Improvements in Fire Arms or Ordnance.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 10th June, 1891-4ccepted, 11th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Arms or Ordnance.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern and Co., the
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
from abroad by William Bergman, Lieutenant in the Royal Swedish Artillery,
and Ernst Ternström, Engineer, both of Gothenberg, in the Kingdom of Sweden)
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to fire arms or ordnance and has for object improvements
in the mechanisms for opening and closing the breech and the utilization of the
turning movement of an eccentric breech block for firing the charge, and for
extracting and ejecting the empty cartridge cases.
In carrying out this invention I cut in the rear of the chamber of the gun a
cylindrical opening, the centre line of which is parallel to, but not in line with the
centre line of the bore of the gun. This opening is so much larger in diameter
than the rear end of the chamber that the centre line of the opening is near to, or
outside the largest periphery of the chamber. This opening is screw-threaded to
correspond with the threads of a cylindrical eccentric breech block which is to be
screwed into it.
The breech block has a longitudinal hole bored through it, so much out of centre
that when the hole is behind and in line with the chamber, the cartridge can pass
through it, but when the breech block is turned by its handle aboa half a turn,
the inserted cartridge is pushed home and firmly supported by the solid part of the
breech block.
The breech can thus be opened or closed by a simple turning movement of about
half a turn of the screwed eccentric breech block.
When the charge is enclosed in a cartridge case of metal or other suitable
material, the ejection of the empty cartridge case cannot ordinarily be effected
where the breeches are closed by screws, until after the breech block has been
moved out of the way, by its being withdrawn or turned aside subsequent to its
unscrewing movement.
According to this invention the fired cartridge case is extracted and fully
ejected during the last part of the turning movement by means of an extractor
acted upon by the turning movement of the eccentric breech block. For this
purpose a fork shaped extractor is advantageously provided which engages the rin
of the cartridge on both sides and pivots round an axle in the breech of the gun at
the rear end of the chamber, a projection or lever on the extractor engaging in a
groove on the eccentric breech block so shaped that the turning movement of the
breech block first loosens the cartridge slowly and with great force and then ejects
it as soon as the hole in the breech block comes in line behind the chamber.
The cocking and firing mechanisms of my gun are also actuated directly or
indirectly by the turning movement of the eccentric breech block.
When the cartridge is to be fired by electricity, the usual battery or wires and
other appliances can be placed inside the breech block and the last part of the
turning movement for closing the breech causes the electrical connection which
fires the cartridge.
When the cartridge is to be fired by means of a percussion cap, a firing-pin
with its spring is put into the solid part of the breech block, its point reaching
through the front of the breech block directly in rear of the percussion cap when
the breech is closed.
A convenient way of cocking the firing spring by the turning movement of the

page_text: eccentric breech block is to employ a transverse cocking bar engaging with inclined
surfaces so shaped that when the turning movement of the eccentric breech block
pushes the cocking bar in one direction the firing pin is wedged rearwards until a
notch in it is caught by a trigger bar, and a lug or other suitable part releases the
firing pin from the trigger bar at the end of the closing movement of the breech
block, and thus fires the cartridge.
When preforrod the electrical connection or the release of the trigger bar can
be effecte, and the cartridge thus fired, by hand independent of the movement of
the breech block.
With rapid firing guns it is in some cases important that the breech block cannot
be opened by inadvertence after the electrical connection has been made or after
the corked firing pin has been released, but before the cartridge has exploded or
before the gas pressure has been sufficiently diminished.
When the guns are so mounted that they are allowed to recoil on discharge in
their carriages milvantageously provide for this by attaching to the breech of the
trun a spring bolt or bar which enters into the opening for the breech block and
presents it being turned during ordinary rapid firing so long as the gun renmins
loaded and the breech closed and until after the cartridge has exploded and the
gun has recuiva.
The bolt is released during the recoil or return of the gun by coming into
contact with some part of the mounting which does not partake in the recoil and is
held in the free position by a spring catch or by being turned aside until the bolt
is released by the turning movement of the breech block, when it again cumes
into action and prevents the opening of the breech until after the next recoil of
the gun.
In case of missfire or other reason for opening the breech without firing the
cartridge in the gun, the breech can be opened by the additional movement of
releasing the boll by han!.
The bolt if requirsl can be actuated by a bar connecting it with a hood or
ring adapted to be movel by the pressure of the gases escaping through the muzzle
of the gun.
In case of rapid loading the cartridge lins a tendency to rebound when its rim
strikes the extructor. I prevent this by a spring or pawl actuated by the extractor
in such a way that when the cartridge is being inserted it cannot rebound but when
the empty cartridge case is ejected the spring or pawl does not interfere with such
ejection.
Dated the 10th day of September 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fire Arms or Ordnance.
1, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co. the
General Patent Office, No. 4. South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by William Bergman, of Gothenberg, Lieutenant in the Royal Swedish
Artillery, and Ernst Ternström, of Stockholm, Engineer, both in the Kingdom of
Sweden) 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 fire-armis or ordnance of the kind in which an eccentric
breech-block is employed, the chief object of the said invention being the utiliza-
tion of the turning movement of such eccentric breech-block when opening and
closing the breach for firing the charge, and for extracting and ejecting the empty
cartridge cases.

page_text: In carrying out this invention I form at the rear of the chamber of the gun a
cylindrical opening, the centre line of which is parallel to, but not in line with the
centre line of the bore of the gun, the said opening being so much larger in
diameter than the rear end of the chamber that the centre line of the opening is
near to, or outside the periphery of the chamber. This opening is screw-threaded
to correspond with the threads of a cylindrical breech-block which is to be screwed
into it.
The breech-block has a longitudinal recess formed in it so much out of centre
that it can be brought into alignment with the chamber to allow the introduction
of the cartridges into and the ejection of the empty cases from the said chamber.
The opening and closing of the breech is effected by imparting about half a turn
(or as much more or less as is required) to the breech-block, the front of which is
so shaped that it will push home and then firmly support the cartridge in the
chamber.
The pin, for firing the cartridges, with its spring is located in the solid part of
the breech-block.
I effect the cocking of the firing-pin by the turning movement of the eccentric
breech-block, and for this purpose I employ a transverse sliding-bar engaging with
inclined surfaces on the firing-pin and so shaped that, when the turning movement
of the eccentric breech-block pushes the sliding-bar in one direction, the firing-pin
is wedged rearwards until it is caught by a trigger-bar or sear.
With rapid firing guns it is important to provide against the opening of the
breech in case a cartridge misses or hangs fire. I therefore advantageously provide
a catch or bolt which enters the opening or recess in the breech-block and which is
disengaged from the breech bolt by the recoil. Should the cartridge not explode
the catch must be disengaged by hand.
When rapidly loading a gun the cartridge has a tendency to rebound when
its rim strikes the extractor, I therefore provide a spring or pawl to prevent
this.
The empty cartridge case is extracted and ejected during the last part of the
turning movement of the breech-block by a fork-shaped extractor which advan-
tageously engages with the rim of the cartridge on both sides and pivots round an
axle in the breech of the gun at the rear end of the chamber, the said extractor
being acted upon by a cam-surface upon the breech-block.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a gun provided with my improvements, the breech-
block being in the position which it occupies when the breech is open :
Figure 2 is a section of the same on the line, Figure 1
:
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but shewing the breech-block in the
position which it occupies when the breech is closed:
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the same:
Figure 5 is a section on the line y y, Figure 3:
Figure 6 is a section on the line, Figure 3:
Figure 7 is a partial section on the line, Figure 1.
C
a indicates the body of the gun, the chamber therein for receiving the
cartridges, and c the cylindrical opening. d is the breech-block which is screwed
into the opening c, and e is the recess formed in the said block for permitting the
introduction of the cartridges into the chamber and the ejection of the empty shells
therefrom.
fis the handle by means of which the breech-block is operated, the said handle
being connected to the transverse bar sliding in guides in the said breech-block,
as shewn in Figure 6 for a purpose hereinafter described.
"
his a spring-piu carried in the bar g and projecting at one end into a cam-slot i
formed in the body of the gun, as shewn in Figure 2, the said slot being eccentric
to the axis of the breech-block so as to cause the reciprocation of the bar a in its
guides when the block dis rotated; the said pin h also serving, by striking the
"

page_text: ends of the slot i, to limit the movements of the breech-block when opening and
closing the breveb.
is the firing pin which is located in the solid part of the breech-block in such a
manner that when the breech is closed it will be opposite to the centre of the
chamber, as shewn most clearly in Figure 5.
The corking of the firing-pin is effected by the following means, that is to say,
upon the insile of the bar y, which is hollow, are formed inclined surfaces k, k
(Figures 3 an 1 6) and upon the rear end of the firing pin is formed a head 1. lateral
projections upon which are in contact with the said inclined surfaces in such a
manner that, when the bar g is moved in one direction or the other, the said firing-
pin will be acted upon by the inclined surfaces k. k to cause the firing-pin to he
drawn back against the pressure of the spring / which surrounds it. Figure 2
represents the firing-pin in its rearmost position. When in this position, the sear m
which is pivottel at m. Figure 1 and 3, in the side of the sliding-bar g. is moved,
by a spring into a position in front of the head 7, as shewn in Figure 2, thereby
holling the firing pin in the cocked position.
a is a trigger-lever pivotted to the breech in such a position that, when the
breech is closed, the projecting end of the sear will be in close proximity to
the said trigger-lever, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, so that if the said trigger-lever
is pulled in the direction of the arrow (Figure 4) by the lanyard a², the catch m
will be moved in such a manner as to disengage it from the firing-pinj. With this
arrangement if the lanyard be continuously pulled whilst working the gun, the
firing-pin will be released each time that the breech is closed, by reason of the
impingement of the sear against the said trigger-lover.
In order that after the firing-pin has struck the cartridge it shall be again
withdrawn into the broch so that its point -hall not be damaged, I provide it
with a collar through which the più has a certain amount of longitudinal
movement. This collar serves as an abutment against which the spring j' benrs.
When now the firing-pin is released by the sear hereinbefore described and is
driven forward by the spring, the said firing-pin being capable of a slight longi-
tudinal movement independent of the spring, is cansed to move slightly beyond the
point to which it can be carried by the spring, under the action of momentum.
At the same time that the pin commences to move under its momenturn a
shoulder at the rear end of the said pin comes into contact with the rear end of
the spring ♬ so that during the forward movement of the said spring under the
momentum, it is slightly compressed. The expansion of the spring serves to withdraw
the firing-pin within the breech-blork after the said pin has struck the cartridge.
p is the extractor which is pivotted at paul provided with two fork arms, as
shewn in Figure 3, adapted to engage with the flange of the cartridge upon opposite
sides thereof, and with an arm p designed to be acted upon by a portion of the
surface of the breech-block. This surface p³ is slightly eccentric to the axis of the
breceh-block, the part of the smallest radius being at that end of the surface p
which first touches the extractor during the motion of the breech-block when
opening the breech, the radius gradually increasing toward the other end of the
surface where there is a projection having an inclined surface adapted to strike
the arm p of the extractor. The result of this arrangement is that, during the
first part of the motion of the block in opening the breech, the surface acts
slowly and forcibly upon the extractor to start the cartridge shell out of the breech
and then, when the breech is almost completely open, the projection p' comes into
contact with the arm of the extractor and moves the same sufficiently quick to
eject the cartridge case from the breech.
y is the spring-catch or pawl for preventing the cartridges from rebounding from
the extractor in case they are quickly introduced into the chamber. This spring-
catchy, Figures 1,6 and 7, is secured upon the side of the recess e in the breech-
block, and is provided with a shoulder having an inclined surface which will
cause the depression of the said spring when introducing a cartridge, the shoulder
at the end of the inclined surface preventing the return of the said cartridge.

page_text: To prevent the said spring-catch from offering any obstruction when the
cartridge shell is being extracted, I provide for depressing the said catch by
forming an aperture 72 in one of the fork arms of the extractor; the said aperture
being so placed that when the extractor is operated as herein before described to
eject the cartridge the said aperture will pass over the end of the said spring-catch
and move the same out of the path of the cartridge shell.
In order that after a cartridge is introduced into the breech it shall be
firmly pushed home the front of the breech-block is inclined, as indicated at
Figure 2.
is the catch which I employ for preventing the inadvertent or premature
opening of the breech in case a cartridge misses or hangs fire. This catch s, when
the breech is closed, engages in the recess e of the breech-block, and is maintained
in this position by a weight s'.
When the gun is fired and recoils the inertia of the weight s¹ causes the dis-
engagement of the catch s from the said recess, an auxiliary spring-catch s³ secured
to the weight serving, by engaging an opening in the breech, to maintain the said
catch out of engagement with the said recess e.
It is obvious that should the cartridge miss fire there will be no recoil, in which
case the catch s will not be disengaged from the breech-block so that the latter
could not be turned without first of all displacing the catch by hand. Assuming
the catch to have been released after the firing of the cartridge, it is necessary to
return the said catch to the locking position before the gun is again fired, this is
effected by arranging the end of the spring-catch in such proximity to the
inclined face of the breech-block that, when the latter has been moved so far as to
turn the recess e away from the catchs, the said inclined face will act upon the
said catch s² to disengage it so as to allow the catch to be free to move up when
the breech is again closed.
In order to disconnect the parts of the gun it is only necessary to remove the
spring-pin from the groove when the breech-block can be turned right out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a fire-arm or piece of ordnance having a breech-block mounted eccentrically
to the bore of the gun, the arrangement of a sliding-bar in the said breech-block in
such a manner that, during the movement of the block to open the breech, the
firing-pin will be cocked substantially in the manner described.
2. In a fire-arm or piece of ordnance having a breech-block mounted eccentrically
to the bore of the gun, the arrangement of the extractor adapted to be operated by
the contact of the brecchi-block therewith, substantially as described.
3. In a fire-arm or piece of ordnance having an eccentric breech-block, the
arrangement of the firing-pin in such a manner that it will rebound into the breech-
block after having fired the cartridge, substantially as described.
4. In a fire-arm or piece of ordnance having an eccentric brecchi-block, the
arrangement of a gravity catch for preventing the inadvertent or premature
opening of the gun, substantially as described.
5. A fire-arin or piece of ordnance consisting of the parts constructed and
combined substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings and operating as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Dated the 10th day of June 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.