Patent GB-191318276-A (GB)
Title: An Improved Manually Operated Machine Gun.
Inventor: CALDWELL THOMAS FREDERICK
IPC: F41A13/12
Filed: 1913-08-11
Granted: 1915-01-07
Abstract: 18,276. Caldwell, T. F. July 16, [Convention date]. Machine guns; cartridge hoppers and magazines.- Relates to single and two - barrelled bandoperated guns, and consists in the togglelink breech a c t i o n s combined with f e e d mechanisms, and firing devices as described below. A two-barrelled gun is described. The barrels are screwed to a body 1 integral with which is a rearwardlyextending vertical plate 3, on either side of which the breech actions are carried. The barrels, body, and plate all recoil a short distance when a barrel is discharged, against the tension of a recoil spring 85, Fig. 9, disposed within the water jacket 4. A handle 33 rotates, in each breech action, a toothed wheel 30 gearing with a pinion 28 formed on a crank 27, the pin 26 of which crank is coupled to a link 25 jointed to the rear end of a lever 23. The lever 23 pivots around a pin 24, adjustable for wear, and at its front end is jointed to a link 22, Fig. 18, which is pivoted at 46 to t h e longitudinallysliding breech-block 20. The breech-block, which is shown partly open in Fig. 4, in plan in Fig. 12, and in front elevation in Fig. 13, has a lateral cylindrical extension 34, in which is rotatably mounted the stem 35 of a cartridge-gripping member 36. The stem 35 slides upon a longitudinal guide-rod 21, the axis of which is central between the axis of the gun-barrel 2 and path of the cartridges in a vertically-arranged rotary-disk magazine 9. When a breech is closed, one of the sector-shaped parts of the gripping-member 36 of that breech action is engaged with the flange of a cartridge in the magazine, and the other part supports a cartridge in the gun-breecb. When the breech is fully opened, an arm 77 on the link 25 strikes a projection on the gripping-member, and rotates it, to aline the extracted shell with the ejection opening, and the new cartridge with the barrel. During the final part of the closing movement, a projection 73 on the link 22 again rotates the gripping-member, causing the innermost gripping-sector to move relatively to the cartridge in the barrel, and the outer sector to engage the flange of the next cartridge in the magazine. The gripping-member 36 carries two spring-mounted firing-pins 44, which are adapted alternately to be projected through holes in the gripping-member when either of them is struck by a spring-propelled hammer 42 mounted in the link 22, and passing forwardly into an opening 50 in the breech-block 20. The sear 60 has a screw 64 which, as the breech is closed, engages the lower end of a trigger 66. The trigger is adapted to be held in the operative or inoperative position by a spring 69. The two gear wheels 30 are provided with spring pawls adapted to engage a slot in the handle spindle 32<1>. When the spindle is moved axially in either direction one or other of the pawls is put out of action, and the breech-action on that side is rendered inoperative. When the two actions are being worked alternately, and one of them jams, an arrow 107, Fig. 1, on the side plate 67 of the gun casing indicates against marks on a collar 108 on the spindle 32<1> in which action the mishap has occurred. Springs are arranged in the mouths of the ejection tubes 79. The Specification as open to inspection under Section 91 (3) (a) comprises also (a) a recoilactuated device 80, 81 for locking the toggle-links until discharge has taken place, (b) means for rotating the disk-magazine 9, comprising a clockspring arranged within the boss 10 on which the magazine is pivoted, and initially stressed by a handle 13, which is then clutched at 19 to the magazine, (c) a steam-escape valve 119 for the water-jacket 4 actuated by a pendulum to place either end of the jacket in communication with the escape pipe 116 according to the inclination of the gun ; this subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.