IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WORKING HEAVY GUNS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT Leonide Razkazoff, of the Imperial Russian Navy, but at
•
present residing at Buckingham Palace Road, in the County of Middlesex, and
William Anderson, of Erith, in the County of Kent, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WORKING HEAVY GUNS."
Sealed the 27th June 1876, and dated the 31st January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leonide Razkazoff' and
William Anderson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st
January 1876.
LEONIDE RAZKAZOFF of the Imperial Russian Navy, but at present residing at
Buckingham Palace Road, in the County of Middlesex, and WILLIAM ANDERSON, of
Erith, in the County of Kent, Engineer. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WORKING
HEAVY GUNS."
This Invention relates to the working of heavy breech and muzzle loading
guns and has for its object the working of the guns in a contracted space,
obtaining increased efficiency in the motive power machinery used in raising and
lowering the guns, and also simplicity of arrangement of the mechanism and
apparatus employed.
Suppose the Invention to be applied to the guns of a turret ship, a pair of guns
will be mounted side by side on a turntable platform, and they will each be supported
by their trunnions on a pair of rocking arms. In rear of these rocking arms we
provide a pair of radius rods which are connected at their upper ends to pivot pins
on the sides of the gun and work upon fulcrum pins carried by adjustable sliding
blocks. This arrangement admits of the gun being worked in a comparatively
small turret and ensures stability to the gun in its elevated position. Connected
with the rocking arins will be the rods of a pair of hydraulic trunk cylinders made
fast to the turntable or platform. By admitting water behind the pistons of a pair
of these cylinders the gun connected therewith will be raised to its firing position,
and by the recoil consequent on the firing the pistons will be forced back and
caused to drive out the water from the cylinders through a loaded valve and an
automatic throttle valve or cock the action of which will be to regulate the recoil.
The water will then pass off to a waste pipe. The water employed for this purpose
is supplied under suitable pressure to the cylinders from an air-loaded accumulator,
placed, say in the hold of the vessel. This accumulator is furnished with a float which

page_text: prevents the absorbtion of air by the water and serves also to close automatically
the outlet pipe when the vessel is emptied of nearly all its water and prevents the
escape of the compressed air. This accumulator is in connection with a continuously
acting pump constructed according to the patented Invention of one of the present
applicants, such patent bearing date the 31st day of December, 1874, No. 4490.
In connection with this accumulator is a compressed air chamber (under per-
manent air pressure) into which air from the accumulator is forced as the water
supplied by the pump enters the accumulator, or instead of air carbonic acid gas
generated in an adjoining vessel may be used for maintaining the pressure within
the chamber. When by the opening of a cock the accumulator is brought into
connection with the hydraulic cylinders water will be supplied thereto at a pressure
corresponding to that in the compressed air or gas cylinder, air or gas from which
will take the place of the water discharged from the accumulator into the cylinders.
When carbonic acid gas is used as described a comparatively small pumping power
will be required. This compressed air cylinder may also be conveniently situated
in the hold of the ship.
To ensure the steadiness of the turntable-during the firing we provide a brake of
peculiar construction which is intended to grip a flange of the turntable on its
opposite sides and to release it by a slight motion of the brake.
The brake consists of a pair of segment-shaped blocks connected together by
a link rod. Attached to this link rod is an adjustable screwed coupling rod; and by
giving an endway motion to this rod, or by rocking the link the brake will be
tightened or loosened at pleasure.
The brake it is preferred to make in duplicate and so to connect the two together
as to ensure their simultaneous action upon and release of the flanged projection
of the turntable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Leonide Razkazoff and William Anderson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 31st July 1876.
LEONIDE RAZKAZOFF of the Imperial Russian Navy; but at present residing at
Buckingham Palace Road, in the County of Middlesex, and WILLIAM, ANDERSON;
of Erith, in the County of Kent, Engineer. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WORKING
HEAVY GUNS."
This Invention relates to the working of lieavy breech and muzzle loading guns
and
has for its object the working of the guns in a contracted space, obtaining increased
efficiency in the motive power machinery used in raising and lowering the guns, and
also simplicity of arrangement of the mechanismi and apparatus employed...
In Sheets I. and II. of the accompanying Drawings we liave shown our Invention
as adapted to the turret of the circular Ship "Vice-Adiniral Popoff
Fig. 1 represents in plan view; and Fig: 2 in vertical section the gun carriage
for two forty ton breech-loading gun's mounted on a common revolving plat-
form and completely protected from direct fire by the fixed turret seven feet
high and twenty-five and a half feet in diameter. The base of the system consists
of two pairs of parallel armour plates A, A, (six inches thick) corresponding to the
ordinary sides of cominon gun carriages; these are connected to each other as is the
case in ordinary carriages by front, rear, and bottom iron plates A¹. To the rear ends
of each pair of parallel plates a pair of hydraulic cylinders B; B, is bolted, and through
the forward ends of each pair of base plates is passed a massive horizontal shaft
C, C, which has keyed on to its outer ends massive rocking levers C¹, the opposite
ends of which receive the trunnions D' of the guns D. The shafts C; are free to
rock in their bearings, and therefore the trunnions of the guns carried by the outer
ends of thic levers describe arcs in a vertical pláne and will carry the gun with
them from its loading position in the turret to the firing position over it.

page_text: The pair of levers of each gun are connected with the plungers of two of the hydraulic
cylinders B by means of two heavy connecting rods B₁, the upper ends of which work
on heavy crank pins B³, keyed into the bodies of the levers C, in such a position
that the crank pius B2 will describe an arc equal in length to the stroke of the
plungers when the gun is raised from the loading to the firing position. The lower
ends of the connecting rods B' abut against the bottom of the plungers B which are
trunk-shaped and they form therewith a ball-and-socket joint. An important ad-
vantage in the adoption of this trunk arrangement of hydraulic ram is that a consider-
able saving of space is obtained. The cylinders B are fixed in an inclined position
coinciding with the mean position of the connecting rods, the lower ends of which are
guided by the trunk plungers, thereby rendering special guides unnecessary and thus
simplifying the construction of the carriages. When the plungers are forced out they
by means of the connecting rods turn the rocking levers, and so bring the gun into
the firing position. In lowering the gun to the loading position its weight acting
on the levers and connecting rods drives the plungers back into their cylinders.
The breech of the gun is supported by a pair of radius bars E, which steady and
determine its path in moving from the loading to the firing positions, and vice versa.
The elevation and depression of the gun is also given by means of these two bars,
the upper ends of which are jointed to trunnions E¹ fixed to the rear end of the
gun, and their lower ends to studs on two sets of elevating gears E, which are
fixed symmetrically to the outer faces of the carriage sides or parallel plates.
Each set of elevating gear consists of a screw e, upon which works a nut having
a stud e¹ fixed on it to receive the lower end of a radius bar, so that when the screw
is turned the nut travels up or down and moves the end of the bar.
The pair of screws for elevating each gun are actuated by worm wheels e², into
which work tangent screws e³ keyed on a shaft which is common to both elevating
gears; a hand wheel e on this shaft thus serves to adjust the pair of radius bars
simultaneously. The screws e are so placed on the carriage sides that when the gun
is in the firing position the adjusting nuts, which give motion to the lower ends of
the radius bars to which they are jointed, will give nearly the same amount of
motion to the upper ends of the radius bars, and thus vary the elevation of the gun,
but when the gun is in the loading position the motion of the lower ends of the
radius bars does not cause any motion sensible to the rear end of the gun, which rests
perfectly motionless. The adjustments for elevation nevertheless can be made just
as well when the gun is in the loading as in the firing position. These radius bars
have, as is well understood, another important use, namely, that of controlling the
motion of the gun on its path, and to cause its muzzle to describe a curve, which
will permit it to clear the upper edge of the turret when the gun is raised into the
firing position.
The two hydraulic cylinders serve not only for the raising and lowering of the
gun, but also for absorbing its recoil. To ensure their acting simultaneously their
rear ends are connected together by a pipe F, which is brought into communication
with an air accumulator of novel construction. When the gun is to be raised,
water flows from this accumulator to the cylinders by pipes G1, G2, and G3³, the
pipe G passing up through the centre of the turret, and the pipe G³ leading there-
from joins the pipe F which connects the cylinders together. The pipe F is fitted
with a valve, by means of which the water can be admitted to or discharged from
the cylinders at pleasure. This valve is operated by a lever F¹.
The guns are worked by water under a pressure of about forty atmospheres,
supplied by a small Anderson's patent pump (shown at H, Fig. 2) to the accumu-
lators.
Both the pump and accumulators may be placed in any safe or convenient part
of the ship.
The area of the plungers is such that the water under tlie above pressure will
drive them out, and therefore lift the gun from its loading to its firing position.
In the firing position the levers C carrying the gun do not come within five
degrees or six degrees of the vertical position, so that the gun by its weight has a

page_text: tendency to return to the loading position; therefore for lowering the gun without
firing it is only necessary to move the valve on the pipe F, so that it will close
communication with the accumulator, and at the same time open a free escape for
the water from the cylinders." This will permit of the return of the plungers, and
allow the gun to descend to its loading position.
In order to absorb the recoil of the gun the pipe F is fitted with a valve which
will open under the recoil pressure, so as to permit of the gradual discharge of the
water from the cylinders B. This valve must however be so, arranged that during
the lifting of the gun to the firing position no water can escape therefrom.
Many arrangements of valve may doubtless be employed for effecting this double
object, but that which we prefer to use is the arrangement for which Letters
Patent have been applied for and Provisional Protection obtained by Leonido
Razkazoff, one of the present Patentees, bearing date May Twenty-seventh, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, No. 2238, and which is shown in place
in the Drawings.
The water driven out of the cylinders by the recoil of the gun flows overboard,
or it may be into a tank I in which the valves are situated, the recoil force not
being stored up for lifting the gun,
The accumulator of each gun carriage serves to store, say, a minute's work of
the pump, so as to be able to raise the gun quickly. The motion of the gun from
the loading to the firing position is limited by buffers. The buffer which determines
the loading position is placed under the centre of gravity of the gun, as at K,
Fig. 1, and the limit of the firing position is determined by two buffers K', which
are bolted to the front ends of each carriage, and receive shoulders made in the
rocking levers.
Two gun carriages constructed as above described, form one double carriage, as.
shewn at Fig. 1. The four parallel armour plates or sides of the two carriages which
are the foundation of this system are connected to form one whole by front, rear, and
bottom plates which frame in all the sides, and form one strong and simple box or
frame of great strength. This frame forming a turntable for two guns is fitted
with brasses a, which bear upon and slide over a fixed ring L, but antifriction
rollers may be used if thought desirable. In the centre of the frame is a massive
ring A, which is bolted to the bottom plate and connected to the sides, and serves
to receive a pivot M fixed in the centre of turret. This central pivot is hollow
in order to permit the passage of the pipe G up through it. The turntable
revolves round the pivot, and is turned by a steam engine N, through a pinion
gearing into a spur ring' L' fixed to the under side of the table. N' is the starting.
handle of the engine by which the guns are trained, and it is arranged on the plat-
form near the levers F which are used for raising or lowering the gun, so as to be
within convenient reach of the captain of the guns, who can thus easily produce all
the movements required. The piston rods of the engine N are connected to a crank
shaft n, to which a worm n¹ is keyed. Gearing into this worm is a worm wheel n²
carried by a pair of clamping plates, which slide on a feather on the shaft n
This shaft has its bearings in brackets attached to the main girders of the turret,
and it is fitted with pinion, which gears into the ring of teeth I¹ before
mentioned.
1
The clamping plates n³ are caused to bind against the worm wheel n² by means
of a screw and nut no operated by a hand wheel and gearing shown clearly in
Fig. 2. When therefore the engine N is set in action the pinion n³ will be rotated,
and thus the gun carriages will receive an axial motion.
"In order to bring the lever Ni in connection with the reversing valve of the
engine N for the purpose of starting and stopping the same, it is connected by a
rod 1 with a bell-crank lever 2, which by means of a link connects with a rod 3,
that passes through stuffing boxes in the opposite ends of the central pipe G, and
is connected at its other end by a link with a bell-crank lever 4, which is its turn
is connected by a rod 5 with a lever 6 on the spindle of the reversing valve of the
engine.

page_text: The turntable will be furnished with sights, which being a little higher than the
turret will permit of the guns being aimed as well as loaded under cover, so that
they need only be momentarily exposed while firing.
The pump H is connected by a pipe H to a branch of the pipe G¹, which connects
with the bottom of the water vessel G of the air accumulator. The top of this
vessel is connected by a pipe g (furnished with a stop-cock) to a compressed air
chamber G, for the purpose to be presently explained. g' is a stop-cock for
admitting air to the vessel G, and g is a discharge pipe with cock for running off
water from the accumulator. The vessel G which is intended to receive both air
and water, is furnished with a float which prevents the absorption of air by the
water. This float also serves to close automatically the pipe G when the vessel is
emptied of nearly all its water, and prevent the escape of the compressed air
through that pipe, and it likewise when the vessel is full of water closes the air
pipe g, and prevents the passage of water to the air chamber.
To enable the accumulator to discharge water at the required pressure and with
rapidity into the hydraulic cylinders B, communication is made between the pump
(which is set in action) and the vessel G, the cock gl being closed and the cock of
the pipe g being open, and the vessel G is filled with water, which drives forward
the air contained in the vessel into the compressed air chamber G'. The cock of
the pipe is now closed, the cock g¹ opened to admit air to the vessel G, and the
water contained therein is discharged by the pipe g². The operation of filling the
vessel G is then repeated and the air driven out therefrom passes to the air
chamber G. This operation is repeated until the requisite pressure in the chamber
G is obtained. The accumulator will now be in a condition to fill the cylinders B
rapidly with water at the required pressure, and raise the gun into the firing
position. This will be effected through the lever F¹, as before explained. The
valve which it operates being of such construction as by one movement of the lever
to admit water to the cylinders, and by another movement to discharge it there-
from.
The construction of valve which we prefer to use for this purpose is that known
as the Luthy Patent valve. As the water is discharged from the accumulator it is
replaced by the continued action of the pump H.
In Sheet III. of the Drawings we have shown the mode of mounting a single gun
according to our Invention. This arrangement is substantially the same so far as
our Invention is concerned as that already described, no special reference therefore
to the details of construction will be required.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improved Apparatus for
Working Heavy Guns," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
we claim,―
First. The arrangement above described for mounting and working guns singly
or in pairs.
Secondly. The application to gun carriages of hydraulic trunk engines, constructed
and arranged as and for the purpose above described.
Thirdly. The improved construction of air accumulator operated by means of a
water pump, as and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Leonide Razkazoff and William Anderson,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirty-first day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
LEONIDE RAZKAZOFF. (L.S.)
WILLIAM ANDERSON.
(L.S.)