Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 4th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Nov., 1888
I, JOHN ADAMS NORTON, Director and General Agent of the Gardner Gun Com-
pany, of 49 Curtain Road, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to machine-guns, and more particularly to multiple barrel
guns wherein the breech-mechanism is operated by means of cranks, as in the
Gardner gun.
In the use of multiple barrel machine-guns of the kind or class above mentioned, it
has been found that if, in certain positions of the breech-mechanism, the cranks are
accidentally or otherwise turned backward through a greater or less angle and are
then turned forward, the gun is liable to be rendered inoperative by the jamming of
cartridges therein as hereinafter described, that is to say By the said backward and
forward movement of the cranks, a cartridge is drawn partly out of each of the
barrels the extractor is allowed to become disengaged from the said cartridge, while
thus partly withdrawn, and a fresh cartridge is fed through the slide at the rear of
each barrel, so that it becomes jammed in the gun, which is thus rendered inoperative
or disabled for the time being, and cannot again be operated until it has been
cleared.
The main object of my invention is to obviate any liability to jamming from the
cause above mentioned. For this purpose I provide means for preventing the turning
of the cranks in a backward direction.
My said invention can be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice in
the following manner, that is to say, I provide a pawl, or catch pivoted to the under-
side of the top of the frame or cover, or to any other convenient part of the gun. This
pawl or catch engages with one or more ratchet-teeth or notches in the groove
between the cams or cranks in such a manner that the said cams or cranks can be
moved in a forward direction but the said pawl, or catch will drop into one of the
said ratchet-teeth or notches and thus prevent backward movement of the said cams
or cranks

page_text: The above described ratchet-teeth or notches are, in some instances, placed in such
positions that they arrest or prevent the backward movement of the cams or cranks
only when the mechanism is in those positions wherein such backward movement
'would be objectionable.
Sometimes I provide the aforesaid pawl or catch with a spring or other suitable
means for keeping the same pressed into the groove between the cams or cranks.
The said pawl or catch may be adapted to engage with the cams or cranks in any
other suitable manner if desired. Moreover other suitable means may, if desired, be
used for preventing backward rotation of the cranks.
By means of the above described pawl, or catch and the ratchet teeth or notches,
the crank-handle for operating the gun can be easily and expeditiously removed, the
shaft being firmly held and prevented from backward movement whilst the crank
handle is being turned in a backward direction to unscrew it.
This is a great advantage, as the easiest way to temporarily disable a machine-gun
of the kind or class hereinbefore mentioned (should it be necessary to hastily abandon
the gun) is to take off or remove the crank-handle by means of which the gun is
operated.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JOHN ADAMS NORTON, Director and General Agent of the Gardner Gun Com-
pany, of 49 Curtain Road, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention relates to machine-guns, and more particularly to multiple-barrel
guus wherein the breech-mechanism is operated by means of cranks as in the
Gardner-gun.
In the use of multiple-barrel machine-guns of this kind or class, it has been found
that if, in certain positions of the breech-mechanism, the cranks are accidentally or
otherwise turned backward through a greater or less angle and are then turned
forward, the gun is liable to be rendered inoperative by the jamming of cartridges therein
as hereinafter described, that is to say, by such backward and forward movement of the
cranks, an empty cartridge-case is drawn partly out of each of the barrels, the
extractor is allowed to become disengaged from the said cartridge-case while thus
partly withdrawn, and a fresh cartridge is fed through the slide at the rear of each
barrel the live cartridges are therefore fed into the gun before the empty cartridge-
cases are ejected therefrom, and the said cartridges become jammed in the gun, thus
rendering it temporarily inoperative or disabling it until cleared by the removal of
the jammed cartridges.
The main object of my invention is to obviate any liability to jamming from the
cause above mentioned.
For this purpose, I provide for preventing backward rotation
of the crank or cranks as hereinafter described, by means of a pawl or catch adapted to
engage with teeth on one of the cams or cranks or on a wheel or disc formed or fixed
on the crank-shaft, or by other suitable means.
My said invention affords the further advantage that the crank-handle for operating
the gun can be easily and expeditiously removed from its shaft, that is to say, the said
shaft being firmly held and prevented from backward movement by the pawl or its
equivalent, the crank-handle can be unscrewed therefrom by simply turning the same
in a backward direction, without the necessity for applying clamps or similar devices
for holding the said shaft while the handle is being unscrewed therefrom. This is a
great advantage, as the easiest way to temporarily disable a machine-gun of the kind
or class herein referred to (should it be necessary to hastily abandon the gun) is to
take off or remove the said crank-handle.
In the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of part of a Gardner gun with my
present improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan, partly in horizontal section on the line e, a, Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line y, y, Figure 1.
A is the gun-frame. B is one of the crank-pins for imparting motion to the
plungers for loading the gun and closing the breech; this crank-pin is formed with
the cams or discs B¹ in the usual manner. C is the crank-handle for operating the
gun, which handle is fixed on the shaft C".

page_text: .
a is a pawl or catch which is pivoted at a¹ to the underside of the top or cover A¹
of the gun-frame, and is adapted to engage with ratchet-teeth on the cam, disc or
crank B', so that, although the said cam or crank can be continuously rotated in the
proper direction to operate the gun, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, the said
pawl or catch will drop into engagement with one or the other of the said ratchet-
teeth and thus prevent backward rotation of the said cam or crank except when such
backward rotation can take place without liability to cause jamming of the cartridges,
as for instance after the ejection of the empty cartridge-cases and before the insertion
of fresh cartridges into the barrels, that is to say, in the apparatus shown in the
drawing, the ratchet-teeth are placed in such positions that they arrest or prevent the
backward movement of the cam or crank only when the mechanism is in those
If desired,
positions wherein such backward movement would be objectionable.
however, ratchet-teeth are provided at suitable distances apart all around the disc or
crank Bi, so that the said crank can be turned backward only through a very small
.angle.
I sometimes provide the pawl or catch with a spring or other suitable means for
keeping the same pressed against the toothed disc. In the apparatus shown in the
drawing, however, it is adapted to fall into engagement with the teeth of the disc,
cam or crank under the action of gravity. A spring-pawl may, if desired, be pivoted
to the bottom of the gun-frame or to any other convenient part of the gun; or other
suitable means may be used for preventing backward rotation of the crank or cranks
for the purpose above specified. For example, I sometimes provide a spring-bolt
which projects through one side of the gun-frame and is adapted to engage with teeth
or shoulders on the side of the adjacent cam, disc or crank. This bolt is preferably so
arranged that, when pulled outward and turned in one direction through an angle of
about 90°, it will be held out of engagement with the teeth on the cam or crank so that
the latter can be turned backward. By turning the said bolt through the same angle
in the reverse direction, it can be allowed to spring again into engagement with
the said teeth and thus prevent backward motion of the crank as above specified.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood
that I claim :-
:-
First The above described method of providing for preventing backward rotation
of the crank or cranks in a gun of the kind or class hereinbefore mentioned, as and for
the purposes, above specified.
Second-The improved apparatus wherein I carry the said method into effect by
the use of a pawl or catch pivoted to the gun-frame and arranged in combination with
a toothed cam, disc or crank, substantially as described with reference to the accom
panying drawing.
1
Contabo 1000