Improvements in Ammunition Hoists for Ordnance.
Year: 1899

page_text: Communicated from abroad by GENE RACHAIN
Paris, in the Republic of France].
Improvements in Ammunition Hoists for Ordnance.
I, JAMES ANDREW HARVEY, Patent Agent, of 3, St. Nicholas' Buildings, in
the City and County of Newcastle-on-Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to ammunition hoists for orduance, and has for its objects
simplicity of construction and facility for charging and discharging the buckets
or carriers.
The improved hoist consists of endless chains, bands or other flexible connectors
and buckets or carriers suspended therefrom, in combination with means for
tilting the buckets, the said chains or the like travelling over guide sheaves and
driven wheels located at or about the magazine and firing platform at or near
both of which (or only the latter) an incline or inclines is or are disposed to tilt
the buckets so as to present them conveniently for loading and unloading as
they are brought towards the charging and discharging places on the operation
of the said wheels, the whole being arranged in such manner as to revolve with
the gun mounting, and always preserve the buckets in an upright or substantially
upright position except when being filled or emptied.
As will be evident, the mode of carrying my improvements into practice will
vary with the type of mounting, and by way of example, I will describe the
adaptation to a pair-gun revoluble turret or barbette mounting. According to
such an application, I fix to the carriage and turntable of the mounting the base
or basal periphery of a truncate cone-shaped hood or equivalent, whose apex or
mouth is adapted to coincide with the customary stationary hoist trunk round
which the turret or barbette revolves as usual, the junction of the hood and trunk
being rendered water-tight with the aid of a stuffing box or by other fitting means,
permitting revolution of the hood; for giving ingress to, and egress from the
hood, I make, at opposite points, openings which may be fitted with suitable
closing devices.
Longitudinally within the trunk, I arrange a distance-piece or guide, having
its upper and lower extremity united respectively to the hood and an appro-
priately supported bracket situated near the magazine of handing room, an incline
or inclines being provided upon or in connection with this bracket, if desired.
The distance-piece is formed to constitute with the trunk two chambers or
passages for guiding the buckets raised and lowered therethrough by two endless
travelling chains-preferably of the pivoted flat link type-between, and to
each of which the buckets are attached in a manner permitting free oscillation
which may be effected in sundry ways, such as by furnishing lugs or recesses at
diametrically opposite points on the buckets for receiving extensions of the
pivotal pins of the chains. The buckets (which may be constructed to carry

page_text: one charge, or two or more) are arranged one above another, and their width
determines the spacing of the chains, each of which is driven by a sprocket wheel,
and guided by a series of loosely mounted sheaves carried respectively by the
bracket and the hood. The sprocket wheels are mounted upon the same shaft
which is supported by bearings on the said bracket-and adapted to be rotated
manually or mechanically, while the guide sheaves are disposed within the hood,
some on each side of the vertical axis of the subjacent trunk, one or more being
fitted near it and the other or others, near the contiguous hood orifice.
Spring, screw, or other contrivances for adjusting the tautness of the chains,
and the usual appliances for ensuring the proper working of the hoist are applied
as, and where required.
The operation of a hoist, arranged as explained, is as follows:
When the sprocket wheels are actuated, the chains raise the full buckets or
carriers from the loading place vertically up one of the aforesaid passages into
the hood, whose adjacent inclined portion tilts and supports each in turn so as
to lie towards the opening thereat, whereby all or every alternate one can be
expeditiously emptied, depending whether it is required to unload from one or
both sides of the hood. The buckets then travel to the opposite part of the hood
where they are again tilted in turn by the other inclined portion for discharging
and finally they are returned empty down the other passage in the trunk to the
loading place, the incline or inclines (if any) thereat accomplishing their tilting
in a like fashion to that already described for easy and speedy charging. Thus
it will be seen that the buckets are always maintained in an erect or approxi-
mately erect position between the bracket and hood and the training of the guns
does not affect the loading, travelling and unloading, since the bracket, guide,
hood and turret or barbette all rotate together due to their connection.
In the foregoing, I have described the hoist in the centre of the mounting,
but, as will be obvious, it may be situated at the side or rear to discharge at one
point only. In this connection, all the components of the hoist will be disposed
practically as before, with the exception of the hood now shaped somewhat after
the form of a ship's ventilating cowl, a hole being made in the part of the
carriage uniting with it to permit communication therewith. In like manner,
the hoist may be otherwise arranged to meet specific cases and its details varied
as may be deemed necessary.
DL: 01
1 1000
Improvements in Ammunition Hoists for Ordnance.
I, JAMES ANDREW HARVEY, Chartered Patent Agent, of 3, St. Nicholas Build-
ings, in the City and County of Newcastle-on-Tyne, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to aminunition hoists for ordnance, and has for its objects
simplicity of construction and facility for charging and discharging the buckets
or carriers.
The improved hoist consists of endless chains,. bands or other flexible con-
Lectors and buckets or carrier's suspended therefrom, in combination with means
for tilting the buckets, the said chains or the like travelling over driven wheels
and guide sheaves located at or about the magazine and firing platform at or near
both of which (or only the latter) an incline or inclines is or are disposed to tilt

page_text: the buckets so as to present them conveniently for loading and unloading
(or unloading only) as they are brought towards the charging and discharging
places on the operation of the said wheels, the whole being arranged in such
manner as to revolve with the gun mounting, and always preserve the buckets
in an upright or substantially upright position except when being filled or
emptied.
As will be evident, the mode of carrying my improvements into practice will
vary with the type of the mounting, and, by way of example, I will describe the
adaptation to a pair-gun revoluble turret or barbette mounting. This application
is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and of the various views Fig. 1 is a
central sectional elevation showing the relative positions of the components of
the hoist. Fig.2 is a central vertical section of the upper part of the hoist, the
section being taken at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the lower
part of the hoist looking at right angles to the view in Fig. 1, certain parts being
broken away, or shown in section for elucidatory purposes. Fig. 4 is a horizontal
section on the line Z-Z in Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section of a bucket
or carrier; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of same. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section
of a modified form of bucket. Fig. S is a central vertical section illustrating
a modification of the disposition of the hood.
The several figures are drawn to various scales in order to obtain clearness.
The same reference letters and numerals, used in the following description,
designate the same or similar parts in all the figures.
Referring to the drawings, A, A denote the guns, B the sheild, C the carriage
and the turntable of the mounting which is constructed or arranged in any
usual or appropriate manner.
According to my invention, I fix to the carriage C and turntable 1) the base,
or basal periphery, of a truncate cone-shaped hood or equivalent so that the
hood forms part of same. The apex or mouth of the hood is adapted to coincide
with the customary stationary hoist trunk around which the turret or barbette
revolves as usual, the junction of the hood E and trunk F being rendered water-
tight with the aid of a stuffing box G as shown, or by other fitting means per-
mitting revolution of the hood E, while maintaining tightness.
By this arrangement, it will be seen the sloping sides e, e of the hood E con-
stitute the inclines before referred to as being disposed at the firing platform.
For giving ingress to, and egress from, the hood I make, at opposite points,
openings el, e, which may be fitted with suitable closing devices, such as hinged
Joors ³, as indicated.
Longitudinally within the trunk, I arrange a distance piece or guide H having
its upper and lower extremity united respectively to or about the hood E, and
en appropriately supported bracket 1, of suitable construction, situated near the
magazine or handing room, an incline or inclines being provided upon or in
connection with this bracket if desired. In the example, the top of the distance
piece H is rigidly secured, by bolts or otherwise, to the turntable D and hood E
ath and respectively, but its bottom is movably connected to the bracket I,
which, as shown, is preferably made hollow and formed to serve as a continua-
tion of the trunk F, and seated, so that it can revolve, upon a fixed hollow base i.
The said movable connection may be effected in various ways, but a very con-
venient mode is as follows:-
At each side of the hoist, as shown best in Figs. 3 and 4, I locate a spring J
normally acting in compression, the upward thrust being received by a lug h
passing through a slot in the side of the bracket I and furnished on a bar h³
attached to the distance piece H, and the downward thrust by an adjustable
screw passing through a lug il fastened to the bracket I, and also through the
lug h, which thereby guides it. Clips or guide bars, are also secured to the
bracket I, and their function is to receive between them, and engage, the bar h³.
Thus it will be seen that, firstly, when the mounting revolves, so does the
distance piece H due to. its rigid connection aforesaid and likewise the bracket I,

page_text: consequent on the engagement of the bars h³, h³ and guide bars 2,,, ; while,
secondly, the distance piece H and bracket I are pressed apart in an axial
direction and this latter serves the purpose I will presently explain.
The bracket I is made with a bucket-tilting incline, which is obtained as
shown in Figs. 1 and 3; there may be more than one incline if desired.
The lip, shown at the top of the bracket I in Fig. 1, is to guide the buckets
or carriers into it, in the event of the ship rolling.
The distance piece H is formed, as illustrated best in Fig. 4, to constitute
with the trunk F (and also, in the example, with the bracket I) two chambers
or passages f, f for guiding the buckets K-K raised and lowered therethrough
by two endless travelling chains L, L-preferably of the pivoted flat link type-
between, and to each of; which the buckets K-K are attached in a manner per-
mitting free oscillation. This attachment may be effected in sundry ways, as
for example, as represented in Figs. and 6, by furnishing lugs or recesses k, k
at diametrically opposite points on the buckets for receiving extensions 1, 1 of
the pivotal pins of the chains L, L, the lower portions of the lugs or recesses k, k
being slotted or cut away to permit the insertion and removal of the extensions /, /.
The buckets, which may be each constructed to carry one charge as in Fig. 5,
or two as in Fig. 7, or more, are arranged one above another, and their width
determines the spacing of the chains L, L each of which is driven by a sprocket
wheel, and guided by a series of loosely mounted sheaves 2, 2, 3, 3, carried
respectively by the bracket I and the hood E.
The sprocket wheels 1, 1 are loosely mounted upon studs 4, 4 supported on
the said bracket I, and adapted to be rotated manually or mechanically.
Mechanism for both hand and power operation is indicated in the drawings;
for the former, in appropriate bearings fixed to the bracket I is mounted a shaft 5
upon which is keyed, at each end, a pinion for driving a spur wheel 7 also loose
or the adjoining stud 4, and formed integral with, or fixed to, the sprocket 1
thereon. Thus the motion imparted to the shaft 5, by detachable handles 8, 8
is transmitted to the chains L, L.
For power driving, the motor must be carried by the bracket I so as to
revolve therewith and be always in the driving position. The hollow base i forms
a convenient housing for it. The use of an electric motor 9, bolted to the bottom
of the bracket I is illustrated, the motion therefrom being transmitted to the
chains L, L through a worm 10 on its shaft gearing with a worm wheel 11 on a
suitably supported shaft 12 having keyed to its opposite end a bevel wheel 13
driving another like wheel 14 on the shaft 5, and thence through the spur
wheels 6, 6 and 7, 7 and sprocket wheels 1, 1. Clutches of ordinary kind (not
shown) are of course provided for putting the respective mechanisms into, and
out of, gear.
The guide sheaves 2, 2, 3, 3, are disposed within the hood E, some on each side
of the vertical axis of the subjacent trunk F, one, 2 (or more) being fitted near
it, and the other, 3 (or others) near the contiguous hood orifice e¹; they are
revolubly fitted upon studs fixed to or about the sides of the hood E.
Spring, screw or other contrivances for adjusting the tautness of the chains L, L
are applied in suitable fashion. In the example, this is accomplished by the
springs J, J, for, as will now be perfectly obvious, the separation of the distance
piece H and the bracket I accomplishes the required tightening of the chains,
since the sheaves 2, 2, 3, 3, are carried by the hood E, and the sprocket wheels 1, 1
by the bracket I.
:-
The operation of a hoist, arranged as explained, is as follows:-
When the sprocket wheels 1, 1 are actuated, the chains L, L raise the full
buckets or carriers K-K from the loading place vertically up one of the afore-
said passages f, f into the hood' E, whose adjacent inclined portion e tilts and
supports each in turn so as to lie towards the opening ethereat, whereby all or 5
every alternate one can be expeditiously emptied, depending whether it is re-
quired to unload from one or both sides of the hood E. The buckets K-K

page_text: then travel to the opposite part of the hood E where they are again tilted in
urn by the other inclined portion e for discharging, and finally they are returned
empty down the other passage f to the loading place, the incline (or inclines)
hereat accomplishing their tilting, in a like fashion to that already described,
for easy and speedy charging. Thus it will be seen that the buckets K–K
are always maintained in an erect, or approximately erect, position between the
bracket I and hood E, and the training of the guns A, A does not affect the
loading, travelling and unloading, since the bracket I, guide H, hood E and
urret or barbette all rotate together due to their connection.
In the foregoing, I have described the hoist in the centre of the mounting, but,
as will be obvious, it may be situated at the side or rear to discharge at one point
only, as will be understood from Fig. 8. In this connection, all the components
of the hoist are disposed practically as before, with the exception of the hood E
now shaped somewhat after the form of a ship's ventilating cowl, the hole e¹
being made in the part of the carriage C uniting with it to permit communication
therewith.
In like manner, the hoist may be otherwise arranged to meet specific cases and
its details varied as may be deemed necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In an ammunition hoist for orduance, the combination with the magazine
and firing platform, of driven wheels and guide sheaves, endless chains, bands
or other nexible connectors travelling over the wheels and sheaves, buckets or
carriers suspended from the chains, bands or connectors, and means for tilting
the buckets or carriers.
2. In an animunition hoist for ordnance, the combination with the magazine
and firing platform, of a hood, a distance piece and a bracket connected together
and arranged to revolve with the mounting, driven wheels and guide sheaves
carried by the hood and the bracket, endless chains or connectors travelling over
the wheels and sheaves, buckets or carriers suspended from the chains or con-
nectors, and means for tilting the buckets or carriers.
3. In an ammunition hoist for ordnance, the combination with the magazine
and firing platform, of a hood having an incline or inclines and arranged to
revolve with the platform about a trunk fixed to and depending from the latter,
a distance piece extending between and united to the hood and to a bracket
located at the magazine and dividing the trunk into two chambers, endless chains
or connectors travelling in the chambers, buckets or carriers pivoted to the chains
so that they may be tilted by the incline or inclines, and means for operating and
guiding the chains or connectors, substantially as described.
4. In an ammunition hoist for ordnance, the combination with the magazine
and firing platform, of a hood having an incline or inclines and arranged to
revolve with the platform about a trunk fixed to and depending from the latter,
a bracket revolubly supported at the magazine and having an incline or inclines,
a distance piece extending between and united to the hood and bracket and
dividing the trunk into two chambers, endless chains or connectors travelling in
the chambers, buckets or carriers pivoted to the chains so that they may be tilted
by the inclines, and means for operating and guiding the chains or connectors,
substantially as described.
5. In an ammunition hoist for ordnance, the combination with the magazine
and firing platform, of a hood, a trunk, a distance piece, a bracket, endless
chains or connectors, buckets or carriers, an incline or inclines at the hood and
at the bracket if desired, and driving wheels and guide sheaves, all arranged
substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to the accom-
5panying drawings.
6. The combination of parts constituting the improved ammunition hoist for

page_text: ordnance, all arranged and operating substantially as herein before described
and shown in Figs. 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings and subject to the
modification described and shown in Fig. 8 thereof.
Dated thin 10th day of In1000