US2478995A - Gun carriage - Google Patents

Description

C; K. WOODMAN GUN CARRIAGE Aug. 16, 1949.

4 She'ts-Sheet 1- Filed April 30, 1945 3' 3 721/622 far C/mres K Mac/man 1949- I c. K. WOODMAN V 2,478,995

GUN CARRIAGE Filed April 50, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 16, 1949. 5. K. WOODMAN GUN CARRIAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 50, 1945 fizz/6n for Charles K Woo a'marz Allg- 1949- c. K. WOODMAN 2,478,995

GUN CARRIAGE Filed April 30, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 [In/en fo 1" Charles K Woodman By h 8 At t 6y Patented Aug. 16, 1949 2,478,995 GUN CARRIAGE Charles K. Woodman, Beverly,

United Shoe Machinery Corporation,

Mass., assignor to Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application April 30, 1945, Serial No. 591,133

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to carriages upon which such an article as a gun may be transferred from one point to another, it being especially adapted for raising the gun-mount from a surface upon which it rests, as the deck of a vessel, supporting it upon wheels for its travel, lowering it again to the supporting surface of a firing platform, and there. securing it for firing.

It is an object of the invention to provide for the attachment of the carriage to the supporting surface in its lowered relation by means which will effectively resist the shock of gun-discharge, and the operation of which will not be interfered with by the entrance of dirt. In the carriagebody, a positioning member, preferably in the form of a. sleeve, is rotatable, and by this member a spindle is rotatable, as by a splined connection betweenthe two. By the positioning member, the spindle may be turned so that a head upon it is adapted to enter a deck-socket, after which it may be further turned for engagement with said socket. In the latter position, the rotation of a clamping member may be caused to move the spindle longitudinally, as by threaded engagement between the spindle and. the clamping member, to efiect final clamping engagement. The threaded elements are so located in the carriage that dirt and moisture are not liable to enter between them, while the socket in the supporting surface and the co-operating spindle-head may be of such a character that the presence of dirt will not affect them. An actuating member arranged for manual operation is joined to the clamping member by ratchet mechanism, so its action may be transmitted to said clamping member in short, effective strokes; and by employing a reversible ratchet the actuating member may be caused both to produce clamping engagement of the spindle-head with the socket and to free it therefrom.

In the accompanying drawings, one of several possible embodiments of the invention is -illus trated, 7

Fig. 1 showing my improved carriage in side elevation and in firing position;

Fig. 2 is a similar partial view with the elements in towing position, the standard of the gun-mount being removed;

Fig. 3, a top plan view, the upper portion of the gun-standard being sectioned;

Fig. 4, a rear elevation of parts removed;

Fig. 5, an enlarged central vertical section, taken through the means for securing the carriage to its supporting surface;

the carriage, with Fig.6, a horizontal sectional detail through the reversible ratchet of the securing means; and

Fig. 7, a top plan view of the deck-socket which the securing means engages.

At Ill appears the standard of a mount for a gun, the legs of which standard rise from a loasering [2. Attached to the lower face of the base is a spider I4, screws l6 passing through the basering and being threaded into each of the five arms of the spider near their outer extremities and into lugs l8 'cast upon the bottom of the spider-arms. The lugs are at substantially equal distances from the center of the spider, and supply a uniform five-point hearing when the spider supports the gun upon the deck. The arms 20,

20 of the spider diverge outwardly to the rear at equal angles to the center-line of the carriage, and their screws secure to the top of the basering l2 a transverse bar 22 of a rear wheel-assembly A. The front spider-arms 24, 24 are c0nnected at '25, and upon this connecting portion is formed an extension 26 along the center line of the carriage beyond the base-ring, while, to said ring by the'screws of the spider-arms 24, 24 a forwardly and upwardly extending bracket 28 is secured. The base-ring l2, the bar 22 and the bracket 28, because of their fixed attachment to the spider l4, may be considered as portions of the carriage-body. In the spider-extension 26 and in the bracket 28 are vertically alined openings to receive the pintle 29 of a forward truck orlimber B.

Mounted to turn in horizontal alinement in the bar 22, and spaced from eachother at their inner ends, are spindles 3t, 30. Fixed to the outer ex-- tremity of each spindle is a short arm 32, the two arms occupying the same angular position about the common axis ofthe spindles. Projecting outwardly from the end of each arm is an axle 34, upon which is rotatable a wheel 36. The adjaeentinner ends of the spindles are fast'in the opposite spaced side walls 38, 38 of an arm or. handle 40, of much greater length than the arms 32, 32. The three arms furnish a compound bellcrank-lever which, in the position appearing in Fig. 2 of the-drawings, places the arms 32, 32 vertically, their length being such that the lugs l8 are clear of the supporting surface, while the arm 40 extends outwardly from the standard. The rear of the carriage is thus ready for moving upon its wheels 36 from one position to another. To maintain the lever L with its wheels 36 in this towing relation, there is at the outer side of each handle-wall 38 a horizontal projection 42, lying in an arcuate slot 44 in one arm 46 of a double 3 latch l yoked together at 48, and with the yoke pivoted to brackets 50 rising from the bar 22. At the outer extremity of each slot is an offsetportion 52, each offset and the corresponding wall of the slot being urged toward the co-operating projection 42 by an expansion-spring 54 interposed between the bar 22 and an arm 56 projecting inwardly from the yoke of the latch. When the handle 40 is shifted outwardly to the position of Fig. 2 for towing, the projections ride along the lower walls of the latch-slots, and, when said projections have arrived at the ends of the slots,

the offsets are carried up by the spring to the opposite sides of the projections. The bellcrank-lever L and the wheels which it carries are thus held against angular movement about the axis of the spindles 30.

lie directly beneath the fulcrum-spindles 30, so the tendency of the lever to be displaced angularly by the weight of the carriage and gun is minimized. When it is desired to lower the carriage-body upon the wheels to the deck for firing the supported gun, the latch-arms are depressed by pressure on the latch-yoke 48. the projections 42 from the slot-offsets 52, and the handle may be held to swing forwardly and the arms 32 rearwardly, the carriage-body descending so the lugs I8 rest upon the deck and the wheels 36 being entirely relieved of the weight of the carriage and gun. As appears in Fig. 1, the projections 42 are now at the inner ends of the slots 44, the lever-arm 40 extends inwardly along the carriage and then rises close tothe gunstandard I0. This arm 40 is preferably formed 1 of sheet metal, concave at its inner side to receive the adjacent portion of the standard. It may thus lie in such close proximity to said standard that it adds little to the horizontal dimension, and entirely avoids interference, as the gun is turned in train, with the cartridge-case-bag, which is hung between the gun-standard and the gun-cradle. This is true, even when the elevation is high and the bag is carried close to the standard. An outwardly curved U-shaped hand-hold 60, at the top of arm 40, furnishes means which may be more readily grasped to manipulate the lever L.

Fulcrumed at 62 on spaced side walls 64, 84 of the truck B is a bell-crank-lever L. This lever is of sheet metal, U-shaped in transverse section, with the arms of the U lying outside the truckwalls 64. Extending below the fulcrum is a double short arm 66, carrying a horizontal axle 68, upon which between the sides of the arm a forward wheel I is rotatable. A substantially longer arm 12 of the bell-crank-lever L extends in towing relation (Fig. 2) upwardly and forwardly, and has a hand-hold by which it may be grasped. The latch I4 for retaining the lever L is similar to and acts in the same manner as the rear latch Z. It is U-shaped, being pivoted at I6 outside the truck-Walls 64 at the rear of the lever-arm 66. Each arm of the U is provided with a slot 18, having a retaining offset 80, the ends of the axle 68 being movable along the slots and holding the lever L in towing position when the oifsets are drawn up to receive and retain the axle. This is effected by tension-springs 82 extendingbetween the arms of the latch and the ends of the fulcrum 62. When the lever L is released from the latch by pressure upon a footplate 84, the axle 68 travels forwardly along the slots 78; the forward end of the carriage sinks to the deck or other supporting surface; and the lever-arm 12 is positioned similarly to the arm In this latched position of the bell-crank-lever L for towing, the axles 34' This frees 4 40 of the lever L (Fig. 1). It first closely parallels the carriage, its transverse depression receiving the truck 64 and the bracket 28. It then rises along the standard I0, which is received by its concavity, so, as with the lever L, interference with the cartridge-case-bag is avoided.

In its lowered relation for firing the supported gun, the carriage is secured firmly by a clamping device C (Fig. 5), adapted to enter a socket S set in the deck D and to be drawn quickly into clamping relation. The socket has as its chief characteristics a cylindrical barrel 86 fitting a deckopening, a lower flange 81 which holds the socket against upward displacement, an upper opening 88 which is elongated horizontally, as appears in Fig. '7, and a lower recess 89 which continues downwardly the opening 88 and then is extended horizontally at opposite sides, it terminating in vertical shoulders 90, as, which furnish stopsurfaces. In the horizontal overhang 9| of the socket above each shoulder is a depression 92. As best shown in Fig. 5, the spider I4 has at its center a cylindrical opening 93, at the bottom of which is a shoulder 94 surrounding a reduced opening 95. Within the spider-opening 93 is a positioning sleeve 98, with its shouldered end I00 stepped upon the spider-shoulder 94, and provided with an extension I02 lying within the spider-opening 96. There is some clearance between the sleeve and the wall of the spider-opening, so said sleeve may be shifted laterally. Upon the upper extremity of the sleeve above the spider is a hand-wheel I04. Splined at I05, to move longitudinally through the sleeve-extension I02 while compelled to turn therewith, is the spindle or stem I08 of a socket-engaging member, at the lower end of which is a head H0. This head is formed similarly to the socket-opening 08, it being adapted to pass freely through this into the recess 89 and to be turned therein until arrested by contact with the shoulders 90. The spindle I08 is threaded at II2 into a clamping member II4, rotatable within the sleeve and resting upon an antifriction step-bearing I I6 at the bottom of the sleeve. Rotation of the clamping member will cause the thread II2 to either raise the head when it is within the recess 89 for the clamping of the carriage, or lower said head to release it from its clamping engagement. To permit the member II4 to be rotated effectively, it has a cylindrical upward extension H8, which is surrounded by an actuating sleeve I stepped at I22 on the body of the clamping member. The upper end of the extension is threaded to receive a cap I2I extending over the sleeve I20. This retains the sleeve in place for its operation, yet permits it to be removed when desired. A packing-ring I24, occupying a peripheral recess in the extension IIB, yieldably fills the space between the eX- tension and the sleeve, and prevents the entrance of dirt and water to the bearing H6 and to the thread H2. The sleeve I20 has a lateral extension I26 upon which is pivoted at I28 a handlever I30, through which the sleeve may be rotated. This hand-lever may be turned down to a horizontal position limited by a stop-surface I32 on the extension I26 to give the maximum leverage, or may be raised, as appears in Fig. .5, and yielda'bly held in an inactive position by a spring-plunger I34 carried by the extension. To allow relatively short oscillations of the handlever to be transmitted to the actuating sleeve, there is carried in a bore in a casing I35 projecting from the sleeve a pawl I38, urged inwardly by an expansion-spring I for engagement with a peripheral series of teeth I42 about the extension H8 (Fig. 6). The pawl is shown as having a straight face I44 engaging the teeth to rotate the clamping member H4, and an opposite inclined face I46 which slips over the teeth. On the stem I48 of the pawl is a finger-piece I50, by which said pawl may be drawn out against the force of the spring I40, and a pin I52 set in the stem located in a slot I54 in the end of the casing I36 in either of the two positions 180 apart. Thus, the pawl-surface I44 may be effective to turn the member I I4 in opposite directions.

When the gun-carriage is arranged as appears in Fig. 2 of the drawings, ready for towing from one point on the deck of a vessel to another, from which the gun is to be fired, the head III! of the socket-engaging member lies within the opening 96 in the spider I4, wholly clear of the deck. This was effected by lifting the sleeve 98, which carries all the other elements of the clamping device C, through the hand-wheel I04 and retaining it in its inactive position by a latch I60 pivoted on the spider and forced beneaththe lower edge of the sleeve by an expansion-spring I62. The bellcrank-levers L and L are so swung outwardly, that the carriage has been lifted upon its wheels 36, 36 and 10, the ratio of the short arms of the two levers to the longer arms giving an advantage in leverage which renders the elevation easy. The offsets of the slots in the latches Z and 14 have, respectively, engaged the projections 42 and the axle 68 to retain the levers in towing position. With the carriage thus raised, it is wheeled over a socket S in the deck D with the head IIO of the engaging member over the socket-opening 88. By

successively depressing the rear and forward latches, the levers are released, and thelugs I8 allowed to sink to the deck. The concave leverarms 40 and I2 now so embrace the gun-standard I0 at its opposite sides, that they project but little from it, and there is nothingto interfere with the movement of the gun in train. With the carriage lowered, the sleeve 98 is freed from the latch I60, so the device C descends, with the head IIO engaging the socket S. If necessary, by moving the sleeve 98 laterally in the spider and by turning the hand-wheel I04, the head is brought into registration with the socket-opening 88 and enters the recess 89. By turning the hand-wheel clockwise, the head is brought into contact with the socket- shoulders 90, 90. Now, by oscillating the hand-lever I30, with the pawl I38 set for effective engagement with the ratchet-teeth I42 in a clockwise direction, the clamping member H4 is turned to cause its thread to lift the spindle I08, forcing the laterally projecting portions of the head IIO up against the socket-overhang BI and into the depressions 92. Thus, the socketengaging member may be caused to clamp the -carriage to the deck as firmly as is desired. At the same time, because of the presence of the head in the socket-depressions 92, said head is locked against accidentally rotating away from the shoulders 9| to decrease the clamping force. When the carriage is to be again moved, the pawl I38 is reversed and the hand-lever I30 oscillated, this turning the clamping member I I4 oppositely to that for securing the carriage and causing the head IIO to leave the socket-overhang 9|, freeing it from the depressions 92. This release havin been accomplished, the head is turned by the hand-wheel I04 back into registration with the opening 88, where it is stopped by engagement with shoulders I04 at the sides ofthe recess 89.

Then the device C maybe lifted by the handwheel, until the latch I60 is forced by its spring beneath the sleeve 98, holding the head withdrawn into the spider. The lever-arms 40 and '12 are swung out from the standard I0, and the latches Z and I4 secure the lever-arms 32' and 88, with the wheels 36 and 10 upon the deck and the carriage raised ready for towing.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a gun-carriage, a body adapted to rest upon a firing platform having a socket fixed therein, means for securing the body to the platform comprising a spindle, a positioning member connected to said spindle and mounted to rotate in said body, said spindle and socket having 00- operating shoulders which are brought into locking relation by rotation of said spindle in the socket, and means for drawing said spindle toward said body whereby the latter is held against the platform.

2. In a gun-carriage, a body adapted to rest upon a firing platform having a socket fixed therein, means for securing the body to the platform comprising a spindle, a positioning member splined to said spindle and mounted to rotate in said body, said spindle having a shouldered head fitting within a complemental recess in the socket, a clamping member threaded on said spindle, and means for turning said clamping member to draw said spindle toward said body whereby the latter is held against the platform.

3. In a gun-carriage, a body adapted to rest upon a firing platform having a shouldered socket therein, a spindle having a shouldered head shaped and arranged to enter the socket and upon being turned to be locked against withdrawal from the socket, a positioning member rotatably mounted on said body and splined to said spindle, a clamping member carried by said positioning member and connected to said spindle, a driving member for operating said clamping member. and a ratchet mechanism connecting said driving member and said clamping member.

4. In a gun-carriage, a body adapted to rest upon a firing platform having a shouldered socket therein, a spindle having a shouldered head shaped and arranged to enter the socket and upon being turned to be locked against withdrawal from the socket, a clamping member connected to said spindle, said member being operable to draw said spindle toward said body to hold the latter against the platform, a positioning member for turning said spindle into and out of locking relation to the socket, said positioning member having a shoulder on which said clamping member is rotatably supported, said positioning member also being mounted to rotate upon said body and movable therein to retract said spindle to a position in which its head is above the platform, and a latch mounted upon the body for holding said positioning member and spindle in their retracted position.

CHARLES K. WOODMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,416,740 Neighbour May 22, 1922 1,782,610 Green Nov. 25, 1930

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