US731403A - Firing attachment for ordnance. - Google Patents

Description

7 PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903. G-GERD OM. FIRING ATTACHMENT FOR ORDNANCE.

APPLICATION FILED AI RL 26 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Ail;

Patented June 16, 1903.

FFICE.

ATENT GREGORY GERDOM, O WATERVLIET, NEw YORK, ASSIGNOR on TWO- FIFTHS TO JOHN H. REYNOLDS, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

FlRiNG ATTACHMENT FOR ORDNANCEI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,403, dated June 16, 1903.

Applicatiop filed April 26, 1902.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, GREGORY GERDOM, of Watervliet, county of Albany, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Firing Attachment for Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in breech mechanism for ordnance, its object being to provide an improved firingattachrnent therefor; and it consists in the features of construction hereinafter described and claimed. In the Ordinary construction of attachments of this character thelanyard-strap is attached directly to the scar, and consequently is carried to and fro by the recoil and counter-recoil of the gun. In long recoil-guns such travel of the piece is from forty to fifty inches in extent, and hence it is practically impossible for the gunner to retain his hold upon the strap, but he is compelled to grasp for it after each firing. His attention is thus diverted from the performance of other duties, and the delay in securing hold of the strap for the purpose of firing materially lessens the rapided on the gum-and the other, to which the lanyard-strap is attached, being mounted upon the gun-cradle. As the gun recoils after firing the two parts become separated or disengaged, but again engage as the gun returns to battery. This construction permits No. 2 of the gun crew to retain the lanyard: strap in his grasp at all times and enables him to instantly fire the piece when ordered without delay or distraction of his attention from his duty in the endeavor to seize the strap. Asarecoil-springof sufficient strength to return the gun fully to battery when ele vated at a considerable angle would have such excess of power as to jar or throw the piece out of position when in horizontal or depressed'position, I construct my attachment so as to dispense with the necessity of employing a recoil-spring of such maximum power by bringing the partsinto engagement before the gun is returned fully to battery, but when it is in a. porition of safetyfor firing.

Serial No. 104,764. (No model.)

In the drawings forming part of thisspecificatiou, Figure 1 isa rear elevation ofa piece of ordnance shown equipped with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the same, and Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional details.

In the drawings, 2 represents the gun, 3 its cradle, and 4 the breech-block carrier, supported by the hinge 5 on the gun-breech.

6 is a bracket to receive the recoil-spring cylinder 7.

8is a bracket upon the gun-breech for carrying the lanyard connection-rod 0. Upon the outer end or head of this rod is the lanyard-catch 10, the point 11 of which engages a notch in the sear 12 to reciprocate the same for operating the firing-pin. The rod 9 is secured in the bracket 8 by means of a clampcollar 13, gripped thereon by means of the screw 14.. The rod .9 is made angular in crosssection to fit to a female or socket part 15, mounted inthe bracket 16 upon the cradle 3. This socket part 15 has a depending arm 16, to which a lanyard-strap is connected, as by a loop 17. The arm 16 is held in normal position, so that through its connections the firing-pin is out of contact with the cartridgeprimer, bysuitable means, such as the spring 18, having bearing contact on the adjacent cylindrical surface of the recoil-cylinder. A pin '19 in the part15 engages a limited slot 20 in the bracket 16 to determine the arc of movement of the part 15.

The length of the angular portion of the connection-rod corresponds to the predetermined. distance at which the gun may be out of battery while in position of safety for firing.

The operation of the attachment is readily understood from the drawing and description. The gun being in batteryand having received its load, a pull upon the lanyard-strap rocks the part 15, thereby rotating with it the connection-rod, which in turn by its connections against the tension of its spring reciprocates the sear and actuates the firing-pin. As the .gun recoils under the impulse of theshock 'to within the safety limit of battery. At this point the connection-rod again engages the part 15, and again the gun may be fired by a pull upon'the lanyard-strap.

I claim- 1. A two-part lanyard attachment for-recoil-guns, one mounted upon the gun and connected with the firing-pin and the other mounted upon the gun-cradle; one having an extended angular rod adapted to engage with a socket in the other part in the counter recoil movement of the gun, substantially as set forth.

' 2. The-combination with the gun, its cradle,

the gun,'and to be operatively connected during a predetermined part of the travel of the gun when returning to, and .while in, battery.

4. A lanyard attachment for recoil-guns,

comprising two elements connected respectively to the gun and its cradle, adapted to be partially rotated around an axis parallel with the axis of the gun and to operatively engage only within the safety limit determined by the recoil-cylinder.

5. A lanyard attachment for recoil-guns,

- com-prising male and female parts rotatably mounted respectively upon or carried by the gun and its cradle or other relatively fixed part.

Signed at New York city this 22d day of April, 1902.

GREGORY GERD OM.

Witnesses:

T. D. MERWIN, CROWLEY VVENTWORTH.

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