Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 6th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 24th Feb., 1888
We, ALEXANDER MONCRIEFF of No. 15 Vicarage Gates Kensington, Colonel and
WILLIAM ANDERSON of 3 Whitehall Place, Engineer both in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the construction and arrangement of apparatus for mounting
and working guns on what is known as the Moncrieff or disappearing system, that is
to say guns which by the recoil on firing are caused to move backwards and down-
wards into a sheltered position, the force of the recoil being more or less resisted
hydropneumatically, and their resistance being preferably stored as a force which is
utilised in raising and advancing the gun again to firing position.
We will describe apparatus according to our invention for the mounting and working
of a heavy breech loading gun in a fort or battery. We form the carriage of two
strong iron or steel parallel girders secured by cross ties and provided with a central
pivot and with rollers or trucks which travel on circular rails. For training the gun
we cither cause these trucks to turn by suitable gear or we employ a toothed circular
rack either stationary or fixed on the carriage and act on it by gearing which may be
driven by hand by winch handles, or it may be worked by a hydraulic or other
engine.
In bearings formed in the girders near their middle we mount a rocking shaft
extending across the carriage, and on this shaft we fix a pair of bent levers having
long arms extending upwards and terminating in bearings for the trunnions of the
gun, and having short arms which are linked to the plunger of a hydraulic cylinder
placed horizontally or nearly so between the girders. There may be two such hydraulic
cylinders having their plungers linked to the lever arnis. In either case the plunger
is made hollow having at the bottom a spherical seating to receive the spherical end
of the link, and the inner end of the plunger is increased slightly in diameter so as to
form a piston which works along the body of the cylinder, while the plunger works
through packing at the mouth of the cylinder. The annular space in front of the
piston communicates by passages through the piston with the space behind it.
From the cylinder there are two passages to a compressed air vessel or to a pair of

page_text: these situated above the cylinder. The one passage from near the bottom of the
cylinder is provided with spring loaded check valves the rise of which can be adjusted
so as to throttle more or less the passage, which is so situated that the piston passing
over it towards the end of its stroke throttles it and gradually brings the gun to rest.
The other passage from the cylinder is provided with a screw stop valve that can be
opened or closed by hand; the opening of this passage into the cylinder is in such a
position that it is gradually covered by the piston as it approaches the extreme of its
outstroke. When the gun is fired the recoil movement is communicated to the plunger
of the hydraulic cylinder which forces the liquid from the cylinder through the loaded
check valves into the air vessel, the pressure in the vessel and the resistance to the
liquid in passing the valves moderating and finally arresting the recoil when the gun
has attained its lowest position. When it is desired to fire the gun again, the screw
valve is opened and then the pressure in the air vessel causes the liquid to return to
the cylinder forcing out the plunger and so raising the gun to its elevated position.
As the plunger approaches the end of its outstroke the piston throttles the ingress
of the liquid into the cylinder and thus the gun is stopped in its ascent. To provide
against the
gun moving too far either down or up, buffers are provided to arrest it at
each end of its stroke.
On the carriage we arrange pumps for charging the air vessels with air or water,
those for the air being preferably of the differential kind compressing by stages. The
water pumps have valves or cocks so arranged that liquid can be drawn from the air
vessels and forced into the cylinder so as to raise the gun, or can be drawn from the
cylinder and forced into the air vessels so as to lower the gun. In cases where there
is an extraneous supply of water under pressure, the air vessels may be dispensed with,
the resistance to recoil being obtained merely by throttling the escape of the liquid
from the cylinder, and the gun being raised by admitting water under pressure into
the cylinder.
For determining the elevation of the gun, elevating bars or links descend from a
pair of trunnions which may be in front of the main trunnions, or behind them and
near the breech. These bars are jointed to slides that can be raised or lowered to an
extent indicated on a graduated scale, so as to determine the greater or less elevation
of the gun when it is in its firing position, these slides being so arranged that the gun
always descends to the same position for loading.
For loading heavy guns, we provide a truck running on a railway behind the gun
carriage, this truck having arranged on it a crane for lifting charges, a flexible rammer
and shelves for carrying the charges. When the gun is down and the breech opened,
the truck being run into proper position, first the projectile and then the charge is
pushed into the bore by the flexible rammer, the barrel of which is worked by a winch
handle, a fly wheel being provided to give momentum for ramming the charge home.
The space behind the gun into which the ammunition truck is run for loading is
covered by a shield, on the face of which there are steps by which a gunner can ascend
to the breech of the gun when it is in its firing position. The whole of the space
occupied by the gun and its carriage may be covered by a roof shield supported on the
carriage, this roof having through it an opening through which the gun can ascend;
and this opening may be provided with shutters.
D
1
++
110077
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Mounting and Working Disappearing Guns.
We, ALEXANDER MONCRIEFF of No. 15 Vicarage Gate, Kensington, Colonel and
WILLIAM ANDERSON of 3 Whitehall Place Engineer both in the County of Middlesex
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:-
Our invention relates to the construction and arrangement of apparatus for mounting
and working guns on what is known as the Moncrieff or disappearing system, that is
to say, guns which by the recoil on firing are caused to move backwards and down-
wards into a sheltered position, the force of the recoil being more or less restricted
hydropneumatically and preferably stored as a force which may be utilised in raising
and advancing the gun again to firing position.
We will describe apparatus according to our invention for the mounting and working
of a heavy breech loading gun in a fort or battery, referring to the accompanying
drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a side view Fig. 2 is a plan and Fig. 3 a sectional end
view Fig. 4 is a part section shewing a modification of the central bearing. We form
the carriage of two strong iron or steel parallel girders A secured by cross ties and
provided with a central pivot B and with carriages C having rollers or trucks E which
ravel on circular rails D. The central pivot. B is covered by a cap U secured to the
framing by bolts which act as suspenders of great part of the weight, or, according to
the modification shewn by Fig. 4, the principal part of the weight may be supported
on rollers. For training the gun, we either cause the trucks E to turn by suitable
gear, or we employ a toothed circular rack T either stationary on the foundation or
attached to the carriage and acted on by gearing S, which may be driven manually by
winch handles as shown, or it may be worked by a hydraulic or other engine.
In bearings formed in the girders near their middle we mount a rocking shaft F
extending across the carriage, and on this shaft we fix a pair of bent levers G having
long arms extending upwards and terminating in bearings for the trunnions of the
gun, and having short arms which are linked to the plunger of a hydraulic cylinder
placed horizontally or nearly so between the girders. As shewn in the drawings, there
may be two such hydraulic cylinders I having their plungers linked to the short lever
arms. In either case the plunger is made hollow having at the bottom a spherical
seating to receive the spherical end of the link H and the inner end of the plunger is
increased slightly in diameter so as to form a piston which works along the body of
the cylinder 1, while the plunger works through packing at the mouth of the cylinder.
The annular space in front of the piston communicates by passages through the piston.
with the space behind it.
From the cylinders there are passages to a pair of compressed air vessels J situated

page_text: above the cylinders. The passages from near the outer ends of the cylinders to the
air vessels are provided with spring loaded check valves K the rise of which can be
adjusted, so as to throttle more or less the passages, which are so situated that the
pistons, at the end of their instroke, cover them and the throttling of the passages for
the liquid gradually brings the recoiling gun to rest. The other passages M from
near the mouths of the cylinders are also connected to the air vessels by a passage
provided with a screw stop valve N which can be opened or closed by hand: the
openings of these passages into the cylinders are in such a position that they are
gradually covered by the piston as it approaches the extreme of its outstroke. When
the gun is in firing position the cylinders I and the lower parts of the air vessels J are
full of water or other suitable liquid, the air vessels containing air compressed to a
degree sufficient to furnish the pressure necessary for raising the gun.
When the gun is fired, the recoil movement is communicated to the plungers of the
hydraulic cylinders which force the liquid from the cylinders through the loaded check
valves K into the air vessels; the pressure in the vessels and the resistance to the
liquid in passing the valves gradually absorb and finally arrest the recoil; and, when
the gun has attained its lowest position, the closing of the check valves retains it there.
When it is desired to fire the gun again, the screw valve N is opened and then the
pressure in the air vessels causes the liquid to return to the cylinders entering by
the ports M the annular spaces, passing through the pistons to the front ends of the
cylinders forcing out the plungers and so raising the gun to its elevated position.
As the plungers approach the end of their outstrokes the pistons throttle the ingress
of the liquid into the cylinders and thus the gun is stopped gradually in its ascent.
To guard against the gun moving too far either down or up, buffers are provided to
arrest it at each end of its stroke.
On the carriage we arrange pumps O and P worked by winches Q for charging the
air vessels with air or water, those for the air being preferably of the differential kind
compressing by stages. The water pumps have valves or cocks so arranged that liquid
can be pumped into the air vessels from without or can be drawn from the cylinder
and forced into the air vessels so as to lower the gun without firing it. In cases where
there is an extraneous supply of water under pressure, the air vessels may be dispensed
with, the resistance to recoil being obtained merely by throttling the escape of the
liquid from the cylinder, and the gun being raised by admitting a fresh supply of
water under pressure into the cylinders.
Although we have shewn in the drawings two cylinders I and two air vessels J,
obviously there might be a simple cylinder and air vessel arranged to operate as
described.
For determining the elevation of the gun, elevating bars or links Y descend from a
pair of trunnions which may be in front of the main trunnions, or, as shewn in the
drawings, behind them and near the breech. These bars are jointed to a cross shaft X
having at its ends curved racks V which work in guides and can be raised or lowered
by gearing from a hand wheel W to an extent indicated on a graduated scale, so as to
determine the greater or less elevation of the gun when it is in its firing position
these guides being so arranged that the gun always descends to the same position for
loading.
For loading heavy guns we provide a truck 9 running on a railway 10 behind the
gun carriage, this truck having arranged on it a crane 12 for lifting the projectiles
and charges, a flexible rammer and a shelf for carrying the projectiles and charges
When the gun is down and the breech opened, the truck being run into prope
position, first the projectile and then the charge is pushed into the bore by the
rammer, the barrel of which is worked by a winch handle, a fly wheel being provided
to give momentum for ramming the projectile home. The space behind the gun int
which the ammunition truck is run for loading is covered by a shield 15 on the fac
of which there are steps by which a gunner can ascend to the breech of the gun whe
it is in its firing position. The whole of the space occupied by the gun and its carriag
may be covered by a roof or shield having an opening through which the gun ca
ascend, and this opening may be provided with shutters.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim, in respect
of apparatus for mounting and working disappearing guns, is :-
1. The carriage consisting of two longitudinal girders with cross ties arranged to
turn on a central pivot, and roll on a circular rail and two bent levers rocking on a
transverse shaft carried by these girders, the long arms of the levers carrying the
trunnions of the gun and the short arms being connected to plungers of hydro
pneumatic cylinders which, with the air vessels, are mounted on the carriage,
substantially as described.
2. For charging disappearing breech loading guns a truck running on a circular
rail around the carriage and provided with a flexible rammer and crane arranged and
operating substantially as described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.