Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1337
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
We, RICHARD COPLEY CHRISTIE, MANASSAH GLEDHILL and HERBERT HANBURY
SMITH CARINGTON all Directors of Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co., Limited, of
Openshaw, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, (a communication
from Jean Baptiste Gustave Adolphe Canet, of 91 Avenue Malakoff, Paris, France,
Engineer) do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to gun carriages or mountings wherein the gun is supported
by a rocking or oscillating lever, which, when the gun recoils, turns upon or about its
fulcrum-pin or pivot-pin, and thus allows the gun to disappear at, or immediately after
the moment of firing.
The chief feature of the said invention is the employment of a rotary hydraulic
brake in combination with the said rocking or oscillating lever. This brake is con-
structed and arranged as hereinafter described, that is to say:-A hollow cylinder is
formed on, or rigidly attached to the rocking or oscillating lever so that it serves as
the boss thereof and is movable therewith. This cylinder is fitted to turn upon an
inner cylinder or drum provided at its ends with trunnions or projections whereby it
is fixed in the turntable or frame. This inner cylinder or drum serves as the fulcrum
or pivot around which the said lever turns.
The interior of the outer cylinder is in contact with the inner cylinder or drum only
throughout about three-fourths of its circumference. The inner cylinder or drum is
provided with a segment projecting from its outer surface and extending around it
for about one-fourth of its circumference. The outer cylinder is also provided with a
segment projecting from its interior surface and extending throughout the half, or
nearly the half, of its circumference.
The outer cylinder is furnished with side or end pieces which encircle the trunnions
or projections of the inner cylinder or drum. The space between the said inner
cylinder or drum and the outer cylinder is filled with liquid.
When the gun recoils, the rocking or oscillating lever and the outer cylinder turn
upon or about the trunnions or projections of the inner cylinder or drum, and the

page_text: segmental projection on the inner surface of the outer cylinder acts as a piston or
plunger and tends to drive or force out the liquid contained in the space between the
inner cylinder or drum and the outer cylinder. This liquid can only escape through
a narrow space between the segment on the inner cylinder or drum and the inner
surface of the outer cylinder, which is so formed that this space continually varies,
during the movement of the cylinder, in such a manner as to vary the resistance
which it opposes to the passage of the liquid. The liquid then escapes by conduits or
passages in the inner cylinder or drum and through the hollow trunnions or projections
of the said inner cylinder or drum and, raising loaded valves, acts upon pistons
connected with air-accumulators, spring boxes or other recuperators.
The return of the gun to the firing position takes place when the liquid is allowed
to flow under the pressure of the air or of the springs from the recuperators into the
hydraulic brake.
The air-cylinders and the liquid-cylinders are preferably made distinct or separate
from one another. They are placed in any suitable position either vertical, horizontal
or otherwise. The air-cylinders or chambers are connected with a box which rotates
with the mounting and is used as a compressed air chamber or accumulator for
equalizing the pressure in the recuperators.
The outer cylinder of the brake is, in some instances, rigidly attached to the turn-
table or frame and the inner cylinder or drum formed on, or attached to the rocking
or oscillating lever.
The joints or working surfaces of the apparatus are suitably packed where
necessary.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Gun Carriages or Mountings.
We, RICHARD COPLEY CHRISTIE, MANASSAH GLEDHILL, and HERBERT HANBURY
SMITH CARINGTON, all Directors of Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co. Limited, of Openshaw,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, 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 :-
This invention relates to gun carriages or mountings wherein the gun is supported
by a rocking lever which, when the gun recoils, turns upon or about its fulcrum or pivot
and thus allows the gun to retire or disappear behind or below a wall or parapet at, or
immediately after the moment of firing.
The chief feature of the said invention is the employment of a rotary or oscillatory
hydraulic brake in combination with the said rocking lever, as hereinafter set forth.
The said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan of the improved gun-mounting, showing the parts in the recoiled
position.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal central section, showing the parts in full lines in
the firing position, and in dotted lines in the recoiled position, the extreme angles of
elevation and depression being indicated by the dotted lines y, y, and z, z.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation, partly in transverse section on the line a, a,
Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section on the line ¹, æ¹, Figure 2, illustrating details of construction,
and
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation illustrating an arrangement of training gear herein-
after described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a base-plate or racer, forming also a centre pivot. B is a rotating platform
or turntable which is supported upon the said base-plate or racer through the medium
of rollers A', and is provided with one or more clips B' to prevent tilting of the gun
and mounting. C is the rocking lever, in the upper end of which the gun is held
by means of its trunnions.
D is a hollow cylinder which is formed with or rigidly attached to the rocking
lever C so that it serves as the boss thereof and is movable therewith. This cylinder
is fitted to turn or oscillate upon a fixed inner cylinder or drum E provided at its ends
with hollow trunnions or projections E¹ whereby it is securely held in brackets or
cheeks B2 extending upward from the platform or turntable B. This inner cylinder
or drum serves as a fixed axle or fulcrum around which the said lever turns.
The outer cylinder D is provided with a segment d projecting from its interior
surface and extending throughout the half, or nearly the half of its circumference.
This segment is in contact with the exterior surface of the inner cylinder or drum E.

page_text: I
The said inner cylinder or drum E is provided with a segment e projecting from its
outer surface and extending around it for about one-fourth of its circumference. This
segment e is in contact with the interior surface of the cylinder D. There is,
therefore, a clear space between the two cylinders throughout the remainder of the
circumference thereof. The cylinder D has part of its inner surface excentric to the
segment e as at d. The said cylinder D is furnished with side or end pieces or
covers D', which are firmly bolted or otherwise secured thereto, and which encircle
the trunnions or projections E¹ of the inner cylinder or drum E. The inner cylinder E
is formed with passages e¹ affording communication between the space f, and a central
chamber or space g in the said cylinder E. The said chamber or space g communicates
with recuperator-apparatus through the hollow trunnions E¹ and through pipes /
provided with loaded or non-return valves j. This recuperator-apparatus comprises
hydraulic presses the rams or plungers ¹ of which are formed with or attached to
the rams or plungers of air-cylinders which are firmly secured by bolts ² to the
turntable B. A suitable bye-pass valve is arranged in combination with each of the
valves to permit the return of the liquid from the hydraulic presses & into the space f
for the purpose of raising the gun to the firing position. The air-cylinders / are
connected by pipes m¹ with a chamber or reservoir m, which rotates with the mounting
and serves to equalize the pressure in the air-cylinders. A suitable pump is, in some
instances, connected with the reservoir m to compress the air in the said reservoir and
thus obtain an initial pressure therein and in the said air-cylinders, or compensate for
loss of pressure therein.
It will be seen that, by means of our rotary or oscillating apparatus, we apply the
brake-power directly to the lever at the axis of the same without the intervention of
levers and rods or links for connecting the lever to the brake, thus simplifying the
construction.
When the gun recoils, the lever and the cylinder D turn upon or about the
trunnions or projections of the inner cylinder or drum E. In this movement of
the said lever and cylinder, the segmental projection d acts as a piston or plunger to
drive or force out the liquid contained in the space f. This liquid can only escape
through a narrow space between the segment and the excentric portion of the
cylinder D, which space continually varies during the movement of the said cylinder,
by reason of the excentric formation of the said part d' thereof, in such a manner as
to gradually increase the resistance to the passage or escape of the liquid. The liquid
is forced through the passages el in the cylinder or drum E and through the hollow
trunnions or projections E', and, opening the valves j, passes through the pipes h into
the presses and, by its action upon the rams or plungers, compresses the air in the
cylinders and chamber or reservoir m.
k
The return of the gun to the firing position will be effected by the reaction or
expansion of the air thus compressed, when the bye-pass valves are opened to permit
the liquid to flow, under the pressure of the air, from the said hydraulic presses into
the hydraulic brake.
The joints or working surfaces of the apparatus are suitably packed where necessary
to make them fluid-tight.
The air-cylinders and the liquid-cylinders are preferably made distinct or separate
from one another. They are placed as shown, or in any other suitable position.
The gun-mounting shown in the drawings is provided with parallel-motion apparatus,
that is to say, with apparatus for keeping the gun parallel to the line of fire in
its recoil and in its return movements, and with elevating mechanism substantially
as described in the specification of former Letters Patent dated 27th June A.D. 1887,
No. 9125.
To provide for training the gun by hand, a circular rack n is formed or fixed
on the base plate A, and has geared therewith a pinion fixed on the lower end of
a vertical shaft, on the upper end of which is fixed a worm-wheel p. This worm-
wheel has geared therewith a worm which is provided with cranks or handles q¹.
For training the gun by hydraulic or other power, we sometimes employ the gearing
shown in Figure 5, wherein an internally toothed rack n' is fixed or formed upon the

page_text: turntable B and has geared therewith a pinion fixed upon a vertical shaft supported
in bearings formed with or firmly attached to the base-plate A or other stationary
support. On the said shaft ¹ is also fixed a bevel wheels geared with another bevol
wheel s¹ fixed on a horizontal shaft t, to which rotary motion is imparted by hydraulic
or other power.
We do not, however, confine ourselves to the use of any special form of elevating
or training gear, or of apparatus for keeping the gun parallel as above described.
Moreover our invention is applicable to gun-mountings wherein no provision is made
for keeping the gun parallel to the line of fire during its recoil or during its return to
the firing position.
The construction of our apparatus can be somewhat further modified without
departing from the nature of our said invention. For example springs or other
recuperator-apparatus may be substituted for the air-compressors above described, for
effecting the return of the gun to the firing position. Or the recuperators may be
dispensed with, the discharge of the liquid from the recoil-brake taking place into a
tank and the gun being returned to the firing position by the pressure of water from
a pump or accumulator. The construction of the oscillating hydraulic brake is, in
some cases, modified by having the outer cylinder rigidly attached to the turntable or
frame, and the inner cylinder or drum formed on, or attached to the rocking lever.
Moreover we do not confine ourselves to the use of our improved rotary or oscillating
hydraulic brake constructed as above described but may use other economical rotary or
oscillating apparatus suitable for our purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to us
by our foreign correspondent we wish it understood that we claim :-
First. In a gun-mounting wherein the gun is carried by a rocking lever, the
application of hydraulic power by means of rotary or oscillatory apparatus directly
to the said lever at the axis or fulcrum of the same, for the purposes above
specified.
Second. A gun-mounting wherein a rocking lever carrying the gun and a rotary
or oscillatory hydraulic brake for controlling the same are arranged in combination
with the recuperator-apparatus herein described or other suitable recuperator-apparatus,
or with a pump or accumulator and without a recuperator-apparatus, for the purposes
above specified.
Third. The rocking lever constructed with a boss or bearing serving as one
cylinder of the rotary or oscillatory hydraulic brake, substantially as above set
forth.
Fourth. A rotary or oscillatory brake which has one cylinder within another and
is provided with segmental projections arranged substantially as described, or which
is otherwise suitably constructed for the application of hydraulic power for the
purposes above specified.
Fifth. The combination of the recuperators comprising the hydraulic presses and
the air-compressors with the air-chamber or reservoir (with or without a pump)
substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Sixth. The improved gun-mounting consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings, for the
purposes above described.
1000.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.