Installation for the control at a distance of the firing is intended more particularly to the pieces of artillery marine

摘要

146,488. Krupp Akt.-Ges., F. March 19, 1917, [Convention date]. Gyroscopic apparatus for controlling or facilitating the operation of the firing mechanism of naval guns from an observing post. A stabilized sighting device is provided at the observing post electrically connected to a stabilized device at the gun mounting so that the controlled device is adjustable to correspond in elevation to the controlling device. In the form shown in Fig. 2, a telescope D' at the observing post is mounted on a shaft D stabilized by a gyroscope rotating on a vertical axis in a casing B carried in bearings on an arm p4, which is pivoted to a traversable pedestal mounting P3 and is fast with a worm sector p6 adjustable by a hand-wheel p7. A telescope J1 at the gun mounting is similarly stabilized, and carried on an arm Q, which is loosely pivoted on the axis of the gun trunnion N2 and is fast with a worm sector Q1 adjustable from a hand-wheel r1. The two stabilized telescopes are connected by a Wheatstone-bridge device comprising at the observing post a resistance b2, over which moves a pointer d2 rigid with the telescope D' and connected to the positive pole of a direct current supply, and at the gun mounting a similar arrangement h1, i2 connected to the negative pole of tne supply, the ends of the resistances b2 h1 being connected through contacts m2, m3 by wires M, M1 bridged by a wire m‹ containing galvanometers m4, m5. The gyroscope casing 11 carries an electric contact and the outer gimbal ring of the gyroscope carries a co-operating contact, both being included in the firing circuit of the gun, and being adjustable to compensate for delay in firing. The sight D1 is layed on the target or, if this is obscured by smoke, on any part of the horizon, and the sight J1 is maintained at the same elevation as the sight D1 by lateral pressure on the outer gimbal ring of the gyroscope, the correct adjustment being indicated by the absence of deflection in the galvanometer m4. When the gun has been elevated for range in the manner described hereunder, the firing switch is closed and the gun is fired when the subsequent roll of the ship brings the two aforementioned firing contacts together. The range elevation is transmitted from a distance to the pointers p10, p", r4, r5 of range indicators at the observing post and at the gun, and the operation of the hand-wheels p7, r1 geared to the indicators, until marks p8, p9, r2 r3 again register with their respective pointers serves to impart range elevation to the arms p4 and Q. This does not disturb the balance of the bridge, because the resistances b2, h1 will be equally displaced relatively to the stabilized pointers d2, i2. The gun is then elevated to the indicated range by operating its elevating gear; this movemnt rotates the arm Q carrying the gyroscope casing H because of the fact that the worm shaft bearing n6 is rigidly connected to the gun trunnion N2; but this rotation does not disturb the balance of the bridge owing to the fact that the change in the ratio of the parts of the resistance h1 on either side of the pointer j2 is counteracted by an equal change in the ratio of the effective parts of resistances N, N1 on the trunnion N2. A modification is described in which the sight J1 is dispensed with, and the gyroscopic casing H is mounted directly on the gun trunnion. In another modification, the gyroscopic casing B is mounted directlv on the pedestal P3. Several guns may be controlled from one observing post.