US703375A - Semi-automatic breech-loading ordnance. - Google Patents

Description

No. 703,375. 'Patented July I I902.

V i w. H. BEVANS. y SEMI-AUTOMATIC BREECH LOADING ORDNANCE;

(Application filed Jan. 9, 1900.\ (No Model.) 2 Sheets -Shee't I.

No. 703,375. f Patented July I, I902.

W. H. BEVANS;

SEMI-AUTOMATIC BREECH LOADING ORDNANCE.

- (Application filed Jan. 9, 1900A (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 2.v

TH: "cams mans c0.. PQoro-Lrma, vasnmsrou n c UNITED STATES PATENT WILLIAM H. BEVANS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC BREECH-LOADING OFIDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 703,375, dated July 1, 1902. Application filed January 9,1900. Serial No. 847. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, WILLIAM H. BnvANs, a

citizen of theUnited States, residing at Wash ington, in the District of Columbia, have in-' 7 energy of recoil of the gun to cook the hamthe limit of its recoil.

mer, open the breech, extract the cartridgecase, and when tripped automatically by the insertion of a fresh cartridge or by hand to return the breech-block to its position, closing the breech.

The special features of my invention are its simplicity, its adaptability with slight modifications to breech-loadin g ordnance having differently-constructed breech mechanisms, it being not limited to guns having transversely-movable blocks, as illustrated in the present instance, but may be used with other forms of breech mechanisms wherein the block swings to open the breech or moves vided with my invention, the parts being in Fig. 2 is a similar their normal positions. I View with the gun omitted, showing the positions of the parts when the gun has reached Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the positions of the parts when the gun has returned to firing-positionand the breech-block has been moved to open the breech. Fig. 4: is an enlarged sectional view through one of the walls of the gun-breech and the crank-shaft operating mechanism. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the plunger for locking the crank-arm and spring-cylinder together. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified construction. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section through the gun-breech, showing the construction for automatically releasing the spring-cylinder from the crankarm. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are sectional views showing the operation of the parts in automatically disengaging the cylinder from the crank-arm. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the locking-plunger. Fig. 13 is a detached view of the false extractor and its actuating 'ineans.-

The gun here illustrated is provided with the common form of breech mechanism known as the Hotchkiss breech mechanism, some of the parts having been removed in the application of my invention, and said mechan-- ism forms no part of my present invention. The Hotchkiss mechanism, briefly stated, consists ofa drop-block which is adapted to be moved transversely of the axis of the gun by a crank A on a shaft B, which projects to the exterior of the gun-breech. (Shown in Fig. 4.) The end of: the crank A moves in a cam-slot in the block, sothat when the shaft is rotatedthe block is moved to unmask the gun-bore or close the same. The extractor E is provided with a lug E, which moves in an extractor-slot formed in the breech-block. As the block moves downwardly the extractor is drawn rearwardly, removing the empty cartridge-case from the gun when the downward movement of the block is sufficient to unmask-the bore. A'crank-handle is provided for rotating shaft B, said handle carrying a cocking-cam, which engages a cookingtoe, and the first movementof said crankhandle eii'ects the cocking of. the hammer.

In the application ofm'y invention to a gun provided with the breech mechanism above set forth the crank-handle for shaft B and the by the stud. Within cylinder 0 is a spiral or what is known as a clock-spring H, one

end of said spring being screwed to the stud.

and its opposite end attached to the cylinder. Loose upon shaft 0 is a short arm I, to which one end of a rearwardly-extending arm or lever J is pivotally connected. The opposite end of said arm J is pivoted to an attachingplate J, screwed to some convenient part of the mount. Arm I is formed on its free end beyond its pivotal connection with arm .I with a casing 1, containing a revolving locking member 70, having an elongated toe 7t, adapted to move in said concentric slot E of cylinder 0. A spring 7b in said casing has a tendency to revolve said locking member until toe it extends transversely of the slot. This rotation of the locking member, however, is prevented by the engagement of the toe with the walls of said slot. YVhen the gun recoils, the outer end of arm I is drawn forwardly through the medium of its pivotal connection with arm or lever J, the toe of the locking member moving in slot E of the cylinder. Then the toe of said locking member reaches the enlarged end of slot IE, it is turned to extend transversely thereof by a spring 71., said enlargement being sufficient to permit such rotation of the locking member, thus locking the arm and cylinder together. The gun having reached the limit of its recoil, the parts have assumed the positions as illustrated in Fig. 2. Upon the return of the gun to the battery arm I is returned to its original position, carrying with it the cylinder and winding the spring therein. The rotation of the cylinder,which is keyed to the operating-shaft l3, rocks said shaft and effects the downward movement of the breech-block to open the breech.

Fig. 3 clearly illustrates the positions of the various parts when the breech has been opened and the gun ready for loading. The cylinder is held in the position shown in Fig. 3-3, and the block in its lowered position by the abutting of the toe of the locking member against the end wall of the enlargement of slot E. The locking member has an arm vi, to which a tripping-cord j is attached, and when a fresh cartridge has been placed in the gun the breech may be closed by drawing upon said cord, which revolves the locking member, bringing the toe thereof in line with the concentric slot, so that the cylinder may be returned to its normal position by its spring. The cylinder is formed with' the cocking-cam L,which engages the usual cocking-toe used in the IIotchkiss mechanism, so that the movement of the cylinder effects the cooking of the hammer. Said cylinder is also provided with a handle M for the purpose of effecting the opening of the breech by hand at the beginning of the firing and also for the purpose of operating the breech-block by hand should the mechanism become injured and not operate effectively.

In the modified construction, illustrated by Figs. 7 to 13, inclusive, the cylinder and arm I are constructed similarly to the construction just described, with the exception that an inwardly-pressed spring-plunger K is provided instead of the revolving locking member, and instead of the enlarged forward end of the concentric slot in flange of the cylinder a countersink is made, forming the seat t" for the larger portion of the plunger. The plunger has a reduced outer end m, which moves in slot E of the cylinder. A false extractor or moves in a groove in the breech, and a spring 0 tends to normally press the same rear-wardly, as illustrated in Fig. 8. iVhen, however, a cartridge is in position in the gun, this extractor is in the position illustrated by dotted lines in said figure and is held in the position by the cartridge against the tension of its spring. The wall of the gun-breech is formed with a chamber 19 extending transversely therethrough, and in this chamber a tripping-bolt q is positioned. This tripping-bolt has an inclined or cam inner end '1', which has a tendency to normally project into the interior of the breech-housing, owing to the pressure of a spring .9, but.

is prevented from so doing by the false extractor when the latter is in its forward position. The outer end of said bolt is therefore projected from the breech and into the concentric slot of the spring-cylinder. The false extractor is formed with a slot it, having an inclined or cam end wall t. When the gun recoils, the outer end of arm I moves forwardly, the reduced portion of the plunger carried by said arm moving in the concentric slot of the cylinder until the countersink is reached, when the enlarged portion of said plunger is forced thereinto by its spring. As the gun returns to battery arm I moves in its original position, carrying with it the cylinder and winding the spring therein. The breech-block is thus moved to unmask the bore of the gun. In the meantime the true extractor has extracted the cartridge-case and the false extractor has been forced rearwardly by its spring, bringing its slot into position to receive the inner end of the tripping bolt, which is caused to enter said slot by its spring. The parts have now assumed the positions illustrated in Figs. 8 and 10. The device is tripped to close the breech by inserting a cartridge and pressing the same forwardly until the false extractor has been moved far enough to press the tripping-bolt outwardly, which it does through the engagement of the cam-wall of its slot with the cam end of the bolt. The inner end of said bolt engages the reduced portion of the lockingplunger and as the bolt is moved outwardly forces the plunger from the countersink, as illustrated in Fig. 11. There being thus no obstruction to the independent rotation of the cylinder, it is rotated to its original position by the unwinding of its spring and the breechblock moved to close the breech.

IIO

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with a breech-loading gun, a recoil-mount, and a breech-block, of an arm pivoted to the gun, an arm carried by a non-'recoiling part of the mount and having ter-recoil of the gun, and means for disconnecting said arm from said block, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a breech-loading gun, a recoil-mount, and abreech-block, of an arm pivoted to the gun, an arm pivoted to a non-recoiling part of the mount and having an operative connection with said first- -mentioned arm, means for operatively connecting said first-mentioned arm with the block on counter-recoil of the gun, a spring placed under tension by said arm, and means for disconnecting said arm from said block to permit the latter to be closed by the spring, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination with a breech-loading gun, a recoil-mount, a breech-block, and a rock-shaft for actuating said block, an arm loose on said shaft,an arm pivoted to a non- ,recoiling part of the mountand having an operative connection with said first-mentioned arm,and means for automatically lockin g said first-mentionedarm to the shafton counterrecoil of the gun, substantially as described.

5; The combination with a breech-loading gun, a'recoil-mount, a breeoh-bloclqanda j rock-shaft for actuating-said block, an arm loose on said shaft, an arm pivoted to a nonrecoiling part of the mount and having an operative connection with said firstmentioned arm, means for automatically locking said first-mentioned arm to the shaft on counter-recoil .of thegun, and means'for releasing-said arm from said shaft, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a breech-loading gun, a recoil-mount, and a breech-block, of

;an arm pivoted to the gun, an arm pivoted to the mount and having an operative, connection with said first-mentioned arm, means for operatively connecting said first-mentioned arm with the block on counter-recoil of the gun, a spring placed under tension by said arm, and means for automatically releasing said first-mentioned arm from the block when a fresh cartridge is inserted in the gun, substantially as described.

7 The combination with a breech-loading gun, a recoil-mount, and a breech-block, of

an arm pivoted to the gun and movable relatively to the block, means for-preventing such relative movement of the arm on counter-recoil of the gun, and an arm carried by a non-recoiling part of the mount and operatively connected with said pivoted arm, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a breech-loading gun, a recoil-mount, and a breech-block, of an arm pivoted to the gun and movable relatively to the block, means for preventing such relative movement of the arm on counter-recoil of the gun, means for releasingsaid arm, an arm carried by a non-recoilin'g part of the mount and operatively connected with said pivoted arm, and meansfor moving the block to its closed position, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a breech-loading gun, a recoil-mount, a breech-block, and a rock-shaft actuating the block; of an arm fixed on said shaft, an arm loose onsaid shaft, locking means for locking said arms together on counter-recoil of the gun, an'arm carried by a non-recoiling part of the mount and pivoted to said loose arm, a spring connected to the gun andto said fixedarm', and atripping" device for operating said locking means to release the fixed arm from the loose arm, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a breech-loading gun, a recoil-mount, a breech-block, and a rock-shaft actuating the block, of an arm fixed on said shaft, an arm loose on said shaft, locking means for lockin g said'arms together on counter-recoil of the gun,anarm carried by a non-recoiling part of the mount and pivoted to said loose arm, a spring connected to the gun and to said fixed arm, and asliding extractor adapted to operate said locking device to release the fixed arm from the loose arm, substantially'as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BEVAN'S.

WVitnesses:

M. 'J. OLEARY, W. M. SMITH.

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