Improvements in Apparatus for Mounting Ordnance.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mounting Ordnance.
We, THOMAS REESE MORGAN, Sr., JOHN REESE MORGAN, THOMAS REESE
MORGAN, Jr., and WILLIAM HENRY MORGAN, all of Alliance, in the County of
Stark and State of Ohio, United States of America, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to mortar-mountings, the object being to store the energy
of the recoil in hydraulic cylinders or accumulators and utilize the weight of the
carriage to restore the gun to its forward position or to the position it occupied
before firing.
A further object is to provide a fluid support or bearing for the carriage, thus
dispensing altogether with conical rollers heretofore employed for this purpose.
With these ends in view our invention consists in the parts and combinations of
parts, as will be more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a view in section through the foundation, carriage, and trunnion-
carriage support, some of the parts being in elevation, showing the position of the
gun and carriage after firing.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the position of the parts before firing.
Figure 3 is a rear view of the gun and carriage, the foundation or base being in
section.
Figure 4 is a plan view, and Figure 5 is a view of a modified form of the
accumulator and plunger.
The
A represents a foundation or base constructed of masonry or any suitable
material and preferably in the form of a tapering pit. At the top of the pit is the
cylindrical ring B, extending down into the pit a suitable distance and provided at
its lower edge with an inwardly-projecting horizontal flange B', which latter rests
solidly on the foundation and forms the seat on which the carriage rests.
ring B is adapted to receive the carriage and support it solidly on all sides, while
the flange B', which, as before stated, projects inwardly under the carriage, receives
part of the weight of the carriage when the carriage is in its depressed or lowered
position and the gun in its elevated position, as shown in Fig. 2. When the parts
are in the positions last described, which are the positions for firing, the carriage is
on a solid foundation when the great initial force of the recoil takes place, the gun,
however, resting on yielding bearings, which receive the energy of recoil, as will be
hereinafter explained.
Located within the bottom of the pit is the base-plate C, provided centrally with
a cylinder C, adapted to receive the plunger D, depending from the under side of the
carriage E at the centre thereof. The plunger is suitably packed to prevent the
escape of the fluid contained in the cylinder, and is provided with a longitudinal
bore through which fluid is forced from the hydraulic cylinders F, located at the
bottoms of the trunnion-slides.
The carriage is circular in form and is preferably composed of a central section
and two side sections, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, securely bolted together. The central
section supports the gun and is concaved or dish-shaped on top to receive the breech
end of the gun during the recoil. The trunnions of the mortar are supported in boxes a,
mounted in slides b, located at an inclination or angle, as shown. The slides are
formed on the inner faces of two similarly inclined castings firmly and securely
mounted at their bases to the top of the carriage E. At the lower end of each
slideway and preferably in line therewith is the cylinder F, which receive the
plunger G, carrying a box a. The two boxes a, with their plungers G, are adapted

page_text: to move throughout the length of the slideways and are held normally in elevated
position by a body of fluid contained in cylinders F. Both cylinders are connected
by pipes with the bore of plunger D for the passage of water, oil, or other fluid
used from the cylinders F into the cylinder C, and between the cylinder C' and
the cylinder F and preferably at the juncture of the two pipes with the bore of
plunger D is located a check valve A2, which permits of the free passage of the
Huid from cylinders F into cylinder C', but prevents the passage of the fluid in the
opposite direction. With the cylinders empty the carriage would rest on the ring B B
and the boxes would be in about the position shown in Fig. 1. If a fluid be now
forced into cylinders F, it will fill the space in the cylinders F and C¹ not occupied
by the plungers G and D. If after the vacant spaces have been filled fluid under
pressure be forced into, cylinders F, the plungers G and the gun carried thereby
will be elevated until the boxes a occupy the upper ends of the slideways, and
when in this position and with the cylinders thus filled the gun is ready for action.
The weight of the gun is borne by the fluid in the cylinders F, and the force of the
recoil will be taken up by the resistance offered to the passage of the fluid from the
cylinders F into the cylinder C. As the gun is fired the recoil causes the plungers G
to move downwardly in their respective cylinders and necessarily forces the fluid in
cylinders F through pipes H and plunger D into cylinder C', and the fluid entering
cylinder C under plunger D operates to elevate the carriage to the position shown
in Figure 1, and while in this elevated position it is supported on a fluid bearing or
pivot on which it can be readily and quickly turned to any position desired. The
gun when in its lowered position is now ready for reloading, after which it is
elevated to its normal position or position for firing by the energy stored during the
recoil of the gun.
As before stated, the check-valve A² absolutely prevents the passage of the fluid
from cylinder Cup to the cylinders F. Hence, in order to utilize the energy
stored in the cylinder C, it is necessary to provide a passage for the fluid from
cylinder C back to the cylinders F. As soon as such passage-way is established it
will be seen that the weight of the carriage, which is now in an elevated position,
causes the plunger D to descend in cylinder C' and force the displaced fluid up into
cylinders F, and as the carriage and weight carried thereby is heavier than the gun
the plungers carrying the latter must move outwardly in cylinders F to make way
for the fluid displaced in cylinder C. The return of the fluid from cylinder C' to
cylinder F is accomplished by means of the by-pass pipes d, one branch of said pipe
being connected to bore of plunger D below check-valve A2 and the other branch
or, end connected to pipe H above the check-valve, the said by-pass pipe being
provided with a valve di, adapted normally to close said by-pass pipe and prevent
the return of the fluid, but actuated by lever d² when it is necessary to open the
passage way for the return of the fluid. Thus it will be seen that upon the
discharge of the gun the force of the recoil forces the fluid from cylinders F into
cylinder C and operates to elevate the carriage above its seat, so that it can be
turned to any position desired, and by simply operating valve d' in the by-pass pipe
the fluid in cylinder C', which is supporting the weight of the carriage and gun, is
forced up into cylinders F, causing the plungers therein to make way for the fluid
displaced in cylinder C. By means of the valve d' the elevation of the gun and
lowering of the carriage can be accomplished at any desired speed.
The inner edge of flange B' of the ring B is provided with teeth e, which are
engaged by toothed wheel e' carried by the vertical shaft e. The wheel is
considerably longer than the teeth e, so that it is in engagement therewith both in the
normal and elevated positions of the carriage, and the shaft e², to which said wheel
is secured, is mounted in bearings secured to the casting, which support or form
slideways for the trunnions a. On the upper end of shaft is a bevel-pinion e³,
which is engaged by a bevel pinion e, carried on crank-shaft es. By actuating
shaft the carriage can be turned to any position desired, and as the carriage, when
in position to be turned, is supported on a fluid bearing it follows that but slight
power, comparatively speaking, is required to move the carriage.

page_text: In the modification shown in the drawings the position of the cylinder and
plunger under the carriage are reversed--that is to say, the cylinder instead of
being attached to the plate C is integral with or rigidly secured to the carriage and
the plunger is seated in a concave bearing formed on plate C. With this cop-
struction one end of the by-pass pipe enters the cylinder while the opposite end
engages pipes H above the check-valve.
It will be seen at a glance that instead of employing two cylinders F with a
plunger for each cylinder the two plungers can be joined at their lower ends by a
cross-head carrying a centrally located plunger adapted to operate in a single
cylinder located, preferably, in a central line between the two slide-ways, and hence
when we employ the term "cylinders" we intend it to comprehend two plungers
and a single cylinder.
It is evident that numerous slight changes in the construction and arrangement of
the several parts of the device might be made without departing from the spirit of
the invention. Hence we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves
to the exact construction shown and described, but consider ourselves at liberty to
make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of our
invention.
Dated this 26th day of September 1892.
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mounting Ordnance.
We, THOMAS REESE MORGAN, Sr., JOHN REESE MORGAN, THOMAS REESE
MORGAN, Jr., and WILLIAM HENRY MORGAN, all of Alliance, in the County of
Stark and State of Ohio, United States of America, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
'This invention relates to mortar-mountings, the object being to store the energy
of the recoil in hydraulic cylinders or accumulators and utilize the weight of the
carriage to restore the gun to its forward position or to the position it occupied
before firing.
A further object is to provide a fluid support or bearing for the carriage,
thus dispensing altogether with conical rollers heretofore employed for this
purpose.
With these ends in view our invention consists in the parts and combinations
of parts, as will be more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings filed with the Provisional Specification,
Figure 1 is a view in section through the foundation, carriage, and trunnion-
carriage support, some of the parts being in elevation, showing the position of the
gun and carriage after firing.
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the parts before firing.
Fig. 3 is a rear view of the gun and carriage, the foundation or base being in
section.
Fig. 4 is a plan view, and Fig. 5 is a view of a modified form of the accumulator
and plunger.
A represents a foundation or base constructed of masonry or any suitable
material and preferably in the form of a tapering pit. At the top of the pit is the
cylindrical ring B, extending down into the pit a suitable distance and provided at
its lower edge with an inwardly-projecting horizontal flange B', which latter rests
solidly on the foundation and forms the seat on which the carriage rests. The
ring B is adapted to receive the carriage and support it solidly on all sides, while
the flange B', which, as before stated, projects inwardly under the carriage, receives

page_text: part of the weight of the carriage when the carriage is in its depressed or lowered
position and the gun in its elevated position, as shown in Fig. 2.
When the parts
are in the positions last described, which are the positions for firing, the carriage is
on a solid foundation when the great initial force of the recoil takes place, the gun,
however, resting on yielding bearings, which receive the energy of recoil, as will
be hereinafter explained.
Located within the bottom of the pit is the base plate C, provided centrally with
a cylinder C, adapted to receive the plunger D, depending from the under side of
the carriage E at the centre thereof. The plunger is suitably packed to prevent
the escape of the fluid contained in the cylinder, and is provided with a longitudinal
bore through which fluid is forced from the hydraulic cylinders F, located at the
bottoms of the trunnion-slides.
The carriage is circular in form and is preferably composed of a central section
and two side sections, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, securely bolted together. The
central section supports the gun and is concaved or dish-shaped on top to receive
the breech end of the gun during the recoil. The trunnions of the mortar are
supported in boxes a, mounted in slides b, located at an inclination or angle, as
shown. The slides are formed on the inner faces of two similarly inclined castings
firmly and securely mounted at their bases to the top of the carriage E. At the
lower end of each slideway and preferably in line therewith is the cylinder F, which
receive the plunger G, carrying a box a. The two boxes a, with their plungers G,
are adapted to move throughout the length of the slideways and are held normally
in elevated position by a body of fluid contained in cylinders F. Both cylinders
are connected by pipes with the bore of plunger D for the passage of water, oil,
or other fluid used from the cylinders Finto the cylinder C, and between the
cylinder C and the cylinder F and preferably at the juncture of the two pipes
with the bore of plunger D is located a check valve A2, which permits of the free
passage of the fluid from cylinders F into cylinder C, but prevents the passage of
the fluid in the opposite direction. With the cylinders empty the carriage would
rest on the ring BB' and the boxes would be in about the position shown in Fig. 1.
If a fluid be now forced into cylinders F, it will fill the space in the cylinders F
and not occupied by the plungers C and D. If after the vacant spaces have
been filled fluid under pressure be forced into cylinders F, the plungers G and the
gun carried thereby will be elevated until the boxes a occupy the upper ends of
the slideways, and when in this position and with the cylinders thus filled the gun
is ready for action. The weight of the gun is borne by the fluid in the cylinders F,
and the force of the recoil will be taken up by the resistance offered to the passage
of the fluid from the cylinders F into the cylinder C¹. As the gun is fired the
recoil causes the plungers G to move downwardly in their respective cylinders and
necessarily forces the fluid in cylinders F through pipes H and plunger D into
cylinder C, and the fluid entering cylinder C¹ under plunger D operates to elevate
the carriage to the position shown in Fig. 1, and while in this elevated position it
is supported on a fluid bearing or pivot on which it can be readily and quickly
turned to any position desired. The gun when in its lowered position is now ready
for reloading, after which it is elevated to its normal position or position for firing
by the energy stored during the recoil of the gun.
As before stated, the check-valve A2 absolutely prevents the passage of the fluid
from cylinder Cup to the cylinders F. Hence, in order to utilize the energy
stored in the cylinder C¹, it is necessary to provide a passage for the fluid from
cylinder C back to the cylinders F. As soon as such passage-way is established
it will be seen that the weight of the carriage, which is now in an elevated position,
causes the plunger D to descend in cylinder C¹ and force the displaced fluid up into
cylinders F, and as the carriage and weight carried thereby is heavier than the
gun the plungers carrying the latter must move outwardly in cylinders F to make
way for the fluid displaced in cylinder C. The return of the fluid from cylinder C'
to cylinder F is accomplished by means of the by-pass pipes d, one branch of said
pipe being connected to bore of plunger D below check-valve A2 and the other

page_text: branch or end connected to pipe H above the check-valve, the said by-pass pipe
being provided with a valve d', adapted normally to close said by-pass pipe and
prevent the return of the fluid, but actuated by lever d' when it is necessary to
open the passage way for the return of the fluid. Thus it will be seen that upon
the discharge of the gun the force of the recoil forces the fluid from cylinders F
into cylinder C¹ and operates to elevate the carriage above its seat, so that it can
be turned to any position desired, and by simply operating valve d' in the by-pass
pipe the fluid in cylinder C, which is supporting the weight of the carriage and
gun, is forced up into cylinders F, causing the plungers therein to make way for
the fluid displaced in cylinder C¹. By means of the valve d' the elevation of the
gun and lowering of the carriage can be accomplished at any desired speed.
The inner edge of flange B of the ring B is provided with teeth
which are
engaged by toothed wheel e¹ carried by the vertical shaft e². The wheel e¹ is con-
siderably longer than the teeth e, so that it is in engagement therewith both in the
normal and elevated positions of the carriage, and the shaft e², to which said wheel.
is secured, is mounted in bearings secured to the casting, which support or form.
slideways for the trunnions a. On the upper end of shaft e is a bevel-pinion e³,
which is engaged by a bevel-pinion e, carried on crank-shaft e³. By actuating
shaft e the carriage can be turned to any position desired, and as the carriage, when.
in position to be turned, is supported on a fluid bearing it follows that but slight
power, comparatively speaking, is required to move the carriage.
e,
In the modification shown in the drawings, the position of the cylinder and
plunger under the carriage are reversed, that is to say, the cylinder instead of being
attached to the plate C is integral with or rigidly secured to the carriage and the
plunger is seated in a concave bearing formed on plate C. With this construction
one end of the by-pass pipe enters the cylinder while the opposite end engages
pipes H above the check-valve.
It will be seen at a glance that instead of employing two cylinders F with a
plunger for each cylinder the two plungers can be joined at their lower ends by a
cross-head carrying a centrally located plunger adapted to operate in a single
cylinder located, preferably, in a central line between the two slide-ways, and
lience when we employ the term "cylinders" in the claims we intend it to com-
prehend two plungers and a single cylinder.
It is evident that numerous slight changes in the construction and arrangement
of the several parts of the device might be made without departing from the spirit
of the invention. Hence we would have it understood that we do not confine.
ourselves to the exact construction shown and described, but consider ourselves at
liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and
scope of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination with a base or support, a carriage resting thereon, a gun,.
upper plungers supporting the gun and adapted to be moved by the recoil thereof,
and hydraulic cylinders in which said upper plungers move, of a cylinder and
plunger located below the carriage, and fluid passage-ways between the upper and
lower cylinders, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with the base or support, a carriage resting thereon, and a
gun mounted on the carriage, the said gun being normally above the base or support
and the said carriage being laterally supported at all times by the base, of means
for elevating the carriage, and devices for turning the carriage while thus
elevated.
3. The combination with a base or support, a carriage normally resting thereon,
a gun, upper plungers supporting the gun, and hydraulic cylinders, in which said
upper plungers move, of a cylinder and plunger located below the carriage and
adapted to support same when in an elevated position, the said last mentioned

page_text: cylinder adapted to receive the fluid displaced by the upper plungers for elevating
the carriage, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a carriage, a gun located thereon, upper plungers for
supporting the gun and adapted to be actuated by the recoil of the gun, and
hydraulic cylinders in which said upper plungers move, of a cylinder and plunger
located below the carriage, fluid passage-ways between the upper and lower
cylinders, and a check-valve in said passage-way for preventing a return of the
fluid to the upper cylinders, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination, with a carriage, a gun located thereon, upper plungers in
operative connection with said gun and adapted to be actuated by the recoil of the
gun, and hydraulic cylinders in which said upper plungers move, of a cylinder aud
a plunger located below the carriage, fluid passage-ways between the upper and
lower cylinders, a check-valve in said passage-way for preventing a return of the
fluid to the upper cylinders, a by-pass pipe or shunt around said valve, and a valve
in said by-pass or shunt, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of a gun-carriage carrying cylinders, plungers actuated by
the recoil of the gun, and a cylinder and plunger located below the carriage, the
said cylinders having therein a fluid under pressure and so connected that when the
plungers which are actuated by the recoil of the gun are forced into their cylinders
the fluid in said cylinders is forced into the lower cylinder and the carriage elevated
above its seat, and when the lower cylinder is opened for the escape of the fluid
therein the weight of the elevated carriage forces the fluid in said lower cylinder
into the upper cylinders thereby elevating the gun, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination, with a ring having an inwardly projecting horizontal flange,
of a gun-carriage seated within the ring and resting on the flange, a cylinder and
plunger located below the carriage, and means actuated by the recoil of the gun
for forcing a liquid into the cylinder, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination, with a gun-carriage and a support therefor, of a hydraulic
cylinder and plunger located below the carriage, hydraulic devices supporting the
gun and adapted to receive the force of the recoil, and passage ways between the
hydraulic devices which receive the force of the recoil, and the hydraulic cylinder
below the carriage, whereby the fluid which receives the impact is forced into the
cylinder below the carriage and elevates said carriage above its support, substantially
as set forth.
בד
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31
33 11
1
1000
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicants.