Improvements in Gun-carriages or Mountings.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5'h Aug., 1891-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1891
Improvements in Gun-carriages or Mountings.
We, JOHN HENRY RICHARD WHINFIELD and JAMES HORNE, both of
2 Victoria Mansions, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
Our invention relates to gun mountings for high angled fire, chiefly designed for
mortars or howitzers.
Guns of this class are usually fired at angles of not less than 45 degrees to
obtain a plunging fire. If breech loading they must be so arranged that they can
be brought to about a horizontal position to allow the manipulation of the breech
mechanism and can be moved from this position through any angle to the firing
position.
In some instances the movement or adjustment of the gun from the loading to
the firing position has been effected by turning the gun upon its trunnions through
the whole angle of movement, the gun being arranged to recoil along a fixed slide
arranged at an angle which is about the mean of all the firing angles, that is to
say, about the centre of the arc of fire but this arrangement causes a great strain
upon the slide and other parts of the mounting. In other cases the upper carriage
is a cradle or frame having trunnions about which the gun and cradle are turned
together for elevation, and in other cases the upper carriage moves upon a slide
which forms the chord of the arc of a segmental frame arranged to turn about its
centre in arc shaped bearings as described in the Specification of Letters Patent
dated July 2nd A.D. 1887, No. 9427. Both of these last named arrangements
afford the advantage of recoil in the line of fire at all angles and consequently
diminished stresses on the mounting.
By our present invention we provide for the recoil of the gun in the line of fire
and obtain the additional advantage of facilitating the movement or adjustment of
the gun
from the firing to the loading position. And our said invention consists
generally in providing means whereby a gun in a carriage or mounting substantially
such as is described in the aforesaid Specification No. 9427, may be moved about
its trunnions independently of the cradle and slide from the loading position to the
lowest firing angle and will move thence through the distance between the highest
or any intermediate firing angle, with the said cradle and slide, the result being a
considerable saving of time and labour in moving the gun which is important when
hand power is employed. In a mounting constructed according to our invention
the under carriage is supported by rollers upon a suitable base plate, or racer, or
roller path. The said under carriage is formed with two segmental or arc shaped
checks, which serve as guides for the upper carriage. This consists of two cheeks
with arc-shaped surfaces and a slide lying in the chord of the arc, the whole
forming a rigid frame arranged to oscillate about a central point intersected by the
longitudinal axis of the gun as described in the Specification of the aforesaid
Patent No. 9427. The under carriage is provided with rollers whereon the arc-
shaped surfaces of the upper carriage have their bearings. And the upper carriage
is provided with rollers. which bear on the arc-shaped surfaces of the under
carriage directly in the rear of the recoil brake pistons. We sometimes provide
these rollers with elastic bearings so that under the stress of recoil they will
yield and allow the arcs of the upper carriage to bear on those of the under
carriage.

page_text: The cradle in which the gun is mounted by its trunnions consists chiefly of two
brake cylinders connected by a transom which carries the recuperator cylinders.
These parts and the brake apparatus generally may be such as that described in
the Specification of the aforesaid Letters Patent or any other suitable apparatus.
The gun is provided with a segmental rack or elevating are arranged in combination
with suitable gearing whereby the gun can be turned upon its trunnions through an
angle of about 45 degrees that is to say from the horizontal or loading position to
the angle at which the axis of the gun will be parallel to the surface of the slide.
When the gun reaches this position it is bedded in the cradle and cannot reach any
higher degree of elevation otherwise than by moving with the cradle and slide in
the turning of the upper carriage in its segmental bearings.
For moving the said upper carriage we may use a rack or racks fixed to the said
carriage in combination with. hand gearing but we prefer to employ the following
mechanism, that is to say we arrange on the under carriage one or more hydraulic
cylinders capable of travelling between guides, and relatively to stationary pistons.
These cylinders are provided with racks which gear with toothed arcs on the upper
carriage.
The arrangement is such that after the gun has recoiled the centre of gravity of
the oscillating mass will be in such a position that by opening a valve and allowing
liquid to escape from one side of the actuating pistons, the upper carriage with
the cradle and gun will turn in its bearings till the slide face lies at an angle of
about 45 degrees at which angle it will remain while the gun is turned about its
trunnions to the loading position. Pumps are provided for operating the hydraulic
cylinders which in turn operate the racks fixed on the upper carriage. To
facilitate the quick movement of the upper carriage we sometimes provide an air
accumulator or a spring accumulator against which the pumps may be worked
whilst the gun is being loaded. If hydraulic power is available from an external
source, we can dispense with the pumps and accumulators and operate the elevating
cylinder through suitable distributing valves, in this case the water under pressure
is brought to the under carriage through a centre pivot pipe. We may operate the
cylinders on the under carriage from the recuperator cylinders of the cradle
connecting them with the elevating cylinders by suitable telescopic joints and
swivel connections. A. suitable bye-pass valve is arranged in combination with the
brake and recuperator cylinders for permitting the running out of the gun.
To prevent the gun being run out by the opening of the bye-pass valve or
leakage of the non-return valve we arrange a stop on the recoil slide and a piece
on the cradle which engages with this stop in such a manner that unless the gun is
bedded in its cradle it cannot be run out.
The piece on the cradle is in some instances a double ended lever provided at
one end with a roller and at the other end with a head. This lever is pivoted and
acted upon by a spring which keeps the lever in such a position that the head will
always engage with the stop on the recoil slide, until the elevation of the gun
about its trunnions causes the end of the elevating are to act upon the roller on
the lever and thus depress the lever clear of the stop on the slide.
We also provide a bolt or other device for preventing the movement of the gun
about its trunnions except when it is in the loading position.
We provide a pump on the upper carriage for running in the gun when required
without firing.
In some instances we provide an auxiliary hydraulic cylinder and a ram in
combination with the air or spring accumulator already described for storing up
power during the recoil, for elevating the gun.
It will be understood that our invention is equally applicable to mountings for
breech loading and muzzle loading guns.
Our improved carriages or mountings are sometimes arranged with an overhead
shield so that they may be placed in a pit if desired. And this shield may be
provided with runner ways, tackle, or other suitable apparatus for raising the

page_text: ammunition to facilitate the loading of the gun, or a davit may be carried upon the
mounting for this purpose.
The training may be effected by any ordinary and suitable means.
Dated this 6th day of November 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gun Carriages or Mountings.
We, JOHN HENRY RICHARD WHINFIELD and JAMES HORNE, both of
2. Victoria Mansions in the City of Westminster, Engineers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to gun-mountings for high angled fire chiefly designed for
mortars or howitzers and comprises an improved method or manner of moving or
adjusting the gun to and between the loading and firing positions.
Guns of this class are usually fired at angles of not less than 45 degrees of
elevation to obtain a plunging fire. If breech loading, the gun must be so arranged
that for loading it can be brought to, or nearly to, a horizontal position to allow
the convenient manipulation of the breech mechanism, and if muzzle loading it
should, to avoid exposure of the men be brought to about a horizontal position for
loading, therefore whether the gun be breech or muzzle loading provision must be
made for moving it from the firing to about a horizontal position and from this
position through any angle to the firing position.
In some instances the movement or adjustment of the gun from the loading to
the firing position has been effected by turning the gun upon its trunnions through
the whole angle of movement, the gun being arranged to recoil along a fixed slide
at an angle which is about the mean of all the firing angles, that
to say, the slide
is so fixed that the axis of the gun intersects the arc of fire at about the middle of
the same, but this arrangement causes a great strain upon the slide and other parts
of the mounting during the recoil. In other instances the gun in recoiling slides in
a cradle or frame having trunnions about which the gun and cradle are turned
together for elevation. Again the cradle or recoil portion of the upper carriage has
been arranged to move upon a slide along the chord of the arc of a circular segment
or segmental frame arranged to turn about its centre in arc-shaped bearings.
Examples of these segmental frame gun mountings are described in the Specifica-
tion of Letters Patent dated July 2nd A.D. 1887 No. 9427. Both of these last
named arrangements afford the advantage of recoil in the line of fire at all firing
angles and consequent diminished stresses on the mounting, but it involves the
adjustment of the gun cradle and slide from the firing to the loading position, or
vice versa.
By our present invention we provide for the recoil of the gun in the line of fire
at any firing angle and obtain the additional advantage of greatly facilitating the
work of adjusting the gun from the loading position to the firing angle or vice versa.
Our said invention consists chiefly in an improved method of adjusting or moving
the
gun to and from its loading and firing positions, by which method a gun in a
carriage or mounting substantially such as is described in the aforesaid Specification
No. 9427, of 1887 can be moved about its trunnions independently of the cradle
and slide from the loading position to the lowest firing angle and thence to any
higher firing angle, with the said cradle and slide, the result being a considerable
saving of time and labour in elevating the gun.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of a gun carriage or mounting
constructed according to our said invention, the gun being shown in dotted lines in
the loading and lowest and highest firing positions.

page_text: half in vertical section.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, and
Figure 4 a plan of the said carriage or mounting and gun.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal central section of the hydraulic elevating cylinder.
Figure is a detail view of the locking arrangements hereinafter described.
Figure 7 is a vertical central longitudinal section.
Figure 8 a vertical transverse section and
Figure 9 a plan partly in horizontal section showing a modification of our
invention.
Figure 10 is a detail view partly in vertical section of a valve box hereinafter
described.
Figure 11 is a detail view showing rollers mounted in elastic bearings hereinafter
described.
Figure 12 is a section on the line y y Figure 11.
Figure 13 is a vertical central section through the turntable showing a centre
pivot pipe and connections hereinafter described.
Like letters of reference represent corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the base plate or racer, B is the turntable or platform which is supported on
the base plate through the medium of a live roller ring A' and is kept from tilting
by means of hooks or clips B. B² B2 are upwardly projecting sides or checks
formed on or with the upper face of the turntable B and having segmental or arc
shaped surfaces which serve as guides for the segmental frame of the upper
carriage. The said frame consists of two segmental cheeks, C, C constructed to fit
the arc-shaped surfaces of the sides or cheeks B2 B3 and rigidly connected. This
frame is arranged to oscillate within the checks 132 B2 about a central line intersected
by the longitudinal axis of the gun. The said cheeks CC have on their flat or
plane surfaces which form or lie along the chords of the arcs, flanged faces or
slides C' serving as guides for the cradle and recoil brake cylinders B which are
mounted to slide thereon. The brake cylinders are rigidly connected together by
a transom E, thus forming a cradle, as shown in Figure 2. F is the gun supported
by its trunnions F in suitable bearings formed in the said cradle. The
construction of the said cradle is such that the gun can turn on its trunnions
through an angle of 45 degrees or thereabouts, that is to say, from a position where
the axis of the gun is parallel with the slides C to a position where the muzzle
of the gun is depressed with respect to the said slides through an angle of about
45 degrees. In the former position the breech end of the gun rests or beds in the
cradle in such a manner that it cannot be elevated any further unless the cradle
also be moved in its arc-shaped bearings.
GG are rollers mounted in the cheeks B2 B3 of the turntable B and arranged to
prevent undue friction between the surfaces of the segmental frame and the arc
shaped guides. H H are other rollers mounted in the checks C directly in rear of
the recoil brakes and bearing on the are shaped surfaces of the checks B32 B2 also
for the purpose of preventing undue friction. In some cases the rollers H are
provided with elastic bearings which are compressed by the force of recoil and allow
the surfaces of the arcs of the upper and lower carriages to come into actual contact
when the gun is fired and so distribute the strain due to recoil over a large surface.
After the recoil ceases the said elastic bearings recover their original position and
then allow the rollers to act as antifriction rollers on the arc shaped bearings as
hereinafter more fully described.
The gun cradle formed by the brake cylinders D and the transom E is preferably
constructed in the manner described in the aforesaid Specification No. 9427 of 1887
as also is the brake and recuperator apparatus generally, but for convenience we
now prefer to employ two recuperator cylinders.
For moving the gun about its trunnions from the loading position to the position
where it is parallel with the slides C when the latter are in the position
corresponding to the lowest angle of fire, or in other words from a horizontal

page_text: position or thereabouts to an elevation of about 45 degrees we provide apparatus,
such as is described in Specification of Letters Patent No. 9373 A.D. 1887 with
reference to Figures 3 and 4, that to say, we attach to the gun a segmental rack a,
Figure 3, and we mount on the cradle a hand-wheel b on the shaft of which is
fixed a pinion which gears with the said rack a, so that by operating the wheel b
the gun can be moved from the loading position to the lowest angle of fire or
vice versa.
A
From the position of lowest angle of fire the gun can only be further elevated
by partially rotating the upper carriage C within its segmental or arc-shaped
supports B2. This is effected by gearing or any other suitable means.
We prefer
however to use hydraulic cylinders e Figures 1 and 2 which are mounted to slide in
horizontal guides c' carried by the turntable and which are provided or formed with
racks that gear with segmental racks c³ fixed on or formed with the segments or
cheeks of the upper carriage C. The rams or pistons c of the hydraulic cylinders,
shown more clearly in Figure 5, are fixed or stationary being secured at their outer
ends to brackets co by nuts c and the cylinders are movable on the rams. The
said cylinders and rams may be of any ordinary or suitable construction.
pump is provided preferably on each side of the gun mounting and is operated by
a handle d for working the hydraulic cylinders c.
to reservoirs by pipes through which they can draw liquid which liquid they
The said pumps are connected
discharge by the pipes e either into an air or spring accumulator fixed on the
turntable B or direct to a distributing valve which controls the admission into, or
discharge of liquid from the said cylinders c. When it is required to elevate the
gun, the handle of the distributing valve f is moved so as to admit liquid into the
cylinders & through the pipes e'. When the gun is to be depressed, the handle fl
is suitably moved to allow the liquid to escape from the cylinders c it being forced
out when the outlet passage is opened by reason of the preponderance of the gun or
by the constant pressure which is always allowed to act on the small annular space
behind the piston to ensure the return of the gun in case the preponderance should
not be sufficient in all positions. The liquid returns through the pipe e' to the
distributing valve fand thence back to the reservoirs 2 through the pipe e². To
ensure rapid service of the gun the pumps d may be employed to charge the
accumulator y whilst the loading is being performed. When no accumulator is
employed the pumps cannot be used until the operation of loading is complete and
time is thus lost. By this apparatus the gun may be rapidly and easily adjusted to
any desired angle between the lowest and highest angles of fire or say between the
angles of 45 degrees and 75 degrees or thereabouts.
The gun is preferably so mounted that by its own preponderance whether run in
or run out it will depress the slide to the lowest angle of fire immediately the
liquid is allowed to flow from the hydraulic elevating cylinders. From this position
the gun can then be brought to the loading position by means of the hand-wheel b.
is a pump operated by a handle h' for running in the gun without firing by
umping the liquid from the brake cylinders into the recuperator cylinders, a
uitable bye pass valve being arranged in combination with the non-return valve of
he recuperator cylinders for permitting the running out of the gun.
It is desirable to prevent the running out of the gun at any angle of elevation less
han that of the lowest firing position. For this purpose we prefer the following
rrangement, viz. :—\
-We fix a stop i Figures 3 and 6 on the cheeks C, and pivot a
ever j on the gun cradle. The said lever has a roller jl at one end and a head *
t the other, the latter being acted upon by a spring ³ to normally maintain the
ever in line with the said stop i. These parts are so arranged that unless the
wer end of the arc a on the gun is pressing on the roller j', the head of the lever j
ill be in line with the stop i and will prevent the gun from being run out. When
he breech end of the gun is depressed, the end of the elevating are or segmental
ck a comes in contact with the aforesaid roller and causes the lever j tu turn
bout its pivot thereby moving the head of the lever out of line with the stop i so that
e gun may be run out.

page_text: We also provide the following or other suitable means for preventing the gun
being turned about its trunnions to the loading position until it has been run in.
k is a bolt or stop which is fixed in the elevating are a or to the gun and which,
when the gun is not run in projects beneath the slide C', and serves as a stop which
prevents the movement of the gun about it trunnions. But the slide has in it a
recess or notch k in such a position that when the gun is run in the said bolt k can
rise through the notch and the gun may then be moved about its trunnions to
the loading position.
The mode of operation of our improved elevating apparatus may be briefly
described as follows. The slides C¹ of the upper carriage are not brought to a
lower angle of elevation than 45 degrees (or whatever angle is fixed upon for the
lowest angle of fire) with the horizontal. Therefore it is obvious from the above
description that the work of elevating the gun to its firing position is divided into
two operations, viz., the first, wherein the gun is moved independently about its
trunnions and the second wherein it is moved with the top carriage.
The gun
being so constructed and arranged on its trunnions that when loaded it is nearly
evenly balanced therein and very little force is required to move it about its
trunnions. The gun itself is independently rotated about its trunnions by means of
the hand gear a, b, to bring it from this angle to the horizontal or loading position.
When the loading has been effected the gun is again elevated first by turning it
about its trunnions to the lowest angle of fire by the hand gear and then for
further elevation by turning it with the upper carriage by means of the hydraulic
apparatus above described. The return movement of the gun and segmental frame
is effected by the preponderance of the gun and carriage, when the liquid in the
hydraulic cylinders c is allowed to escape until the slide is brought to the lowest
angle of fire. From this position the gun is brought to the horizontal or loading
position by turning it about its trunnions by means of the hand gear. But as above
described the gun is prevented by suitable automatic locking gear from turning on
its trunnions until it is run in, and the gun cannot be run out until elevated to the
lowest angle of fire.
In a modification of our invention shown in Figures 7 to 10 we provide for
actuating the elevating cylinders by energy due to the recoil.
For this purpose
we provide auxiliary cylinders which are mounted on the upper carriage and
within which work rams attached to the gun cradle. Pipes m, n having swivel
joints at o which lie in the centre or axis of oscillation of the carriage connect the
said auxiliary cylinders to a double valve box p attached to an air or spring
accumulator p fixed on the turntable B. The valve box pl is also connected by a
pipe q' to a reservoir 9 open to the atmosphere. The construction of this valve
box is shown clearly in Figure 10. When the gun is running out and the rams
are being withdrawn from the cylinders thus causing or tending to cause a vacuum
therein, the atmosphere acting on the liquid in the reservoir y forces the same
through the pipe and lifts the lower non return valves p² of the valve box p.
The liquid then rises through the pipes n, m, into the cylinders / following up the
rams as they are withdrawn. Thus when the gun is run out, the cylinders are
fully charged with liquid. The said lower valves of the valve box pl then
immediately close and prevent the liquid returning to the reservoir q. On the gun
being fired, the rams are forced into the cylinders and the liquid thereby
expelled through the pipes m, n, and through the upper non return valves p³ of the
valve box p into the accumulator p by the connection p* compressing the air or
spring and thereby storing sufficient power to quickly manipulate the hydraulic
cylinders c with which the said accumulator is connected. Hand pumps may also
be used to charge the accumulator p. The connections from the accumulator to
the distributing valve and to the hydraulic elevating cylinders c are similar to
those above described. In some cases flexible pipes sufficiently strong to withstand
the pressure may be used instead of jointed pipes m, n as shown.
In Figures 11 and 12 we have shown detailed views of elastic bearings suitable
for the rollers H. C2, C3 are brackets formed with or attached to the rear ends of

page_text: the cheeks C and provided with rectangular bearing recesses C³ in which are fitted
to slide bearing blocks H'. Either the axles H² of the rollers H are secured to the
said rollers and revolve in the blocks H', or they are secured to the blocks H¹ and
the rollers H revolve upon them. In the recesses C³ are fitted strong springs H³
of any suitable shape which act to press the rollers H against the are shaped roller
path or bearing surface of the cheeks B2. The said springs are adjusted by
Screws H to have sufficient initial compression to support the segmental frame
clear of the are shaped bearing surfaces except when the same is under the stress
of recoil at which time the springs will yield and allow the faces of the two arcs to
come into contact.
In cases where hydraulic power is available from an external source, the pumps
and accumulators may be dispensed with and the elevating cylinders may be
operated through suitable distributing valves, the water being conveyed to the
under carriage through a centre pivot pipe.
In Figure 13 we have shown the arrangements we prefer to employ for this
purpose.
I is a centre pivot pipe placed below the gun mounting and consisting of a fixed
central stem divided by an internal vertical web into two compartments which are
provided the one with an inlet pipe for the service water and the other with an
outlet pipe for the exhaust. Surrounding the stem are two collars 112 which
are capable of rotating on the stem between fixed collars ³, and which are
provided with internal circumferential recesses or channels. Suitable ports are
formed in the stem for connecting the recess or channel of one collar with one
division or compartment of the pivot pipe and that of the other collar to the other
compartment of the pivot pipe and leather or other rings are placed between each
fixed collar, and the adjacent rotating collar and also between the two
rotating collars to prevent leakage. Moreover suitable pipes, connect the
said movable collars to the service and exhaust openings respectively of the
distributing valve as in the arrangements above described.
Although we have described and illustrated our invention as applicable
to a breech loading gun it is obvious that it is equally applicable to a muzzle
loading gun.
We are aware that gun mountings for turrets have been constructed with a
pivoted slide for the purpose of raising and lowering the trunnions of the gun to
allow of the use of a small port hole with a large vertical arc of fire but in this
case the gun does not recoil in the line of fire. In our gun-mounting, however, the
gun always recoils in the line of fire at all firing angles."
Our improved carriage or mounting is sometimes arranged with an overhead
shield so that it may be placed in a pit if desired. And this shield may be
provided with runner ways tackle or other suitable apparatus for raising the
ammunition to facilitate the loading of the gun, or a davit may be carried upon
the mounting for this purpose.
The training may be effected by any ordinary and suitable means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it understood that
what we claim is :-
First. The improved method of moving or adjusting the gun to and from the
loading and firing positions as herein described for the purpose specified.
Second. The combination, for the purpose specified, of a trunnioned gun with a
gun-slide which is movable, about a horizontal axis between but not beyond the
highest and lowest firing positions.
Third. A segmental frame gun-mounting so constructed that the top carriage is
limited in its movement about its horizontal axis to the angles above the lowest
firing position and the maraman
1

page_text: angle will recoil in the line of fire and which permits the gun to be moved about
its trunnions anywhere below the lowest firing angle independently of the slide
for the purpose specified.
gun
Fifth. The combination, with the segmental framé C of hydraulic apparatus
provided with toothed racks which gear with toothed segments on the segmental
frame for turning the upper carriage about its axis substantially as described for
the purpose specified.
Sixth. The arrangement of parts whereby when the gun is elevated above the
lowest firing angle the action of gravity can be made available to cause the upper
carriage to turn in its bearings till the slide face is at the lowest firing angle, as
above set forth.
Seventh. The combination, with the hydraulic cylinders and racks for turning
the upper carriage in its bearings of the pumps d (with or without the air or spring
accumulator) as and for the purpose above set forth.
Eighth. In a gun mounting such as that herein described means for preventing
the running out of the gun when the same is not properly bedded in its cradle
substantially as set forth.
Ninth. In a gun mounting such as that herein described means for preventing
the movement or adjustment of the gun about its trunnions when the same is run
out substantially as set forth.
Tenth. The employment of the auxiliary cylinder or cylinders as and for the
purpose specified.
Eleventh. A gun mounting constructed substantially as described with reference
to the accompanying drawings or any mere modification thereof and operating as
and for the purpose specified.
Thin 5th day of Aunuc 1801
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.