Improvements in Machine Guns.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1899-Accepted, 6th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machine Guns.
I, FRANK MILTON GARLAND, of 486, Elm Street, in the City of New Haven,
County of New Haven and State of Connecticut, United States of America,
Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an operating mechanism for a machine gun having
two barrels, the firing of one of which loads and fires the other. Such a gun is
fully set forth in my Application for Patent of Great Britain No. 18,877 of 1898.
In the gun claimed in that application the loading is accomplished by hydraulic
means, the recoil incident to firing one barrel being communicated through Huid
to a piston connected with the loading mechanism of the other barrel. In the gun
herein shown and described, the loading of one barrel is accomplished by the
forward movement of the other barrel.
The object of this invention is to provide a gun of this nature with a simple and
durable mechanism which will act positively in a desirable manner for loading one
barrel after the other barrel has been fired and is returning to position to be
again loaded.
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by the accompanying drawings,
the barrels are loosely supported so that when cartridges are discharged they
recoil and make tense the actuating springs, which, after the effect of the recoil has
been utilized, draw the barrels forward with a speed determined by the adjustment
of a liquid regulator. The breech blocks are carried back with the barrels when
they recoil and are held back when the barrels are drawn forward by the springs
so that the breeches are opened and the exploded shells extracted. Each of the
frames that are connected with the barrels is provided with a hook arranged to
engage with a part of the breech block mechanism of the other barrel so as to
draw the breech block of that other barrel home when the hook moves forward
with the barrel with which it is connected. The backward movement of one
barrel and its breech block releases the breech block mechanism of the other
barrel so that the breech block of that other barrel may be drawn home by the
advance of the barrel that causes the release.
In the views. the feeding. firing and ejecting mechanisms are not shown, for they
are fully illustrated and described in the application above referred to and do not
form a part of the present invention.
Fig. 1 of the views shows a plan of a gun embodying the invention. Fig. 2
shows a side elevation of this gun. Fig. 3 shows a plan of the breech ends of the
barrels and the loading mechanisms, the case being cut in central horizontal
section. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the plane indicated by the broken
line A of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the plane indicated by the
line B. Fig. 6 is a view looking into the butt section of the case from the front.
Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section looking at the left hand barrel frame and
loading mechanism with the breech block closed. Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal
section looking at the right hand barrel frame with the breech block open. Fig. 9

page_text: is a plan of the hook support that is connected with the left hand barrel frame.
Fig. 10 is a side view of this part.. Fig. 11 is a plan of the hook support that is
connected with the right hand barrel frame. Fig. 12 is a side view of this part.
Fig. 13 is a plan of the retaining hooks that hold the breech block mechanisms
while the barrels are moving forward. Fig. 14 is a side view of these hooks. And
Fig. 15 shows side and plan views of the slides connected with the breech block
mechanisms that are engaged by the retaining hook.
The barrels 1 are movably held by the forward end of the case 2 that encloses
the mechanisms, and by the cross head 3 that is supported by posts 4 fastened to
the end of the case. The springs 5 thrust between the yoke 6 that is connected
with the cross head and collars that are fastened to the barrels so that the back-
ward movements of the barrels make the springs tense, as fully set forth in the
application referred to. (Figs. 1, 2.)
The end of each of the frames 8 that are connected with the breech ends of
the barrels has a piston 9 that moves in a cylinder 10 formed integral with the
butt section of the case. These cylinders open at the back into a common
chamber 11 and in front into a common chamber 12. Between these chambers
The stem of this
is a passage 13, and adjacent to this passage is a valve 14.
valve is loosely supported by a yoke 15 that projects from a plug screwed into
the butt of the case. The spring 16 on the valve stem is arranged to hold the
valve toward the passage with a yielding pressure, and the end of a spindle 17
that passes through the plug is arranged to form a stop that limits the movement
of the valve toward the passage. (Fig. 3.)
The cylinders are filled with fluid through the tube 18 when the plug 19 is
removed from the opening in the case. (Fig. 4.)
This valve permits a free flow of fluid from the rear chamber to the front
chamber and allows unrestricted back ward movements of the barrels, but it
obstructs the flow of fluid from the front chamber to the rear chamber and thus
retards the forward movements of the pistons, so that the speed of the forward
movements of the barrels may be regulated. This organization is the same as set
forth in the prior application.
The breech blocks 20 are movable in the ways 21 in the barrel frames toward
and from the breeches of the barrels, and each of these breech blocks bears a firing
pin 22, a cocking lever 23, a sear 24 and extractor fingers 25. (Fig. 8.)
Connected with the breech blocks by levers 26 are recoil blocks 27 that when the
breech blocks close the breeches are wedged against the backing blocks 28 (Fig. 7)
and when the breech blocks are opened move up and along the ways 29 in the
barrel frames. (Fig. 8.)
The lower ends of the breech block levers are connected by links 30 with
levers 31 mounted upon arbors 32 projecting from slide blocks 33 that are fitted
to slide back and forth upon the rear ends of the frames. The upper ends of these
slide levers are connected by links 34 with the frames. (Figs. 7, 8.)
When a cartridge is fired in one of the barrels, the recoil incident to the
discharge through the breech block and recoil block forces back the barrel frame
and draws the barrel connected with the frame backward against its spring.
The recoil and breech blocks and the levers which connect them move back with
the barrel frame in the relation shown in Fig. 7 sufficiently far for the angular
ends of the arbors 32 that project from the slide 33 to be engaged and held by the
catch hooks 35. After the recoil has been expended, the fired barrel is drawn
forward by its spring and as the catch hooks retain the arbors and slide, the slide
levers are caused to oscillate from the position illustrated in Fig. 7 to that shown
in Fig. 8. This oscillation of the slide levers through the links so oscillates the
breech block levers that the recoil block is lifted from the backing block and
moved along the upper way in the frame.
The catch hooks 35 project forwardly from a frame that is pivoted to the
case and this frame has an upward extension 36 that is connected with a rod 37
which extends through the butt of the case and is on the outside provided with a

page_text: cam lever 45. By means of this cam lever the rod may be drawn back and the
catch hooks lifted from the slide arbors. A spring is placed on the rod between
the extension 36 and an arm 38 projecting from the cylinders that are cast integral
with the butt of the case in such manner that the catch hooks are kept down for
engagement with the arbors with a yielding pressure. (Figs. 8, 13. 14.)
When one of the barrels is thrown back by recoil and the arbors are forced
under the catch hooks, the lifting of the hooks for the passage of the arbors
releases the arbors on the slide on the other barrel frame that have been previously
engaged by the catch hooks.
Connected with the inside of each of the barrel frames is a yoke 39 that supports
a coupling hook 40. The yoke that is attached to the inside of the left hand barrel
frame is shown in Figs. 9 and 10 and the yoke that is attached to the inside of
the right hand barrel frame is shown in Figs. 11 and 12. The former yoke in its
rearward extension has a mortise 41 through which projects the coupling hook of
the latter yoke. The rearwardly extending portion of the latter yoke is in a lower
plane than the corresponding part of the former yoke in order that it may pass
beneath that yoke (as illustrated in Fig. 7), and this rearwardly extending portion
of the latter yoke has a mortise 42 through which projects the coupling hook of
the former yoke. (Fig. 3.) The coupling hooks 40 are held raised by springs 43.
(Figs. 10, 12.)
When one barrel is drawn forward by its spring after recoil, the coupling hook
supported by the yoke on the frame of that barrel that reaches over on the inside
nearly to the other barrel frame engages a shoulder on the slide arbor and draws
forward the slide of that barrel. This causes the slide levers to oscillate and the
breech and recoil blocks to move from the open positions illustrated in Fig. 8 to
those shown in Fig. 7. Just as the breech block is forced home a lug 44 fastened
to the inside of the lower end of the slide lever that is being oscillated engages the
lower end of the coupling hook that is drawing forward that slide and disengages
the coupling hook from the arbor. (Fig. 7.)
The backward movement of a barrel carries back its breech block mechanism
until it is engaged by the catch hooks and the passage of the arbors beneath lifts
the catch hooks so as to release the arbors of the slide on the other barrel frame.
Then when the force of the recoil is utilized and the barrel is slowly drawn
forward by its spring, the coupling hook connected with the frame of the barrel
being drawn forward engages the arbors of the slide on the other barrel frame
that has just been released from the catch hooks and draws the other slide so as
to close the breech block of the other barrel. This closing of the breech block of
one barrel is accomplished by the forward movement of the other barrel as its own
breech block is held back so as to open the breech.
The fluid in the cylinders prevents the recoil from acting too violently on the
springs, although it does not prevent a free action and a proper tension for service
being given the springs. The proper regulation of the valve in the fluid passage
insures that the springs draw the barrels forward uniformly and without undue
speed and violence. The positive engagement of the coupling hook ou one barrel
frame with the breech block mechanism on the other harrel frame insures a proper
closing of the breech blocks at a speed that can he regulated and controlled so
that the cartridges can be loaded into the barrel with safety and without danger of
jamming the mechanisms.
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. A machine gun having barrels, springs for drawing forward the barrels,
frames connected with the barrels, breech-blocks movable backwardly with the
barrels, catches for retaining the breech-blocks while the barrels are moving
forwardly, and couplings moving with the barrel-frames for drawing forwardly
the breech-blocks of the opposite barrels.

page_text: 2. A machine gun having barrels, springs for drawing forward the barrels,
frames connected with the barrels, pistons connected with the frames and movable
in cylinders, breech-blocks movable backwardly with the barrels, catches for
retaining the breech-blocks while the barrels are moving forwardly, and couplings
moving with the barrel-frames for drawing forwardly the breech-blocks of the
opposite barrels.
3. A machine gun having barrels, springs for drawing forward the barrels,
frames connected with the barrels, pistons connected with the frames and movable
in cylinders, a passage between the ends of the cylinders, an adjustable valve
located in the passage, breech-blocks movable backwardly with the barrels, catches
for retaining the breech-blocks while the barrels are moving forwardly, and
couplings moving with the barrel-frames for drawing forwardly the breech-blocks
of the opposite barrels.
4. A machine gun having barrels, springs for drawing forward the barrels,
frames connected with the barrels, breech-blocks movable backwardly with the
barrels, catches for retaining the breech-blocks while the barrels are moving
forwardly, said catches being so arranged that when one breech-block is engaged
the other breech-block is released.
5. A machine gun having barrels, springs for drawing forward the barrels,
frames connected with the barrels, breech-blocks moving backwardly with the
barrels, slides movable along the barrel-frames, levers mounted upon the slides
and connected with the frames and with the breech-blocks, hooks pivotally
connected with the case and arranged to engage and hold the slides when the
harrels are moving forwardly, and couplings moving with the barrel-frames for
drawing forwardly the breech-blocks of the opposite barrels.
6. A machine gun having barrels, springs for drawing forward the barrels,
breech-blocks moving backwardly with the barrels, catches for retaining the
breech-blocks while the barrels are moving forwardly, yokes fastened to the
insides of the barrel-frames, and coupling hooks borne by the yokes in position to
engage parts connected with the breech-blocks of the barrels opposite to those
with which they are connected.
7. A machine gun having barrels, springs for drawing forward the barrels,
frames connected with the barrels, breech-blocks moving backwardly with the
barrels, slides movable along the frames, levers borne by the slides and connected
with the breech-blocks, shouldered arbors projecting from the slides, catch hooks
arranged to engage the shouldered arbors when the slides move backwardly, yokes
connected with the insides of the barrel-frames and coupling hooks borne by the
yokes and adapted to engage the arbors of the slides on the opposite barrel-frames.
New Haven, Conn., March 1st 1899.
FRANK MILTON GARLAND.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.