Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 5th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
I, WALTER THOMAS GOOLDEN, of 2 Victoria Mansions, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in directing the fire of machine and other
guns in nocturnal warfare, and has for its object the provision of means whereby the
alignment of the gun may be rapidly and accurately effected during such nocturnal
warfare.
It is well known that in repelling a night attack of torpedo boats the practice
hitherto has been to utilise the beam of an electric search light to discover the
whereabouts of the enemy, after which the machine guns of the ship or fort are
directed to the object and, the range having been found, fire is opened thereon.
Considerable difficulty is however experienced in so directing the guns at night,
more especially when the object to be aimed at, such as a torpedo boat, is in rapid
motion, and the sights cannot be clearly seen.
Now according to this invention the act of aiming is done with the search light
itself, the gun being so connected with the light, by suitable mechanical, hydraulic, or
electrical gearing, that when the beam of the search light is thrown on to an object at
any distance the gun shall be simultaneously and automatically directed to the same
spot, so that immediately the object is seen fire may be opened and maintained, all
that is necessary afterwards being to keep the light directed on the object and
continue discharging the gun.
A simple means of effecting the required connection is to attach a light projector
to a quick firing gun so that the axes of the two are in the same or parallel vertical

page_text: planes but that of the gun slightly inclined to that of the projector in such a direction
as to give the requisite elevation to the gun for the mean range at which the light of
the projector is effective, or say at a range of 750 yards, provision being made to
allow of the elevation or depression of the gun being effected by hand as required,
should the range of the object to be fired at be greater or less than the mean effective
range of the projector, to which the gun would be normally trained.
The attachment of the projector is so arranged as to prevent the transmission of
any injurious shock or vibration, arising from the discharge of the gun, to the glass
mirror of the projector, and also to allow of the projector being readily removed
during the day time.
D

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Directing the Fire of Machine and other Guns in
Nocturnal Warfare.
I, WALTER THOMAS GOOLDEN, of 2 Victoria Mansions, Westminster, in the
county of Middlesex, Electrical 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 relates to improvements in the method of directing the fire of
machine and other guns in nocturnal warfare, and has for its object the provision of
means whereby the alignment of the gun may be rapidly and accurately effected
during such nocturnal warfare.
It is well known that in repelling a night attack of torpedo boats the practice
hitherto has been to utilise the beam of an electric search light to discover the where-
abouts of the enemy, after which the machine guns of the ship, or fort, are directed
to the object, and, the range having been found, fire is opened thereon.
Considerable difficulty is, however, experienced in so directing the guns at night,
more especially when the object to be aimed at, such as a torpedo boat, is in rapid
motion, and the sights cannot be clearly seen.
Now according to this invention the act of aiming is done with the search light
itself, the gun being so connected with the light, by suitable mechanical means, that
when the beam of the search light is thrown on to an object at any distance the gun
shall be simultaneously and automatically directed to the same spot, so that
immediately the object is seen fire may be opened and maintained, all that is
necessary afterwards being to keep the light directed on the object and continue
discharging the gun.
A simple means of effecting the required connection is to attach a light projector
to a quick firing gun so that the axes of the two are in the same or parallel vertical
planes but that of the gun slightly inclined to that of the projector in such a direction
as to give the requisite elevation to the gun for the mean range at which the light of
the projector is effective, or say at a range of 750 yards, provision being made to
allow of the elevation or depression of the gun being effected by hand as required
should the range of the object to be fired at be greater or less than the mean effective
range of the projector, to which the gun would be normally trained.
The attachment of the projector is so arranged as to prevent the transmission of
any injurious shock, or vibration, arising from the discharge of the gun, to the glass
mirror of the projector, and also to allow of the projector being readily removed during
the day-time.
Having thus set forth the nature of my invention I will now proceed to more
particularly describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing the projector P. P., containing the
mirror M and lamp L, mounted on the gun G. G.

page_text: The projector is supported near the mirror by a yoke, of brass, Y, fixed on the gun
while the front end of the projector is supported by a screw c, working through a nut,
or female screw d in the arm of a brass standard $ fixed on the gun. The top end of
the screw e presses against a thick piece of india-rubber b secured in a brass casting a
secured to the hood of the projector by screws or other suitable means. To allow for
the curved motion of the projector when the screw c is worked, sufficient play for the
end of the screw is allowed in the casting a, the screw c being provided with a milled,
or thumb nut, and locking nut, and the standard S with a graduated arc, over which
a pointer attached to the projector moves.
The yoke Y passes between two pieces of brass e, e, fixed to the hood of the
projector and in which are secured two pieces of india rubber tube f, f, while two similar
pieces 9, 9, are secured in the yoke, thus all the contacts between the projector and
the castings fixed to the gun are made through the medium of a yielding material
(india rubber) by means of which the shock of the discharge is modified. In addition
to this the mirror itself is secured to the frame by means of an india rubber ring i, i,
and brass ring k, k. Figure 2 is a transverse section through the elevating screw
and Figure 8 a transverse section through the yoke Y, like letters of reference in all
the figures indicating like parts.
As shown in figures 1 and 2 the projector is at its highest elevation, when its axis
coincides with that of the gun, this adjustment sufficing for absolute point blank range.
For ordinary ranges the screw c would be depressed a little so causing the axis of the
projector to be compressed compared with that of the gun.
The mountings allow of the projector being readily removed when not required,
while if necessary the mountings may also be removed, or suitable openings may be
left in these through which the gun may be sighted in the day time.
It will be understood that though the projector is shown in the accompanying
drawings as mounted above the gun it may if so desired be mounted on brackets, or
other suitable fittings, projecting from either side of the gun, care being taken to
ensure the intervention of an elastic medium between the various points of contact.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The herein before described method of mounting a light projector on a
machine, or other gun, so as to allow of the simultaneous alignment of the two on one
and the same object.
Second. The hereinbefore described method of mounting a light projector on a
machine, or other gun, so as to ensure the transmission of the minimum amount
of vibration, or shock, to the projector, and its parts, on the discharge of the gun.
Dated this 5th day of June 1888