The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

XL.—DISAPPE ARING GUNS AND CARRIAGES. CLASSIFIED under this general heading are those o'uns which, when fired, oscillate round movable supports, and thus are caused to disappear ; either to be run out again immediately, or only when the operations of reloading and training have been completed. Although mountings of this type are used indifferently for coast defences and for garrison armament, and also in some cases on board ship for mortars and howitzers, it has been found | préférable to classify this material separately, and to give the following general data concerning the principal types manufacturée! and put in service by Messrs. Schneider and Co. As in preceding cases, the principal types only, and those which are of representative calibres, have been I selected for description. 75-Millimetre (2.952-In.) Guns on Lever Mountings. —These are used with advantage for the armament of j light-draught boats, and were described at the commence- ment of this series ; they are simply mentioned here to make the present section complété. With this mounting the gun does not remain run down ; but it rises up again immediately for reloading and training, the lever being short enough to enable the breech to be freely worked. 90-Millimetre (3.543-In.) Gun on Disappearing Car- riage, for Coast Defence and Garrison Armament (Figs. 876 to 879, Plate CLL).—This type is of reduced weight, and, considering its calibre, is of great mobility. It has been designed speeially with a view to be easily carried on wheels, and to form the movable armament in a series of distinct positions communicating with each other by a single road ; it is, in faet, a highly mobile gun of position. A limited number of such guns is sufficient to defend a largely extended front. The varions parts are so arrangée! that, according to circumstances, firing can be effeeted while the carriage stands on its wheels, or after placing the gun on a fixed mounting provided in advance at suitable places. Weight of gun... 530 kg. 1168 Ib. ,, carriage 1200 kg. 2645 Ib. ,, projectile ... Muzzle velocity Extent of lateral range when the 8 kg. 17 Ib. 460 in. 1508 ft. gun is placed on fixed bedplates ... 360 deg. 360 deg. The carriage consists of the rising and falling arms, the slide, the coupled wheels with bedplate, or the coupled wheels with limber, as the case may be. The arms are formed of two cheeks which carry the trunnion bearings at their top part ; in these the gun trunnions are placed. The arms turn round an axle sheathed with india-rubber for deadening as much as possible all shocks on the bed- plate during firing. The arms end below in two extensions connected by a rod, on which is jointed the head of the recoil piston-rod. The slide is of plate-iron and angles, and consists of two lateral supports, in which are placed the lever pivots ; the supports are joined below on a circular platform, the latter being of the same dimensions as the top of the bedplate, to which it is fixed by a hinged clamp, to prevent shifting. The wheel axle runs through the slide; a roller in a jointed frame is provided, and it can take either of the two positions shown. This slide also carries, the fixed platform for training the gun, and the jointed platform for loading it; the latter is arrangée! to fall down when the position of the gun is shifted ; it is also fitted with the recoil cylinder shaft. The reeoil cylinder is fitted with a central counter-rod, of the standard type. The fixed mounting is of cast steel, and is made with a horizontal ring for bolting it to the founclation ; this ring is continuée! by a spherical part eneling at the top in another ring, on which is placed the lower portion of the slide. A toothed sector, fixed to the gun and worked by differential gearing, and by a pinion on a friction cone, is used for elevating ; the mechanism is driven by a hand- wheel carried on the left-hand cheek. The toothed sector is made long enough to place the gun in a suitable position for transporting it. Lateral training is obtained by hånd action on the rear of the slide; a pointer fitted on the hinged clamp travels over a scale on the bedplate, and shows the angle through which the gun has been trained laterally. When the gun is on the fixed mounting, as shown in Figs. 876 and 877, Plate OLI., placing in battery is effeeted by setting the carriage in such a position that the front wheels corne opposite two grooves cut in the rim of the bedplate (Fig. 876); in this position, the whole system rests on the top of the bedplate, and the wheels can turn freely round on their axle. The grooves are made perpendicular to the mean firing axis. When the carriage is so placed, and when the bolt is removeel which holds the recoil piston-rod to the arms, a shoulder bar is put in the spokes of the wheel, and is made to bear underneath the arms. The wheels are then turned by means of two winches placed on the limber axle and driven by levers, thus causing the cheeks to oscillate and run out the gun. When this is done, the gun is ready for firing, and the junetion between the beam and the recoil piston-rod is re-established. The running down of