Improvements in Apparatus for Mounting and Housing Ordnance.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mounting and Housing Ordnance.
I, JOSIAH VAVASSEUR, of the London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates more especially to guns mounted in cradles and carried
when in action by pedestals close up to the gun port and it consists in an arrange-
ment of mechanism for carrying the gun inboard when out of action and housing it.
I employ apparatus in some respects similar to that described in the Specification
of a former Patent granted to me No. 2312 in the year 1888. I provide a pair of
overhead rails and between and above them a toothed rack. A spur wheel gears
into the rack and the axis of this wheel is carried by a four wheeled carriage
running on the rails. On the same axis there is also a worm wheel; it projects
downwards between the rails and here gears with a worm upon a longitudinal axis
also carried upon the carriage. On the ends of this axis there are chain pinions
with endless hand chains passing around them. By means of these hand chains
this carriage which I term the power carriage can be made to travel along the rails
but otherwise it remains immoveable thereon.
Upon the same rails with the power carriage there is another carriage from which
the gun can be suspended by two links one connected with the cradle immediately
over the trunnions and the other with the gun near its breech end or with the recoil
apparatus upon the gun. The forward link is connected by a removeable pin with
a swivel carried by a lever arm. The lever has its fulcrum on the axle of a pair
of wheels running on the overhead rails and it has a long arm extending between
the rails toward the breech of the gun. At its extremity the lever arm carries
a nut which can be turned by means of a hand wheel. The link near the breech
of the gun is connected by a removeable pin with an eye at the lower end of a
screw which is attached to the axle of another pair of wheels. Upon this screw
the nut above mentioned works. When the gun is to be housed the pins are
inserted to connect the gun with the housing carriage and by turning the hand
wheel the links are tightened. Also the housing carriage is connected by a coupling
pin with the power carriage; and the trunnion bearings for the cradle are unlocked
and opened to let the cradle be removed from the pedestal. Then by working the
hand chains, the carriages are run inboard until the gun is brought to a con-
venient position in which it is housed. In place of a worm and worm wheel I may
use spur gearing in conjunction with locking devices to prevent the power carriage
moving along the rails when not required. Sometimes in place of coupling and
uncoupling the forward link by means of a removeable pin I allow this link always
to remain connected with the lever arm but by a universal joint so that the con-
nection may not interfere with the movements of the gun in aiming or training
and I arrange to detach the nut from the other end of the lever.
In place of removing the cradle trunnions from their bearings on the pedestal I
sometimes so make the cheeks of the pedestal in which are the trunnion bearings
that they are removeable with the cradle and are taken away with the gun when
it is housed. By means of interlocking parts and suitable bolts the check pieces
are secured to the other parts of the pedestal when making the gun ready for
firing.
Dia 1at dow of October 1800

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mounting and Housing Ordnance.
I, JOSIAH VAVASSEUR, of the London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, 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 relates more especially to guns mounted in cradles and carried
when in action by pedestals close up to the gun port and it consists in an arrange-
ment of mechanism for carrying the gun inboard when out of action and
housing it.
I employ apparatus in some respects similar to that described in the Specification
of a former Patent granted to me No 2312 in the year 1888. I provide a pair of
overhead rails and between and above them a toothed rack. A spur wheel gears
into the rack and the axis of this wheel is carried by a four wheeled carriage
running on the rails. On the same axis there is also a worm wheel; it projects
downwards between the rails and here gears with a worm upon a longitudinal axis
also carried upon the carriage. On the ends of this axis there are chain pinions
with endless hand chains passing around them. By means of these hand chains
this carriage which I term the power carriage can be made to travel along the rails
but otherwise it remains immoveable thereon.
Upon the same rails with the power carriage there is another carriage from which
the gun can be suspended by two links one connected with the cradle immediately
over the trunnions and the other with the gun near its breech end or with the recoil
apparatus upon the gun. The forward link is connected by a removeable pin with
a swivel carried by a lever arm. The lever has its fulcrum on the axle of a pair
of wheels running on the overhead rails and it has a long arm extending between
the rails toward the breech of the gun. At its extremity the lever arm carries a
nut which can be turned by means of a hand wheel. The link near the breech of
the gun is connected by a removeable pin with an eye at the lower end of a screw
which is attached to the axle of another pair of wheels. Upon this screw the nut
above mentioned works. When the gun is to be housed the pins are inserted to
connect the gun with the housing carriage and by turning the hand wheel the links
are tightened. Also the housing carriage is connected by a coupling pin with the
power carriage; and the trunnion bearings for the cradle are unlocked and opened
to let the cradle be removed from the pedestal. Then by working the hand chains,
the carriages are run inboard until the gun is brought to a convenient position in
which it is housed. In place of a worm and worm wheel I may use spur gearing
in conjunction with locking devices to prevent the power carriage moving along the
rails when not required. Sometimes in place of coupling and uncoupling the
forward link by means of a removeable pin I allow this link always to remain con-
nected with the lever arm but by a universal joint so that the connection may not
interfere with the movements of the gun in aiming or training and I arrange to
detach the nut from the other end of the lever.
In place of removing the cradle trunnions from their bearings on the pedestal I
sometimes so make the cheeks of the pedestal in which are the trunnion bearings
that they are removeable with the cradle and are taken away with the gun when
it is housed. By means of interlocking parts and suitable bolts the cheek pieces
are secured to the other parts of the pedestal when making the gun ready for
firing.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation with some parts in section and shows a gun provided
with housing apparatus arranged in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 shows the rear end of the gun and its attachment with the housing
carriage.
Figure 3 is a side elevation and shows a modification.
Figure 4 is a rear elevation of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 3 ;
namely, the power carriage.
Figure 5 is a section on the line 5, 5, in Figure 3, and
Figure 6 is a section on the line 6, 6, in the same figure.
In Figures 1 and 2 a is the pedestal on which the gun is mounted, it is arranged
close up to the gun port c so that the fore part of the gun when the gun is mounted
projects outside the port. The upper part a¹ of the pedestal is able to rotate upon
the lower part for the purpose of training the gun. The part a carries blocks a²
in which there are bearings to receive the trunnions d' upon a cradle d in which the
gun is held but so as to allow of its recoil, the blocks a² are not permanently fixed
to the pedestal but are fitted into recesses. The recesses are open in rear, the
blocks are slidden forward into them and are then locked by means of the screws a³.
The screw is flat on one side, a portion of the thread being removed, and it is fitted
in the block in such manner that when locked the screw thread projects from the
side of the block into corresponding grooves provided in the cheek of the pedestal.
A partial turn of the screw removes the threads from the grooves and then the
bearing blocks can be removed.
g
Over the gun are a pair of rails e e and f is a carriage having four wheels f¹ƒ¹
running on the rails. On the body of the carriage an axis f' is mounted and upon
it two gear wheels are fixed; one is a spur wheel and this engages with a rack
fixed between the rails. The other wheel on the axis f engages with a worm upon
an axis mounted on the carriage. The axis f³ can be turned by means of endless
chains passing around chain pinions upon it as the drawing shows. h h are the
wheels of another carriage running on the rails e; this carriage consists of two
pair of wheels and axles; on one of the axles a lever is hung, its longer arm
carries a nut 2 which is fitted to turn in the end of the arm, through the nut a
screw h³ passes. The screw h³ is fixed in a block mounted upon the other axle of
the carriage wheels h. The two carriages are connected together by a
pin at i.
k is a link which connects a swivel upon the fore end of the lever h¹ with the
cradle d, by removing the joint pin the link may be detached from the lever. The
pin may then be used to secure the link to the cradle in a convenient position as
indicated. is another link connecting the screw stem h³ with the breech end of
the gun; in the arrangement shewn the connection is made with the spring box 6'
of the recoil apparatus.
The link can be removed from its attachment with the screw h³ and in lieu
thereof secured to another eye which retains it out of the way. When the gun is
prepared for action both the links k and are detached from the overhead gear, but
when the gun is to be housed they are connected with the lever ¹ and screw h³ by
the insertion of the pins. The nut is then turned until the weight of the gun is
borne by the lever h¹ and the trunnion blocks a³ having been unlocked the power
carriage is set to work to haul the gun inboard. In a similar manner by a reversal
of the operations the gun is again mounted when required.
The arrangement shewn by Figure 3 and the subsequent figures is for the most
part similar to that already described and the corresponding parts are marked with
like letters of reference.
In Figure 3 however the bearing blocks which receive the cradle trunnions are
connected with the pedestal in a different way; the fore part of the block, which
here is marked a is made to engage with a hook or lug upon the pedestal and on
its under side it has transverse ridges or teeth upon it which enter corresponding

page_text: grooves in the pedestal. a is a turn button or latch which holds the block down.
When this is moved out of the way the block is easily lifted off the pedestal. The
block a is connected across the gun by a yoke and with this the link k is con-
nected but so that it can turn freely. No provision need be made for disconnecting
the link from the lever . The end of the lever h¹ which carries the nut h² is
separate from the main portion of the lever arm and this at its extremity is tubular
and it receives into it a stem projecting from the end piece. The stem has a notch
in it and a turn button h on the other part engages with the notch. So the parts
are securely held together whilst in action but are readily separated to permit the
power carriage to travel away so that it may not interfere with the head way about
the breech of the gun.
The construction of the power carriage also is somewhat varied. The axis f
has but one gear wheel upon it, this engages with the rack g and also with a spur
wheel upon an additional axis f now provided upon the carriage. This axis also
has the chain pulleys upon it. As the gear is not self locking a screw is provided
on the end of the axis f* and upon the screw is a hand nut f. The parts are so
arranged that by screwing up the nut the axis becomes jammed and it with the
wheels upon it are then unable to turn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A gun mounting in which the gun is carried in a cradle supported by trunnions
upon a pedestal and which is provided with housing apparatus consisting of overhead
rails and a carriage thereon from which the gun and cradle can be suspended and a
power carriage with suitable gear engaging with a fixed rack by which the gun and
cradle when detached from the pedestal and so suspended can be hauled inboard
substantially as described.
2. Gun mountings with housing apparatus substantially as described and illustrated
by the annexed drawings.
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