US311973A - Breech-loading ordnance - Google Patents

Description

(No Md'el.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. R. J. GATLING.

BRBEGH LOADING ORDNANGE.

110.311,973. Patented Peb. 10,1885. 1; wg

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2,

R. J. GATLING.

BREEGH LOADING ORDNANGE.

110.311,97). I Patented Feb. 10,1885.

WTNESES.

Y v um h I f 6, MZ/gj, ,a iwf/01.14, 2j Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. y 1 G.

ADI G DNANGE.

atented Feb. 10. 1885.

(No Model.)

R. J. G

BREEGH L0 No. 311,973.

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BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE.

SPBCIFIOATIONYforming part of Letters Patent No. 311,973, dated February l0, 1885.

Application filed June Q0, ISES. (No model.)

il? @ZZ whom it 11i/ty concern.-

Beit known that I, RICHARD J. GTLING, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Breeeh-Loading Guns, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whereby a person skilled in the art can make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Like letters in the iigures indicate the same parts.

Figure l shows a side elevation of my improved gun with its mount. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the gun. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the breech on the axis of the gun. Fig. 4t is a vertical longitudinal section of the easing of the gun, with the barrel shown therein. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line l 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line 3 41;. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the gun. Fig; S is a rear view of the compressed air or steam mechanism for working the gun. Fig. 9 is a view, partly in section, of these parts. Fig. l() is a plan view of these parts. Fig. ll is a central section of the lower part of the mounting, showing also the wayin which the bed-plate is supported by four beams.

My invention relates, especially, to the class ot' breech-loading guns adapted for use in such positions as will best afford protection to vessels from the attack of torpedo-boats,`

and throwing a missile of at least six pounds in weight.

in the accompanying drawings, the letter A denotes the barrel of the gun; A', the breech, bearing the reciprocating breech-block L, C, the easing, which partly incloses the barrel, and is shaped at the rear opening to conform to the outline ol" the enlarged rear portion of the barrel, (see Fig. 5,) which is a cylinder flattened or slabbed ofi on top, bottom, and two sides, to prevent the barrel from rotating in the casing. On the outside of the casing are cast the trunnions T, and opposite to them, on the inside, is formed a diaphragm, that strengthens the Casin g at this part and loosely ineloses the barrel ofthe gun, as shown in Fig. 6. lThe front end of the easing is closed by the nut D, whichiits so as to slide within the casing, and is securely fastened, as by screwthread or the like, to the barrel of the gun, but in such a way as to adnit of longitudinal adjustment upon the barrel. In the space inside the casing between the central diaphragmand the nut D is placed an elastic packing, D, which may be a hollow cylinder of rubber or other suitable material, or a metallic spiral spring, the ends of which bear on the diaphragm and nut, respectively. By means of this device the shock of the recoil on firing the gun is borne by an elastic substance, and the mountings of the gun thereby protected from any severe shock. This packing also holds the breech A tirml y against the rear of the casing C, and returns it to contact after each recoil.

This gun is designed to be used with metallic cartridges, and the tiring and shell-ejecting mechanisms are contained in the reciprocating breechbloek B and in its seat in the breech. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) In the normal position of the parts for loading the gun the feed-openings through the breech-block and breech are in the line of the axis of the bore ot' the barrel, so that al cartridge can be inserted from the rear into the tiring-chamber, located in the barrel justin front of the breechblock. This position of the parts and cartridge in the chamber is shown in Fig. 3, which is a sectional view on a horizontal plane, and to tire the cartridge their operation is as follows: The breech-block is moved to the left, bearing with it in a recess or mortisc in the block hammer O, mainspring It, and, in position to be struck by the pivoted hammer on its desc-ent, the ring-pin V. As the block approaches its extreme left position, the heel or projection on the heel of the hammer O strik es against the pivoted cocking-pawl U, which is backed by its seat against motion in this direction, and the hammer is lifted bythe onward movement of the block and the mainspring compressed. The mainspring It is a double leaf-spring, one end resting upon a pin fast in the breech-block and the other bearing upon one end of a pivoted stirrup, the other end of which is pivoted to the short arm of the hammer. 'When thebreech-block reaches the end of its left-hand stroke or play, the breech is fully closed, the tiring-pin V is in line with the central primer oi' the cartridge, the heel of the hammer slips over and past the cocking-pawl, and its head is brought sharply down onto the tiring-pin, which explodes the primer and cartridge. The ring-pin is made rebounding by means of the IOO f the ejector is in line with the horizontal censpiral spring arranged about it in its socket, so that its point is drawn back from the face of the block and cannot interfere with the free movement of the latter in its seat. When the breech-block is returned to its right-hand position, the cocking-pawl U is swung outward on its pivot, the spring Uyielding as theheel of the hammer presses against the pawl, but returning the latter to place as soon as the hammer has passed. As the breech-block ap proaches its right-hand position the breech is opened, and the empty cartridge-shell is ej ected by meansof the ejector V and the ejectorpawl X. The ejector WV is set into the upper left-hand part ol' the front face of the seat in which the breech-block B slides. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) One arm of the ejector reaches to the chamber, and here forms a quarter of a circle, resting in front of and against the rim or head of the cartridge. The lower edge of ter line of the gun, and extends to the left side of the breech. Here the ejector is pivoted on the vertical ejector-pin w, and while all parts of the ejector to the right of this pin are even or iiush with the wall of the breechblock seat to the left a short arm or heel of the ejector protrudes to the rear into this seat. A horizontal slot is cut into the left front side of the breech-block, to allow the ejector to swing on its pin when the breech is open.

In the left hand of the breech -block B is pivoted the ejector pawl X, in such position that when the right-hand stroke of the breechblock has nearly opened the breech the inclined side of this pawl X strikes against the heel of the ejector, and the pawl, not being able to swing out of the way in this direction, presses the heel of the ejector V forward, rotates the ejector on its pin, throws its other arm backward, and so ejects the empty cartridge-shell from the chamber and the breech. The last part of the right-hand stroke allows the ej ector-heel to slip over and past the point of the ejector-pawl, and a spiral spring seated under the short arm of the ejector returns the saine to its first position and the other arm to its place around the chamber. In case this spring should break or become inoperative, the ejector, not being returned to its seat, would continue to protrude into the bore of the breech block. To prevent this and the breech block from crushing against the eX- posed ejector, there is formed on the lower edge of the ejector a small protruding lug below the horizontal centerline of thegun. The rear face of this part inclines to the front and right, and should the long ejector-arm stand in the way of the breech block the left side of the breech-block, forming the bore or opening, which is slotted only to the horizonal center line, strikes against this inclined part, which extends below the center line, and the breech-block, movingto the right, presses the ejector into its proper seat. The ejectingpawl X swings on its pin out of the way when it strikes against the ejector-heel at the star Vof the righthand or closing stroke, and byits spring is returned to its first position.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the drawings, it will be seen that the breech-block reciprocates laterally in the breech of the gun, and the force or power for operating the breech-block is comparatively equal. The gun is mounted by its trunnions in the trunnion-boxes, which are on the upper part of two uprights of the swivel S. The swivel rests upon the bed-plate I), and its centralpivot is inserted into the socket of the bed-plate. The bed-plate is bolted to two timbers running parallel to the bulwark of a ship, and two cross-timbers unite the former and help to carry the gun and mount. Fig. Il.) The segment-gear H is fastened under the front and rear end of the casing C, and a horizontal shaft, s', penetrates through the uprights of the swivel S at right angles to the axis of the gun. A spur-gear, I, is splined upon this shaft so as to work into the segmentgear H.

On the right end of the shaft s', and on the outside of the right swivel-upright, is placed the gear-case K, which can turn on the shaft, and is locked in any desired position by a spring catch-bolt, o', placed on the swivel S over the caseK,and holding the case K by lockinginto one of a series of slots cut into the periphery of the case K.

In the case K,fastened on the shaft s,is the worm-gear J, and under it, working into J, is the worm L. This worm is splined and pinned to the sighting-lever M, which, being set in bearings formed for it in the case K, extends to the rear, and carries on its end a handwheel. By turning this hand-wheel and lever M and worm L, it is evident that the wormgear J is revolved, and with it thegear-shafts and the spur-gear I, which works in the segment-gear H, and by this means elevates or depresses the gun. The lateral motion is at the same time given to the swivel S and to the gun by pulling the lever Min the desired sidewise or horizontal direction.

In order to reduce the friction, and consequently the necessary exertion for this lateral training, to a minimum, the bottoni of the pivot-socketofbed-plate P is closed by a screwcap, q, (see Figs. l and 11,) and in this cap is set a strong screw-bolt, r, with a check-nut. `In the lower end of the swivel-pivot is fastened the hardened-steel step t, the lower end of which finds a seat in a recess or cup turned into the end ofthe bolt r. The pivot of S being slightly tapered, a very small amount of raising it by turning the bolt r will free it, so that it works easily in the socket, and when the swivel S is thus slightly raised from the bedplate P and only works on the step t, a small lateral exertion on the sighting-lever M will range the gun as desired. Ihe position of the trunnions is such that the gun is balanced onthem. The screw-cap q is filled with oil before thepivot is inserted into the socket,

and it will exclude dirt from the step and its (See ICO

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bearing, and will lubricate both. Afurther strengthening against any excessive shock of recoil from extreme charges of powder is the flange f on the front edge of swivel S, which h'ts under a corresponding seat, a, of the bedplate I?. The swivel, on mounting it, is set with one of the uprights forward-1T. c., the axis of the trunnionboxes crossing its proper position until the pivot is in its socketw-and the flattened side of the upright allows the swivel to take its place on the heel-plate P without striking against the flange-scatta. A quarter-revolution of the swivelthen brings it into its true position, the flange f sliding into its rest a. Between the two uprights of the swivel is bolted the valvechestG, which is connected by elastic tubes h h with the ends ot' the cylinder E, fastened under the breech A of the gun, parallel to the breech-block B. This cylinder is closed on each end by a cover, and in it Works a piston, a, fast to a pistonrod, b, which penetrates through the cylindercovers, and is on each end connected with the breech-block B by the connecting-arms FLF and bolts d d. (See Fig. 2.) The elastic tubes h 7L from the valve-chest connect with ports ou either' end of the cylinder. In the valvechest works the slide-valve 7a on the valve-rod Z, and steam or compressed air is supplied to the valve-chest bythe feed-pipe z'. The steam exhausts forward ot' the swivel by the exhaust-pipe j, The slide-valve rod Z is connected by the leverarn1 a with the roekshaft m, and the lever-arm if on the other end of the rock-shaft m connects with the rod o under and parallel to the sighting-lever M. The rear end ot' rod ois hung to the firing handle or trigger N, which slides loosely on the lever l\I. (See Figs. l, 8, 9, I0.) The slide-valve, cylinder, and piston act like the well-known parts of like names of a steamengine. When the firinghandle or trigger N is pulled to the rear, the slide-valve allows steam or compressed air to enter the righthand port ofthe cylinder, and in consequence the piston, and with it the breech-block, travel to the left, closing the breech and tiring a shot. After this a push on the firing handle or trigger N in the opposite direction, sending steam or compressed air to the left port of the cylinder', opens the breech, ejects the empty shell, and makes the gun ready for loading again. The elastic tubes h h prevent the recoil of the gun from breaking the connections between cylinder and valve-chest.

I am aware that a training mechanism has heretofore been made composed oi' a segmentrack attached to the under side of the breech of the gun, and arranged to be engaged by a worm carried by a shaft journaled in an arm projecting from a yoke carrying the gun, so that it may swivel in a socket; and I do not broadly claim such device.

I claim as my invcntion-- l. In combination, the gun-barrel, the adranged to reciprocate laterally of the axis of n the gun in iiring the charge, all substantially as described.

4. In a breech-loading gun, a breech-block bearing the hammer, mainspring, and firingpin, in combination with thepawl attached to the breech, whereby the hammer is oper ated by the motion of the breech-block, all substantially as described.

5. In abreech-loading gun, in combination, the reciprocating breech-block bearing the pivoted ejector-pawl, and the breech-piece bearing the pivoted ejector, all substantially as described.

6. In combination, the breech-piece, the pivoted ejector, and the sliding breech-block with pivoted ejector-pawl, by the transverse motion of which the ejector is operated, all substantially as described.

'7. In a device for mount-ing a gun, the bedplate P, having a pivot-socket closed by the cap q, in combination with the hardened step t, the screw-bolt r, and the check-nut, all substantially as described.

S. In a gunfmount, in combination, the swivel S, the shafts', bearing the spur-gear I, and the worm-gear J, the rotary sightinglever M, bearing the worm L, and the segmental gear H, fast to the gun or its case, all substantially as described.

9. In a gun-mount, in combination, the bedplate I, the swivel SQ mechanism for adjusting the gun, the rotary sighting-lever M, bearing the tiring-handle N, and the connected steam, compressed-air, or like mechanism for iiring the gun, all substantially as described.

10. In a gun-mount, the combination, with a swivel bearing the gun, of mechanism for adjusting the gun through the medium of a sighting lever carrying a firing-handle, substantially as described.

l1. In a gun-mount, the combination, with IOO IIO

the swivel S and shaf f s and geaiwheels, of

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