US33876A

US33876A - Improvement in breech-loading ordnance

Info

Publication number: US33876A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1861-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 1878-12-10

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

L. W. BROADWELL.

Breech-loading Ordnance.

Patent-ed Dec. 10, 1861.

Inventor;

.m M v. 3?

NITE STATES PATENT FFiCE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,876, dated December 10, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS WELLs BROAD- WELL, a citizen of the United States, at present residing in St. Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Breech-Loading Ordnance; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- I Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section of a cannon with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same close in front of the sliding breech-block. Fig. 4 is a side view of the sliding breech -block detached from the gun. Fig. 5 is a central section ofthe gas-ring. Fig. 6 exhibits a central vertical section of the breecl1,illustrating a modification of my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the employment for opening and closing the breech of a piece of ordnance of a sliding breech-block having a movement perpendicular to the bore of the piece; and it consists in an improved mode of producing the movement of the said breechblock.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention,I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In applying the invention the bore of the gun is continued right through the breech, and a mortise a a I) Z; is cut for the reception of the sliding breech-block B. The mouth of this mortise is on the upper side of the gun. The front portion 1) h is wider than the back portion a a, as shown in Fig. 2, and may eX- tend right through the gun; but the narrower back portion a a should terminate in the lower side of the bore, that the bottom of that portion may serve as a stop to prevent the breechblock B from being forced too far or too tightly into the mortise. The sides or ends of the mortise which are toward the sides of the gun are parallel; but the front and back are very slightly inclined toward each other toward the bottom.

The breech-block B is made of a form to fit the mortise, and is consequently slightly tapered in adownward direction. In the front face of the said block there is provided a circular cavity c, of larger diameter than the borecharge of the gun is fired, the gas entering.

the cavity 0 gets behind the ring 61 and forces it forward against the portion of the front of the mortise surrounding the bore, and so prevents the escape of gas at the breech of the gun.

The portion 6 of the bore of the gun behind the mortise is made slightly larger than the portion in front of it to facilitate the loading of the gun when the breeclrblock is raised to the proper position.

In constructing new guns for the application of my invention I propose to provide a sufficient thickness of metal at the breech, as shown in Fig. 6, to allow the opening move- I ment of the breech-block to be effected without its projecting above the gun itself, and to close the mortise at the top and bottom by means of either hinged or sliding shuttersff for the exclusion of dust.

The means employed to raise and lower the breech-block consist of a transverse shaft 9, having two arms h h, which are connected with the breech-block by means of two links '5 iand pinsjj and 7c. The shaft 9 is arranged in rear of the mortise which contains the breech-block and just above the portion e of the bore,where suitable bearings are provided for it in the solid metal of the gun. The arms h h are firmly secured to the shaft, and they, with the links t' i, work in narrow mortises Z Z, provided for them in the back part of the breech-block. The pin 713, which attaches the links to the breech-block, passes right through the said block. No part of the shaft g projects from the gun; but a square is formed on oneend,andthecannonis countersunkaround that end for the reception of a lever m, which is put on the shaft only when the breech is to be operated.

The operationi. 6., the opening and closing of the breech-is effected by merely turning the shaft to the extent of about a quarterrevolution. In this operation the arms h h and links 2 i operate as a toggle. When the block is raised up entirely above the bore and \Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire the breech is open for the reception of the to secure by Letters Patent, is"

load, the arms and links are in line With each The empl0yment,for elevating and depressother, as shown in dotted outline inFig.1,and ing the breech-block B for opening and closwhen it is closed they assume the position ining the breech, of a shaft g, arms h h, and

dicated in bold outline in the same figure. links i 7;, the whole combined, arranged, and Vhen the gun is constructed as shown in operating substantially as herein specified. Fig. 6, the breech and all its operating mech- LE'WIS WELLS BROADXVELL. anisin are kept entirely Within the gun, even Witnesses:

when the breech is open, and the Whole is pro A. G. GOODALL,

tected from dust and from the Weather. \V. M. VVINANS.