TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES.
In the repair of all equipment, it is literally true that “a stitch in time saves nine,” and that a timely repair will save the entire article.
Tool Kits will be kept complete and serviceable; edges of cold chisels free from nicks; drifts and punches properly shaped immediately after using; and files kept clean.
To prevent unscrewing, copper wire is used to lash nuts and other threaded parts which are not secured by split pins.
Contents of Leather Pouch for Spare Parts (carried in Trail Boxes of 3-inch Guns):—
| For Breechblock— | ||
| 50 | Split pins | |
| 1 | Block latch and spring | |
| 1 | Firing pin and spring | |
| 1 | Firing pin sleeve | |
| 2 | Handy oilers, 5-16 inch | |
| 1 | Hinge pin catch | |
| 1 | Lever latch spring | |
| 1 | Locking bolt, nut and pin | |
| 1 | Locking bolt spring | |
| 2 | Oil hole covers with screws | |
| 1 | Pallet pin | |
| 1 | Sear | |
| 2 | Trigger shaft detent | |
| For Hand Fuze Setter— | ||
| 2 | Corrector scale screws | |
| 1 | Guide plate lock screw | |
| 2 | Index bar screws | |
| 1 | Index plunger and spring | |
| 2 | Oil hole screws | |
| 1 | Range index | |
| 3 | Range ring screws | |
| 1 | Stop pin screw | |
| For Bracket Fuze Setter— | ||
| 1 | Corrector scale screw | |
| 3 | Guide screws | |
| 4 | Housing screws & split washers | |
| 1 | Knob washer | |
| 1 | Range worm crank & knob taper pin | |
| 1 | Range worm crank handle | |
| 2 | Range ring screws | |
| 3 | Split pins (0.125) | |
| 1 | Spring and spring cover with screw | |
| 2 | Stop pins with rivets | |
| For Cylinder— | ||
| 1 | Drain-plug, cylinder | |
| 1 | Elevating & traversing lock spring | |
| 1 | Filling plug (piston rod) | |
| 5 | Rings Garlock packing, ¾ in | |
Special Wrenches, Spanners, other tools and accessories will be used only for the purposes for which they are intended. This purpose is usually stamped upon the tool.
In assembling or disassembling parts of the materiel, no part will be struck directly with a hammer. If force is necessary, a piece of wood or copper should be interposed between the hammer and the part struck. All nuts are provided with split pins as keepers.
A pair of wire cutting pliers is provided for use in pulling split pins, cutting wire lashings, etc. When a nut is assembled the split pin should always be inserted and properly opened.
Axes, hatchets, picks, pick mattocks and shovels are carried on the carriage for use in the field and will not be put to other uses. The working edges will be kept bright and lightly oiled, the edges being sharpened if intended for cutting, or smooth if intended for digging. Deformed blades, edges or points should be straightened at the anvil and forge or in a vise. Shovel points are straightened with a hammer on a block of wood.
The side edges of shovel blades should not be used as a mattock, as such treatment will deform the blade. In the field, split handles should be wrapped with a cord until they can be replaced by new handles.
Canvas Buckets are used for watering animals, for washing carriages and equipment. Whenever possible, they should be dried before folding and replacing in the holders on the carriages.
A rip or hole may be patched and made practically water-tight by a coat of shellac.
Lanterns are used for illuminating purposes in the field only.
Paulins are used to cover the harness and guns when in the field or in park. On the march they are carried on the carriages, being folded to serve as seat cushions. Holes and tears should always be properly sewed, stitched or darned as soon as practicable.
Picket Ropes are used in the field as drag ropes for the carriages or as picket lines for the animals. The ropes must be in a serviceable condition and free from knots. To keep them in a serviceable condition, splicing may often be necessary.
CARE AND CLEANING OF THE DIFFERENT
PARTS OF THE CARRIAGES.
To disassemble and to clean the cylinder.—For cleaning, the cylinder is dismounted and emptied and the cylinder head, counter recoil buffer, and piston rod removed. The interior of the cylinder, the piston, the counter recoil buffer and the stuffing box should then be thoroughly cleaned by the use of cotton waste. The removal of the packing is not necessary in cleaning. The cylinder bore should be carefully inspected, and if any rust has formed it should be removed with coal oil, using if necessary, fine emery cloth. The latter must be used with great care to prevent any increase in the clearance between the piston and the cylinder. If rubbing, burring, or scoring of the parts is noted, the rough spots should be carefully smoothed down by a skilled workman with a dead smooth file or with emery cloth, and the cause of the roughness ascertained and removed. Where unusual rubbing or scoring has occurred, the facts will be reported to the Officer of the Ordnance Department charged with the duty of keeping the battery in repair, for his information and action. The exterior of the cylinder should be kept well oiled and free from rust and dirt, and an inspection made at least once a month to ascertain its condition. Where rust has formed it should be removed with coal oil, and, if necessary, emery cloth. For shipment or storage, or where the carriage is to stand without firing for extended periods, the cylinder should be coated with the light slushing oil used for the bore of guns.
To fill the recoil cylinder.—If the cylinder is not completely filled, loss of stability will occur and higher stresses than normal will be developed in the carriage. For this reason the cylinder should be filled with the greatest care, a commissioned should, himself, verify that the cylinder is full and that no air is left in it, exception of the void noted below. It is far easier to fill the cylinder when it is disassembled from the cradle. If assembled in the cradle, bring the gun to its maximum elevation and remove both filling and drain plugs. It is necessary that the drain plug holes should be lubricated on top of the cylinder. Fill through the hole in the piston rod. Allow a few minutes for the air to escape and the oil to settle.
Refill and repeat two or three times. When satisfied that the cylinder is entirely full of oil, insert both plugs, and depress the gun to its maximum depression. After a few moments elevate again to its maximum elevation and unscrew both plugs. Now refill as described above. When entirely full, allow not more than two cubic inches (about one-fourth of a gill) of the oil to escape, insert both plugs and lash them with copper wire. It may happen that after firing a few rounds the gun will not return to battery. This may be due to, first, weakness of springs, second, stuffing box gland being screwed up too tight, or third, the oil having expanded, due to heat. It any case the cause must be ascertained and remedied, if due to expansion of oil, it is proven by the fact that the gun cannot be pushed into battery by force exerted on the breech of the gun. In that case elevate the gun to its maximum elevation and remove the filling plug. The oil will now escape permitting the gun to return to battery. In emergencies, water may be used in the cylinder. This should be done only when absolutely necessary, and never in freezing weather, and as soon as practicable the cylinder should be emptied, cleaned, and thoroughly dried and filled with hydroline oil. About 9 pints of hydroline oil are required for filling the recoil cylinder.
To empty the recoil cylinder.—The cylinder may be emptied either when assembled or disassembled from the cradle. In either case, remove both the filling and drain plugs, depress the forward end of the cylinder and drain the contents into a clean can or other receptacle over which a piece of linen or muslin has been stretched, for straining the oil.
To clean the recoil cylinder oil.—The hydroline oil used in the cylinder should be cleaned and free from grit and dirt. The oil should be stored in the closed cans provided for the purpose, and be carefully protected from dirt, sand, or water. Oil withdrawn from the cylinders and containing any sediment must not be used again until it has been allowed to settle for not less than 24 hours. When sediment has thus been permitted to settle great care must be taken not to disturb it in removing the oil. To insure the cleanliness of all cylinder oil it should be strained through a clean piece of linen or muslin before using.
To clean the bore of the gun.—After firing and at other times when necessary, the bore of the gun should be cleaned to remove the residue of smokeless powder, and then oiled. In cleaning, wash the bore with a solution made by dissolving one-half pound of Sal Soda in one gallon of boiling water. After washing with the soda solution, wipe perfectly dry and then oil the bore with a thin coating of the light slushing oil furnished for that purpose. Briefly stated, the care of the bore consists of removing the fouling resulting from firing, in obtaining a chemically clean surface and in coating this surface with a film of oil to prevent rusting. The fouling which results from firing of two kinds—one, the production of combustion of powder, the other, copper scraped off the rotating band. Powder fouling because of its acid reaction, is highly corrosive, that is, it will induce rust and must be removed. Metal fouling of itself is unactive, but its presence prevents the action of cleaning agents. It should be removed if it accumulates. At every opportunity in the intermission of fire, the bore of the gun should be cleaned and lubricated.
To clean the breech mechanism.—The breech mechanism should be kept clean and well lubricated. It should be dismounted for examination and oiled when assembled.
To clean the recoil springs.—Dismount to clean. All rust should be removed and the springs well oiled before assembling. When the springs are dismounted the interior of the cradle should be cleaned and examined for defective riveting, missing rivet heads and scoring. The condition of the spring support guide should be noted and all burrs or scores carefully smoothed off.
To clean, lubricate and care for the elevating and traversing mechanism.—The contact surfaces between the cradle and the rocker should be kept clean, thoroughly oiled, and free from rust. If indications of rusting, cutting, or scoring of these surfaces appear, the cradle should be dismounted, the rust removed, and rough spots smoothed away. The elevating and traversing mechanisms should be dismounted for thorough cleaning and overhauling. They should be kept well oiled and should work easily. If at any time either mechanism works harder than usual, it should be immediately overhauled and the cause discovered and removed. In traveling, the cradle should be locked to the trail by means of the elevating and traversing lock, so as to relieve the pointing mechanism of all travel stresses.
To clean, lubricate and care for the wheels.—The wheel and wheel fastenings should be dismounted periodically and the fastenings, hub boxes, axle arms, and axle bore cleaned and examined. All roughness due to scoring or cutting should be smoothed off. The hollow part of the axle acts as a reservoir for the oil to lubricate the wheel bearings. Experience will show how much oil is needed, but enough should be used to insure that the oil will pass through the axle arms to the hub caps. The nuts on the hub bolts should be tightened monthly during the first year of service and twice a year thereafter. The ends of the bolts should be lightly riveted over to prevent the nut from unscrewing. When the hub bolts are tightened, the hub band should be screwed up as tightly as possible against the lock washer at the outer end of the hub ring.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CARE AND
MAINTENANCE OF MATERIEL
Assembling and Disassembling.
(a) Cradle mechanism, cylinder, springs et cetera.
All work upon recoil cylinders, sights, and other optical equipment should be done in the presence of a commissioned officer. The recoil cylinder should never be clamped in a vise, but when necessary to hold it from turning, a spanner applied to the front end of cylinder should be used. Never remove the cylinder end stud nut when the piece is at an elevation. See that proper kind of oil is used in cylinders and for lubrication. Strain the oil used in filling the cylinders through a fine clean cloth and be sure that the receptacles used in handling the oil are clean. Take every precaution to keep the interior of the cylinders clean and to prevent the entrance of foreign particles. In assembling the gland be sure that at least four threads of the gland are engaged with the threads of the cylinder head. Lash parts with copper wire to prevent unscrewing. Close down the ends of the recoil-indicator guide to avoid loss of the indicator. Prevent possible injury to cannoneers by causing them to stand clear of the counter-recoil spring column in assembling or dismounting. Remove cylinder end stud screw before trying to unscrew cylinder end stud.
(b) Gun
In moving the gun on or off the cradle, provide ample support for the breech end, so that the gun clips are in prolongation of the cradle guides; if this is not done the cradle guides may be ruined.
(c) Elevating and traversing mechanism.
If the gun will not remain at the elevation at which set, the crank shafts are probably not correctly assembled. If the elevating screw do not house in traveling, they are incorrectly assembled.
(d) Sights and quadrant.
Frequently verify the adjustments of sights and quadrant. Require special care in handling sights. Do not permit cannoneers to use front sight as a handle in mounting. Be sure that the range disk of the quadrant and range strip of the rear sight shank are graduated for the particular type of ammunition used by the battery. This also applies to the fuze setter.