Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1888
Specification Accepted, 24th Aug., 1888
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, 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 quick-firing and other guns and carriages therefor.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1. is a longitudinal section of the mechanism on the line a-b in Figure 11.
Figure II. represents the mechanism viewed from the back and mechanisin box in
section on the line c-d in Figure 1.
Figure III. is a back view of the mechanism box.
Figure 1V. is a top view of the mechanism.
Figure V. shows the mechanism viewed from the front and the mechanism box in
section on the line e-fin Figure I.
Figure VI. is a vertical longitudinal section with the breech open and the hammer
cocked.
Figure VII. is a back view of the mechanism in the same section as shown in
Figure II. but with the breech open.
Figure VIII. is a longitudinal section of the firing mechanism.
Figure IX. are details for automatic firing.
Figure X. is a vertical section of the carriage.
Figure XI. is a back view of the carriage.
Figure XII. is a plan section of the arrangement for securing the gun after its
laying down.
Figure XIII. is a side view of the entire gun in a reduced scale.
The breech-piece A consists of a vertically movable wedge, actuated by the lever H,
the shaft h of which traverses the back piece of the mechanism box B and is retained
by a flap On the shaft h and in a recess a in the breech-piece is an eccentric E.
provided with a notch e and partly thinner so as to form a rim el el at its inner side..

page_text: When the lever H is turned upwards to the right (Figure 1II.) the eccentric moves
to the left and downwards. During the first part of the revolution (about 30 degrees)
the breech-piece does not move, but the notch e on the eccentric forces the short
branch of the bent lever L on the sear downwards thus cocking the hammer C, that
is to say that the sear L is turned so far around that the tumbler D gets into the
notch in the centre of the sear as shown in Figure VIII. Then the breech-piece is
loosened and drawn downwards which is effected in such a way that the eccentric
actuates the lower part of the recess a, first with a short radius in order to gain force
and to loosen the breech-piece and then with a gradually increasing radius until the
said breech-piece is perfectly down as shown in Figure VI.
Below the recess a in the breech piece A is a counter-sunk slide bar or safety
stop F having a notch intended to receive the short arm of the sear L when the slide
is brought into its position to the left; a shoulder f is moreover provided in order to
put the said stop F in motion. On turning the eccentric to the left and thus bringing
down the breech-piece, the rim e impinges against the shoulder f on the slide F
thus drawing the latter to the right, so that the notch in the slide does not correspond
with the short arm of the sear L. The gun therefore connot be fired until the slide
has resumed its position to the left.
alii
During the downward stroke of the breech-piece the extraction of the empty
cartridge commences. The extractor G is pivoted on a shaft K and provided with a
fork placed on both sides of the cartridge chamber I. The extractor is further
provided with two downward projecting parts or elongations gl, on which, about
opposite to the centre of the extractor, are two shoulders g". The said projecting
parts or elongations of the extractor are adapted to enter into respective slots a¹, all,
in both sides of the breech piece. The said slots are oblique in order to force g¹ in
and y out in the same proportion as the descent of the breech. The breech-piece is
guided at its motion up and down by feathers 6" on the inner side of the casing, the
said feathers enter into corresponding slots or grooves in the breech-piece. When
the breech-piece has got so far down that its upper extremity has passed the collar
of the cartridge shell, the round part all of the slot at all all comes into contact
with the parts g¹ and increases the rapidity of the motion of the extractor, and when
the breech-piece is near its lowest position, the shoulder g¹¹ of the extractor encounters
the end a¹ of the slot a¹ all a¹, owing to which the said extractor is caused to
swing rapidly backwards in order to throw out the shell (see Figure VI).
When therefore a new cartridge is introduced into the chamber I the extractor
is pushed inwards and the shoulder g engages in the upper portion all of the
slot a al ai in the breech piece, so that the said breech piece rises a little and the
part of the recess a actuates the eccentric and turns the same a little to the left
(see Figure VII.) thus the lever H being balanced with the breech piece will operate
so as to lift up the said breech piece.
21
If the gun is not fired simultaneously with the breech piece being completely
closed, the balancing of the lever can be made so that it will entirely raise the breech
piece and close it by means of the eccentric passing a little ahead of the centre and
resting against the side of the box B containing the mechanism (see figure II.) the
firing is then made by hand as will be hereinafter described. If on the contrary the
gun be fired simultaneously with the complete closing of the breech piece, the lever
does not sometimes fall down of its own accord more than half way and the remainder
of the turning must be effected by hand.
Before the breech piece has reached its highest position and before it is closed, the
tumbler D can be operated by the trigger m and may be discharged in order to
prevent this a slide or stop F is provided. This slide or stop prevents the operation
of the sear L and thus likewise of the hammer until the rim e¹ of the eccentric gets
into contact with the shoulder f on the slide moving this to the left, so that the arm
of the sear L can get up into the notch in the said slide.
In order to ensure automatic firing simultaneously with a perfect closing of the
breech piece a bolt n is provided in the pistol handle M in which the trigger m is
placed (see figures VIII. and IX.) the said bolt has a cut away or flattened part or

page_text: portion (figure IX.) and when in the position shown in figure VIII. the trigger is
free and the firing is effected by hand. If on the contrary it is turned a quarter
revolution the tumbler D is not engaged in the sear L therefore this will come into
action, as soon as the breech-piece has mounted sufficiently bigh as above described.
The bolt n is provided with an index or pointer o showing whether the mechanism is
arranged for automatic firing or otherwise.
The pin is round and is surrounded by a spiral spring S and provided with a
lug with which engages the long arm of the sear L so that the firing pin can be
forced back and held cocked by the said sear. The piece u against which the said
spiral spring rests is removable and if the said piece be removed the spring and the
firing pin can be taken out to be repaired or replaced without deranging any other
part of the mechanism.
In order to point the gun a lever j is provided to lean the shoulder against and
for retaining the gun when firing a break gearing is provided so arranged as to
check the gun completely in every position by means of a suitable lever, that
is to say, to lock it so as to prevent motion in a horizontal as well as a vertical
direction.
The break gear is arranged in the following manner that is to say a cast block q
is secured under the gun, from this block a bar descends to the carriage (see
Figure X). The bar is fixed in the block by means of a bolt, running in two
grooves of such a shape that the pressure from the gun in whatever position the said
gun may be pointed is in a direction longitudinal to the said bar.
From the back of the pivot two armis it project downwards thus forming bearings
for a shaft a (see Figure XII). An eccentric y is formed upon the shaft & which when
the said shaft is turned moves a piece v against the bar r the opposite side of
which slides against the flange w on the pivot shell. On the end of the shaft & the
break lever or arm is fixed.
j
When the gun is served, the gunner leans with his right shoulder against shoulder
bar (see Figure XIII); with his right hand he seizes the pistol handle M and with
his left one the break lever or arm z. When the said break lever or arm is not pulled
the gun turns easily in all directions so that the gunner can by the right shoulder and
the land point the same. If he pulls the arm of the break z the shaft & turns and
the eccentric y actuates the piece so that this in its turn grips the bar r between
itself and the flange w and thus secures the gun.
Quick firing guns are in general served by two gunners but by arranging the gun
in the manner above described the weapon can in the event of one gunner being
rendered unfit for duty be managed by the other alone without any considerable
decrease in the rapidity of the firing. By holding the break lever or arm with the
left hand and leaning the right shoulder against the hereinbefore mentioned shoulder
bar, the lever can be managed and the cartridge inserted with the right hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondents I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A gun mechanism comprising a breech piece A arranged to slide in the box B
enclosing the said mechanism, an eccentric E engaging with the said breech-piece, on
the shaft h of which eccentric is fixed a lever H balancing the breech piece, an
extractor G in the shape of a bent lever adapted to move in slots provided in the
breech piece, and actuated by the latter on its being drawn back or the reverse the said
breech piece actuated by the pushing in of the said extractor. For cocking the
hammer, a bent lever one arm of which enters the breech piece and the other
arm of which is actuated by the eccentric substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Second. In the gun, mechanism above claimed an arrangement for the purpose of
moving by means of the pushing in of the extractor the breech piece in order that the
said breech piece may in its turn actuate the eccentric and that the lever of the latter
may thus be sufficient for balancing the breech-piece, the extractor being provided with

page_text: shoulders (92) which when the breech-piece is drawn back engage in corresponding
notches a³ in the said breech-piece and actuate the breech-piece when the extractor
pivots on its centre substantially as described.
Third. In the gun mechanism above claimed an arrangement for locking or
disengaging the cocked hammer comprising a slide F fixed in the breech-piece which
slide is moved backward or forward by the eccentric the said slide being provided with
a recess adapted to receive the sear arm L when actuated by the eccentric, the
eccentric imparting the requisite motion to the slide at the same time as the breech is
closed substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore specified.
Fourth. In the gun mechanism above claimed an arrangement by which the gun
can be fired either automatically or by hand comprising a pawl D engaging in and
retaining the sear L which pawl can be disengaged by means of a trigger m placed in
a pistol handle fixed to the gun and a pivotted bolt flattened or cut away on one side
and fitted in the said pistol handle by turning which bolt the pawl D is disengaged
so that the firing can take place automatically substantially as described.
Fifth. The device for locking the gun when the said gun has been pointed
comprising a bar descending from the gun and entering between the support of the
said gun and a break block v actuated by an eccentric the said block gripping the bar
on pulling a lever or arm fixed on the shaft of the eccentric substantially as
described.
Sixth. The improved apparatus substantially as described with reference to
Figures 1 to 13 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of June 1888
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.