Improvements in Mountings for Rapid Firing Guns.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mountings for Rapid Firing Guns.
I, JOSIAH VAVASSEUR, of London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
In mountings for rapid firing guns in which the training and elevating of the
gun is effected by genring actuated by hand wheels one for training and another
for giving the required elevation it is desirable that the man who is directing the
gun should be also able to fire it without taking away either of his hands from the
hand wheels.
I effect this by placing a lever push button or other instrument at
the side of the mounting against which the man may press with his knee preferably
by a sideway movement at the moment when the gun is to be fired and by the
movement so given to the lever or instrument cause a firing trigger to be pulled→
it may be the trigger carried by a pistol grip such as is used in gun mountings in
which the aiming of the gun is effected by the man bearing with his shoulder
against a shoulder piece-or if electric firing mechanism alone is used it may close
the electric firing circuit by acting on a contact closer set in any desired position.
Dated this 15th day of April 1891.
J. VAVASSEUR.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mountings for Rapid Firing Guns.
I, JOSIAH VAVASSEUR, of London Ordnance Works, Bear Lane, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, 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 :-
In mountings for rapid firing guns in which the training and elevating of the
gun is effected by gearing actuated by hand wheels one for training and another
for giving the required elevation it is desirable that the man who is directing the
gun should be also able to fire it without taking away either of his hands from the
hand wheels.
I effect this by placing a lever push button or other instrument at
the side of the mounting against which the man may press with his knee preferably
by a sideway movement at the moment when the gun is to be fired and by the
movement so given to the lever or instrument cause a firing trigger to be pulled-
it may be the trigger carried by a pistol grip such as is used in gun mountings in
which the aiming of the gun is effected by the man bearing with his shoulder
against a shoulder piece-or if electric firing mechanism alone is used it may
close the electric firing circuit by acting on a contact closer set in any desired
position.
Figure is a side elevation and Figure 2 a back elevation of a gun mounting
provided with firing mechanism constructed in the above manner.
Figures 3 and 4 shew a side elevation and plan view on a larger scale of the
firing mechanism. In this arrangement the firing can be effected either by the
pull of a finger on a trigger in front of a pistol grip or by sideway pressure of
the knee.
Figure 5 shews a modification of the firing mechanism adapted for being used
when the firing is to be effected by sideway pressure of the knee only.
In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 A is the hand wheel for training the gun, B the hand
wheel for giving the required elevation. C the pistol grip which can be held in the
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page_text: hand. D the trigger in front of it. E a spindle having an arm E' projecting from
its upper end which when a partial turn is given to the spindle comes against the
trigger and forces it back. E is a rod jointed to the arm and having at its end a
collar pressed against by a spring F contained in a casing G so that the spring
normally holds the arm E away from the trigger. H is an arm extending from
the lower end of the spindle with a button or pad at its end against which the
knee of the person aiming the gun can be pressed and the spindle so turned in a
direction to press back the trigger. I is a battery carried on the gun mounting-
one terminal is connected at J with the metal work of the mounting and so with
the exterior of the gun-the other terminal is connected by an insulated conductor
to one contact piece of contact mechanism K which is carried by the arm of the
pistol handle.
From the other contact piece an insulated conductor is led to a
sliding contact R which is only closed when the gun is run forward into proper
position for firing and from thence to the rear end of the striker or firing pin
which is carried by the breech piece of the gun.
When the trigger is pulled or pressed back the two contact pieces of the contact
mechanism K are caused to be brought into contact with one another in any of the
ordinary ways and if the gun has been loaded and the breech securely closed the
firing circuit is completed and the gun fired.
The gun can therefore be fired either by pulling the trigger by a finger in
the ordinary manner or by pressing a knee against the button H as may be
desired.
When the firing is to be effected by pressure of the knee only the spindle E
may be done away with and the firing circuit be completed by bringing together
the two contact pieces of contact mechanism by pressure of the knee upon a button
or pad on the end of a rod which can slide endwise as shewn at Figure 5. In this
figure L M are the two contact pieces of the contact mechanism-one L. fixed and the
other M carried by one end of a rod N which can slide endwise through a
casing and has on its other end a button or pad N against which the knee may
be pressed. is a spring contained within the casing and pressing against a
collar N2 on the rod N in a direction to hold the contact piece M away from the
contact L.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. A. mounting for a rapid firing gun in which the elevation and training of the
gun are effected by gearing actuated by hand wheels and in which the firing of
the gun can be effected by the gunner pressing his knee against a push button or
like instrument at the side of the mounting substantially as described.
2. A mounting for a rapid firing gun having at one side of it a push button or
like instrument which when pressed upon by the knee of the gunner closes an
electrical firing circuit and fires the gun.
3. A mounting for a rapid firing gun having at one side of it a push button or like
instrument which when pressed upon by the knee of the gunner with a sideway
pressure closes an electrical firing circuit and fires the gun substantially as
described.
4. The arrangement of mechanism substantially as herein before described for
enabling a gun to be fired either by the pressure of a finger upon a trigger or by
a sideway pressure of the knee against a push button or like instrument.
Dated this 16th day of La D
J. VAVASSEUR.