Improvements in Apparatus for Mounting Ordnance.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mounting Ordnance.
I WILLIAM HENRY MORGAN, of Alliance, in the County of Stark and State
of Ohio, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improvement in mortar-mountings, and is designed
more particularly as an improvement on the devices wherein the recoil of the gun
forces fluid contained in hydraulic cylinders carried by the carriage down into a
cylinder below the carriage, whereby the carriage is elevated and the force of
energy of the recoil stored for elevating the gun. Water being practically incom-
pressible, it will not when properly housed yield to pressure, and hence may prove
too rigid and unyielding under the first shock of the recoil and before it begins to
escape from the cylinders carried by the carriage, and to obviate this objection I
provide air chambers in communication with one of the cylinders into which the
fluid can escape from said cylinder under the first shock of the recoil.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a view in section of a gun-carriage and gun, showing my improve-
ments in section; and Figures 2, 3, and 4 are detail views of modified forms.
A represents a carriage normally resting on the flange B₁ of the ring B and
provided with upwardly projecting castings or sections C, having machined slide-
The boxes a are
ways in which boxes a, carrying the trunnions of the gun, move.
connected to the upper ends of the plungers D, which latter move in cylinders
carried by the carriage.
These cylinders D₁ are connected by pipes with a
cylinder E, located below the carriage, and the water or other fluid as it is acted
upon by the movement of the plungers, caused by the recoil of the gun, is forced
from the cylinders on the carriage into the cylinder under the carriage and there,
acting on the plunger F, operates to elevate the carriage A. Now by opening
communication between the lower cylinder and the upper cylinders the weight of
the carriage, which is greater than that of the gun, will expel the liquid from
the lower cylinder and force it into the upper cylinders, thereby permitting the
carriage to descend to its normal position, and elevate the gun to its position for
firing.
The improvements relate solely to the construction of the lower cylinder and its
plunger. In Fig. 1 the plunger F is shown mounted on a base-plate G³, which
latter is provided with an opening for the plunger and with an upwardly projecting
bearing or seat concaved on its upper face for the reception of the outwardly
projecting flange G₁ of plunger F. The lower face of this flange is convex or
curved so as to have a loose fit on the seat of the base-plate, and thereby
accommodate itself to shocks and jars to which the carriage is subjected. The
plunger F is provided with an enlarged lower end, within which is found an air-
chamber a, into which the fluid passage-way in plunger F terminates. This fluid
passage-way extends through the plunger, and is in open communication with
cylinder E carried by the carriage, and hence it follows that the fluid, as it enters
cylinder E and before it begins to elevate said cylinder and carriage, passes down
said fluid passage-way b and into the air-chamber. The fluid passage-way or
bore b terminates near the lower end of the air-chamber. Consequently under
ordinary conditions the portion of air-chamber b above the lower end of bore b is
an air-space, while the lower end or floor of the chamber up to a line with or
slightly above the bore bis constantly filled with the fluid. Thus it will be seen
that the instant fluid is forced from the upper cylinders or the cylinders
carriage into the lower cylinder by the recoil of the gun the fluid first forced into
on the

page_text: the lower cylinder operates to compress the air in the air-chamber, and thus give
time for the carriage to recover from the shock. After the air has been compressed
to its limit the fluid then entering naturally elevates the carriage; but the move-
ment is gradual in comparison to what it would be were no provision made for
increasing the space to receive the fluid first forced into the lower cylinder. After
the carriage has been elevated its excess of weight over and above the gun
is
utilized in forcing the water in the lower cylinder back into the upper cylinders,
thus permitting the carriage to descend and at the same time elevating the gun.
The construction disclosed in Fig. 2 differs from Fig. 1 only in making the
plunger and base-plate integral, instead of loosely, as in Fig. 1.
In Fig. 3 I have shown the parts of figure reversed, the plunger in this instante
being attached to the carriage and the cylinder seated on the base plate, so as to
accommodate itself to jars or shocks of the carriage. In this construction the
cylinder is provided with a preferably circular chamber or cavity a', which is in
direct communication with the cylinder by a series of passage-ways a². Thus it
will be seen that as the fluid enters the cylinder it rises in the passage-ways a² and
compresses the air in chamber a¹. Instead of making the base and cylinder of two
parts, they can be made integral.
In Fig. 4 I have shown the cylinder attached to the carriage and an air chamber
in the cylinder, or rather in the carriage, with passage-ways leading thereto, as in
Fig. 3.
I do not claim, broadly, in this Specification devices so arranged that the recoil
of the gun forces fluid contained in hydraulic cylinders carried by the carriage
down into a cylinder below the carriage, whereby the carriage is elevated and the
force of energy of the recoil stored for elevating the gun, but claim the above
devices when combined with an air-chamber.
It is evident that numerous changes in this construction and relative arrangement
of the several parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and
scope of my invention. Hence I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact construction shown and described, but consider myself at liberty
to make such changes as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.
Dated this 26th day of September 1892.
HERBERT & CO.,
Agents to Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mounting Ordnance.
I WILLIAM HENRY MORGAN of Alliance, in the County of Stark, and State
of Ohio, United States of America, Manufacturer 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 an improvement in mortar mountings, and is designed
more particularly as an improvement on the devices wherein the recoil of the gun
forces fluid contained in hydraulic cylinders, carried by the carriage, down into
a cylinder below the carriage, whereby the carriage is elevated and the force of
energy of the recoil stored for elevating the gun.
Water being practically incompressible, it will not when properly housed yield
to pressure and hence may prove too rigid and unyielding under the first shock of
the recoil and before it begins to escape from the cylinders carried by the carriage,
and to obviate this objection I provide air chambers in communication with one of
the cylinders into which the fluid can escape from said cylinder under the first
shock of the recoil.
My invention consists in the parts and combinations of parts as will be more
fully described and pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings left with the Provisional Specification Fig. 1 is a view in section

page_text: of a gun carriage and gun, showing my improvements in section, and Figs. 2. 3
and 4 are detail views of modified forms.
A represents a carriage normally resting on the flange B₁ of the ring B and
provided with upwardly projecting castings or sections having machined slide-
ways in which boxes a. carrying the trunnions of the gan move. The boxes a are
connected to the upper ends of the plungers D which latter move in cylinders
carried by the carriage.
These cylinders D₁ are connected by pipes with a cylinder E located below
the carriage, and the water or other fluid as it is acted upon by the movement of
the plungers, caused by the recoil of the gun, is forced from the cylinders on the
carriage into the cylinder under the carriage, and there acting on the plunger F,
operates to elevate the carriage A. Now by opening communication between the
lower cylinder and the upper cylinders, the weight of the carriage, which is greater
than that of the gun, will expel the liquid from the lower cylinder and force it into
the upper cylinders, thereby permitting the carriage to descend to its normal
position, and elevate the gun to its position for firing.
The improvements claimed in this Specification relate solely to the construction
of the lower cylinder and its plunger. In Fig. 1 the plunger is shown mounted
on a base plate G³, which latter provided with an opening for the plunger, and
with an upwardly projecting bearing or seat concaved on its upper face for the
reception of the outwardly projecting flange G of plunger F. The lower face of
this flange is convex or curved so as to have a loose fit on the seat of the base
plate, and thereby accommodate itself to shocks and jars to which the carriage
is subjected. The plunger F is provided with an enlarged lower end within
which is found an air chamber a into which the fluid passage way in plunger F
terminates. This fluid passage way extends through the plunger, and is in open
communication with cylinder E carried by the carriage, and hence it follows that
the fluid, as it enters cylinder E and before it begins to elevate said cylinder
and carriage, passes down said fluid passage way and into the air chamber.
The fluid passage way or bore terminates near the lower end of the air chamber.
Consequently under ordinary conditions the portion of air chamber 6 above the
lower end of bore is an air space, while the lower end or floor of the chamber
up to a line with or slightly above the bore b is constantly filled with the fluid.
Thus it will be seen that the instant fluid is forced from the upper cylinders or
the cylinders on the carriage into the lower cylinder by the recoil of the gun,
the fluid first forced into the lower cylinder operates to compress the air in the
air chamber, and thus give time for the carriage to recover from the shock.
After the air has been compressed to its limit the fluid then entering, naturally
elevates the carriage, but the movement is gradual in comparison to what it
would be were no provision made for increasing the space to receive the fluid
first forced into the lower cylinder. After the carriage has been elevated, its
excess of weight over and above the gun is utilized in forcing the water in the
lower cylinder back into the upper cylinders, thus permitting the carriage to
descend, at the same time elevating the gun.
The construction disclosed in Fig. 2 differs from Fig. 1 only in making the
plunger and base plate integral, instead of loosely as in Fig. 1.
In Fig. 3 I have shown the parts of figure reversed, the plunger in this instance
being attached to the carriage and the cylinder seated on the base plate, so as to
accommodate itself to jars or shocks of the carriage. In this construction the
cylinder is provided with a preferably circular chamber or cavity a¹ which is in
direct communication with the cylinder by a series of passage ways a². Thus it
will be seen that as the fluid enters the cylinder it rises in the passage ways a² and
compresses the air in chamber al. Instead of making the base and cylinder of two
parts, they can be made integral.
In Fig. 41 have shewn the cylinder attached to the carriage and an air chamber
in the cylinder, or rather in the carriage, with passage ways, leading thereto, as in
Fig. 3.

page_text: I do not claim broadly in this Specification devices so arranged that the recoil
of the gun forces fluid contained in hydraulic cylinders carried by the carriage
down into a cylinder below the carriage, whereby the carriage is elevated and the
force of energy of the recoil stored for elevating the gun, but claim the above
devices when combined with an air chamber.
It is evident that numerous changes in this construction and relative arrange-
ment of the several parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit
and scope of my invention. Hence I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the exact construction shown and described, but consider myself
at liberty to make such changes as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my
invention.
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. The combination, with a gun carriage and hydraulic devices thereon adapted
to yield under the recoil of a cylinder and plunger for elevating the carriage,
pipes leading from the hydraulic devices on the carriage to the cylinder below the
carriage, and an air chamber in open communication with said cylinder substan-
tially as set forth.
2. The combination with a gun carriage and hydraulic devices thereon, adapted
to yield under the recoil, of a cylinder and plunger below the cylinder, pipes leading
from the hydraulic devices on the carriage to the cylinder below the carriage, an
air chamber and fluid passage ways leading from the cylinder below the carriage to
the air chamber, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a gun carriage and hydraulic devices thereon, adapted
to yield under the recoil, of a cylinder below the carriage and connected thereto,
and a stationary plunger fitting said cylinder and provided with an air chamber and
with a bore or passage way leading from its inner end to said chamber substantially
as set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1892
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.