Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 26th. Sept., 1896
We, Sir ANDREW NOBLE K.C.B., F.R.S., of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle-
on-Tyne, and RALPH THEW BRANKSTON, Engineer, of Elswick Works,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The principal object of this invention is to control guns in running out and to
prevent them from running out violently after firing at great depression. For
this purpose combined recoil and running out control presses are provided. The.
trunnions of the gun fit into carriages which are able to slide along gnide surfaces.
upon a cradle. The cradle is pivotted on ottier trunnions which are at the centre.
of gravity of the gun and cradle. The gun does not turn about its own trunnions
but elevation and depression is obtained by rotation about the cradle trunnions.
The gun always recoils in the line of fire and it compresses a spring which after
recoil returns the gun automatically to the firing position.
The cylinders of the control presses are formed in the carriages immediately
beneath the gun trunnions and parallel to the bore of the gun.. A piston rod.
fixed to the cradle passes through each control cylinder from end to end and it las
two pistons upon it. The forward. piston acts to control the recoil in the usual
way liquid contained in the cylinder being driven past the piston.through a port
which is progressively contracted by a valve koy fixed within the cylinder. The
liquid which passes the forward piston during recoil is received into the apace.
between the two pistons but this space being already full an equal quantity of
liquid is displaced and is forced' out by a valve provided for the purpose. Tho
valve may either be upon the side of the cylinder or upon the rear piston. In
either case this liquid passes behind' the rear piston, and the valve closes to prevent
its return. After recoil when the gun commences to return automatically it is.
resisted by the liquid now confined behind. the rear pistou and the gun is able to
return only as fast as the liquid can flow past the rear piston by a port formed. in.
it; there is a valve key which progressively contracts this port as the gun.runs:
forward.
Dated this 13th day of November 1895.
improvements in Gunungs.
We, Sir ANDREW NOBLE, K.C.B., F.R.S., of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle.
on-Tyne, and RALPH THEW BRANKSTON, Engineer,. of Elswick. Works,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, 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. :-
The principal object of this. invention is to control guns in running out and to)
prevent them from. running out violently after firing at great, depression. For
this purpose combined recoil and running out control presses are provided. The
•

page_text: trunnions of the gun fit into carriages which are able to slide along guide surfaces
upon a cradle. The cradle is pivotted on other trunnions which are at the centre
of gravity of the gun and cradle. The gun does not turn about its own trunnions
but elevation and depression is obtained by rotation about the cradle trunnions.
The gun always recoils in the line of fire and it compresses a spring which after
recoil returns the gun automatically to the firing position.
The cylinders of the control presses are formed in the carriages immediately
beneath the gun trunnions and parallel to the bore of the gun. A piston rod
fixed to the cradle passes through each control cylinder from end to end and it
has two pistons upon it. The forward piston acts to control the recoil in the usual
way; liquid contained in the cylinder being driven past the piston through a port
which is progressively contracted by a valve key fixed within the cylinder. The
liquid which passes the forward piston during recoil is received into the space
between the two pistons but this space being already full an equal quantity of
liquid is displaced and is forced out by a valve provided for the purpose. The
valve may either be upon the side of the cylinder or upon the rear piston. In
either case this liquid passes behind the rear piston, and the valve closes to provent
its return. After rocoil when the gun commences to return automatically it is
resisted by the liquid now confined behind the rear piston and the gun is able to
return only as fast as the liquid can flow past the rear piston by a port formed in
it; there is a valve key which progressively contracts this port as the gun runs
forward.
The drawings show a gun mounting made in accordance with this invention.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section partly through the trunnions of the gun
and partly through the trunnions of the cradle.
Figure 3 in an end elevation.
The trudnions A of the gun fit into carriages B which slide along guide surfaces C
upon a cradle D. The cradle D is pivotted on trunnions E which are at the
centre of gravity of the gun and cradle. The gun is prevented from turning about
its own trunnions A by the slipper F (Figure 3) but elevation and depression is
obtained by rotation of the cradle about its.trunnions E.
The gun always recoils in the line of fire and it compresses a spring G, which
after recoil returns the gun automatically to the firing position.
A piston rod H fixed at D to the cradle D passes through the cylinders I
and K of the control presses and has two pistons L and M on it.
The forward piston Lacts to control the recoil in the usual way; liquid contained
in the cylinder I being driven past the piston L through a port or slot which is
progressively contracted by a valve key N fixed within the cylinder. The liquid
which passes the piston L during recoil is received into the space between the two
pistons L and M but this space being already full an equal quantity of liquid is
displaced and is forced out by the valve O into the chamber P. After recoil when
the gun commences to return automatically it is resisted by the liquid now confined
in the chamber P and in the space behind the piston M and the gun
able to
return only as fast as the liquid can flow past the piston M by a port formed in it
which is progressively contracted by a valve key R.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combined recoil control press and running out control press substantially...
as described.
2. The combination of a recoil control press, a running out control press and a
valve, the running out press receiving the liquid discharged during recoil from the
recoil press, and the valve allowing liquid to pass during recoil from the front to
the back of the piston of the running out press but preventing its return during
ruuning out, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. The combination of a recoil control press, a running out control press, and a
piston rod common to them both substantially as described.
4. The combination with the subject matter of the preceding claims of a spring
which stores power for running out substantially as described.
5. Gun mountings substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 25th day of Julie 1896
A. NOBLE.
R. T. BRANKSTON.