Improvements in Apparatus for Conveying Ammunition to Heavy Guns and for Loading the same.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 26th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 29th Nov., 1887
Improvements in Apparatus for Conveying Ammunition to Heavy
Guns and for Loading the same.
I, CHARLES HENRY MURRAY of the Elswick Works, Newcastle upon Tyne,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for conveying
ammunition to heavy guns and for loading the same.
"2
This
The apparatus is designed to reduce the number of operations necessary to load
and work heavy guns when mounted en barbette or in a turret and to dispense
with the necessity of training the turret or turntable to a definite loading position.
By mounting the gun on carriages as far forward as possible and loading them
when"
run out" and suitably disposing the breech mechanism space is provided for
an ammunition hoist on the turret or turntable structure behind each gun; there
being usually two guns on the turret or turntable. These ammunition hoists are fed
with ammunition by another hoist which is placed centrally beneath the turret.
hoist raises the ammunition from a magazine or tunnel below. The head of the
hoist is fitted with a small turntable to enable the charge to be turned round to face
If the turret is
either of the hoists on the turret in whatever position it may be.
being revolved at the time the charges are being transferred from one hoist to the
other the small turntable of the central hoist can be locked to the rear hoist to which
it is desired to transfer the ammunition so that the small turntable is turned round to
accommodate the changing position of the turret.
The cage of the hoist has three compartments one for the projectile and the others
for the powder charge in two parts. The charge is transferred from the central hoist
along a guide trough. The rear hoists can only be raised when the guns are run out
for loading and they are lowered to clear the way for the recoil of the gun. The
rammers are made of several telescopic tubes so that when shut up they occupy only
a small space. They remain fixed on the turntable clear of the recoiling guns.
Dated this 28th day of January 1887.
CARPMAEL & CO.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Conveying Ammunition to Heavy
Guns and for Loading the same.
I, CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, of the Elswick Works, Newcastle upon Tyne,
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 has for its object improvements in apparatus for conveying
ammunition to heavy guns and for loading the same.
The apparatus is designed to reduce the number of operations necessary to load and
work heavy guns when mounted "en barbette or in a turret and to dispense with
the necessity of training the turret or turntable to a definite loading position.
This
By mounting the gun on carriages as far forward as possible and loading them
when run out and suitably disposing the breech mechanism space is provided for an
ammunition hoist on the turret or turntable structure behind each gun; there being
usually two guns on the turret or turntable. These ammunition hoists are fed with
ammunition by another hoist which is placed centrally beneath the turret.
hoist raises the ammunition from a magazine or tunnel below. The head of the
hoist is fitted with a small turntable to enable the charge to be turned round to face
either of the hoists on the turret in whatever position it may be. If the turret is
being revolved at the time the charges are being transferred from one hoist to the
other the small turntable of the central hoist can be locked to the rear hoist to which
it is desired to transfer the ammunition so that the small turntable is turned round to
accomodate the changing position of the turret.
The cage of the hoist has three compartments one for the projectile and the others
for the powder charge in two parts. The charge is transferred from the central hoist
along a guide trough. The rammers are made of several telescopic tubes so that when
shut up they occupy only a small space. They remain fixed on the turntable clear of
the recoiling guns.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section and Figure 2 a vertical section of the
apparatus. Figure 3 is a plan view. Figure 4 an end view. Figure 5 a vertical
section through the line A B Figure 6 and Figure 6 a cross section through the
line C D Figure 5 of one of the upper hoists. Figure 7 is a plan view. Figure 8 a
side elevation partly in section and Figure 9 a vertical section at right angles to the
section Figure 8 of the platform or cradle and upper part of the central hoist.
A is a turret or turntable with two guns BB carried by it on parallel slides as
is usual.

page_text: In rear of the breech end of each gun is a traversing slide (not shown in the
drawing) by means of which the breech is opened and closed. In rear of each slide
is an inclined hoist D which descends below the turret into a chamber high enough
for men to walk about freely.
Preferably I form each of these hoists in the manner shown at Figures 3, 4, 5
and 6. It is composed of a frame D' which slides up and down on fixed guide rods E
and is raised and lowered on these rods by the telescopic ram F of a hydraulic
cylinder G. The frame D₁ has fixed to it a cylinder H for receiving the charge of
powder. The cylinder is inclined at the loading angle that is inclined to the same
angle as the gun when the gun is brought to loading position. Pivotted to the top of
this cylinder is a trough for receiving the projectile. When the trough has been
turned into a position radial to the central hoist N two tubular sockets J K on the
trough are brought into a line with another tubular socket I fixed to the frame D¹.
A bolt R carried by the shot tray of the central hoist see Figure 8 can then be
thrust through all the sockets thereby locking the trough I in its position radially to
the central hoist and this at the same time ensures that if the turret is turned the
cradle of the central hoist will be carried round with it.
When the parts are so locked a projectile may readily be slidden down from the
platform of the central hoist on to the shot trough or tray of the upper hoist. M is a
small buffer to stop the shot as it slides down from the central hoist.
The three largest of the telescopic tubes forming the ram F are powerful enough
to lift the hoist when loaded with the powder and shot and therefore when water
under pressure is admitted to the hydraulic cylinder G the hoist rises for three
quarters of its stroke and then comes to rest with the shot at the right height for
entering the gun. After the shot has been pushed off the hoist by the rammer the
remaining tube has ample power when water under pressure is again admitted to the
cylinder to raise the hoist to the top of the stroke to bring the powder tube in line
with the gun.
N' is the platform or cradle of the central hoist N. It can be raised
or lowered by ropes or chains worked by hydraulic power in any ordinary way.
it is formed with a trough or tray O at the top for receiving a projectile and
below this boxes P P for the powder cases. S is a central pivot on which the
platform or cradle of the hoist pivots, and T a drop bolt to fix the turntable
top into correct position for going below, so that it shall not be foul of the guide
bars of the hoist trunk. V is a hinged stop to hold the powder in place within
the boxes P.
When the cage of one of the upper hoists has been lowered and its shot trough
turned towards the pivoting platform of the central hoist and locked to it, the
projectile is by hand slidden from the central hoist to the shot trough of the
upper hoist and the powder is also removed by hand from the central hoist and
slidden into the powder tube H of the upper hoist-this tube being partially closed
at the bottom to prevent the powder cases from dropping out. The charge of
ammunition so loaded on to the upper hoist is then raised by it and the projectile
first brought into a line with the bore of the gun and rammed into it by a
rammer Q.
Afterwards the powder tube is brought into a line with the bore and the powder
charge rammed in. The hoist is then lowered and the breech closed.
It is not essential that the hoists carried by the turntable should be inclined
so as to bring their lower ends in close proximity to the central hoist although
I prefer that they should be so inclined-the hoists carried by the turntable
might be set vertically and a slide or slides provided for supporting the projectile
as it is slidden on to them from the central hoist.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. Apparatus substantially as described for conveying ammunition to heavy guns
and for loading the same.

page_text: 2. The combination of the turntable or turret A a gun or guns B mounted thereon
a hoist fixed upon the turntable or turret in rear of each gun and descending
into a chamber or space below the turntable a central hoist by which aminu-
nition can be raised up into the chamber or space C to be transferred to the
hoists descending from the turntable substantially as described.
3. The combination of the turret or turntable A; a gun or guns B mounted
thereon; a hoist fixed upon the turntable in rear of each gun and descending into
a chamber or space C below the turntable; another hoist beneath the turntable;
and inclined troughs on the cages of the hoists to receive and facilitate the
transfer of the projectile by sliding it along the guide troughs from one to another
substantially as described.
4. The combination of the turntable or turret A two guns B mounted thereon-
a hoist D in rear of each gun descending into a chamber or space C below the
turntable a central hoist N for raising ammunition into this space the pivotting
head N of the central hoist and the pivotting shot tray I of the hoist D and bolt R
for locking the one to the other substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of October 1887
C. H. MURRAY.