US876343A - Artillery-director. - Google Patents

Description

No. 876,343. PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908.

J. D. B. FULTON.

ARTILLERY DIRECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5,1907.

' JOHN DUNCAN BERTIE FULTON, OF NEWBRIDGE, IRELAND.

ARTILLERY-DIRECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14:, 1908.

Application filed June 5,1907. Serial No. 377,374,.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J onN DUNCAN BERTIE FULTON, of Newbridge, county Kildare, Ireland, captain in the Royal Field Artillery, and a subject of the King of England, have invented a certain new and useful Artillery- Director, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, and for which I have applied for Letters Patent in Great Britain, dated June 30, 1906; Germany, filed February 6, 1907; France, dated May 4, 1907; Belgium, dated May 15, 1907.

This invention relates to an improved artillery director for automatically determin ing without calculations the angle of sight and especially applicable in the case of guns firing at concealed targets.

The instrument is designed for the use of horse, field, howitzer, mountain or heavy batteries of artillery, and is intended to facilitate the laying of guns in the correct line of fire when the target is not visible from the gun position. The invention accomplishes this object by enabling an observer placed in a situation from which both the gun position and the target are visible, to determine by means of the instrument the angle of inclination to the horizontal of an imaginary straight line joining the gun positionto the target this angle is technically known, and is hereafter referred to, as the angle of sight. The instrument may also be used for directly observing angles of sight for visible targets and similar angles The invention consists essentially in providing a circle or other surface which may be placed at the observing station in a plane which contains also the gun position and the target. The means for effecting this adjustment of the surface consists preferably of a universally-jointed support, in conjunction with a telescope or other sighting instrument, which allows the plane of the circle to be successively alined in two separate directions. In practice these two directions will be those of the gun position and the target; the circle is therefore placed in a plane com mon to the three points, .viz. gun-position, observing station, and target. The surface is then rotated, still in the same plane, until a given diameter, preferably that forming the axis of the telescope or other sighting instrument, becomes parallel to the line joining the gun position to the target. This is effected without further calculation by employing the predetermined battery-angle upon a scale attached to the instrument. The inclination to the horizontal of this diameter will then be equal to that of the line join- .ing the gun position to the target. Consequently the true inclination of the latter line may be read directly from a clinometer or similar indicator attached parallel to the revoluble diameter.

Upon the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation of the instrument, and Fig. 2 is aplan of the same. F 3 is an explanatorydiagram.

Upon a tripod head (I/ supported on legs a is revolubly mounted a fork Z) of suitable construction which may be clamped at any desired position by means of a locking screw Z2 or other device. A disk 0 having circumfercntial graduations 0 extending from 0 to 180 and back to 0, is supported above the fork Z) by a universal joint connection. In the example illustrated, a cross (Z, (Z, (Z (Z forms this connection; two arms (Z (Z of the cross are supported by the extremity Z1 of the fork Z), while the other two (Z (Z are pivoted in lugs 0' attached to the disk 0. The axis of the lugs c is preferably at right angles to the diameter upon which are the graduations 0 and 180. Means are provided for locking the arms (Z (Z (Z (Z, in their journals, as for example set screws 0, or split ends (Z to the arms, which may be expanded by corresponding screwsf. This provision enables the plane of the circle formed by the disk to be alined first with. the gun position and then with the target.

Upon the disk 0 is mounted centrally a revoluble table 9 upon a pivot g provided with a clamping device 71 and with one or more pointers Z.- l." indicating upon the graduations c of the disk 0 the relative position of the two. A telescope or other sighting instrument Z having a suitable pointer in its field and with fore and back sights Z is fixed diametrically upon the table innuediately above the pointer Zr; a elinonieter indicates the inclination of the telescope. This clinometer may comprise a lever m pivoted at m upon the table or telescope and carrying a spirit level n. A spring 0 retracts the lever against an adjust able screw 7) furnished with lock nut p, and the relative inclination of the table and clinometer is indicated upon a scale 1. The extremity of the lever m may if desired carry a Vernier attachment q.

In the employment of the instrument to determine the angle of sight, when the target is not visible from the battery, a position is chosen from which both the battery position and the target are visible; the instrument is there set up in the ordinary manner.

In the diagram (Fig. 3), B represents the battery position, T the target, and O the observing station selected. The straight line B T, representing the line of sight is obstructed by an obstacle, over which the trajectory B T passes. B His the horizontal line from B in the direction of the target T, and the rectilinear angle T B H is the angle of sight which it is desired to ascertain. By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that there are two angles '1 B H, and both of these are vertical. One however is a rectilinear angle viz. that between the horizontal straight line B H and the straight line of sight B T, whereas the other is a mixed angle being included between the straight line B H and the curved trajectory B T. The rectilinear angle is the angle of sight; the mixed angle is the angle of fire which is greater than the angle of sight.

The position of the observing station having been chosen the triangle T O B is solved by means of observation with the plotter; this is a necessary preliminary to the determination of the direction and range for the line of fire, apart from the angle of sight. This solution gives at the same time the values of the observers angle T O B, and the battery angle T B O.

The table g, carrying with it the telescope and the clinometer, is turned so that the pointer 7c lnarks the 180 graduation on the scale 0 and the table and disk are then looked together in this position by the clamp h. The set-screw b of the fork I) having been released, the latter is revolved upon the tripod-head a until the telescope is sighted upon the gun position, the universal joint member (Z (Z being slackened to permit motion of the telescope in the vertical plane of its length. This joint (Z (Z and the baseclamp b are then once more tightened. Next the connection h between the table and the disk is released and the table rotated upon pivot 9 until the telescope now points to the target. Its vertical motion being in this case permitted by the memberd (Z of the universal joint, which is afterward locked. It is advantageous but not in practice essential that the universal joints and the axis of the telescope should all be as near as possible to the plane of the disk 0. The table 9 is then further rotated, carrying with it the telescope and the clinometer, until its pointer is marks upon the graduated scale 0 the battery-angle T B O which has been previously determined by the observer by the aid of the lotter.

By the oregoing operation the table has been made to coincide with the plane B O T containing the three points, battery, target and observing station; also the telescope has been made to lie in the line 0 T parallel to the line B T joining the gun-position to the target. The telescope therefore now lies at the same inclination to the horizontal O H as the line joining the gun position to the target, since parallel lines lying in the same plane are all at the same inclination to the horizontal. To ascertain, therefore, the angle of sight for the guns, 2;. e. the angle of inclination of the line joining their position to the target, there remains but to measure the inclination of the telescope by means of the clinometer provided for that purpose. This is effected by raising or low ering the adjusting screw 1) in order to re store the lever m to its horizontal position. When the level n indicates that this is the case, the reading of the vernier upon the scale q represents the true inclination of the line B. T, above or below the horizontal, as the case may be.

In the employment of this instrument for the direct determination of angles of sight and other similar angles the arms d d of the universal joint are clamped in the fork l) and the instrument tilted upon the axis of I d d in the line desired. The inclination of this line is then read by means of the clinometer as above described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as such and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a base, a disk, a universal joint by which the disk is mounted on the base, said joint comprising a cross two coaxial arms of which are fitted to the base while the two other coaxial arms sup port the disk, a table revoluble on the disk, means for determining the relative position of the table and disk, a sighting instrument attached to the table, and means for indicating the inclination of the sighting instrurelation to the disk, and means for indicating I the inclination of the sighting instrument.

3. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a base, a disk, coaxial members fitted to the base and like members supporting the disk, the combined members forming a universal joint upon. which the disk may tilt, a table revoluble on the disk, said disk having circumferential graduations, a pointer upon the table indieating upon said graduations, a sighting instrument attached to said table, and

means for indicating the inclination of the sighting instrument.

4.. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a base, a disk, coaxial members supporting the disk and like coaxial members fitted to the base, said members forming a universal joint upon which the disk may tilt, means for allowing or preventing relative rotation of said base and disk, said disk having circumferential graduations, a sighting instrument revoluble upon the disk, a pointer indicating upon the graduation the relative position of the disk and sighting instrument, and means for indieating the inclination of the sighting instrument.

5. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a base, a disk, coaxial members supporting the disk and like members fitted to the base whereby a universal joint is formed between said disk and base, means for allowing and preventing relative rotation of said base and disk, said disk having graduations around its circumference, a sighting instrument revoluble upon the disk, a pointer indicating upon said graduations the relative position of the disk and sighting instrument, and a clinometer attached to the sighting instrument.

6. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a base, a disk, a cross having coaxial arms .[ittcd to the base and coaxial arms supporting the disk, said crossforming a universal joint between the disk and base upon which the disk may tilt, means for allowing and preventing relative rotation of the base and disk, said disk having circumferential graduations, 'a table revoluble upon the disk having a pointer over said graduations, a sighting instrument attached to the table, and means for indicating the inclination of the sighting instrument.

7. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a base, a disk, a universal oint between said base and disk, said joint comprising an axis upon which the disk may tilt, a table revoluble on said disk, a sighting instrument attached to said table, a lever pivoted upon said table, a spirit level secured to said lever, said lever and level being adjustable in a vertical plane parallel to the vertical plane of said sighting instrument, and means for indicating the relative inclination of said lever and sighting instruments when said level is hori zontal.

8. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a base, a revolubly mounted disk, a fork revoluble on said base, a cross, two coaxial arms of said cross fitting in said fork, the two other eoaxial arms of said cross supporting said disk, a sighting instrument revoluble upon said disk, and means for indicating the inclination of said sighting instrument.

9. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a base, a disk, a fork revoluble on said base, a cross, two coaxial arms of said cross fitting in said fork, the two other coaxial arms of said cross supporting the disk, said disk having circumferential graduations, a sighting instrument revoluble upon said disk, a pointer indicating upon said graduations the relative position of said surface and sighting instrument, and means for indicating the inclination of said sighting instrument.

10. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a base, a disk, a fork revoluble on said base, a cross, two coaxial arms of said cross fitting in said fork, a disk, lugs beneath said disk, the two other arms of said cross fitting said lugs, said disk having circumferential graduations, a table revoluble on said disk, a sighting instrument attached to said table, a pointer upon said table indicating upon said graduations the relative position of said disk and said sighting instrument, and means for indicating the inclination of said sighting instrument.

11. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a base, a fork revoluble on said base, a cross, two coaxial arms of said cross :[itting in said fork, a disk, coaxial lugs placed diametrically beneath said disk, the two other arms of said cross :litting said lugs, said disk having circumferential graduations, a table revoluble on said disk, a sighting instrument attached to said table, a pointer upon said table indicating upon said graduations the relative position of said disk and said sighting instrument, a lever pivoted upon said table, a spirit-level secured to said lever, a set-screw for adjusting said lever and level in a vertical plane parallel to the vertical plane of said sighting instrument, a spring maintaining said lever pressed against said set-screw, a scale upon said table, and a vernier upon said lever indicating upon said scale the relative inclination of said lever and sighting instrument when said level is horizontal.

12. An artillery director for determining the angle of sight, comprising a tripod, a tripod-head, a vertical pivot upon said tripod head, a fork revoluble on said pivot, a set-screw for locking said fork to said pivot, a cross, said cross having enlarged extremities, said extremities being split to allow of expanding, coned screws entering said extremities, two coaxial extremities of said cross fitting said fork, a disk, coaxial lugs placed diametrically on the under side of said disk, the two other extremities of said cross fitting said lugs, said disk having circumferential graduations a table revoluble on a pivot central of said disk, a clamp for locking said table to said disk, a sighting instrument attached to said table, a pointer upon said table indicating upon said graduations the relative position of said surface and sighting instrument a lever pivoted upon said table, a spirit-level secured to said lever, a set-screw with lock-nut for adjusting said lever and level in a vertical plane parallel to the vertical 'plane of said sightin instrument, a coiled spring between said lever and said table, said spring maintaining said lever against said set screw, a scale upon 10 said table, and a Vernier upon said lever re istering upon said scale.

n witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN DUNCAA BERTIE FULTON. Witnesses:

VICTOR F. FEENY,

CYRIL FEENY.

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