GB191100067A - Improvements in the Elevating Gear of Gun Mountings. - Google Patents

Abstract

67. Armstrong, Whitworth, & Co., Sir W. G., Murray, C. H., and Johnston, F. G. D. Jan. 2. [Cognate Application, 1725/11.] Naval mountings.-Relates to cross-connected elevating-gear for guns mounted in pairs and adapted to be sighted simultaneously from one sight, or independently, and consists in arrangements for making corrections, dependent upon the range, in the elevation of one gun for differences between the muzzle-velocities of the two guns, when sighting both guns simultaneously from the sights of one of them. Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a front elevation of one form of the elevating-gear of the righthand gun of a pair. The elevating-gear of each gun comprises a screw-threaded shaft a rotated by a motor a<2>, and working in a sliding nut b. Links c connect the nut b with trunnions d, which, in the case of the left-hand gun, are fixed to the gun-slide e, and, for the right-hand gun, are carried by a nut e<1> adjustably mounted in guides e<2> in the gun-slide. The shafts a are connected by cross-shafts f<1>, f<2>, bevel-gears a<3>, f, and a one-position clutch f<3>, in connexion with which an indicator f<5>, f<6> is arranged to show when the shafts f<1>, f<2> are in the coupling relationship. The nut e' is connected to the slide e by a right and left handed screw e<3>. When the sights are set for range by a hand-wheel l<2>, a chain-and-sprocket drive-gear l<1>, l, k<2> rotates a transverse screw - shaft k<1> on the slide, and, through a long sliding nut k, actuates the valve i' of an hydraulic cylinder g which works on a fixed piston h, and by its movement closes the valve as soon as the rotation of the screw k' is stopped. A rack g<1> on the cylinder gears with a pinion e<5> on the end of the screw e<3>, and thereby adjusts the position of the nut e<1> relatively to the slide. Since the screw k<1>, or the sprocket-wheel k<2>, may be replaced by others of different pitch or size to suit various muzzle - velocity differences between the two guns, the adjustment of the nut e<1> will correspond with the muzzle-velocity difference and the range. In a modification, the links c of both elevating-gears are connected directly to the gun-slides, and the correcting-mechanism comprises a differential-gear arranged in the transverse shaft f<1>, the correction being made by rotating the casing of the differential-gear, and therefore the axes of the planet-wheels, by a hand or power-operated worm-gear. To indicate the extent of the correction, a pointer driven by the worm-shaft rotates around a range-dial independent of the sights, the range pointer of which is controlled by a cam as described in Specification 3126/06. The angular coincidence of the pointers, after the rangepointer has been set for the range, denotes the proper correction.