Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Guns or Ordnance.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Guns or Ordnance.
I, DAVID MEFFORD MEFFORD of Allison's Hotel, 13 Charterhouse Square,
in the City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to pneumatic guns or ordnance whereby I obtain great
simplicity of working parts and the application of the compressed air to the
projectile in a direction coincident with the axial line of the bore of the gun
instead of as bas hitherto been the case introducing it in a direction perpendicular
to that of the travel of the projectile. The details of the invention may be varied,
but I may carry them out in the following manner :-
The gun or cannon may be made in any suitable manner and shape, but is
preferably provided with a long bore, and may be carried on trunnions or other-
wise held in any desired manner. At or near the breech end I pivot a turn-.
carriage so arranged in conjunction with necessary openings that when the
carriage is turned so as to cross the bore of the gun the projectile can be inserted
in the carriage and the latter turned back until it lies axially with the bore of the
gun; by this means without employing a detachable breech I am able to load the
gun from the breech end. Any suitable means may be employed for operating
and fixing the turn-carriage, whose bore corresponds with that of the gun, and if
the latter be rifled, the grooves and lands correspond so that when the carriage is
closed the rifling will be continuous throughout both gun and turn carriage. The
ends of the carriage are preferably oblique.
Behind the end of the barrel or bore I provide a reservoir which may form part
of or be connected with the gun barrel in any desired manner and between this
reservoir and the interior of the barrel or bore I provide a port or channel by
which the air from the reservoir can enter the barrel. In or in connection with
this channel I provide any suitable valve and valve mechanism by which the
supply of air may be admitted to cut off, a convenient arrangement being the
following. Across the channel I bore an opening into which I place the plug of a
cock provided with the necessary fair-way (preferably of the same diameter or
capacity as the bore of the gun) so that when the cock is turned in one direction
the port is completely open and when in another direction it is completely
closed. On the end of the cock outside the gun I place a toothed wheel or
segment with which engages a toothed rack connected preferably at each end
with a piston rod passing through a pneumatic cylinder inside which it carries
a piston, provision being made for cushioning the piston or rod at the end of its
stroke, or instead of toothed mechanism I may employ a steel or other band or
bands which would give the same result.
The pneumatic cylinder is controlled by suitable valve mechanism preferably a
four-way cock operated by the man in charge by means of a lever or other device.
Air may be supplied to this cock or valve from the main pipe which supplies the
reservoir, and stop-cocks or valves may be provided to shut the pressure off the
reservoir and pneumatic cylinder, and flexible or other connections may bring
the air from the compressors to the reservoir.
In operation when the primary valve is opened the air enters the pneumatic
cylinder and moves its piston and the toothed rack or equivalent which 'turns the
main valve preferably to the extent of 180° more or less so that one traverse of

page_text: the rack opens and closes the main valve, which will be again completely operated
(opened and closed) upon the return stroke of the rack.
Dated this 13th day of January 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Pneumatic Guns or Ordnance.
I, DAVID MEFFORD MEFFORD of Allison's Hotel, 13 Charterhouse Square,
in the City of London, Engineer, 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 pneumatic guns or ordnance whereby I obtain great
simplicity of working parts and the application of the compressed air to the
projectile in a direction coincident with the axial line of the bore of the gun
instead of as has, hitherto usually been the case introducing it in a direction
perpendicular to the line of travel of the projectile :-
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the gun showing the arrangement of
the valve gear, also partly in section.
Figure 2 is a part longitudinal section of the gun taken at right angles to the
plane of section of Figure 1 showing the turn-carriage, like letters representing
like parts in both figures.
A is the gun barrel, and B the reservoir of compressed air, placed preferably
in the axial line of the gun behind the breech, and so arranged that the
compressed air which is to expel the projectile, enters the bore of the gun in a
line coincident with the axis thereof. C is the turn-carriage pivotted upon
trunnions C' in the gun barrel so that it can be turned with its bore coinciding
with that of the gun barrel or at an angle thereto as indicated in dotted lines in
Figure 2. The trunnions may either drop into their proper position through slots
formed in the metal of the gun which would be strengthened at that part for the
purpose, or the trunnions may be separate from the turn-carriage and screwed
into it from outside, the latter arrangement being indicated in the drawing. The
ends of the turn-carriage are preferably oblique as shown in Figure 2, and
the necessary openings C2 are made in the gun to allow of the movement of the
turn-carriage. Any suitable meaus may be employed for operating and fixing
the turn-carriage and if the gun be rifled the grooves and lands of the turn-
carriage correspond with those of the gun so that when the carriage is closed in
the position indicated in Figure 1 the rifling would be continuous throughout both
gun and turn-carriage. By this means without employing a detachable breecb
I am nevertheless able to load the gun from the breech end.
This turn-carriage as indicated in the drawings is let into the substance of the
gun barrel and turns quite independently of the latter. I prefer that it should
turn in a horizontal plane as indicated in Figure 1 and any desired means to
lessen the friction may be employed such for example as rollers let into the walls
of the turn-carriage, or of the gun barrel. Or a special foot-step bearing may be
employed in conjunction with the bottom trunnion C¹ to take the weight of the
projectile and turn-carriage. It is not necessary to rotate the turn-carriage
through so great a distance as 90°, all that is necessary being to turn it until the
point C3.of the carriage is clear of the point A 2 of the gun barrel so that the
projec ile can be easily inserted into the turn-carriage.

page_text: The gun itself may be mounted upon a carriage in any convenient position by
its trunnions which are not shown in the drawings.
The air is admitted from the reservoir B into the bore of the gun behind the
projectile lying in the turn-carriage C by a suitable valve, the arrangement
I prefer consisting of a cock plug D, whose bore normally lies in a direction
perpendicular to the bore of the gun, so that the cock is always closed
excepting when momentarily opened for the discharge of the projectile. The
gun barrel may be bored out to receive the plug D and the gun may if
necessary be bushed at this part, and the plug made of any desired material to
give the best working results in contact with the gun or bushing. The fair-way
or bore through the cock I prefer to make of the same cross sectional area and
shape as the bore of the gun so that when the cock is fully opened the two entirely
coincide. Upon the end of the cock or its spindle I place a toothed wheel or
segment E whose teeth engage with corresponding teeth upon a toothed rack F
the ends of which may be turned over at F¹ to receive the piston rod G¹ of the
valve actuating cylinder G. The piston rod G₁ carries a piston inside the
cylinder G so that upon the admission into the cylinder G of air at the required
pressure the piston will be moved carrying with it the piston rod and rack F which
engaging with the wheel or segment E will rotate the plug D, one stroke of F
being preferably arranged to turn the plug through a distance of say 180° so as to
completely open and close the cock at the one stroke, the return stroke of the
rack F again completely operating (opening and closing) the plug. Instead of
toothed mechanism I may employ a steel or other band or bands so as to give the
same result.
Any convenient arrangement of valve mechanism may be employed for
controlling the admission and escape of the compressed air to the valve
cylinder G, a simple and convenient arrangement consisting of a four-way cock H
operated by a handle or lever H₁; or a piston or other valve may be employed
for this purpose.
Any convenient arrangement of cushioning-preferably by
imprisoning a sufficient quantity of the air-may be employed to prevent the piston
from striking the ends of the cylinder G; or the ends of the piston rod G¹ may be
arranged to act as buffers or brakes.
The four-way cock is so arranged as when in an operating position to connect one
end of the cylinder with the pressure supply and the other with the atmosphere as
by the branch H 5, and to reverse these positions when turned.
In the arrangement shown in the drawing the four-way cock H communicates by
the branch H 2 with the pipe H3 which conveys the compressed air from the
main supply pipe J which receives its supply from the compressing engines cr
reservoirs; a flexible pipe K may be employed to connect with the supply so as to
permit of the proper operation of the gun.
Cocks or valves H 4 and J¹ may be employed respectively upon the pipes H 3
and J for shutting off the air pressure or a single cock or valve upon the pipe J
may control both pipes.
The reservoir B may be connected with the gun in any suitable manner which
will allow of a fluid-tight connection between them. In the arrangement shown
in Figure 1 the reservoir is applied to the open breech of the gun, bolts B¹
passing through the flanges A¹ of the gun, and B2 of the reservoir B. If
preferred the reservoir B may be separate from the gun and connected therewith
preferably by a flexible tube but I prefer the arrangement illustrated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be under-
stood that I am aware of my previous Patent No. 2736/88 and 1 do not now claim
what I have already made public in that specification but what I claim is :-
1. The combination with the barrel of a pneumatic gun of a turn-carriage such
as C let into the barrel and operating substantially as and for the purpose
described.

page_text: 2. Inserting the projectile into a pneumatic gun by means of a turn-carriage
such as C let into the barrel and operating substantially as described.
3. The combination with a pneumatic gun of a cock plug lying across the bore
so that when the cock is opened the bore of the plug and the bore of the gun
coincide.
4. The combination with a pneumatic gun of a cock plug such as D toothed
wheel or segment E toothed rack F and an operating pneumatic cylinder
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a pneumatic gun the combination of a cock plug such as D contained in
the barrel of the gun a four-way cock H pneumatic cylinder and means for
connecting the pneumatic cylinder and the cock plug D substantially as and for
the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
pneumatic gun and valve and loading mechanism substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of November 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.