of the Firing of Ordnance, more Especially on Board Ship.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 23rd Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1888
of the Firing of Ordnance, more Especially on Board Ship.
I, WILHELM KIESER of Isney Villa Champion Park, Lower Sydenham, Kent,
Electrician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
For directing the firing of ordnance on board ship telescopes have been mounted
in elevated conning towers in such a manner that they can be rotated around a
vertical pivot and be directed towards the object to be fired at.
The telescopes have for this purpose been mounted at their front ends in horizontal
trunnions mounted in bearings at the outer end of an horizontal arm which extends
radially from a vertical pivot.
The telescope has laid along this arm and near its rear end it has been secured to a
slide which could be moved upwards or downwards on a vertical segmental guide
projecting upwards from the arm.
The outer end of the arm has also been made to rest upon a fixed horizontal ring
on which a scale was marked to allow of the angle to which the arm was turned being
read off.
A graduated scale has also been marked upon the vertical segmental guide so that
the angle to which the telescope was inclined either upwards or downwards could
likewise be read off upon it.
Owing to the confined space and to the want of light in the conning tower it was
however difficult to get into positions in which the graduated scales could be well seen
and the angles read off.
The reading off of the angles upon these scales also took up time as the man using
the instrument had to move from the telescope first to read off one angle and then the
other and so delay was occasioned.
According to my invention I construct the instrument in such a way that the man
using the teloscope has immediately in front of him two circular dial faces on which
the angles to which the telescope is turned are indicated by hands or pointers so that
he can read off the angles without moving from the telescope-or one dial face only
may be used if desired to indicate one only of the angles.

page_text: To raise or lower the hinder end of the telescope I use as heretofore a worm carried
by the telescope and made to gear with a toothed rack on the quadrant guide.
Another worm on the same axis I cause to gear into and drive a worm wheel
on the axis of a pointer which works with a circular dial face carried at one side
of the telescope. This dial face has upon it a scale marked in distances-say in
hundreds of yards-Outside this is a ring divided into degees in opposite directions
from a zero point to give the elevation or depression required. The ring is moveable
around the outer edge of the inner fixed circular dial face. By its aid the heel
of the ship can be ascertained and this added on to or deducted from the elevation
required for any given range.
To do this the pointer should first be set to the zero line of the inner fixed circular
dial. The outer ring should then be turned to bring the zero line of its scale opposite
to the line on the inner scale against which is marked the distance corresponding
with the actual distance off of the object to be fired at.
The pointer will then be indicating on the outer scale the correct elevation to be
given to the guns if the ship were not heeling over in one direction or another. If
however the vessel is heeling over and the telescope aligned on the object the pointer
moving with the telescope indicates automatically on the outer dial the correct
elevation to be given for any heel.
To avoid any play or back lash between the worm and worm wheel I make
the worm wheel of two corresponding wheels placed concentrically one over the other
and I couple them by a spring in such a manner that one tends to turn around the
axis of the other and so the teeth bear in opposite directions against the thread
of the worm and prevent all play.
The horizontal direction is indicated on a second dial face on the opposite side of
the telescope. To move its pointer a toothed wheel of comparatively large diameter
is fixed concentrically with the vertical spindle of the horizontal radial arm which
carries the telescope. Into this toothed wheel gears a pinion on a short vertical axis
which is carried in a bearing projecting from the radial arm, so that as the radial arm
is turned the pinion rolls round the fixed wheel.
The short vertical axis is at the top coupled by two joints at right angles to one
another to a spindle which can slide endwise to and fro through bearings in a casing.
at the back of the dial face and can also revolve in these bearings.
The spindle also passes through the boss of a bevil wheel and drives the wheel
whenever it is itself turned.
The bevil wheel gears with another bevil wheel on the axis of the revolving pointer
or finger of the dial.
In this way the mechanism for moving the finger or pointer remains in gear
whether the rear end of the telescope be raised or lowered and as the radial arm
carrying the telescope is turned in either direction the angle to which it is turned will
he indicated by the pointer on the dial face. A second toothed wheel may be made
to gear with the toothed wheel concentric with the vertical spindle of the radial arm
which carries the telescope and be provided with a milled head by which it can
be turned so as to be able to direct the telescope by turning this milled head.
Back lash in the two joints above mentioned is overcome by a helical spring
between them. Back lash between the bevil wheels is overcome by a spiral spring
one end of which is fixed to the axis of one of the bevil wheels and the other to the
case or in other convenient way.
Dated this 26th day of March 1987

page_text: Improvements in Instruments to be Used for Assisting the Direction
of the Firing of Ordnance, more Especially on Board Ship.
I, WILHELM KIESER, of Isney Villa, Champion Park, Lower Sydenham, Kent,
Electrician, 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:-
For directing the firing of ordnance on board ship telescopes have been mounted in
elevated conning towers in such a manner that they can be rotated around a vertical
pivot and be directed towards the object to be fired at.
The telescopes have for this purpose been mounted at their front ends in horizontal
trunnions mounted in bearings at the outer end of an horizontal arm which extends
radially from a vertical pivot.
The telescope has laid along this arm and near its rear end it has been secured to a
slide which could be moved upwards or downwards on a vertical segmental guide
projecting upwards from the arm.
The outer end of the arm has also been made to rest upon a fixed horizontal ring
on which a scale was marked to allow of the angle to which the arm was turned being
read off.
A graduated scale has also been marked upon the vertical segmental guide so that the
angle to which the telescope was inclined either upwards or downwards could likewise
be read off upon it.
Owing to the confined space and to the want of light in the conning tower it was
however difficult to get into positions in which the graduated scales could be well seen
and the angles read off.
The reading off of the angles upon these scales also took up time as the man using
the instrument had to move from the telescope first to read off one angle and then the
other and so delay was occasioned.
According to my invention I construct the instrument in such a way that the man
using the telescope has immediately in front of him two circular dial faces on which
the angles to which the telescope is turned are indicated by hands or pointers so that
he can read off the angles without moving from the telescope-or one dial face only
may be used if desired to indicate one only of the angles.
To raise or lower the hinder end of the telescope 1 use as heretofore a worm carried
by the telescope and made to gear with a toothed rack on the quadrant guide.
Another worm on the same axis I cause to gear into and drive a worm wheel on the
axis of a pointer which works with a circular dial face carried at one side of the
telescope. This dial face has upon it a scale marked in distances-say in hundreds of
yards. Outside this is a ring divided into degrees in opposite directions from a zero
point to give the elevation or depression required. The ring is moveable around
the outer edge of the inner fixed circular dial face. By its aid the heel of the ship

page_text: can be ascertained and this added on to or deducted from the elevation required for
any given range.
To do this the pointer should first be set to the zero line of the inner fixed circular
dial. The outer ring should then be turned to bring the zero line of its scale opposite
to the line on the inner scale against which is marked the distance corresponding with
the actual distance off of the object to be fired at.
The pointer will then be indicating on the outer scale the correct elevation to be
given to the guns if the ship were not heeling over in one direction or another. If
however the vessel is beeling over and the telescope aligned on the object the pointer
moving with the telescope indicates automatically on the outer dial the correct elevation
to be given for any heel.
To avoid any play or back lash between the worm and worm wheel I make the
worm wheel of two corresponding wheels placed concentrically one over the other and
I couple them by a spring in such a manner that one tends to turn around the axis of
the other and so the teeth bear in opposite directions against the thread of the worm
and prevent all play.
The horizontal direction is indicated on a second dial face on the opposite side
of the telescope. To move its pointer a toothed wheel of comparatively large
diameter is fixed concentrically with the vertical spindle of the horizontal radial arm
which carries the telescope. Into this toothed wheel gears a pinion on a short vertical
axis which is carried in a bearing projecting from the radial arm, so that as the radial
arm is turned the pinion rolls round the fixed wheel.
The short vertical axis is at the top coupled by two joints at right angles to one
another to a spindle which can slide endwise to and fro through bearings in a casing
at the back of the dial face and can also revolve in these bearings.
The spindle also passes through the boss of a bevil wheel and drives the wheel
whenever it is itself turned.
The bevil wheel gears with another bevil wheel on the axis of the revolving pointer
or finger of the dial.
In this way the mechanism for moving the finger or pointer remains in gear
whether the rear end of the telescope be raised or lowered and as the radial arm
carrying the telescope is turned in either direction the angle to which it is turned will
be indicated by the pointer on the dial face. A second toothed wheel may be made
gear with the toothed wheel concentric with the vertical spindle of the radial arm
which carries the telescope and be provided with a milled head by which it can be
turned so as to be able to direct the telescope by turning this milled head.
to
Back lash in the two joints above mentioned is overcome by a helical spring
between them. Back lash between the bevil wheels is overcome by a spiral spring
one end of which is fixed to the axis of one of the bevil wheels and the other to the
case or in other convenient way.
The drawing annexed shews an instrument constructed as above described.
Figure 1 is a plan view with some of the parts broken away. Figure 2 is an end
view and Figure 3a side elevation with some of the parts in section.
A is the telescope, B are trunnions at its front end received in bearings at the end
of a horizontal arm C. D is the vertical pivot of the arm C. E is an upright from
the arm C for a block F which is secured to the telescope to slide against. G is a
toothed rack in the edge of the upright. H is a worm gearing with the rack, its axis
is mounted in bearings in the block and has a milled head 1 at its upper end by
which it can be turned. On the same axis is the worm J-this worm gears into the
worm wheel K which is fast on the axis of the pointer of the dial L. On the face of
this dial is a scale marked in distances as shewn. Outside this is the ring M divided
into degrees and capable of being turned around the fixed dial as above described.
Figures 4 and 5 shew separately the way in which the worm wheel K is constructed
to avoid play or back lash.
N is the dial for indicating the horizontal direction-this is carried by the same
block F that carries the dial L.
O is a toothed wheel fixed concentrically with the pivot D of the arm C. P is a

page_text: pinion gearing therewith-its axis is carried in a bearing which projects from the
arm. RR are joints at right angles to one another by which the upper end of the
axis is coupled to the end of a square spindle S which can be slidden endwise
through the bevil pinion T which is always in gear with a corresponding pinion on
the axis of the pointer of the dial.
Graduated rings may as shown in Figure 2 be provided and graduated in knots to
show what allowance has to be made in the horizontal angle for any given speed
of the vessel.
Vis a pinion gearing with the toothed wheel O and having a milled head on its
axis to allow of the telescope being turned by turning this milled head.
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. The construction of instruments to be used for assisting the direction of the
firing of ordnance substantially in the manner herein before described and illustrated
in the drawings annexed.
2. The construction of instruments to be used for assisting the direction of the
firing of ordnance with a dial in front of the person who is directing the telescope of
the instrument to indicate the elevation required or the horizontal angular direction
or with dials for indicating both the one and the other.
3. Providing the dial faces of such instruments with rings moveable around them
for the purposes described.
Dated this 17th day of December 1887.