Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 6th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 11th Jan., 1887.
1. WILLIAM JENNINGS HOYLE of Elswick Works Newcastle-on-Tyne Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is applicable especially where the gun is raised for firing and after
firing descends under shelter, and whereby the recoil liquid is forced out of a cylinder-
past a valve into an air chamber and so a portion of the energy of the recoil is stored
and rendered available to raise the gun again to the firing position.
I make the recoil cylinder and the air receiver from one mass of forged steel. The
air space is obtained by boring a series of holes or cavities around the cylinder
parallel to its axis. These cavities are bored from the bottom and are afterwards
closed with screwed plugs tightly caulked when in place. Small holes are drilled from
one cavity to another at the upper end these are sufficient to maintain equilibrium of
pressure in the several cavities.
By this arrangement leakage of air is effectually prevented there being no joints
except those around the screw plugs and these always remain covered by liquid.
The recoil valve is placed centrally at the bottom of the recoil cylinder, it is set to
open a very short distance during recoil and the recoil is expended in part in forcing
the liquid past this valve. The liquid passes from the recoil cylinder first into the
valve chamber and thence by passages into the air cavities a passage being cut from
the valve chamber to the bottom of each cavity. The valve closes to prevent return
so that the gun after recoil remains down whilst the air is retained in the air receiver
under full pressure.
To allow the gun to rise a bye-pass valve is opened which allows the liquid to return
from the air receiver into the recoil cylinder. This valve is actuated by a rack which
is moved by means of a lever handle in a direction parallel to the axis of the cylinder.
A jointed rod connects the rack with the hand lever to provide for the rocking
movement of the recoil cylinder about its trunnions. A chain connected with a
moving part of the gun mounting also automatically moves the rack and closes the
bye-pass valve as the gun reaches the firing position.
In order to prevent the gun over-running the firing position heavy restraining
chains have heretofore been employed. I dispense with these chains and effect the
ΓΥ

page_text: object by means of a piston like enlargement upon the inner end of the ram, and a
corresponding collar within the recoil cylinder at its upper end. Notches are cut
out both from the piston and the collar in such manner that in one position they
can pass each other. In this position the ram is inserted and it is then turned
partly round and secured in its working position; this being done it is impossible
for the ram to escape from the cylinder.
The cross head connecting the ram with the side levers of the gun mounting is
provided with powerful steel springs; these springs allow a certain amount of play
between the cross head and the ram and prevent undue strain coming either upon the
recoil cylinder or ram. The force pump by which, by manual labour, liquid can be
transferred from the recoil cylinder to the air receiver is mounted upon the side of
the recoil cylinder and moves with it as the cylinder rocks upon its trunnions. The
hand lever which works the pump has however a fixed fulcrum, and an arm engaging
with the pump rod near the trunnions on which the recoil cylinder oscillates so that
the connection between these parts is not interfered with by the movement of the
recoil cylinder.
The gun mounting is not centrally pivotted but is supported by live rollers upon a
ring rail or racer, and these rollers have flanges on both sides of the rail. This
racer or ring rail is made of a piece with a ring of teeth with which the pinions on
the training gear engage, and also with a ring with which clips on the moveable part
of the mounting engage to prevent the mounting lifting from the racer when the gun
recoils. By making the racer and these rings all of a piece fitting is much simplified
and no shifting of the foundations can afterwards affect the relative positions. The
training of the gun mounting is effected by wheel gearing and each train of wheels
is fitted up in a pillar and forms a separate piece to be attached to the mounting and
readily renewable in case of injury.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mountings for Heavy Ordnance for Land Defences.
I, WILLIAM JENNINGS HOYLE, of Elswick Works, Newcastle on 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 is applicable especially where the gun is raised for firing and after
firing descends under shelter, and whereby the recoil liquid is forced out of a cylinder
past a valve into an air chamber, and so a portion of the energy of the recoil is stored
and rendered available to raise the gun again to the firing position.
I make the recoil cylinder and the air receiver from one mass of forged steel. The
air space is obtained by boring a series of holes or cavities around the cylinder
parallel to its axis. These cavities are bored from the bottom and are afterwards
closed with screwed plugs tightly caulked when in place. Small holes are drilled
from one cavity to another at the upper end; these are sufficient to maintain
equilibrium of pressure in the several cavities.
By this arrangement leakage of air is effectually prevented, there being no joints
except those around the screw plugs and these always remain covered by liquid.
The recoil valve is placed centrally at the bottom of the recoil cylinder, it is set to
open a very short distance during recoil and the recoil is expended in part in forcing
the liquid past this valve. The liquid passes from the recoil cylinder first into the
valve chamber and thence by passages into the air cavities, a passage being cut from
the valve chamber to the bottom of each cavity. The valve closes to prevent return
so that the gun after recoil remains down whilst the air is retained in the air receiver
under full pressure.
To allow the gun to rise a by-pass valve is opened which allows the liquid to return
from the air receiver into the recoil cylinder. This valve is actuated by a rack which
is moved by means of a lever handle in a direction parallel to the axis of the cylinder.
A jointed rod connects the rack with the hand lever to provide for the rocking
[movement of the recoil cylinder about its trunnions. A chain connected with a
moving part of the gun mounting also automatically moves the rack and closes the
by-pass valve as the gun reaches the firing position.
In order to prevent the gun over-running the firing position heavy restraining
chains have heretofore been employed. I dispense with these chains and effect the
object by means of a piston-like enlargement upon the inner end of the ram, and a
corresponding collar within the recoil cylinder at its upper end. Notches are cut out
both from the piston and the collar in such manner that in one position they can pass"
each other. In this position the ram is inserted and it is then turned partly round
and secured in its working position; this being done it is impossible for the ram to
escape from the cylinder.

page_text: The cross-head connecting the ram with the side levers of the gun mounting is
provided with powerful steel springs; these springs allow a certain amount of play
between the cross-head and the ram and prevent undue strain coming either upon the
recoil cylinder or ram. The force pump by which, by manual labour, liquid can be
transferred from the recoil cylinder to the air receiver is mounted upon the side of
the recoil cylinder and moves with it as the cylinder rocks upon its trunnions. The
hand lever which works the pump has however a fixed fulcrum, and an arm engaging
with the pump rod near the trunnions on which the recoil cylinder oscillates so that
the connection between these parts is not interfered with by the movement of the
recoil cylinder.
The gun mounting is not centrally pivotted but is supported by live rollers upon a
ring rail or racer, and these rollers have flanges on both sides of the rail. This racer
or ring rail is made of a piece with a ring of teeth with which the pinions on the
training gear engage, and also with a ring with which clips on the movable part of
the mounting engage to prevent the mounting lifting from the racer when the gun
recoils. By making the racer and these rings all of a piece fitting is much simplified
and no shifting of the foundations can afterwards affect the relative positions. The
training of the gun mounting is effected by wheel gearing and each train of wheels is
fitted up in a pillar and forms a separate piece to be attached to the mounting and
readily renewable in case of injury.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 4 is un underside view.
Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line A, B, in Figure 3.
Figure 6 shows separately to a larger scale a longitudinal section of the recoil valve.
A A is the cavity of the recoil cylinder in which the ram B enters. This ram
carries a cross-head C which is jointed to the side levers. There are two of these side
levers and they are connected by strong framing. A portion of one of these levers
is shown and marked D; the fulcrum is at D upon the revolving table or platform.
At their upper ends the side levers have bearings in which the gun is carried by its
trunnions all as described in the specification of my former patent. EE are the
cavities around the cylinder A for the reception of air. These cavities are bored in
the same mass of metal in which the cylinder itself is formed and at their lower ends
they are plugged with plugs E. EE are small perforations near the upper
ends of the cavities E by which they communicate the one with the other.
The ram B is made to enter the cylinder A from its upper end and the piston-like
enlargement B at its lower end is notched away at intervals around the circumference
to admit of this. The collar at A' at the upper end of the cylinder is similarly cut
away and when the ram is suitably placed it is able to enter the cylinder. After the
ram has been so entered into the cylinder it is turned partly round to bring it to its
working position and when in this position it cannot be withdrawn from the cylinder
because the piston-like enlargement B comes into contact with the collar A. The
connection between the ram B and the cross-head C is such as to admit of longitudinal
but not of rotary movement. A cavity is formed, in the cross-head and this receives
springs CC. The springs represented in the drawing are dished rings, they are

page_text: arranged around a stem B forming a continuation of the rain B and are compressed
between the bottom of the cavity in the cross-head and a disc B³ placed on to the
stem B2 and held in place by a screw and nut. The recoil valve shown by Figure 6
is fitted into the lower end of the cylinder A. It consists of a block F which is screwed
into its place. In this block holes F F are drilled, and from the bottom of these
holes a perforation passes through to the outer face of the block where a valve face is
formed. F is a stem fixed into the block F and upon this stem the annular valve G
is carried. The valve is pressed towards its seat by the spring I which abuts on the
valve G and also upon a collar F screwed on to the stem F2 F is a lock screw to
retain the collar 13 when in place. The collar F has a projecting rim F3 which
serves to limit the lift of the valve G and the collar is adjusted so that the valve
opening offers considerable resistance to the water as it is driven out from the
cylinder A. By adjusting the collar F this resistance may be made greater or less. The
water when driven out by the rocoil from the cylinder A passes by passages E* into the
cavities EE which cavities are already charged with compressed air as explained in the
specification of my former patent. His a by-pass valve consisting of a small cone
forced to its seat by a screw upon its stem and a corresponding screw-thread in the
passage which receives the valve. This valve closes a passage between a cylinder A and
the space beyond the recoil valve in communication with the cavities E. When the
by-pass valvo H is withdrawn from its seat the pressure of the air in the cavities E
drives the water into the cylinder A; the ram B is then forced out of the cylinder and
the gun is raised to its firing position. The by-pass valve H is worked by the hand
lever K, an arm on the axis of this lever is jointed to the rod K' and this is connected
to the rack K having teeth engaging with pinion-like teeth upon the stem of the
valve H.
Upon the same axis with the hand lever there is also a short lever arm which is
connected by chains in the manner shown in Figure 1 with the side levers D which
carry the gun. When the gun comes up to its firing position these chains
automatically move the hand lever and close the by-pass valve H. L is a pump
provided upon the side of the recoil cylinder A. It has a suction passage
communicating with the interior of the cylinder and a delivery passage communicating
with the air cavities E. M is a hand lever for working the pump; this hand lever is
upon an axis which is carried in bearings on the platform and the axis has a short
arm entering between collars upon the pump rod at a point sufficiently near to the
trunnions A on which the cylinder A is carried to admit of the requisite movement
of the recoil cylinder about these trunnions without interfering with the engagement
between the band lever and the pump rod. By the use of this pump the gun may be
brought down from the raised position without firing.
I do not provide a central pivot for the platform but it is carried by coned rollers
N which run upon a ring rail or racer O. The rollers have flanges on either side
of the rail. O is a ring of teeth formed of a piece with the racer for use in training
the gun and platform. O2 is another ring or flange also formed of a piece with the
racer and intended for the clips P P on the platform to engage with it so that the
recoil in no case may be able to cause the platform to lift. is a pillar bolted on to
the platform, it carries the axis of the hand wheel Q by turning which the gun is
trained. The axis of the hand wheel is connected by bevelled gear with a vertical
axis carried within the pillar and this at its lower end carries a spur wheel in gear
with the teeth at O'.
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 recoil cylinder and its air cavities substantially as described the air cavities
being bored in the walls of the cylinder.
2. The construction of the recoil cylinder and ram so that they may engage
substantially as described, to prevent the gun from overrunning the firing position.
3. The automatic gear connecting the by-pass valve with the side levers D and
closing the by-pass when the gun has risen substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The way of connecting the ram and the cross-head with springs interposed which
permit the cross-head to move after the ram has been brought to rest substantially as
described.
5. The arrangement of the pump gear with pump carried upon the recoil cylinder
and hand lever on separate or stationary fulcrum with arm engaging with the pump
rod substantially as described.
6. Mounting the platform on a racer or ring rail of a piece with a ring of teeth for
training and a flange or ring with which clips on the platform engage, substantially as
described.
7. The pillars bolted to the platform and carrying the training gear substantially as
described.
8. The improved mounting for heavy ordnance for land defences substantially as
described.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.