Improvements in and relating to Gun Carriages or Mountings.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1887
Complete Left, 9th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 22nd June, 1888
[Communicated from abroad by JEAN BAPTISTE GUSTAVE ADOLPHE CANET, of
91, Avenue Malakoff, Paris, France.]
Improvements in and relating to Gun Carriages or Mountings.
We, RICHARD COPLEY CHRISTIE, MANASSAH GLEDHILL, and HERBERT HANEURY
SMITH CARINGTON, all Directors of Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co., Limited, of
Openshaw, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to gun carriages or mountings for land or sea service and
comprises various improvements hereinafter specified.
The improved gun carriage or mounting is provided with a rocking lever in which
the gun is rigidly secured so that the said gun and lever will move together but will
maintain the same position relatively to each other. This lever is pivoted at its
lower end upon a horizontal pin or stud carried by a sliding nut, through which
works a strong screw mounted in bearings attached to the frame, and provided with
hand-wheel. To the said rocking lever are coupled the rods of two pistons working
in cylinders, one of which is a hydraulic brake cylinder and the other of which is
provided with a spring or springs for returning the gun to the firing position after its
recoil. These two cylinders are formed in one piece or firmly united and aro
mounted upon trunnions fitting into bearings in the frame.
The said frame is carried by a circle of rollers or balls upon a fixed saddle or racer,
and is provided with hooks or clips for retaining it upon the said saddle or racer.
The said frame can, therefore, be adjusted horizontally to train or traverse the
gun. The said frame has pivoted thereto a claw adapted to engage with and grip
flange upon the circumference of the said sadille or racer. By pressing
upon a lever with which the said claw is provided, sufficient pressure can be
exerted upon this flange to hold the said frame in any position to which it may be
djusted.

page_text: When the hand-wheel and the aforesaid screw are rotated, the rocking lever and,
consequently, the gun are turned upon the trunnions or axis of rotation of the
hydraulic cylinder, which itself participates in the rotary motion.
The desired
elevation or depression or angle of fire of the gun can thus be obtained.
When the gun recoils, it tends to turn the rocking lever upon or about its pivot ;
the amplitude of this motion is, however, limited by the action of the hydraulic
brake. At the same time the springs in the second cylinder are compressed, and, at
the termination of the recoil, they react to return the gun to the firing position. This
return to the firing position is effected without any shock or jar, by reason of the
arrangement of the hydraulic brake in such a manner that it will serve as a
hydraulic buffer like those described in the specification of former Letters Patent
applied for on the 17th March, A.D). 1885, and dated 20th December A.D. 1884,
No. 3452.
The brake-cylinder, being carried by trunnions, moves in correspondence with
the rocking lever, therefore its rod and that of the spring box or cylinder are not
subjected to bending stresses.
An important advantage of the improved construction is that the main effect which
the firing has upon the saddle or racer is a simple horizontal pressure which is
transmitted to it by the fulerum-pin or pivot of the rocking lever. On a ship or
vossel, therefore, carriages or mountings of this kind can be advantageously used
without liability to straining of the decks.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Gun Carriages or Mountings.
We, RICHARD COPLEY CHRISTIE, MANASSAH GLEDHILL and HERBERT HANBURY
SMITH CARINGTON, all Directors of Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co., Limited, of Openshaw,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declaro 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 gun carriages or mountings for either land or sea service.
An important feature of the said invention is the construction of a gun carriage or
mounting with a rocking arm or lever on which the gun is secured so that, in recoiling
and returning to the firing position, it moves with the said lever about the fulcrum or
pivot thereof without changing its position relatively thereto, and which is arranged
in combination with brake and recuperator apparatus, as, and for the purposes, herein-
after explained.
Another feature of our said invention is the provision for elevating and depressing
the gun by adjusting the fulcrum-pin or pivot-pin of the said rocking lover.
Our said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter set
forth.
In the accompanying drawings, we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section of one form of our improved gun-
mounting with the gun in a horizontal position, some of the parts being shown in side
elevation.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the said mounting, and
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal contral soction thereof with the gun at its
greatest angle of elevation, some of the parts being shown in side elevation."
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a base-plate or racer which serves also as a pivot; B is a platform or turn-
table, which is supported upon the said base-plate or racer by means of rollers C fitted
to rotate upon pins (fixed in the said platform or turntable, or by means of a circular
series of balls or otherwise.
A strong screw-shaft D is fitted to rotate in bearings D', D' formed with, or firmly
attached to, the platform or turntable B. This screw-shaft is provided with a hand-
wheel D³ whereby it may be rotated for the purpose hereinafter specified, endwise
travel or movement of the said screw-shaft being prevented by fixed collars or
shoulders D, or by a thrust-bearing, or by other suitable means.
To the said screw-shaft D is fitted a nut E supported upon an inclined plane or
surface B' on the platform B in guides B* (Figure 2), in which it slides when the
said screw-shaft is rotated.
The gun F is supported and held by its trunnions in the upper or outer end of a
rocking lever G, the fulcrum-pin or pivot-pin H of which is carried by the sliding
nut E. The gun rests in a cradle or transom G forming a part of the lever G, or is
otherwise so arranged that the said gun and lever will move together, whilst unain-
taining the same position relatively to each other, that is to say, in its recoil and in its
return to the firing position, the gun will move with the lever about the fulerum or
pivot H, without angular movement relatively to the said lever, as hereinafter
described.
I is the cylinder of the hydraulic brake-apparatus, which cylinder is provided with
trunnions I whereby it is mounted in bearings B in a frame or standards B³ formed

page_text: - with, or firmly attached to the platform or turntable B. The said cylinder is, therefore,
free to rock or oscillate as, and for the purpose, hereinafter specified. The cylinder I
has a piston 1, the rod Is of which is jointed or pivoted at I to the rocking lover G.
The said brake has combined with it recuperator-apparatus for returning the gun to
the firing position after its recoil. This recuperator-apparatus consists of a spring J
preferably a so-called "Belleville" spring, which is enclosed in a cylinder or casing J
formed with, or firmly attached to the cylinder I, and through which is passed a rod J2
arranged to act upon and be acted upon by the said spring through the medium of a
dise or washer J³ and locking nuts J, J, or other suitable devices. The said rod J²
is coupled or connected, by means of a link Je, to the rocking lever G.
The said brake-apparatus is preferably so constructed that it will serve as a hydraulic
buffer for preventing or diminishing shock or concussion at the termination of the recoil
or return movement of the gun, like those described in the specification of former
Letters Patent No. 3452 of 1885.
The platform B is provided with one or more hooks or clips K, which engage with
a flange A on the base-plate or racer A and prevent tilting of the said platform.
The said platform can be rotated to train or traverse the gun by any suitable means.
A claw L is pivoted at L' to a bracket formed with, or firmly attached to the said
platform, and is adapted to grip or bear upon the flange A¹ of the base-plate or racer A.
This claw is provided with a socket 1 for the reception of a lever L2, whereby sufficient
pressure may be exerted upon the flange A to hold the frame or platform B in any
position to which it may be adjusted, and thus prevent horizontal movement of the
gun while firing. This lever may also be used for training the gun.
L³ is a pin, which may be secured to the base-plate A by means of a chain L, or
otherwise, and which, when the gun is housed, is to be inserted in a hole in the said
base-plate and into a corresponding hole in the turntable B, for the purpose of
preventing accidental movement or displacement of the gun by rotation of the turn-
table, for example, during the rolling or pitching of a ship or vessel on the deck of
which the gun is mounted.
The claw Land the flange A' of the base-plate A are sometimes provided with teeth
or serrations, or are otherwise roughened to facilitate the holding of the platform or
turntable in position by means of the said claw.
When the gun recoils, it turns (or tends to turn) with the rocking lever G in a
vertical plane upon or about the pivot or fulcrum H, the recoil movement being
resisted and its amplitude limited by the hydraulic brake. In this recoil movement,
the brake and recuperator apparatus turns upon or about the trunnions I and thus
adapts itself to the angular changes of position of the rocking lover. The spring J1
in the recuperator-cylinder J is, moreover, compressed so that, at the termination of
the said recoil movement, the said spring will react to return the gun to the firing
position. Throughout the recoil and return movement, the gun, as above stated,
retains its position relatively to the rocking lever, that is to say, it does not turn upon
or about its trunnions.
say:
The vertical pointing or elevation of the gun is effected as follows, that is to
By means of the hand-wheel D³, the screw-shaft D is rotatel to move the sliding nut E
endwise in either direction; the rocking lever G, the gun and the cylinders I, Jare
thereby moved upon or about the trunnions of the hydraulic cylinder I, in the
same vertical plane in which the gun and lever move in the recoil and in the return
to the firing position.
The position which the gun and rocking lever occupy when at the extreme limit
of recoil are indicated by dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3, those in Figure 1 showing
the limit of recoil from the horizontal firing position, and those in Figure 3 the limit
of recoil when the gun is fired at its greatest angle of elevation.
By mounting the brake and recuperator on trunnions so that they can move in
correspondence with the rocking lever G, and by having the rod J of the recuperator-
apparatus connected to the said lever as above described, we avoid all stress tending
to bend the said rods, and obtain a very compact and convenient arrangement of the
brake and recuperator apparatus relatively to the rocking lever G.

page_text: An important advantage of the above described improved construction is that the
chief effect which the recoil has upon the base-plate or racer is a simple horizontal, or
nearly horizontal stress or pressure transmitted to it through the fulcrum-pin H of
the rocking lever G. Therefore, our improved carriage or mounting is very advan-
tageous for use on light structures.
The turntable or platform B and the frame theroon are usually arranged to support
a mantlet or shield for protecting the gunner and the gun-mounting.
It is obvious that the above described apparatus can be somewhat modified without
departing from the nature of the said invention. For instance, other apparatus might
be substituted for the screw and sliding nut, for adjusting the fulcrum-pin of the
rocking lever to elevate or depress the gun. Other means than those above described
may be employed for training or traversing the gun, and for retaining the same in
any position to which it may be adjusted, and preventing accidental movement or
displacement of the gun when housed. Any well-known or suitable brake-apparatus
may be substituted for that hereinbefore referred to. For instance, we may employ
the brake-apparatus described in the Specification of former Letters Patent dated
27th June A.D. 1887, No. 9125, or any of the forms of brake-apparatus described in
the said former Specification No. 3452. Other suitable springs may be substituted
for the Belleville" dises shown in the drawings; or a recuperator operating by the
compression and expansion of air may be used for returning the gun to the firing
position after its recoil. Moreover, although we have shown in the drawings a gun
provided with trunnions, it is evident that the rocking lever may be adapted for
holding a gun without trunnions.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what mannor the same is to be performed as communicated to us by our
foreign correspondent we wish it understood that wo claim :-
First. A gun-mounting wherein the gun is carried by a rocking lever the fulcrum
or pivot of which is adjustable for the purpose of effecting the vertical pointing or
elevation of the gun.
Second. A gun mounted in such a manner that, without changing its angle rela-
tively to its supporting arm or lever, it recoils and returns to its firing position in a
vertical plane about an adjustable fulerum or pivot, and is, by the adjustment of the
said fulcrum, elevated and depressed in the same plane about another fulcrum or
pivot, to which it is connected through the medium of devices which control or
regulate its recoil and return movements.
Third. The combination, with the rocking lever, of the sliding nut and the screw-
shaft for elevating and depressing the gun by the movement or adjustment of the
fulcrum or pivot of the said lever, substantially as above specified.
Fourth. The combination of the rocking lever and its adjustable pivot or fulerum
with brake and recuperator apparatus arranged and operating substantially as, and
for the purposes, hercin set forth.
Fifth. The combination, with the turntable, of a pivoted claw or clip, provided
with or adapted to receive a handle or lever whereby it can be caused to bear
against, or engage with a flange on the base-plate or racer, as, and for the purposes,
set forth.
Sixth. The improved gun carriage or mounting consisting of the parts constructed
and combined substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings
and operating as above set forth.
Dated this uth, day of Annil 188
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.