US269080A - Henry w - Google Patents

Description

H. W. MASON & P. CUNNINGHAM.

MOUNTING BOAT GUNS.

No. 269,080. Patented Dec. 12, 1882.

EST AVAlLABLE COF UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. MASON AND PATRICK CUNNINGHAM, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASS.

MOUNTlNG BOAT-GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,080, dated December 12, 1882. Application filed January 12, 1880.

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that we, HENRY \V. MASON and PATRICK CUNNINGHAM, of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Taking hales, of which the following is specification.

Guns have been constructed for the purpose of firing a harpoon into a whale from a distance; but when such guns are of sutficient weight to throw aharpoon asufficieut distance the recoil of the gun is so great as to seriously injure the boat, and make it extremely dangerous to the life of the man who fired it. Explosive harpoons have been made to be fired from a shoulder-gun; but they have of necessity been made so small (on account of the recoil being so great in firing a heavier projectile) that the killing of a whale could not be assured.

The object of this invention is to provide a gun which can be used in killing whales from asafe distance, and also be easily and safely used without the least injury to the boat or danger to the person using it.

This invention consists in the particular construction of a gun with which to fire the harpoon and bomb; also in the arrangement of the gun on its pivot, in connection with springs of suitable material, and the use of springs at the points of contact of the pivot and its supports, whereby the effects of the recoil of the gun on the boat are obviated.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a perspective of the gun mounted in the bow of a whale-boat, ready for use. Fig.2 is a top view of the gun G and the casting 0, and also showing a horizontal longitudinal section of the left-hand trunnion and spring. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the box E.

In the clumsy cleat B of the boat Ais fixed thebox E, the construction of which will readily be seen by reference to Fig. 3, in which the parts e and fare of metal, and d is of rubber or other elastic substance, for a purpose hereinafter mentioned. Through the box E the pivot or standard D passes and extends to D, where it enters a hole in the floor of the boat. To the top of the pivot D is afiixed the casting 0, in which casting is hung by its trunnions the gun G.

The construction of the casting G and the manner of hanging the gun G will readily be seen by reference to Fig. 2, in which is shown a. sectional view of the left-hand trunnion and spring.

I) b are the trunnions, which are secured into the sides of the gun Gr, the gun being supported by them on the slides 66 a, said slides passing through perforations made for the purpose in the outer ends of the trunnions.

To the rear of the trunnions, and around the slides a a, are placed the springs d d, of rubher or other suitable material, for apurpose hereinafter mentioned.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The breech-block ofthe gun G is opened, a cart-rid ge inserted, and th e breech-block closed. The harpoon H, with line attached, is then loaded into the muzzle of the gun and crowded home. The gun is then fired. -As the harpoon, which we shall construct as a bomb lance or harpoon, leaves the gun, a lanyard, which will be attached to the wire of the bombprimer and to the gun, will draw the wire from theprimer, (thus lighting the fuse of the bomb,) so that a few moments after the harpoon enters the whale the shell, being filled with powder, explodes, driving the shank of the harpoon a short distance to the rear, when the points of the rings h catch in the flesh and open, thus killing and fastening to the whale at the same time. hen the gun is fired the force of the recoil is caught on the cushions or springs d d, as shown in Fig. 2, and partially by the cushion or spring in box IE, thus converting the sudden blow of a recoil into a push. By the use of these cushions or springs the boat is entirely relieved from danger of injury from the recoil, as is also the person firing the gun.

By the use of a cartridge the operation of loading is performed so quickly that sometimes a. number of whales can be killed before they get out of reach.

We are aware that it is old, broadly, to employ, in connection with the trunnions ofa gun, elastic cushions or springs arranged iu rcar of said trunnions, and to support the gun upon an upright stud or short post arranged between springs.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- KEST AVASLABLE COP In a boat, the combination, with its clumsy b fitted to slide upon the rods ain front of the bar B, having the box E, with an elastic eushsprings d, substantially as described. ion or spring, d, arranged between its two HENRY W MASOY parts and one of said parts adapted to slide w T at one end upon the other of the standard D, 1 ATRIOK QUNLINGHABF having the casting or box 0, provided with I Witnesses:

rods (1, upon which are arranged elastic cush- \VALTER CLIFFORD, ions or springsd,and a gun havingitstrunnions CHARLES W. CLIFFORD.

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