Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Loading of Guns.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1887
Complete Left, 3rd Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 22nd June, 1888
Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Loading of Guns.
We, RICHARD COPLEY CHRISTIE, MANASSAH GLEDHILL, and HERBERT HANBURY
SMITH CARINGTON, all Directors of Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co. Limited, of Openshaw,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the loading of guns and comprises
improvements upon the apparatus described in the specification of Letters Patent,
dated, January 2nd A.D. 1884, No. 279.
The cartridges and projectiles are placed in the charge-carrier, which, by means of
a chain is moved up and down through a vertical central tube fixed to and turning
with the gun-mounting,
The charge-carrier has three rollers which work in guides arranged along the
central tube and at the rear of the gun-carriage. The said rollers are arranged
in combination with a jointed rod or arm which carries at its extremity another roller.
At this point the elevating chain is attached to the carrier.
Motion is imparted to the elevating chain preferably by means of a winch worked by
hand, steam or hydraulic power at the lower end of the central tube. The elevating
chain passes over a pulloy arranged at the upper end of the said central tube, being
kept in place by a series of guide-pulleys.
In some instances, the charge-carrier is actuated by means of a hydraulic ram
arranged on the platform of the gun-carriage; the piston-rod of this ram is fixed and
the cylinder is movable; the said cylinder has on it a rack geared with a pinion which
actuates a driving pulley from which a chain extends to a pulley on the shaft or axle
of the above named elevating chain pulley.
When the elevating chain is operated, the charge-carrier is raised, being supported
and guided by the aforesaid jointed rod or arm and by the aforesaid rollers which work
in the vertical guides.

page_text: At the upper end of the central tube the vertical guides are deflected in several
branches towards the rear of the mounting.
When the charge-carrier arrives at the top of the central tube, the aforesaid rollers
on the carrier engage separately with the different branches of the rearward guides.
And the roller on the jointed arm, also engaging with one of these guides, by the
movement of the chain causes the said arm to push the charge-carrier along to the
rear of the carriage or mounting.
At the extremity of the rearward guides there is a device consisting of a bar
sliding in a vertical or nearly vertical guide. When the carrier has arrived at this
point one of its rollers engages with a device at the extremity of the said bar which is
then raised in its guide, and the charge-carrier thus continues to rise and conducts the
charge into the desired position at the rear of the gun.
For effecting the return of the carrier the operations are reversed and the said
carrier is lowered without being at any moment released from the control of the
driving apparatus and guide pulleys.
We sometimes modify the above described apparatus as follows, that is to say, we
use a charge carrier or cradle jointed to the extremity of a lever mounted on a shaft
on which is also fixed a cam arranged in combination with a rod which is acted upon
by springs.
Motion is imparted to the lover shaft by means of a cross shaft provided with
a suitable crank or handle and having on it a worm geared with a toothed segment
fixed on the said lever shaft. The aforesaid springs are so arranged that they check
the rapid descent of the carrier and in re-acting assist in raising the said carrier.
When the gun is to be always brought into a particular position to permit the
loading thereof to be effected, a carriage provided with rollers is employed. This
carriage is provided with links which are connected by hinge-joints so that they form
a parallelogram. The carriage is moved by means of a chain and its movements aro
directed by means of suitable guides, so that it first rises vertically and then moves
horizontally until one of its rollers comes in contact with a curved or inclined surface,
whereby its forward end is raised. The projectile is thus brought into an inclined
or oblique position so that it will be in line with the bore of the gun when the latter
is in the loading position.
Dated this 1st day of July 1887
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Loading of Guns.
We, RICHARD COPLEY CHRISTIE, MANASSAH GLEDHILL, and HERBERT HANBURY
SMITH CARINGTON, all Directors of Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co., Limited, of Open-
shaw, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, 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 apparatus for facilitating the loading of guns and com-
prises improvements in the apparatus described in the specifications of former Letters
Patent dated January 2nd, A.D. 1884, No. 279, and 20th December A.D. 1884,
No. 16,736, wherein there is a vertical tube movable with, and forming a central
pivot for, the platform or turntable, and through which the charge is raised into the
loading position.
By means of the said apparatus a gun can be loaded in any position to which it
may have been trained by the rotation of the platform or turntable on which it is
mounted, or whilst being trained.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section of a gun-mounting having our
present improvements applied thereto, the gun and the charge-carrier being.shown in
side elevation.
Figure 2 is a plan, partly in horizontal section on the line, a, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line a, a, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 2, 2, Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal central section illustrating a modification of our
invention, the charge-carrier being shown in side elevation.
Figure 7 is a rear elevation of part of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a plan,
Figure 9 a vertical longitudinal central section, some of the parts being shown in
side elevation, and
Figure 10 a rear elevation, illustrating another modification of our said invention.
Figure 11 is a vertical longitudinal central section, and
Figure 12 a transverse section on the line y, y, Figure 11, showing details of
construction.
and
Figure 13 is a plan,
Figure 14 a side elevation, partly in vertical longitudinal section, and
Figure 15 a rear elevation, illustrating another modification of our said invention,
Figure 16 is a side elevation, partly in vertical longitudinal section, showing the
charge-carrier in the position to which it is raised to permit the ramming of the
projectile into the gun.

page_text: igure 17 is a side elevation, partly in vertical longitudinal section, illustrating a
further modification of our said invention.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a base-plate or racer, B is a rotating platform or turntable on which the gun
is mounted, and which is supported by rollers A' (or balls) on the said base-plate or
racer.
C is the central tube which is firmly attached to, and rotates with the platform or
turntable B substantially as described in the said former specifications.
Dis the charge-carrier containing chambers for the projectile and powder and
capable of being rotated so as to bring the said chambers successively in line with
the bore of the gun. This carrier (in the apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 5) has on
each side of it rollers a, b, c, which, in the elevation of the charge-carrier within the
tube C, move in guides E, E, E². These guides have at the top of the tube hori-
zontal, or nearly horizontal branches or shunts F, F1, F2, F³, extending towards the
rear of the gun-mounting. The rollers a, c are carried by arms a', c' firmly attached
to the said carrier. The rollers b, c are arranged in combination with rods or
arms G which are pivoted at their upper end upon the axles of the rollers b, and
which carry at their lower end rollers d arranged to move in the guides E', 3.
H, H are chains for elevating the charge-carrier. These chains are attached to the
axle d' of the said rollers d, or to the arins G in any convenient manner.
At the rear of the guides F1, F2, there is a device comprising bars or checks I
fitted to slide in vertical, or nearly vertical guides J provided with rollers J' for
facilitating the movement of the sliding bars or checks T. Each of these bars or
checks is formed with grooves or guideways 1, 12, which at their rear or upper ends
are closed, and which are so arranged that, when the said bars are in their lowest
position in the guides J, the said grooves or guideways I', 12 will coincide with the
guides F, F, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 6.
2
The elevating chains H pass over pulleys K, K' and are kept in place by a series
of guide-pulleys K². Motion is imparted to the said clevating chains either by means
of worm-gearing L at the lower end of the central tube C, worked by hand, steam
or hydraulic power, or by means of a vertical ram, or by other suitable means."
is a bracket attached to the tube C near the lower end thereof and formed with
inclined surfaces or guides for facilitating the placing of the projectile and charge
of powder in the carrier D when the same is in the position shown in dotted lines in
Figure 1.
When the elevating chains H are moved in the proper direction, the charge-
carrier D is raised from this position, being supported and guided, as it rises, by the
rollers C, d in the guides E and by the rollers in the guides E. When the said
charge-carrier arrives at or near the top of the central tube C, the rollers a enter the
guides E2; the carrier D then moves towards the rear of the gun-mounting, the
rollers a, b, c moving in the guides or branches F, F1, F2, that is to say, the rollers a, b
move along the guides F1, F2, and the rollers c move along the guides F. The
rollers on the rods or arms G move upward in the guides E' and then along the
guides F³, and, with the force exerted upon them by the chains H, are caused to push
the charge-carrier to the rear of the gun-mounting.
a,
When the carrier has arrived at the extremity of the rearward guides F1, F², its
rollers
6 enter the grooves 1, 1 in the upper end of the bars or cheeks I, which
then occupy such a position that their grooves 1, 12 form continuations of the
guides F1, F2, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 6. The travel of the rollers a, b is
arrested by the termination of the grooves I, I, and the rollers d continuing to move
rearward in the guides F³, the bars or cheeks I are, by means of the connecting rods
or arms G, raised in their guides J until the rollers & arrive at the closed end of the
guides F, the charge-carrier therefore continues its upward movement and conducts
the charge into the desired position at the rear of the gun as shown in full lines in
Figure 1.
For effecting the return of the carrier D to the lower end of the tube C, the
operations are reversed.

page_text: A spring pawl or other suitable device is preferably provided for retaining the
charge-carrier and the sliding bars I in position during the ramming of the charge
into the gun.
It will be seen that the raising and lowering of the said carrier are effected without
releasing it from the control of the driving and guiding devices, and that the said
charge-carrior is, at all times, held and controlled by at least two of its rollers on
each side thereof, that is to say, during its vertical movement, the rollers b, c move in
the guides E, E; at the beni, the rollers a enter the guides E2; and, after the
change in the direction of movement, the rollers a, b move in the guides F1, F2,
then enter the grooves 11, 12 at the top of the bars or cheeks I, so that the carrier
with the projectile or charge therein is firmly supported while being raised into position
behind the gun.
and
It will also be seen that the entire movement of the charge-carrier from the position
indicated by dotted lines to that shown in full lines in Figure 1 and vice versa, is
effected by force applied to it solely through the medium of the chains H. It is
obvious, moreover, that cables or ropes may be substituted for the said chains for the
purpose of our invention.
We sometimes provide hydraulic apparatus, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, for
imparting the requisite motion to the elevating chains H, that is to say, we employ a
hydraulic ram M. arranged on the platform B, the piston-rod M being fixed and the
cylinder M² movable; the said cylinder M has on it a rack M³ geared with a pinion N
fixed on the shaft N', on which is also fixed a pulley O. A chain O¹ extends from
this pulley around a pulley P on the shaft or axle K³ of the pulley K.
We sometimes modify the construction of the apparatus as shown in Figures 8, 9
and 10, in which the charge-carrier D is provided with links e, e', e², connected by
hinge-joints to each other and to the charge-carrier so as to form a parallelogram;
the said carrier is also provided with rollers at the joints of the said parallelogram
and with rollers on the links e¹ of the said parallelogram. The said carrier is moved
by means of chains H, H' attached to an arm 3 fixed on the axle f of the lower
rollers The chain H is passed around guide-pulleys K', K, and the chain H¹
around a guide-pulley K. The guides E are curved at the upper end of the tube C
and extend toward the rear of the gun-mounting.
In the clevation of the charge-carrier D within the tube Cand in the rearward
movement thereof, the rollers move in the guides E, and the rollers" bear upon
the outer surface of the said guides, the links e, e, e occupying the positions relatively
to each other and to the said carrier indicated by dotted lines in Figure 9. At or
near the termination of the rearward movement of the charge-carrier, the rollers fon
the links of the parallelogram enter curved or inclined guides F, whereby, in
continuing its movement, the carrier D) is raised. The projectile and charge will
thus be brought into line with the bore of the gun when the latter is in the loading
position.
The links el have firmly secured between them a cross-bar e for supporting the
charge or the projectile in the carrier during the vertical movement thereof. The
device shown in Figures 11 and 12 or any other suitable device is, moreover, provided
for temporarily securing the projectile in the said carrier. The device shown consists
of an arm or cam g fixed upon a short rod or spindle and adapted, when in the
position shown in full lines, to bear against the projectile, but capable of being turned
or adjusted to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 11, so as to release the
projectile and permit the ramming of the same into the gun. A pin i is attached
to the carrier D for insertion in apertures at in the said carrier and in the said
spindle h for the purpose of retaining the said cam in the position indicated by dotted
lines.
We prefer that the central tube, above the water-line of the ship or vessel,
should be protected by armour composed of thick hoops or rings g of steel or other
suitable metal jointed together as shown at g' in Figure 9, or in any other convenient
manner.

page_text: We sometimes construct our apparatus as shown in Figures 13, 14, 15 and 16 or
as shown in Figure 17, that is to say, we use a charge-carrier or cradle D jointed
at D to the extremity of a lever Q fixed on a shaft Q', on which is also fixed a cam R
arranged in combination with a chain S connected with a rod S¹, which acts upon and
is acted upon by a spring S2, or a series of "Belleville "springs, encased in a box S³
which is pivoted at its rearward end at S. These springs are designed in connection
with the cam R to counterbalance the lever Q and carrier D and thus equalize, or
tend to equalize the force required for raising and lowering them, by resisting their
descent and diminishing the resistance to their ascent, so that, when a charge of
powder or a projectile is in the carrier D, the resistance to be overcome in raising
the said carrier will be approximately that due to the weight of the said charge or
projectile. The cam R is, moreover, so formed that, in the descent of the lever Q,
the chain S will be wound thereon and the spring S² thus compressed, and, as the
lever descends, the mechanical advantage afforded by the cam in favor of the spring
will be increased.
Motion is imparted to the shaft Q1 by means of a shaft T provided with a crank
or bandle T and having fixed thereon a pinion T2, Figures 13 to 16, or a worm T³,
Figure 17, geared with a toothed segment Q fixed on the said shaft Q. Or the
shaft Q is provided with other suitable means for operating it.
Vis a sirap fitted with a wood block upon which the lever Q rests when in its
lowermost position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to he performed as communicated to us by
our foreign Correspondent we wish it understood that we claim :-
First. In apparatus (used in combination with a gun-mounting, which is provided
with a central tube as herein described) for facilitating the loading of the gun,
effecting the entire movement of the charge-carrier through the said contral tube and
into position behind the breech of the gun, and the return movement of the said
carrier, by force applied to one or more levers or rods or other suitable parts of tho
said carrier solely through the medium of one or more chains, cables or ropes.
Second. The vertical guides and their branches and adjuncts so arranged in com-
bination with the central tube and mounting that the charge-carrier can be supported
and operated by one or more chains, cables or ropes passing around pulleys at the top
and bottom of the apparatus and will be controlled by the said guides throughout its
entire movement, as, and for the purposes, specified.
Third. The charge-carrier to be connected with the aforesaid chain or chains and
having pivoted or other arms provided with rollers or other suitable devices to engage
with the aforesaid guides and adapt themselves to, or follow the direction of, the same
and thereby support and control the said carrier so that all of its movements will
be effected by power applied through the medium of the said chain or chains, as
above described.
Fourth. The connecting rod or rods coupled to the charge-carrier and to the
elevating mechanism, in combination with one or more sliding bars or cheeks which
receive the said carrier at the termination of its rearward movement and upon which
the said connecting rod or rods will then act to raise the charge into the desired
position behind the breech of the gun, substantially as, and for the purpose, set
forth.
Fifth. A charge-carrier provided with rollers arranged to move in guides and with
jointed links forming a parallelogram, the links on one side of the said parallelogram
being provided with rollers adapted to run in or upon inclined or curved surfaces at
or near the rear end of the horizontal or inclined guides, substantially as, and for the
purposes, set forth.
Sixth. The combination, with the central tube through which the ammunition is
raised, of armour composed of hoops or rings surrounding the said tube and jointed
together substantially as set forth.

page_text: Seventh. The charge-carrier or cradle jointed to the end of a rocking lever and
arranged in combination with a cam fixed upon the shaft of the said lever and
connected with a chain and spring, or in combination with other suitable means for
equalizing or tending to equalize the force required for operating the apparatus,
substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The improved charge-elevating apparatus consisting of the parts constructed
and combined substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 7 or with
reference to Figures 8, 9 and 10 or with reference to Figures 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17
of the drawings and operating as above specified.