Automatic Breech-opening Mechanism for Big Guns.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1896-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Breech-opening Mechanism for Big Guns.
We, Sir ANDREW NOBLE, K.C.B., F.R.S., of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, and CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, of Elswick Works, Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the movement of the
gun in running out after firing is made to open the breech of the gun at the same
time retaining the power to close or open the gun breech by hand.
It is applicable whenever the breech of the gun is opened by the rotation of the
axis pin which forms the pivot on which breech screw is swung clear of the breech
end of the bore of the gun.
To do this we provide a toothed rack gearing direct or by means of an intermediate
wheel into a toothed wheel, keyed on the axis of the hinge pin of the breech screw.
This toothed rack is bored out and provided with a quick pitched female screw
thread into which is fitted a suitable male screw held and guided at the forward end
in a bracket on the gun provided with a bearing which permits the male screw to
revolve or be revolved. The rear end of this toothed rack passes through a
bracket carried on the gun and has a tee head which prevents it drawing forwards
through this bracket. The toothed rack is also provided near its front end with a
notch or projection into or bebind which a suitable pawl can engage.
The male screw is fitted with a toothed wheel at its forward end by which
through a pinion and hand wheel it can be revolved when necessary.
--
The action of this gear is as follows:-
On the gun recoiling the toothed rack is drawn to the rear the full length
of recoil by its tee head. When the gun goes forward again the rack cannot go
forward with it, being detained by the pawl which has fallen into or behind the
notch or projection provided for this purpose. As the rack cannot move, the
toothed wheel on the axis of the hinge pin of the breech screw gets turned' round
and so the gun breech is opened.
When it is required to close the gun again the pawl is withdrawn and the male
screw revolved by its wheel and handwheel and this screw acting on the thread
inside the toothed rack, the toothed rack is drawn along so as to revolve the wheel
on the axis of the hinge pin and close the gun breech. By reversing the direction
in which the handwheel is turned the gun will of course be opened.
It will be seen that during the recoil of the gun the female thread is drawn along
the male screw which it will therefore revolve.
As this action takes place rather rapidly we provide that the handwheel need not
necessarily be revolved. To provide for this we mount the handwheel a free fit on
its spindle and provide that it grips and revolves the spindle only when the man's.
band takes hold of the handle of the hand wheel. This we do by causing a key to
shoot from the boss of the wheel into a keyway in the spindle, this key being
connected to the handle of the hand wheel and being fitted with a spring which
draws the key clear of the keyway when the clasp of the hand is relaxed.
Dated this 30th day of October 1895.
A. NOBLE.
C. H. MURRAY,,

page_text: Automatic Breech-opening Mechanism for Big Guns.
We, Sir ANDREW NOBLE, K.C.B., F.R.S., of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, and CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, of Elswick Works, Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the movement of the
gun in running out after firing is made to open the breech of the gun at the same
time retaining the power to close or open the gun breech by hand.
It is applicable whenever the breech of the gun is opened by the rotation of the
.axis pin which forms the pivot on which breech screw is swung clear of the breech.
end of the bore of the gun.
Figure 1 is a rear elevation, Figure 2 a plan and Figure 3 a side elevation of the
mechanism.
a is a toothed rack gearing direct or by means of an intermediate wheel 6 into a
toothed wheel c keyed on the axis d of the hinge pin of the breech screw. This toothed
rack is bored out and provided with a quick pitched female screw thread into which
is fitted a suitable male screw e held and guided at the forward end in a bracket f
on the carriage provided with a bearing which permits the male screw to revolve or
be revolved. The rear end of this toothed rack a passes through a bracket
carried on the gun and has a tee head a¹ which prevents it drawing forwards
through this bracket. The toothed rack a is also provided near its front end
with a notch or projection into or behind which a suitable pawl / can engage.
The male screw is fitted with a toothed wheel ; at its forward end by which
through a pinion k and handwheel it can be revolved when necessary.
The action of this gear is as follows:
:-
On the gun recoiling the toothed rack a is drawn to the rear the full length of
recoil by its tee head a'. When the gun goes forward again the rack cannot go
forward with it, being detained by the pawl h which has fallen into or behind the
notch or projection provided for this purpose. As the rack cannot move the toothed
wheel and the toothed wheel c on the axis d of the hinge pin of the breech screw
gets turned round and so the gun breech is opened.
When it is required to close the gun again the pawl h is withdrawn and the male
screw e revolved by its wheel j and hand wheel and this screw acting in the
thread inside the toothed rack a the toothed rack is drawn along so as to revolve
the wheel c on the axis of the hinge pin and close the gun breech. By reversing
the direction in which the hand wheel is turned the gun will of course be
opened.
It will be seen that during the recoil of the gun the female thread is drawn along
the male screw e which it will therefore revolve.
As the action takes place rather rapidly we provide that the haud wheel A¹ need
not necessarily be revolved. To provide for this we mount the handwheel a free
fit on its spindle and provide that it grips and revolves the spindle only when the
man's hand takes hold of the handle of the handwheel. This we do by causing a
key to shoot from the boss of the wheel into a keyway in the spindle, this key
being connected to the handle of the hand wheel and being fitted with a spring m
which draws the key clear of the keyway when the clasp of the hand is relaxed.
Or the wheel; may be connected to the screw e by a friction clutch j¹.
Sometimes we prefer to make the rack which is withdrawn by the recoiling gun
in the form of a male screw.
Figure 4 is a rear elevation; Figure 5 a plan and Figure 6 a side elevation of
this arrangement.

page_text: In this case the screw A acts as a rack when prevented from going forward by
the pawl B when the gun is run out and will cause the wheel C to revolve and open
the breech whilst it acts as a screw or worm when used to open or close the
gun, being for these purposes revolved by means of the handwheel D and the
gear shown.
The pawl B springs behind the rack A as soon as the latter is clear of it, but it.
is automatically forced out of the way again next time the rack A is revolved
owing to the snail like end of the last thread.
After the gun is run out the rack is left behind, but by revolving the handwheel D
while the gun is being loaded the rack A is run forward again. As soon as it is.
right forward pawl E springs in behind a collar F so that on reversing the motion
of the hand wheel D the rack A acting as a worm turns the worm wheel C and
closes the breech. A cam G is used to withdraw the pawl E during recoil so as to
allow the rack A to be left behind when the gun runs out.
The pawl K is fitted to stop the breech screw from swinging about in a seaway..
It is withdrawn by the collar F when the rack is run forward.
Figure 7 is a plan and Figure 8 a side elevation of another modification. In this
arrangement also a male screw A acts as a rack for the automatic gear and a worm,
for the hand gear.
When acting as a worm for the hand gear a catch E working between collars F F
prevents screw A from travelling horizontally in either direction, it therefore when
revolved by the handwheel D and mitre gear drives the worm wheel C and opens
or closes the breech.
When acting as a rack for the automatic gear the catch E must be withdrawn,.
this is done during recoil by a quick pitched screw rod G with a crank on the end
of it. This rod is attached to the gun and passes through a female sleeve on
the cradle.
The screw A having recoiled with the gun a catch B falls in behind it so that on
the gun returning into firing position, A is held back and forced to revolve the
worm wheel C and open the breech.
In order to close again it is necessary first to screw A. back into position by
revolving the hand-wheel D when a snail on the end of A forces back the catch B
and the catch E rides up the sloped front of collars F F and falls in between them..
The mechanism is then ready for closing the breech.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A rack which moves back with the gun during the recoil and is then held so
that when the gun is run out a pinion operating the breech mechanism rolls.
upon it.
2. The combination with the rack of hand mechanism for traversing it to open
or close the breech.
3. A screw which is used as a worm in opening or closing the breech by hand,
and as a rack for opening the breech automatically.
4. Breech opening mechanism substantially as described and shewn in Figures 1
to 3 of the drawings.
5. Breech opening mechanism substantially as described and shewn in Figures 4
to 6 of the drawings.
6. Breech mechanism substantially as described and shewn in Figures 7 and 8 of
the drawings.
Dated this 29th day of July 1896.
A. NOBLE,
C. H. MURRAY.