Improvements in Mountings for Quick Firing Guns and in Gear for Opening and Closing the Breech of such Guns.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mountings for Quick Firing Guns and in Gear for
Opening and Closing the Breech of such Guns.
We, ANDREW NOBLE, a Companion of the Bath, late Captain in the Royal
Artillery, and RALPH THEW BRANKSTON, both of the Elswick Works, Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The gun mounting is a modification and improvement of one described in the
Specification No. 12,730 of 23rd October 1885, wherein the gun slide consists of a
recoil cylinder through which the gun passes working through stuffing boxes at
either end; and a coiled spring surrounds the gun in front of the cylinder for
returning the gun back to firing position after recoil.
In the present invention the coiled spring is placed inside the recoil cylinder.
The gun has a piston ring fixed upon it within the cylinder and in the piston are
four grooves, two of which fit corresponding keys in the cylinder and serve to
prevent rotation of the gun due to the turning tendency of the rifling. The other
two grooves form passages by which the oil or liquid in the cylinder passes from
one side of the piston to the other during recoil. Taper keys of suitable form are
fitted in these passages and cause a uniform pressure in the cylinder during recoil.
The automatic gear for opening the breech can be applied to guns in which the
breech mechanism is worked by a reciprocating lever on a transverse spindle.
A spring case is mounted on the side of the gun so as to be able to slide longi-
tudinally upon it. The case contains a coiled or other spring which abuts upon
the fore end or cover of the spring case and in rear upon a piston like disc within
the spring case. This disc is carried by a rod passing forward from the disc
through the spring case and fixed to the gun slide. The spring case has a toothed
rack on its lower edge and in gear with it there is a toothed arc. This toothed arc
is fastened to the transverse reciprocating spindle of the gun which opens and
closes the breech; a pawl which is pivotted to the mounting engages with a
projection or tooth on the top of the spring case and retains it when the spring is
compressed. A hand lever is provided for lifting the pawl.
The action of the automatic gear is as follows:- -When the gun is fired it recoils
in the mounting and in recoiling pulls the spring case with it by means of the teeth
of the are; this compresses the spring in the spring case. When the gun has
recoiled far enough the pawl drops down and prevents the spring case from
returning to its original position. The gun after recoiling immediately runs
forward by the action of the running out springs in the mounting whilst the spring
case is retained by the pawl. As the gun runs forward the toothed arc on the
transverse spindle is revolved by the action of the teeth on the spring case. This
opens the breech of the gun and extracts the empty cartridge case.
The gun may now be loaded, to close the breech the pawl lever has merely to be
pressed down to lift the pawl. The spring case is then pushed forward by the
action of the compressed spring and the case in moving forward rotates the toothed
arc and closes the breech of the gun which is then ready for firing.
For opening the breech of the gun by hand a lever is employed which fits on the
transverse reciprocating spindle, it is made detachable and can be removed when
the gun has been loaded. Sometimes instead of teeth on the arc and spring case
a connecting link is employed to rotate the arc and thus open the breech.
Dated this 21st day of September 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE. SPECIFICATION.
.Improvements.in-Mountings-for Quick. Firing. Guns and in Gear for
Opening and Closing the Breech of such. Guns:
We, ANDREW NOBLE, & Companion. of the Bath, late Captain in the Royal
Artillery and RALPH THEW BRANKSTON, both of the Elswick Works, Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, Engineers, 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 :—
The gun mounting is a modification and improvement of one described in the
Specification No. 12,730 of 23rd October 1885 wherein the gun slide consists of a
recoil cylinder through which the gun passes working through stuffing boxes at
either end, and a coiled spring surrounds the gun in front of the cylinder for
returning the gun back to firing position after recoil.
In the present invention the coiled spring is placed inside the recoil cylinder.
The gun has a piston ring fixed upon it within the cylinder and in the piston are
four grooves, two of which fit corresponding keys in the cylinder and serve to
prevent rotation of the gun due to the turning tendency of the rifling. The other
two grooves form passages by which the oil or liquid in the cylinder passes from
one side of the piston to the other during recoil. Taper keys of suitable form are
fitted in these passages and cause a uniform pressure in the cylinder during recoil.
The automatic gear for opening the breech can be applied to guns in which the
breech mechanism is worked by a reciprocating lever on a transverse spindle.
A spring case is mounted on the side of the gun so as to be able to slide longi-
tudinally upon it. The case contains a coiled or other spring which abuts upon
the fore end or cover of the spring case and in rear upon a piston like disc within
the spring case. This disc is carried by a rod passing forward from the disc
through the spring case and fixed to the gun slide. The spring case has a toothed
rack on its lower edge and in gear with it there is a toothed arc. This toothed arc
is fastened to the transverse reciprocating spindle of the gun which opens and closes
the breech; a pawl which is pivotted to the mounting engages with a projection or
tooth on the top of the spring case and retains it when the spring is compressed.
A-hand lever is provided for lifting the pawl.
The action of the automatic gear is as follows:-When the gun is fired it recoils
in the mounting and in recoiling pulls the spring case with it by means of the teeth
of the arc; this compresses the spring in the spring. case. When the gun has
recoiled far enough the pawl drops down and prevents the spring case from
returning to its original position. The gun after recoiling immediately runs
forward by the action of the running out springs in the mounting whilst the spring
case is retained by the pawl. As the gun runs forward the toothed arc on the
transverse spindle is revolved by the action of the teeth on the spring case. This
opens the breech of the gun and extracts the empty cartridge case.
The gun may now be loaded, to close the breech the pawl lever has merely to be
pressed down to lift the pawl. The spring, case is then pushed forward by the
action of the compressed spring and the case in moving forward rotates the toothed
are and closes the breech of the gun which is then ready for firing.
For opening the breech of the gun by hand a lever is employed which fits on the
transverse reciprocating spindle, it is made detachable and can be removed when the
gun has been loaded.
Sometimes instead of teeth on the arc and spring, case, a connecting link is
employed to rotate the arc and thus open the breech:
In order that our said invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION: OF THE DRAWINGS....
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section and Figure 2 is a transverse section.
of the gun with the principal parts of the mounting.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the breech end of the gun shewing more especially
the automatic mechanism for opening and closing the breech.
Figure 4 is a plan and Figure 5 is a rear elevation of part of the gun and of the
automatic mechanism.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the automatic mechanism shewing the parts in the
positions they occupy when the gun has recoiled; and
Figure 7 is a similar view shewing the parts in the position they occupy when
the gun has run forward again and the breech is open.
a is the base and b is a standard with trunnion bearings at 6161; it pivots. freely
upon the base a, there being a central pivot at 6. is a locking screw by which
the standard b may be locked fast when required. c is the gun slide in which the
gun d is carried.. The gun slide is also the recoil cylinder; its trunnions c¹ c¹ are
held in the trunnion bearings upon the part b. cand care stuffing boxes at the
ends of the recoil cylinder forming liquid tight joints against cylindrical surfaces
upon the gun. d' is a piston ring fast upon the gun. e is a coiled steel spring
surrounding the gun; it abuts upon the piston ring d¹ and the stuffing box c which
closes the recoil cylinder in rear. The cylinder is filled with liquid in which the
spring e is immersed. dd² are notches in the piston ring and c c are corresponding
projections within the recoil cylinder; these parts prevent rotation of the gun about
its longitudinal axis. d³d are other notches in the piston ring; they receive taper
keys fixed within the recoil cylinder: these parts serve to check the recoil.
f is the transverse spindle which when turned partly round to and fro opens and
closes the breech. f' is an arc of teeth which we provide upon this spindle. g'are
corresponding teeth on a spring case g which is held in guides upon the gun and
can slide longitudinally upon it. h is a coiled spring within the spring case, it
abuts upon the fore end of the case and also upon a disc or plate i k is a bolt
which is fast with the gun slide c and extends rearward through the spring case
and plate i which latter bears against the head of the bolt. is a pawl jointed to
the gun slide c ; when the gun recoils carrying the spring case with it, the pawl
drops down over the end of the spring case g and prevents it advancing again when
the spring e reacts and brings the gun forward. m is a hand lever jointed to the
spring case at m¹ and provided with a spring m³, there is a pin m' upon the hand
iever which is received into a groove in the pawl and pressure on the hand lever
lifts the pawl and sets the spring case free. n is a handle which may be applied to
work the gun by hand. The several stages in the action of the automatic mechanism
are, first, on firing, the gun together with all the automatic mechanism excepting
the pawl and bolt k moves rearward; the springh becoming compressed. Second,
the spring e moves the gun forward whilst the spring case g is retained by the
pawl. The spindle consequently turns and the breech of the gun is opened.
Third, after loading when the pawl is tripped by means of the hand lever m, the
spring forces the spring case forward and the spindle f is turned in a sense to
close the breech.
It will be understood that the mechanism which we bave described for carrying
the gun and controlling its recoil may be used in connection with guns which are
not provided with our automatic gear for opening and closing the breech; whilst
on the other hand our automatic gear for opening and closing the breech can be
employed in connection with guns otherwise mounted and having recoil mechanism
other than that which we have described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A gun mounting in which the gun slide serves also as the recoil cylinder and

page_text: in which a coiled spring abutting upon a piston like ring on the gun is contained
within the recoil cylinder immersed in the liquid with which the said cylinder is
filled.
2. Automatic mechanism substantially as described for opening and closing the
breech and consisting of the spring box able to slide upon the gun and engaged by
teeth or equivalent means with the transverse spindle of the breech mechanism;
the spring, the pawl and the liberating lever; as herein set forth.
3. Automatic mechanism substantially as described in which the gun in its recoil
carries with it a spring box or like part engaged with the transverse spindle of the
breech mechanism thereby compressing a spring; and in which when the gun
returns after recoil the said spring box is retained by a pawl or its equivalent and
the breech of the gun is thereby opened; and in which further a hand lever is
provided for lifting the pawl when the loading is complete, thereby allowing the
spring to react and the breech of the gun to close.
Dated this 21st day of May 1892.
A. NOBLE.
R. T. BRANKSTON.