IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO BREECH LOADING GUNS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES TIMOTHÉE MAXIMILIEN VALÉRAND DE BANGE of Paris in the
Republic of France, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO BREECH LOADING GUNS," to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means chiefly designed for closing the breeches of
breech-loading cannon.
The said invention comprises an improved breech block or plug, provided with
elastic material for the purpose of preventing the escape of gas backwards when
the cannon is fired.
It also comprises an improved tube inserted in the vent for containing the
igniting charge and preventing the escape of gas at the said vent.
According to the present invention the breech block or plug is provided with a
central hole through the whole of its length, into which is inserted a bouche which
is screwed into the back end of the aforesaid hole, and reaches a little farther than
the front of the plug.
In order to prevent any movement of the said bouche I employ a block which
fits into a cavity in the front of the breech plug. The bouche is provided with
a projecting ring which is placed at the bottom of this cavity and has two opposite
grooves cut into it.
The block is inserted into its cavity after the bouche has been screwed into
position, and it is provided, in the recess which receives the projecting ring of the
bouche, with two rings or feathers which enter the grooves in the said projecting
ring and extend into two morticos cut opposite to each other in the bottom of the
front cavity of the plug thereby preventing all rotatory motion of the bouche
and block.
On the portion of the bouche protruding from the front of the plug is placed an
annular movable head which is held in position by a collar, on the end of the
bouche, secured by a pin.
The said movable head is provided about midway between the periphery and the
bouche with an annular projecting flange, upon each side of which is placed a
ring of tallowed asbestos or other suitable packing material surrounded by a
linen wrapper and enclosed in a tin case the edges of which are protected by
brass rings.
The said annular flange extends for a portion of its length into a space of the
samme shape which is left between the periphery of the said block and the wall of
the cavity into which the said block is inserted In this flange are drilled a number
of holes which are filled with elastic material in such a manner that the pressures
on the two sides thereof may always be held in equilibrium.
The movable head is provided with a recess around the bouche, in which the
gases passing along the bouche, are allowed to expand.
The action of this improved plug is as follows. When the gases exert a pressure
apon the movable head, the packing rings are compressed, the outer ring pressing

page_text: against the bore of the cannon and the annular flange and the inner ring against
the bouche and the annular flange. The escape of gas backwards is therefore
impossible, the pressure of the rings being greater than that of the gases, for the
reason that the surface of the movable head is greater than that of the two rings.
Under these conditions the gases obviously never penetrate behind the said rings
and the mechanism cannot in any way be damaged or soiled, so that neither the
cannon nor the plug wants cleaning when the gun is in action.
There is no difficulty in changing the elastic rings as it is only necessary to take
off the movable head which is held in its place merely by the key and collar
which connect it with the bouche.
This system of closing the breech of a gun can be applied to all kinds of breech
plugs whether provided with screw threads or not.
In order to add to the number of favorable results obtained by the absolute
tightness of the plug of breech-loading cannons, of any system I have adopted a
special tube for containing the igniting charge, which tube is placed in the vent of
a cannon and does not permit the gas to escape in any quantity when the cannon
is fired. At the same time its mode of application to the back portion of the boucho
facilitates the rapidity with which the cannon may be discharged and entirely
obviates the possibility of an accidental displacement of the tube.
The fore-part of the said ignition tube is constructed in a similar manner to the
ordinary friction tube; a large tube terminates behind a movable head through
which a rod passes.
A collar of the movable hend passes through an elastic ring of
the class already described and enters a second tube in which it can move backwards.
On this second tube are formed at two opposite points projections having spiral faces,
these projections are adapted to pass through correspondingly shaped apertures in
the end of the bouche and close the mouth at the back end of the latter in the same
manner as the breech plug of a cannon is locked by the partial turn only. The
said tube is operated by the aid of a handle.
The rod by which the detonation of the fulminating composition is caused, has a
cone-shaped extremity which closes the hole in the movable head. Under the
influence of the pressure of the powder gas acting upon the front of the movable
head, the elastic ring is pressed against the sides of the hole in the bouche, thereby
preventing entirely the escape of gas to the rear.
The bouche is so arranged at the outer end that the ignition tube can enter the
vent hole when the projections on the second tube are opposite the corresponding
spaces in the end of the bouche.
Having introduced the ignition tube by the aid of the said handle which serves
to facilitate the operation, it is sufficient to give the ignition tube a quarter of a
turn in order to fix it in its place. This movement is limited by lugs.
To make sure that the cannon can only be fired when the ignition tube is in its
proper place, the firing pin is adapted to be actuated through the medium of a
lever which carries at one of its ends a hook. The latter enters an opening in the
said handle and passes through a ring on the end of the firing rod.
When the ignition tube is in its place, the pivot of the said lever is introduced
into a support fixed in the plug and the hook into the opening in the ignition
tube, which latter operation cannot be performed except when the said tube is
in place.
This improved ignition tube may with equal advantages be applied to all cannons
whether the vent-hole be drilled in the cannon itself, in the body of the plug, or in
a special bouche.

page_text: ”
J, CHARLES TIMOTHÉE MAXIMILIEN VALERAND DE BANGE, of Paris, France,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND RELATING TO BREECH-LOADING GUNS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to means chiefly designed for closing the breeches of
breech-loading cannon.
The said invention comprises an improved plug, provided with elastic material
for the purpose of preventing the escape of gas backwards when the cannon is
fired.
It also comprises an improved tube inserted in the vent for containing the
igniting charge and preventing the escape of gas at the said vent.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of apparatus constructed according to this
invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view at right angles to Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view of the right hand end of Figure 1.
Figures 4 and 5 are views of the left hand ends of Figures 1 and 2 respectively.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the improved igniting tube.
Figure 7 is a plan of the same, and
Figures 8 and 9 are sections on the lines M, N and C, D respectively Figure 6.
As shown in figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 the breech-plug A is provided with a central
hole through the whole of its length, into which is inserted with little friction
a bouche B which is screwed into the back end of the aforesaid hole, and reaches
a little beyond the front of the plug.
In order to prevent any movement of the said bouche B I employ a block C
which fits into a cavity in the front of the breech-plug A. The bouche is provided
with a projecting ring P which is placed at the bottom of this cavity and has two
opposite grooves R cut into it.
The block C is inserted into its cavity after the bouche has been screwed into
position and it is provided, in the recess which receives the projecting ring P of the
bouche, with two snugs S or feathers which enter the two grooves R in the said
projecting ring P and extend into two mortices T cut opposite to each other in the
bottom of the front cavity of the plug, thereby preventing all rotatory motion of
the bouche B and block C.
On the portion of the bouche protruding from the front of the plug is placed the
double packing D upon which bears an annular movable head E which is held in
position by the oval collar F, on the end of the bouche B, secured by a pin G.
The said movable head. E is provided about midway between the periphery and
the bouche with an annular projecting flange L, upon each side of which is placed
a ring H of tallowed asbestos or other suitable packing. material surrounded by
linen wrappers I and enclosed in tin cases, the edges of which are protected by
brass rings K.

page_text: The said annular flange extends for a portion of its length into a space of tho
same shape which is left between the periphery of the said block C and the wall
of the cavity into which the said block is inserted. In this flange are drilled
a number of holes M which are filled with elastic material in such a manner that
the pressure on both sides thereof may always be held in equilibrium.
The movable head E is provided with a recess N around the bouche, in which
the gases passing along the bouche, are allowed to expand.
The action of this improved plug is as follows-When the gases exert a pressure
upon the movable head, the packing rings are compressed, the outer ring pressing
against the bore of the cannon and the annular flange, and the inner ring against
the bouche and the annular flange. The escape of gas backwards is therefore
impossible, the pressure of the rings being greater than that of the gases, for the
reason that the surface of the movable head is greater than that of the two rings.
Under these conditions the gases obviously never penetrate behind the said rings
and the mechanism cannot in any way be damaged or soiled, so that neither the
cannon nor the plug wants cleaning when the gun is in action.
There is no difficulty in changing the elastic rings as it is only necessary to take
off the movable head which is held in its place merely by the key and collar which
connect it with the bouche.
This systein of closing the breech of a gun can be applied to all kinds of breech-
plugs, whether provided with screw threads or not, and ensures absolute tightness.
In order to add to the number of favorable results obtained by the absolute
tightness of the plug of breech-loading cannons of any system I have adopted
a special arrangement of tube for containing the igniting charge, which tube is
placed in the vent of a cannon and does not permit the gas to escape in any
quantity when the cannon is fired. At the same time its mode of application to
the back portion of the bouche facilitates the rapidity with which the cannon may
be discharged and entirely obviates the possibility of an accidental displacement of
the tube.
This arrangement is illustrated in detail in figures 6. 7. 8 and 9 of the
accompanying drawing.
The fore-part of the said ignition tube is constructed in a similar manner to the
ordinary friction tube; a large tube a terminates behind a movable head through
which a rod c passes. A small tube d of the movable head passes through an elastic
ring of the class already described, and enters a second tube f in which it
can move backwards. On this second tube are formed at two opposite points
projections having spiral faces; these projections are adapted to pass through
correspondingly shaped apertures in the end of the bouche and close the aperture at
the back end of the latter in the same manner as the breech plug of a cannon is
locked by a partial turn only. The said tube is operated by the aid of a handle h.
The rod c by which the detonation of the fulminating composition is caused has
a cone-shaped extremity which closes the hole in the movable head. Under the
influence of the pressure of the powder-gas acting upon the front of the movable
hear, the elastic ring is pressed against the sides of the hole in the bouche, thereby
preventing entirely the escape of gas to the rear.
The bouche is so arranged at the outer end that the ignition-tube can enter the
vent-hole when the projections on the tube g are opposite the corresponding spaces o
in the end of the bouche. Having introduced the ignition tube by the aid of the
said handle h which serves to facilitate the operation, it is sufficient to give the
ignition tube a quarter of a turn in order to fix it in its place. This movement is
limited by the lugs p.
To make sure that the cannon can only be fired when the ignition-tube is in its
proper place, the firing pin is adapted to be actuated through the inedium of a
lever which carries, at one of its ends q, a hook, The latter enters an opening
in the said handle and passes through the ring on the end of the firing pin c.
When the ignition-tube is in its place, the pivot of the said lever is introduced
iuto a support fixed in the plug and the hook q into, the opening in the ignition-

page_text: tube, which latter operation cannot be performed except when the said tube is in
place.
A wire having a ring at its end is connected to the other end r of the sail lever.
This improved ignition tube may with equal advantages be applied to all
cannons, whether the vent-hole be drilled in the cannon itself in the body of the
plug, or in a special bouche.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed; 1 declare that what
I claim is
First. The improved means for closing the breeches of cannons substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying diawing.
Second. In order to provido a tight joint between the internal wall of the cannon
bore and the bouche which occupies the centre of the breech plug, forming upon
the end of the screw-threaded bouche a movable head having an annular projecting
flange arranged between two packing rings, this movable head which is held on the
bouche by an oval collar and pin, pressing, at the moment of firing, upon the said
two packing rings one of which abuts against the end of the plug and the other
against a block placed in a cavity in the centre of the said plug and which is
connected with the central bouche by means of snugs arranged so as to prevent the
said bouche from turning and from being unscrewed.
Third. The ignition-tube herein before described, the said tube being fixed in the
vent by the aid of slots and projections as described, a tight joint being obtained
by the employment upon the ignition-tube of a small elastic closing device similar
to that hereinbefore described, and by providing at the fore-part of the central rod
a cone-shaped extremity which, at the moment of firing, provents the gas from
escaping around the said rod.
Fourth. The mode of firing by means of a bell-crank lever arranged at the back-
portion of the breech, which arrangement prevents accidents from the tube not
being fastened in the interior of the vent or through incomplete connection of the
screw, because the ring at the end of the firing rod cannot be acted upon by the
bell-crank-lever except when the screw is properly closed.
Dated this 26th day of February 1885.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.