US1477979A - Apparatus in and relating to trail-carriage guns mounted on endless tracks for varying the height of the line of fire of the gun - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 18, 1923. 1,477,979

E. SCHNEIDER `APPARATUS IN AND RELATING T0 TRAIL'CARRIAGE GUNS MOUNTED ON ENDLESS TRACKS FOR VARYING THE HEIGHT OF THE LINE 0F FIRE 0F THE GUN Filed-April -30 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I rFigi I\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\i\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ l Dee. 1a, w23. A 1;471,919

E. SCHNEIDER APPARATUS. IN AND RELATING TO TRAIL CARRIAGE GUNS MOUNTED 0N ENDLESS TRACKS FOR VARYING THE HEIGHT 0F. THE LINE OF FIRE OF'THE GUN Filed April 3o. 192.5 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A z Ig 1 /1 L I f 1 F 3 f 1g. 5.15? 5R? 6' B.

Dec. 18 i923'.

. E. SCHNEIDER APPARATUS IN AND RELATING TO TRAIL CARRIAGE GUNS MOUNTED ON ENDLESS TRACKS FOR VARYING THE HEIGHT OF THE LINE 0F FIRE OF THE GUN Filed April 30. 1923 5 Sheets-Smet 5 Patented Dee. i8, 1923.

UNH'TED STATES PATEN'r omen.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR T0 SCHNEIDER & CIE., OF PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED STOCK COMPANY 0F FRANCE.

APPARATUS IN AND RELATING TO TRAIL-CARRIAGE GUNS MOUNTED 0N ENDIlESS TRACKS FOR VARYING- THE HEIGHT OF THE LINE OF FIRE OF THE GUN.

Application filed April 30, 1923.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, EUGNE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the Republic of France, resident of Paris, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus in and Relating to Trail-Carriage Guns Mounted on Endless Tracks for Varying the Height of the Line of Fire of the Gun, which is fully set forth in the following specication.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for varying in height the line ofire of a gun, such as disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,429,109, granted Sept. i2, i922.

The apparatus described in the aforesaid patent consists in an intermediate mechanism which is interposed between the gun carriage proper and the endless track trucks for the purpose of enabling the gun carriageV to be turned vertically around the point of support of the trail tail on the ground so as to produce a relative movement between the gun carriage head and the endless tracks, either by a vertical turning movement of the endless track trucks around the road wheel axle, (in which case the trucks bear upon one of their two wheels), or by the road wheel axle being raisedl in the trucks which are adapted for this purpose.

The operation of that intermediate mechanism interposed between the gun carriage and the endless track trucks requires the expenditure of a rather considerable ell'ort.

According to the present invention this etort is very considerably reduced by the provision of a counterbalancing device for counterbalancing the load which has to be handled in the execution of the movements for varying the height of the line of fire of the gun. rlhis counterbalancing device comprises an arrangement of metal or other springs which expand during the raising of the gun, and which are 4compressed by the weight of the load when the gun is lowered.

Two constructional forms of this invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which Figures l, 2 and 3 illustrate one constructional form of the invention in the case where the variations in the height of the line of fire are produced by the rocking movement of the endless track trucks around the road wheel axle in accordance with one of the means described in aforesaid patent.

Serial No. 635,722.

Figure l is a longitudinal elevation partly in section taken through one of the two balancing devices showing the gun carriage with the gun in the lowest position of the line of tire;

Figure 2 isa similar elevation showing the gun carriage with the gun in the high position of the line of tire; and

Figure 3 is a partial section (drawn to a larger scale) taken along the line 3 3 of Figure l.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention applicable where variations in height of the line of lire are produced by shifting the road wheel axle in the endless-track trucks.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal elevation showing the gun in a lowered position.

Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. l certain parts being broken away for purposes of clearer illustration, and

Fig. 6 is an elevation similar to Fig. 4, showing the gun in a raised position and portions of the counterbalance in section.

In Figures l to 3 z-A is the gun carriage trail in the head of which the road wheel axle is engaged by means of a square portion B (Fig. On the cylindrical portions B1 of the road wheel axle there are adapted to rock the trucks C which carry the axle pins d and e of the two wheels D and E which serve to guide the endless tracks or belts F.

In the same manner as in the apparatus shown in Figures l-S of Patent No. l,%29,l09, the intermediate mechanism, by means of which the height of the line of fire can be varied, comprises a pair of sectors G mounted on the projections B2 ofthe road wheel axle. and formed with a notch ,(7. The sectors (i are fixed on the road wheel axle by means of a locking device consisting for instance, as shown of a bolt T jointed at t to the road wheel axle, and having` its nose adapted to engage in a notch formed in the huh of the sector G mounted on the road wheel axle. The bolt is kept engaged in the said notch by means of a spring t1. To unbolt the sector, which` is necessary during transport in order to enable the trucks to rock around the road wheel axle, it is merely necessary to depress the spindle T1 which is movable in a nut G1 formed on the sector, so that the end of the said spindle shall close the socket for the bolt, and the latter will no longer project 'from the .road wheel axle. Each of the trucks C has jointed toit as in the example given in my artoresaid earlier patent, a pair ottenons H, H1 arranged radially with reference to the road wheel axle; more strictly speaking, each tenon is movable around a pivot pin 7L in a radial plane passing through the axis of the road wheel axle. Each ot these tenons has a nib 'l which a spring i has a constant tendency to push outwardsinto the notch g when the said tenon has been brought Vopposite the latter. A hand lever J is adapted to be iitted upon the tenons l'l, H in turn.

rccordimi to the present invention each sector G is nxed to a box forming a lodgment for a spring l.- Each spring R bears at one end fr against one oi'i the closed ends oi the box U, and at its other end r1 against a case R1 provided with a rack R2 meshing with a toothed sector S fixed to the respective endless track truck C. Since the sectors (il carrying Vthe boxes are locked to the road wheel axle owing to the spindles T having been moved into position shown in the figure, it is possible then, by operating the lever J, to execute the operations of raisingl the line of lire and subsequently lowering it for the purpose of returning the gun into the position of low line of lire or transport position.

rl`hese operations are effected, in the same manner asA with the intermediate mechanism described in Patent No lAQLlOS), by causing the tenons ll to rock from the outside towards the inside by means out the levers J. Immediately the nibs l o1E the tenons has moved out of the notches g, the compressed sn ings R come into action, and in expanding they rotate the sectors YS, thereby facilitating the raising movement, the force of the springs being added to the energy exerted by the operators working the levers J. When the tenons H1 come into the radial plane of the notches g, they enter automatically into the notches and the pai-Ls occupy then the position shown in Figure 2.

To pass from the position shown in Figure 2 into the position shown in Figure l, the operators act upon the tenons H1 which they disengage from the notches y, and in the descending movement of the load the sectors S, acting upon the racks R2, return the cases R1 into their initial positions, thus compressing the springs R.

T he lowering movement ot' the gun is thus braked by the springs R, and these, becoming` compressed store up the energy which will be required for facilitating' the next raising of the height of the line of iire.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. l to 6, the Aintermediate mechanism interposed between the gun carriage and the endless track trucks comprises as inthe example shown in Figs. 19-21 of Patent No. 1,429,109, a

slideway V serving 'for the guidance of a road wheel axle box B3 in combination with parts for allowing the said axle box to move in its slideway, and for stopping it at a variable point of the latter.

rlhe counterbalancing mechanism is constituted according to the present invention by springs R each lodged in two cases X Y fitting one into theother, the case X being pivoted at 03 to its corresponding truck C, while the other case Y is pivoted at g/'to a support b3 iixed to the corresponding road wheel axle box It `will be perceived that the raising of the load by shitting the road wheel axle boxes is facilitated by the expansion of the springs t which have a constant tendency to raise these axle boxes.

lnversely, the descent of the road wheel axle boxes is braked by the work ot compressing the springs. 'lhiswork will moreover supply the necessary energy t'or facilitating the next raising.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, l declare that what l claim is l. A trail gun carriage mounted on endless-track trucks, comprising an axle mounted on said trucks, means on said carriage for raising and lowering the trucks and axle to vary in height the line of gun-lire, and means on said carriage Ylor counter-balancing the load incident to raising and lowering said parts, said means comprising springs which are expanded when the parts are raised and compressed when the parts are lowered.

2. A trail gun carriage mounted on an endless track truck, comprising an axle rotatably mounted on said truck, means on said carriage for rocking the endless track truck around said axle to thereby vary in height the line of gun-fire, means l'or counter-balancing the load incident to said rocking movement, said means comprising two casings. one movable within the other, a spring between the outer ends of said casings, and a toothed sector on said truck meshing with a rack on one ot' said casings, and a device for locking said counter-balancing means to said axle.

3. A trail gun carriage comprising an endless track truck, an axle movably mounted on said truck, means tor moving said axle in the truck to thereby vary in height the lineV of gun fire, and means :t'or counterbalancing the load incident to m'ovingsaid axlesaid means comprising two casings one fitting within the other, one ot said casings being pivoted to the truck and the other casing being pivotally supported on said axle, and a spring varranged. in said casings between the outer ends thereof.

4;. ln a gun carriage7 the combination of an axle, an endless-track truck movably mounted on said axle, means for producing relative movements between said truck and axle to thereby vary in height the line of gun-fire, and means 'for counter-balancing the load incident to said relative movements. 5. In a gun carriage, the combination of an axle, an endless-track truck movably mounted on said axle, means for producing relative movements of said truck and axle to thereby vary in height the line of gunire, and means for counter-balancing the load incident to said relative movements, said means comprising, a pair of casings movable one within the other and a spring arranged within said casings.

6. In a gun carriage, the combination of an axle, a trail secured to said axle, an endless-track truck movably mounted on said axle, means for raising and lowering one of said parts whereby the carriage may be moved about the bearing point of the trail on the ground, and means for counterbalancing the load incident to raising and lowering said part.

7. In a gun carriage, the combination of an endless-track truck, an axle mounted on said truck for supporting the carriage, a trail secured to said axle and providing a fixed bearing point on the ground, means for providing relative displacement of the truck and axle about said bearing point to vary in height the line of gun fire, and a coil spring :for counter-balancing the load incident to said relative displacement.

8. In a trail gun carriage, the combination of an endless-track truck, an axle journalled on said truck, a trail secured to said axle and providing a fixed bearing point on the ground, means for turning said truck about said axle to vary in height the line of gun fire, and spring counter-balancn ing means for the parts of saidcarriage raised and lowered by the turning movement of said truck.

9. In a trail gun carriage, the combination of an endless-track truck, an axle movably mounted on said truck, devices on said truck and axle for moving one with respect to the other thereby varying in height the line oi' gun lire, a pair of casings on one of said devices and movable one within the other, a spring arranged in said casings between the outer ends thereof, and means for moving one of said casings to provide expansion and compression oi said spring, said means being actuated by the axle and truck on relative movement therebetween.

10. In combination, an endless-track truck, an axle movably mounted on said truck, a device for imparting relative movements to said axle and truck, spring means for counter-balancing the load incident to said relative movements, and means for locking said counter-balancing means to the axle.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specication.

EUGNE SCHNEIDER.

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