Post by al on Sept 1, 2010 21:54:24 GMT 1
Basic proportions of the carriage were obtained by measuring (1) the distance from the trunnion to the base ring of the gun (2) the diameter of the base ring, and (3) the diameter of the second reinforce ring.
The result was a quadrilateral figure that served as a key in laying out the carriage to fit the gun. Cheeks or side plates, of the carriage were a caliber in thickness, so the bigger the gun, the more massive the mount.
A 24 pounder cheek , for example, would be made of timber 6 inches thick.
The Spaniards often used mahogany, but at Jamestown in the early 1600's Capt. John Smith reported the mounting of seven "great pieces of ordnance upon new carriages of Cedar " and the French colonials also used Cedar.
British specifications in the mid-eighteenth century called for cheeks and transoms of dry Elm, which was very pliable and not likely to split; but some carriages were made of young Oak, and Oak was standard for united states garrison carriages until it was eventually replaced by wrought iron after the civil war.
Artillery. A short illustrated history of cannon, Emphasizing types used in America.
United States Department of the Interior, Stewert. L. Udell 1949.
The result was a quadrilateral figure that served as a key in laying out the carriage to fit the gun. Cheeks or side plates, of the carriage were a caliber in thickness, so the bigger the gun, the more massive the mount.
A 24 pounder cheek , for example, would be made of timber 6 inches thick.
The Spaniards often used mahogany, but at Jamestown in the early 1600's Capt. John Smith reported the mounting of seven "great pieces of ordnance upon new carriages of Cedar " and the French colonials also used Cedar.
British specifications in the mid-eighteenth century called for cheeks and transoms of dry Elm, which was very pliable and not likely to split; but some carriages were made of young Oak, and Oak was standard for united states garrison carriages until it was eventually replaced by wrought iron after the civil war.
Artillery. A short illustrated history of cannon, Emphasizing types used in America.
United States Department of the Interior, Stewert. L. Udell 1949.
