Improvements in Recoil-brakes for Field-guns.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1881
Complete Specification Left, 26th May, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Recoil-brakes for Field-guns.
I, KONRAD HAUssner, of Ingolstadt, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to recoil brakes for the purpose of avoiding the running
back of field-gun carriages.
The present recoil-brake consists of two cylinders sliding one within the other
of which the larger the air cylinder is fixed to the gun whilst the smaller on the
other hand, on the brake cylinder is connected to the revolvable upper carriage.
The piston of the smaller cylinder is fixed to the large cylinder by the piston rod
of the piston being fixed to the cover of the air-cylinder while the piston of the
larger cylinder is fixed upon the smaller cylinder.
When the gun is fired the upper carriage connected to the brake-cylinder with
the piston will remain stationary, while the gun together with the large cylinder
and the small piston move backwards.
The gun can be allowed the greatest amount of backward movement without
greatly straining the over-carriage and without great frictional resistance, by
providing on the over-carriage rollers between which the gun and the large cylinder
move.
•
The small cylinder is a glycerine brake cylinder, and when the gun recoils, the
glycerine is pressed through small openings between the piston and the cylinder
surface, or through grooves in the inner face of the cylinder.
The construction may be modified the small cylinder with the large piston
fixed upon it being combined with the gun and the larger cylinder which at the
same time forms the revolvable over-carriage, carrying the rollers on which the gun
moves.
In place of these double cylinders one cylinder may be used with piston thereto,
the cylinder being attached either to the gun or to the carriage and the piston con-
versely to the carriage or the gun, with the cylinder is combined a closed reservoir
partly filled with liquid and partly with compressed air or gas, the construction and
connection with the reservoir with the cylinder is such that liquid only enters the
cylinder and never the compressed air or gas which operates only on the piston
through the said liquid.
Dated this 10th day of September 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Recoil-brakes for Field-guns.
I KONRAD HAUSSNER, Engineer of Ingolstadt in the Empire of Germany 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 invention relates to recoil brakes for the purpose of avoiding the running
back of field gun carriages and operates to this end, not by the formerly used means
namely the combination of a glycerine brake cylinder with an inclined plane, com-
pressed air, or by the backward thrust of springs etc. but by the new and special
arrangement.of two cylinders, one within the other, with pistons belonging to them,
and by the arrangement of fixing and guiding by which not only is the backthrust

page_text: completely absorbed by the said cylinders; but the gun after each shot at any
elevation is automatically returned to its shooting position.
This recoil brake is shown in the annexed drawings in two modifications namely
in Fig. 1 in position for shooting in Fig. 14 in diagrammatic drawing in position
after firing while Fig. 2 shows a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 1 §
and 1ª, which modification does not in any way alter the invention.
Fig. 1 shows the front part of the cylinder.
Figs. 1° to 13 show the upper carriage with guides and the connection of the
small cylinder to the carriage.
Figs. 3, 34 and 4 show a further modification.
The present recoil brake consists essentially of two cylinders sliding one within
the other A and B of which the larger A the air cylinder is fixed to the gun C
whilst the smaller on the other hand or brake cylinder B. is connected to the
revolvable upper carriage Lat. The piston 6 of the smaller cylinder B is fixed
to the large cylinder A by the piston rod b' of the piston 6 being fixed to the 1
cover a of the air cylinder A. while the piston a of the large cylinder A. is fixed
npon the smaller cylinder B.
When the gun is fired, the upper carriage L connected to the brake cylinder B
with the piston a will remain stationary, while the gun C together with the large
cylinder A and the small piston 6 moves backwards.
The gun can be allowed the greatest amount of backward movement .without
greatly straining the overcarriage and without great frictional resistance, by pro-
viding on the overcarriage L the rollers R' R'R' between which the gun Cand.
the large cylinder move.
The small cylinder B is a glycerine brake cylinder, and when the gun recoils, 2
the glycerine is pressed through small openings between the piston 6 and the
cylinder surface or through grooves 6º in the inner face of the cylinder B.(Fig. 1).
The end cover a³ of the larger cylinder A. (Fig. 1B) serves only as a guide for
the larger-cylinder and prevents entrance of dust into the larger cylinder. The
holes in the cover a (Fig. 14 and 13) serve for the circulation of air, so that 3
there may be neither compression or rarefaction of the air or that side of the piston
in the large cylinder.
The method of operation of this recoil brake is as follows.;—
On.shooting off the gun, the recoil is taken up between the cylinders A and B of
which the air cylinder A is attached to the gun while its piston a is attached to the a
carriage, and of which the brake cylinder B is attached to the carriage while its
piston 6. is attached to the cylinder A and therefore to the gun C. The small
stationary cylinder B and its moving piston b and the large moving cylinder ḍ with
its stationary piston a form the sole means for taking up the recoil, a space or
vacuum being produced in the large cylinder A so that after the force of the recoil
has been expended, the atmospheric pressure reacting on the vacuum returns the
gun into its position for firing.
In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the small cylinder B with the large piston
fixed upon it is combined with the gun C and the larger cylinder which at the same
time forms the revolvable overcarriage, carries the rollers R' R' R' on which the
gun C moves.
The operation of this modification is the same as that shown and described with
reference to Figs. 1 and 14.
The modification shown in Figs. 3, 34 and 4 is similar to the preceding in the
arrangement of the gun 'C. its carriage L and the cylinder B with piston b and
piston rod b³ but in place of the cylinder A a chest K is arranged in communication
with the cylinder B and is filled partly with liquid, partly with compressed air or
other gas. This arrangement is capable of withstanding or in other words
cushioning a greater force of recoil. The gun is first fired when in its extreme
forward position Fig. 4 but afterwards it may be fired during its movement towards i
the said extreme forward position. The chest K may be fixed direct on the
cylinder B or may be at a distance therefrom and in communication 'through

page_text: suitable pipes capable of withstanding the pressure. A preliminary pressure
sufficient to send the gun into its forward position is given by means of an air pump.
worked by hand. There should only be liquid in the cylinder B.
The gun is retained in the position shown in Fig. 3 by any suitable detent and.
is there loaded and prepared for the next shot when ready to be fired it is released
and the pressure of the air in the chest K pushes the gun towards the position.
shown in Fig. 4. As it moves in this direction it is fired by suitable mechanical or
other means so that the motion of the gun itself acts as a counterforce to the recoil
which is thus partly neutralized. The remaining force of the recoil throws the
gun back to the position Fig. 3 where it is held and again prepared for the
next shot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. A recoil piston brake for guns, in which two concentric cylinders (A B) are so-
combined with the gun and gun carriage respectively, and the two pistons (a b).
with the gun carriage and the gun respectively, that on recoil of the gun, the
piston 6 in the cylinder B presses a fluid from one side to the other, while behind
the piston a in the cylinder A a vacuum is formed which operates the return of
the gun.
2. In the recoil piston brake shown in Claim 1, the arrangement of guide
rollers (R¹ R R³) on the revolvable carriage (L') between which rollers in
respective guides of the gun C the air cylinder A slides to permit of the maximum.
recoil of the gun without great building out of the over carriage.
3. In a gun recoil brake the combination of the cylinder B with a chest K adapted
to be partly filled with liquid and partly with compressed air as set forth whereby-
gun may be fired while in movement in the manner described.
the
Dated this 26th day of May 1892.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.