AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TRAINING ORDNANCE
Year: 1885

page_text: I, CHARLES WELLS, of 18, Walker Terrace, Plymouth, in the County of Devon,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF TRAINING ORDNANCE," and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is the introduction of an improved method of
training ordnance, especially when the object to be covered is in motion.
Up to the present time the usual system of training ordnance has consisted of
two separate movements being communicated to the gun; one, a horizontal
movement; the other, a vertical one, the mechanism of the one separate from that
of the other, and the two movements following each other.
It is true that by the combined use of these two motions the gun could be made
to cover any point, but the disadvantages of this system are numerous.
The time required for the two movements is found to be so considerable, that
by the time the gun has been trained upon, say, the desired horizontal line, and the
gunner is about to train up or down on the vertical line, a movement of the vessel,
or of the object to be fired at, has spoilt the training, which has to be gone through
again.
And besides this, both the gunner's hands are occupied in working the training
mechanism.
Now, according to my invention, the gun can be trained horizontally or vertically,
or both motions can be combined, producing a diagonal training, at any angle, and
which diagonal training will not, necessarily, be confined to one continuous right
line, but may be right, or curved, or composite, seeing that the relative proportions
of vertical and horizontal motion are, at any given inoment, under the command of
the gunner, by means of one lever, which is intended to be grasped by the hand,
or may even be controlled, to some extent, by the gunner's arm' or shoulder.
In carrying out my invention, I make use of a pair of, (or two sets of) cylinders,
the pistons of which are moved by either hydraulic, steam, compressed air, or any
type of pressure proper for actuating a cylinder piston. Either, or both cylinders,
or pistons, are pivotted to the gun, the other end of either being pivotted to the
gun carriage, or equivalent relatively.fixed point. One cylinder is vertical, and the
other liorizontal, each one controlled by a suitable valve with inlet and exhaust
ports, both valve rods being connected to the before mentioned lever.

page_text: In order that my invention, and the means by which it may be carried into
practical effect, inay be thoroughly understood, I will proceed to describe the same
in detail, referring in so doing to the accompanying figures, which are to be taken
as part of this specification and read therewith. Like parts are, throughout,
marked with the same reference letter.
I would have it distinctly understood, that, in carrying out my invention, I do
not confine myself precisely to the devices shewn in the figures, which latter are to
be taken as illustrative and, at the same time, practicable.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are, respectively, side and rear elevations, and plan, illustrating
the application of my invention.
A is the gun, which is embraced by a ring, a, on an extension of which the
vertical cylinder, B, is swivelled by a bolt, b. C is the piston; and, c, its rod,
swivelled at c¹, to the revolving platform, D.
E is a valve chest; e, the valve; and, e¹, the valve rod. The latter is fitted with
a joint, e², for a purpose to be explained further on. This, as well as the other
valve-chests referred to throughout this specification, is to be of a type adapted to
the power used, as well as fitted with suitable and proper supply and exhaust ports
and pipes, for applying and releasing the pressure to the respective pistons, as may
be required for the purposes of my invention. I do not consider it necessary to
precisely define the exact type of valve to be used in any case, especially as there
are, already, slide valves of various types, known and used, from which such valves
as my invention requires may be easily selected by an ordinarily efficient mechanical
engineer.
In Fig. 2, F is the supply, f, f¹, ports to cylinder; and, f2, the exhaust.
The valve rod, e¹, connects by a joint, g, with the valve rod, h¹, of the valve
controlling the horizontal cylinder, H; and both are connected by a rigid extension
of the joint to the training lever, G, having its fulcrum at g¹, and its end fixed at
any, convenient. rigid point. The fulcrum, gl, is an universal joint, and, in Figs. 1
and 3, is shewn as carried on a vertical bracket, g², springing from the revolving
platform.
The valve chest, h, of the horizontal cylinder, is shewn as carried on the same
extension, b¹, to which the valve chest E is bolted. The projection of this extension
brings the junction of the two valve rods, e¹,' and ', conveniently near the
lever G.
The valve rod, h¹, has, like the rods, e¹, a joint h³.
The supply pipe, I, and pipe ports, i, i¹, as well as the exhaust, and the other
pipes referred to throughout this specification, are of any suitable material, either
rigid or flexible. The main supply to each gun may be passed through the central
pivot of the platform, by means of a suitable stuffing box.
The cylinder, H, swivels on the platform at J; its piston rod, K, swivelling at L,
any convenient fixed point off the revolving platform.
The method of training guns fitted with my invention as above described is as
follows.
If the training lever is not moved, but is allowed to keep the valve, e, in the
position shewn in Fig. 2 the pressure exerting itself upon the top end of the
cylinder and the upper face of the piston, will commence to raise the breech end of
the gun, until a depression of the handle of the lever makes the valve overtake the
port, f, when the gun will come to a position of rest. If the valve be moved
beyond the port, f, the latter will exhaust; and the port, f', uncovering at the
same time, a retrograde motion will, of course, be given to the gun, capable of being
continued, arrested, or reversed, by working the lever exactly the reverse of the
way already detailed.
The construction of the cylinder, H, its valve chest, and valve, being the same as
already described, it follows that the gun may be trained to right, or left, by
moving the handle of the training lever. to the right or left, thereby bringing about
the desired result
But the movement of the lever need not be either only vertical or horizontal.

page_text: The gunner can, with his hand, follow any curved, or oblique line, and, therefore,
follow at once, and almost (if not quite), keep up with any capricious motion of
the object to be hit. The joints e, h², allow of the valves following the lever when
moved otherwise than vertically or horizontally.
Fig. 4 illustrates a method of telescoping the training lever, intended to be used
in cases where there is considerable recoil, for the sake of preventing the communi-
cation of an undue amount of shock to the gunner's hand.
When the fixed position of the point L, in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, would not permit of
a horizontal training of the gun through the required arc, I may, according to my
invention, make use of an intermediate base, thereby admitting of the circular
movement of said point, the ordinary mechanism being used in conjunction with
the cylinder, H.
This arrangement would not be attended with any inconvenience, inasmuch as
moving objects do not pass suddenly from one point to another, and so long as the
cylinder is capable of overtaking short or irregular movements, it is all that is
requisite in practice.
If a very considerable movement has to be given to the breech of the gun, the
position of the cylinders may be altered, and by bringing them nearer to the points
of oscillation, the stroke of the pistons may be reduced, or a much longer movement
given.
7
But, if it be desired to adapt my invention, so as to render the gun capable of
being trained through a complete circle in a horizontal plane, and through a very
considerable arc in a vertical plane, each cylinder may be replaced by sets of
cylinders, or engines, of the well-known "Brotherhood" type, as shewn in Figs. 6
and 7, which are, respectively, side and rear elevations.
According to this modification of my invention, the cylinders might act directly
on the band wheels or their axes.
The valves M, and N, for the vertical and horizontal motions respectively, are
constructed to reverse their respective engines, O, and P.
For instance, raising the handle of the training lever reverses the engine, O, and
moving the hand horizontally reverses the engine, P; the movement of the gun in
either case stopping the engines, unless the movement of the gunner's hand be
continued.
This last described modification will not admit of such marked sensitiveness and
rapidity, as will characterise the method first described, but, in many cases, it may
suffice.
The two modifications of my invention given above will show how capable it is
of being adapted to various circumstances; for instance, according to the first
modification, one cylinder is fixed to the gun, and one to the revolving platform;
while, according to the second modification, both cylinders, or sets of cylinders, are
separate from the gun itself; the principle of action in either modification being
precisely the same, and only the parts of the apparatus, and their relative positions
varying.
Figs. 8 and 9 are, respectively, rear and side
application of the elevating and depressing part of
heavier calibre than illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
horizontal gear would be strengthened accordingly.
elevations, illustrating the
my invention to ordnance of
With heavy ordnance the
Fig. 10 illustrates a modification, according to which the valve, Q, is attached to.
the gun A; and the valve chest, R, to the training lever G. The action, according to
this, is simply the reverse of that described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3,
viz; the lever moves the chest instead of the valve, and the gun moves the valve
instead of the valve chest.
Fig. 5 illustrates, in rear elevation, the use of an intermediate lever, g³; thus
allowing of the valve chest, E, of the vertical cylinder, being brought much closer
to its cylinder, as will be apparent on a comparison of Figs. 2 and 5. Fig. 11 is a
rear elevation illustrating the use of two intermediate levers, g, and 9; the
former on the valve rod of the vertical cylinder, the latter on that of the horizontal

page_text: cylinder. The effect of this modification is to obviate the necessity of using
'flexible tubes.
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 use of two swivelling power cylinders, B and H, with their respective
and adapted pistons, piston rods, valves, and jointed valve rods, in combination
"with a training lever, G, working on an universal joint fulcrum, the whole
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying figures, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8,
9, 10 and 11.
2. The use of the horizontal cylinder H, with its piston and valve as described
with reference to the accompanying figures 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11, and an
intermediate plate, in combination with any known type of gun-revolving gear.
3. The replacing either or both of, the single power cylinders of the first claim
by a set (or sets) of multiple cylinder engines, substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying figures, 6 and 7.