Year: 1897

page_text: I AUGUSTO ALBINI of 49 Place of St. Apostles Rome, Rear Admiral in Reserve of
Italian Navy, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists in a special combination of the different parts intended to
form a field gun carriage, arranged in such a manner as to constitute a special new
form of such carriages for the purpose of realising more efficiently than with the
existing system all the advantages of a quick firing gun. This arrangement consists
of embodying in one rigid structure suppression of recoil, lateral training of the
gun on the carriage without the necessity of moving the body of the carriage, pro-
tection of the loading operation by means of a shield, quick supply of ammunition,
automotion of the carriage by means of a motor machine, steering arrangement,
possibility of being drawn by horses when necessary. The above combination is
carried out in the following manner. The carriage instead of being composed of two
independent parts, namely, the body and the limber united by a crooked pintail
which hooks on the trail of the gun carriage as in the existing system, is made in a
whole frame or structure supported on four wheels. The front wheels are mounted
on a special shaft attached to a special vertical pivot gear intended to impart the
steering movement to the carriage when this is propelled by the motor machine
without preventing the directing movement when the carriage is drawn by horses.
The shaft of these front wheels is designed in a special form having in its centre a
special pivot arrangement, capable of permitting motion in the vertical plane passing
through the shaft intended to cause the wheels to adapt themselves to the uneven-
ness of the ground, and therefore to substitute in its effect the universal joint of the
crooked pintail of the existing system with the advantage of keeping the carriage
always horizontally in driving over uneven ground, and therefore preventing shocks
to the ammunition. The back wheels are arranged with special pulleys attached to
them and with suitable gear to transmit rotary motion to them by means of the
motor machine, and with arrangement to disconnect the transmission of power of
the motor machine when the carriage is drawn by horses. The shaft of these wheels
is bent at each end in a special form to allow sufficient room to place a large box
intended to contain the motor machine, and at the same time to serve above as a
platform for the gun. The top of this box is extended towards the front. wheels to
allow sufficient room for a gunner to stand on it, and it is then bent to form the
bottom part of the limber. This extension of the platform or framework is more or
less bent at a suitable angle or curve according to the size and system of front
wheels used, and necessarily raised or bent when the front wheels are so arranged to
pass under the limber boxes while revolving in the horizontal plane in the steering
movement. On the top of the aforesaid box or platform I mount the gun on a
suitable pedestal, and pivot which allow the gun to be trained horizontally without
moving the carriage. The gun is provided on this pedestal with a small recoil
cylinder or with a special spring arrangement which allows the gun to recoil on the
carriage and is run out again in the firing position. On the movable part of the

page_text: At the
pedestal is fixed a shield capable of resisting musketry fire and is
fixed in such a manner as to be easily detached when required. At a
suitable distance from the breech of the gun is placed a folding and sliding little
seat upon which the gunner sits when loading, laying and firing the gun.
other end of the platform of the carriage just above the front wheels are fixed the
limber boxes for the ammunition which from such a position can be easily supplied
to the loading gunner either by hand or by means of suitable gear. Between the
limber boxes is placed the vertical shaft connected with the gear below the limber
bottom which transfers the transversing movement of the wheels in the horizontal
plane for directing the carriage when moved by the motor machine. This arrange-
ment is made in such a way as not to interfere with the movement of direction when
the carriage is drawn by horses. By this arrangement which forms only one rigid
structure of the body and of the limber carriage the weight of the limber is utilised
to increase the total weight of the structure and therefore the recoil is almost
entirely absorbed, or if there should be a residue of recoil this does not interfere with
the continuation of loading and firing which can be effected most efficiently, as
owing to this new combination of all the elements necessary to the working of a
gun all in one structure all the operations are independent from the motion of the
carriage. This rigid structure is so arranged that it can be quickly and easily
separated in two parts when such operation becomes necessary for any special
purpose. With reference to the arrangement of the front wheels I claim also as my own
invention the substitution of another form of the limber part consisting of substi-
tuting for the two wheels a single broad wheel whose shaft supports a cage structure
which on each side of the wheel supports the ammunition boxes opened at the side
facing the gun so that the charges can be handled through the windows cut at the
front side of the carriage frame. The combination which I claim as my own inven-
tion for uniting the carriage and limber into one rigid structure to suit the require-
ments of working the gun, independently from the recoil or any other movement of
the carriage, I also obtain in a different way, namely by uniting the carriage and the
limber with a special universal joint which can be left free to act when desired and be
rendered rigid at pleasure when firing the gun, when propelling the carriage by
means of the motor machine when desired for any other purpose.
1001
I, Count AUGUSTO ALBINI of 49 Place of St. Apostles Rome Rear Admiral in
Reserve of Italian Navy 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 :-
My invention consists in a special combination of the different parts intended to
form a field gun carriage arranged in such a manner as to constitute a special new
form of such carriage for the purpose of realising more efficiently than with the
existing system all the advantages of a quick firing gun. This arrangement consists
of embodying in one rigid structure the gun carriage and the limber with the object
of the following advantages: Almost complete suppression of recoil lateral training of

page_text: protection of the loading operation by means of a shield, quick supply of ammunition
automotion of the carriage by means of a motor machine steering arrangements
possibility of being drawn by horses if necessary as well as the possibility of firing
the gun whilst advancing or upon retreating.
In order that my invention may be the better understood I will describe the same
by the aid of the annexed drawings in which
Fig. 1 shows a side view of a carriage for field guns with the limber according to
my invention.
Fig. 2 shows a plan view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a tranverse vertical section on the line a. b. of Fig. 2 and
Fig. 4 a back view of the carriage.
Fig. 6 is a side view and Fig. 5 a plan view thereof.
Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section on the line m. n. of Fig. 6 of a different
application of my invention.
Fig. 8 shows a front view of the carriage referring to another form of application
in which the carriage and the limber form one rigid structure.
Fig. 9 shows a horizontal section of the junction of the carriage and the limber.
Fig. 10 shows a side view of the carriage partially in section with the said
junction and
Fig. 11 shows a vertical transverse section of the box for the coupling pieces made
on the line xy of Fig. 10. The advantages of my invention are obtained in the
following manner.
The carriage instead of being composed of two independent parts, namely the body
and the limber united by a crooked pintail which hooks on the tail of the Gun
carriage as in the actual systein is made in a whole frame or structure A. B. C. D.
(Fig. 1) supported on four wheels.
The front wheels E F (Fig. 3) are mounted on a special shaft attached to a special
vertical pivot gear as shown in G R (Fig. 3) and which is intended to import the
steering movement to the carriage when this is propelled by the motor machine
without preventing the directing movement when the carriage is drawn by horses.
The front wheels are mounted on a shaft of a special form having in its centre a
special pivot arrangement shown in G Fig. 3 capable of permitting a motion in the
vertical plane passing through the shaft, so as to cause the wheels to adapt themselves
to the unevenness of the ground, and to substitute in its effect the universal joint of
the crooked pintail of the existing system, with the advantage of keeping the
carriage always horizontally in driving over uneven ground and therefore preventing
shocks to the ammunition.
The back wheels K L (Fig. 2) are provided with special pulleys M Figs. 1 and 2,
and suitable gear to transmit the rotary motion to them by means of the motor
machine and with an arrangement to disconnect the transmission of power of
the motor inachine when the carriage is drawn by horses.
The shaft of these wheels is bent at each end in a special form as shewn in N
Fig. 4 to allow sufficient room to place a large box A B D T Figs. 1 and 4 which
serves to carry the motor machine and at the same time to serve as a platform for the
gun. The top of this box is extended towards the front wheels to allow sufficient
room for a gunner to stand on it and is formed in such a way as to form the bottom
part of the limber. This extension of the platform or frame work is more or less bent
at a suitable angle or curve according to the size and system of the front wheels used
or conveniently raised or bent when the front wheels are so arranged as to pass under
the limber box whilst revolving in the horizontal plane in the steering movement. On
the top of the above said box or platform I mount the Gun on a suitable pedestal V
Figs. and 4 and on a pivot which allows the gun to be trained horizontally without
moving the carriage. The gun is mounted on this pedestal with a small recoil
cylinder or with a special spring arrangement which allows the gun to recoil on
the carriage and to put the same again in the firing position. On the movable
part of the pedestal is fixed a shield S Z U (Fig. 1 and 4) capable of resisting

page_text: musketry fire and which is fixed in such a manner to be easily detached when
required. At a suitable distance from the breach of the gun is placed a small
folding and sliding seat Y (Fig. 1 and 4) upon which the Gunner sits when
loading, pointing, and firing the gun.
At the other end of the platform of the carriage just above the front wheels
are fixed the ammunition boxes P Q (Figs. 1 and 2) which from such position
can be easily supplied to the loading gunner either by hand or by means of
suitable gear.
Between the limber boxes is placed a vertical shaft a¹ b' connected
with the gear below the limber bottom, which transfers the movement to the wheels
in the horizontal plane for directing the carriage when moved by the motor
machine. This arrangement is made in such a way as not to interfere with the
movement of direction when the carriage is drawn by horses. By this arrangement
which forms only one rigid structure of the body and the limber carriage the
weight of the limber is utilized to increase the total weight of the structure and
therefore the recoil is almost entirely absorbed or if there should be a small
residue of recoil this does not interfere with the continuation of the loading and
firing of the Gun which can be effected most efficiently owing to this new com-
bination of all the elements necessary for the working of the Gun in one solid
structure whereby all the operations are independent of the motion of the carriage.
This rigid structure is so arranged that it can be quickly and easily separated in
two parts when such an operation becomes necessary for any special purpose.
With reference to the arrangement of the front wheels I present another form of
the limber part consisting in substituting for the two front wheels one single
broad wheel d (Fig. 5, 6, 7) whose shaft P₁ P' supports a cage structure m¹ n1 01
(Fig. 6) and which on each side of the wheel supports the ammunition boxes a" 6"
(Fig. 5 and 7) opened at the sides facing the Gun so that that the ammunition
can be extracted easily from these openings.
I present also another combination to unite carriage and the limber into one
rigid structure to suit the requirements for the working of the Gun, independently
from the recoil or any other movement of the carriage. To obtain this object in
a different way, namely by uniting the carriage and the limber by a special joint
which can be left free to act if desired or can be rendered rigid at pleasure when
firing the Gun, or when the carriage is to be propelled by the motor machine or
for whatever other reason. This result is obtained by the arrangement shown
in A (Fig. 9 and 10) where an eye or hook Z is fixed to the back part of the
limber. In this hook is introduced a link or eye attached to a screw T. By
means of this screw, worked by a suitable gear to cause the screw nut S to revolve
the universal joint formed by the aforesaid link, this latter is caused to enter the
box P (Fig. 10 and 11) or to come out of it according to the requirements and is
guided in this box by a block of a form corresponding to the section X Y (Fig. 11)
so that, when by the movement of the screw, the joint is drawn inside the box,
the carriage and the limber form one rigid structure and are therefore ready to resist
the recoil, or to be propelled by the machine if desired.. When the movement of
the screw is reversed, the universal joint is pushed out of the box and remains
entirely free, so that the limber and the carriage are free to act, as the hook and
pintail of the old plan.
The aforesaid movement can be obtained with several other different mechanical
arrangements such as a lever and crank arrangement or with a toothed wheel and
rack arrangement but the principal object of my invention is the principle, to
render rigid or free the union of the carriage and the limber by neutralizing or setting
free at pleasure the joint which unites the carriage and the limber.
.
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 combination of parts forming my improved gun carriage and limber
operating and constructed as described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 2. The application to a field gun of a shield, means for mechanical propulsion
and junction of the Gun carriage and limber substantially as described and shewn
herein.
3. In a Gun carriage with limber the use of a limber with one wheel only sup-
porting a platform for the ammunition box substantially as described and shewn in
Fig. 5. 6 and 7.
4. In a gun carriage with limber the application of a joint capable of being
left free or being rendered rigid as desired substantially as described and shewn in
Figs. 9 and 10.