Improvements in the Breech Mechanism of Ordnance.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 29th May, 1897
Bombay, India, Mill Manager.]
Improvements in the Breech Mechanism of Ordnance.
I EDWARD TURNER WHITELOW of 70 Deansgate, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My said invention relates to the breech mechanism of ordnance.
The object of my said invention is to facilitate and simplify the opening and closing
of the breeches of guns.
According thereto the breech block formed with an interrupted screw in the usual
manner is held in a carrier supported by hinges on the hood piece at the rear end of
the gun. At right angles to the hinge is mounted the crank or operating shaft having
a worm engaging in a worm wheel on the vertical shaft which forms the hinge pin of
the carrier. On the said hinge pin is secured a composite toothed wheel of a novel
construction which when rotated causes the breech block either to rotate so as to lock
and unlock the screw thread or to travel longitudinally in and out of the breech.
According to the part of the said toothed wheel which may be in gear with the breech
block the said toothed wheel is formed for part of its circumference as a spur wheel
and for the other part of its circumference it is formed with diagonal teeth. On or in
the breech block itself I form a longitudinal spur rack and also a circumferential rack
provided with diagonal teeth. The breech block and the said wheel are so propor-
tioned and engage with each other in such a manner that the diagonal teeth gear with
each other when it is desired to partly rotate the breech block for the purpose of
engaging or disengaging the interruptions. When such operation is effected the
continued rotation of the crank shaft in the same direction acting through its worm
and the worm wheel on the hinge pin causes the spur part of the composite toothed
wheel to engage with the longitudinal rack and thus to insert or withdraw as the case
may be the breech block.
On the breech block being withdrawn sufficiently to clear the breech of the gun a
stop bolt drops into its recess and the breech block is carried round supported in the
carrier. By the means hereinbefore described the opening or the closing of the
breech is effected by a single continuous motion and owing to the breech block being
thoroughly under the control of a geared wheel a heavy block can be opened and
closed very rapidly. The power obtainable through a suitable arrangement of the
gearing is such that the resistance due to the obturating pad becoming expanded is to
a great extent overcome.
Owing to the lessened number of moving parts and the simplicity of construction
the liability of any parts getting out of order is minimised and the gear can be
removed and replaced by a gunner of ordinary intelligence without risk of derange-
ment. The cost of manufacture is also considerably lessened.
11
1
TI
1000

page_text: I EDWARD TURNER WHITELOW of 70 Deansgate, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, 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 :-
My said invention relates to the breech mechanism of ordnance.
The object of my said invention is to facilitate and simplify the opening and closing
of the breeches of guns.
In order to more clearly describe my said invention I have appended hereto three
sheets of drawings to which reference is hereinafter made.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a gun.
Fig. 2 is a plan.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation.
Figs. 4 and 5 are plans of the breech block in different positions.
Figs. 4 and 5 are end elevations corresponding thereto.
Fig. 6 is a detached view of the swinging ring which carries the breech block.
Figs. 64 and 6 are respectively plan and side elevation of Fig. 6.
Fig. 7 is a plan of the composite toothed wheel or pinion herein referred to.
Figs. 74, 7, 70, 7" are side elevations of the composite toothed wheel or pinion as
seen from different directions.
Fig. 8 is a detached view of the crank or operating shaft.
The breech block a is formed with an interrupted screw a' (Fig. 4) in the usual
manner so that it may engage with a corresponding internally screwed part of the
breech of the gun and is held in a swinging ring or carrier b connected or hinged by
lugs and the vertical shaft c to corresponding lugs d' on the hood piece d at the
rear end of the gun.
At right angles to the vertical shaft is a crank or operating shaft e (Figs. 1 and 8)
having a worm el engaging in a worm wheel c' on the vertical shaft c. On the latter
shaft is secured a composito toothed wheel or pinion c³ of a novel construction which
when rotated causes the breech block a either to rotate so as to lock and unlock the
screw thread or to travel longitudinally in and out of the breech.
The composite pinion 2 (Fig. 7) is formed for part of its circumference as a spur
wheel i.e. with teeth parallel to its axis and for part of its circumference it is formed
with worm teeth or teeth inclined to its axis.
On or in the breech block a is a longitudinal spur rack a² and also a circumferential
rack as having inclined or worm teeth corresponding to those of the composite
pinion 2.
The breech block a and the composite pinion are so proportioned and engage with
each other in such a manner that their diagonal teeth come into gear when it is
desired to partly rotate the breech block by turning the crank shaft e for the purpose
of engaging or disengaging the interrupted screw threads. When such operation is
effected the continued rotation of the shaft e in the same direction (acting as will be,
seen from the drawings through its worm e' on the worm wheel c) will bring the
spur part of the composite pinion into gear with the rack a³ on the breech block and
thus cause the breech block to advance or retreat as the case may be.
A stop bolt 62 (Fig. 6) in the ring b is provided with a spiral spring 63 in
compression so as to force the stop bolt 62 inwards (towards the centre of the ring).
On the breech block is an inclined plane a'. On the breech block entering through

page_text: the ring the point of the inclined plane a' comes under the bolt and forces it
outwards so as to cause it to engage with a hole in the bracket d. The thickness of
the breech block beyond the inclined plane keeps the bolt 62 pressed outwards and as
the breech bolt is screwed home the inner end of the pin takes into the recess a³ in the
head of the breech block.
When the breech block is withdrawn the bolt 2 slides back into the ring b when
the latter becoming free is swung outward about the axis of the shaft c (by the
continued action of the worm e' on the worm wheel c') and takes with it the breech
block clear of the breech.
By the means hereinbefore described the breech is opened and the breech block
swung back by a single continuous motion of the operating shaft e and in like manner
by a single continuous motion of the shaft e in the reverse direction the breech block
is swung round opposite to the breech is run in and screwed home.
The breech block is thoroughly under control of a geared wheel and a heavy block
can be operated very rapidly. The power obtainable through such an arrangement of
gearing is such that the resistance due to the obturating pad becoming expanded is to
a great extent overcome.
Further advantages are that owing to the lessened number of moving parts and the
simplicity of construction the liability of any parts getting out of order is minimised
and the gear can be removed and replaced by a gunner of ordinary intelligence
without risk of derangement.
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 gun breech operating device for opening or closing a breech by continued
motion in one direction substantially as herein before described and shown.
2. The combination of the shaft e the shaft c (connected by worm gearing) the
composite pinion the breech block a (having circumferential and longitudinal
racks) and the ring or carrier substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
shown.
3. The combination of the composite pinion c² with a breech block having
longitudinal and circumferential racks substantially as and for the purpose set forth
and 'shown.
Dated this 12th day of April 1897