US1491855A - Mortar for throwing line-carrying projectiles - Google Patents

Description

F. G.- HALL MORTAR FOR THROWING LINE CARRYING PROJECTILES Filed Oct. 27, 1920 Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

UNITED stares FRANK HALL, 0F

EEEIADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MORTAR FUR THR-QVVENG LINE-GARHYING PROJECTILES.

Application filed. October 27, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that If, FRANK G. IIALL, a citizen of the United States, and resicing at Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mortars for Throwing Line-Carrying Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mortars and particularly to mortars designed and constructed to throw line carrying projectiles. lt lany forms of guns and mortars for throwing line carrying projectiles have heretofore been designed or suggested for throwing lines from vessel to vessel at sea or between the shore and a vessel for establishing communication for the purpose of saving lives, salvage, towing, etc. lhe present invention is an improvement on prior devices of this kind and provides a mortar which is simple, light and strong, and which may be quickly knocked down for transportation from place to place.

The mortar has three principal parts, the base, the carriage, and the barrel, other parts being provided to secure the carriage and the barrel together, the arrangement being such that these securing parts may be easily and quickly manipulated so that the barrel and carriage may be conveniently separated for the purpose of transportation, and the carriage and base being also readily separable, for the same reason.

An important feature of the invention resides in the manner in which the barrel is connected to the carriage. instead of the usual trunnions heretofore provided midway of the barrel in mortars of this type, the breech end of the barrel is mounted on an axle supported in the carriage and is free to swingabout this aXle as a pivot. The axle is located substantially in the middle of the carriage and the force of recoil is exerted along a line which passes through the carriage close to the pivotal :zis of the barrel. This construction largely eliminates the jump of the piece in firing which, in some types of mortars, is suiiicient to throw the piece over backwardly. The accuracy of the piece is naturally increased by this construction. It has heretofore been dificult to attain the necessary accuracy in firing mortars of this type, inasmuch as the projectile is always relatively heavy as compared with the weight of the mortar, the powder charge Serial No. 419,923.

large, and the reaction or recoil force excessive.

As line throwing guns must frequently be used by vessels at sea and must therefore be lashed to the deck, and as a vessel afloat constantly changes its direction, it is desirable to so mount the gun that it may be lashed but yet so that it may be traversed to follow a moving target. A novel form of base is provided therefore upon which the carriage is pivotally mounted, the base being adapted to be lashed to a deck or framework of the vessel, the carriage having a limited swinging movement relatively to the base, and means being provided for locking the carriage and base together in the desired angular relationship.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mortar which is compact, enabling it to be installed in small space, which is of great importance when the gun is to be carried on vessels such as tug boats, etc. Further objects are; to provide a mortar of this class in which the adjustment for elevation of the barrel may be quickly and easily accomplished; and in which means is provided for preventing the water, which normally flows down outside of the barrel in wet weather, from entering the interior of the powder chamber through the priming opening to wet the powder or other explosive therein. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is disclosed in the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mortar;

Figure 2 is a top view of the same;

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure l is a rear view of the mortar.

The mortar comprises essentially a base 9, a carriage 10 positioned on the base, and a barrel 1lmounted on the carriage and, while these parts are preferaoly cast, they may be fabricated in any well known manner. The base 9 has a pin 9 extending upwardly therefrom at one end and the opposite end of the base, which is considerably wider, has a plurality of circular apertures 9 therein which are disposed along an are having its center in the axis of the pin 9. Forwardly extending flanges 9 are provided at the front corners of the base and each of these flanges has an aperture 9 therein through which ropes may be passed for the purpose of lashing the base to the deck of a vessel or to some other suitable stationary object.

The carriage 10 has two parallel bottom plates 10' held in spaced relation by cross pieces 10 integral therewith, the rear cross piece having a boss provided with a cylindrical aperture to receive the pin 9' on the base. Each plate is also perforated at its forward end as at 10 these perforations being so positioned that they may be brought into register simultaneously with two of the apertures 9 in the base. To lock the forward end of the carriage t the base removable pins 14 are provided which are adapted to extend through the registerin openings 10 and 9 in the carriage and ase respectively. These pins prevent accidental swinging of the carriage relatively to the base around the pin 9', but may be removed to allow the carriage to be traversed, after which they may again be inserted to hold the carriage in its new relative angular position. Each of the bottom plates of the carriage has, along its inner edge, a vertically extending flange portion, the height of which varies from front to rear. A portion of each of these flatnges,.approximately midway of the base, is thickened as indicated at 10 and these thickened portions are provided with aligned cylindrical apertures or bearings 10. At the front and rear the vertical flanges are cut away as at 10 and whereby handles are formed by which the carriage may be conveniently grasped and lifted. Near the front of the carriage and immediately in rear of the handles the vertical flanges are extended upwardly to form spaced parallel pedestals which are preferably arc-shaped, the centers of the arcs lying on the axis of aligned apertures 10 These arc-shaped pedestals are 7 provided with series of aligned apertures The barrel 11 of the mortar has, extending rearwardly from its breech end, two spaced flanges 11 which are provided with aligned apertures of the same size as the apertures 10* of the carriage. At a point intermediate the ends of the barrel it is provided with two parallel and downwardly extending projections or flanges 11 provided with aligned apertures 11 therein of the same size as apertures 10.

In assembling the barrel and carriage the axle or shaft 12 is extended through the apertures 10 of the carriage and the apertures in the flanges 11 of the barrel, and a member 13 is inserted through aligned apertures 10 and 11 of the carriage and barrel respectively and the barrel will be thereby maintained in fixed position on the carriage as long as both of the members 12 and 13 remain in position. Suitable cotter pins 12 and 13 respectively are provided to prevent the accidental displacement of either of these members. Th barrel can of course pivot about the axle l2 and when it is desired to adjust the same for elevation the pin 13 is removed, the barrel elevated or depressed and the pin reinserted in the apertures 10 selected.

It is often the case that the mortar is employed in wet weather and that rain, flying spray, etc., will wet the barrel and will run down in streams along the same. To prevent a flow of water into the powder chamber through the priming opening I have provided a lug 11 on the barrel through which the priming opening is formed and it will be obvious that water flowing down the length of the barrel cannot find its way through the priming opening and into the powder chamber. The barrel is of light construction and to strengthen the same, es pecially' against the effects of rough handling when detached from its base, strengthening ribs 11 are provided, which extend from the thickened breech end portion 00nvergingly towards the muzzle. Although four of these ribs are illustrated others may be provided, if found necessary or desirable.

It will be obvious that changes may be made in the design and arrangement of parts of the invention which is therefore not limited in its scope to the exact embodiment disclosed.

'Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a mortar of the class described, in combination, a portable base adapted to be secured to a deck or other stationary object and having a pin projecting upwardly therefrom and also having a plurality of apertures therein disposed along an are having said pin as a center, a carriage having an aperture at its rear end to receive said pin and having an aperture at its front end adapted to be brought into register with any one of said apertures in the base, removable means for inserting into two such aligned apertures to prevent relative movement of the carriage and base, and a barrel mounted on said carriage.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si ature.

' FRANK G. ALL.

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