Improvements in Carriages or Mountings for Light Guns.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1892-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carriages or Mountings for Light Guns.
I, FRANCIS EDWARD DYKE ACLAND, late Captain Royal Artillery, 32 Victoria
Street, in the City of Westminster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
This invention relates to carriages or mountings chiefly designed for machine
guns or for field or other light artillery.
According to one part of this invention the gun mounting is constructed with
tripod legs, the front legs being hinged or pirotted to the rear or trailing leg and
so arranged that they may be folded up and strapped to the said rear or trailing
leg when travelling. The trailing leg is preferably made telescopic to facilitate
the carrying of the mounting on horse-back. Pivot-pins studs or bolts fixed on or
carried by the trailing leg pass through slots in the front legs and are preferably
provided with wing nuts for securing the legs in the firing position. The front
legs are formed with lugs or projections adapted to enter suitable sockets in the
trailing leg for the purpose of more rigidly securing them in the firing position.
When it is desired to fold the legs, the wing nuts or other fastenings are loosened
and the front legs are then withdrawn until the aforesaid lugs are clear of the sockets,
the said legs can then be turned about their pivots and then strapped to the
trailing leg. When the trailing leg is made telescopic it is preferably constructed
of two tubes one sliding within the other and having a clamping bolt for securing
the sliding tube in any desired position. A saddle or seat is provided on this leg
for the convenience of the gunner when firing. At the head of the tripod stand
suitable provision is made for receiving and securing the gun, and for effecting the
vertical and horizontal pointing of the same when in position.
Sometimes according to this invention, the front legs are also made telescopic to
facilitate the adjustment of the gun when placing the same in position.
According to another part of this invention, a gun mounting such as that above
described is provided with wheels to facilitate its transport. Light wheels such as
those termed cycle wheels may be used and in this case the said wheels are arranged
to be raised from the ground when the front tripod legs are placed in the firing position
to diminish vibration when the gun is fired, the weight of the axle and wheels when
raised tending to steady the mounting. When travelling, the front legs are folded
and strapped to the trail as above described, the mounting then resting on the
wheels. The shoe of the trail is provided with an eye to enable it to be limbered
to a locomotive cycle.
When the tripod axle is provided with ordinary gun-carriage wheels, the gun
may be fired with the wheels resting on the ground, -or the wheels can be detached
and the gun fired from the tripod mounting only. Suitable brackets are provided
on the axle for carrying ammunition boxes.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carriages or Mountings for Light Guns.
I, FRANCIS EDWARD DYKE ACLAND, of 32 Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster, late Captain Royal Artillery, 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 carriages or mountings chiefly designed for machine
guns or for field or other light artillery.
The object of my said invention is to provide a light and strong tripod-mounting,
conveniently transportable upon wheels, or upon horse-back, or upon the back of
a man..
According to one part of this invention the gun-mounting is constructed with
tripod legs, the front legs being hinged or pivotted to the rear or trailing leg and
so arranged that they may be folded up and strapped to the said rear or trailing
leg when travelling. The trailing leg is preferably made telescopic to facilitate
the carrying of the mounting on horse-back or on the back of a man as aforesaid.
According to another part of this invention a gun mounting such as that above
described is provided with wheels to facilitate its transport. Light wheels, such
as those termed cycle wheels, may be used, and in this case the said wheels are
arranged so that they may, if desired, be raised from the ground, when the front
tripod-legs are placed in the firing position, to relieve the wheels from stress during
firing. When travelling, the front legs are folded and strapped to the trail as
above described, the mounting then resting on the wheels.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :-
:-
Figure 1 is a plan of an improved tripod gun-mounting constructed according to
my invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mounting illustrated in Figure 1, with a
Maxim gun mounted thereon.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the mounting illustrated in Figure 1, viewed
from the rear..
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the mounting illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3,
folded and in readiness for transport.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a tripod mounting fitted with cycle wheels.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a similar mounting fitted with ordinary gun-
carriage wheels, and.
Figures 7, 8, 84, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are views drawn to a larger scale than the
preceding figures, of details of the mounting to be hereinafter particularly
explained.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, A A are the front legs of the
mounting. B is a telescopic rear or trailing leg constructed of two tubes BB².
The tube B2 slides within the tube B', which carries a clamping device consisting
of a clip C, brazed on to the end of the tube B and illustrated in end elevation in
Figure 12; the lower end of the said tube B' is slit, at a point opposite to the
division between the two arms of the clip. The said clip. forms a support for a
saddle or seat D provided for the convenience of the gunner when firing. A bolt E
is passed through the parts C1 and C2 of the clip C and may be operated by the
handle E to tighten the said clip so as to diminish the diameter of the split end of
the tube B', and thereby cause it to grip the tube B' sufficiently tight to lock the
two tubes together.
The front legs A are in some instances made telescopic, to facilitate the
adjustment of the gun when placing it in position; in such a case the said telescopic
front legs are each provided with a clamping device similar to that hereinbefore
described with reference to the leg B.

page_text: Each front leg A is slotted at A' as shown in Figures 10 and 11. These figures:
are front and side elevations of the upper end of a front leg. Each of these legs is-
provided at its lower end with a spiked shoe A'. The trailing leg B is provided
with a similar spiked shoe B³. B is a casting secured upon the upper end of the
trailing leg and forming the head of the tripod. B' are sockets formed in the said
casting for a purpose hereinafter explained. 'B* B* are studs which are fixed to the
casting B and enter the said slots A¹. Wing nuts F are placed upon the studs B*
and are employed to secure the front legs in the firing position, in which position
they are shown in all the views of the mounting except Figure 4. A' A' are lugs.
or projections on the front legs adapted to enter the aforesaid sockets B' in the
trailing leg to retain the front legs more securely in the firing position than if they
were held by the wing nuts F alone; the said lugs or projections are clearly shown.
in Figures 10 and 11. When it is desired to fold the legs, the wing nuts F.are.
loosened, and the front legs A moved outward end wise from the head of the tripod
to draw the lugs A³ clear of the sockets B³; the said legs can then be turned about
the studs B and strapped to the trailing leg B as shown in Figure 4.
At the head of the tripod mounting suitable provision is made for receiving and
securing the gun. The casting B at the upper end of the trailing leg B is.
illustrated in plan in Figure 7, in side elevation in Figure 8, and in rear end
elevation in Figure 9. In the said casting is a pivot pin G about which the
rotatable portion H of the mounting is turned. The Enid rotatable portion is
provided with a socket to receive the said pivot pin, and with an arm H' which
projects therefrom and bears upon a segmental surface I formed or fixed upon the
casting B* to assist in supporting the said rotatable portion when the gun is fired.
The said arm receives one end of a differential elevating screw J the other end of
which is secured to the gun.
Simple and readily adjustable devices, whereby the training or traversing of the
gun with the part H of the mounting is confined within suitable limits, are arranged
as follows:-K is a transverse guide formed upon the socket at the head of the
tube B to receive stops L, which may be adjusted in the guide by hand, and, after
adjustment locked in place by an eccentric M formed upon a shaft or spindle M¹
placed parallel with the guide in bearings in the lower portion thereof; the said
spindle is operated by the handle M' to jam the eccentric against the under sides.
of the stops L and retain them in place, or is operated reversely to release them, as
may be desired. Figure 8ª is a transverse section of the spindle M¹ at the middle
of its length.
His a projection from the arm H, which projection descends between the
stops L almost into contact with the top surface of the guide K. The stops L will
limit the lateral movement of the said projection H' and will therefore limit the
traversing of the gun within such angles as may be desirable.
In Figure 5 is shown a mounting of the type hereinbefore described, provided
with an axle N, and cycle wheels O, upon which it may be conveniently trans--
ported; the said wheels may be raised from the ground when the front legs of the
tripod are placed in the firing position, to relieve the wheels from stress during
firing; but it is found that if the gun is fired while the mounting rests on the cycle-
wheels, the elasticity of the tyres of the said wheels prevents the vibration set up.
during firing from causing inaccuracy of fire such as would occur if the mounting.
were otherwise supported.
In Figure 6 a mounting of the same type is shown, provided with an axle upon.
which ordinary gun-carriage wheels P are placed, as shown in dotted lines. The
trailing leg of this mounting is not telescopic, and instead of wing-nuts, screws F
provided with convenient handles F' are placed at the head of the tripod, for
securing the front legs in position. In this example the axle N is received in
suitable recesses Q provided in the socket at the upper end of the trailing leg, in
which recesses it is retained by pins Q¹ in such a manner that it may be readily
removed when necessary; moreover, the segmental surface I is dispensed with and
the arm H¹ is arranged to bear upon the guide K. When ordinary gun-carriage

page_text: wheels are used, the gun can be fired with the wheels resting on the ground as
shown, or the wheels can be detached and the gun fired from the tripod mounting
only. Suitable brackets R are provided on the axle for carrying ammunition
boxes S. The position the front legs occupy when folded is shown in dotted lines
in Figure 6.
The shoe of the trailing leg in the mounting shown in Figures 5 and 6 is
provided with an eye B to enable it to be. limbered up to a locomotive cycle or
velocipede, or to an ordinary limber.
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 tripod gun-mounting having its legs hinged or pivoted together, and one or
more of them telescopically adjustable, and provided with means for securing them,
when adjusted to any required lengths, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
2. A tripod carriage or mounting such as that herein described provided with
cycle wheels for the purpose specified.
3. The devices for connecting the front legs to the trailing leg in such a manner
as to ensure the secure attachment of the legs to each other in their firing position
and their ready adjustment for travelling as hereinbefore set forth.
4. In a tripod gun-mounting such as that herein described, the means for limiting
the training or traversing movement of the gun substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
5. In a tripod gun-mounting such as that herein described the arm or extension
on the rotatable portion of the mounting arranged in combination with the segmental
or other bearing surface for the end of the said arm, substantially as hereinbefore
set forth for the purpose specified.
6. A gun-mounting constructed substantially as described with reference to
either of the forms or modifications of the accompanying drawings for the purposes
specified.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.