US421310A - reynolds - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

G. H. REYNOLDS.

DYNAMITB GUN AND APPLIANGE POB. OPERATING.

Patented Feb.11,1890.

einen starre einem ,Wmo

GEORGE u. 'nErNoLns-or New Youn, N. Y.

DYNMBTE=GUN AN APPLJNC FR PEATENG SEECHICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,310, dated ebruary 1l., 1890i.

Application iiled April 6, 1889.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it' known that I, GEORGE Il. REYNOLDS, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Cantions, and may. serve with other gases than atmospheric air, and the gas may be produced by other means than mechanical compression.

'lhe objects sought are simplicity and'economy of construction, and convenience, certainty, safety, and effectiveness of operation2 I do not confine myself to the, exact form and arrangement of parts shown in the drawposition, to receive the ings, as I may arrange the various .part-s in a different way to suit their situations. v I have .here shown the gun as placed' in the bow of the vessel and arranged to tire below water, as well as above water, and have 4shown the magazine for containing the projectiles in the rear of the gun; but I may omit' the firing of the gun underwater and remove it suiiiciently back from the bow to pnt the magazine in front of the gun and load from toward the muzzle; Indeed, this is the arrangement which I have carried out inthe United States cruiser Vesuvius;

One part of my invention relates to the peculiar arrangement of barrel, the breech por-` tion being hinged near the breech end in such a way as to be capable, when in its lowest projectiles from` thc magazine, and may in t iat position'be discharged point-blank through a muzzle which projects through vthe bow of the vessel at this point; or I may .at will raise this movable j part of the barrel by turning itl upward, so

which 1s above water.

as to be in line with anotherl muzzle portion Another part of theinvention relates to the peculiar forni of' magazine winch I here eln- 4ploy. In. guns of this character the projectiles are of great length and weight-sayn projectile et sufficient capacity to carry six 1und1-ed pounds of dynamite will be about Serial No. 306,176. (No model.)

twelve feet long and ilfteen inches diameter, and will weigl1,wl1en loaded, about one thousand pounds.` It is impracticable to store and handle such proj cctiles by hand on board ships in any considerable heavy sea. 'lhat- I may handle such projectiles with perfect safety., no matter how much the ship may be rolling, I have inventedthis magazine.

Another part of this invention relates to the meansfor turning the magazine into such exact position and holding .it there as shall bring the projectile to be loaded in an exact line 1with the barrel.

Wha-t I consider the-best-means ,pf carrying out -th'e invention are fully described below and are shown in the accompanying draw ings, forming partof'this specification.

There is one sheet of drawings.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section-ot the vessel. It represents in strong lines the gun in its' horizontal and also vin dotted lines in its elevated position, together with its two xed muzzles, also the magazine for contain? ing fthe projectiles, the hydraulic motor for turning the magazine, also the loading-ram and receiver forthe projectiles, all shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the vessel, showing plan view of the sameparts; and Fig. 3 is across-'section of the vessel with an end view of magazine.

Similar letters of reference indicate ,corresponding parts in all the figures where they occur.. l f The barrel and muzzle may be made of any suitable material having suicient strength to resist the pressure of air to be `the gun. .While in trainingv any gun it. is

-quite important to be able-to place it in exact posit-ion, it is a necessity'in vthis invention. The revolving magazine must be moved with great precision and steadiness and must start and stop without shock. I employ a motor having many cylinders and connected to the magazine by means of a worm-wheel and worm and use liquid pressure to actuate the motor. By this combination thus worked I am enabled to attain the ends sought.v On

account of the great weight of the' projectiles to be thrown I use motive power both for `Vplacing them in the magazine and for trans- A ferring them from `the magazine successively vinto the gun-barrel. I arrange in the rear of the magazine a receiving-trough, int which the projectiles are first placed. The trough at the breech E.

l go

has a slot in the bottom dividing-its front end completely in two, through which an arm from the ram can pass while pushing the pro jectiles into the magazine. Each chamber of the magazine is also provided with a slot or division extending the entire length of the magazine, through which the, same arm can move in loading the projectile into the barrel.

Referring to the drawings and'to thc letters of reference marked thereon, A is the hull of the ship; B, a fixed muzzle for the cannon setin the ship in a fixed position, and C a fixed muzzle s et in the ship in another posifv tion, the latter, as shown, being below the wa'.- ter-line and eguippedwith ordinary or any suitableprovisionsC for excluding the water and allowing the discharge of the projectile."

I prefer for this latter the means set forth in the patent to John Ericsson, dated May 7,' 1878No. 203,435. It will be understood that thel valve and the perforable watertight fabric of Ericsson are in this invention simply applied to the innerv end of the lower muzzlev C, instead of to the forward or outer end of the gun, as in Ericssons patent. Such a substitution will involve no difficulty and will require no further description.

. D is my barrel. It is hinged on trunnions i B* is a stop fixed on the muzzle. B in 'the position toarrest the elevation of thegun in explosives.

lO O, dsc., are a setof cylinders and pis tons constituting a multiple-cylinder hydraulic motor, controlled by the attendant by means of any suitable valve connected to an elevated tank of water or to a L supply of water undcrpressnrein any convenient part of the ship. (Not shown.) This motor O gives motion at will to a 'shaft l, carrying a worm l, whiclrcngagesa worm-wheel Mil on theshaft. M. The arrangement 4renders it practi'cable to revolve the magazine and larrest it' exactly inline with the barrel D when the latter is depressed. V

Q is a ram operated at will by Water acting in the long cylinder controlled by the attendant and serving todraw lup the rod R or allow its depression with the corresponding elevation and depression of. the barrel D, turn'- ing on its trunnions E.

\ T is a ram, operated alsoat will by the at@ tendant forcing out and drawing in therod IT, carrying an .arm U,which .-is adapted to traverseat will any slot m in the magazine M, which is brought in line with its' motion,

land also to similarly traverse at will a slot s in the bottom of a trough S, arranged in rear of the magazine. To change the magazine, the projectiles W are placed one by one in the trough S, and the magazine being partially rotated between each operation the projectiles are by the reciproeations of the ram U 'l acted on by the arm U and forced endwise into the proper chambers m of the magazine. To charge the barrel v.from themagazine, the latter is brought into position with one of the chambers on in line with the barrel D, the latter being in the depressed position shown in strong lines in Fig. 1, and

the breech of the cannon being openedthe projectile is forced into the barrel D by afurther movement thanv before of the arm U. Then, the breech of the barrel being closed,

vthe gun is ready foriring, either in the same position in which it has been loaded, thus tiring through the lower fixed muzzle C and sending out the projectile under water, or in the elevated position to which it may be raised by the ram Q R bringing it, into line with the uppermuzzle B, in which case the projectile will be discharged higher and with a correspondingly-elevated inclination. The. systemof reservoirsl for compressed. air andthe provisions 'for bringing a high pressure` to bear with great force on the' projectile or on a separate piston introduced behind it may -be of any ordinary or suitable character. Z

shows a. handle to be operated by the attendant for effecting such operation.

Modifications can be made without depart- I ing from the principle or sacrificing the ad-v'- vantages of the invention. I can use a. greater or less ,number of chambers m and slots m'. I can use any approved type of breechblock for opening and closing the rear end of `the movable barrel D. v I can, use any type of iring-yalve,' and can operate the latter. 'by

l any arrangement of, anxilia'ryvalve or valves.

I` can use means analogous to C' for excluding water from the upper muzzle B when working in a heavy sea.

I claim as myinvention-` l. In a pneumatic gun, the barrel D, turn;

ing on hollow trunnions E'near .the breech,

having provisions for receiving compressed air therethrough, incombinaiion with two lnuzzles Band C,'fixed at different elevations and arranged in divergent lines registering with such barrel, all substantially as herein specified. A

2. The two fixed muzzles B and C and stops B* Yarranged as shown, in combination with each other and with the barrel D, mounted on trunnions E, with provision for receiving compressed airthrough the latter, adapted to allow the barrel to be forcibly elevated and held by the stop D* in line with the muzzle I3, and to be afterward depressed and held by the stop C* in line with the muzzle C, the barrel registering with the muzzle in such position, all substantially as herein specified.

3. The barrel D, turning on trunnions E, through which compressed air is received, in

- combination with the ram Q R, arranged to control such turning motion, and withA two fixed muzzles B and C, arranged in divergent lilies, adapted for joint operation, substan tially as herein specified. 'i

4. rPhe magazine M, having 'chambers m and slot-s m', mounted with liberty to berevolved, in combination with the barrel D, turning on hollow trunnions E, having connections for supplying compressed air to impel the projectile, and withtwo fixed muzzles arranged in divergent lines, all as herein specified. Y 5. The cartridge-holding trough S, in com'- bination with the revolving magazine M, having chambers m, and withthe barrel D, turning 011 hollow trunnions E, with connections for receiving compressed air, and with two fixed muzzles B and C set in divergent lines, all substantially as herein specified.

6. The ram T U, having an arm U', in combinatlon with the magazine M, having cham'- bers mand slots m', and with the trough S, having a slot s, and with the barrel D, turn# ing 'on trunnions E, Vthrough which compressed air is received, ar'anged to allow the projectile to be forced by the yram from the trough into the magazine, and afterward by a further movement of the ram into the bary rel, all substantially ashcrein specified.

7. The nmltiple-cylinder motor O, with pro- S. In a ship A, the two fixed muzzles B and C, arranged in the hull in divergentlines, one below the wafcnline, provisions C for temporarily excluding water and allowing the passage of a `projectile through the lower muzzle, and a movable barrel D, adapted toI register with either muzzle, the barrel turning on trunnions E, with provisions for supplying compressed air therethrough, arranged to allow the proj ectilev to be discharged through either muzzle at will, as herein specified.

9. The barrel D, turning on hollow trunnions E near the breech, with provisions for supplying compressed air through such trunnions to actuate the firing mechanism at will and impel the projectile, in combination with an elevating mechanism Q R for effecting the turning movement, two fixed muzzles 15 C, with their stops B* 0*, either of which may be yused at` will, 'a charging-ram T U', and suitable provisions, as the trough S and revolving magazine M m, for holding and guiding the projectiles in being charged successively into the barrel to be discharged through one of the muzzles, as herein specified.

In testimon whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at

scribing witnesses, i

\ f GEO. H. ,REYNOLDS `Witnessesz A (JHAs. F. BARTER.,

CHARLES R. SEARLE.

ew York city aforesaid, this 2d day of April, 1889, in the presence of two sub I

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