Improvements in Gun Carriages with Hydraulic Compressors for the Regulation of the Recoil.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Gun Carriages with Hydraulic Compressors for
the Regulation of the Recoil.
I, OTTO KRELL of St. Petersburg, Russia, Director of the St. Petersburg metal
works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to gun carriages either for standing batteries or
ships, provided with hydraulic compressors for the regulation of the recoil.
To have the least strain on a gun carriage provided with a hydraulic compressor for
the regulation of the recoil it is generally preferred to have the longitudinal axis of
the hydraulic cylinder always parallel with that of the gun and this is done by
simultaneously lowering or raising the gun and the cylinder for the different eleva-
tions. These constructions have however a number of disadvantages which are
avoided by the use of the arrangement forming the subject of the present
application.
This arrangement consists in taking up the recoil not by one hydraulic cylinder or
cylinder pair but by two cylinders or pairs of cylinders which are arranged almost at
right angles to each other. It is evident that as long as the line of recoil lies within
the angle formed by the axes of the hydraulic cylinders or cylinder pairs, the recoil
will be taken up by these cylinders and the strain upon the latter will be in accordance
to the position of the line of recoil so that the cylinder or cylinder pair the axis of
which is more in the direction of the axis of the gun will have to bear the heavier
strain. If the axis of the gun is parallel with that of either cylinder or cylinder
pair this will have to bear the whole of the strain while the other is not affected
at all.
The piston rod of the almost horizontal cylinder is fixed to a frame which is
pivotted to the gun carriage while the trunnions of the gun are journalled upon and
fixed to the cylinder which moves with the gun in the usual manner.
To the front end of the said frame is pivotted the piston rod of another cylinder
which is pivotted to the gun carriage in such a manner that its axis is almost at right

page_text: angles with the first mentioned cylinder. Between flanges on the piston rod and on
the last mentioned cylinder a suitable spring is introduced the strength of which is
calculated according to the weight resting thereon.
If the axis of the gun is parallel with the axis of the first mentioned cylinder this
latter only will bear and take up the strain from the recoil and if the axis of the gun
is parallel with that of the last mentioned cylinder this will have to take up the
recoil; if the axis of the gun however lies between the two, both cylinders will take
up part of the recoil; in this manner a complete taking up of the recoil takes place
in whatever position or elevation the gun is fired.
The advantages of this arrangement are that the recoil is completely taken up at
whatever elevation the gun is fired and that the strain which bears on the respective
parts of the gun carriage is reduced to a minimum so that the gun carriage may be of
smaller dimensions and of lighter construction.

page_text: VUMI LEIE DT BUIFICATION.
Improvements in Gun Carriages with Hydraulic Compressors for
the Regulation of the Recoil.
1, OTTO KRELL of St. Petersburg, Russia, Director of the St. Petersburg metal
works, 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:
The present invention relates to gun carriages, either for standing batteries or ships,
provided with hydraulic compressors for the regulation of the recoil.
To have the least strain on a gun carriage provided with a hydraulic compressor for
the regulation of the recoil it is generally preferred to have the longitudinal axis of
the hydraulic cylinder always parallel with that of the gun and this is done by
simultaneously lowering or raising the gun and the cylinder for the different
elevations. These constructions have however a number of disadvantages which
are avoided by the use of the arrangement forming the subject of the present
application.
This arrangement consists in taking up the recoil not by one hydraulic cylinder or
cylinder pair but by two cylinders or pairs of cylinders which are arranged almost
at right angles to each other. It is evident that as long as the line of recoil lies
within the angle formed by the axes of the hydraulic cylinders or cylinder pairs, the
recoil will be taken up by these cylinders and the strain upon the latter will be in
accordance to the position of the line of recoil, so that the cylinder or cylinder pair
the axis of which is more in the direction of the axis of the gun will have to hear the
heavier strain. If the axis of the gun is parallel with that of either cylinder or
cylinder pair this will have to bear the whole of the strain, while the other is not
affected at all.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, represents a diagrammatical view of the
arrangement, the gun being omitted. A is the gun carriage, pivotted in B and
movable on the rail C.
The piston rod H of the almost horizontal cylinder J is fixed to a frame E which
is pivotted to the gun carriage at D while the trunnions K of the gun are
journalled upon and fixed to the cylinder J which moves with the gun in the usual
manner.
To the front end of the said frame E at O is pivotted the piston rod N of another
cylinder M which is pivotted to the gun carriage at L in such a manner that its axis
is almost at right angles with the first mentioned cylinder. Between flanges on the
piston rod and on the last mentioned cylinder a suitable spring P is introduced the
strength of which is calculated according to the weight resting thereon.
If the axis of the gun is parallel with the axis of the first mentioned cylinder J this
latter only will bear and take up the strain from the recoil and if the axis of the gun
is parallel with that of the last mentioned cylinder M this will have to take up the

page_text: recoil; if the axis of the gun however lies between the two, both cylinders will take
up part of the recoil; in this manner a complete taking up of the recoil takes place
in whatever position or elevation the gun is fired.
The advantages of this arrangement are that the recoil is completely taken up at
whatever elevation the gun is fired and that the strain which bears on the respective
parts of the gun carriage is reduced to a minimum so that the gun carriage may be of
smaller dimensions and of lighter construction.
Figures 2 to 5 represent different applications of this arrangement. Fig. 2 repre-
sents an ordinary garrison or standing carriage provided with the above described
arrangement. Figs. 3 to 5 represent in side view, plan, and end view respectively
the same arrangement applied to a centrally pivotted mortar bed, the dimensions of
the hydraulic cylinders being adapted to the principal elevation at which the mortar
is generally fired.
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
1 claim is:-
1. In gun carriages with vertically movable frame E (figure 1) the employment of
hydraulic cylinders, one series of which is mounted in the longitudinal direction of
the said frame and carries the trunnions of the gun above the axis of the piston rods,
while the other series is mounted underneath the frame at about right angles to the
former in combination with elastic buffers which lift the frame automatically, for the
purpose of taking up the recoil of the gun in whatever position this may be fired,
the whole constructed and operating substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. In a gun carriage having a vertically movable frame such as E the combination
with the cylinder or series of cylinders such as J which carry the gun of another
cylinder or series of cylinders such as M approximately at right angles to the former
cylinder or series of cylinders substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of December 1888