Improvements in Quick-firing Guns.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1889-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Quick-firing Guns.
I, EMIL VON SKODA, of Pilsen, Bohemia, Austria, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to automatic quick firing guns, in which the recoil is utilized
for opening and closing the breech, and, if so preferred, for firing too.
According to the invention, the barrel is enclosed in a support, which is provided
with trunnions, and wherein the barrel is guided in the direction of its axis. To this
support, the barrel is connected by means of springs, which are bent during the recoil,
and the power stored by these springs afterwards moves the barrel back into its normal
position. Thus every firing off of the arm is followed by a to and fro movement of
the barrel, which can be utilized for opening and closing the breech, provided that
the breech-action is arranged to be operated by means of a crank or lever. It is
obvious that the springs may be replaced by weights or pneumatic devices.
In order to afford possibility for the introduction of a fresh cartridge, the barrel is
stopped in its hindmost position by a spring-pawl articulated to the said support and
taking into a corresponding notch of the barrel.
It will be readily understood that various ways may be devised for translating the
to and fro movenient of the barrel into suitable displacements of the breech lever.
According to one method, the lower end of the two armed breech lever is forked
and between the arms of the fork, a tappet is attached to the support, this tappet
acting upon one arm while the barrel is recoiling and upon the other arm while the
barrel is advancing again. The said tappet can be withdrawn from the path of the
breech lever, when it is intended to operate the said lever by hand, or for the same
purpose the lever may be made movable along its shaft.
The trigger can be operated by means of a lever pivotted to the support, and when
this lever is brought into its withdrawn position, before the barrel moves forward, firing
takes places automatically.
Another mechanism for opening the breech while the barrel is moving backward,
and for closing the breech while the barrel is moving forward, consists in a link
connecting the lower end of the breech lever to the support, this link being adapted
to slide endwise in its joint at the support, and being provided, at either side of this
joint, with a collar. As the two collars are arranged a certain distance apart, the
displacement of the breech lever will always take place a certain time after the
beginning of the forward or backward movement of the barrel. As in this case too,
it is necessary to provide for the breech lever being operated by hand, the said link
is only hooked to the pivot pin, which is fixed to the lower end of the said lever,
instead of being connected to the same by an eye as usual, and so the breech lever can
be set free by unhooking the link.
According to another method of operating the breech lever, the same is held by a
catch lever or pawl in the position answering to the breech being closed and the lower
end of the said breech lever is connected to the support by means of a spring, which
is bent during the recoil. When the barrel begins to advance from its hindmost
position, a catch lever pivotted to the support takes into a notch of the 'pawl, by
which the breech lever is kept in. its position, and thereby disengages this pawl, while,
at the same time, it stops the barrel; as soon as the said pawl is disengaged, the spring
or its equivalent, connecting thic breech lever to the support, is free to displace the
said lever for opening the breech.

page_text: For closing the breech, while the barrel is moving forward, a tappet is provided,
which operates this lever in a similar manner as in the first case, and this tappet
too can be withdrawn or displaced, when the breech action is to be operated
by hand.
Dated this 1st day of December 1888.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Quick-firing Guns.
I, EMIL VON SKODA, of Pilsen, Bohemia, in the Austrian Empire, Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to automatic quick firing guns in which the portion of the
energy developed by the gasification of the charge causing the recoil, is utilized to
automatically open and close the breech closing device and in some cases also to effect
the firing automatically.
According to this invention the barrel of the gun is carried in and is capable of
axial movement in a support which by trunnions or other means rests in such a
manner as to be capable of motion in a rotary sense in a gun carriage or in any other
framing allowing of vertical and lateral training.
'
To the support the barrel is connected by means of springs which are bent
during the recoil, and the power stored up by these springs afterwards moves the
barrel back into its normal position. Thus every discharge of the gun is followed
by a to and fro movement of the barrel which is utilized to open and close the
breech closing device which can be of any suitable construction but must be adapted
to be opened and to be closed by means of a lever or a crank.
It is obvious that the springs may be replaced by weights or pneumatic devices.
The opening of the breech can take place either during the recoil or at the
commencement of the next forward movement. In the first case the breech lever is
moved simply by striking against a suitably arranged projection, whilst in the second
case the retreating barrel by placing a spring in compression or by moving a piston
in a hermetically closed cylinder stores up power which is afterwards caused to act
upon the breech lever on the release of a catch. As the full power of the recoil.
would in most cases have a too violent action there is inserted between the barrel
and the support a fluid brake arranged so as to offer to the braking fluid passages
decreasing in cross sectional area as the speed of the recoiling barrel decreases.
The annexed three sheets of drawings illustrate the application of this invention to
a cannon.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a cannon the breech of which is adapted to be
opened during the recoil; the breech being shewn closed.
Fig. 2 illustrates the positions of the parts with the breech open.
Fig. 3 shews the special arrangement that enables the breech lever to be operated
by hand.
Fig. 4 illustrates a modified arrangement of the connecting mechanism between the
• breech lever and the support.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of part of a gun the breech of which is shewn closed
and will be opened only on the commencement of the forward movement of the
· barrel.
Fig. 6 shews the positions of the parts after the completion of the recoil and before
the opening of the breech.
Fig. 7 shews the positions of the parts with the breech open.

page_text: Fig. 8 is a cross section to Figs. 5, 6 and 7.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew the adjustable piece or projection which operates the mechanism
to effect the closing of the breech.
As will be seen the barrel A is provided with two lateral fillets a parallel to the axis
of the barrel by means of which it is guided in a support B. The support rests by
means of the trunnions in the gun carriage (not shown) so that the gun barrel Å
can be trained in a vertical sense as required and can always move parallel to its own
axis during the recoil.
In order to return the barrel from the position it occupies at the termination of the
recoil again into the firing position the barrel is connected with the support by means
of one or more springs which is or are compressed during the recoil and after
completion of the recoil will move the barrel again into the firing position. Such
springs may be arranged on both sides of the barrel as shown in Fig. 1 or below
the barrel as shewn in Fig. 8. Each is enclosed in a cylinder B¹ and presses against
a piston that is connected with the barrel A in a suitable manner, it may be, as
shown, by means of a piston rod b³.
As hereinbefore mentioned, the employment is assumed of a breech closing device
which can be opened and closed by means of a lover. C. The lower and shorter arm c
of this two-armed lever can for the purpose in view be constructed in various ways, as
will be seen from Figs. 1, 4 and 5.1
In the drawings not only the same parts būt all parts which serve the same purpose
are marked with the same letters of reference.
In guns of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1-3, the barrel A when the gun is
fired moves back the breech remaining closed during part of the recoil. During this
recoil the lower short arm c of the breech lever strikes against the piece or
projection mounted on the support B and is caused to partly rotate in such a
manner as to effect the opening of the breech closing device (Fig. 2), and the extraction
of the cartridge. When the breech has been opened the barrel A has completed its
recoil, during which the spring is compressed; this spring is kept in compression
by means of a catch or pawl which being continually pressed against the barrel
by a spring, falls into a notch a' on the barrel, and arrests the barrel, preventing its
forward movement.
While the barrel is in this position the cartridge is inserted by hand. If now the
catch or pawl b be released by pressing upon the lever 6 connected therewith, the
barrel is by the action of the freed spring caused to move forward, and the breech
closing device is operated to close the breech owing to the other portion of the fork of
the lever arm c striking against the piece, or projection 6, thus making the lever and
mechanism act in the reverse manner to that in which they acted to effect the opening
of the breech. As the opening of the breech is effected only during the concluding
portion of the recoil so also during the corresponding i.e. the first portion of the return
movement of the barrel the closing will take place; hence the breech will always be
closed before the barrel assumes the firing position, in which, as hereinafter described,
firing can also take place in an automatic manner.
Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of the mechanism for operating the breech lever C,
the latter carries, instead of a forked end, a pin c¹ which is connected by a rod or
connecting piece d that hooks on to it with a cross-head d¹ mounted on the support B
so as to be capable of oscillation and loosely surrounds the rod or connecting
piece d. Both during the recoil and during the forward movement the rod or
connecting piece d at first moves in the cross-head d¹ without acting upon the
lever C only when the collar e (or during the forward movement the collar e¹)
strikes against the cross-head, is the lever partly rotated in the one or the other
direction. In order to enable the breech closing device to be opened and closed
by hand the breech lever C is in the construction shewn in Figs. 1-3 made capable
of being moved upon its shaft C along a spline or feather so that it can be moved out
of the vertical plane in which the piece or projection 6 is located. The lever can be
fixed in the two positions by means of a pin.

page_text: In the construction shewn in Fig. 4 the same purpose is effected by raising the
rod d from the pin c¹ by partially rotating the cross-head d'.
When the opening of the breech is to take place not during the recoil but at the
commencement of the forward movement of the breech, the breech lever is provided
with a catch and is also connected with a spring which is bent during the recoil. The
lever catch a engages with the arm c of the breech lever and maintains the latter
in the position shewn in Fig. so that during the recoil of the barrel A in the
support D compression takes place of the spring f1 (enclosed by a cylinder f) which
presses upon the piston that is connected by a telescopic connecting piece f³ with
the lower arm c of the lever C.
When the barrel bas completed its recoil, Fig. 6, the catch or pawl 6 of the barrel-
arresting-lever engages in a notch a¹ of the breech lever catch a². At the
commencement of the forward movement the catch a is disengaged by striking
against the pawl of the lever thereby releasing the breech lever which is
thereupon partly rotated by the force of the spring and opens the breech closing
device (Fig. 7).
Since the catch a² engages with the catch or pawl 65 of the lever and moreover
cannot turn any further in consequence of striking against a projection a³ the barrel
is prevented from moving forward. If the lever he disengaged, the barrel will
move forward into the firing position causing the projection of the lower arm c
of the breech lever C to strike against a piece or projection (shewn in dott.ed
lines in Fig. 5) movably mounted on the support B, thereby reversing the lever Cand
closing the breech.
The movement of the breech lever from the position shewn in Fig. 6 to that
shewn in Fig. 7 is effected either by the force of the compressed spring alone
or by the vacuum which is produced by the movement of the piston which is
accurately ground or fitted in the cylinder and is provided on its periphery with
annular grooves.
Both means i.e. the accurately fitting piston f3 and the spring may be employed
together as shewn in Fig. 5. In order to be able to remove from the cylinder fair
which may have leaked in, there is provided on the cylinder cover a spring loaded
valve which opens outwardly only.
In order to enable the breech closing device to be opened by hand when the barrel
is in the firing position (see position of the breech lever shewn in dotted lines in
Fig. 5) the piece or projection which is movable and which is capable of being
fixed by means of a pin is drawn back from the position shewn in Fig. 9 into the
position shewn in Fig. 10. In this case when the breech lever C is reversed, the front
portion of the piston rod moves in the hollow rear portion of the said piston rod.
To fire the gun, when the barrel is in the firing position, the trigger g is released
by means of a lever g¹ (shewn only in Figs. 1 and 2) by pulling a cord fixed to the said
lever. If this lever g' be fixed in the position shewn in Fig. so that the barrel in
its forward movement shall at the end of its course strike against the said lever, the
trigger will be released automatically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In a quick firing gun a support carried by trunnions or in any other manner
allowing of training operations, in which the barrel is movable parallel to its axis,
this support being connected with the barrel or tube by springs or pneumatic devices,
so that the barrel slides back in the support during the recoil, and thereby puts
springs in compression or rarefies or compresses gases, and is returned to its
normal position by the reaction of such springs or gases for the purpose of enabling
the forward and return movements produced as set forth to be utilized for operating a
breech lever, substantially as herein before described and represented by the annexed
drawings.

page_text: 2. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in Claim 1, a catch or pawl
pressed against the barrel and which engages in a notch on the return movement
of the barrel or tube and thereby fixes it in the rearmost position, to allow of
loading.
In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claim 1, a breech lever
with forked lower arm between whose prongs a piece or projection fixed to the
support is provided so that this piece or projection when the barrel moves back
acts upon the one part of the fork and during the forward movement upon the other
part of the fork.
4. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claims 1 and 3, a breech lever
movable on its shaft, and which can be brought, by moving it outwardly into a
position
in which its plane of movement will be clear of the piece or projection, when the
breech is to be opened by hand.
5. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claim 1, a trigger lever on the
support, and a corresponding trigger on the barrel, the arrangement being such that
by drawing back the trigger lever before the barrel or tube moves forward, the firing
can be effected automatically.
6. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claim 1, connecting the breech
lever with the support by a connecting rod or piece that is also movable on its joint
on the support, and carries on both sides of the joint projections or collars in suitable
positions, so that the reversing of the breech lever takes place always at a certain
time after the commencement of the forward or of the return movement of the barrel
or tube.
7. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred in claims 1 and 6, a connecting piece
which is simply hooked on to the pin of the breech lever so that it can be unhooked
when the breech is to be opened by hand.
8. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claim 1, a catch or pawl
adapted to fix the breech lever in the position it occupies when the breech is closed,
and a spring or pneumatic device that is connected with the lower end of the
breech lever in such a manner that the said spring or the gas in the pneumatic
device put in compression by the rearward movement of the barrel so that when
the said catch or pawl is disengaged after the barrel is fixed, the breech lever is
reversed to open the breech.
9. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in
lever-catch which when the barrel arrives in the rearmost
a catch provided on the support, disengaged from the
firmly held.
'
claims 1 and 8, a breech-
position is, by falling into
breech lever and is itself
10. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claims 1 and 8, a projection
provided on the support, by means of which during the forward movement of the
barrel the breech lever is again reversed so as to close the breech.
11. Adapting the projection referred to in claim 10 to move outward for the purpose
of enabling the breech to be opened by hand.
12. The construction of quick firing guns as hereinabove described with reference
to and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 31st day of August 1889
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug., 1889-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Quick-firing Guns.
I, EMIL VON SKODA, of Pilsen, Bohemia, Austria, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to automatic quick firing guns, in which the recoil is utilized
for opening and closing the breech, and, if so preferred, for firing too.
According to the invention, the barrel is enclosed in a support, which is provided
with trunnions, and wherein the barrel is guided in the direction of its axis. To this
support, the barrel is connected by means of springs, which are bent during the recoil,
and the power stored by these springs afterwards moves the barrel back into its normal
position. Thus every firing off of the arm is followed by a to and fro movement of
the barrel, which can be utilized for opening and closing the breech, provided that
the breech-action is arranged to be operated by means of a crank or lever. It is
obvious that the springs may be replaced by weights or pneumatic devices.
In order to afford possibility for the introduction of a fresh cartridge, the barrel is
stopped in its hindmost position by a spring-pawl articulated to the said support and
taking into a corresponding notch of the barrel.
It will be readily understood that various ways may be devised for translating the
to and fro movement of the barrel into suitable displacements of the breech lever:
According to one method, the lower end of the two armed breech lever is forked
and between the arms of the fork, a tappet is attached to the support, this tappet
acting upon one arm while the barrel is recoiling and upon the other arm while the
barrel is advancing again. The said tappet can be withdrawn from the path of the
breech lever, when it is intended to operate the said lever by hand, or for the same
purpose the lever may be made movable along its shaft.
The trigger can be operated by means of a lever pivotted to the support, and when
this lever is brought into its withdrawn position, before the barrel moves forward, firing
takes place automatically.
Another mechanism for opening the breech while the barrel is moving backward,
and for closing the breech while the barrel is moving forward, consists in a link
connecting the lower end of the breech lever to the support, this link being adapted
to slide endwise in its joint at the support, and being provided, at either side of this
joint, with a collar. As the two collars are arranged a certain distance apart, the
displacement of the breech lever will always take place a certain time after the
beginning of the forward or backward movement of the barrel. As in this case too,
it is necessary to provide for the breech lever being operated by hand, the said link
is only hooked to the pivot pin, which is fixed to the lower end of the said lever,
instead of being connected to the same by an eye as usual, and so the breech lever can
be set free by unhooking the link.
According to another method of operating the breech lever, the same is held by a
catch lever or pawl in the position answering to the breech being closed and the lower
end of the said breech lever is connected to the support by means of a spring, which
is bent during the recoil. When the barrel begins to advance from its hindmost
position, a catch lever pivotted to the support takes into a notch of the pawl, by
which the breech lever is kept in its position, and thereby disengages this pawl, while,
at the same time, it stops the barrel; as soon as the said pawl is disengaged, the spring
or its equivalent, connecting the breech lever to the support, is free to displace the
said lever for opening the breech.
For closing the breech, while the barrel is moving forward, a tappet is provided,

page_text: which operates this lever in a similar manner as in the first case, and this tappet
too can be withdrawn or displaced, when the breech action is to be operated
by hand.
Dated this 1st day of December 1888.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Quick-firing Guns.
I, EMIL VON SKODA, of Pilsen, Bohemia, in the Austrian Empire, Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention relates to automatic quick firing guns in which the portion of the
energy developed by the gasification of the charge causing the recoil, is utilized to
automatically open and close the breech closing device and in some cases also to effect
the firing automatically.
According to this invention the barrel of the gun is carried in and is capable of
axial movement in a support which by trunnions or other means rests in such a
manner as to be capable of motion in a rotary sense in a gun carriage or in any other
framing allowing of vertical and lateral training.
To the support the barrel is connected by means of springs which are bent
during the recoil, and the power stored up by these springs afterwards moves the
barrel back into its normal position. Thus every discharge of the gun is followed
by a to and fro movement of the barrel which is utilized to open and close the
breech closing device which can be of any suitable construction but must be adapted
to be opened and to be closed by means of a lever, or a crank.
It is obvious that the springs may be replaced by weights or pneumatic devices.
The opening of the breech can take place either during the recoil or at the
commencement of the next forward movement. In the first case the breech lever is a
moved simply by striking against a suitably arranged projection, whilst in the second
case the retreating barrel by placing a spring in compression or by moving a piston
in a hermetically closed cylinder stores up power which is afterwards caused to act
upon the breech lever on the release of a catch. As the full power of the recoil
would in most cases have a too violent action there is inserted between. the barrel a
and the support a fluid brake arranged so as to offer to the braking fluid passages
decreasing in cross sectional area as the speed of the recoiling barrel decreases.
The annexed three sheets of drawings illustrate the application of this invention to
a cannon.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a cannon the breech of which is adapted to be 4
opened during the recoil; the breech being shewn closed.
Fig. 2 illustrates the positions of the parts with the breech open.
Fig. 3 shews the special arrangement that enables the breech lever to be operated
by hand.
Fig. 4 illustrates a modified arrangement of the connecting mechanism between the 4
breech lever and the support.
Fig. is a side elevation of part of a gun the breech of which is shewn closed
and will be opened only on the commencement of the forward movement of the
barrel.
Fig. 6 shows the positions of the parts after the completion of the recoil and before 5
the opening of the breech.
Fig. 7 shews the positions of the parts with the breech open.

page_text: Fig. 8 is a cross section to Figs. 5, 6 and 7.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew the adjustable piece or projection which operates the mechanism
to effect the closing of the breech.
As will be seen the barrel A is provided with two lateral fillets a parallel to the axis
of the barrel by means of which it is guided in a support B. The support rests by
means of the trunnions & in the gun carriage (not shown) so that the gun barrel A
can be trained in a vertical sense as required and can always move parallel to its own
axis during the recoil.
In order to return the barrel from the position it occupies at the termination of the
recoil again into the firing position the barrel is connected with the support by means
of one or more springs which is or are compressed during the recoil and after
completion of the recoil will move the barrel again into the firing position. Such
springs may be arranged on both sides of the barrel as shewn in Fig. 1 or below
the barrel as shewn in Fig. 8. Each is enclosed in a cylinder B' and presses against
a piston that is connected with the barrel A in a suitable manner, it may be, as
shown, by means of a piston rod b³.
As herein before mentioned, the employment is assumed of a breech closing device
which can be opened and closed by means of a lever C. The lower and shorter arm c
of this two-armed lever can for the purpose in view be constructed in various ways, as
will be seen from Figs. 1, 4 and 5.
In the drawings not only the same parts but all parts which serve the same purpose
are marked with the same letters of reference.
In guns of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1-3, the barrel A when the gun is
fired moves back the breech remaining closed during part of the recoil. During this
recoil the lower short arm c of the breech lever C strikes against the piece or
projection 6 mounted on the support B and is caused to partly rotate in such a
manner as to effect the opening of the breech closing device (Fig. 2), and the extraction
of the cartridge. When the breech has been opened the barrel A has completed its
recoil, during which the spring 6' is compressed; this spring is kept in compression
by means of a catch or pawl which being continually pressed against the barrel
by a spring, falls into a notch a¹ on the barrel, and arrests the barrel, preventing its
forward movement.
:
While the barrel is in this position the cartridge is inserted by hand. If now the
catch or pawl &³ be released by pressing upon the lever be connected therewith, the
barrel is by the action of the freed spring caused to move forward, and the breech
closing device is operated to close the breech owing to the other portion of the fork of
the lever arm c striking against the piece or projection, thus making the lever and
mechanism act in the reverse manner to that in which they acted to effect the opening
of the breech. As the opening of the breech is effected only during the concluding
portion of the recoil so also during the corresponding i.e. the first portion of the return
movement of the barrel the closing will take place; hence the breech will always be
closed before the barrel assumes the firing position, in which, as hereinafter described,
firing can also take place in an automatic manner.
Fig. 4 illustrates a modification of the mechanism for operating the breech lever C,
the latter carries, instead of a forked end, a pin c¹ which is connected by a rod or
connecting piece d that hooks on to it with a cross-head d¹ mounted on the support B
so as to be capable of oscillation and loosely surrounds the rod or connecting
piece d. Both during the recoil and during the forward movement the rod or
connecting piece d at first moves in the cross-head without acting upon the
lever C; only when the collar e (or during the forward movement the collar e')
strikes against the cross-head, is the lever partly rotated in the one or the other
direction. In order to enable the breech closing device to be opened and closed
by hand the breech lever is in the construction shewn in Figs. 1-3 made capable
of being moved upon its shaft (" along a spline or feather so that it can be moved out
of the vertical plane in which the piece or projection is located. The lever can be
fixed in the two positions by means of a pin.

page_text: In the construction shewn in Fig. 4 the same purpose is effected by raising the
rod d from the pin c¹ by partially rotating the cross-head d'.
When the opening of the breech is to take place not during the recoil but at the
commencement of the forward movement of the breech, the breech lever is provided
with a catch and is also connected with a spring which is bent during the recoil. The
lever catch a² engages with the arm c of the breech lever and maintains the latter
in the position shewn in Fig. 5 so that during the recoil of the barrel A in the
support D compression takes place of the spring (enclosed by a cylinder f) which
presses upon the piston that is connected by a telescopic connecting piece f' with
the lower arm c of the lever C.
When the barrel has completed its recoil, Fig. 6, the catch or pawl 6 of the barrel-
arresting-lever be engages in a notch a' of the breech lever catch a². At the
commencement of the forward movement the catch a is disengaged by striking
against the pawl 6 of the lever 60 thereby releasing the breech lever C which is
thereupon partly rotated by the force of the spring f and opens the breech closing
device (Fig. 7).
Since the catch a engages with the catch or pawl of the lever 6 and moreover
cannot turn any further in consequence of striking against a projection a³ the barrel
is prevented from moving forward. If the lever 6 be disengaged, the barrel will
move forward into the firing, position causing the projection c² of the lower arm c
of the breech lever C to strike against a piece or projection 64 (shewn in dotted
lines in Fig. 5) movably mounted on the support B, thereby reversing the lever () and
closing the breech.
The movement of the breech lever C from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that
shewn in Fig. 7 is effected either by the force of the compressed spring fl alone
or by the vacuum which is produced by the movement of the piston which is
accurately ground or fitted in the cylinder f and is provided on its periphery with
annular grooves.
Both means i.e. the accurately fitting piston f and the spring f may be employed
together as shewn in Fig. 5. In order to be able to remove from the cylinder fair
which may have leaked in, there is provided on the cylinder cover a spring loaded
valve which opens outwardly only.
In order to enable the breech closing device to be opened by hand when the barrel
is in the firing position (see position of the breech lever shewn in dotted lines in
Fig. 5) the piece or projection & which is movable and which is capable of being
fixed by means of a pin is drawn back from the position shewn in Fig. 9 into the
position shewn in Fig. 10. In this case when the breech lever (is reversed, the front
portion of the piston rod f' moves in the hollow rear portion of the said piston rod.
To fire the gun, when the barrel is in the firing position, the trigger g is released
by means of a lever g¹ (shewn only in Figs. 1 and 2) by pulling a cord fixed to the said
lever. If this lever g₁ be fixed in the position shewn in Fig. 1 so that the barrel in
its forward movement shall at the end of its course strike against the said lever, the
trigger will be released automatically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a quick firing gun a support carried by trunnions or in any other manner
allowing of training operations, in which the barrel is movable parallel to its axis,
this support being connected with the barrel or tube by springs or pneumatic devices,
so that the barrel slides back in the support during the recoil, and thereby puts
springs in compression or rarefies or compresses gases, and is returned to its
normal position by the reaction of such springs or gases for the purpose of enabiing
the forward and return movements produced as set forth to be utilized for operating a
breech lever.
•
2. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in Claim 1, a catch or pawl

page_text: pressed against the barrel and which engages in a notch on the return movement
of the barrel or tube and thereby fixes it in the rearmost position, to allow of
loading.
3. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claim 1, a breech lever
with forked lower arm between whose prongs a piece or projection fixed to the
support is provided so that this piece or projection when the barrel moves back
acts upon the one part of the fork and during the forward movement' upon the other
part of the fork.
4. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claims 1 and 3, a breech lever
movable on its shaft, and which can be brought, by moving it outwardly into a position
in which its plane of movement will be clear of the piece or projection, when the
breech is to be opened by hand.
5. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claim 1, a trigger lever on the
support, and a corresponding trigger on the barrel, the arrangement being such that
by drawing back the trigger lever before the barrel or tube moves forward, the firing
can be effected automatically.
6. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claim 1, connecting the breech
lever with the support by a connecting rod or piece that is also movable on its joint
on the support, and carries on both sides or the joint projections or collars in suitable
positions, so that the reversing of the breech lever takes place always at a certain
time after the commencement of the forward or of the return movement of the barrel
or tube.
7. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred in claims 1 and 6, a connecting piece
which is simply hooked on to the pin of the breech lever so that it can be unhooked
when the breech is to be opened by hand.
8. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claim 1, a catch or pawl
adapted to fix the breech lever in the position it occupies when the breech is closed,
and a spring or pneumatic device that is connected with the lower end of the
breech fever in such a manner that the said spring or the gas in the pneumatic
device is put in compression by the rearward movement of the barrel so that when
the said catch or pawl is disengaged after the barrel is fixed, the breech lever is
reversed to open the breech.
9. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claims 1 and 8, a breech-
iever-catch which when the barrel arrives in the rearmost position is, by falling into
a catch provided on the support, disengaged from the breech lever and is itself
firmly held.
10. In a quick firing gun of the kind referred to in claims 1 and 8, a projection
provided on the support, by means of which during the forward movement of the
barrel the breech lever is again reversed so as to close the breech.
11. Adapting the projection referred to in claim 10 to move outward for the purpose
of enabling the breech to be opened by hand.
12. The construction of quick firing guns as hereinabove described with reference
to and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
ם
014
Ր
1000
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.