A Range Finding Gun Applicable for Use with Infantry and Machine Guns.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Sept., 1888
A Range Finding Gun Applicable for Use with Infantry and
Machine Guns.
with
I, THORSTEN NORDENFELT, of 53 Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, (a communication to me from abroad by Lieut. Boor von Matern of
the Royal Swedish Artillery) do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a convenient construction of gun, by
which distances can be found by judging from the point of impact of the projectile or
shell fired from the gun by reading off on the range strip of the sight, the elevation
used and by repeating the observations, eliminating the faults in the first approximation.
The gun is made to fire a shell capable of containing a large enough quantity of
explosive to create smoke which is visible at the place from which the
gun
The cartridge is arranged so that it will give a high trajectory and a large angle of
descent in order to allow an appreciable difference in the elevation for a small difference
in range.
was fired.
The mounting consists of a frame secured to one end of a wooden bar or board
which is to rest flat on the ground when the gun is being fired and upon which the
gunner lies whilst firing.
gun is
The gun at an intermediate point in its length is jointed by a telescopic support to
the forward extremity of the frame.
The frame has an arm projecting upwards from it and the rear end of the
coupled by a pin to the top of this arm.
This telescopic support forms the elevating gear and may be formed of a nut
screwing on to right and left handed screws jointed to the gun and frame respectively
so that by turning the nut the gun may be elevated or depressed.
When the gun and mounting are to be carried, they are folded up in the following
way-
The pin which connects the gun with the top of the arm above mentioned is
disengaged leaving the gun linked to the frame by the elevating gear only-the plate

page_text: frame and har are then turned round this connecting link so as to make the gun lie
close along the opposite side of the bar to that from which the arm projects-with
the elevating gear lying between the two side plates of which the frame is formed.
There is an eye on the plate to which the gun is fixed by the same pin as formerly
fixed it to the T shaped support and the muzzle of the gun is also strapped to
the bar.
The bar has a leather strap secured to it by which a man can carry the gun on his
shoulder in the same way as an ordinary rifle.
The gun is formed of a short light barrel with simple breech mechanism to allow of
its being loaded and fired with ease-preferably the breech end of the barrel is shaped
to receive a breech block on each side of which there are two lugs which slide in
grooves in the breech. The breech is opened by raising the block by a fork shaped
strap which turns on pins secured to the sides of the barrel. On the fork shaped
strap is a handle through the centre of which the firing pin passes: round the firing
pin is a spiral spring. The extractor is fitted with a broad claw that works against
the upper third part of the cartridge rim, and is turned on its fulcrum which is placed
on the top of the breech, when actuated upon by the movement of the block, and
indirectly by raising the fork shaped lever. Two projections on the extractor pass
in
slots in front of the breech block. When the block is raised until it has moved far
enough to open the breech, the projections on the extractor meet a stop which causes
the extractor to turn and thus throw out the case.
The manipulation of the mechanism is as follows:-
On the end of the firing pin is a head, and by pulling this the firing pin is drawn
back far enough to clear the block, and at the same time compressing the spiral spring;
in turning the firing pin, a projection on the same catches against the handle thereby
keeping the spring cocked. The end of the firing pin passes through a hole in the
centre of the breech block when striking the cap in the cartridge.
After the firing pin has been pulled back the forked shaped lever is. raised thus
raising the breech block, and the lugs on the block are disengaged from the breech
and operate upon the extractor as previously described. A fresh cartridge is entered
into the chamber by hand when the breech is closed by reversing the movement.
The shot is fired by turning the head on the firing pin.
Dated this 19th day of November 1887.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Range Finding Gun Applicable for Use with Infantry and with
Machine Guns.
I, THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, (a communication to me from abroad by Lieut. Boor von Matern of
the Royal Swedish Artillery) do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide a convenient construction of gun by which
distances can be found by judging from the point of impact of the projectile or shell
fired from the gun by reading off on the range strip of the sight, the elevation used
and by repeating the observations eliminating the faults on the first approximation.
The gun is made to fire a shell capable of containing a large enough quantity of
explosive to create smoke which is visible at the place from which the gun was
fired.
The gun is so made that it can be packed up and carried on a man's back or be
erected on the ground and fired by the gunner the gunner lying down upon the
foundation board of the gun mounting and keeping the gun in place by his own
weight. The cartridge is arranged so that it will give a high trajectory and a large
angle of descent in order to allow an appreciable difference in the elevation for a small
difference in range.
The gun is shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 a plan of the gun in firing position.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the gun when packed up and ready to be slung over a
man's back. Figure 4 is a side elevation and Figure 5 a plan of the gun on a larger
scale and without its mounting. Figure 6 is a section and Figure 7 a back view of
the extractor. Figure 8 is an edge view, Figure 9 a back view and Figure 10 a plan
of the breech block. Figure 11 is a longitudinal section and Figure 12 a plan of the
fork lever used for acting on the breech block.
The mounting consists of a frame A secured to one end of a wooden bar or board B
which is to rest flat on the ground when the gun is being fired and upon which the
gunner lies whilst firing.
The frame has an arm A² projecting upwards from it and the rear end of the gun
is coupled by a pin C¹ to the top of this arm.
C
The gun at an intermediate point in its length is jointed by a telescopic support to
the forward extremity of the frame.
This telescopic support forms the elevating gear and may be formed of a nut D
screwing on to right and left handed screws jointed to the gun and frame respectively
so that by turning the nut the gun may be elevated or depressed. When the gun
and mounting are to be carried, they are folded up in the following way.

page_text: The pin which connects the gun with the top of the arm above mentioned is
disengaged leaving the gun linked to the frame by the elevating gear only the frame
and bar are then turned round this connecting link so as to make the gun lie close
along the opposite side of the bar to that from which the arm A¹ projects with the
elevating gear lying between the two side plates of which the frame A is formed.
There is an eye A2 on the frame to which the gun is fixed by the same pin C¹ as
formerly fixed it to the arm A¹ and the muzzle of the gun is also strapped to the
bar B.
The bar B has a leather strap B¹ secured to it by which a man can carry the gun on
his shoulder in the same way as an ordinary rifle.
The gun is formed of a short light barrel with simple breech mechanism to allow
of its being loaded and fired with ease-preferably the breech end of the barrel is
shaped to receive a breech block H on each side of which there are two lugs H¹ which
slide in grooves in the breech. The breech is opened by raising the block by a fork
shaped strap E which turns on pins secured to the sides of the barrel. On the fork
shaped strap is a handle E¹ through the centre of which the firing pin F passes.
Around the firing pin is a spiral spring F¹. The extractor G is fitted with a broad
claw that works against the upper third part of the cartridge rim and is turned on its
fulcrum which is placed on the top of the breech, when acted upon by the movement
of the block H and indirectly by raising the fork shaped lever E. On the extractor
Are two projections G₁ the extremities of which pass into slots in the front face of the
breech block. When the block is raised until it has moved far enough to open the
breech, the ends of the slots come against the projections G¹ which causes the extractor
to turn and to throw out the case.
I is the back sight and J the front sight carried at the lower end of a slide bar J¹
which is of considerable length to allow of the gun being fired at extreme elevations
When the gun is out of use and packed up the sight can be made to lie along the
barrel so as to be out of the way as shown.
The manipulation of the mechanism is as follows.
On the end of the firing pin F is a head and by pulling this the firing pin is drawn
back far enough to clear the block H and at the same time compressing the spiral
spring F in turning the firing pin, a projection on the same catches against. the
handle E¹ thereby keeping the spring cocked. The end of the firing pin F passes
through a hole in the centre of the breech block H when striking the cap in the
cartridge.
After the firing pin thus been pulled back the fork shaped lever E is raised thus
raising the breech block H and operating the extractor as previously described. A
fresh cartridge is entered into the chamber by hand when the breech is closed by
reversing the movement.
The shot is fired by turning the head on the firing pin.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A range finding gun which when fired can be held down on the ground and
retained by a gunner lying upon a board forming part of the gun mounting and which
can also be packed up and carried on a man's back substantially as described.
2. The breech mechanism substantially as described.
3. The construction of range finding guns substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated thin 17th dow of Anenct 1988
THORSTEN NORDENFELT.