US863765A

US863765A - Elevating mechanism for guns.

Info

Publication number: US863765A
Application number: US26411105A
Authority: US
Inventors: Karl Voeller
Original assignee: Rheinische Metallwaaren and Maschinenfabrik AG
Current assignee: Rheinische Metallwaaren and Maschinenfabrik AG
Priority date: 1905-06-07
Filing date: 1905-06-07
Publication date: 1907-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 1924-08-20

Description

Z SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

K. VGLLER.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JUHE7, 1905.

ELEVATING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

II ll lN /ENTUF\ vn-FEIF EYJ 6 WITNESS ES No. 363,765. PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

K. VULLER.

ELEVATING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 7, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES I INVENTEIR TTNTTE STATES PATENT FFTCE.

KARL VGLLER, OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO RHEINISGHE l\IETALLWAREN- UND MASOHINENFABRIK, OF DUSSELDORF-DERENDORF, GERMANY.

ELEVA'IING MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed June 7.1905- Serial No. 264,111.

To all whom it may concern:

"Be it knowu that I, KARL VtSLLER, engineer, a 'sub ject of the German Emperor, residing at Dusseldorf, 47 Ziilicherstrasse, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevating Mechanism for Guns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates more particularly to that description of ordnance in which it is desirable or necessary to bring the gun rapidly from a firing position into the horizontal or other desired position. This is the case more particularly with guns that have to be fired under a great angle of elevation, such as howitzers and the like, in which it is frequently unavoidable to have to bring the gun, after each shot, from the considerably inclined position into a position in which the loading can be effected without difficulty. This motion requires to be effected rapidly and reliably, both in the one direction and in the other, and in moving the gun from the loading position into the firing position, an arrangement has to be provided for insuring that it shall always be brought back to the same degree of elevation. At the same time the gun must be capable of being accurately adjusted by means of the elevating mechanism in every position which it is required to assume.

The construction according to the present invention, differs from known constructions in that it fulfils the above described conditions in such a way that, for example, in the case of guns having the so-called toothed segment elevating mechanism both the slow and the quick elevating motion of the gun is effected by means of the said toothed segment, and the toothed gear engaged therewith. According to the present invention therefore the toothed segment and pinion are not put out of engagement for the rapid elevation, the shifting of the toothed segment and of the gun connected therewith being in this case also effected by the turning of the toothed pinion.

I will describe the said invention with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shows a part side elevation of a gun and elevating mechanism in the loading position; Fig. 2 shows the gun elevated to the highest firing position. Figs. 3 and 4 show sectional plans, the gun being omitted; Figs. 5 and 6 show cross sections of the elevating shaft at 5-5 and 66 Fig. 3, and Figs. 7 and 8 show sections thereof at 7-7 and S-8, Fig. 4.

To the gun a or, as shown on the drawing, to the upper carriage or cradle b, is rigidly attached the toothed segment 0 which in the arrangement shown, is duplicated on each side. The toothed segments 0 c are engaged by the pinions cl d fixed on a shaft, designated generally a journaled in the gun carriage cheeks and with its usual worm shaft and hand-wheel, constitutes a known elevating mechanism for the slow and accurate elevation of the gun in the vertical plane.

The shaft consists of two concentric parts. namely the inner shaft 0 with the worm wheelf fixed thereto, and the outer shaft 0 which carries the pinions (Z engaged with the toothed segments c. and in addition another pinion g which constitutes the actuating device for the rapid rotation of the pinions d, and consequently for the rapid turning of the toothed segments 0 and the rapid elevation of the gun. At one point of the interior of the tubular shaft 0 are inward projections 0 having an angular cross-sectional form with which can engage correspondingly formed parts a of the inner shaft 0 which is otherwise of circular section. These projections and parts when in engagement with each other. as shown in Fig. 3, prevent the two shaft members c and 6- from having any rotary movement relatively to each other; but when the shaft member 0 is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 4, by mechanism presently to be described, the said projections and parts are disengaged. thus permitting the shaft member 6 to be rotated independently of the shaft member 0 to effect rapid elevation of the gun.

If, while the usual elevating mechanism is situated in the position at Fig. 3, the \vorm wheel f is slowly rotated. this slow motion is transmitted through the coupled shafts 0 6-. the pinions (Z and toothed segments 0, to the gun. On ceasing to rotate the worm-wheel f the shaft 0 will be locked in its position by the worm-wheel gear. The inner shaft 5 'is mounted in the carriage cheeks so as to be rotatable. but it cannot be shifted longitudinally: on the other hand the shaft o can be shifted longitudinally.

Fig. 4 shows the position in which the outer shaft 0' is shifted relatively to the inner shaft to such an extent that the said coupling parts of the two shafts are brought out of engagement. The said parts of 0 are situated at the side of the said parts of a, so that the outer shaft can be rotated upon the inner one. With the shaft 0 have also been shifted laterally. the pinions (Z but such shift is only to such an extent that the pinions d still remain engaged with the toothed segments c. to the extent of half their width.

To the gun carriage is pivoted the two'armed lover I), turning upon the pivot pin 1' fixed to the carriage cheek. The one arm of the lever constitutes a handle'ver with the handle 71 the other arm carries a toothed segment 11?. The two-armed lever 72 is not only rotatable upon the pivot i, but also upon a second axis is situated at right angles to the pivot 2' and consequently parallel to the. carriage cheek.

In the position at Fig. 3, in which. the elevation of the gun can be effected slowly by means of the ordinary elevating mechanism, the toothed segment h of lever h and the pinion g are out of gear, the lever being held in that position in a clamp Z. If the elevation of the gun is to be altered rapidly, such as to be moved from the position at Fig. 2 into the position at Fig. 1, the handle it is moved towards the carriage cheek in turning upon the axis is. The toothed segment 11? is thus brought into engagement with the pinion g, and in being made to bear against the rim g it shifts the shaft 0 longitudinally into the position shown at Fig. 4 in which the toothed segment 7L2 and the pinion 9 lie in one and the same place. By this motion the helical spring In situated between the shafts e and a is compressed. if new the hand lever h be moved in the upward direction, then by means of the toothed segment h and pinion g the shaft 0 will be rotated, and consequently by means of the pinions d and the toothed segments 0 engaged therewith, the breech end of the gun will be raised at a speed which will depend upon the speed with which the handle h is moved.

In Fig. 2 the change of position which the lever h, the toothed segments 0 and the gun assume together with the upper carriage on the movement of the lever, is shown in dotted lines.

011 the shaft 6 is a stud n, and in the shaft 0 is a longitudinal groove 0 in which the stud n is engaged at the initial position of the gun (Figs. 5, G, 7 and 8). In the position at Fig. 4, the stud has moved out of the groove, but bears on the side (on the right hand side as shown at Fig. 8) against a stop 11 formed in the shaft 0 The end of the shaft 6 has a circular groove (1 formed in it, in which moves the stud n of e on the rotation of 0 This rotation can only continue until the stud n, which. in the initial position bears with. its right hand side against the stop p as at Fig. 8, comes in contact with the said stop 10 with its opposite side bearing against the opposite side of the stop. By this means, the angle of rotation of shaft 0 is limited, and as will be readily seen the extreme positions of the gun are thereby determined.

As soon as in the relative positions shown at Fig, 4 of the shafts e and a therotation of shaft 0 commences, the stud n engages with the groove q, and no backward shifting of shaft a relatively to the fixed shaft 6 is then possible. Consequently also in the loading position at Fig. 1, and in the dotted position at Fig. 2, no unintentional backward shift of the shaft 0 can take place. The backward motion of shaft 0 can only be effected when on turning it backwards, the stud n is again situated with its right hand side against the stop p, so as to face the groove 0. which the entire mechanism is situated before the rotation of shaft 6 The above described bayonet-joint like device, consequently fulfils the purpose of only allowing the connection of the elevating devices with the moving mechanism of the ordinary elevating machine, when the gun is again situated in a previously determined elevated position. The action on the return motion of the gun is therefore such that the hand lever h is again moved downwards until it is felt that the stud n and stop p come in contact. At this moment the previously compressed spring m comes into action, in having the tendency to shift the shaft 6 back into This is the position in its original position. This backward shift is effected at Once unless a counter pressure is exercised by means of the hand lever. This is then moved by hand somewhat further to one side in order to disengage the pinion 9 from the toothed segment IF, and it is then secured in the clamp l.

It will be obvious that the kinetic reversal of the mechanisms, for example, the reversal of the connections between the concentric shafts with the one or the other moving device, the provision of the studs and grooves on the one or the other shaft, can be effected without altering the nature and action of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. The combination, with a gun, a rotatable shaft, and connections between said shaft and gun whereby the gun is moved by said shaft, of means for rotating said shaft slowly, means for rotating said shaft rapidly, and mechanism independent of the gun for interchangeably connecting both said rotating means to said shaft.

2. The combination, with a gun, an elevating device for said gun, and a shaft for operating said elevating device, of an actuating gear for effecting a slow rotation of said shaft, an actuating gear for effecting a rapid rotation of said shaft, and means independent of the gun for interchangeably connecting said actuating gears to said shaft.

3. The combination, with a shaft, a gun, and conneetions between the shaft and gun, whereby the gun is moved by said shaft, of a rapid elevating gear arranged to engage directly with said shaft, a second shaft, a slow elevating gear directly connected to said shaft, and means for connecting said shafts and simultaneously disengaging the rapid elevating gear from the first shaft.

4. An elevating mechanism for guns embodying a nonlongitudinally shiftable rotatable inner shaft. carrying a slow elevating gear, a longitudinally shiftable rotatable outer shaft carrying a rapid elevating gear, means for driving the latter gear, and a laterally and vertically oscillatory segment to drive the last named gear.

5. An elevating mechanism for guns embodying two nested shafts, the inner one of which carries a slow elevating gear and the outer one of which carries a rapid elevating gear, and a later-ally and vertically oscillatory segment. to drive the last named gear.

(3. An elevating mechanism for guns, the combination with a toothed elevating segment, of a two-membered shaft. the inner one of which carries a slow elevating gear, and the outer one a gear to engage the segment and a rapid elevating gear, and a laterally and vertically oscillatory segment to engage the latter gear.

'7. An elevating mechanism for guns, comprising two nested shafts, the inner one of which carries a slow elevating gear-and the outer one a rapid elevating gear provided with a rim, and a laterally and vertically oscillatory segment adapted to engage the last named gear and the rim.

8. In an elevating mechanism for guns the combination with a toothed segment elevating apparatus of a tubular shaft carrying a toothed pinion engaged with the toothed segment, a second shaft within the said tubular shaft, an actuating gear connected with the inner shaft so as to effect a slow rotation thereof, an actuating gear connected with the outer shaft so as to effect a rapid rotation thereof, means for shifting the said shafts longitudinally relatively to each other and means for locking the shafts together substantially for the purpose set forth.

9. In an elevating mechanism for guns the combination with a toothed segment elevating apparatus of a tubular shaft carrying a toothed pinion engaged with the toothed segment, a second shaft within the said tubular shaft, the latter having part of its interior formed so as to engage with a correspondingly formed part of the inner shaft, an actuating gear connected with the inner shaft so as to effect a slow rotation thereof, an actuating gear connected with the outer shaft so as to elfcct a rapid rotation thereof and means for shifting the said shafts longitudinally relatively to each other, substantially for the purpose set forth.

10. In an elevating mechanism for guns the combination With a toothed segment elevating apparatus of a tubular shaft carrying a toothed pinion engaged with the toothed segment, a second shaft Within the said tubular shaft, an actuating gear connected with the inner shaft so as to efiect a slow rotation thereof, an actuating gear connected with the outer shaft so as to effect a rapid 1'otation thereof, means for shifting the said shafts longitudinally relatively to each other, a spring holding the shafts in their normal relative position and means for locking the shafts together, substantially for the purpose set forth.

11. In an elevating mechanism for guns the combination with a toothed segment elevating apparatus of a tubular shaft carrying a toothed pinion engaged with the toothed segment. a second shaft within the said tubular shaft, means for shifting the said shafts longitudinally relatively to each other, a stud on one of said shafts, a hayouet-joint groove and a circular groove in the other. :1 stop in the circular groove and having one face in line with the first-named groove. an actuating gear connected with the inner shaft so as to effect a slow rotation thereof and an actuating gear connected with the outer shaft so as to effect a rapid rotation thereof, substantially for the pur pose set forthv In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

KARL VOLLER. 'itnesses 2 WILLIAM EssnNWnIN Pn'rnn LIEBER.