Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Working Ordnance.
Year: 1885

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Working
Ordnance.
I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, of 57° Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR WORKING ORDNANCE to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for working cannon or heavy guns, either on
land or on a ship or vessel, by means of electricity, or by hydraulic or other power.
My said invention is chiefly applicable to guns which are mounted upon carriages
or platforms and are designed to be lowered within an enclosed space so that the
gun can be loaded without exposure of the gunner to an enemy's fire, and to be
raised into position for firing en barbette or from a turret.
The main feature of my invention is the provision of means for counterbalancing
the weight of the gun and platform, so that a small amount of power will suffice
for raising and lowering the same. My said invention, moreover, comprises
various novel features of construction as hereinafter set forth.
In carrying my invention into practice, when the gun is for use on land, it is
mounted on a suitable carriage which is supported on a platform in any convenient
manner to permit the gun to be traversed or trained thereon. This platform is
secured to the upper end of a central rod or ram which is fitted to slide freely up and
down in a cylinder. When the gun is to be raised and lowered by electricity, this
ram is made with rack teeth with which gears a pinion fixed on a shaft arranged
to be rotated (either directly or through suitable gearing) by an electric motor.
The said cylinder is partially filled with water or other liquid to serve as a cushion
or buffer and prevent or diminish the shock produced by the descent of the gun
and carriage.
The gun and platform are counterbalanced by weights attached to the said
platform by ropes or chains which are passed over pulleys carried by suitable
columns or standards. A casing or wall of brickwork is preferably built to enclose
the space within which the gun and platform are to be lowered; one or more
passages are made from this space to the magazine or other desired place, and in
each of these passages rails are laid, upon which a truck is placed for carrying
ammunition to the gun. These passages are so arranged that, when the gun is in
n

page_text: its lowest position, its muzzle will be in position to receive the charge and
projectile. The counterweights are usually arranged to descend into suitable pits,
when the platform is raised. When the gun is not loaded, these weights should
exactly counter-balance the gun, and all the parts which require to be raised there-
with, so that the electric or other motor, in raising the gun and other parts, will only
require to lift the extra weight of the charge and projectile, and to overcome the
friction of the parts. The platform is guided, in its up and down movements, by
rollers running upon the inner edges of the columns or standards or by other
suitable means.
In some cases the platform, instead of being provided with the central ram and
the said weights, is supported upon standards which are secured at their lower
ends to an air holder or vessel iminersed in water or other liquid so that, when the
platform is lowered by the motor, the air will be compressed in the said holder,
and when the platform is raised, the air will expand therein, and the buoyancy of
the said holder will support the whole or the greater portion of the weight of the
platform and gun. Therefore the motor will, as above stated, only require to
overcome the friction of the parts and to lift the extra weight of the charge and
projectile. The air-holder is completely submerged in the liquid at all points of its
stroke; therefore, assuming that, when it is at about the centre of its stroke, it
exactly counter-balances the parts, if it is raised above this point the specific
gravity of the mass in the liquid will be diminished by reason of the expansion of
the air, and the holder will have a tendency to rise; if however, the holder is
moved down below this point, the specific gravity of the mass will be increased
and the holder will have a tendency to descend.
The pointing of the gun is, by preference, effected by means of electricity, and
in this case, the mechanism ordinarily employed for elevating and depressing the
breech and for traversing or training the gun is somewhat modified, that is to say,
suitable means are provided for transmitting motion from an electric motor to the
mechanism for effecting each of these operations. For example, the electric motor
for elevating and depressing the breech is arranged to act, through the medium of
a worm and worm-wheel and suitable toothed gearing, upon a pinion, which
with a rack attached to the breech of the gun, and the electric motor for training
or traversing the gun is arranged to act, through the medium of frictional gearing,
upon a toothed wheel engaging with a rack secured to the upper side of the
platform.
L
gears
My improved apparatus is very advantageously arranged for use on a ship or
vessel in the following manner, that is to say, a telescopic ram is secured to the
underside of the platform, and is fitted to slide in a cylinder connected with
suitable apparatus for forcing liquid therein to raise the ram and platform. The
length of the said cylinder can, in this case, be considerably reduced as compared
with those in which an ordinary ram is to be used; therefore the gun can be so
arranged that, when not required for firing, it can be lowered until it is below the
centre of oscillation of the ship when rolling.
"
It is obvious that, when the gun and carriage or platform are counterbalanced as
above described, steam or other power may, if desired, be employed for raising and
lowering the same.
r

page_text: and lang tapparatus 10 Working
Ordnance.
I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, of 57 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus for working cannon or heavy guns, either on
land or on a ship or vessel, by the aid of electricity, or by hydraulic or other
power.
My said invention is applicable to apparatus of that class wherein the gun is
supported upon a platform designed to be lowered within an enclosed space, so
that the gun can be loaded without exposure of the gunner to an enemy's fire, and
to be raised (after the gun is loaded) into position for firing en barbette or from a
turret.
The main feature of my said invention is the provision of means for counter-
balancing the gun and its supports so that a small force will suffice for raising or
lowering the same. My said invention, moreover, comprises various novel features
of construction hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a vertical central section showing my improved apparatus constructed
and arranged for use on land.
Figure 2 is a vertical central section illustrating a modification of my invention.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts in these two figures.
A is a pit, which is formed in the ground, and the bottom and sides of which are
lined with concrete as at A' and with brick work as at A. B is a platform
supported by means of columns or standards C upon an air holder D which is open
at the bottom and is immersed in water or other liquid contained in the pit A.
The standards C are firmly secured, at their upper ends, to the said platform, and,
at their lower ends, to the air holder D. E is a gun, which is mounted upon a
carriage El upon the platform B and is provided with suitable means whereby it
can be pointed and trained or traversed. The holder D and platform B are provided
with rollers D', which bear against, and rotate in contact with, vertical bars or
rails F secured to the sides or walls A of the pit A. These bars or rails serve to
guide the holder in its up-and-down movement.
In the apparatus shown in Figure 1, a rack G is secured to one of the columns C
at one side of the holder D, and is geared with a pinion H 6ixed on one end of a
horizontal shaft I carried in suitable bearings I¹. A worm-wheel K is fixed on the
other end of the said shaft and is geared with a worm or endless screw fixed or
formed on the vertical shaft L, which is arranged to be rotated in either direction
by an electric motor at M. This motor is connected with any suitable generator
of electricity, and a switch or contact making and breaking device is arranged in

page_text: the circuit to provide for starting and stopping, or reversing the movement of, the
Baid motor.
One or more passages N are formed between the pit A and the magazine or other
place where the ammunition is stored; rails are laid in each of these. passages, and
upon these rails is placed a truck for carrying ammunition from the magazine to
the gun. The said passages are so arranged that, when the gun is lowered, its
muzzle will be in a suitable position to receive the charge and projectile.
The air holder D is made of such capacity that it will, by reason of its buoyancy,
support the whole, or the greater portion, of the weight of the gun and its carriage
and of the platform B. The depth of water in the pit A is such that the air-
holder D will be completely submerged whatever position it may occupy in the
said pit; therefore, assuming that, when it is at about the centre of its movement,
its buoyancy is exactly counterbalanced by its weight and that of the gun, carriage,
and platform, if the said holder is raised above this central position, the mean
density or specific gravity of the mass in the liquid will be diminished by reason of
the expansion of the air in the holder and the consequent expulsion of some of the
water therefrom, and the said holder and parts carried thereby will have a
tendency to rise; if, however, the holder is moved down below this central position,
the mean density or specific gravity of the mass will be increased by the compression
of the air in the holder and the entrance of water therein, and the said holder and
parts carried thereby will have a tendency to descend. It is, therefore, evident
that the motor, in order to raise or lower the gun, will only require to exert sufficient
force to overcome the friction of the working parts and the slight resistance due to
variation in the density of the mass as above stated, and to lift the extra weight of
the charge and projectile, in raising the gun when loaded.
It is obvious that, instead of using air in the said holder, I can, if desired, use
any other suitable gas.
The pointing of the gun is, by preference, effected by means of electricity, and
for this purpose I prefer to employ mechanism such as that described in the
Specification of former Letters Patent dated 17th October 1884, N° 13762. -·
In the modification of my invention shewn in Figure 2, I provide for the
introduction of compressed air into the air holder D for the purpose of raising the
gun and platform. For this purpose I employ a closed chamber or reservoir P for
containing compressed air, which chamber is placed in a pit P¹ lined with brickwork
as at P'. A pipe Q is connected with the said chamber, and is provided with a
stop-cock Q and a nozzle Q. This nozzle extends into the funnel-shaped end or
mouth R¹ of a pipe R, which is provided, near this end, with a stop-cock R³, and
which has its other end extended upwards within the pit A into the air holder D,
and above the highest level to which the water is permitted to rise in the said
holder.
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'
1.
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D is a cap or casing, which is secured to the top of the holder D to provide an
enclosed space for the reception of the end of the pipe R when the said holder is
lowered. The stop-cocks Q, R are provided with levers q, r, which are coupled
to a rod S passed through a holo in a supporting plate S and provided with a
handle S By. pulling up this rod, the said stop-cocks can be simultaneously
opened, and, by releasing or depressing the said rod, the stop-cocks can be siinu!-
taneously closed. When the said stop-cocks are opened, a jet of compressed air
from the chamber P will be forcibly directed through the nozzle Qinto the pipe R,
and will induce a current of air into the mouth R¹ of the said pipe, as indicated by
the arrows. The said nozzle and the pipe R, therefore, constitute an injector,
whereby air can be forced into the holder D under a pressure sufficient to raise the
same and the parts carried thereby.
If desired, the said injector can be dispensed with, and the chamber P connected
by a pipe directly with the air holder D; but, by employing the said injector, I am
enabled to effect considerable economy in the use of the compressed air. For
instance, assuming that the pressure of the air in the chamber P is one hundred
and forty pounds per square inch, and that a pressure of soven pounds per square

page_text: inch is required in the air holder D to displace the water in, and raise, the same, if
air from the chamber P were admitted into the air bolder D at its full pressure,
although it would expand to twenty times its volume, yet a considerable quantity
of the compressed air would require to be used for raising the gun. But, when the
dynamic force of the compressed air issuing from the nozzle Qis utilized as abovo
described for inducing a current of external air through the mouth of the pipe R, a
large quantity of air can be introduced into the air-holder D under a pressure:
sufficient to raise the gun, with a small expenditure of the compressed air contained
in the chamber P.
i
T is a pipe fixed in the top of the air holder D and extending to, and through,
the platform B. This pipe is provided with a stop-cock T furnished with a lever t
which is coupled to a rod T. This rod extends to, and through, the platform B.
and has a handle T3 whereby it can be raised or depressed to open or close the
stop-cock T. The portion of the pipe T within the holder D is of such length that
the lower end of the said pipo is a short distance above the level of the water in
the said holder when the latter is in its highest position. When the cock T¹ is
opened, a portion of the air in the holder D escapes through the pipe T and the
said bolder is caused to descend by gravity. When the said holder bas descended
a short distance, the said pipe is closed by the water, and, as the said holder
continues its descent, the air remaining therein is slightly compressed and the mean
density or specific gravity of the mass in the liquid is increased, so that the said
holdor and parts carried thereby have a tendency to descend; but to counteract
this tendency I provide a closed air chamber or dome D³ on the top of the holder D.
As the said holder descends, this chamber or dome gradually becomes submerged.
and increases the buoyancy of the said holder. By employing this chamber or
dome,. I also provide for diminishing the buoyancy of the holder as it rises. The
equilibrium or approximate equilibrium of the parts is thus ensured, whatever
position the said holder may occupy in the pit A. The lowering of the gun, after
the pipe T is closed by the water, is effected or continued by the momentum
imparted thereto while the said pipe was open, either with or without the aid of
gravity, according to whether the parts are in absolute or approximate equilibrium..
To gradually arrest the movement of the said holder and prevent too violent.
impact thereof against the bottom of the pit A, or against the stop A³ at the top
thereof, when the said holder is raised or lowered, I make the said pit conical at
its lower end as at A', and I attach to the sides of the said pit a ring or annular
piece A which is conical in transverse section. During the latter part of the
downward movement of the holder D, the space for the passage of water between
its lower edge and the conical part A of the pit A is gradually contracted, thereby
increasing the resistance to the downward movement of the said holder. In a
similar manner, during the latter part of the upward movement of the said holder,
the space for the passage of water between its upper edge and the conical ring A
is gradually contracted, thereby increasing the resistance to the upward movement
of the said holder.
In some cases, instead of employing an air-holder as above described, the
platform is secured to the upper end of a central rod or ram, which is fitted to
slide freely up and down in a cylinder. When the gun is to be raised and lowered'
by the aid of electricity, this rain is made with rack-teeth, with which gears a
pinion fixed on a shaft arranged to be rotated (either directly or through suitable
gearing) by an electric motor. The said cylinder is partially filled with water or
other liquid to serve as a cushion or buffer and prevent or diminish the shock
produced by the descent of the gun and platform. The gun and platform are
counterbalanced by means of weights attached to the said platform by ropes or
chains which are passed over pulleys carried by suitable columns or standards.
The counterweights are usually arranged to descend into suitable pits, when the
platform is raised. When the gun is not loaded, these weights should exactly
counterbalance the gun and all the parts which require to be raised therewith,
so that the motor, in raising or lowering the gun and other parts, will, as above

page_text: stated, only require to overcome the friction of the working parts, and to lift the
extra weight of the charge and projectile in raising the gun when loaded. The
platform is guided, in its up-and-down movement, by rollers running upon the
inner edges of the columns or standards, or by other suitable means.
My improved apparatus is advantageously arranged for use on a ship or vessel
in the following manner, that is to say, a telescopic ram is secured to the underside
of the platform and is fitted to slide in a cylinder connected with suitable
apparatus for forcing liquid therein to raise the ram and platform. The length of
the said cylinder can, in this case, be considerably reduced as compared with those
in which an ordinary ram is used; therefore the apparatus can be so constructed
and arranged that the gun, when lowered, will be below the centre of oscillation
of the ship when rolling.
It is obvious that, when the gun, carriage, and platform are counterbalanced as
above described, steam or other power may, if desired, be employed for raising and
lowering the saine.
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
First. The above described method of providing for facilitating the working of a
gun, consisting in mounting the gun on a platform and combining, with the said
gun and platform, ineans for counterbalancing the same for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination, with a platform for supporting a gun and its carriage,
of an air or gas holder connected with the said platforin and immersed in water
or other liquid in which it can rise or descend, all substantially as, and for the
purpose set forth.
Third. The modification of my invention wherein I combine with the apparatus
in the pit A a compressed air chamber or reservoir connected with the said holder
by a pipe, with or without the injector, substantially as described with reference
to Figure 2 of the drawings and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The employment of an air chamber or dome on the top of the air or
gas holder, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fifth. The provision of means for gradually arresting the movement of the air
or gas holder and parts carried thereby, as, and for the purpose, specified.
Sixth. The improved apparatus consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to either of the forms or modifications
shewn in the accompanying drawings and operating as, and for the purposes, set
forth.
Seventh. The combination, with a platform for supporting a gun and its carriage,
of weights secured to the said platform by ropes or chains passing over pulleys,
substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Eighth. The modification of my invention wherein I employ a telescopic
hydraulic ram, as, and for the purpose, specified.