Year: 1893

page_text: Sweden),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom). 29th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1894
I, WILHELM THEODOR UNGE, Captain, of Nybrogatan 42 Stockholm, Sweden,
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 in fire arms with the view of being able
without rifling to impart to the projectile a certain initial rotary motion, wherefore
it is particularly suitable to such projectiles as those which are to be discharged
from the gun with a comparatively small initial speed, whereby it is particularly
suitable for throwing rockets without sticks or projectiles filled with combustible
gas-producing material and arranged like rockets, which projectiles develop by
themselves the power requisite for their forward motion.
The arm (mortar, gun) Figure 1 consists of a cylindrical barrel A the breech-
end B of which is provided with a shaft C fixed to it and extending in the direction
of its axis. The support D is by means of the trunnions E E mounted in the
frame of the arm; in the middle of the support D the shaft C is journalled so that
the whole barrel and the shaft can be turned round in the same.
In order to be able to adjust the gun to different elevations or inclinations, the
casing H provided with the adjusting rod or strut K is fixed to the support D.
The casing is also intended to protect the barrel and eventually to support its
fore part by the journal 1. On the barrel itself and perpendicularly to the axis
of the same is fixed a disc L provided with one two or more pipes shells or
barrels M M (see Figure 2) each open at one end and so located, that if these
pipes are loaded with a suitable gas producing combustible material and said
material is ignited, the disc and the barrel will rotate on its axis owing to the
force thus generated in the pipes M M'. The disc L which also serves as a fly.
wheel may be fixed to the shaft of the barrel, if this shaft be continued back-
wards, as shown in Figure 3.
The rotary motion may also be imparted in another way, for instance by means
of a helical spring o (represented in dotted lines in Figure 1) inserted between the.
barrel A. and the casing H and one end of which is fixed to the casing H or the
support D and the other to the barrel A whereby said spring of the barrel be.
turned or if the barrel be retained and the end of the spring not fixed to the
barrel turned round, can be wound up and thus, when the barrel is released will
rotate the latter. The spring may be attached one end to the outwardly extending
part of shaft C and the other end to any suitable non-rotating or relatively:
stationary part of the apparatus.
The rotary motion may of course also be imparted from an outside source such!
as a suitable motor which in this event acts directly upon the barrel A or upon
the shaft C thereof by means of a pulley F in the manner shown by the dotted
line Figure 1 or by other convenient means.

page_text: A projectile N is caused to partake in the rotary motion of the barrel by means
of one or more pins T T fixed in the wall of the barrel, which pins enter corre-
sponding recesses in the bottom or rear end of the projectile. If thus the barrel
is rotated and a charge located behind the projectile or a rocket composition
introduced in the projectile is ignited (by means of electricity or in some other
way) the projectile when discharged from the gun will rotate with the same speed
as the barrel.
Figure 3 shows another arrangement in which only the lower part B of the
barrel with the pins T T partake in the rotary motion which in this event may be
transmitted from some external motor by means of the pulley F fixed on the
shaft C. The top of the barrel, which is stationary, is here formed by a
continuation of the casing H. When the projectile by means of the shaft C is
rotated the fore part N of the projectile will thus rotate against the inner surface
of the stationary barrel.
If desired the rotary motion may be transmitted from an outside source to the
outer barrel upon which may be secured the necessary pulley or spur or equivalent
driving wheel.
It is evident that if desired only the breech-end B3 may be revolvable in order
to cause a projectile resting upon the latter to rotate, the breech-piece may be
provided with a crank pin or a couple of pins placed diametrically opposite each
other and entering corresponding holes in the bottom or rear end of the projectile,
and which are of such length that a charge can be introduced between the breech-
end and the bottom or rear end of the projectile. The outer cylindrical surfaces
of the projectile will in the latter arrangement slide against the walls of the
barrel.
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. A fire arm in which the projectile obtains the rotary motion requisite to a
speedy course through the air independently of the gas pressure which discharges
it from the gun whereby this pressure is only required for driving out the
projectile by means of a cylindrical tube or barrel provided with a fixed breech
end into which tube or barrel the projectile may be introduced the outer side of
the breech end being firmly secured to or formed in part with a shaft adapted to
rotate in a support pivotally mounted in the frame of the fire arm so that the
whole barrel with a projectile placed therein may be rotated around the axis of the
barrel.
2. In a fire arm such as claimed in Claim 1 the combination with the revolvable
portion of the barrel of two diametrically arranged pins against which the
projectile rests and which enter corresponding recesses in the bottom or rear end
of the projectile whereby the projectile is caused to rotate along with the barrel
and breech end while also being capable of being discharged from the barrel by
gas pressure generated behind the projectile.
3. In a fire arm such as claimed in Claim 1 the combination with the barrel of
an external tube or casing secured to the support connected to the frame by
trunnions and a strut whereby the barrel is protected against external damage and
may be adjusted to and supported at any desired angle.
4. In a fire arm such as claimed in Claims 1 and 3 the arrangement of the
barrel being made shorter than the projectile and the surrounding casing extended
beyond the mouth of the barrel and there having the same diameter as the barrel
the fore part of the projectile resting then in the stationary fore part of the casing
whereby the starting direction of the projectile is determined by the position of
the casing.
5. In a fire arm such as claimed in Claims 1, 2 and 4 the arrangement of the
walls of the movable barrel being entirely removed and substituted by the walls
of the stationary casing whereby the projectile at the bottom only rests against the

page_text: movable or revolvable breech end the whole outer cylindrical surface of the
projectile is in the stationary barrel of the casing.
6. In a fire arm such as claimed in Claims 1, 3, 4 and 5 the extension of the
shaft connected with the breech end and around the axis of which the rotary
motion takes place backwards through the support connected with the frame
whereby the barrel or breech end by means of said shaft may be rotated from any
external source.
7. In a fire arm such as claimed in Claims 1, 3, and 6 the procuring of a fly
wheel on the revolvable barrel or upon the rearwardly extending portion of the
shaft of the breech end so as to balance and maintain the rotary motion of the
barrel.
8. In a fire arm such as claimed in Claims 1, 3, 5 and 6 the employment of a
fly wheel mounted on the shaft of the breech end behind the support for balancing
and maintaining the rotary motion of the projectile.
9. In a fire arm such as claimed in Claims 7 and 8 an arrangement for effecting
the rotary motion of the projectile consisting of a fly wheel provided with two or
more shells tubes or barrels filled with combustible gas generating material said
shells being so located that when their charges are ignited the fly wheel and
consequently the projectile are rotated by the reactive force produced.
10. In a fire arın such as claimed in Claims 1, 3 and 4 the arrangement for
effecting the rotary motion consisting of a spring surrounding the movable or
revolvable barrel and having one end fixed to said barrel and its other end to the
casing or stationary part of the arm so that the spring may be wound up by turning
either the barrel or the end of the spring which is not fixed to the barrel after
which the barrel will be rotated when released.
11. In a fire arm such as claimed in Claims 1 and 6 the employment for
effecting the rotary motion of a spring such as mentioned in Claim 10 surrounding
and having one end fixed to the extended shaft and the other to the stationary
part of the arm said spring being capable of being wound up and when released
rotating the shaft.
12. In a fire arm such as claimed in Claims I and 6 the employment for
imparting rotary motion to the projectile of a pulley toothed or friction gear
wheel or other device mounted on the extended shaft or upon the barrel of the:
mortar shown in Figure 3.
Dated this 29th day of December 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.