US475728A

US475728A - giffard

Info

Publication number: US475728A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 1909-05-24

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sh86tB-Sh6 6fi 1.

P. GIFFARD. APPARATUS FOR CHARGING MAGAZINES WITH- LIQUBFIBD GAS. No. 475,728. Patented May 24, 1892.

No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. GIPPARD.- APPARATUS FOR CHARGING MAGAZINES WITH LIQUEFIBD GAS.

No. 475,728. Patented May 24, 1892.

jn'venion A PauZ 63f a m;

afibrlwy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL GIFFARD, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL (GIFFARD) GUN AND ORDNANOE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF LONDON,

ENGLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,728, dated May 24, 1892.

Application filed August 2, 1890. Serial No. 360,738- (No model.) Patented in France May 31, 1390. 2 ill Belgium July 3, 1890, No. 91.125, and in England July 3, 1890, No. 10,308.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, PAUL GIFFARD, of Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented a new Improvement in Charging Magazines with Liquefied Gas, (patented in France May 31, 1890, No. 206,020; in Belgium July 3,1800, No. 91,125, and in Great Britain July 3, 1890, No. 10,308,) and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings c011- stitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a longitudinal section of a gunmagazine which this invention is adapted to charge. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal central section of the apparatus, the figure represented as broken both vertically and longitudinally for convenience of illustration.

This invention relates to an apparatus for charging magazines with liquefied gas for use in guns and similar purposes. The magazine such as this apparatus is designed to charge is illustrated in Fig. 1 and consists of a tube a, made from metal of a strength to withstand the pressure and of a size corresponding'to the arm or purpose for which the magazine is designed. The magazine is closed at one end and open at the other end, the open end being closed by a valve b,arranged to open inward against the pressure of the magazine, and is also provided with a spring 0, which yieldingly holds the valve in the closed position. The end of the magazine is screw-threaded, as shown, for the convenient attachment of the magazine to the gun. The gun for which such a magazine is specially designed is an invention of mine and for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 452,882, dated May 27, 1891, were granted to me. The gas with which the magazine is to be charged is what is commonly called liquefied gas that is to say, gas, such as, for illustration, carbonic-acid gas, compressed to liquefactionand the magazine is of a size to contain suflioient gas for many charges, and it is arranged in the gun so that the blow of'the hammer will open the valve for a length of time sufficient only to permit the requisite amount of gas for a single charge to escape. The magazines are prepared and furnished to users of the gun and may be sold in the market as common cartridges are sold. It is found inipracticable to charge these magazines direct from the compressor.

The object of this invention is an apparatus by which the magazine may be practically charged; and it consists in the apparatus as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

The apparatus for charging the magazines is illustrated in Fig. 2.

R representsa reservoir, preferably of metal, and of great strength, sufiicient to withstand the required pressure. The reservoir is provided with a valve for the inlet and outlet of the gas, and, as here represented, this consists of a stopper B, screwed into a passage leading into the reservoir, and preferably with a semihard-rubber valve-seat b. The valve S is of metal and adapted to be forced against the packing b by a coiled spring S, which takes a seat on a shoulder G below the valve and so as to bear upwardly against the valve at one end to yieldingly hold it upon its seat, and so that the valve may open inward from a pressure from the outside. In the passage into the reservoir and above the valve is a stuffing-box V, preferably of hard rubber, and through which a metal spindle T passes, the spindle being fitted with a handletfor operating it. The rod T is adapted to bear upon the valve and is screwed into the gland D, and so that by turning the handle 25 in one direction the valve may be forcibly opened against the pressure of its spring or pressure from within the reservoir, and so as to permit the introduction of the gas or the escape of such gas, as the case may be. Surrounding the reservoir R is atank or vessel adapted to contain hot water or other medium, which should be at a temperature of from 45 to centigrade. From the reservoir above the valve and below the stuffing-box a conductor or channel C leads into a head M, one end of which is fitted to receive the cartridge-case, which may be set therein as shown. The head M is provided with a spindle O, terminating at its inner end in a conical shape and is provided with a suitable head or handle by which it may be rotated. The channel 0 opens into a passage Fin the head M, and the conical end of the spindle O is adapted to close that passage above the channel. A tank is provided, as shown, filled with cold water or other medium at a temperature of about 15 centigrade, so that the magazine to be charged may be immersed therein, as SllOWIL- Above the seat upon which the spindle O rests to close the passage F is an outlet 0', and so that if the passage F be opened by raising the spindle 0 there will be an outward communication from the passage F through the outlet 0.

The reservoir is charged with liquefied gas in any convenient manner by disconnecting the channel 0 or through that channel or by any convenient or suitable means, and having been charged it is immersed in the hot medium, as before described, and the magazine to be charged is attached to the head M, the passage F being closed. Then by opening the valve of the reservoir liquid carbonic-acid gas will pass through the channel 0 in a gaseous state into the magazine, the valve of the magazine readily opening for such discharge of the gas therein, and in the magazine it becomes liquefied, owing to the difierence in temperature, and at once completely fills the magazine with liquefied carbonic-acid gas. When this filling has been completed, the valve of the reservoir is closed and then the spindle O is raised as quickly as may be. The gas contained in the passage between the reservoir and the magazine escapes through the outlet 0' and this permits the gas Within the magazine to act automatically to close its valve and so as to secure the liquefied gas within the magazine. This done, the magazineis removed and another applied to be filled in like manner. A suitable washer n is applied in the recess 12, formed in the end of the head to receive the magazine and which will serve as apacking between the magazine and the head.

While it is preferred to employ the spindle O and the outlet 0' as a means for permitting the escape of the gas in the passage after charging, these may be omitted and the gas escape gradually as the magazine is being re moved.

I claim- 1. The herein described apparatus fol charging magazinesforgunswithliquefiedgas, consisting of a reservoir adapted to contain liquefied gas,a tank within which said reservoir is placed, and a heating medium in said tank around the reservoir, the temperature of which medium is 45 to 50 centigrade, combined with a second tank, a cooling medium in said tank at a temperature of about 15 centigrade, a head over said second tank, a conductor leading from the gas-reservoir to the head over said second tank, a valve between the said head and the gas-reservoir, whereby communication from the gas-reservoir through the conductor may be opened or closed with the magazine to be charged, the head and magazine constructed for removablyattaching the magazine to the head, the communication through the conductor and head opening into the magazine so attached, and the arrangement of the head with relation to the said second or cooling tank being such that the magazine is held by the head suspended in said tank, substantially as described.

2. The herein described apparatus for charging magazines with liquefied gas, consisting of a reservoir adapted to contain liquefied gas, andatank within which the said reservoir is placed, the tank being filled around the reservoir with a heating medium at a temperature of 45 to 50 centi grade, provided with a valve in the reservoir adapted to open and close the passage thereto or therefrom, combined with a second tank adapted to re ceive the magazine, the said second tank containinga cooling medium surrounding the magazine, at a temperature of about 15 centigrade, ahead to which the said magazine may be attached with a connection between the said head and the said reservoir above the valve of the reservoir, with a valve in a head above the passage through which communication is made from the reservoir, and an outlet through the head above the valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. PAUL GIFFARD.

Witnesses:

R. J. PRESTON, ALBERT COHEN.