Improvements in Means for Regulating the Speed of Firing of Automatic Guns.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Regulating the Speed of Firing of
Automatic Guns.
I, LOUIS SILVERMAN, of Crayford Works, Crayford, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for regulating the speed of firing of automatic
"Maxim ""
guns and more particularly to the class of such guns in which the
crank shaft is provided with an external handle that performs an angular move-
ment during the working of the gun..
or
According to my invention I employ, in conjunction with the aforesaid handle,
a loose weight which is so arranged that its inertia and momentum have to be
overcome at the termination of each stroke of the said handle in one direction
before the latter can perform its stroke in the opposite direction.
For this purpose 'I may loosely mount on the same axle with the handle, an
arm whose outer end is forked, bent or otherwise formed to embrace the outer end
or cranked portion of the said handle. The forked end of the aforesaid arm is
weighted and the space between the two sides or jaws of the fork is somewhat
greater than the diameter of the portion of the handle embraced thereby so that
a certain amount of lost motion or play exists between these parts. Therefore
when the gun is fired and the crank shaft turned about its axis so that the
handle is caused to perform its forward stroke, the said handle first has to over-
come the inertia of the weighted end of the aforesaid arm and then, after coming
to rest on completion of its forward stroke, the weighted end of the arm, by its
momentum, continues its movement independently for a distance depending on
the extent of the aforesaid lost motion or play, thereby, striking or exerting a
pressure on the handle that prevents the latter from returning until the inertia
of the said weighted end of the arm is again overcome. This retardation of the
movement of the handle takes place at the completion of each stroke.
According to a modification of my invention, the weighted arm is constructed to
be applied to the boss of the handle by a transverse bolt or pin passing through
suitable slots formed in the arm to permit of the latter turning slightly on said
boss and thereby participating in the aforesaid play or independent movement at
the completion of the forward and backward strokes of the handle.
In order to adjust the amount of lost motion or play between the weighted end
of the arm and the handle, I may provide the said weighted end with an adjust-
ing screw whose inner end can be caused to more or less protrude through the
said arm and bear upon the handle and thereby reduce the amount of play
between the arm and the handle.
Or the said weighted end of the arm may carry a bolt or pin which extends
transversely through the handle or an eye thereon and is furnished with a nut
at its outer end. The distance between such nut and the handle will determine
the amount of play between the arm and the handle and consequently by adjust-
ing said nut this distance can be varied in accordance with requirements.

page_text: Although I have herein before referred to the weighted arm as being combined
or co-operating with the external handle of the gun, yet obviously, in some cases
the said arm or like device may be arranged inside the casing of the gun in con-
nection with the crank shaft thereof.
Improvements in Means for Regulating the Speed of Firing of
Automatic Guns.
I, LOUIS SILVERMAN, of Crayford Works, Crayford, in the County of Kent,
Engineer, 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 means for regulating the speed of firing of automatic
or "Maxim guns and more particularly to the class of such guns in which the
crank shaft is provided with an external handle that oscillates during the working
of the gun.
According to my invention I employ, in conjunction with the aforesaid handle,
a loose weight which is so arranged that its inertia and momentum have to be
overcome at the termination of each stroke of the said handle in one direction
before the latter can perform its stroke in the opposite direction.
In order that my said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:.
Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of the breech end of a Maxim gun with
my invention applied thereto, these figures respectively showing the crank handle
at the termination of its rearward and forward stroke.
Figure 3 is a side elevation similar to Figure 1 but shows a modified form of
the loose weight and its application to a different kind of crank handle to that
illustrated in the preceding figures.
Figures and 5 are detail views showing other forms of the loose weight pro-
vided with means for adjusting their position relatively to the crank handle.
In all these figures like letters of reference indicate similar parts.
A is the crank handle which in Figures 1 and 2 is of the kind referred to in
the Specification of a prior Patent No. 7156 of the year 1892 and in Figure 3
is of the kind referred to in the Specification of a prior Patent No. 2581 of the
year 1886. B is the loose weight which in Figures 1 and 2 is constructed in the
form of an arm b that is loosely mounted on the axle of the handle A. The outer
end of such arm is forked, to embrace the outer end a of the said handle and
is made heavy enough to serve as the weight. The space between the two sides
or jaws 62 63 of the fork is somewhat greater than the diameter of the portion a
of the handle A so that a certain amount of lost motion or play exists between
these parts. Therefore when the gun is fired and the crank shaft a¹ turned about
its axis so that the handle is caused to perform its forward stroke, the said handle
first has to overcome the inertia of the weighted end 6 of the aforesaid loose
arm 6 and then, after coming to rest on completion of its forward stroke (Figure 2)
the weighted end of the arm, by its momentum, continues its movement indepen-
dently for a distance corresponding to the extent of the aforesaid lost motion or

page_text: play, thereby striking, or exerting a pressure on the handle (A that prevents the
latter from returning until the inertia of the said weighted end of the loose arm
is again overcome. This retardation of the movement of the handle takes place
at the completion of each stroke.
In the construction illustrated in Figure 3, the weighted arm b is connected
to the boss of the handle by a transverse bolt or pin b. This pin passes through
slots 65 formed in the arm to permit of the latter turning slightly on said boss
and thereby participating in the aforesaid play or independent movement at the
completion of the forward and backward strokes of the handle. In this case
instead of forming the outer end of the arm forked to embrace the portion a
of the handle I have shown it provided with a bent portion 6*.
In order to adjust the amount of lost motion or play between the weighted
end 6 of the arm b and the handle A, I sometimes provide the weighted end bl
with an adjusting screw 66 whose inner end can be caused to more or less protrude
through the said arm and bear upon the handle, as shown at Figure 4, and
thereby reduce the amount of play between the loose arm and the handle. Or
the said weighted end 6' of the arm may carry a bolt or pin 67 as shown in
Figure 5, which extends transversely through the handle (or an eye thereon) and
is furnished with a nut 68 at its outer end. The distance between such nut and
the handle will determine the amount of play between the loose arm and the
handle and consequently by adjusting said nut this distance can be varied in
accordance with requirements.
Although I have herein before referred to the weighted arm, as being combined
or co-operating with the external handle of the gun, yet obviously, in some cases
the said arm or its equivalent may be arranged inside the casing of the gun in
connection with the crank shaft thereof.
Instead of constructing the loose weight in the form of an arm connected
to the axle or the boss of the crank handle I may form said loose weight without
an arm and merely provide it with an elongated hole through which the portion a
of the crank handle would project. The said elongated hole would permit the
weight to perform its independent movement at the termination of each stroke
of the crank handle in a similar manner to that already explained in connection
with the weighted arm.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The employment in an automatic gun of a loose weight adapted by its
inertia and momentum to act on the crank handle or shaft at the termination of
each stroke or oscillation thereof, for the purpose specified.
2. The construction of the loose weight in the form of an arm whose outer end is
weighted and forked or otherwise formed to embrace the outer end of the crank
handle in a manner to permit of its participating in a limited amount of free or
independent movement substantially as described.
3. The combination with the loose weight of means substantially as described
for adjusting the amount of its free or independent movement relatively to the
crank handle.
4. An automatic gun provided with apparatus substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings for the purpose specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.