Improvements in and pertaining to Ordnance.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1898--Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and pertaining to Ordnance.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BEVANS, of 702, Seventeenth Street, N.W., in the City of
Washington, District of Columbia, Draughtsman, a Citizen of the United States,
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 follow-
ing statement:—
My invention relates to improvements in ordnance and has especial reference
to the recoil mechanism, the elevating and depressing mechanism and the training
mechanism.
The recoil mechanism consists of a recoil cylinder mounted at substantially
right angles to the axis of the gun and of operating means therefor, which arrange-
ment renders the whole construction very compact, strong and light, and as a
result the recoil is absorbed with very little jar or shock to the mount. The
elevating and depressing mechanism is located upon the upper part of the flask
and upon the parts adjacent thereto, and, by means of a simple ratchet mechanism,
can be readily and quickly operated. The training mechanism is composed of
iwo parts, one of which is mounted on the axle of the gun carriage and the
other on the foot of the trail, and both are readily operated by ratchet mechanism.
These two parts are so arranged that each supplements the action of the other,
so that the gun may be moved in a horizontal plane for a considerable distance.
Referring to the drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a section of a gun shewing my improvements, the section being taken
on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 1 is a section along the line x-x of Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my invention, the wheels of the carriage being
removed.
Fig. 3 is a detail view shewing the recoil mechanism on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of said recoil mechanism taken on the
line 44 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a side view of the recoil cylinder, with one head removed, the shaft
of the piston being shewn in section.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the recoil mechanism taken on the line 6-6
of Fig. 4.
Fig. 7 is a view, shewing the groove which is cut in the interior of the recoil
cylinder.
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ratchet and pawl mechanism used
in training the gun from side to side.
Fig. 9 is a top view of the same, partly in section.
Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of said ratchet mechanism.
Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view, shewing the form of training mechanism which
is applied to the lower end of the trail.
Fig. 12 is a side view of the same, the spade being shewn in section.
Fig. 13 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of recoil mechanism,
taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 14; and
..

page_text: best shewn in Fig. 6, and extends from the shaft d to the wall of the cylinder. At
its outer end it is provided with extensions d' which fit into corresponding grooves
in the cylinder head. Suitable nuts engage the screwthreads 65 and 66, and
packing is inserted between the enlargements b and the nuts engaging the screw-
threads 66.
The cylinder heads are shewn in Fig. 4 with portions engaging the enlarged
portions 67 on the shaft and with the nuts engaging the screwthreads 66.
Approximately the forward half of the cylinder is made solid, as shewn in Fig. 6.
A groove of a peculiar shape, as shewn in Fig. 7, is cut in the rear half of the
cylinder C for a purpose presently to be described. One side of this groove is
straight and the other side is formed by a parabolic curve.
The cylinder heads are firmly bolted to the cylinder C by bolts . This
cylinder, in practice, is filled with a suitable liquid, such as a mixture of water
and glycerine. To prevent the liquid from leaking around the shaft d when the
gun is recoiling, a flexible strip is fastened by bolts to the solid part of the
cylinder just above the shaft and between the extensions 67 upon said shaft,
the lower part resting loosely upon said shaft d and preventing the escape of liquid
around said shaft.
The cylinder C is provided with gear teeth co on the outer surface, which teeth
extend a little more than half way around said cylinder. These gear teeth mesh
with gear teeth e on the rack E which slides in ways e¹ in the frame B, as shewn
in Fig. 4. This rack is pivoted at e to a ring e shrunk upon the gun in rear
of the frame B. The cylinder and piston, together with the rack and pinion
and adjacent parts, constitute the recoil mechanism.
When the gun is fired, the shock causes it to travel backwards, carrying with
it the rack E, which, engaging the teeth on the cylinder C, causes said cylinder
to revolve. This revolution is checked by the piston D, and can only take place
as the liquid contained in the cylinder escapes past the piston through the
groove 2. Strong spiral springs Fattached to the frame B and to the cylinder C,
one on each side thereof, serve to return the gun to its normal position after firing.
As said before, this recoil cylinder is located with its axis at right angles to the
axis of the gun. This permits the use of a very short cylinder which is only
about one-tenth as long as the usual recoil cylinder and permits the weight to
be greatly reduced, a fact which is of much importance in field service, for which
my improved gun is especially designed.
I have described the recoil mechanism as mounted behind and slightly below
the axle of the carriage. This arrangement is preferable as it permits the gun
to be placed lower down, but it is obvious that the recoil mechanism might be
mounted either on the axle or in front of the same if desired.
A modification of my recoil mechanism is shewn in Figs. 13 and 14. In this
modification the rack and pinion arrangement is replaced by a chain E' fastened
to the ring and to the cylinder C. In this modification also the recoil cylinder
is mounted directly upon the axle of the gun. In both modifications the recoil
cylinder is enclosed in a sheet metal casing, shewn in Figs. 3 and 4 in dotted
lines.
The second part of my invention relates to means for elevating and depressing
the gun. On one side of the frame B are extensions G. The outer part of these
extensions is circular and perforated to form bearings for a shaft g journalled
therein. Splined on this shaft is a worm gear g¹ which meshes with the gear
teeth upon the flask. In front of the worm gear is a strong spiral spring g²
to relieve the strain upon the teeth when the gun is discharged. By operating
this worm gear, it is obvious that the gun may be elevated or depressed. This
worm gear is operated by means of a ratchet mechanism H, shewn in detail in
Fig. 10. This ratchet mechanism consists of the ratchet fastened to the worm
gear or shaft g, with a casing h¹ surrounding it. This casing is extended and
forms a handle. Running from this handle, which is perforated, is a pin h³,
the lower part or head of which h' is pointed and adapted to engage, when pressed

page_text: in said cylinder and springs connected to the casing and the cylinder to return
the gun to its normal position after firing.
12. Means for elevating and depressing a gun, consisting of a flask provided
with gear teeth, a casing supporting the gun and provided with a screwthreaded
shaft, and means for operating said shaft.
13. Means for training a gun in a horizontal plane, consisting of a Screw-
threaded axle, ratchet gear meshing with said axle and means for operating said
ratchet gear.
14. Means for training a gun in a horizontal plane, consisting of a spade,
gearing on said spade, gearing on the trail meshing with the gearing on the spade
and means for operating the gearing on the trail.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agent for the Applicant.