US1326788A - schneider - Google Patents

Description

E. SCHNEIDER.

GUN CARRIAGE FOR TRANSPORT 0N RAILWAY TRUCKS FOR FIRING FROM THE RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5.191]- Pa-tented Dec. 30, 1919.

6 SHEETSSHEET I.

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E. SCHNEIDER.

GUN CARRIAGE FOR TRANSPORT ON RAILWAY TRUCKS FOR FIRING FROM THE RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1917- 1,32fifi88 Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

6 SHEET$-SHEET 2.

E. SCHNEIDER.

GUN CARRIAGE FOR TRANSPORT 0N RAILWAY TRUCKS FOR FIRING FROM THE RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. li- 1,326,788. Patented Dec. 30,1919.

6 $HEETSSHEET 3.

II II II H lL II E. SCHNEIDER.

GUN CARRIAGE FOR TRANSPORT 0N RAILWAY TRUCKS FOR FIRING FROM THE RAILWAY.

APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT. 6.1917.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

6 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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E. SCHNEIDER. GU N CARRIAGE FOR TRANSPORT 0N RAILWAY TRUCKS FOR FIRING FROM THE RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. I917.

1 ,3Q6,78. Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

6 SHEETSSHEET 5.

E. SCHNEIDER.

GUN CARRIAGE FOR TRANSPORT 0N RAILWAY TRUCKS FOR FIRING FROM THE RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. I917.

Patented Dec. 30,1919. I

6 SHEETSSHEET 6.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF LE CREUZO'I, FRANCE, ASSIGN OR TO SCHNEIDER & 0113., OF PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent,

- Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Application filed September 6, 1917. Serial No. 189,947.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the French Republic, and a resident of Le Creuzot, Sane-et-Loire, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gun-Carriages for Transport on Railway-Trucks for Firing from the Ra11- way, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved gun carriage for transport on trucks for firing from the railway.

This invention is characterized more particularly by devices which allow of diminishing the effects of the recoil due to the firing of the gun, by transferring to the railway a considerable portion of the effects due to the firing. To this end this invention comprises special means for transferrlng such effects and also a corresponding special arrangement of the railway at the firing place, and also means for eflecting a rapid running out again of the gun into the firing position.

The devices for transmitting the effects of the firing consist essentially of a series of movable members permanently mounted on the gun carriage and adapted to be brought into and out of contact with the railway by a rapid and simple operation, said members being constructed in such a manner as to allow of the gun carriage, while being supported by the track, sliding along the track in consequence of the recoil. In practice, and in accordance with the invention, the firing of the gun, together with the use of the said members, takes place on arailway prepared for this purpose, and comprising, on either side, track rails of standard gage and auxiliary supporting beams super-elevatedin relation to the rails. This track, prepared in this manner, preferably forms a branch connected to the ordinary track, and its length and curvature are such as to allow of directing the fire of the gun from any desired point of the said track without the necessity of providing the gun with the usual training mechanism.

Several embodiments of this invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawlngs wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic general view in longitudinal elevation of a gun carriage supported on railway trucks adapted for fir- I from the railway in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding diagrammatic plan showing the gun carriage located for firing on a track prepared for the purpose, g'consisting of a branch connected to the ordinary railway which has served to bring the gun carriage to the spot. 1

F 1gs. 3, l and 5 illustrate on a larger scale the details of the parts for supporting the, gun carriage while allowing it to slide along the firing track. In these figures 3 is an end elevation of the gun carriage partly in vertical cross section in a plane passing through the axes of two connected supporting members, said members being shown raised in position for transport or for running the carriage out again into the firing position.

Fig. 4. is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the supporting members in their operative position for firing the gun.

Fig. 5 is a partial longitudinal vertical section of the gun carriage on the line VV of Fig. 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a side elevation and a vertical cross section on the line VIIVII of Fig. 6 of a particular constructional example of one of the supporting trucks of the gun carriage in the form of a motor truck for running the gun out again into the firing position.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate another constructional example of a tractor mechanism for running the gun out again into the firing position. In these figures Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 9.

' Fig. 9 is a vertical cross section on the line IX-IX of Fig. 8, and

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical section similar to Fig. 8, showing the parts of the tractor mechanism in position for transport.

Fig. 11 is ajdiagrammatic side elevation partly in vertical section of a special constructional form of a gun carriage according to this invention.

The improved gun carriage may comprise in the known manner, as shown diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 2, a girder-like structure A resting at each end on a truck" B, C' by means of a pivot b, c. This girderlike gun carriage A carries permanently connected to it, in accordance with the presentinvention, a series of movablemembers capable of being brought into andout of contact with therail track, or preferably as regards practical working, into and out of 'on which the truck wheels run, special tracks or beams D (Figs. 2 to 5) which form slide fect synchronism between theworkings of the two screw-jacks connected together by the cross iece E. Further, the said joints allow of tii lnclined position relatively to the gun c arriage A, this inclination being sometimes necessary owing to the difference in level between the beams D;

In firing, the un as a whole recoils and slides along the ams D which transmit to the track ties the strains transmitted to them by the cross pieces E.

The running out again of the gun into ways for the aforesaid supporting members firing position is produced, after having first when these are brought into contact with it.

In the practical examples shown n the drawings, each of the raisable supporting members consists of a hydraullcally or otherwise actuated screw-jack, one of whose elements, the screw or the nut for instance, is fixed on the girder-like gun carriage, while the other element of the screw-jack may be moved vertically by the usual mechanism whose essential elements are likewise carried permanently by the glrderlike carriage.

The raisable elements of the screwacks are preferably, as shown in detail in Figs.

3, a and 5, connected together by cross pieces E that constitute the supporting members proper.

In such a case each screw-jack comprises a bed-plate F by means of which it isfiXed to its supporting cross piece Tl'llS attachment instead of being rigid 1s preferably efi'ected by means of a spherical joint f-g between the bed-plate F and a sleeve nut G. The sleeve G is guided vertically, by means of a groove 9 and tenon h, in a screwjack body H fixed on the gun carriage A. The screw I, which can turn without longitudinal motion in the body I-Iby means of the journal 2', is adapted to be actuated by the usual means (pinions K, L, andhand crank shaft M), andaccording to the sense of its actuation it causes the sleeve nut G to ascend or descend.

The supporting members E are guided transversely with a suitable amount of play between the rojections a formed under the girder, and tlius they assure that the girder is carried along in the recoil.

For transport, the raisable members are brought into the position shown in Fig. 3 'l/Vhen the gun carriage has been brought on the branch V to the desired point for firing in a determined direction, for instance into the position 1 shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the supporting members are moved so as to brin them into contact with the beams D (Figs. 1, 4 and 5). Owing to the interposition of the spherical joint fg, completed by a knob F fixed to the bed plate F and guided in a slot in the sleeve G, it is not absolutely necessary that there should be perraised all the supporting members, by mov- 1ng thegun in the reverse direction. This point, or preferably by the use of a 'motor truck for one of the two supports B, C of the carria e A.

'In t e example shown in Fig. 1, it is assumed that the front truck B is provided with a motor 0 driving the two front axles b of the said truck 4 In the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the purchase on the wheel-engaging track for running the gun out again into firing position, in'stead of being produced by means of the wheels of the axles b of the truck B,

e members E taking up a certainis assumed to be produced by means of roll- In the embodiment shown in Figs. 8, 9 and I 10, the purchase is obtained on an auxiliary track, such as a rack S with which engages a pinion T fixed onan axle t that is kept normally raised by any suitable means. On the axle of this inion there is fixed one of the elements of gearing U -U U which is actuated by hand or by a motor such as 0 (Fig. 1).

By means of any one of the motive mechavnisms hereinbefore described, it is possible not only tov run out again into .the firing position the gun which has .slid back by its recoil along the branch V but also to change the direction of the firing at will by moving the gun along the said branch for instance to the. points indicated at 2 or 3 in front of or at the rear of the point 1.

Fig. 11 illustrates a gun carriage for a gunjof very large caliber embodying the improvements of the present invention. This improved gun carriage is characterized by the feature that the raisablesupporting elements E are located ona girder-like structure A forming the support proper,and on two auxiliary girder-like structures A each supportin the main girder-like structure through t e medium of a pivot al These auxiliary girder-like structures are in turn supported each by two vertical pivots respectivcly on. two front trucks B and two rear trucks C.

This invention also comprises for use, in combination with the'sliding parts hereinbefore described, a transferring truck such as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, which is designed for transporting munitions from a suitably distant station up to a point underneath the usual fixed transferring apparatus W which is permanently mounted on the gun carriage.

Thistransferring truck is characterized more particularly by the feature that it comprises at each end of the body X, a beak-like portion X and X respectively, adapted to fold down on hinges 00 m respectlvely. These front and rear beak-like portions carry rolling track elements for a carriage Y intended to .remain permanently on the truck X. v

The hinged or jointed beak-like portions allow, as will be readily understood, of the formation of a rolling track of considerable length for one and the same vehicle, while the1r property of folding allows of reducing the length of the said vehicle to standard proportions for transport.

What I claim is:

1. A railroad gun carriage provided with trucks for running on a railroad track, a gun mounted on said carriage to be fired therefrom, and a plurality of track-engaging members movably mounted on said carriage and movable into position to transmlt forces of the gun recoil to a track by slidln contact therewith and to relieve the true wheels and axles of said forces.

2. A railroad gun carriage provided with trucks for running on a railroad track, a gun mounted on said carriage to be fired therefrom nally of the railroad track, and a plurality of members movably mounted on said carriage and movable into engagement with said slideways to transmit forces of the gun recoil to said slideways by sliding contact therewith and to relieve the truck wheels and axles of said forces.

3. A railroad gun carriage provided with trucks for runnlng on a railroad track, a gun mounted on said carriage to be fired therefrom, a track-engaging member movably mounted on said carriage, and means for moving said member into and out of engagement with a track to transmit forces of the gun recoil to said track by sliding contact therewith and to reliei e the truck wheels and axles of said forces.

4. A railroad gun carriage provided with trucks for running on a railroad track, a gun slideways extending longitudi-- mountedon said carriage to be fired therefrom, jacks on'opposite sides of said carriage, and a transverse movable cross'piece connecting opposed jacks and movable thereby into and outof engagement with a track to transmit forces of'the gun recoil to said track by sliding contact therewith and to relieve the truck wheels and axles of said forces;

5. A railroad gun carriage provided with trucks for running on a railroad track, a gun mounted on said carriage to be fired therefrom, jacks on opposite sides of said carriage, a movable cross piece connecting opposed jacks and movable thereby into and out of engagement with a track to transmit forces of the gun recoil to said track by sliding contact therewith and to relieve the truck wheels and axles of said forces, and spherical joints between each said jack and its cross piece.

6. A railroad gun carriage provided 'Wlth trucks for running on a railroad track, a gun mounted on said carriage to be fired therefrom, movable track-engaging members mounted on said carriage and extending transversely of the track, means for moving said members into and out of engagement with a track to transmit forces of the gun recoil to said track by sliding contact therewith and to relieve the truck wheels and axles of said forces, and guides on the carriage within 'which said members move and through whlch movement of said carriage is transmitted to said members.

7. A railroad gun carriage rovided with trucks for running on a rail f'oad track, a gun mounted on said carriage to be fired therefrom, movable track-engaging members mounted on said carriage, means for moving said members into and out of engagement with a track to transmit forces of the gun recoil to said track by sliding contact therewith and .to' relieve the truck wheels and axles of said forces, and means on one of said trucks for running the carriage into firin position.

8. A railroa gun carriage provided with 'trucks for running on a railroad track, a

gun mounted on said carriage to be fired therefrom, movable track-engaging members mounted on said carria e, means for moving said members into an out of engagement with a track .to transmit forces of the gun recoil to said track by sliding contact.

therewith and to relieve the truck. wheels and axles of said forces, motive means on one of said trucks, and tractivemeans operated thereby and movable into and out of tures interposed between said carriage and said trucks, movable track-engaging members mounted on said carriage and said supporting structures, and means for moving said members into and out of engagement with a track to transmit forces of the gun recoil to said track by sliding contact therewith and to relieve the truck wheels and axles of said forces.

10. In a railroad gun carriage for a large caliber gun firing from the railroad track, the combination with the gun carriage proper, of a plurality of trucks for supporting the same, of which one is constructed as a tractor for bringing the gun carriage into the trained position of the gun, and for run: ning out the gun again into firing position tlon after recoll, a combined recoil and propelling device carried by said tractor, and means for pressing said device against the railroad track for the purpose of distributing strains thereto during the firing of thegun and afterward for assisting in starting the carriage on its tracks.

In testimony whereof I have signed this speclficatlon.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER.

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