Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1886.
Complete Left, 15th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Apr., 1887.
I, ANDREW NOBLE late Captain in the Royal Artillery, of Jesmonddene House
Newcastle-on-Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in gun mountings for disappearing
guns.
The improved mounting consists of a cylindrical pedestal within which another
cylinder is able to rise and fall, the one cylinder moving within the other telescopically
upon
the top of the moving cylinder the gun carriage and gun is mounted-the
Vavasseur pivotted carriage is very suitable for use in this way. There is also within
the pedestal a balance weight which about counterpoises the gun and carriage and
moving cylinder upon which it is supported. There are racks fixed longitudinally
within this cylinder from end to end, and there are similar racks upon the exterior of
the balance weight. Toothed wheels are also mounted within the pedestal and they
engage with these racks in such manner that as the cylinder rises the balance weight
descends and vice versa. On the gun being fired when in the raised position the
recoil is sufficient to cause it to descend and the balance weight to rise. The gun
remains down within the loading pit until it is ready to fire again and then by manual
labour, which is sufficient to overcome the friction of the moving parts, the gun is run
up again and fired.
Sometimes in place of employing toothed gearing I form a hydraulic cylinder within
the balance weight, a stationary ram passes up into this cylinder from the lower end
whilst another ram attached to the moving cylinder and of half the area of the
stationary ram enters the cylinder in the balance weight from the upper end and it is
received into a cylindrical cavity in the stationary ram. Cupped leathers are provided
to render the joints water tight. On firing the gun the ran attached to the moving
cylinder is driven in and water is thereby displaced within the balance weight, this
causes the balance weight to rise. When the gun is loaded it is as before raised by
manual labour overcoming the friction of the parts. As the gun ascends the balance
weight descends, the water previously displaced by the moving ram then returning to
the cavity in the stationary ram. The moving ram may be made to fit this cavity
sufficiently nearly to moderate the velocity with which the gun will descend on firing.
Dated this 29th day of May 1886.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gun Mountings for Disappearing Guns.
I, ANDREW NOBLE, late Captain in the Royal Artillery, of Jesmonddene House,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, Manufacturing 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 has for its object improvements in gun mountings for disappearing
guns.
The improved mounting consists of a cylindrical pedestal within which another
cylinder is able to rise and fall, the one cylinder moving within the other telescopically
upon the top of the moving cylinder the gun carriage and gun is mounted-the
Vavasseur pivotted carriage is very suitable for use in this way. There is also within
the pedestal a balance weight which about counterpoises the gun and carriage and
moving cylinder upon which it is supported. There are racks fixed longitudinally
within this cylinder from end to end and there are similar racks upon the exterior of
the balance weight. Toothed wheels are also mounted within the pedestal and they
engage with these racks in such manner that as the cylinder rises the balance weight
descends and vice versa. On the gun being fired when in the raised position the
recoil is sufficient to cause it to descend and the balance weight to rise. The gun
remains down within the loading pit until it is ready to fire again, and then by
manual labor, which is sufficient to overcome the friction of the moving parts, the gun
is run up again and fired.
Sometimes in place of employing toothed gearing I form a hydraulic cylinder
within the balance weight, a stationary ram passes up into this cylinder from the lower
end whilst another ram attached to the moving cylinder and of half the area of the
stationary ram enters the cylinder in the balance weight from the upper end and it is
received into a cylindrical cavity in the stationary ram. Cupped leathers are provided
to render the joints water tight. On firing the gun the ram attached to the moving
cylinder is driven in and water is thereby displaced within the balance weight, this
causes the balance weight to rise. When the gun is loaded it is as before raised by
manual labor overcoming the friction of the parts. As the gun ascends the balance
weight descends, the water previously displaced by the moving ram then returning to
the cavity in the stationary ram. The moving ram may be made to fit this cavity
sufficiently nearly to moderate the velocity with which the gun will descend on
firing.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: Figure 2 is an elevation partly in section of the same; the gun in this figure
is in the loading position and under cover.
Figure 3 is an elevation partly in section and shows a modification.
In both arrangements the gun carriage is mounted on a telescopic pedestal which
contains a balance weight so connected with the moveable upper part of the telescopic
pedestal that it is raised when the gun descends and descends when the gun ascends
so that the moving parts being approximately balanced are readily operated by
manual labor.
A is the gun and B is the gun carriage, it is of the Vavasseur class, and the gun in
recoiling mounts an upwardly inclined slide. The recoil is controlled by hydraulic
compressors and the gun after recoil is retained in the rearward position. C is the
balance weight, it is contained within the moveable part D of the telescopic pedestal.
On the top of the part D the gun carriage B stands. E is the stationary part of the
pedestal, it carries a light platform E on which the gunner stands to lay the gun.
In Figure 2 toothed wheels F F, the axes of which are carried by a fixed frame
within the pedestal, engage with corresponding teeth or racks on the balance weight
and on the interior of the part D and so the simultaneous movement of these parts in
opposite directions is ensured.
In Figure 3 a ram G is fixed within tlie part D and another ram H of double the
sectional area is fixed at the bottom of the pedestal. It has a cavity within it to
receive the ram G.
Both these rams enter into an hydraulic cylinder within the counterpoise C.
When the gun is fired the recoil operating partly downwards and against the rising
incline of the slide causes the gun to descend together with the carriage, and part B
of the pedestal. The ram G entering the cylinder in the weight C displaces
water and so drives the weight C upwards on the ram H expelling the ram H
from the cylinder an equal distance or to the extent necessary to provide
accommodation for the water displaced by the ram G. J J are handles upon the gun
carriage, by means of them the part D of the pedestal with the gun upon it can be
drawn up by manual labor to bring the gun to the firing position. The gun when
thus raised is run out along the slide and fired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A disappearing gun mounting substantially as described and consisting of a
telescopic pedestal and gun carriage carried on the moveable part of the pedestal and
balance weight within the pedestal so geared with the moveable part of the pedestal
that as the one rises the other descends.
2. A disappearing gun mounting consisting of a telescopic pedestal and gun carriage
carried on the moveable part of the pedestal and balance weight geared by means of
racks and wheels with the moveable part of the pedestal substantially as described in
respect to Figures 1 and 2.
3. A disappearing gun mounting consisting of a telescopic pedestal and gun
carriage carried on the moveable part of the pedestal and balance weight geared by
hydraulic apparatus with the movcable part of the pedestal substantially as described
in respect to Figure 3.
4. The disappearing gun mountings represented by the annexed drawings.