US538014A - dardier - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 10 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. V. BARBIER & C. G. MELLSTROM.

BREBGH MBCHANISM POB. ORDNANQB.

No. 538,014. Patented Apr. 23,1895.

(No Model.)

` l 10 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. DAR-DIER 8v C'. G. MELLSTROM. BREEGH-MECHANISM FOB. ORDNANG'B.

N0. 538,014. I Patented Apr. 23, 1895.

Tus mams PETERS co. Puooufnmwasmuamn. n. c,

(No Model.) 10 Sheets-Sheet 3.

` S. V. DARDIBR 8u C. G.'MELLSTROM.

BREEGH MEGHANISM FOR URDNANE,l

No. 538,014. PatentedApr. 23,1895.

(No Model.)

10 Sheets-Sheet 4. S. V. DARDIER 8v G. G. MELLSTROM.

BRBBGH MEGHANISMl FOB. ORDNANGE.

Patented Apr. 23,1895.

ma Nunms PETERS co, PrgooLm-lo.. wAsmNaYoN, C,

(No Model.) 10 Sheets--Sheei'J 5.

S. V.- DARDIBR 8v C. G. VIMZLLS-TIROM. BRBBGH MEGHANISM FOR ORDNANGB.

10.538,014. Patented Apr'. 2s, 1895.

(No Model.) 10 Sheets-Sheet 6'.

S. V. BARMERv & G. G. MELLSTROMf BRBBGE MEGHANISM POR ORDNANGB.

No. 538,014.' PaentedApr; 23, 1895. l

Immnmmummmlimiimmm. E i: I

lizza/WJ (No Model.) v 10 Sheets-Sheet 7. S. V. DARD-IER 8v C. G.MELLSTROM. BREEGH MEGHANISM PGR ORDNANGE.

,N0l 538,014. Paten dApI. 23, 1895.

TH: Nona s PETEns co, Pnofaumo.. wsmupou, n. c.

(No Model.) 4 10 Sheets-Sheet. 8.

S. V. DARDIBR 81; C. Gr. MBLLSTROM. BRBBGH MEGHANISM FOR omnmsm.4

No. 538,014. at@ tgd Apr. 23, 1895.

(No Model.) 10 Sheets-Sheet 9.

S V. BARBIER 81; C. G. MELLSTROM. BREBGH MBGHANISM POR ORDNANGB.

No. 538,014. Patented Apr. 23, 1895.

(No Model.) 10 Sheets-Sheet 10.

S. V. DARDIER 8v C. G. MELLSTROM.

BREEGH MEGHANISM POR ORDN-ANGE.

l PatentedApr. 23, .1895.

llllllll II|I||Il IIIIII .IIIIII UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL vIOTOR DAEDIEE AND CHARLES eUsrAv MELLSTROM, OE LONDON,

ENGLAND. y v

BRECH MECHANlSM FOR ORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,014, datedAprl. 23, 1895.

Application tiled January l5, 1894. Serial No. 496,883. (No model.)

DIER, engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and CHARLES GUsTAv MELLSTROM,

civil engineer, a subject of the King of Swe-r den and Norway, both residing at Victoria Mansions, 32 Victoria Street, London, England, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements in Breech Mechanism for to Quick-Firing and other Brooch-Loading Ordnance, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to breech-mechanism t5 for quickfiring and other breech -loading guns. D

The chief novel feature of the said invention is that the breech-block and carrier-bracket which are formed in one piece, orare firmly zo secured together, are carried by an external' ring mounted on the gun in such 'a manner that when the breech-block is turned about its axis to lock or unlock the same, the carrier-bracket, the hinge pin, and the beforementioned external ring turn simultaneously therewith. We thus avoid the use of looking rings such as have been .heretofore used in combination with a breech-block and carrierbracket rigidly connected together, and we 3o also secure other advantages not heretofore obtainable in this form of breech-mechanism.

Qur said invention is applicable to all the ordinary or Well-known shapes of screw breechblocks Whether cylindrical, conical, conoidal, 3 5 or stepped on their screw-threaded surfaces. In carrying our invention into effect We place on the gun, at or near the rear end thereof, a ring of suitable strength and furnished at one side with a hinge-pin to which the car- 4o rier-bracket is hinged. The breech-block is preferably madepwhole, or in one piece with the carrier-bracket, but if not so made it is rigidly secured to the said bracket. The aforesaid ring is so mounted that it can turn on the gun through a limited angle, determined by a fixed stop,and does so turn with the carrier bracket and breech-block whenthe lastnamed is rotated to lock andvunlock the same to and from the breech. The said ring is moreover so arranged that when it is turned 5o it has a slight axial movement, the same in direction and degree as the movement of the breech-block,so that the ring and breechblock always' maintain during such movement the samerelative positions. A simple mode of insuring thisflxity of relative positions is by screwing the ring on the gun, the pitch of the screw-threads of the ring being the saine as those of the breech block. Other modes of effecting the same result may be employed. 6o For example, the ring may be held in position by radial pins, which are secured in the ring by preference, and project into spiral grooves formed in the gun, the inclination of said grooves being the same as that of the screwthreads of the breech-block.

In the accompanying drawings We have shown our invention applied to three guns.

Y Figure. 1 is a side elevation of the breech end of a quick-fringgun of small caliber. 7o Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation, and Fig. 3 is a central horizontal transverse section, of the same. Fig. 4. is a rear end elevationshowing theiimprovements applied to a gun of larger caliber, but drawn to a smaller scale, the breech being closed. Fig. 5 is a similar view partly in section, but'showing the breechblock unlocked and ready to be Withdrawn from the breech. Fig. 6 is a horizontal central longitudinal section of the same showing the breech open. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of a still larger gun having the present improvements applied thereto," the breech-block being looked in position. Fig. 8 is a similar view but partly in section and showing the breechblock unlocked ready to be withdrawn. Fig. 9 is a horizontal central section With the parts in the same position as in Fig. S. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the left side of the breechend of the gun. Fig. 1l is a. horizontal section taken on the line oc, or, Fig. 8; and Fig. 12 is a transverse section taken on the line y, y, Fig'. 11. Fig. 13 is an end view of the gun of Fig. 8, Withparts shown in section and parts removed.4 Figs. 14 and 15 are views of 95 the parts detached from Fig. 13. Fig. 16 isa i perspective View of a portion of the end of the gun shown in Fig. 8.

' at any other time.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

A is the gun. 1

B is the breech block.

C is the carrier-bracket.

D is the external ring.

E is the extractor.

F is the tiring pin in the breech-block.

G is the operating lever.

Referring lirst to Figs. l to 3, to insure, when closing the breech, that the external ring D shall not be turned about its axis until the breech-bloek is inserted in the gun we form a projection or. lug C ou the hinge of the carrier-bracket C and a corresponding recess C0 between the extractor' and one of the lugs E0 to which the extractor is pivoted, in such a position that the said lug yor projection C on the hinge is yopposite the said recess C? when the breech-block is unserewed, but not The carrier-bracket C can be turned on its hinge only when the lug or projection C is vopposite the recess C0, by reason of the screw-threads-of the block being locked with those of the breech and when the bracket is so turned the-said lugor projection C enters the recess. In so doing it locks the external ringD to the gun for the time being, that is to say, it prevents the rotation of the ring on the gun until the breech-block has been pushed forward again into the gun,'and the lug or projection C thereby withdrawn from the recess C0. The ring can therefore be turned about its axis only when the breechblock is inthe gun. Y

The extractor E is a lever pivoted at E 'to lugs E0, E0 formed with or secured to the gun,

and is formed with a tail E2 projecting out- .ward from the hinge. We provide on'the rotatable carrier-bracket near the hinge, acamlike projection or tappet C5 which when the said bracket has been adjusted with the ring about the axis of the gun to unlock the breech- I block is opposite to or is in Acontact with the tail E2. Then if the bracket is turned on its hinge pin C2 it strikes the said tail end F.2 of the extractor E and operates the said extractor to withdraw the spent cartridge from theA v gun.

The said cam-like part of the carrier is so constructed and arranged as to act first gradually l011 the tail lof the Vextractor `until the cartridge is loosened, and then more rapidly to jerk the 'cartridge out of the gun in a well-known manner.

vIn guns of smallcaliber such as that sh'own in Figs. l, 2 and 3, wherein the breech-mechanism is light and easily movable we provide for operating the breech-m-echanism as follows-that is to say, We form or fix on thecarrier-bracket a hand lever "or handle G by which the said bracket can be turned about the axis of the gun to unlock the breech-block and can then be pulled outward to 'turn it about its hinge to withd raw the breechblock,

and can be movedin the reverse order and direction when closing the breech.

H isa screw plug secured in the ring D and working in a helical groove H formed in the breech. Said plug and groove 'serve to limit the rotary movement of the breech-block in both directions.

For guns of somewhat larger caliber such as that shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 wc provide for facilitating the opening and closing of the breech as follows-that is to say, the carrierbracket C is firmly fixed on the hinge pin C2 on which is also fixed a toothed wheel, preferably a bevel wheel or a segment of such a wheel, as shown at I. This wheel or segment I gears with another wheel or segment I which is attached to the boss of the operating lever G which turns upon a strong stud or pin J that projects rearwardly from the upper bearing D0 of the hinge pin C2. In opening this breech-mechanism the gunner first uses 'the handle 'or lever G for turning the external ring D and breech-block B about the axis of the gun to unlock the breech-block, during which operation the gear wheels I, I cannot be rotated because the block is not freed from the screw threads of the breech, and then by the continued movement of the handle in the 'same directiontwhen the carrier-bracket C can turn no farther about the axis of the gun by reason of the stop H arriving at the end of the groove H' but is free to turn on its hinge) he rotates the gear Wheels and hinge pin thereby moving the carrier about the hinge and withdrawing the breechblock from the gun. By moving the handle in the contrary direction the breech-block can be tirst pushed into the gun and then locked.

For 'still heavier guns, we use the mechanism now to be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 16. The carrier-bracket C is secu'red to the hinge-pin as in the modification last described, and the hinge pin is geared by tooth-ed wheels I, l to a transverse holA low shaft M which is supported directly at lone end and indirectly at the other in bearings D', D on the external ring D without capability of endwise movement in said bearings. lViithin the shaft M is mounted a vsleeve Nwhich fills the interior of said shaft M and when in place is incapable of endwise or axial movement therein. Passing axially through the shaft M and sleeve N is a spindle O one end of which is screw threaded as lshown lat O and screws into a female screw thread M0 formed in the shaft M. The said female screw thread does not extend completely through to theen'd of the shaft M but terminates some little distance from the end so that when the spindle O has been screwed into the female thread as far as it will go 'the continued rotation of the spindle in the same4 direction will cause the shaft M to rotate. On th-e outer end of said spindle O is fixed a toothed wheel Gr.I The said spindleissquare in section and Apasses through a square hole in the sleeve N or is provided with a feather key or otherwise connected to the sleeve N IIO 'so that the sleeve and spindle must turn together when the latter is rotated while the spindle is permitted to slide axially through the sleeve. The handle G is supported by a bearing D2 formed on the bearing D and on its axis is mounted a wide toothed wheel G2 which gears with the aforementioned wheel G so that by turning the handle G the spin` dle O can be rotated in either direction. The wheel G2 is made very wide to allow for the axial movement of thewheel G while maintaining the two wheels in gear. The spindle O has a collar O2 at the outer'end which is supported in the bearing D. Said spindle Vforms at this end the supportfor the shaft M and sleeve N. On theru circumference of the sleeve N is formed a spiral or helical Agroove N which merges at one end into a circular groove N2 that makes something less'than a Vwhole turn round the sleeve. This circular groove coincides in position with a corresponding circular slot M extending partially around the shaft M.' Said'groove N is preferably rectangular in cross section. In the shaft M is also formed a long slot M2 which extends in the direction o f the length of the shaft. Said slot M2 is however not straight but is curved, the radius of its curvature being equal to the distance of the slot from the axis of the gun. The said curved slot terminates at one end in the circular slot M.

K is a pin or stud which is secured in the breech and projects through the vslot M2 of the shaft M into the spiral groove N o f the sleeve N. A part of the breech indicated by B5 is hollowed out to admit the shaft M and its contained parts above described. The action of this mechanism is as follows-that is to say, assuming the breech to beclosed and the breech-block locked as shown in Fig. 7, then by turning the handle G the spindle O and sleeve N are rotated in the direction which causes the Spindle to screw into the shaft M and the spiral groove N to travel along the fixed stud K. Since the sleeve N cannot move endwise in the shaft M the result of the rotation of the said sleeve is that the shaft M is forced to travel endwise, and in so doing it carries its bearings D and consequently the external ring D with it thus unlocking the breech-block. By the time the stud K has arrived at the end of the spiral groove N the breech-block has become fully disengaged from the screw threads of the breech, and the spindle O has become screwed into the shaft M as faras it will go. The continued rotation of the spindle O now causes the shaft M to rotate, which it can do since the stud K has now enteredthe circular slot M of the said shaft. Moreover there is now no further turning effort on the external ring D since the stud K has also passed into the circular groove N2 in the sleeve N. The rotation of the shaft M acts through the wheels I, l to turn the hinge-pin `C2 and so withdraw the breech-block from the breech. By turning the handle G in the reverse direct-ion, the breech-block is first caused to enter the breech, and then it is turned to lock the same, the operations above described taking place in reverse direction and order. While the ring D is being rotated, the stud K is traversing the curved slot M2.

To insure that the external ring shall not commence turning before the breech-block is properlyinserted in the breech when closing the latter, which it mig-ht otherwise do at the moment when the pin K is passing from the circular slot M to the longitudinal slot M2, we provide a lever R pivoted at R to a bracket R2 carried by the external ring D. One end of said lever is adapted to bear against the side of the Wheel G when the breech-block is unlocked and the other end bears at the same time against a lug or stop S formed on or fixed to the gun'. The lever is caused to bear against the stop S by the turning of the external ring in the unlocking of the breech. It will be obvious that when the lever R is in allyunless the said lever R can turn on its pivot and so move out of the path of the said Wheel G. Such turning movement of the lever cannot take place by reason of the stop S unless the external ring D rotates and carries the lever away from the stop, and hence it follows that the wheel G cannot move axially until the pin K enters the spiral groove N and so begins to turn the ring D and lock the breech.

To further insure that the external ring D shall not be rotated while the block is out of the breech we provide a stop P dovetailed in or otherwise secured to the side of the gunin combination with two heel pieces C"7 C5 formed on the hinge of the carrier. When the breechblock is unlocked, the said stop is opposite the space between the said heel pieces C5, C5 and in this position the carrier C can be turned about its hinge, and when so turned the heel pieces C5, C5 pass one on each side the stop P and thereby prevent any rotation of the external ring D so long as the breech is open. On the closure of the breech, the heel pieces are withdrawn clear of the stop, and the ring D can then be turned to lock the block. The

faces of the heel pieces C5, C5 are constructed to just clear the end of the stop P when and only when the breech-blocknis completely inserted in the breech, and it follows that the carrier cannot begin to turn on its hinge until the external ring has turned sufficiently to bring the space between the heel pieces C5, C5, exactly opposite the stop.

What we claim is` v l. The combination with avgun, of a breechblock, a carrier bracket and an external ring fitted to turn on thev gun, the said breechblock, carrier bracket and ring being connected so as to be capable of simultaneous movement, as set forth.

ICO

IIO

2. The combination withagun,of an external ring movable circumferentially and axially with respect to the gun, a breech-blocl and a carrier bracket therefor hinged to the said ring, as set forth.

3. The combination with a gun, of a ring fitted thereto, and movable circu'm-ferentially thereon, a breech-block hinged to said ring and formed or provided with a projecting part adapted to enter a recess in such position in the gun that the said projection is opposite 5. The combination with a gun, of an external ring movable circumferentially thereon, 25 a breech-block and carrier hinged to the ring,

a lever geared with the said carrier and adapted when turned to swing said breech-block and carrier, as set forth.

6. The combination with a gun, of an exter- 3o nal ring movable circumferentially thereon,

a breech-b1ock and carrier hinged to the ring,

a transverse shaft and sleeve carried in bearings on the ring and geared with the hinge pin of the carrier, and arranged to encounter 3 5 a pin or projection on the gun so that when the ring has been turned about the gun the carrier will be turned about its hinge, as set forth. y

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set 4o our hands this 29th day of December, 1893.

' SAMUEL VICTOR DARDIER.

CHARLES GUSTAV MELLS'IROM.

Witnesses:

CHAS. ROCHE, i HARRY PETER VENN.

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