US1565836A - Ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets in which two or more guns are mounted - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 15, 1925- 1,565.836 T. H. WEBSTER AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR GUN TURRETS IN WHICH TWO OR MORE GUNS ARE MOUNTED Filed Sept, 14, 1925 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 15, 1925' ,565.836

R GUN TURRETS IN TWO OR MORE GUNS ARE MOUNTED Filed Sept. 14. 1925 T. H. WEBSTER I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS F0 WHICH Dec. 15. 1925- T H. WEBST R E AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR GUN TURRETS IN WHICH TWO OR MORE GUNS ARE MOUNTED Filed Sept. 14. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 xi -Q THOMAS HERBERT WEBSTER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR GUN TURRETS EN WHICH TEVO OR MORE GUNS ARE MOUNTED.

Application filed September 14, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS HERBERT WEBSTER, of British nationality, and residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in, Ammunition Supply Apparatus for Gun Turrets in Which Two or More Guns are Mounted, of which the following is a specification. I

The subject of the invention is an apparatus adapted to receive ammunition from a shell room or magazine and to transfer it to each of two or more guns mounted in a turret independently of the supply to the other gun or guns of the turret.

Hitherto the supply of projectiles in the hatches in the trunk of a turret in which two or more guns are mounted has been efl'ectedat one level by an apparatus which shared the supply among two or more guns, thereby causing breaks in the stream of projectiles to any one of the guns.

The apparatus of the invention is devised to receive the projectiles supplied by ammunition hoists through hatches at two or more levels in accordance with the number of guns mounted in the turret, and to deliver them to hatches in the trunk of the turret at corresponding levels so that each gun may be supplied with an unbroken stream of projectiles; in other words, separate and nonintersecting streams of projectiles are delivered to the several hatches in the turret trunk.

A practical embodiment of the invention comprises two or more independent horizontal tracks in superposed relation encircling the turret trunk and presenting runways for series of trolleys adapted for the carriage of projectiles, the trolleys of each series serving to deliver projectiles to a hatch opening into one of the turret hoists.

The superposed and independent tracks may encircle the turret trunk to the extent only of the arc of training of the turret. joining devious curved tracks leading from and to the ammunition hoists.

According to a modification, for the superposed tracks with trolleys travelling thereon there are substituted superposed rotatable platforms, encircling the turret trunk, each at the level of a hatch in the trunk.

Five illustrative examples of the applica tion of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 and Fig. 2

Serial No. 56,324.

are views of the first example in elevation and in plan, respectively; Fig. 3 a view in elevation of the second example; Fig. 4. and F 5 views of the third example in elevation and in plan respectively; Fig. 0 and Fig. 7 similar views of the fourth example, and Fig. 8 a plan view of the fifth example.

The first example, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, represents the application of the invention to a gun turret in which two guns are mounted. In this example the gun turret trunk A is encircled by two horizontal tracks A B in superposed relatio. The tracks are independent of each other and on each track there is a series of trolleys A B adapted to receive projectiles A B from one of two ammunition hoists A*, B and to deliver these projectiles to the correspond-- ing hatches A B in the turret trunk, each of which hatches serves one of the two guns.

The example shown in Fig. 3 differs from the first example in that the invention is applied to a gun turret in which three guns are mounted. In this example three independent tracks A B C encircle the gun turret trunk A at different levels and each of the series of trolleys A B C receives projectiles A B C from one of three ammunition hoists A, B, C and delivers them to the corresponding hatch A or B or C The example shown in Figs. 4 and 5 differs from the first example in that for the conveyance of projectiles there are provided rotatable platforms A, B which, by their circular motion, convey the projectiles to their respective feeding hatches.

The example shown in Figs. 6 and 7 differs from the first example in that the trolleys A B are adapted to receive and convey projectiles in a horizontal position instead of in a vertical position.

The example shown in plan in Fig. 8 again differs from the first example in that the tracks A B partly encircling the trunk A join more or less devious curved paths from and to the ammunition hoists A, E the paths preferably entering and leaving the partly encircled trunk in what is technically known as the dead angle i. e., the angle through which the hatches in the trunk do not normally train.

It is to be understood that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the details of construction particularly described, since many changes may be made in the form, arrangement and mode of operation of the parts for which mechanical equivalents may be substituted Without de parture from the essence of the invention.

"What I claim is:

l. In ammunition supply apparatus for a multiple-gun turret, in combination with the turret trunk, a plurality of hatches in said trunk at different levels, distinct and separate paths for projectiles encircling said trunk at the levels of said hatches and of a number equal to the number of guns, and independent means for delivering projectiles to said paths, whereby separate and non-intersecting streams may pass to the several hatches.

2. In ammunition supply apparatus for a multiple-gun turret, in combination With the turret trunk, a plurality of hatches in said trunk at different levels, superposed paths for projectiles encircling the trunk at the levels of said hatches, and separate ammunition hoists each leading to one of said paths.

3. In ammunition supply apparatus for a multiple-gun turret, in combination with the turret trunk, a plurality of hatches in said trunk at different levels, a plurality of ammunition hoists, one individual to each hatch andv each having a terminal station, and independent superposed tracks encircling said trunk and each connecting a station With a hatch.

4. In ammunition supply apparatus for a multiple-gun turret, in combination with the turret trunk, a plurality of hatches in said trunk at different levels, a plurality of ammunition hoists, one hoist to each hatch, each hoist terminating at the level of the respective hatch, and means for conveying projectiles from said hoists to said hatches along independent superposed paths encircling said trunk each at the level of the respective hatch.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 name to this specification.

THOMAS HERBERT WEBSTER;

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