GB191204574A - Improvements in and relating to Guns with Wheeled Gun Carriages. - Google Patents

Abstract

4574. Krupp Akt.-Ges., F. April 27, 1911, [Convention date]. Field carriages; recoil apparatus; limbers.- Consists in the construction described below, which enables a field carriage having an allround training-arc to be converted quickly into a stationary centre-pivot mounting, when the wheels are removed. The invention also comprises a limber provided with a winch, by means of which the gun-carriage wheels are lifted off the ground before removal. Fig. 1 shows the gun and carriage ready for use as a field gun. Figs. 5 and 7 are respectively a side elevation and plan of the same carriage converted into a fixed centre-pivot mount. The gun B and slide A are pivoted upon trunnions a<1> in an upper carriage C, which carriage is rotatable through a horizontal angle of 360 degrees upon a ball bearing F, Fig. 7, in the under-carriage E. The training-arc e<3> is formed on the inner edge of the lower ring e<2> of the ball bearing. Two stays N are pivoted to the carriage E at n<1>, and are normally housed alongside the trail K, as shown in Fig. 1. Two other stays M, carrying recoil spades m<1>, are pivoted at p<2> to the ends of a transverse rocking spindle P, mounted in an eye e<7> on the front of the carriage E. In the travelling position, the stays Mare swung together, beneath the gun-barrel B, and slightly upwards upon the spindle P, and are then secured by a transverse bolt to a lug a<3> on the gun-barrel. The strain is thus taken off the elevating-gear. To change from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 5, the stays M, N are spread apart, and are secured by jointed struts m<2>, n<2>, which are held rigid by sleeves m<3>, n<3> passed over the joints. The hook of the limber winch is then connected to the trail eye k<2>, and the trail is lifted by the winch until the spades m<1> enter the ground and the wheels E are raised therefrom. The wheels J, together with half the axle i<1> in each case, are dismounted and connected by yokes n<4> to the ends of the stays N, as shown in Fig. 7, and the carriage is finally lowered into the position shown in Fig. 5. In a modification, the stays N may, for field-gun firing, be connected rigidly to the rear end of the trail so as to lay flat upon the ground and form a V - shaped rearward extension of the trail.