Improvements in Apparatus for Adapting Breech Loading Guns for Practice with Miniature Ammunition.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Adapting Breech Loading Guns for
Practice with Miniature Ammunition.
We, THE MORRIS TUBE AMMUNITION AND SAFETY RANGE COMPANY LIMITED,
of No. 11, Haymarket, in the County of London, Manufacturers, and ARTHUR
JAMES HERVEY WYATT, Engineer, of No. 11, Haymarket aforesaid, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the Specifications No. 4846 of 1883 and No. 9350 of 1885 are described
arrangements for fitting in the bore of a large gun, a small barrel by means of
which small projectiles can be fired over moderate ranges, while the drill and
practice with the guns can be the same as when they are used for full sized
projectiles.
The charge chambers of many breech loading guns are made larger in diameter
than the bore of the gun or the breech opening into the chamber so that no entire
block or piece for centreing the small barrel can be introduced at either end of
the chamber.
The present invention relates to the construction of a centering piece which
is small enough to pass through the breech inlet into the charge chamber, and
can then be expanded so as to fit the chamber. For this purpose, the small
barrel has fitted on it two bosses at some distance apart connected together by
three radial wings in which are fitted sliding pieces. These pieces are drawn
inwards so that the whole can be passed through the small opening into the
charge chamber and then, when the barrel is in its proper position, the sliding
pieces are moved radially outwards, all equally, till they press against the interior
surface of the charge chamber, thus holding the small barrel firmly centred.
For moving the sliding pieces inwards and outwards they are connected by an
inclined link at each end to two nuts that can be moved longitudinally by turning
the barrel which has right and left threaded parts on which these nuts are fitted.
When the barrel is turned in the one direction the nuts are made to approach
each other causing the links to take a more and more inclined direction thus
drawing the sliding pieces inwards; when the barrel is turned in the opposite
direction the nuts are made to move apart, causing the links to take a direction
more and more towards the perpendicular to the axis, thus pushing the sliding
pieces outwards.
Instead of screwing the nuts on the barrel they may be screwed on a sleeve
enclosing the barrel and turning with it.
When the charge chamber is not of uniform diameter throughout its length,
we modify the construction by dispensing with the radial wings and connecting
the fitting pieces that bear against the interior surface of the chamber, each by
two inclined links, the one jointed to the one end of a sleeve enclosing the small
barrel, the other to a nut screwed on the other end of the sleeve, by turning
which in the one direction the fitting piece is forced outwards being free to take a
more or less inclined position to suit the taper of the chamber.
Instead of the nuts and links above described, the barrel may have fixed on it

page_text: a pair of discs each having three cam paths which act on the sliding pieces
moving them radially.
Dated this 4th day of February 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Apparatus for Adapting Breech Loading Guns for
Practice with Miniature Ammunition.
We, THE MORRIS TUBE, AMMUNITION AND SAFETY RANGE COMPANY LIMITED,
of No. 11, Haymarket, in the County of London, Manufacturers, and ARTHUR
JAMES HERVEY WYATT, Engineer, of No. 11, Haymarket, aforesaid, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In the Specifications No. 4846 of 1883 and No. 9356 of 1885 are described
arrangements for fitting in the bore of a large gun, a small barrel by means of
which small projectiles can be fired over moderate ranges, while the drill and
practice with the guns can be the same as when they are used for full sized
projectiles.
The charge chambers of many breech loading guns are made larger in diameter
than the bore of the gun or the breech opening into the chamber so that no entire
block or piece for centreing the small barrel can be introduced at either end of
the chamber.
The present invention relates to the construction of a centreing piece which is
small enough to pass through the breech inlet into the charge chamber and can
then be expanded so as to fit the chamber, as we shall describe with reference to
the accompanying drawings, shewing several forms of centreing piece according
to our invention. Figs. 1, 3 and 5 are longitudinal sections and Figs. 2, 4 and 6
are transverse sections of part of a gun with a small barrel fitted therein for
practice with miniature ammunition. In each case the small barrel a is fitted to
slide longitudinally in a sleeve b as far backwards as is permitted by a collar c
upon the barrel; this giving convenience in charging. The sleeve has a key d
engaged in a groove of the barrel so that by turning the barrel the sleeve is also
turned.
The
As shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, the sleeve has right and left screw threads on
which are nuts e connected by inclined links f to three cylindrical segments g
which fit that part of the bore of the gun where the barrel has to be centred.
small barrel with the segments y in their drawn in position is introduced through
the breech, and rests by one or two of the segments on the under side of the bore.
Then on turning the barrel the sleeve 6 on it turns within the nuts e causing
them to move longitudinally making the links f take positions more and more
inclined to the axis, thrusting out the three segments g simultaneously till they
bear hard against the bore, the barrel being thus centred.
As shewn in Figs. 3 and 4 each of the segments g has its one end linked to a
fixed collar on the sleeve, its the other end being linked to a single nut e.
As shewn in Figs. 5 and 6 the three segments g slide in radial guides 7 and each
has a pin engaged in one of three cam paths m formed in discs at each end of
the sleeve. The small barrel when the charge is fired is prevented from recoiling.
by abutting against the obturator n when the breech is closed. In order to

page_text: deaden the effect of the blow against the rear end of the barrel when the breech
plug is swung into its place, a spring s is interposed between the end of the
sleeve b and the reinforcing collar p on the barrel, but no claim is made to this.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. An appliance for centreing a small barrel in the bore of a gun, consisting
of cylindrical segments connected by inclined links to nuts on right and left
screws on a sleeve enclosing the barrel, substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 1 and 2.
2. The modified centreing appliance wherein the segments are linked at one
end to a collar fixed on the sleeve and at the other end to a nut screwed on the
sleeve substantially as described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4.
3. The modified centreing appliance wherein the segments are pushed radially
outwards by cams on the sleeve substantially as described with reference to
Figs 5 and 6.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.