IMPROVEMENTS IN DECK MOUNTS FOR MACHINE AND RAPID FIRING GUNS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALFRED CHRISTOPHER KOERNER engineer of 21 rue royale Paris, France do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN DECK MOUNTS
FOR MACHINE AND RAPID FIRING GUNS to be as follows:-
This mounting is designed especially for such guns of light calibre and rapidity
of fire, which require to be mounted without recoil, in order to gain the full
advantage of the rapidity which their action or mechanism will permit. An
absolutely rigid mounting however would be likely to overstrain the construction
and fastenings, and would tend to shake the deck of the vessel violently.
In order to relieve the deck and mounting from the shocks of the discharge,
I construct a mount or pedestal which is elastic in itself and which, by means of
its elasticity, allows a slight amount of movement to the gun, sufficient to relieve
the deck of the violent percussions, and at the same time to prevent the destruction
of the mount or pedestal itself by the repeated jars and shocks from firing.
This mount is principally intended for the Hotchkiss rapid firing gun patented
Dec. 13 1881 N° 5435 and Jan. 13 1883 N° 215, but the design, with suitable
modifications, can be used for any other similar kind of gun.
The mount or pedestal consists of a socket into which fits the forked pivot
which carries the gun by its trunnions and thus forms a universal joint, and allows
the gun to be trained in any direction. The socket has as many radiating lugs or
ears as there are legs to the pedestal (in general eight). The upper ends of the
legs are screwed or rivetted to the ears, whilst the bottom ends are attached to
a base ring which is generally D shaped in order to enable the gun to be brought
as near up to the gunwale of the vessel as possible.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Deck-mounts for Machine and Rapid
Firing Guns.
I ALFRED CHRISTOPHER KOERNER engineer of 21 rue royale Paris, France 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 mounting is designed specially for such guns of light calibre and rapidity
of fire, which require to be mounted without recoil, in order to gain the full
advantage of the rapidity which their action or mechanism will permit. An
absolutely rigid mounting however would be likely to overstrain the construction
and fastenings, and would tend to shake the deck of the vessel violently.
In order to relieve the deck and mounting from the sho 8 of the discharge,
I construct a mount or pedestal which is elastic in itself an which, by means of
its elasticity; allows a slight amount of movement to the gun, sufficient to relieve
the deck of the violent percussions, and at the same time to prevent the destruction
of the mount or pedestal itself by the repeated jars and shocks from firing.
This mount is principally intended for the Hotchkiss rapid firing gun patented
Dec. 13 1881 No. 5435 and Jan. 13 1883 No. 215, but the design, with suitable
modifications, can be used for any other similar kind of gun.
The mount or pedestal consists of a socket into which fits the forked pivot which
carries the gun by its trunnions and thus forms a universal joint, and allows the
gun to be trained in any direction. The socket has as many radiating lugs or
ears as there are legs to the pedestal (in general eight). The upper ends of the
legs are screwed or rivetted to the ears, whilst the bottom ends are attached
to a base ring which is generally D shaped in order to enable the gun to be
brought as near up to the gunwale of the vessel as possible.
In order that this invention be clearly understood and readily put into practice,
it is hereafter fully described in connection with the three figures of the accom-
panying drawing, of which, fig. 1 is a plan, fig. 2 a lateral elevation partly in
section and fig. 3 a rear elevation of a mount of the aforesaid description in which
is adapted a rapid firing cannon, in these figures A is a socket in which is located
the forked pivot which carries the gun by its trunnions and thus forms an
universal joint allowing the gun to be trained in any direction. This socket A
has as many radiating lugs or ears a, a as there are legs to the mount or pedestal
(generally eight) these legs C. C are screwed or rivetted to the lugs, whilst their
bottom ends are bent round and attached to a base ring D which is generally
shaped like the letter D in order to enable the gun to be brought as near up to
the gunwale of the vessel as possible the said legs C C are bent at their upper
extremity and fit into recesses formed in the socket A so as to relieve the fastening
screws or rivets from shearing effects, and finally a ring E is driven or shrunk
warm around the legs and the socket to bring the parts into direct and absolute
contact and thus form a strong connection between the socket and the legs which
is able to resist the bending and twisting action caused by the shock whilst firing

page_text: In order to reduce the friction of the pivot in its socket and to prevent its
gripping a polished steel washer F is interposed between the base of the pivot and
the bottom of the socket which is held in place by the locking screw g; this
connection prevents the gun and the pivot from jumping up when fired at
depression.
In cases when the gun is provided with a shield for the protection of the
gunners, the pivot is provided with two forward supports G G and the shield H,
fits horse shoe like, into them where it is kept in place by wedges I, I, it is
furthermore supported by strong back rods or stays K K which are bolted to the
shield and held at their bottom ends in lugs L L cast on the rear of the pivot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is
An elastic pedestal for mounting guns on decks of vessels or in any other
case where guns are to be mounted without recoil, constructed in the before
described manner and on the general design set forth.
Dated this 13th day of October 1885