GB215300A - Improvements in apparatus for gun mounting laying and sighting arrangements for artillery on aeroplanes - Google Patents

Abstract

215,300. Schneider et Cie. May 3, 1923, [Convention date]. Addition to 195,371. Sights and methods of sighting.- The means described in the parent Specification for mounting, laying and sighting guns on aircraft is modified to suit the case where the. aircraft fiies at a constant altitude in a vertical plane passing at a certain distance from the target. The invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 applied to the mounting described in Figs. 7 to 14 of -the parent Specification, in which the gun cradle C is trunnioned at c in a frame B which can ba inclined transversely on trunnions b mounted in a frame A trainable on a ring A<1>. The sight E, the entry prism of which has correcting movements applied thereto to suit tangent elevation and longitudinal component of wind as described in the parent Specification, is mounted in a box D which is adjusted round the trunnion b by a worm gear A<2> on the frame A which operates on an arm D<1> extending from the box. This arm is connected to an arm C<2> extending from the trunnion c by a link F, ball-joint f and adjustable pin G. The operation of the gear A<2> to bring the sight on to the target therefore, through the link F, sets the gun in the inclined plane passing through the line of flight and the target, the angle of inclination i being measured on a scale H by a pointer I. The gun is then moved independently of the sight to correct for altitude, angle i, and wind by operating the gear c<3> to adjust the pin G and set one of the marks I<1>, I<2>, I<3>, Fig. 5, to that part of the appropriate height scale 1, 2, 3, which corresponds to the angle i shown by the pointer I on the scale H<1>. To correct for wind, a preliminary adjustment of the scale H is made by turning a worm H<4> to the reading of a mark a<5> on a wind scale H<2>. After these initial adjustments, the gun is elevated, whilst the sight is kept on the target, by turning a wheel d<2>, the elewating-pinions B<2> being turned by a worm geaa- B<4> geared to the sight elevating shaft D<4>. During this elevation of the gun about the inclined trunnions c, the frame B receives a correcting movement about the trunnions b through the medium of the connection F, G In a modification, Fig. 9, the sight box D is fixed to the frame B and the entry prism is deviated by linkage L, M to bring the sight on to the target during the transverse movement of the frame B about the trunnions b effected bv operating a worm gear J. The length of the link L is varied by graduated screw-drums U, V to suit the altitude and wind respectively. During the elevation of the gun about the inclined trunnions c, effected by a worm gear B<5>, the sight is kept on the target by the compensating movement imparted to the frame B by a worm gear A'. In a further modification, Fig. 22, the sight is mounted on the trainable frame A in which the frame B is trunnioned at b for elevation purposes. The transverse, inclination of the gun is effected by moving the cradle. C on trunnions c in the frame B by operating a worm X<4> to rock a bell-crank X<2> the upper arm of which is connected to the cradle by arcuate slides X, C<5>. The rotation of the shaft X<3> is communicated to the entry prism of the sight E to bring the sight on the target. The slide X is adjustable on the arm X<2> for wind correction by a worm gear X<5>. When the gun is elevated about the trunnions b, the arcuate slide X imparts a compensating movement to the cradle about the trunnions c. In this construction, further transverse corrections may be applied by mounting the frame A on longitudinal trunnions.