Improvements in Breech-loading Ordnance.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1892-Accepted, 25th June, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-loading Ordnance.
I, GREGORY GERDOM, of West Troy, in the County of Albany and State of
New York, United States of America, Inventor, 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 improvements on my invention for which an application
for Letters Patent of the United States, serial number 352,532, was filed in the
Patent Office May 20, 1890; and the object of this invention is to provide the
breech-piece with an automatically-set lock-mechanism for firing metallic cart-
ridges; an automatic ejector for throwing out the shells of the cartridges whose
charges have been fired; and a locking mechanism for securing the breech-piece in
its closed position. This object I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, which are herein referred to and form part of this
Specification, and in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a breech-piece provided with my auto-
natically-set lock-mechanismn-shown in elevation-with the point of the firing-pin
or hammer, protruded from the end of the breech-piece;
Figure 2 is a like section showing the hammer intruded and retained by the
trigger;
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the breech-piece and part of the carrier-ring,
showing the trigger engaged with the hammer;
Figure 4 is a like view of the breech-piece with its cap-plate removed
therefrom;
Figure 5 is a detached side elevation of the trigger and trigger-spring;
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the carrier-ring, showing the spiral groove
for imparting motion to the hammer setting lever;
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of part of the breech of a cannon and of the
carrier-ring, the ejector being shown in plan view and the carrier-ring turned
against the end of the breech-as when the breech-piece is shut into the breech;
Figure 8 is a like section of the breech, with part of the carrier-ring in plan
view, the latter being turned to carry the breech-piece out of the breech-
chamber;
Figure 9 is a transverse section of part of the breech of a cannon at the
line XX on Figure 7, with the ejector, coil-spring and hinge pin for the carrier-
ring shown in elevation;
Figure 10 is a partial transverse section of Figure 7, at the line YY;
Figure 11 is a rear elevation of the ejector;
Figure 12 is an edge view of the same;
Figure 13 is a side elevation of one of the extractor levers;

page_text: As represented in the drawings A designates the breech of a breech-loading
cannon, the same being constructed substantially as described in the Specification
filed with my application for Letters Patent of the United States herein before
referred to.
B designates a breech-piece for said cannon, which is also constructed sub-
stantially as described in my former Specification above referred to, except in the
following particulars: As shown in the first four figures of the drawings, said
breech-piece is provided with a lock-mechanism which is automatically set by the
rotative movement of the breech-piece preparatory to swinging the latter out of
the breech-chamber of the cannon; and as shown in Figures 13 and 14, said
breech-piece is provided with a vent-tube and closure--but it should be understood
that said vent-tube forms no part of this invention.
C designates the carrier-ring for carrying the breech-piece B; the said carrier-
ring is made substantially in the form, and hinged to the breech of the cannon
in the manner, as described in my aforesaid Specification, with a slight difference,
that as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the opposite ends of the hinge-arm D, are
each provided with a curved groove 1, arranged eccentrically. to the centre of the
hinge pin E, and the inner end of said hinge arm is provided with a recess 2, for
receiving the hinge end of the ejector F, which is pivoted to swing on the hinge
pin E for said carrier ring. A coiled spring 3, which encircles said hinge pin,
bears against the rearward side of the ejector F, for the purpose of forcing said
ejector into the position shown in Figure 7 when not forced therefrom by the
shoulder 4, of the carrier-ring as shown in Figure 8. For the purpose of
imparting a slow initial motion to said ejector, extractor levers G, are pivoted
as at 5, in recesses 7, formed in the opposite walls of the radial opening of the
breech of the cannon; said extractor levers are provided with a stud 8, at one end,
for the purpose of engaging the curved grooves 1 of the carrier ring when the
latter is swung into the required position for. effecting such engagement-each
of said grooves having a guiding face 9, to ensure the entrance of said stud
into the groove-and the opposite end of said lever is provided with a lug 10,
which engages in a recess 11, in the corresponding edge of the ejector F; the
latter is provided with lips 12, which are fitted to engage with the circumferential
flange commonly formed on the rear end of a metallic cartridge shell. The
ejector is operated in the following manner: When the parts are in the positions
shown in Figure 7 as the carrier ring C is swung away from the rear end of
the breech of the cannon, the grooves 1 of said carrier ring will cause the extractor
levers G to oscillate on their pivots so as to cause the lugs 10 to impart a slow
initial motion to the ejector F -so as to start the cartridge-shell quietly from the
bore of the cannon-then, by the continued motion of the carrier ring, the
shoulder 4 of said ring will be brought into forcible contact with the ejector to
impart a rapid movement to the latter, and thereby sufficient impetus will be given
to the cartridge shell to cast it out from the breech-chainber; in returning the
carrier ring to the position shown in Figure 7, as soon as the shoulder 4 of said
ring has been cleared from the inner face of the chamber F, the spring 3 will cause
said ejector to swing towards the bore of the cannon, then, as the closing movement
of said ring is continued, the studs 8 will enter the grooves 1 and effect the recipro-
cation of the extractor levers G to their normal position. The breech-piece B, in
the construction shown in the first four figures of the drawings, has a recess 13,
formed in its cuter end, that is fitted to receive a hammer-setting lever H, which is
fulcrummed on an arbor 14, fixed in a transverse position in the head of the breech-
piece B the outer end of said lever is provided with the globular head 15, which
is pivoted on said lever, and is fitted to engage in a spiral groove 16, formed in a
segmental extension of the carrier ring, and the angle of said spiral groove is
inclined in the opposite direction from the angle of the screw threads on the
breech-piece, so that the end wise movement of the breech-piece-produced by said
screw threads in the operations of securing and releasing the breech-piece-will
impart an increased movement to the lever; preferably the screw threads are made

page_text: with a left hand pitch and the spiral groove 16 has a right-hand pitch. The inner
end of the hammer-setting lever is bifurcated to form arms 17, and each of said
arms is provided with a slotted opening 18, at its extremity.
"
I designates the firing pin, or hammer, which is located centrally in the breech-
piece and has a sliding movement in the latter; the inner end of said hammer is
reduced in diameter and protrudes from the inuer end of the breech-piece B so that
the point of said hammer can be carried into forcible contact with the head of
a metallic cartridge so as to ignite the fulminate contained in the cartridge;
said hammer is provided with a radial lug 19, that is fitted to slide in the longi-
tudinal slot 20, in the breech-piece, and said slot forms a guide for said lug which
prevents the hammer from rotating on its axis; a spring 21, is inserted in the
slot 20 and is fitted to exert its pressure against the lug 19 to force the hammer
endwise into its protruded position from the inner end of the breech-piece. A
screw-plug 22, provided with a centre opening for allowing the point of the
hammer to protrude therethrough, is inserted in the inner end of the breech-piece
to form a closure for the opening through the latter. A. collar 23, is fitted to slide
loosely on the hammer I, which is provided with a feather, 24, for preventing said
collar from acquiring a rotary motion on said hammer; said collar is provided with
oppositely located trunnions 25, which engage in the slot-openings 18, of the
lever H so as to transmit a motion from said lever to the collar 23. A second
collar 26, is secured to the hammer I near its outer extremity, and the collar 26 is
provided with two circumferential grooves 27 and 28, with which the end of a
spring-actuated trigger J, engages to retain the hammer in its intruded positions
the groove 27 forms the "full-cock notch, and the groove 28, the "half-cock
notch on the hammer; the collar 26 should be secured on the hammer by the set
screw 29, or other means which will allow said collar to be partially rotated on
said hammer, so that when the grooves have become worn by use, an unworn
portion of the grooves can be presented for the reception of the trigger. A
nut 30, is secured upon the outer extremity of the hammer I and bears
against the outer end of the collar 26 for the purpose of securely retaining
said collar in place on said hammer; said nut is provided with an
eye 31, which affords the means for setting the hammer I by hand, and
for easing down the hammer when set, without forcibly protruding the hammer.
The trigger is made with a concave end, which is fitted to enter either
of the circumferential grooves in the collar 26, said trigger being arranged to slide
in a radial direction, in respect to the hammer 1, in a slot formed in the cap
plate K which fits over the outer end of the breech-piece B; said slot is bevelled
on its inner side to form a dove-tail opening, and the opposite ends of the trigger J
are made to conform thereto, so that, when the cap-plate K is fixed over said
trigger, the latter will be prevented from escaping from its place the inner face of
the trigger is provided with the lug 32, which is fitted to slide in the groove 33,
formed in the outer end of the breech-piece, and a spiral spring 34, is inserted in
said groove and is arranged to exert its pressure against the lug 32 so as to force
said trigger inwardly towards the hammer. The trigger J is provided with a
finger piece 35, which affords the means for drawing said trigger outwardly away
from the hammer when the latter is to be released from the retention of said
trigger. The cap-plate K which is provided with the central opening that forms a
guide for the outer end of the hammer I, shuts over the outer end of the breech-
piece Band forms a cover for the lock mechanism; said cap-plate is secured in
place by screws 36. The operation of my lock mechanism is as follows: The
parts being in the position shown in Figure 1-which is their condition after each
firing of the cannon-a partial rotation of the breech-piece B, as required to effect
the releasement of the screw threads of the breech-piece from the screw threads of
the breech-chamber, will cause the outer end of the lever H to be depressed
towards the end of the breech-piece-this action being effected by reason of the
spiral groove 16-and the bifurcated end of said lever will move in a direction to
push the collar 23 towards the outer end of the breech-piece; the collar 23, during

page_text: a
said movement, bears against the inner end of the collar 26 and effects a movement
of the hammer I outwardly until the trigger J engages in the groove 27 to hold the
hammer at the "full-cock" position. On closing the breech-piece and making
partial rotation of the same to secure the breech-piece in the breech of the cannon,
the outer end of the lever H will be moved in the spiral groove 16 and restore said
lever to its initial position, and thereby the collar 23 will be moved inwardly, away
from the collar 26, leaving the hammer I at its "full-cock" position, as shown in
Figure 2, and the collar 23 will be in a position where it will not interfere with the
free action of the hammer to effect an explosion of a cartridge; in the position
shown in Figure 2 the spring 21 is fully compressed so that, when the trigger Jis
withdrawn from its engagement with the groove 27, the resilient action of said
spring will forcibly protrude the point of the hammer from the end of the
breech-piece B to effect the ignition of the fulminate of the cartridge by percussive
action. Until the breech-piece B is fully secured home in the breech of the
cannon, the bifurcated end of the lever I will retain the collar 26 in such a position
that it will prevent the hammer I from protruding sufficiently to effect the firing of
the cartridge, the protrusion being prevented by reason of the collar 23 encountering
the collar 26, and, for the reason last stated, my lock mechanism affords a safeguard
to prevent premature explosions of the cartridges.
The outer end of the breech-piece B is recessed to receive a lever L, for
operating the locking bolt M, by which the breech-piece is retained in its closed
position; said recess is formed to allow the lever L to lie flush with the outer end
of the breech-piece, and to afford a slight lost motion for said lever, as indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 13ª; the hub of the lever L is provided with a radial tooth or
cog, 37, which is fitted to enter a notch 38, in the locking bolt M in such manner
that said tooth can have a slight lost-motion in said notch, so as to allow the lever L
to return to the position shown in Figure 4 when the locking bolt M is retracted
from the locking notch 38 in the carrier ring C, as shown in Figure 15.
The
locking bolt M is provided with a tongue 39, which slides in a groove 40, in the
head of the breech; a spring 41,-preferably made in a flattened spiral form-is
inserted in a recess 42, of the breech-piece, where it exerts its force to push the
locking bolt M outwardly, but as shown in Figure 15, said locking bolt may be
provided with the finger-piece 43, by which said locking bolt may be manipulated
if the spring 41 should be broken or injured. As shown in Figures 13, 14 and 15,
the breech-piece B is provided with a centrally-located vent-tube N, for firing the
cannon by means of primers-the automatic lock mechanism being omitted in such
cases; the locking bolt M in this modification is provided with an extended-lip 44,
which, when the locking bolt M is retracted from the notch 38, will cover the
opening of the vent-tube N, and in this modification a wing 45, is formed on the
hub of the lever L for the purpose of covering the notch 38 as to prevent an
accumulation of dirt in such notch; in the form of breech-piece B shown in the
first four figures of the drawings the lip 44 is omitted from the locking bolt M, and
the wing 45 is omitted from the lever L.
The operation of my locking mechanism is as follows:
The locking bolt M, and the lever L being in the position shown by the full
lines in Figure 13, on the first movement of the lever L to effect the unscrewing
of the breech-piece from the breech of the cannon, said lever will be moved into
the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 13 before any rotative move-
ment of said breech-piece can be effected, this initial movement of said lever will
effect the retraction of the locking bolt M from the locking notch 38 in the carrier
ring C and thereby the breech-piece B will be left free to receive a rotary motion,
then by the continued movement of the lever L into the position shown in Figure 14
the breech-piece will be turned to release the screw threads of said breech from the
screw threads in the breech-chamber of the cannon. On the completion of the
unscrewing movement of the breech B, the lever I will be in the position shown in
Figure 14, with the cog 37 at the outer end of the notch 38, so that the spring 41
will be free to press the locking bolt M outwardly, then, by turning the breech-

page_text: piece B in a direction to secure it into the breech-chamber, as soon as the locking
bolt M has reached a position where it will coincide with the notch 38, in the
carrier ring C, the resilient action of the spring 41 will force the locking bolt into
said notch and thereby secure the breech-piece from being rotated. In the modified
form of the locking bolt M, shown in Figures 134, 14, and 15, the lip 44 will be
moved to uncover the opening in the vent-tube N, simultaneously with the engage-
ment of the locking bolt in the notch 38.
my said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a breech-loading cannon, the combination of a carrier ring, a breech-piece
having a partial rotation in said carrier ring; said breech-piece being provided
with the lock mechanism fitted to be automatically set by the rotative movement of
said breech-piece, and a trigger fitted to engage in the hammer of said lock
mechanism, as and for the purpose herein specified.
2. In a breech-loading cannon, the combination of a carrier ring provided with
an inclined groove, a breech-piece having a partial rotative movement in said
carrier ring, a hammer setting lever fulcrummed in said breech-piece; said lever
having its outer end engaged in the inclined groove of the carrier ring and its inner
end connected with a sliding collar on the hammer, a spring-actuated hammer
having a notched head, and a trigger fitted to engage in the head of said hammer,
as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a breech-loading cannon, the combination of a carrier-ring having a hinge-
arm which is fitted to swing in a radial opening in the breech of the cannon; said
hinge-arm being provided with curved grooves which are eccentric to the hinge
pin of said carrier ring and with a recess fitted to receive the hinge end of an
ejector, extractor levers pivotted to vibrate in recesses in the walls of said radial
opening and provided with a stud fitted to engage in said curved grooves and
having a lug fitted to engage with an ejector, an ejector hinged to the hinge pin of
said carrier ring and provided with lips which are fitted to engage with a cartridge-
shell; the initial movement of said ejector in one direction being imparted by said
extractor levers, and the final movement in the same direction being effected by the
hinge arm of said carrier ring, and a tension-spring fitted to bear against said
ejector, as and for the purpose herein specified.
4. In a breech-loading cannon, the combination of a carrier ring provided with a
locking notch, and a breech-piece having a partial rotative movement in said carrier
ring; said breech-piece having a lever pivotted thereto in such manner that a
slight movement can be imparted to said lever without affecting the breech-piece ;
the hub of said lever having a radial tooth fitted to engage in a spring-actuated
locking-bolt which is fitted to slide in said breech-piece and to engage in the
locking-notch of said carrier-ring, as and for the purpose herein specified.
5. In a breech-loading cannon, the combination of a breech-piece provided with
a vent-tube, and a locking boli. having a sliding movement in said breech-piece and
provided with an arm to cover said vent-tube when said locking bolt is retracted
from its engagement with the locking notch of the carrier ring for said breech-piece,
as herein specified.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1899
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.