IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN PERCIVAL ONDERDONK, of the City of Philadelphia, in the County of
Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE ARMS
AND ORDNANCE" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention relates to devices for resisting the recoil of fire arms and ordnance.
In the Drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of one form of my device applied to the
stock of a gun or rifle, the device being inade wholly of india rubber or other
elastic material. A is the stock of the gun or rifle, B an air chamber, C, G, G,
and E, the sides or walls composing the same, and forming a false stock. F is a vent
for the escape of air from the chamber B. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of a
form of my device constructed of non elastic or semi-elastic material, in which A. is
the stock of the gun or rifle, A¹ a boss rearwardly extending from the stock which
is cut away to form it. B is an air chamber enclosed by the false stock E. G'are
springs to hold the false stock in position. F F are vents for the escape of air from
the chamber B.
Figure 3 is a vertical side view partly in elevation and partly in section of my
device applied to a cannon H, in which B is an air chamber, G' a spring, J a piston
or tongue adapted to fit into and slide within the chamber B, and attached to the
trunnion I.
The device is double one set being upon each side of the breech. F is a vent for
the escape of air from said chamber. The mode of operation of my invention is as
follows:
In Figure 1 when the gun is discharged and the recoil takes place the sides G G
of the chamber B being of elastic material, (which is strong enough to hold the air
chamber expanded under ordinary pressure against the shoulder), collapse and the
air in the air chamber is forced out through the vent F thereby forming a yielding
cushion for the resistance of the recoil of the gun.
The vent for the escape of air may be of any desired form or size or in any
suitable position with respect to the air chamber. Upon the outside pressure being
removed from the air chamber, the air refills it and the elastic sides G G bring it
back to its original shape. In Figure 2 the false breech is made of wood or of any
non-elastic or semi-elastic material and the stock A is cut away in such manner

page_text: .
that a Loss, tongue or piston is formed as represented at A¹. A false breech or
cap E of wood or other non-elastic or semi-elastic material is then slipped over the
tongue A¹. The cap E is retained and permitted to slide upon the tongue A¹ by
means of the pin f which works in the slide a. F-F are channels.or grooves for
the escape of air from the chamber B. When the gun is discharged the tongue A¹
is forced back into the air chamber B, and the air therein, being compressed by the
recoil, escapes through the grooves F F.
The springs G¹ serve to adjust the cap E and again extend the air chamber after
the recoil of the gun has taken place and the pressure from the outside, of the cap E
has been removed.
The operation of the device shown in Figure 3 is similar to that of the devices
shown in Figures 1 and 2, that is to say, when the cannon is discharged the force
of the recoil acts upon the tongues J, by which they are forced into the air
chambers B, the air therein escaping through the channels or grooves F. It is
obvious that the form of my device as well as the material from which the same
is constructed may be varied without departure from the spirit of my Invention,
the essential feature of which is that the recoil of the gun is resisted by the air
in the chamber, and is controlled by the escape of the air from said chamber
through an air vent provided for that purpose. I am aware that recoil mechanisms
have been employed in which the recoil of the gun has been resisted by the
compression of air in a suitable chamber, and controlled by the ejection of water
from a containing chamber by means of said recoil.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is-
A device for resisting the recoil of fire arms and ordnance, which consists in the
combination with the gun, of an air chamber provided with an air vent in such
manner that the recoil of the gun is resisted by the air in said chamber and
controlled by its gradual escape through said vent to the atmosphere.
"
Dated this Seventh day of February 1884.
JOHN PERCIVAL ONDERDONK
Carpmael & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.