US1361780A - Sighting device for guns - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. SCHNEIDER.

SIGHTING DEVICE FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I6, I9I9.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Eg. Z

-KEI

K III- H UHHNNHU J .IHV Ik L. Y 3x1@ f. fm1:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, .ASSIG-NOR T0 SCHNEIDER & CIE., OF PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

SIG-HTING DEVICE FOR GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

Application led .Tune 16, 1919. Serial No. 304,661.

T o all w hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGNE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the Republic of France, a resident of Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented a new and useful Sighting Device for Guns, combined with devices for indicating the site elevations and range elevations and for correcting transverse and longitudinal inclinations of the gun-carriage, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

In my application Serial No. 304,660, of even date herewith, I have shown and described and broadly claimed an improved aiming apparatus adapted to allow one and the same gun layer to perform all the opera tions of sighting, elevating and of automatically making the corrections due to the transverse and longitudinal inclination of the gun carriage, also to modify elevation and at the same time of correspondingly altering the firing angle of the gun barrel, while maintaining the line of sight immovably directed upon the target in the case of direct fire, or upon a register mark in the case of indirect fire.

The present invention has for its object to provide a particularly simple constructional form of the invention described in the said application, which shall afford the advantage above referred to.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation partly in section on the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig.' 2 is a side elevation partly in section on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line IIL-III of Fig. 2.

In this example, the support or bracket B that forms the common support for the sighting apparatus A the device for reading of the site elevations, and the device for reading off the range elevations, is, as in the examples described in the said application, articulated to one of the trunnions E of the gun carriage cradle by a Cardan joint, of which one axle D rigidly fixed to the trunnion is always parallel to the axis of the gun barrel; the other axle c of the cardan forms a journal for the bracket B. This bracket carries the register mark O of the device for reading ofi' the range elevations, and the graduation divisions of the range elevation plate M moved past said register mark. The elevational movements given to the gun barrel are transmitted to the plate M by a multiplying gear comprising the toothed sector a, the pinions 1 and 2 mounted on an axle 3, and the pinion fm, carried by a pin L situated in the prolongation of the axis of the axle c.

The bracket B has an extension B1 terminating in a spherical knob b1 working in a slot guide g that is always situated in a plane at right angles to the symmetry plane of the gun carriage. This slot guide g is in its turn carried by a slide block I of arc shape having its center situated in the axis, of the trunnions of the gun carriage cradle. This slide block is guided by ribs i in a guide f formed on the said frame plate F of the gun carriage; it is provided with a toothed sector I1 meshing with a worm R which is journaled in the guide box j" and is capable of being actuated by means of a knurled hand wheel 7.

The bracket B carries, besides the device for reading off the range elevations, a device for reading off the site elevations. In the bracket B there is journaled a worm P, operable by means of a knurled hand wheel p, and with which meshes a toothed sector K1 fixed to a spirit level K. The spirit level K carries on the other hand a register mark 7c which is movable over a graduated scale Q formed of an arc-shaped member that is concentric to the sector K1, and is carried by the bracket B.

The apparatus yfor enabling the bracket B to be uprighted by rotation around the axle D parallel to the axis of the gun barrel, comprises an arm C1 projecting above the axle pin c. In the end of this arm is formed a cylindrical lodgment for a nut C2 of corresponding shape in which works a screw H which is operable by means of a hand wheel H1 and ends in a spherical head H2 movable in a lodgment E2 of corresponding shape, formed in an arm El which is fixed to the trunnion E at right angles to the axis of the said trunnion. By operating the screw H1, the nut C2 is caused to move and with it the arm C1 which rocks around the axle pin D. The bracket B is caused to share this movement but it rotates also around the axle pin c because it is held by the spherical knob b1 engaged in the slot guide g.

Assuming, when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that the axis of the trunnions E is inclined transversely, this inclinationa-l movement will involve the bracket B, with the result that the aiming of the gun will be untrue both as regards training and elevation. In order to return the gun barrel into the correct position of aiming, the gun layer will have to perform the following maneuvers By actuating the hand wheel IIl in the requisite direction until the bubble of the transverse spirit level J is brought back between its marks, the gun layer restores the vertical position of the bracket B by rotation around the axle pin D. In this movement, owing to the combined rotation of the bracket B around the axle pin D and the axle pin c, there will be produced as above described, a diiierence of angular position between the register mark O and the graduation division of the plate M situated opposite it. This difference of angular position represents in projection upon the plane of the plate M, the angle through which thc gun layer will have to elevate the gun barrel in order to bring it into the desired elevation. The gun layer will therefore have to operate the elevating mechanism, while keeping the bracket B vertical, until thc graduation division of the elevations corresponding to the range, will have come opposite the register mark 0. It will then only be necessary to correct the position of the gun barrel as regards training, by operating the training mechanism so as to bring back the line of sight on to the target, or upon the register mark, according as the gun is to be aimed by direct or indirect sighting.

If, in the course of firing, a longitudinal inclination of the gun carriage should happen, the spirit level K will be inclined together with the bracket B in the vertical plane, and the bubble of the said spirit level will no longer be situated between its marks In order to return it into the proper position it is merely necessary to operate the hand wheel r. In this movement the bracket B rotates around Jthe axle pin c and shifts the register mark 0 which is no longer situated opposite the graduation division of the elevation corresponding to the range of the target. In order to correct the position of the gun barrel it is su'fiicent to operate the elevating mechanism until the said graduation divisioii" has come opposite the register mark 0. In short, in order to get the gun barrel properly aimed, it is necessary to maintain the graduation division of the elevation corresponding to the range of the target always opposite the register mark 0, and to maintain the line of sight directed on to the target or on to the indirect aiming mark, while keeping the bubbles of the spirit levels K and J maintained between their limit marks.

The operations to be executed for firing the first time upon a determined target are the following:

If the tiring is to be done by direct sighting upon the target, the line of sight is directed on to the target by operating the hand-wheel o. In this movement the bracket B assumed to be vertical at the beginning, is inclined by rotation around the axle pin c, and it moves with it the aXle 3 and the whole of the gearing 1, 2, m. Since the sector a remains stationary, the pinion l will roll over it and will move the range elevation plate M relatively to the register mark 0 through an angle corresponding to the site elevation of the target. If therefore by operating the elevating mechanism, the gun layer returns the Zero division of the graduation opposite the register mark O, he will by that means have given to the gun barrel the elevation corresponding to the site elevation of the target. In order to give the desired correct elevation to the gun barrel, the gun` layer has now merely to bring opposite the register mark O, the Igraduation division of the plate M corresponding to the range of the target. If the gun trunnions are inclined, this operation will be effected as hereinbefore described, while keeping the bracket B vertical, that is to say, while keeping the bubble of the spirit level J between its limit marks.

In the case of firing by indirect sighting, the hand wheel 79 is operated until the pointer 79 carried by the spirit level K, has been brought opposite the graduation division of the given site elevation. Then the hand wheel r is operated until the inclination given to the bracket B returns the bubble of the spirit level between its limit marks. In this movement,v as in the case of tiring with direct aim, an angular diierence of position is produced between the zero division of the graduation of the range elevation plate M and the register mark O. If then the elevating mechanism be operated until this register mark O and the zero division of the plate M have been brought back again into coincidence with each other, this operation will automatically impart to the gun barrel an elevation corresponding` to the site elevation.

What I claim is:

l. In sighting apparatus for guns, the combination of a gun carriage, a gun having trunnions journaled in said carriage, a sight supporting bracket, a journal having :Thinge connection with the trunnion of the gun for revolubly supporting said bracket, the axis of the hinge being parallel with the gun axis, arrange `elevation.disk revolublyT mounted in said bracket and having gear connections with said journal, means carried by said trunnion for uprighting said bracket and a guide for confining the uprighting Lf. i;

movement of said bracket in a plane normal to the symmetry plane of the gun carriage, said guide being mounted on a fixed part of the gun carriage and adjustably slidable in an arc concentric with the gun trunnion.

2. In sighting apparatus for guns, the combination of a gun carriage, a gun having trunnions journaled in said carriage, a bracket member having a Cardan joint connection with a gun trunnion, a divided scale mounted on said bracket, a rack and pinion sector adapted to receive a sighting telescope and provided with a spirit level having a pointer movable over said scale, a range elevation disk revolubly mounted in said bracket and having gear connections with one element of said Cardan joint, means carried by said trunnion for uprighting said bracket and a guide for confining the uprighting movement of said bracket in a plane normal to the symmetry plane of the gun carriage, said guide being mounted on a fixed part of the gun carriage and adjustably slidable in an arc concentric with the gun trunnion.

3. In sighting apparatus for guns, the combination of a gun carriage, a gun having trunnions journaled in said carriage, a device for reading o' sight elevations, a supporting bracket therefor, a journal having a hinge connection with a trunnion of the gun for revolubly supporting said bracket, the axis of the hinge being parallel with the gun axis, a range elevation disk revolubly mounted in said bracket and having gear connections with said journal, means carried by the gun trunnion for uprighting said bracket comprising z-an arm fast to said journal, a second arm fast to said trunnion and a threaded operating member having ball and socket connections with both of said arms; a slotted guide for confining the uprighting movement of said bracket in a plane normal to the symmetry plane of the gun carriage, said guide being mounted on a fixed part of the gun carriage and adjustably slidable in an arc concentric with the gun trunnion.

Testimony whereof I have Signed this speciication.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER. Titnesses ANDR Mos'rIoKER, CHAs. P. PRESSLY.

Images