US2566855A - Gun mounting - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4-, 1951 R 2,566,855

GUN MOUNTING Filed Jan. 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Shee 1 ATQfiROSE BY HG 3 m wfimw ATTQRNEYS.

A. G. ROSE GUN MOUNTING Sept. 4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 1, 1944 QUE m0 A i m 7 mm 3 Q mm m. B on a Pt 5. 2 o o O O P I f R 2 0 O0 R m @E n 5 3 3 3 Q R &

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Patented Sept. 4, 1951 GUN MOUNTING Alfred Ger-man Rose, Gainsborough, England, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-half to Rose Brothers (Gainsborough) Limited, Gainsborough, England, a British company, and one-half to Kenneth Howard Nicholls, Freshford, England Application January 1, 1944, Serial No. 516,651 Y In Great Britain January 4, 1943 3 Claims.

This invention relates to gun mountings of For purposes of absorbing recoil forces or for other reasons the gun or guns may be attached to a supporting frame and in such a case the supporting frame itself is arranged for pivotal movement on the support in such a manner as to allow for the elevational and/or training movements of the gun or guns. In such a construction the expression gun or gun assembly is intended to include the supporting frame.

According to the invention, there is provided a gun mounting of the above type, wherein pivotal movement of the gun or gun assembly is effected by power-actuated means under the influence of a sighting arm freely mounted for pivotal movement about an axis coincident with or parallel to the pivotal axis of the gun or gun assembly and adapted upon pivotal movement to operate means arranged for movement in synchronism with the gun or gun assembly and controlling the action of said power-actuated means and by such operation cause the gun or gun assembly to move in the same direction as said sighting arm through an angle equal to the angle of movement of said sighting arm.

In the case where the sighting arm is pivoted about an axis parallel to that of the pivotal axis of the gun or gun assembly, such axis will be so disposed in relation to the pivotal axis of the gun or gun assembly that the sighting arm and the gun or guns will move substantially parallel to each other.

The power-actuated means may be in the form of a hydraulic motor arranged in driving connection with the gun or gun assembly and connected through a controlling valve to a suitable source of hydraulic power, the controlling valve being so constructed that its operation by movement of the sighting arm in either direction causes the hydraulic motor to rotate in one direction or the other according tothe direction of movement of the sighting arm, thus bringing about the required pivotal movement of the gun or gun assembly. Alternatively, the power-actuated means may be in the form of a double-acting hydraulic ram arranged with its axis normal to the pivotal axis of the gun or gun assembly and suitably connected to the gun or gun assembly, its action being controlled by a valve in a manner similar to that described above.

Power-actuated means may be provided for effecting pivotal movement of the gun or gun assembly about one axis only, e. g., the training axis, or such means may be provided for effecting both elevational and training movements of the gun or gun assembly. In the latter case, both movements arevpreferably controlled by a single sighting arm whichmay be arranged for pivotal movement about axes coincident with the axes of elevation and training of the gun or gun assembly.

Two examples of gun mountings embodying the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 and 3 are an elevation plan and end view respectively of a single. gun mounting according to the invention and,

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are an elevation, plan and end view, respectively, of a twin-gun mounting according to the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 ,to,3, a gun H is pivotally supported for movement about an axis of ,elevationin a main support l2. Attached to the gun llWith. its axis coincident with the axis of elevation is theouter portion 13 of an oil motor. The oil motor is of a known type comprising outer and inner portions arranged for relative rotation about a common axis and each formed with radial vanes between which oil is admitted under pressure so. as to cause a relative rotation between the, outer and inner portions. In this case, the inner portion I4 is secured to the support l2 at It while the outer portion I3 is secured to the gun l l, as mentionedcabove, for rotation with the gunabout its axis of elevation. The gun llis .pivotally mounted at one side in a bearing ll and at. the other side in a bearing formed in the inner portion it of the oil motor.

The support [2 is pivotally mounted on a base l8 about a trainingaxis the lower portion [9 of the support l2 constituting the outer portion of a second oilmotor, theinner portion 2|] of which is secured to the base IS with its axis coincident with the training axis. For the sake of clarity, the oilmotors J9, 20, and I3, l4,.will be referred to hereinafter, as the training and elevation motors respectively.

Freely mounted. on the lower portion of the support l2 at 2| about an axis coincident with the training axis, is a' forked member 22 extending through slots 23 formed in the support [2 and terminating in bearings 24 having a common axis lying coincident with the axis of elevation. Freely mounted in the bearings 24 is a U-shaped sighting arm 25' carryinghand grips 25 one of which incorporates a trigger for remotely operating the firing mechanism oi. the gun H in a known manner.

Attached to the breech end of the gun is a pair of controlling valves 21 and 28 which are connected by suitable oil pipes 29 to the elevation and training oil motors respectively. The stems of the valves 21 and 28 are connected by means of ball joints 32 to rods 33 and 34 respectively which, in turn, are connected by similar ball joints 36 to an arm 31 projecting from the sighting arm 25.

Oil under pressure is supplied to the elevation and training motors through the valves 21 and 28 from an oil pump 38 mounted on a platform 39 extending from the lower portion I9 01 the support l2, the valves 21 and 28 being connected to the oil pump 38 by suitable oil pipes M. The oil pump is fed by a sump 43 and is driven by an electric motor 44 attached to the platform 39. .In operation, the gun II is aimed and fired by "the operator by means of the sighting arm 25 to which a gun sight 46 is attached. It will be seen that as the sighting arm 25 is raised or lowered, the valve 21 is operated by the rod 33 .to admit oil to the elevation motor and thus ,cause the outer portion l3 to rotate in one direction or the other according to the direction of movement of the sighting arm 25 and thus .elevate or depress the gun H, the valve 21 being .'so connected to the elevation motor that clockwise rotation of the sighting arm 25 produces clockwise rotation of the motor and vice versa. ,The rotation of the outer portion I 3 of the elevation motor is substantially instantaneous upon operation of the valve 21 so that the sighting arm 25 and the gun I I are caused to move substantially simultaneously, and since the pivotal axis of the sighting arm 25 is coincident with the axis of elevation of the gun, it will be seen that the gun H is caused to move substantially as one with the sighting arm 25.

Similar considerations apply to the movement of the si hting arm 25 about the axis of the bear ng 2|, i. e. the training axis. Thus, as described above. the sighting arm 25 is mounted in the bearing 24 of the forked member 22, so that, up n movement of the sighting arm 25 in azimuth the forked member 22 is caused to pivot about it axis thus causing the rod 34 to operate a the valve 28 so as to admit oil to the training motor and thus cause the support l2 as a whole to rotate about the training axis, the valve 28, like the valve 21, being so connected to its motor that the direction of rotation of the su port l2 is the same as that of the sighting arm 25. As in the case of the elevation motor, operation of the training motor is substantially instantaneous upon operation of the valve 28. so that the support l2 and the forked member 22 are caused to move, upon movement of the sightin arm in azimuth, substantially as one, the slots 23 allowing for the very slight initial movement of the sighting arm and forked member 22. Figures 4, 5 and 6 show a gun mounting, generally similar to that described above with refer- .ence to Figures 1 to 5, but in which a pair of guns 6| are attached respectively at points 82 to a pair of recoil frames 63 in known manner. The recoil frames 63 are secured to brackets 64 extending from a common elevation member 66 rotatably mounted in a main support 61. The main support 61 is provided with an acruate rack 68 arranged for engagement with a gear 69 formed on the peripheral surface of an elevation 011 motor H supported in bearings 12 extending from the elevation member 66. The inner portion of the elevation motor is secured in the bearings 12 while the outer portion is free to rotate, so that, upon operation, the gear 69 is driven round the arcuate rack 68 and thus causes the elevation member 66 to rotate, and since the recoil frames 63, to which the guns 6| are attached, are carried by the elevation member 66 as explained above, the elevation member 66 transmits elevational movement to the guns 6| simultaneously upon operation of the elevation motor H. The elevation oil motor H is controlled by an elevation valve 13 arranged for movement with the elevation member 66, and oil under pressure is supplied to the' motor through the valve from a source of supply by suitable connections 14. A gun sight 16 is conveniently mounted on the casing of the valve 13. The valve 13 is operated through an operating rod 11 suitably connected at one end to a sighting arm 18, pivotally mounted in a forked member 19 about an axis coincident with the axis of elevation, and at the other to a valve-operating arm 8!.

As in the case of the apparatus described above in connection with Figures 1 to 3, the lower portion 82 of the main support 67 constitutes the outer portion of a training oil motor the inner portion of which is secured to a base 83. The training oil motor is controlled in this case by a training valve 84 attached to the outer casing 82 of the motor. The training valve 84 is operated by the forked member 19 which is freely pivoted about an axis coincident with the common training axis 86 of the two guns 6|, a lug 81 depending from the forked member 19 being connected to a valve-operating arm 88 by a pivoted connecting link 89. As in the case of the elevation motor H, oil under pressure is supplied to the training motor through the valve 84 from a source of supply through suitable connections EM.

The mountings described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 and 4 to 6, respectively, may be applied o gun mountings for ground defence, aircraft, armoured vehicles and the like. For instance, the gun mounting may be attached by means of their bases to carriages arranged to travel along tracks in the manner described in British patent specification No. 553,267 or in United States Patent No. 2,411,114.

The invention is particularly useful in its application to gun mountings for use in aircraft since the gunner, in sighting the gun or guns by movement of the hand lever, will have much the same sensitive feeling as if he were handling the guns directly, while the energy required to be expended by the gunner is merely that, required to move the hand lever so as to bring the poweractuated means into operation. This is particularly important when dealing with heavy machine guns, e. g., guns having a calibre of .5 of an inch or more, since the gunner is able to train the guns with little exertion and without having his attention distracted from the target notwithstanding that there may be a considerable air resistance to the movement of the guns.

I claim:

1. A gun mounting comprising a common support pivotally mounted on a base member for movement about a training axis, a gun assembly pivotally mounted on said support for movement about an axis of elevation, power actuated training means for rotating said support about the training axis, a training control means arranged for movement with the gun assembly about the training axis and controlling the action of said training means, power-actuated elevation means for rotating said gun assembly about the axis of elevation, an elevation control means arranged for movement with the gun assembly about the axis of elevation and controlling the action of said elevation means, a supporting member rotatably mounted for movement relatively to the gun assembly about an axis coincident with said training axis, a sighting arm pivotally mounted on said supporting member for movement relatively to the gun assembly about said axis of elevation, said sighting arm having means which upon pivotal movement of said sighting arm about said axis of elevation, operates said elevation control means, and means which by rotating said supporting member about said training axis, operates said training control means, such movements or the sighting arm causing the gun s b y to commence its elevational and training movements substantially simultaneously with those of said sighting arm and to continue such movements substantially in synchronism with those of said sighting arm.

2. A gun mounting according to claim 1, wherein the power-actuated training and elevation means each comprises a hydraulic motor in driving connection with the gun assembly and wherein the said training and elevation control means each comprises a valve so arranged in the hydraulic system that its operation by movement of said sighting arm in either direction causes the motor to rotate in one direction or the other according to the direction of movement of said sighting arm.

3. A gun mounting comprising a common support pivotally mounted on a base member for movement about a training axis, a gun cradle pivotally mounted on said support for movement about an axis of elevation, a pair of guns mounted on said cradle for simultaneous movement therewith, a hydraulic training motor for rotating said support about the training axis, a training valve mechanism mounted on said support for movement therewith about the training axis and controlling the action of said training motor, a hydraulic elevation motor for rotating said cradle about the axis of elevation, an elevation valve mechanism mounted on said cradle for movement therewith about the axis of elevation and controlling the action of said elevation motor, a supporting member rotatably mounted for movement relatively to said gun cradle about an axis coincident with said training axis, and a sighting arm pivotally mounted on said supporting member for movement relatively to said gun cradle about an axis coincident with said axis of elevation, said sighting arm having means which, upon pivotal movement of said sighting arm about said axis of elevation, operates said elevation valve mechanism, and means which by rotating said supporting member about said training axis, operates said training valve mechanism, such movements of the sighting arm causing the gun assembly to commence its elevational and training movements substantially simultaneously with those of said sighting arm and to continue such movements substantially in synchronism with those of said sighting arm.

ALFRED GERMAN ROSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 810,661 Meigs Jan. 23, 1906 1,387,678 Anderson Aug. 16, 1921 2,206,875 Chafee et al. July 9, 1940 2,350,662 Adams et a1 June 6, 1944 2,388,010 Pohl Oct. 30, 1945 2,400,385 Blaylock et al May 14, 1946 2,405,642 Corte Aug. 13, 1946 2,409,041 Hart et al. Oct. 8, 1946 2,412,109 Trotter Dec. 3, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 535,737 France Jan. 31, 1922 436,071 Great Britain June 4, 1935 789,778 France Aug. 26, 1935 515,991 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1935 515,993 Great Britain June 29, 1937 489,208 Great Britain July 21, 1938

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