IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE
Year: 1884

page_text: I GEORGE QUICK, of Chipping Campden, in the County of Gloucester, Chief
Engineer, Royal Navy, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE" to be as follows:-
My invention has for object firstly, the extensive lateral movement of the sliding
wedge in breechloading ordnance similar to the Whitworth or Krupp type and the
locking of the wedge in its place when the gun is loaded by one simple movement
of a lever. It is to be observed that it is of the greatest importance to the efficient
working of guns on this system that the face of the wedge which bears up against
the gas ring or obturator in the powder chamber should be freely exposed after
every round fired so that it may be frequently effectively and quickly cleaned from
the powder gas residuum as it is found that when this cleaning is not thoroughly
effected injury to the gas ring and wedge plate soon takes place and a great escape
of gas occurs. By this wedge plate being brought out clear of the gun every
time the gun is loaded facility is given for effective cleaning without any delay.
Secondly. My invention has for its object the opening and closing of the vent
or primer chamber at any time, and the locking to the gun of the lever which
actuates the sliding wedge.
These objects are effected as follows:-I employ a sliding wedge somewhat
similar in shape to the sliding carriage for the breech screw described in my prior
Specification No 1115 of the 10th of January 1884, fitting transversely in the
breech of the gun and in the rear end of the wedge I fit a rather coarsely pitched
locking screw the rear end of which is enlarged and slightly coned or tapered and
adapted to fit into the loading hole in the breech of the gun.
When the wedge has approached the proper position for closing the chamber
gas tight, the continued motion of the lever and screw forces the tapered part of
the screw into the hole in the breech of the gun. This loading hole is slightly
oval having its longer axis horizontal so that as the tapered part of the locking
screw bears against one side of the loading hole, the said locking screw, with the
wedge, is forced as far over to the other side of the gun as possible, by which the
bearing face of the wedge is effectively pressed against the gas ring or obturator
in the chamber. The wedge is at the same time locked into its place by the
enlarged tapered end of the locking screw being jammed into the loading hole.
The said wedge is moved by means of a lever secured to the rear end of the
locking screw with a pin at one end working in a slot or guide on the end of
CD

page_text: the gun, similarly to the method described in my prior Specifications N° 2,251 of
the 24th of May 1881 and N° 1,115 of the 10th of January 1884 by which method
a long travel can be given to the wedge.
In the centre of the locking screw I form a vent or firing lock chamber, which
is closed by a slide mounted on the locking screw lever in the usual manner; but
the said slide is worked in a new and improved manner And the said lever is
locked to the gun by means of a handle hinged to the end of the lever by a pin.
On one or both sides of the bandle, and concentric with the pin, I affix a portion
of a toothed wheel, which gears into the teeth of a rack cut in the underneath side
of the said sliding shutter so that as the handle is turned on its pin it imparts a
reciprocating motion to the sliding shutter and one part of the boss of the handle
is elongated so that when the handle is turned so as to push the shutter over the
vent, the elongated part of the boss projects beyond the forward side of the locking
screw lever and gears into a recess in the rear of the gun. This handle of the lever
is kept in its proper position either in line with the lever or at a right angle to
the lever by means of a flat spring secured to the face of the lever, which spring
presses on two surfaces formed at about right angles to each other on one part of
the boss of the handle. With this arrangement the friction primer or firing lock
is to be inserted only after the gun is loaded and the breech closed. After the
primer or firing lock is inserted the handle must be turned up in a line with the
lever, which can only be done provided that the breech is perfectly closed, and
the locking screw is in its proper place. If the breech is not properly closed it
will be indicated by the handle not being in line with the lever, and the sliding
shutter will be in such a position that the friction primer or firing lock cannot be
fired. In case of miss fire the movement of this handle will permit the extraction
of the firing primer and the insertion of a fresh one without the breech being
opened.
If required this arrangement of the handle and sliding shutter may be made to
actuate the primer extractor described in my said prior Specification N° 1,115 of
the 10th of January 1884.
It is to be understood that in this gun the wedge is pressed up against the gas
ring by means of its wedge shape or by means of the lands and grooves on the
wedge and in the gun being at an angle to the rear face of the gas ring and powder
chamber.
Multiplying gear, such as a pinion and wheel, or worm and wheel; or fluid
pressure applied as described in my said prior Specification N° 1115 of the 10th of
January 1884 may be adopted to move this mechanism in heavy guns.
The accompanying drawing shews the general arrangement of this mechanism.
Similar letters indicating similar parts.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the breech closed as ready for firing.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the breech opened ready for loading.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the left hand side of the gun closed as when ready
for firing.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section with the breech closed and firing lock chamber
covered,
Figure 5 is an elevation of the handle of the lever.
Figure 6 is an elevation of the under side of the sliding shutter.

page_text: Improvements.in Ordnance.
I GEORGE QUICK, of Chipping Campden, in the county of Gloucester, Chief
Engineer, Royal Navy 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 invention has for object firstly, the extensive lateral movement of the
sliding wedge in breech-loading ordnance similar to the Whitworth or Krupp
type and the locking of the wedge in its place when the gun is loaded by one
simple movement of a lever. It is to be observed that it is of the greatest
importance to the efficient working of guns on this system that the face of the
wedge which bears up against the gas ring or obturator in the powder chamber
should be freely exposed after every round fired so that it may be frequently,
effectively, and quickly cleaned from the powder gas residuum as it is found that
when this cleaning is not thoroughly effected injury to the gas ring and wedge
plate soon takes place and a great escape of gas occurs. By this wedge plate being
brought out clear of the gun every time the gun is loaded facility is given for
effective cleaning without any delay.
Secondly. My invention has for its object the opening and closing of the vent
or primer chamber at any time and the locking to the gun of the lever which
actuates the sliding wedge.
These objects are effected as follows:-I employ a sliding wedge somewhat
similar in shape to the sliding carriage for the breech screw described in the
specification of former Letters Patent granted to me N° 1,115 of the 10th of
January 1884, fitting transversely in the breech of the gun and in the rear end of
the wedge I fit a rather coarsely pitched locking screw the rear end of which is
enlarged and slightly coned or having an eccentric formed on it, and adapted to fit
into the loading hole in the breech of the gun.
When the wedge has approached the proper position for closing the chamber gas
tight the continued motion of the lever and screw forces the tapered part or
eccentric part of the screw into the hole in the breech of the gun. This loading
hole is slightly oval having its longer axis horizontal so that as the tapered part or
eccentric of the locking screw bears against one side of the loading hole, the said
locking screw, with the wedge, is forced as far over to the other side of the gun as
possible, by which the bearing face of the wedge is effectively pressed against the
gas ring or obturator in the chamber. The wedge is at the same time locked into
its place by the enlarged tapered end of the locking screw being jammed into the
loading hole.
The said wedge is moved by means of a lever secured to the rear end of the
locking screw with a pin at one end working in a slot or guide on the end of the
gun, similarly to the method described in the Specifications of my former Letters
Patent N° 2,251 of the 24th of May 1881 and N° 1,115 of the 10th January 1884
by which method a long travel can be given to the wedge.

page_text: In the centre of the locking screw I form a vent or firing lock chamber, which
is closed by a slide mounted on the locking screw lever in the usual manner, but
the said slide is worked in a new and improved manner. And the said lever is
locked to the gun by means of a handle hinged to the end of the lever by a pin.
On one or both sides of the handle, and concentric with the pin, I affix a portion
of a toothed wheel which gears into the teeth of a rack cut in the underneath side
of the said sliding shutter so that as the handle is turned on its pin it imparts &
reciprocating motion to the sliding shutter.-The reciprocating motion may be
imparted to the sliding shutter also by forming an elongated slot through the said
shutter and by forming a suitable cam shaped projection on the said handle which cam
shaped projection would work in the elongated slot in the said shutter. But I do not
confine myself to the detail herein described as such may be varied without departing
from the principle of the said invention. One part of the boss of the handle is
elongated so that when the handle is turned so as to push the shutter over the vent,
the elongated part of the boss projects beyond the forward side of the locking screw
lever and gears into a recess in the rear of the gun. This handle of the lever is
kept in its proper position either in line with the lever or at a right angle to the
lever by means of a flat spring secured to the face of the lever, which spring
presses on two surfaces formed at about right angles to each other on one part of
the boss of the handle. With this arrangement the friction primer or firing lock
is to be inserted only after the gun is loaded and the breech closed. After the
primer or firing lock is inserted the handle must be turned up in a line with the
lever which can only be done provided that the breech is perfectly closed, and
the locking screw is in its proper place. If the breech is not properly closed it
will be indicated by the handle not being in line with the lever, and the sliding
shutter will be in such a position that the friction primer or firing lock cannot be
fired. In case of miss-fire the movement of this handle will permit the extraction
of the firing primer and the insertion of a fresh one without the breech being
opened.
If required, this arrangement of the handle and sliding shutter may be made to
actuate the primer extractor described in the Specification of my said former
Letters Patent No 1,115 of the 10th of January 1884.
It is to be understood that in this gun the wedge is pressed up against the gas
ring by means of its wedge shape or by means of the lands and grooves on the
wedge and in the gun being at an angle to the rear face of the gas ring and
powder chamber.
Multiplying gear, such as a pinion and wheel, or worm and wheel, or fluid
pressure applied as described in the Specification of my said former Letters Patent
N° 1,115 of the 10th of January 1884 may be adopted to move this mechanism in
heavy guns.
The accompanying drawing shews the general arrangement of this mechanism-
Similar letters indicating similar parts in all the figures.
Figure 1, is an elevation of the breech closed as ready for firing.
Figure 2, is an elevation of the breech opened ready for loading.
Figure 3, is an elevation of the left hand side of the gun closed as when ready
for firing.
Figure 4, is a longitudinal section with the breech closed, and firing lock
chamber covered.
Figure 5, is an elevation of the handle of the lever.
Figure 6, is an elevation of the underside of the sliding shutter.
In these figures A, is the body of the gun; B, is the sliding block or wedge;
C, is the locking screw; D, is the lever for actuating the locking screw and the
sliding block; E, is the sliding shutter to cover the chamber of the firing lock, or
vent, and F, is the handle for actuating the said sliding shutter and locking the
lever D to the body of the gup.

page_text: 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
1. The method of effecting the extensive lateral movement of the sliding block
in breech-loading ordnance, and the locking of the said block in its place, by
means of a lever affixed to a screw working in the rear part of the said sliding
block, the said screw having a coned or eccentric end adapted to force the sliding
block closely home in its seating.
2. The method of imparting a reciprocating motion to the sliding shutter by
means of a handle or lever jointed to the breech-block lever, the said handle having
also an elongated projection to lock the lever to the gun when the sliding shutter
is covering the vént.