Improvements in Mechanism for Conveying Ammunition to and for Loading Heavy Guns.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 26th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 29th Nov., 1887
Improvements in Mechanism for Conveying Ammunition to and for
Loading Heavy Guns.
1, CHARLES HENRY MURRAY of the Elswick Works, Newcastle upon Tyne,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has for its object improvements in mechanism for conveying
ammunition to and for loading heavy guns, and is applicable especially to guns
mounted en barbette" or in a turret.
:
6
The gun is placed on its carriage as far forward as possible and is loaded when
run out." Thus room for the loading mechanism to operate is provided. The
ammunition is raised from below by a central vertical hoist and is delivered into a
loading trough or tube; these parts are both carried by the turret or turntable
structure. The loading trough or tube I pivot at its rear end and I provide an
hydraulic cylinder for moving it. When turned down towards the hoist the loading
trough or tube forms a continuation of the hoist trunk, and in this position receives
the charge of powder and shot brought up by the hoist. When turned up towards
the gun the loading trough or tube forms a continuation of the bore of the gun and
a tube sliding upon it is made to enter for a short distance into the breech of the gun.
The loading trough or tube is then in line with the rammer. In this position of the
loading trough or tube the shot and charge of powder can be at once thrust into the
gun by one stroke of the rammer. A telescopic hydraulic rammer is employed.
The central hoist being attached at the upper part to the turret or turntable revolves
with it, so that the hoist is always in position to pass a charge to the loading trough.
The central hoist is fed with charges from below; it passes directly down into the
magazine or shell room or to a passage communicating with them. After firing the
guns it is only necessary in order to reload them, to open the breech of each and
sponge the guns with the usual syringe, then to raise the loading trough or tube with
one movement and to ram in the charge with a second movement; then to return
the rammer and loading trough or tube and close the gun.
A spiral staircase is provided round the central hoist and this forms a convenient
way of getting in and out of the turret... It is therefore unnecessary to leave room

page_text: for a passage round the base of the turret or turntable, and the battery wall can come
close up to the base of the turret. This reduces the extent of armour in the battery
wall to a minimum.
This arrangement also gives the shortest practicable distance between the magazine
and shell room and the guns, as well as the smallest number of movements to get
the ammunition from the one to the other.
Two guns in the same turret can be loaded at any time independently of one
another and in any point of the arc of training as the rammers and hoist go round
with the turntable. This avoids necessity for providing a fixed loading position as
is now usual and avoids the loss of time which takes place in going to and from a
loading position.
D: 50
1+ T
1967

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Conveying Ammunition to and for
Loading Heavy Guns.
I, CHARLES HENRY MURRAY of the Elswick Works, Newcastle upon Tyne,
Engineer, 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 has for its object improvements in mechanism for conveying
ammunition to and for loading heavy guns, and is applicable especially to guns
mounted en barbette or in a turret.
The gun is placed on its carriage as far forward as possible and is loaded when
"run out." Thus room for the loading mechanism to operate is provided. The
ammunition is raised from below by a central vertical hoist and is delivered into a
loading trough or tube; these parts are both carried by the turret or turntable
structure. The loading trough or tube I pivot at its rear end and I provide an
hydraulic cylinder for moving it. When turned down towards the hoist the loading
trough or tube forms a continuation of the hoist trunk, and in this position receives
the charge of powder and shot brought up by the hoist. When turned up towards
the gun the loading trough or tube forms a continuation of the bore of the gun and
a tube sliding upon it is made to enter for a short distance into the breech of the gun.
The loading trough or tube is then in line with the rammer. In this position of the
loading trough or tube the shot and charge of powder can be at once thrust into
the gun by one stroke of the rammer. A telescopic hydraulic rammer is employed.
The central hoist being attached at the upper part to the turret or turntable revolves
with it, so that the hoist is always in position to pass a charge to the loading trough.
The central hoist is fed with charges from below; it passes directly down into the
magazine or shell room or to a passage communicating with them. After firing the
guns it is only necessary in order to reload them, to open the breech of each and
sponge the guns with the usual syringe, then to raise the loading-trough or tube with
one movement and to ram in the charge with a second movement; then to return
the rammer and loading trough or tube and close the gun.
A spiral staircase is provided round the central hoist and this forms a convenient
way of getting in and out of the turret. It is therefore unnecessary to leave room
for a passage round the base of the turret or turntable, and the battery wall can come
close up to the base of the turret. This reduces the extent of armour in the battery
wall to a minimumn.
This arrangement also gives the shortest practicable distance between the magazine
and shell room and the guns, as well as the smallest number of movements to get the
ammunition from the one to the other.
Two guns in the same turret can be loaded at any time independently of one
another and in any point of the arc of training as the rammers and hoist go round

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical and longitudinal section with some parts in elevation of a
turret carrying a heavy gun and fitted with a central hoist and pivotted loading tube
as above described.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on a larger scale of the loading trough with the
parts in position for retaining a charge of ammunition therein.
Figure 3 is a similar view with the parts in position to allow of a charge being
pushed into or from the loading trough.
Figure 4 is a cross section through the line A B Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the loading tube in position to receive the charge
from the hoist.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the loading tube in position to pass the charge into
the gun.
Figure 7 is a front elevation, and
Figure 8 is a side elevation of the hydraulic cylinder working the hoist.
Figure 9 is a transverse section of the trunk, of the hoist, through the doorway and
door which latter is shown open.
a is the gun in the loading position, it is carried upon a turntable structure b, by
a carriage in connection with which there is suitable hydraulic mechanism (partly
indicated by the drawing but which forms no part of this invention) for controlling
the recoil and working the gun. dis apparatus for opening and closing the breech
of the gun, it is of well known construction. e is the trunk of the hoist for raising
ammunition to the gun from the magazines ff below. g is the platform of the hoist
which can be raised and lowered by a rope or chain h the rope is led over guide
pulleys at the top of the hoist then around pulleys mounted on a hydraulic
rain and around other pulleys j¹ mounted on the hydraulic cylinder j.
i
The rope or chain is continuous around these pulleys and around the intermediate
equalising pulley and the two ends ascend to the guide pulleys at the top of the
trunk e. They descend the trunk by the grooves within it on its opposite sides and
are attached to the platform g at the points marked in Figure 9. The construction
of hoists of this kind is well understood. is the loading trough or tube, it is
pivotted at and is moved about this pivot by the hydraulic cylinder k². is a
sliding tube or part on the loading trough, it is operated by the small hydraulic
cylinder, which thrusts it forward to engage with the upper end of the trunk e,
when the loading trough or tube is in position to receive the charge from the hoist.
Similarly when the loading trough or tube is raised the part is thrust forward into
the breech of the gun, when the loading trough or tube is in position to deliver the
charge to the gun. m is a four fold telescopic hydraulic rammer with sufficient
length of stroke to drive the entire charge from the loading trough or tube into the
gun. The construction of such rammers is well understood and forms no part of
the present invention. n is a projectile which has been brought to the hoist by the
aid of suitable tackle indicated by the drawing. A door is opened to admit the
projectile into the trunk e and there it is placed on the platform g. The platform g
is then lowered and the powder charges are placed upon the base of the projectile.
The door in the trunk e, is now closed and the platform g is raised and it carries
the charge up into the loading trough or tube k. The sliding tube or part is now
withdrawn to release the loading trough or tube from the trunk e, and by the same
movement fingers e on the loading trough or tube are moved inwards to retain the
projectile so that it cannot fall out as shown at Figures 2 and 3. The loading trough
or tube is now raised turning about the pivot at and the part being again

page_text: advanced enters the breech of the gun, the fingers at the same time retire and release
the projectile. Finally the charge is rammed into the gun and the loading trough or
tube is released and again lowered to the trunk of the hoist.
After firing the guns it is only necessary in order to reload them, to open the
breech of each and sponge the guns with the usual syringe, then to raise the loading
trough or tube with one movement and to ram in the charge with a second movement :
then to return the rammer and loading trough or tube and close the gun.
A spiral staircase p is provided round the central hoist and this forms a convenient
way of getting in and out of the turret. It is therefore unnecessary to leave room
for a passage round the base of the turret or turntable, and the battery wall can come
close up to the base of the turret. This reduces the extent of armour in the battery
wall to a minimum.
Two guns in the same turret can be loaded at any time independently of one
another and in any point of the arc of training as the rammers and hoist go round
with the turn table.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination substantially as described consisting of a turret or turntable;
a gun or guns mounted thereon; and an ammunition hoist attached centrally to and
beneath the turret or turntable substantially as described.
2. The combination substantially as described consisting of a turret or turntable ;
a gun or guns mounted thereon; an ammunition hoist centrally beneath the turret
and a loading trough or tube moveable about a pivot so that its end connects with the
trunk of the hoist whilst it receives the charge and with the breech of the gun
whilst it delivers the charge into it.
3. The combination substantially as described consisting of a gun; a hoist raising
ammunition to the gun a loading trough or tube moveable about a pivot so that its
end connects at one time with the trunk of the hoist and at another with the breech
of the gun fingers in the loading trough or tube which retain the projectile and
charge within it; gear operating the said fingers; and a rammer passing through
the loading trough or tube and into the gun.
4. The loading apparatus substantially as described and consisting of a trough or
tube mounted on pivots; a rammer in rear of it; a sliding trough or tube on
the pivoted tube an hydraulic cylinder and ram on the pivoted trough or tube
operating the sliding trough or tube; retaining fingers on the pivoted trough or
tube moved by the sliding trough or tube and an hydraulic cylinder and ram connected
with the pivoted trough or tube and moving it around its pivots.
5. Mechanism substantially as described for conveying ammunition to and for
loading heavy guns.