Improvements in or connected with Gun Carriages.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Gun Carriages.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried. Krupp, of Essen,
in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), to be as follows:-
This invention relates to guns for firing heavy projectiles at very high angles
of elevation, and which are generally called high-angle firing guns.
Should the ordinary wheeled gun carriages be employed, the strain on the axle
and on the wheels would be exceedingly great during the firing; in such a case
these parts would have to be made extremely strong and thereby considerably
increase the weight of the carriage.
Now in order to obviate this disadvantage the problem has been to relieve
the axle and the wheels of gun carriages, intended for high angle firing guns,
from the action of the firing. This has been attempted by suspending the body
of the carriage from the axle of the carriage, in such a manner as to be capable
of moving against spring pressure in an oblique and rearward direction, whilst
providing the said body with a support or strut which has a bearing upon the
ground on firing. Now the mentioned manner of elastically suspending the
carriage body from the axle, has certain drawbacks which considerably interfere
with the operation of the gun carriage. Thus, the travel of the gun carriage
body in recoiling during firing has an oblique and rearward direction instead
of a vertical downward direction. Consequently, the vertical distance of travel
which alone determines the reduction of load on the axle and on the wheels, is
very short in comparison with the length of the buffer spring. Further, the
gun carriage body is not positively guided relatively to the axle, so that the
latter is liable to become askew, and to become jammed when the gun is fired
on uneven ground.
Now the present invention relates to a wheeled gun carriage for high-angle
firing guns, in which the elastic suspension of the carriage body from the carriage
axle, is effected in a manner which not only obviates the defects referred to, but
also has a number of advantages which will be referred to later on in this
description.
The invention consists substantially, in employing for the gun carriage, a
cranked axle upon the middle portion of which the carriage body is rotatably
mounted, whilst the cranked axle portions carry the carriage wheels and are
supported by elastic devices relatively to the carriage body.
Without regard to the elastic devices this arrangement would have the result

page_text: that the weight of the gun barrel and of the carriage body which acts on the
axle will cause the carriage body to make a vertically and downwardly directed
oscillation about the cranked axles, whilst at the same time the carriage trail
will slide back a short distance along the ground. According to the frictional
conditions, the carriage may in some cases remain stationary, while the wheels
will roll forwards for a short distance. The oscillation of the carriage axle or of
the carriage body is limited by a stop provided on the carriage wall. Whilst
the carriage axle swings outward, the distance between the trunnion bearings,
or the upper part of the carriage body and the cranked axle will be shortened.
If therefore as above mentioned an elastic medium or device be inserted between
the upper part of the carriage body and the cranked axles, the said elastic device
will be compressed until equilibrium obtains between the acting forces, if the
rotary moment corresponding to the force of the elastic medium is smaller than
that which corresponds to the weight of the carriage body with the gun barrel.
If however the force of the elastic device be made so great that its rotary moment
is greater than that of the weight of the gun, then the carriage axle and with it
the carriage body, will remain in the position of rest. An alteration of this
position will take place with simultaneous compression of the elastic device only
when a greater force shall act upon the axle than that which corresponds to the
weight of the carriage body with the gun tube.
Preferably each cranked axle is formed with an eye with which there engages
the end of a spring bolt, which slides with a certain amount of play in the wall
flange of the carriage body. This bolt carries a spring column which bears at
one end against the head of the spring bolt and at its other end against the
flange of the carriage wall. The combined forces of the springs acting upon
the two cranked axles are together greater than the opposite force which is pro-
duced by the weight of the gun barrel and carriage body. Approximately
vertically below the trunnion bearings there is suspended a support in a pendu-
lating manner from the carriage body. The object, construction, and mode of
operation of the said support are substantially the same as in known arrangements.
The mode of operation of the gun carriage will now be readily understood.
When the gun is fired at high angles of elevation there comes into action in
addition to the rotary moment produced by the weight of the carriage body, etc.,
in consequence of the recoil, a further moment which has a tendency to turn
the gun carriage about the carriage trail towards the ground. Since the wheels
resist this tendency, the carriage body will oscillate downwards about the
cranked axles, whilst at the same time the spring columns will be compressed.
The downward oscillations of the carriage body is limited by the fact that the
support takes a bearing upon the ground and takes upon itself to support the
gun carriage relatively to the ground. After the gun is fired the spring columns
expand again and thus raise the carriage body into its original position.
As will be perceived from the foregoing, the axle and the wheels during this
operation can only be subjected to a pressure in a vertical direction which is
slightly greater than the weight of the carriage body etc. The great pressure
produced by the recoil is taken up by the supports which transmit the said
pressure in a straight line from the trunnion bearings to the ground. As a
further advantage of the described arrangement, it may be noted that the
carriage body is positively guided in its oscillation relatively to the axle and
that consequently no jamming of the two parts can take place even though one
of the two spring columns were to give way for any cause. As further, the
leverage with which the spring columns act, is much shorter than the length of
the crank or crank sweep, it is clear that in comparison with the vertical down-
ward movement of the carriage body there is a much smaller travel of the eye
which engages with the spring bolt, and consequently, a comparatively small
compression of the spring columns. The spring columns can therefore be made
short and strong, and therefore, relatively light."
Amongst the important advantages of the gun carriage herein described, it

page_text: may be specially noted that the importance of the cranked axle is not exhausted
by the fact that it is most particularly suitable for the elastic suspension of the
carriage body. In fact it will be understood that the use of the cranked axle
permits of giving to the gun barrel under otherwise similar conditions, a much
greater elevation than is the case with a straight axle. For example, if a straight
axle were used, then in order to allow of same elevation of the gun barrel as in
the case of a cranked axle, the vertical distance between the trunnion boxes and
the ground and consequently the weight of the gun carriage would have to be
considerably increased, or the straight axle would have to be placed further
forward, and then there would be produced as a lateral component to the weight
of the gun a too great pressure of the carriage trail upon the ground, and conse-
quently, a more difficult handling of the gun in firing, both in limbering up and
unlimbering. It will therefore be understood that the new gun carriage for
high angle firing guns constitutes a very important improvement as compared
with known arrangements.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried. Krupp, of Essen,
in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), 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 guns for firing heavy projectiles at very high angles
of elevation, and which are generally called high-angle firing guns.
Should the ordinary wheeled gun carriages he employed for such guns, the
strain on the axle and on the wheels would be exceedingly great during the
firing therefore those parts would have to be made extremely strong, and thereby
considerably increase the weight of the carriage.
:
Now, in order to obviate this disadvantage, the problem has been to relieve
the axle and the wheels of gun carriages, intended for high angle firing guns,
from the action of the firing. This has been attempted by suspending the body
of the carriage from the axle of the carriage, in such a manner as to be capable
of moving against spring pressure, in an oblique and rearward direction, whilst
providing the said body with a support or strut which has a bearing upon the
ground on firing. Now the mentioned manner of elastically suspending the
carriage body from the axle, has certain drawbacks which considerably interfere
with the operation of the gun carriage. Thus, the travel of the gun carriage
body, in recoiling during firing, has an oblique and rearward direction, instead
of a vertical downward direction. Consequently, the vertical distance of travel,
which alone determines the reduction of load on the axle and on the wheels, is
very short in comparison with the length of the buffer snring. Further, the
gun carriage body is not positively guided relatively to the axle, so that the
latter is liable to become askew, and to become jammed when the gun is fired
on uneven ground.

page_text: Now the present invention relates to a wheeled gun carriage for high-angle
firing guns, in which the elastic suspension of the carriage body from the carriage
axle, is effected in a manner, which not only obviates the defects referred to, but
has also a number of advantages, which will be referred to later on in this
description.
The invention consists substantially, in employing for the gun carriage, a
'cranked axle upon the middle portion of which the carriage body is rotatably
mounted, whilst the cranked axle portions carry the carriage wheels, and are
supported by elastic devices relatively to the carriage body.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a front
elevation of the gun carriage constructed according to this invention, in the
position of rest. Fig. 3 is a plan of parts of the gun carriage hereinafter referred
to. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the gun carriage axle. Fig. 5 is a
'side elevation shewing parts of the gun carriage hereinafter referred to, in the
relative positions which correspond with the lowest position of the carriage body.
Fig. 6 shews in side elevation, the gun carriage at the moment of the firing.
As already mentioned, the gun carriage axle is cranked. Referring to the
drawings, the axle shewn is formed in one piece: it may however, obviously be
built up of a number of pieces. The carriage body is rotatively mounted on
the middle portion m of the axle, whilst the two cranked axle portions n carry
the rotary carriage wheels. The cranked portion is situated in the carriage
shewn, exactly in the plane of the carriage wall. Consequently, the bearing L
of the carriage wall, (which is fixed by means of a flanged part to the carriage
wall), is constructed, having a cylindrical part, taking into a corresponding
aperture in the axle portion m (Fig. 4 and 1).
In order to allow of the cranked axle portions n to move freely, and also to
limit such movement, the carriage wall, or the plate-shaped part, of the bearing I
is recessed in the form of a sector. Obviously the cranked portion k might also be
situated entirely outside the carriage wall, so that the sector-shaped recess of
the latter might be dispensed with, and a divided axle bearing could be employed,
which embraced the axle portion m.
The arrangement as herein before described, would have the result. that the
weight of the gun barrel, and of the carriage body which acts on the middle
portion m of the carriage axle. will cause the carriage body to make a vertically
and downwardly directed oscillation, about the axle portions n, whilst at the
same time the carriage trail will slide back a short distance along the ground.
According to the frictional conditions, the carriage trail may in some cases remain
stationary, while the wheels will roll forwards for a short distance. The oscilla-
tion of the carriage axle, or of the carriage body, is limited by the fact, that the
cranked portion strikes against the upper edge of the sector shaped recess of
the carriage wall (Fig. 5). Whilst the carriage axle swings outward, the distance
between the trunnion bearings, or, the upper part of the carriage body, and the
axle portions n, will be shortened, as will be seen with reference to Figs. 1, 5
and 6. If therefore, an elastic medium or device, be inserted between the upper
part of the carriage body and the axle portions n, the said elastic device will
be compressed, until equilibrium obtains between the acting forces. if the rotary
moment corresponding to the force of the elastic medium is smaller than that
which corresponds to the weight of the carriage body with, the gun barrel. If,
however, the force of the elastic device be made so great that its rotary moment
is greater than that of the weight of the gun, then the carriage axle and with
it the carriage body. will remain in the position shewn in Fig. 1. An alteration
of this position will take place, with simultaneous compression of the elastic
device, only when a greater force shall act upon the middle portion of the carriage
axle, than that which corresponds to the weight of the carriage body with the
gun barrel.
In the present case, each cranked axle portion is formed with an eye a, with
which there engages the end of the spring bolt B, which slides with a certain

page_text: amount of play in the wall flange of the carriage body. This bolt B carries a
spring column F, which bears at one end against the head of the spring bolt, and
at its other end against the flange of the carriage wall. The combined forces
of the springs acting upon the two cranked axle portions, are together greater
than the opposite force, which is produced by the weight of the gun barrel and
the carriage body. Approximately vertically below the trunnion bearings, there
is suspended the support S, (Figs: 1 and 2), in a pendulating manner from the
carriage body. The object, construction, and mode of operation of the said
support S, are substantially the same as in known arrangements.
The mode of operation of the gun carriage will now be readily understood.
When the gun is fired at high angles of elevation, there comes into action in
addition to the rotary moment produced by the weight of the carriage body etc.,
in consequence of the recoil, a further moment which has a tendency to turn the
gun carriage about the carriage trail towards the ground. Since the wheels
resist this tendency, the carriage body will oscillate downwards about the cranked
axle portions n whilst at the same time the spring columns F will be compressed.
The downward oscillation of the carriage body is limited by the fact, that the
support S takes a bearing upon the ground, and takes upon itself to support the
gun carriage relatively to the ground, (Fig. 6). After the gun is fired, the spring
columns F expand again and thus raise the carriage body into its original position
|(Fig. 1).
As will be perceived from the foregoing, the axle and the wheels during this
operation, can only be subjected to a pressure in vertical direction, which is slightly
greater than the weight of the carriage body etc. The great pressure produced
by the recoil is taken up by the supports S, which transmit the said pressure in
a straight line from the trunnion bearings to the ground. As a further advantage
of the described arrangement, it may be noted that the carriage body is positively
guided in its oscillation relatively to the axle, and that consequently no jamming
of the two parts can take place, even though one of the two spring columns were
to give way for any cause. As, further, the leverage with which the spring
columns act, is much shorter than the length of the crank or crank sweep k
it is clear that in comparison with the vertical downward movement of the carriage
body, there is a much smaller travel of the eye a, and consequently, a compara-
tively small compression of the spring columns F. The spring columns can
therefore be made short and strong, and therefore, relatively light.
Amongst the important advantages of the gun carriage herein described, it
may be specially noted that the importance of the cranked axle is not exhausted
by the fact that it is most particularly suitable for the elastic suspension of the
carriage body. In fact it will be clearly seen from Fig. 1, that the use of the
cranked axle, permits of giving to the gun barrel under otherwise similar
conditions, a much greater elevation than is the case with a straight axle. For
example, if a straight axle were used, then in order to allow of the same elevation
of the gun barrel as in the case of a cranked axle, either when the straight axle
for example is placed at n (Fig. 1), the vertical distance between the trunnion
boxes and the ground, and consequently the weight of the gun carriage would
have to be considerably increased, or the straight axle would have to be placed
further forward, as for example, at m (Fig. 1), and then there would be produced
as a lateral component to the weight of the gun a too great pressure of the carriage
trail upon the ground, and consequently, a more difficult handling of the gun
in firing, both in limbering up and unlimbering. It will therefore be seen that
the new gun carriage for high angle firing guns constitutes a very important
improvement as compared with known arrangements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
A wheeled gun carriage for high angle firing guns, in which the elastic

page_text: suspension of the carriage body from the carriage axle, is effected by the carriage
body being rotatably mounted on the central portion m of a cranked axle, and
cranked axle portions n carrying the carriage wheels, and being supported by
elastic means against the carriage body.
Datal this 91st day of June 1890
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.