Improvements in Carriages for Ordnance and Machine Guns.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left. 24th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 2nd Apr.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carriages for Ordnance and Machine Guns.
ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL MURRAY, Journalist, of 41, The Grove, Hammersmith,
London, W., and THOMAS RANDOLPH MURRAY, Civil Engineer, of 41, The Grove,
Hammersmith, London, W., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Object The object of our invention for "shields for ordnance and for machine
guns" is to protect the men working and serving these guns against the projectiles
of the enemy.
To carry out this object mechanically we provide a gun-carriage, each wheel
of which is armoured on its outer and exposed side with a steel disc of the same
diameter as the wheel, and of the required thickness to resist penetration; and that
this disc may the more readily do so its surface is "dished," so that it presents a
slightly convex surface on its outer and exposed side. This disc may be composed
of one or more pieces.
In another form, the disc is made to take the place of the carriage wheel. To
this end the disc is provided with a flange at its outer diameter to form the rim
of the wheel; the flange projecting from the inner and concave surface. To the
centre of this inner and concave surface a flanged boss of metal is bolted or rivetted.
Four or more metal stiffeners of suitable section are arranged spoke-fashion
about this boss, and extending from it to the flanged rim of the disc, being
secured to the flange of the boss and concave surface of the disc by rivetting.
To utilise more effectively the protective cover afforded by the armoured
wheels above described, we provide a gun-carriage, the axle-tree of which is
divided at the centre of its length into two parts; each part being strongly
hinged at this point to the trail-piece, and in such a manner that each half of
the axle-tree with its accompanying armoured wheel is capable of being revolved
in a horizontal plane on this central hinge; the movement being in a forward
direction, bringing the wheels together and causing them to touch at a point in
their rims in front of the carriage..
In the case of ordnance which produces excessive recoil, the wheels need not
touch together at this point in their rims in front of the carriage, but a certain
recoil-space may be left between the rims, this recoil-space being maintained by
recoil-buffers, or other similar devices, applied to each half of the hinged axle-
In that case such recoil space left between the rims would be covered by
lengthening the usual gun shield.
tree.
When the gun-carriage is in motion, this hinged axle-tree above described is
maintained in its normal and straight position by automatic locking devices
working in conjunction with the central hinge.
The armoured wheels may be provided with shuttered loop-holes.
It will be understood that the same is given by way of illustration only, and

page_text: that the materials, parts, and shapes may be varied in many ways within the
scope of our invention.
Dated this Twants first dose
M 1007
A. C. MURRAY.
T. R. MURRAY.
Improvements in Carriages for Ordnance and Machine Guns.
We, ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL MURRAY, Journalist, and THOMAS RANDOLPHI
MURRAY, Civil Engineer, both of 41, The Grove, Hammersmith, London, W., 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: -
The object of our invention for improvements in carriages for ordnance and
machine-guns, is to protect the men working and serving these guns against the
projectiles of the enemy. To attain this object we provide a gun-carriage the
wheels of which are armoured on their outer and exposed sides.
The axle-tree of this gun-carriage is divided and hinged at the centre of its
length, in such a manner that each half of the axle-tree, with its accompanying
armoured wheel, is capable of being revolved or slewed on this central hinge in
a fixed plane bringing the wheels together and causing them to touch at their
rims in front of the carriage. And in order that our invention may be thoroughly
understood we now proceed to describe the accompanying drawings thereof;
reference being had to letters and figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation of gun-carriage.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of gun-carriage.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of gun-carriage showing armoured wheels slewed
into position for the protection of gun and gunners.
Fig. 4 is a plan of gun-carriage showing wheels in alternative positions.
Figs. 5 and 6 are plan and elevation of body of carriage to an enlarged scale.
The armoured carriage-wheels are mounted on an axle-tree which is formed in
two halves A A. The inner end of each half is hinged to the under side of the
body of the carriage B, the pin C forming a common hinge for both halves A A
of the axletree.
The carriage wheels are capable of being slewed upon the hinge so described,
until they approach one another in front of the carriage, as indicated in Fig. 3
and by dotted lines in Fig. 4.
The body of the carriage B takes the form of a double quadrant, and forms a
system of guides in which each half of the axletree slides, thus relieving much
of the strain on the hinge C.
A socket D is provided at the rear of the body of the carriage to receive the trail.
In order to prevent the two halves of the axletree A A from slewing upon the
central hinge C, and to maintain them in a straight line with one another, locking
devices are provided at E. E. These devices take the form of tumblers, keyed on
the spindle F, and engage automatically with each half of the axletree when these
are slewed back into a straight line with one another. Hand-levers G G are
provided at the rear of each tumbler which when depressed release each half oi
the axletree, when it is required that the wheels shall be slewed into the defensive
position indicated in Figs. 3 & 4. For facility of working, these tumblers

page_text: may be actuated by a single lever at the extremity of the trail, the motion being
conducted from the lever to the tumblers by a rod or rods passing through the
hellow interior of the trail. (Not shown in drawing).
A spiral spring H wound on the spindle F serves to keep the tumblers E E
depressed and prevents their disengaging with the axletree under ordinary
conditions.
Any backward movement of each half of the axletree upon the hinge C is
prevented by stops formed by the rear portion of the body of the carriage, and
against which they butt. The wheels II are each protected by a circular disc
of steel plate J J of the same diameter as the wheel, and secured thereto by
bolts or rivets passing through the rim and hub respectively. The disc is dished
this
so that its outer, exposed face presents a surface which is slightly convex,
being done to impart greater stiffness and resistive power to the disc. The disc
may be constructed in one or more pieces of suitable size and shape.
An alternative form is shown at K (Fig. 2) in which the dished disc is made
to form the wheel. In this case a flange L is provided at the outer diameter of
the disc to form the rim of the wheel. A flanged boss M is provided at the
centre of the inner surface of the disc to receive the end of the axle tree. Four
or more metal stiffeners NN are arranged radially about this boss, being
secured thereto and to the inner surface of the disc to act as spokes.
Shuttered loopholes 0000 (Fig. 3. Fig. 1) are provided for small-arms fire.
The disc forming this alternative form of wheel may be constructed of one or
more pieces.
In the case of ordnance which is heavy enough to produce an appreciable recoil,
a recoil-space is left between the rims of the carriage wheels, when slewed into
the defensive position, as indicated by the dotted lines at P P (Fig. 4). The
recoil imparted to the carriage by the discharge of the gun, causes the wheels
to converge through the recoil-space, and while so doing each half of the axle-
tree AA is made to act on recoil-buffers at the points QQ (Fig. 5). These
recoil-buffers, which may be of any suitable form, are attached to the body of
the carriage D. In this case the ordinary gun-shield R may be lengthened to
cover the recoil space at P P (Fig. 4).
It will be understood that the foregoing is given by way of illustration and
that the shapes, materials, and parts may be varied in many ways within the
Scope of our invention.
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) A gun-carriage for ordnance and machine-guns having an axletree provided
with armoured wheels, and which is divided at the centre of its length into two
parts; the inner end of each part being hinged to the body of the carriage in
such a manner that each half of the axletree with its accompanying wheel is
capable of being revolved on the central hinge in a fixed plane, maintained by
guides, causing the wheels to converge together, and their rims to touch or
nearly touch in front of the carriage, affording protection for the gun and gunners;
substantially as herein described and according to the accompanying drawings.
(2) The mode of absorbing the recoil imparted to the carriage by the discharge
of the gun by leaving a recoil-space between the rims of the wheels when slewed
into the defensive position, and by the application of recoil-buffers to each half
of the axletree, the recoil causing the wheels to converge together through the
space left between the rims, and the axletree to compress the recoil-buffers; the
recoil of the gun being absorbed in so doing; substantially as herein described
and according to the accompanying drawings.
(3) A gun-carriage-wheel armoured on its outer and exposed side by covering
it with a disc of steel formed in one or more pieces, the disc being dished so that
its outer face presents a surface which is slightly convex, and being provided

page_text: with shuttered loopholes; substantially as herein described and according to the
accompanying drawings.
(4) A gun-carriage-wheel constructed of a dished disc of steel formed of one
or more pieces, and mounted on the axletree so that its outer, exposed face
presents a surface that is slightly convex, to act as a shield, and having attached
to the centre of its inner concave surface a flanged boss of metal together with
metal stiffeners arranged radially about the boss to act as spokes; the outer diameter
of the disc having a flange to form the rim of the wheel; substantially as herein
described and according to the accompanying drawings.
(5) An arrangement of automatic locking devices by which each half of the
divided and hinged axletree is maintained in line with the other, or released at
will, substantially as herein described and according to the accompanying
drawings.
(Signed) ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL MURRAY.
THOMAS RANDOLPH MURRAY.