Schneider-Canet 47mm light QF gun M.
1898
|
The
Schneider-Canet 47mm L/60 gun was built throughout of steel, and it was formed of four parts: a.
the inside tube which run the whole length of the bore,
and bore in the rear against a projection of the jacket; b.
the jacket, in which was cut the breach seating, and
which was provided in the rear with a coil made with lugs for fixing the
brake and recuperator rods; c.
the front coil, which joined the gun tube to the
jacket; d.
the breech mechanism, of the concentric-threaded
type, with a extra quick-opening action. The mounting
consisted of the bedplate bolted on the deck; the movable slide that rested
on the bedplate, with the interposition of a pivot; the oscillating housing,
or jacket, which carried the gun, and rested in the slide. The slide, the
housing, and the gun turned in two guiding collars with a vertical axis, for
training the gun. The housing and gun oscillated around the housing
trunnions, for obteining the required elevation. The bedplate
was in the shape of a truncated cone, and consisted of the outside envelope
of wrought steel, fitted at its lower part forming a flange, by which the
cone was bolted to the firing platform; of the inside gun-metal body, on
which were fitted: a.
the top plate, which carried part of the weight of
the mechanism; b.
the two guide collars of the slide pivot, joined
together by a piece in the shape of a truncated cone, provided with
stiffening ribs. The slide was in
one piece, and rested on the bedplate. It consisted of: a.
two parallel cheks with trunnion plates that
received the trunnions of the gun-housing; on one side was a projection in
which engaged a square-headed bolt that served to fix the trunnion at any required
elevation; b.
a disc which joined the two checks at their lower
part, and carried the buffers that limited the degree of elevation of the
gun; c.
the central pivot, formed of two cylindrical parts,
joined together by a truncated cone. At the lower
part of the pivot was a bolt provided with a catch. When the slide was in its
place, a nut was screwed on the bolt, which beared on the bottom of the pivot
and prevented all raising during the fire. Besides this, a handscrew went
through the shell in the bedplate, and by bearing against the body of the
pivot, allowed of fixing the gun in any position. The housing
was cylindrical and sourrounded the gun so as to form a slide during recoil
and running out. It consisted of : a.
a jacket with trunnions, and fitted at the ends with
gun-metal rings to insure perfect guiding; b.
a recoil cylinder in one piece with the jacket, and
on one of the ends of which was screwed the central counter-rod. On the left
side of the housing, there were two bearings on which were bolted the flanges
that held the recuperator and the butt-end for training of the gun. The
hydraulic recoil cylinder was on the Schneider-Canet system, with central
counter-rod; its rod was held by a nut in the lower projection of the recoil
rear jacket. The recuperator consisted of a cylindrical chest containing a
series of spiral springs; its governing rod was fixed to the second
projection of the recoil rear jackey, and was provided with a bearing ring
which weighed on the set of springs. The working of the recoil cylinder was
therefore quite indipendent of that of the recuperator, as these elements
were without inside communication from one to another; they acted separately
during recoil, the recuperator alone effecting the running out of the gun. The various
parts of the mounting being of comparatively small weight, and the shifting
of the movable parts requiring but a little effort, training and elevation
were secured by the gunner bearing with his shoulder on the butt. By taking
hold of a suitable handle in one piece with the butt, the gunner had no
difficult in sighting the target accurately. When a
quick-firing salute was to be effected without any modification in the
sighting of the gun, it sufficed to set the screw on the right-hand trunnion
in order to fix the gun in the required position. The scale was carried in a
slide which formed part of the jacket, and the sight was on the left
trunnion. A suitable shield protected the gunners and the working part of the
gun. SOURCE : DREDGE. James: The Works of Messrs. Schneider and Co.
|
|
|
