Improvements in Machine Guns.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1889-Accepted, 28th June, 1889
Improvements in Machine Guns.
I, JAMES GEORGE ACCLES of 41 Craven Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements rolate more especially to machine guns of the Gatling type
in which there are a number of barrels ranged around a cylinder, and revolve about
its axis.
I carry the axis of the handle for giving motion to the barrels through one of the
trunnions, upon which the gun is mounted. The axis carries at its inner end a worm
or a bevelled pinion which gears with a worm wheel or bevelled wheel fixed to the
barrels. By this means the gun can be worked with less vibration than when the
driving mechanism is situated elsewhere.
In order to prevent dust from entering the casing of the gun I provide a dust ring
Gixed at the front end of the casing the inner circumference of this ring is provided
with a flange which projects rearwar ls and enters a groove in a disc fixed to the front
ends of the barrels. Between the edge of this disc and the casing I place a loose
friction ring which is free either to turn in the casing with the disc or to remain
stationary whilst the disc turns in it.
I dispense with the usual spring for forcing the firing pin forward, and in place
thereof I employ a cam surface which comes against the rear end of the firing pin.
In Gatling guns this cam surface takes the form of a projection upon the cam, fixed
at the rear of the casing for operating the bolts which close the rear ends of the
barrels.
The firing pin is loose in the bolt and coming into contact with the cartridge whilst
being rummed home it assumes its rearinost position. The cam as is usual has a flat
upon it which holds the bolt against the cartridge head during the time that the
cartridge is fired. The projection for operating the firing pin is situated at the
commencement of this flat portion of the cam.
In order to prevent the cartridges from sticking and also to ensure the extractor
taking hold of them I provide each barrel with a starter which consists of a piece of
metal sliding in a groove in the barrel. The rear end of the starter, bears against the
flange of the cartridge and its front end comes in contact with a cam fixed to the casing
of the gun, as the barrels revolve, the starters are in turn pushed rearwards and
commence the extraction of the cartridge. The extractors proper are carried by the
bolts and during the first part of the ramming home, the hook lios to the rear of the
cartridge being prevented from passing the cartridge head by resting on the bottom
of the groove or extractor way in which it works. When the cartridge is rammed
home the nose of the extractor comes to a recess in the extractor way which allows the
book to pass under the flange of the cartridge head.
After the cartridge has been fired the extraction is cominenced by the starter, as
above described, (the extractor proper being at this time stationary,) and its rearward
motion is sufficient to carry the cartridge head past or nearly past the recess in the
extractor way as above referred to, so that, when the extractor comes back, its hook
cannot pass the flange without taking hold of it, as the extractor has by this time been
drawn out of the recess and is supported by the cylindrical surface.
I drive the feeding wheel of a Gatling gun from the rear end of its axis by means
of teeth placed upon the lock flange.
Dated this 28th day of June 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machine Guns.
I, JAMES GEORGE ACOLES, of 41 Craven Street, Stranit, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to he performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My improvements relate more especially to machine guns of the Gatling type
in which there are a number of barrels ranged around a cylinder, and revolve about
its axis.
I carry the axis of the handle for giving motion to the barrels through one of the
trunnions, upon which the gun is mounted. The axis carries at its inner end a worm
or a bevelled pinion which gears with a worm wheel or bevelled wheel fixed to the
barrels. By this means the gun can be worked with less vibration than when the
driving mechanism is situated elsewhere.
In order to prevent dust from entering the casing of the gun I provide a dust ring
fixed at the front end of the casing the inner circumference of this ring is provided
with a flange which projects rearwards and enters a groove in a disc fixed to the front
ends of the barrels. Between the edge of this disc and the casing place a loose
friction ring which is freo either to turn in the casing with the disc or to remain
stationary whilst the disc turns in it.
I dispense with the usual spring for forcing the firing pin forward, and in place
thereof 1 employ a cam surface which comes against the rear end of the firing pin.
In Gatling guns this cam surface takes the form of a projection upon the cam, fixed
at the rear of the casing for operating the bolts which close the rear ends of the
barrels.
The firing pin is loose in the bolt and coming into contact with the cartridge whilst
being rammed home it assumes its rearinost position. The cam as is usual has a flat
upon it which holds the bolt against the cartridge head during the time that the cartridge
is fired. The projection for operating the firing pin is situated at the commencement
of this flat portion of the cam.
In order to prevent the cartridges from sticking and also to ensure the extractor
taking hold of them I provide each barrel with a starter which consists of a piece of
metal sliding in a groove in the barrel. The rear end of the starter, bears against the
flange of the cartridge and its front end coines in contact with a cam fixed to the
casing of the gun, as the barrels revolve, the starters are in turn pushed rearwards
and commence the extraction of the cartridge. The oxtractors proper are carried by
the bolts and during the first part of the ramming home, the hook lies to the rear of
the cartridge being prevented from passing the cartridge head by resting on the bottom
of the groove or extractor way in which it works. When the cartridge is rammed
home the nose of the extractor comes to a recess in the extractor way which allows the
hook to pass under the flange of the cartridge head.
After the cartridge has been fired the extraction is commenced by the starter, as
above described, (the extractor proper being at this time stationary.) and its rearward
motion is sufficient to carry the cartridge head past or nearly past the recess in the
extractor way as above referred to. so that, when the extractor comes back, its hook
cannot pass the flange without taking hold of it, as the extractor has by this
time been drawn out of the recess and is supported by the bottom of the extractor
groove.
I drive the feeding wheel of a Gatling gun from the rear end of its axis by means
of teeth placed upon the lock flange.
In order that my said invention may be more fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
MIR
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section (partly in elevation) of a Gatling gun embodying

page_text: Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line y, y, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line z, z, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a modification of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a detail of the clutch mechanism Figure 4.
Figure 7 is an end view of the cam for working the bolts and strikers.
Figure 8 is the same cam rolled out or developed.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of one of the bolts showing the firing pin and
extractor.
Figure 10 is a transverse section and Figure 11 a longitudinal section of part of the
gun showing the starter and incline or cam for working the same.
Figure 12 is a plan of the incline or can.
a is the casing of the gun and b b are the barrels. c is the handle for giving motion
to the barrels. The axis d Figures 1 and 4 to which this handle is fixed passes through
one of the trunnions e upon which the gun is mounted, and carries at its inner end
the bevelled pinion which gears with the bevelled wheel g fixed to the barrels. In
Figure 5 the worm and worm wheel g' are substituted for the bevelled pinion and
wheel. (Figure 1) is a dust ring fixed at the front end of the casing. The inner
circumference of this ring is provided with a flange h¹ which projects rearwards and
enters a groove in a discj fixed to the front ends of the barrels. Between the edge of
the disc and the casing a is placed a loose friction ring k.
Figures 1, 7, and 8 show the cam by which the bolts are operated. The details
and method in which this cam operates are well known and require no description, the
novelty consists in the projection furnished with inclines,, which, as the barrels
are rotated, come in turn against the ends of the firing pins and fire the cartridges.
The projection has a flat upon it corresponding with the usual flat / upon
the cam.
Figures 10, 11 and 12 shew the details of one of the starters. This consists of a
piece of metal m the rear end of which bears against the flange of the cartridge, whilst
its front end comes against the cam or incline n which is screwed into the casing.
oo Figures 1 and 9 are the extractors proper, which are carried upon the bolts. The
back of of the extractor projects, as shown, and when the bolt is forward this projection
lies in a recess p Figure 1 at the forward end of the extractor way. After the
cartridge has been fired the starter forces the empty shell backwards until its flange
is past or nearly past the recess p, and then as the extractor moves rearward
its shoulder o' comes against the incline in the recess p so that it is impossible
for the hook of the extractor to pass the flange of the cartridge without taking
hold of it.
The details of the feeding wheel q are shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. This wheel is
mounted upon an axis r to the rear end of which is fixed the toothed wheel a whose
teeth gear into the teeth t upon the lock flange.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In guns of the Gatling type carrying the handle by which the barrels are rotated
through one of the trunnions upon which the gun is mounted.
2. In guns of the Gatling type giving motion to the barrels from a shaft passing
through one of the trunnions by means of a worm or bevelled pinion gearing with a
worm wheel or bevelled wheel fixed to the barrels.
3. In guns of the Gatling type the dust ring h provided with a flange h¹ entering
the groove in the disc j.
4. An incline or cam surface which fires the gun by coming against the firing pin.
5. In combination with a cam such as is referred to in the preceding claim a firing
pin loose in the bolt.
6. The starter for commencing the extraction of the cartridge consisting of a part

page_text: one end of which bears against the flange of the cartridge whilst the other and comes
against an incline or cam surface.
7. In combination with a startor such as is referred to in the preceding claim the
projection o' at the back of the extractor which as the bolt is drawn back comes against
an incline in the extractor way.
8. In guns of the Galling type driving the feeding wheel from the rear end of its
axis by means of teeth upon the lock flango.
9. My improved Gatling gun substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 18th day of March 1889.
J. GEORGE ACCLES.