US229058A - spencer - Google Patents

Description

L. W. SPENCER. Line Throwing Gun.

Q /l/ A WITNESSES I J j INVENTUIZL/ mar W/ BY TORNEYS.

Patented June 22, I880.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS W. SPENCER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND THOMAS D. HARRISON, OF SAME PLACE.

LINE-THROWING GUN- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,058, dated June 22, 1880. Application filed November 1, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEWIS W. SPENCER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Gun and Projectile for Throwing Life- Saving Lines, of

g which the following is a specification.

the projectile.

The object of my invention is to obtain greater accuracy and a longer range in throwing life-saving lines. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional'elevation of my improved gun and projectile arranged for firing. Fig. 2 represents a side View of my improved breech-block forbreech-loading guns. Fig. 3 represents the breech-block open for the reception of the connection'between the life-line and Fig. 4' is across-section of the gun, taken on line a) a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents the improved projectile and its elastic tail. Fig. 6 represents my improvements applied to a muzzle-loading gun.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

Referring to the drawings, A is a breechloading gun, mounted by means of trunnions on a gun-carriage, B. In the breech a of the gun, back of the barrel b, is an internally screw-threaded chamber, 0.

G is the breech-block, screw-threaded externally to adapt it to be screwed into chamher 0. Breech-block C is divided longitudinally into two semi-cylindrical sections, 06, which, when put together to form the block, are held together by dowel-pins fin section a entering corresponding holes in section 6. In each of sections 6 c, at the longitudinal center, is a half-round groove, 0. When the sections are placed together these grooves e form a breech-port, e, (see Fig. 1,) which coincides with the center of the bore of barrel 1). Around the front end of this port e the breech-block is coned out to form a seat, h,

and at the rear end the breech-block is funline can be connected directly with the projectile, and it is only necessary to put the two sections together and screw the breech-block into the gun, instead of having to splice the line to the projectile after loading.

l) is the elongated projectile which I use with my gun To the butt 9' is attached one end of an elastic metal tail, it. Near the free end l of the elastic tail an ovoid valve, on, is fixed to said tail, which serves to close the inner end of the port 0'' in the breech. The tail is is made of a material that can be coiled into a tight spiral without breaking, and which will resist the action of the exploded gunpowder.

Underneath the gun is a plate, E, suspended by cars a from the trunnions a of the gun. The forward end, 0, of plate E is turned up at rightangles, so as to bear against the under side of the barrel 1). Underneath the rear end of plate E is a curved arm, F, with a slot, p, through which is passed the end q of a set screw passed through the side of the gumcarriage B. By means of plate E the muzzle of the gun is held at any required height to obtain the proper range.

The manner of using the gun and projectile is as follows: The projectiles are prepared and kept in readiness for use by splicing the end I of the elastic tail k to the free end of the life-line l, which is coiled in a box in the usual manner. The breech-block G is withdrawn from the ,gun and opened for the insertion of the line. The projectile D is inserted into the barrel I) through the breech a, and the elastic tail in is coiled into a close hollow spiral of the same diameter as the projectile, and this hollow spiral is passed into the barrel behind the shot in the manner shown in Fig. 1. A I

bag of powder, r, is then inserted within the spiral formed by the tail is, the end I beyond valve m is laid in the channel (2, and, the two parts of the breech-block being put together, said block is screwed into the breech, and the valve m is drawn into the concave seat h, so as to close the port 6' and prevent the backward escape of the gas.

When the gun is fired the shot passes straight out of the gun, the elastic tail k uncoils, and the life-line is drawn by the tail through the port e and barrel b behind the shot, which is thus enabled to keep straight' 2 assess on its course without turning or reversing its position after leaving the gun, as is the case in the use of the common method when the life-line is attached to the shot and passed intothe gun from the muzzle. The result of my improvement is, that a longer range and greater accuracy are obtained.

In Fig. 6 is shown a muzzle-loader. Herein the port 6' for the end of the elastic tail is made directly through the breech, and at the rear end is funneled out, the same as in the breech-block O. In this construction it is, of course, impossible to splice the elastic tail and life-line before loading. Consequently the end I of the tail is attached to a needle, which is thrust through the barrel 0, and thence through port 0, and the end 1 having been by this means drawn through the breech, the said end is spliced to the life-line l and the valve m is drawn down to its seat h.

In loading, the powder is first placed in the gun from the muzzle, the tail k is coiled, as before, and, having been inserted in the gun,

the shot is also placed in the muzzle and rammed home, and the gun is fired, as before.

It will be readily seen that by my improvement the projectile is delivered from the gun without other retardation than that caused by the weight of the life-line, whereas by the ordinary method, when the life-line is fired out of the gun ahead of the projectile, the Weight of the line compels the projectile to reverse or turn end for end, and the consequence is a very great retardation of the projectiles speed,

The tail 7:, in addition to serving as an tic connection between the shot and the lifeline, serves also as a guide for holding the shot on its course, and thus materially increases the accuracy of the shooting.

By applying tail k to elongated projectiles I am enabled to use such projectiles with smooth-bore guns for all purposes, and to obtain thereby as great accuracy as is now ob tained with rifled ordnance and a much longer range.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pateut- 1. In combination with the barrel 7), the breech-block 0, provided with a central port, 6', valve-seat h, and funneled entrance '5, as and for the purpose substantially as described.

2. In combination with the projectile D, the elastic tail 7c and valve m, substantially as described. v

3. In combination with the projectile D, the elastic tail is, valve m, and end l for the attachment of the life-line, substantially as described.

LEWIS W. SPENCER.

Witnesses W. G. Dorm, O. SEDGWIoK.

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