Improvements in Field and other Guns and in Carriages or Mountings therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1889-Accepted, 13th July, 1889
[Communicated from abroad by DIE ACTIEN GESELLSCHAFT GRUSONWERK, of
Magdeburg, Buckau, in the Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in Field and other Guns and in Carriages or Mountings
therefor.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the county of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows
-
This invention relates to field and other guns and to carriages or mountings
therefor.
One feature of the said invention consists in the combination of a gun the trunnions
of which are arranged on the first reinforce, with a transportable gun-carriage in
such a manner that, by reason of the changed direction of the force, the component
of the recoil which is transmitted to the axle of the carriage is so small that a heavy
gun can be mounted upon a transportable gun-carriage without liability to breakage
of the axle, and, by reason of the change in the position of the pivot or trunnions of
the gun, the breech or charge orifice; in the various positions of elevation, will remain
at the same height, and a return movement of the gun to a special position for
charging is therefore unnecessary, and the rapidity of the firing is increased.
The said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter set
forth.
The trunnions of the gun are not arranged, as in ordinary guns, approximately
in a line extending through. the centre of gravity of the gun, but on the first rein-
force, whilst the gun is provided on the second reinforce, or at about the middle of
its length, with an eye which is connected with a double screw for pointing or aiming
the gun. The nut of the outer screw is supported by two journals in one end of a
forked lever which is pivoted at its other end upon a pin or stud secured in the cheeks
of the carriage, and which is supported between buffers some of which rest upon the
turned-in edges of the cheeks of the carriage, and the remainder, when the gun is
jolted, bear against a cross-bar held by a screw-bolt at a definite distance from the
axle of the carriage. The said screw-bolt is adapted to turn upon a pin or bolt so
that the said cross-bar will yield to any differences of pressure upon the buffers at the
ends of the said cross-bar. Bevel-wheels are provided upon the aforesaid nut for
turning the elevating screw to point. or aim the gun. The said bevel wheels are
operated by a hand-wheel through the medium of chain-gearing or otherwise. The
outer screw is guided by a square or other suitably shaped portion fitting in the boss
of the horizontal bevel-wheel, it can, therefore, nove vertically but must turn with
the said wheel.
From the foregoing description it will be evident that, when the gun is fired, only
a very small thrust or impact takes effect upon the axle, the main thrust or impact
of the recoil being received directly by the trail of the gun-carriage.
The upward movement of the gun when fired is limited by the india-rubber buffers.
This arrangement, by reason of the favourable displacement of the directions of
force, solves the problem of mounting a heavy gun upon a comparatively light and
transportable carriage.
The second advantage derived from the arrangement of the trunnions on the first
reinforce consists, as above stated, in the breech or charge orifice remaining almost
at the same height in the various angles of elevation.
This circumstance facilitates the charging to such an extent that the gun may
advantageously be a quick firing gun, the gun not requiring to be placed in a special
position for charging after each shot. The time which is generally expended for this

page_text: purpose is therefore saved, and this is of special importance in the case of short guns
which are fired at great angles of elevation.
Formerly attempts have been made to obviate this difficulty by mounting a special
gun-bearer in the form of a block upon the carriage; but by this means the defect is
only reduced within certain limits and, moreover, the gun must be raised to an
inconvenient height for firing.
By the present arrangement the problem is solved in a simple and successful
manner, especially advantageous in the case of short guns.
Dated the 12th day of September.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Field and other Guns and in Carriages or Mountings
therefor.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 field and other guns and to carriages or mountings
therefor.
Heretofore field-guns have usually been provided with trunnions on the second
reinforce and have been mounted in such a manner that the greater portion of the
stress of the recoil is borne by the axle of the gun-carriage. This arrangement is
objectionable, more especially in the case of heavy guns, amongst other reasons on
account of the liability to breakage of the axle by the force or stress of the
recoil.
Moreover, in the case of guns which are to be fired at great angles of elevation,
by reason of the extended movement or displacement of the breech necessary in
elevating the gun, the latter has to be brought to a special position for charging after
each shot has been fired, thus wasting a considerable amount of time and rendering
the firing of the said guns slow.
Attempts have been made to obviate this defect by mounting a special gun-bearer
in the form of a block upon the carriage. This arrangement however only reduces in
some measure the said defect, and moreover, necessitates the raising of the gun to an
inconvenient height for firing.
According to the present invention the above mentioned defects are obviated in a
simple and efficient manner by arranging the trunnions of the gun on the first
reinforce, and by mounting the gun as hereinafter described. By this arrangement,
only a small component of the force of the recoil, is transmitted to the axle of the
gun-carriage, so that a heavy gun can be mounted upon a transportable gun-carriage
without liability to breakage of the axle thereof. Moreover, by reason of the change
in the position of the trunnions of the gun, the breech or charge-orifice will remain at
the same height, notwithstanding any variation in the angle of elevation of the gun.
A return movement of the gun to a special position for loading is, therefore,
unnecessary and the gun can consequently be fired much more rapidly than
heretofore.
The said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in vertical section showing one form of my
improved gun-carriage.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line x, x figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a portion of figure 1 drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 4 is a plan, partly in horizontal section, and

page_text: Figure 5 is a vertical central section, also drawn to an enlarged scale, showing
details of construction.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the gun; B, B are the cheeks or trail of the gun carriage; C is the axle ;
D, D are the wheels.
a, a are the trunnions of the gun, which instead of being arranged as in ordinary
guns, on the second reinforce or approximately in a line extending through the
centre of gravity of the said gun, are placed on the first reinforce b. The said gun
is moreover provided on the second reinforce c or at a point near its centre of
gravity with eyes d to which is connected the inner screw e of a double or compound
screw e, e for effecting the vertical pointing or elevation of the gun. f is a nut
which is provided with internal screw threads corresponding to those of the outer
screw e of the said double or compound screw. The nut is moreover provided
with gudgeons or trunnions f¹ by means of which it is supported in bearings g
each of which forms one extremity of a lever h pivoted at upon a shaft
supported in suitable bearings in the cheeks B of the gun-carriage. The levers / are,
moreover supported between buffers j, j formed of india-rubber or other suitable
material. The lower buffers rest upon the turned-in edges of the cheeks B of the
gun-carriage, and the upper buffers bear against the extremities of a cross-bar k.
These buffers serve to diminish any shock or concussion caused by the jolting of
the gun-carriage. The cross-bar is secured or retained at a suitable distance
from the axle C by means of a bolt k pivoted at ² to the said axle and provided
with a nut k by means of which the said cross-bar & can be adjusted. By pivoting
the bolt to the axle as above described, the cross-bar is permitted to yield
to any differences of. pressure upon the buffers j, j at either side of the carriage.
Upon the nut fis supported a mitre or bevel-wheel and another mitre or bevel-
wheol m geared therewith. The said mitre or bevel-wheel m is fitted to rotate upon
one of the gudgeons of the said nut. n is a toothed wheel formed on or firmly
attached to the mitre or bevel-wheel m and connected by means of a chain o with
another toothed wheel p keyed or otherwise firmly secured upon the shaft i. q is a
hand-wheel which is keyed or otherwise firmly secured upon the shaft i and through
the medium of which the said toothed wheels p and n, the chain o and the mitre or
bevel-wheels m and are operated. The outer screw e¹ is provided with a groove e²
in which is adapted to fit a feather provided in the boss of the mitre or
bevel-wheel so that it can move vertically therein but must turn with the said
wheel.
By turning the hand-wheel q in one or the other direction, the elevation or depres-
sion of the gun may be effected.
From the foregoing description it will be evident that when the gun is fired, only
a small component of the force of the recoil takes effect upon the axle C, this force
being mainly transmitted through the trunnions a directly to the trail B of the
gun-carriage. The upward movement of the gun when fired is limited by the
buffers. This arrangement by reason of the favourable distribution of the force
of the recoil, solves the problem of mounting a heavy gun upon a comparatively
light and transportable carriage.
It will be seen moreover, that, by the arrangement of the trunnions on the first
reinforce the breech or charge-orifice remains as hereinbefore mentioned, at or almost
at the same height in the various angles of elevation of the gun, thus facilitating the
operation of charging to such an extent (the time generally expended in bringing
the gun to a special position for charging after each shot is fired being saved) that
the gun may be advantageously employed as a quick-firing gun. This is
specially advantageous in the case of short guns which are fired at great angles of
elevation.
It is obvious moreover that I can somewhat modify the construction of my
improved field gun and carriage or mounting without departing from the nature of
my invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondents, 1 declare that what I claim is :-
First. A gun constructed with the trunnions upon the first reinforce, as, and for
the purposes above specified.
Second. The combination, with a gun constructed with the trunnions upon the
first reinforce as above specified, of a lever or levers carrying the elevating mechanism,
and pivoted to the cheeks or trail of the gun-carriage and provided with suitable
buffers, substantially as and for the purpose, set forth.
Third. The improved gun and carriage constructed substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of June 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.