Carriage chains

[freddo]

On the six pounder field carriage there are two chain plates each side of the stock.There are two chain hooks one on each cheek
 I am told that the chain was for braking purposes.I assume it went from the chain plates and through the wheels.Was there one chain or two?and how was the chain configured ? Did they [If two}have hooks and intermediate rings with which the hooks engaged after passing through a wheel and back,or was it one chain permanently attached to one chain plate and then hooked to the other chain plate after passing through both wheels?
I assume the hooks on the cheeks were for hitching up the chain/chains when not in use.

[A.Roads]

Hi freddo,
I am assuming you are talking a U.S. & not British 6 pr field gun carriage. The U.S. No 1 for the 6 pr has the lock chain on one side only - the "near" or "on" side (RHS). Therefore the is only one washer hook on the bracket & one eyeplate as such on the trail.

This is all about the lock chain - none of the other chains.

The lock chain starts at the trail eyeplate and is linked into it - not removeable. There are 6 links (each 3" x 1.5") before it comes to a round link of 2.56"dia (this round link has one more round link of 2.56" dia dangling from it - I'll call this the "dangling link!) the lock chain then continues from the round link for another 16 links (again ëach link being 3" x 1.5").

The 16th link is connected to a deformed long link (4.9" x 1.5). On this long link is a "small round 1.5" dia link. The long link is squeezed to almost touching (the long sides brought close together in the center)  - trapping the small link at the end where the 16th link is attached.  (are you still following this!)

The other end of the long squeezed link has one more lock chain link attached 3"x 1.5" (I'll call this the 17th link).

This 17th link goes thru the eye of a bent pin.

The bent pin is made by this -

Start with a straight pin with a 1.5" head with a hole in it for the 17th link. The pin is 10.35" long overall. The pins shank tapers equally from .6" dia below the head to .325" dia at the thin end.

Now bend the pin 90 degrees, the elbow being 2.6" from the head, by bending the head end up. If you look at it in side elevation you see both the 90 degree bend & with the head hole being fully visible.

The very end of the pin, the thin end, is then bent down slightly - the last 1" being bent down about 15 degrees.


Connect the chain thus - one end is already fixed at the trail to the eyeplate.  The 9th or 10th link of the 16 link section hangs on the washer hook at the bracket. The remaining chain doubles back until the bent pin goes thru the 1.5" dia round "dangling link". The bent pin folds back along the long deformed link - the small round link trapped in the long deformed link slips over the bent pin end - & the small 15 degree turned down end of the bent pin prevents this small round link from slipping off.

Easy!!!

Please don't ask me how it works as a brake because my fingers are aching too much.

Regards
Adrian.

[freddo]

Thanks very much indeed Adrian I sketched what you wrote as I read it-Ended up with a picture of Marylin Monroe in her birthday suit.
    Just kidding Your description was very clear and I now know how it looks. I've seen that locking technique somwhere-Maybe on a farm gate or something.I can now proceed although I still don't know why the eye plate and washer hook are on both sides of the trail on some illustrations and photographs that I have seen.If the chain acts as a brake by passing it through a wheel and back to the dangling link it would make sense to have two in order to avoid assymetric drag when going down hill.
    Hope to see you at the next auction Rolly has some nice things coming up [as always]

[A.Roads]

No worries freddo. 
I'm not sure what illustrations & photos you've seen, the eye plate was bolted thru the trail - the other side has the bolt head & washer only - same as for the bracket hook.  Most contemporaneous drawings seem to depict mainly the "on side" - for some reason, later depictions may have made some erroneous assumption as to mirror imaging that side - who knows.
Only one brake chain was employed on one wheel. Can't say I've ever hooked a brake chain up & actually tried how it went, as I've only connected ever them once or twice & always on flat ground, just to see how they fitted etc.  The British also had just the one brake chain, employing a "Drag Shoe" as part of the set up, but similar principle.
Not sure if I'll get to the auction - 50/50 at this stage - be sure to say hi if I do.  regards, adrian.