Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A pin or gudgeon, especially either of two small cylindrical projections on a cannon forming an axis on which it pivots.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun One of the cylindrical projections on the sides of a cannon, cast or forged in one piece with the cannon itself, which support it on its carriage.
- noun In steam-engines, a hollow gudgeon on each side of an oscillating cylinder, which supports the cylinder, and through which steam is received and exhausted.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Gun.) A cylindrical projection on each side of a piece, whether gun, mortar, or howitzer, serving to support it on the cheeks of the carriage. See
Illust. ofcannon . - noun (Steam Engine) A gudgeon on each side of an oscillating steam cylinder, to support it. It is usually tubular, to convey steam.
- noun (Gun.) a plate in the carriage of a gun, mortar, or howitzer, which covers the upper part of the cheek, and forms a bearing under the trunnion.
- noun (Gun.), [R.] a ring on a cannon next before the trunnions.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun One of the short
stubby bearings on either side of a cannon; agudgeon . - noun A similar rotational bearing comprising a rotating
arc orring sliding in the groove of a stationary arc, used in machinery to allow a workpiece to be moved relative to a fixed tool.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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a point from the end equal to the semi-diameter of the trunnion, which is marked on each branch.
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition. United States. Navy Dept. Bureau of Ordnance
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In mortar-vessels other expedients are resorted to, such as trunnion-sights, or a white line painted on the mortar-bed parallel to the axis of the bore when level; but the first plan is preferable.
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition. United States. Navy Dept. Bureau of Ordnance
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The guns 'teams of oxen and horses were being led back into the shelter of the oaks while squads of gunners hoisted the hugely heavy cannon barrels out of their rear travelling trunnion holes and moved them into the forward fighting holes where other men used hammers to fasten the capsquares over the newly placed trunnions.
Sharpe's Battle Cornwell, Bernard 1995
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The lengths of the trunnions are measured with the foot-rule, and the diameters of the rimbases by that of the exterior rim of the trunnion-gauge.
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition. United States. Navy Dept. Bureau of Ordnance
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Basic proportions for the carriage were obtained by measuring (1) the distance from trunnion to base ring of the gun, (2) the diameter of the base ring, and (3) the diameter of the second reinforce ring.
Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America Albert Manucy
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The United States siege carriage of the 1860's had no extra trunnion holes, but a "traveling bed" was provided where the gun was cradled in position 2 or 3 feet back of its firing position.
Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America Albert Manucy
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Some late eighteenth century field and siege carriages had a second pair of trunnion holes a couple of feet back from the regular holes, and the cannon was shifted to the rear holes where the weight was better distributed for traveling.
Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America Albert Manucy
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The remaining parts of the brackets are the trunnion-holes _b_, steps _c_, quarter-rounds
Ordnance Instructions for the United States Navy. 1866. Fourth edition. United States. Navy Dept. Bureau of Ordnance
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The trunnion sight, a graduated sight attached to the trunnion, could be used when the muzzle had to be elevated so high that it blocked the gunner's view of the target.
Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America Albert Manucy
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Use of tangent and trunnion sights brought gunnery further into the realm of mathematical science; the telescopic sight came about the middle of the nineteenth century; gunners were developing into technicians whose job was merely to load the piece and set the instruments as instructed by officers in fire control posts some distance away from the gun.
Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America Albert Manucy
chained_bear commented on the word trunnion
"...all the guns but three were made of painted wood and of the others two had had their trunnions beaten off, so that they could not be pointed with any sort of accuracy, while the third, an archaic brass piece, had once been spiked, and the person who bored out its touch-hole had made a sad botch of it."
—Patrick O'Brian, The Ionian Mission, 323
February 14, 2008
sonofgroucho commented on the word trunnion
What a great word.
February 14, 2008
reesetee commented on the word trunnion
Agreed.
February 14, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word trunnion
"trunnions
Short horizontal bars on both sides of a cannon by which it is mounted to the gun-carriage and that provide the axis upon which the cannon pivots when being aimed."
A Sea of Words: A Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O'Brian's Seafaring Tales, 436
Whew. I figured I should really know what the heck these are.
February 15, 2008
reesetee commented on the word trunnion
Really. I mean, if you're going to talk about someone having their trunnions beaten off, you should know what you're talking about. ;-)
February 15, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word trunnion
"TRUNNIONS, two wings projecting from the sides of a piece of ordnance, by which it is supported upon its carriage." (citation in Historical Military Terms list description)
October 9, 2008