US323997A

US323997A - Machine-gun

Info

Publication number: US323997A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1885-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 1902-08-11

Description

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. ALLBNDER. MACHINE GUN.

Patented Aug. 11, 1885;

'rarns arn'r rerun.

MACHINE GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,997, dated August 11, 1885.

Application filed May 9, 1885. (No model.)

drawings.

l This invention relates to machine-gunsof a character which use a rotating but longitudi-- .nally-immovable breech-block and rotating longitudinally-moving barrels.

V "Fig. 3'is a plan of the rear portion of the gun,

The invention consists in certain improvements in the breech and barrel operating mech' anism; also, in improvements in the cartridgefeeding mechanism, and the means for transferring the cartridges from the feed-cases to the rotating breech; also, in details of construction, as hereinafter pointed outand claimed. The object of the invention is to produce a machine-gun which shall be simple and not liable to get out of order, and which shall be able to take ammunition direct from packingcases suitable for. transportation.

Figure l is aside elevation of a six-barreled gun, part of the hopper on the casing being broken away to show part of the cartridgefeeding mechanism. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, partly in elevation, of the rear portion of the gun, some parts being omitted.

the cover to the breech being removed. Fig.

, 4 is a cross-section on line a: 21;, Fig. 3, looking forward. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the firing mechanism. Fig. 5 isacross-section just back of the muzzle, looking rearward. Fig. 6 is a cross-section just in front of the breechblock, looking rearward. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section of the casing, showing the barrels in elevation, (except the rear portions of two barrels in section,), the shaftand gearing being omitted. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the shaft and barrel supports. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing two barrels and the cam-ring projected. Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the barrel-supporting star-wheel. Fig. 11 is a front elevation of thebarrel-supporting cylinder. Fig. 12 is 'a front elevation offlthe breech-block. Fig. 13 is a front elevation of a star feed-wheel. Fig.1; is an elevation or plan of star-wheels and shaft. Fig. 15 is a plan, and Fig. 16 an elevation, of the cartridgefeed and transportation-package.

The numeral 1 indicates the casing in which the working parts of the gun' are inclosed. 5 5 This casing is provided with a door, 2, for access to the working parts, and has a side hopper or chute, 3, through which ammunition is fed, as will be hereinafter explained. Au aperture, 4, in the bottom of the casing permits escape of exploded shells.

The trunnions and training-gear of the gu are not herein illustrated. The barrels 6 6 6, 860., are supported near their front ends in the cylinder 5, and near their breech ends by the star-wheels 7, the perforations 5 in thecylinder being just large enough for the insertion .of the barrels, and the concave spaces/7 between the fingers 7 7 of the star-wheel being also of a size to fit the barrels. The cylinder 5 and star-wheel 7 are secured firmly to the main shaft 8, so as to revolve with said shaft. The cylinder Sis held from longitudinal movement, While being free to rotate by riug-bear-.. ings l0 10 attached to the casing; and the rear 7 5 end of shaft 8 has a bearing in the rear cap, 9, of the casing. Each barrel has two lugs-or projections, 11 11, which lugs engage with the inclined sides of the ring-cam 12, which is per" manently secured to the casing, and the barrels are free to move lengthwise in the supports 5 7. Thus when the parts are in place the rotation of shaft 8 revolves the supports 5 7, and with them the barrels, and the ring cam bythe engagement of the lugs 11 with its edges causes the barrels to reciprocate longitudinally during each rotation.

The barrels maybe held in bushings 50 in cylinder 5, (see one bushing illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. 11,) which bushing may be, 0 removed radially by taking ofi a cap, when the barrels can be removed longitudinally, a small section, 12*, of cam-ring 12 being secured toa hinged portion of easing 1, and when this hinged portion is opened (see dotted lines, Fig. 9 2) the projections 11 may pass lengthwise of the casing through the cam-ring.

To hold the. barrel firmly at the moment of firing, allig, 121, maybe attached to the casing at the firing-point, so that projections 11 will too be seated against these lugs as well as against the cam-ring, and the lugs will give broad bearing surfaces against these projections,

thus taking the pressure from the cam-ring.

' tation of shaft 8. Shaft. 8 is driven by the engagement of a worm, 15, with the worm fixed to said shaft, or by equivalent gearing, worm being mounted on counter-shaft 16, driven by crank 17. The breech-block 13 has an undercut recess, a, in its face opposite each barre], such recess being of shape to receive the head of a cartridge, and afiring-pin passes through the block opposite each recess a in position to explode a cartridge seated in said recess. A short shaft, 18, parallel with the main shaft 8, carries two star-wheels, 19, and is driven at a uniform speed with the main shaft by inte'rmeshing pinions- 21. The star-wheels 19 are just forward and a little to one side of the breech-block 13 and in line with hopper 3. A curved guide, 22, surrounds the star-wheels, its outer end projecting into the hopper. (See Fig. 6.) The inner end of this guide curves round and approaches the shaft 8.

When cartridges are fed to the star-wheel through the mouth of hopper 4, they are prevented from passing down through the hopper by guide 22, and therefore are carried round by the teeth of the star-wheels. As they approach the breech-block the heads of the cartridges are carried into the open sides of the recesses a, the rotation of the block and the star-wheels being timed by the gearing, so that each succeeding cartridge between the teeth of the stanwheels is carried into the appropriate recess in the breechblock. The cartridges are compelled to follow the movement of the breech-block rather than the starwheels by a transferfinger, 23, which extends between the star-wheels. As the breech-block revolves with the heads of the cartridges seated in its recesses the 'barrels move back toward the block and inclose the cartridges. As the revolution continues beyond firing position the barrels moveaway from the breech, leaving the cartridge-shells in the recesses, the shells being held by their heads, and a finger, 24, finally picks the shellsfrom the recesses in the breech-block, causing the shells to drop through hole 4 in the casing. The hammer has a curved. lever, 27, projecting therefrom,tl1e hammer and lever bein pivoted at 26, and forming in effect a bell-crank lever. A spring, 29, serves to throw the hammerforward against one of the firing-pi us when permitted. The block 13 has projections 28, which in their rotation engage the front of le-' ver 27, and thus rock it and the hammer against the force of the spring. As soon as a projection, 28, passes the end of lever 27 the hammer is thrown forward to explode the cartridge. The cartridges 30 are carried in packing-cases 31, having turned-up sides 32 to bear against the head and bullet of the cartridge, and having two supporting-strips, 33 34, near the ends of the cartridges. These strips, preferably of strong pasteboard, are notched in the edges to receive a little more than half the diameter of the cartridge. The cartridges are thus held firmly in the cases, the sides of the cartridges being far enough removed from the casing to permit the guide 22 to pass under them. The feed-cases are passed successively into the hopper, falling by gravity until the first cartridgeisengaged by a tooth of thestar-wheels 19, when the star-wheels will act as pinions, carrying the cartridge-cases forward in the manner of a rack-and-pinion movement. As the cases move forward the cartridges are removed from the slight fastening afforded them by the notches in the pasteboard-strips, and the cartridges are carried into the gun, as has been described, the empty feed-cases falling to the ground through the open bottom of the hopper. v

I claim 1. In machine-guns, the combination, with a barrel-inclosing case, of a ring-cam inclosed by and attached to said case, a series of rotating barrels receiving longitudinal movement from said cam, and a rotating breech-block fixed against longitudinal movement, having aflange-holding recess for a cartridge-head in line with each barrel.

2. In a machine-gun, the combination, with a rotating breech-block having recesses for the cartridge-heads, of a rotating star-wheel cartridge-carrier, and a transfer-finger adjacent to the star-wheel and block, by which the cartridgesare transferred to the recesses in the breech-block, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the open hopper and a sliding cartridge-carrying case therein, of the star-wheel positively driven by the driving mechanism of the gun and having its teeth extending into the hopper and feed-case, and a guide extending into the hopper and par tially surrounding the star-wheel, whereby the cartridges are guided to said star-wheel, as set forth.

4. In combination with the hopper, guide, and star wheel relatively arranged as described, a cartridge-feed case having the cartridges removably clamped near their heads and points by supporting-pieces which hold .them a little distance from the base thereof,

whereby the guide may enter between the cartridges and their case, as set forth.

- 5. The cartridge-feed case consisting of a plate with turned-up edges and two notched disks secured to the plate, one at a little distance from each end and parallel with the turned-up edges.

6. The combination, with the hoppef and guide of a machine gun, of the two star-wheels side by side on the same shaft, driving mechanism therefor, and a curved transfer-finger in the space between the wheels, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a series of barrels and supporting mechanism, substantially as described, of a rotating breech-block having undercut recesses for the cartridge-heads, said recesses opening radially toward the periphsame synchronously with the main shaft, starery of the block, substantially as described. wheels on the counter-shaft, and a transfer-fin- 8. In combination with the rotating breech ger in proximity thereto and inclined to folblock having undercut recesses opening radilow the curve of the breech-block, substanr5 5 ally, the stationary finger arranged in front of tially as described.

and in proximity thereto, extending obliquely In testimony whereof -I affix my signature in across the front face of the block to serve as a presence of two witnesses. shell-ejector, as set forth. I HENRY ALLENDER.

9. In combination with the rotating shaft Witnesses: I0 carrying the breech-block, the shaft-driving WM. M. \VYOKOFF,

gear, a counter-shaft and gears to'rotate the FRANK BOWRING.