to stop the descent of tho
weight at any moment when the gun is as high as is desired.
A clamp is provided to prevent the descent of the gun if desired, by stopping the
movement of the pillar until the clamp is released.
The training of the gun which when mounted on the turntable provided with live
rollers requires very little power to perform, we do by means of one or two hand-
spikes fitted into hinged sockets .so that when the gun is up the handspike hangs
down in a convenient position for a man to walk round with it and when the gun is
down the handspike can be hinged up so as also to be reached by the man. If left

page_text: in place when the gun is descending the handspike will hinge out of the way when
its end strikes the ground.
In order that our said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 of the drawings is an elevation partly in section and shows a gun
carriage or mounting arranged in accordance with our invention. Figures 2, 3 and 4
are details of the ratchet gear shown to a larger scale. In these figures A is a
foundation cylinder fixed in the ground below the level of the floor of the gun pit.
The cylinder A contains the pillar B which slides in it a free fit. C is an inner
cylinder used to support the level planes D on which the axles E of pullies F rest.
GG are belts or cords of which there are 4 or more each attached at one end by a
spring connection to the counterweight II and at the other end attached to the
pillar B.
J is a toothed rack fixed to the underside of that portion of the gun carriage or
mounting which recoils with the gun. The rack J gears into the pinion K which it
carries round free on the shaft L, during the recoil of the gun. M M are ratchets
which carry the shaft and drum round with the pinion, when the rack moves in the
reverse direction. N is a drum to which the cord is attached for hauling up the
counterweight H and lowering the cylinder B. P is a clutch on the shaft L which is
thrown out of gear to disconnect the shaft from the pinion K when it is desired to
let the weight descend and raise the gun and mounting. Q is the handspike used
for training and mounting.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a gun carriage or mounting in which the gun is supported upon a balanced
pillar, we claim coupling the gun and the balance weight by gear such that these
parts can be connected and disconnected substantially as described and such that the
gun in running out whilst the parts are connected may haul up the balance weight;
whilst afterwards, when disconnected, the balance weight may descend and raise the
pillar with the gun upon it.
2. In a disappearing gun carriage or mounting we claim the combination of
apparatus substantially as described consisting of rack, pinion, ratchets, drum, and
other gear serving to couple the gun with the balance weight.
3. In a disappearing gun carriage or mounting we claim the mechanism connecting
the pillar and the balance weight substantially as described consisting of pulleys with
axes supported and rolling on planes and cords attached to the pillar and balance
weight and passing over the said pulleys.
4. The general arrangement of a gun carriage or mounting substantially as
described and consisting of a gun mounted on a carriage and slide revolving on a
live roller ring on the top of a pillar, balanced by a counterweight hung on ropes
passing over pulleys and fitted with mechanism by which the gun in running out
doscends and lifts a weight sufficiently heavy when set free to hoist the loaded gun
into firing position again.
Dated this 24th day of January 1988