Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
[Communicated from abroad by JEAN BAPTISTE GUSTAVE ADOLPHE CANET, of
91, Avenue Malakoff, Paris, France.]
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 to be as follows:-
This invention relates to rotating platforms, turntables or turrets provided with
rollers for facilitating their movement, and the said invention affords the means
whereby such rollers may, when desired, be readily removed and replaced without the
necessity of lifting or disturbing the superincumbent parts.
<<
"live
The said invention is chiefly designed to be applied to gun mountings, turntables or
turrets in which the gun and its platform, turntable or turret are supported on a
roller-ring" or live rollers," that is to say, upon rollers which are not attached to
the platform, turntable or turret, but the axles of which are connected by a loose ring
or series of links for keeping the said rollers a definite distance apart, the platform,
turntable or turret resting directly upon the said rollers. The said invention is,
however, also applicable to swing-bridges, large cranes and other structures or
machines similarly supported.
Heretofore with gun mountings, turntables or turrets thus supported, it has been
necessary to lift the gun and its platform, turntable or turret in order to examine the
rollers, or to remove damaged rollers and replace them with new ones; and, in the
case of large guns or ordnance, the removal of the said rollers has been a tedious and
costly operation by reason of the difficulty of lifting the superstructure and the great
weight thereof.
Now according to this invention provision is made for the removal of a part of the
racer or roller path upon which the platform, turntable or turret is supported through

page_text: the medium of the rollers, or a part of the said platform, turntable or turret, so that
the withdrawal or removal of damaged rollers and the introduction of new ones in
place thereof can be very readily effected.
The said invention is conveniently and advantageously carried into practice as
follows, that is to say -A gap or aperture is formed in the racer or roller path of
such dimensions as to permit a roller to fall into or through the same when the plat-
form, turntable or turret is turned into the proper position to bring the said roller
above the gap. A block or piece is fitted in the said gap and is secured therein by
one or more bolts and nuts, or in any other convenient manner, so that it can be easily
removed when necessary.
The said gap or aperture may, if desired, be formed
radially across the racer-path or roller-path. We prefer, however, that the
said gap should extend across the said path in a direction inclined to a radial line
passing through the centre of rotation, so that the joints between the removable piece
and the main portion of the racer-path or roller-path will not be coincident with the
line of contact of a roller as it passes over the same. We thus avoid any liability to
the formation of depressions or burrs at these joints by the action of the rollers
thereon.
In some instances, we provide a screw which is fitted to rotate in suitable bearings
in the removable piece, but which is prevented from endwise movement therein. This
screw enters a screw-threaded hole in the substructure so that, by turning the said
screw in one or the other direction, the said piece may be removed from or inserted
into its place.
We do not confine ourselves to the use of a removable piece in the racer or roller
path for the purpose of our invention, as we can accomplish the desired result by other
means. For instance, we can form a gap or aperture in that part of the platform,
turntable or turret which, in the rotation thereof, comes in contact with the rollers, a
removable piece being fitted and secured in the said gap or aperture as above
specified.
It is obvious that our said invention is applicable to apparatus wherein rollers of
spherical, conical, or other form are employed.
Dated this 12th day of November 1887
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: 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 rotating platforms, turntables or turrets provided with
rollers for facilitating their movement, and the said invention affords the means whereby
such rollers may, when desired, be readily removed and replaced without the necessity
of lifting or disturbing the superincumbent parts.
The said invention is chiefly designed to be applied to gun-mountings in which the
gun and its platform, turntable or turret are supported on a live roller-ring, or upon
live rollers, that is to say, upon rollers which are not attached to the platform, turn-
table or turret, but the axles of which are connected by loose rings or by a series
of links for the purpose of keeping the said rollers a definite distance apart
during the movement of the platform, turntable or turret, the latter being provided
with a suitable roller-path and being supported directly upon the said rollers. The
said invention is, however, applicable to swing-bridges, cranes, and other structures
or machines similarly supported.
Heretofore, with gun-mountings having rotating platforms, turntables or turrets
supported upon rollers, it has, in many cases, been necessary to lift the gun and
its platform, turntable or turret in order to examine the rollers or to remove
damaged rollers and replace them with new ones, and, in the case of heavy
ordnance, the removal of the said rollers has (except where powerful appliances
are available for the purpose) been a tedious and costly operation by reason of
the great weight and difficulty of lifting the superstructure.
Now according to the present invention, we adopt a novel method of providing for
the removal and replacement of the rollers, which method consists in the use of a
removable or detachable part of the racer or roller-path upon which the platform,
turntable or turret is supported through the medium of the rollers, or of a removable
or detachable part of the said platform, turntable or turret, so that the examination of

page_text: new ones in place thereof can be very readily effected.
In the accompanying drawings, we have shown how our said invention may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan of part of the base-plate and racer or roller-path of a gun-mounting
with our improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same, showing also part of the turntable and two
of the rollers.
Figure 3 is a vertical section through the base-plate and turntable on the line x, x,
Figure 1, showing a roller resting upon the removable part of the racer or roller-
path.
Figure is a vertical section on the line y, y, Figure 1.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the base-plate which is formed or provided with the racer or roller-path A1;
B is the platform or turntable, which has a corresponding roller-path B' and which
is supported on the said base-plate through the medium of the rollers C, the axles
of which are fitted to rotate in slots in roller-rings D in a well-known manner.
A gap or aperture a is formed in the said racer or roller-path A', and a remov-
able block or piece is fitted in the said gap and forms part of the said racer or
roller-path. The said gap or aperture is made of such dimensions as to permit
the descent of a roller into or through it, when the block or piece b is removed
and the platform or turntable B is turned into the proper position to bring the said
roller Cabove the said gap. The said gap or aperture extends across the racer or
roller-path A, and may, if desired, have one or both edges radial from the centre of
the platform or turntable. We prefer, however, that both edges of the said gap or
aperture should be more or less oblique or inclined relatively to a radial line passing
through the centre of rotation of the platform and through the centre of the said gap
or aperture, so that, as a roller passes over either of the joints between the removable
piece band the main portion of the racer or roller-path, its entire line of contact with
the said path will not at any time be coincident with the said joint. We thus avoid
or diminish any liability to the formation of depressions or burrs at these joints by the
action of the rollers C thereon.
The block or piece b is provided with a rod or spindle c which is fitted to turn in a
bearing d formed with or attached to the said block or piece. The head c¹ of this
spindle has a suitably formed socket c², or is otherwise adapted to receive a key for
turning the said spindle upon or about its axis. The said rod or spindle c provided
with a collar which serves in conjunction with the head c¹ to prevent end wise move-
ment of the said spindle in its bearing d. The spindle chas, moreover, a screw-
threaded portion et fitting into a corresponding screw-threaded hole or nut in a boss e
formed on or attached to the base-plate A.
To remove a worn or damaged roller, the platform or turntable B is first moved so
as to bring the said roller into proximity to the gap or aperture a, a suitable key is
then applied to the rod or spindle c and the said rod or spindle is turned in the proper
direction to withdraw the block or piece from the said gap or aperture a; the plat-
form or turntable B is then turned so as to move the said roller towards the gap or
aperture a when the roller arrives over the said gap or aperture, it will fall therein
from the roller-rings D and can be easily removed therefrom. To place another roller
in the roller-rings the above described operation is reversel.
We do not confine ourselves to the use of a removable piece in the racer or
roller-path A of the base-plate A for the purpose of our invention, as we can
accomplish the desired result by other means. For instance we can form a gap or.
aperture in the roller-path B of the platform, turntable or turret, a removable piece
being fitted and secured in the said gap or aperture as above specified, or in any other
suitable manner.
It is obvious that our said invention is applicable to apparatus wherein rollers of
spherical conical or other form are employed.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
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-The above described method of providing for the removal and replacement
of the rollers of rotating platforms, turntables or turrets without the necessity of lifting
or disturbing the superincumbent parts.
Second A racer or roller-path in which the said method is carried into effect by
the use of an obliquely arranged gap or aperture and removable block or piece,
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings for the purpose
specified.