IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ABSORBING THE RECOIL OF ORDNANCE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Leonide Razkazoff, of the Imperial Russian Navy, but
at present residing at Buckingham Palace Road, in the County of Middlesex,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ABSORBING THE
RECOIL OF ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 15th August 1876, and dated the 27th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leonide Razkazoff at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th May 1876.
LEONIDE RAZKAZOFF, of the Imperial Russian Navy, but at present residing at
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
Buckingham Palace Road, in the County of Middlesex.
APPARATUS FOR ABSORBING THE RECOIL OF ORDNANCE."
This Invention is chiefly applicable to that class of gun carriages which are raised
and lowered on rocking arms, and its object is to absorb the recoil of the guns mounted
on such a principle in a more efficient manner than heretofore. To this end I employ
the recoil motion of the gun to regulate automatically the load on the discharging
or relieving valve of the hydraulic apparatus used to lift the gun into position.
In carrying out the object of my Invention I employ for each gun carriage one
or two hydraulic cylinders, the massive plungers of which are connected in any
approved manner with the rocking arms or their equivalents supporting the gun.
On the recoil taking place these plungers are forced back in their cylinders, driving
before them the water contained in the cylinder. This action on the water in the
cylinder continues during the whole back stroke of the plungers, but its force I now
propose to modify, so as to absorb the recoil and regulate the gun in the best
possible manner.
The resistance of the water to the recoil I adjust so as to ensure an uniformly
diminished speed of recoil and fall of the gun, and thus avoid the occurrence of
shocks, which are so detrimental to gun carriages.
The discharge valve, which opens at the back pressure of the plungers, is carried
by a long stem which passes through the valve box, and it is loaded by springs,
preferably Belleville springs. Through these springs the valve stem is passed, and
they are confined between a dise held in place on the stem by an adjusting nut and
a sliding cross head (near the valve box) connected with a rock shaft, which rocks
on the recoil of the gun, common to gun carriages supported by rocking arms.
These springs, when compressed, have their bearing on the cross head, and pressing
[Price 6d1

page_text: against the nut on the valve stem they transmit their pressure through the stem to
the valve, and close it sufficiently to maintain any required initial resistance by the
water in the cylinders to the back motion of the plungers to meet the first shock of
the recoil.
The initial load on the valve is determined by the compression of the springs
produced by the adjusting nut.
The required increase of resistance in the cylinders during the recoil action is
obtained by connecting the cross head through a chain or chains with the rock
shaft of the gun carriage. As this shaft on the recoil of the gun turns in its
bearings, it will, by reason of its connection with the chains of the cross head, wind
them up and draw forward the cross head, thereby causing it to compress the
springs and put an increasing load upon the valve.
To obtain a determinate increase of pressure on the valve as the recoil action
proceeds, there is fitted on the shaft a cam piece, over which the chains are laid.
This cam piece will, according to its shape, produce any required rate of takeup of
the chain.
I would remark that the principle above explained of loading the valve by the
automatic compression of springs is applicable to all gun carriages mounted on
rocking arms and worked by hydraulic pressure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Leonide Razkazoff in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
November 1876.
LEONIDE RAZKAZOFF, of the Imperial Russian Navy, but at present residing at
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
Buckingham Palace Road, in the County of Middlesex.
APPARATUS FOR ABSORBING THE RECOIL OF ORDNANCE."
This Invention is mainly intended to be applied to that class of hydraulic gun
carriages in which guns are raised in order to fire over a parapet or turret and
lowered into the turret for loading under cover, the object being to provide for this
class of ordnance a simple means for performing the duty of compressors in ordinary
gun carriages; that is, to absorb tho recoil of the gun, and to control its movements
in the most efficient manner.
In the accompanying Drawings Sheet I. shews my Invention as applied to a gun
carringe of the Russian circular ship "Vice-Admiral Popoff," and Sheet II. shews
the Invention as adapted to a gun carriage of the Dutch gun boat "Hydra."
In Sheet I. Figure 1 is a plan view of one of a pair of gun carriages mounted
on a turn table, the hydraulic mechanism for working the gun being in the position
it would take when the gun is raised for firing, and Figure 2 is a vertical section of
the same with the gun in place, but in the depressed position ready for loading.
In Sheet II. Figure shews in plan view, and Fig. 4 in sectional elevation a
gun carriage of the Dutch gun boat "Hydra," with the gun and hydraulic apparatus
complete, the same being fitted with my improvements, which I will now proceed
to describe, with special reference to Sheet I.
In the arrangement shewn in Sheet 1. the gun is mounted on a pair of rocking
arms A, A, keyed on the ends of a rock shaft B supported by bearings on the
carriage sides C, C. The rams D, D, of two hydraulic presses F, F, are connected to
the rocking arms by a pair of connecting rods G, G, so that when water under
sufficient pressure is pumped into the hydraulic cylinders the rains are forced out,
and turning the rocking arms A they raise the gun from its loading to the firing
position. In this elevated position the gun is supported by the water contained in
the cylinders, which resists the return motion of the rams.
When fired the gun descends to its loading position through the recoil action,
assisted by the falling weight of the gun, in virtue of which the rocking arms are
caused to drive back the rams in their cylinders. As the recoil action is sudden

page_text: the water in the cylinders is violently forced out, and if the outlet for the water bo
too small, or the discharge valve too heavily loaded, the resistance of the water in.
the cylinders to the back pressure will be too great, and consequently in the first
moment of recoil a heavy shock to the whole structure will occur. On the other
hand, if the discharge valve is not sufficiently loaded the fall of the gun will not be
arrested in time, and the gun will strike the carriage with destructive force. To
attain this double object in the simplest and best manner I employ the motion of
the gun to regulate the load on the discharge valve, by which I can produce any
amount or degree of resistance in hydraulic cylinders to the recoil.
When the gun is in the firing position the pressure in the cylinders necessary to
support it is very small, because the arms carrying the gun are nearly vertical, and
its weight consequently is nearly all transmitted to the rock shaft, and therefore in
the firing position the discharge valve may be very lightly loaded, no more load than is
necessary to support the gun in this position being needed. If the valve thus
loaded is of sufficient area it will permit an easy discharge of water at the first
moment of recoil and prevent any serious shock. As the gun falls the load on the
discharge valve is automatically increased to any required extent, thereby increasing
the pressure in the cylinders, and thus bringing the gun gently down to its loading
position.
The discharger consists of a valve box a placed in the middle of the pipe a¹
which connects the two hydraulic cylinders together. Through this valve box
passes a long stem b, forming at one end a conical valve c, which closes the outlet of
the valve box. This stem is supported at its other end b¹ by a guide o, in which it
is free to slide. The stem or spindle of the valve passes through a series of
springs d, d, (preferably Belleville springs) which are confined between a disc d
held in place on the stem by adjusting nuts e and a cross head f, which is free to
slide on the valve stem I. The cross head fis connected by a pair of chains g, I,
with the rock shaft B, on which the arms carrying the gun are keyed. As this
shaft during the recoil of the gun turns in its bearings it will wind up the chains
connected to it and draw forward the cross head, thereby causing it to compress the
springs and put a gradually increasing load on the valve.
To obtain any determinate increase of pressure on the valve as the recoil action
proceeds cam pieces h, h, are fitted on the shaft to receive the chains which lap over
them as the shaft is rocked by the deprossion of the gun; the form given to theso
cam pieces will determine the rate of increase of pressure on the springs. The
springs thus compressed react on the cross head f, and pressing against the nut e on
the valve spindle they transmit their pressure to the valve, and close it sufficiently
to maintain an initial pressure in the cylinders sufficient to resist the backward
motion of the rams at the first moment of recoil; this initial load on the valve is
regulated by the compression of the springs produced by the adjusting nuts e.
The above description shews that the automatical discharger, as this arrangement
for absorbing recoil may be called, is entirely self-acting, for, as the gun descends
from its raised position, it necessarily increases the load on the valve until the
loading position is reached. As this pressure is maintained on the discharge valve,
water pumped into the cylinders under sufficient pressure for raising the gun cannot
escape through the discharge valve. When the gun ascends to its firing position
it diminishes the load on the valve, leaving more than sufficient however to support
the gun in any position, so that perfect control in raising and lowering the gun is
obtained.
I may here remark that my improved automatic discharger for absorbing the
recoil and controlling the motion of heavy guns possesses the following advantages,
viz. :—
(1.) As its action depends only on the motion of the gun, it is not likely to get
out of order.
(2.) It is casily adjustable to suit charges of different weights.
(3.) It is simple in construction, and has fewer parts than the compressor of an

page_text: (4.) It does away entirely with the complicated combination of cocks, safety
valves, recoil valves, etc., which have been unsuccessfully used for a like purpose.
(5.) It is well protected from injury, being under the body of the gun.
It is evident that the stress on the parts of the discharger depends on the area of
the valve, which, when sufficient for its purpose, is not a large one, and the valve
may be loaded by common springs of moderate strength, but by using disc springs
(Belleville), which experience has proved to be very efficient, the area of the dis-
charge valve may be enlarged considerably.
The application of the above-described arrangement of automatical discharger to
the gun carriage of the Dutch gun boat "Hydra" will require no special descrip-
tion, as the letters of reference used in Sheets I. and II. refer to like parts in the
Drawings.
My automatic discharger may also be modified to suit the various arrangements
of gun carriages to which it may be desired to apply it. For example, the chain or
chains for compressing the springs may be wound up by a special shaft or cam,
which is caused to turn by the recoil action of the gun, or the chains may be con-
nected to any moveable part of the gun carriage, and in such case they may be
replaced by a rod or rods. In the gun carriages in which the hydraulic cylinders
aro under the muzzle of the gun, and the rams act on a sliding cross head con-
nected to the arms, the discharger may be arranged in the front part of the plat-
form, and the chains may be conveniently coupled to the cross head, the notion of
which on recoil will produce the required increase of load on the valve. Such an
arrangement exists in the Moncrieff and in the Ead's gun carriages (Newton's
Patent, No. 896, of 1869). In these gun carriages water during the recoil is forced
out from the cylinder through a recoil valve loaded by air pressure, which valve
may be easily converted into a valve loaded by springs regulated by the recoil
motion of the gun, as described.
As the discharge will produce automatically in the cylinder any required rate of
resistance to the recoil, it may also be of great value in the ordinary hydraulic gun
carriages for the enormous guns now used. These guns being often worked in
contracted spaces, such as ships' turrets, may require a progressive increase of
resistance to that recoil, which resistance can best be produced by the discharge
valve, above described. In such case I adjust the above-described discharger to
the hydraulic cylinder, from which water is forced out on recoil taking place, and I
lead the chains from the sliding cross head over pulleys mounted on the platform,
and connect their ends to the sliding carriage.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in Ap-
paratus for Absorbing the Recoil of Ordnance," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim,—
First. The means above described for regulating automatically the load on the
discharge valve through the recoil action of the gun or gun carriage, and thereby
absorbing the recoil of the gun.
Second. Loading the discharge valve by means of a spring or springs subjected
to compression between an adjusting nut on the valve spindle and a moveable
cross head or their equivalents.
Third. The use of a discharge valve, the load of which is automatically adjusted
through the recoil action of the gun.
In witness whereof, I, the said Leonide Razkazoff, have hereunto sot my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
LAKE