A New or Improved Rammer for Ordnance.
Year: 1899

page_text: A New or Improved Rammer for Ordnance.
I, August ReichwALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried. Krupp, of Essen, in
the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers) to be as follows:-
The present invention has reference to a rammer for ordnance, and consists in
constructing the rammer of a series of telescopic toothed rods sliding one within
the other, and operated by means of a toothed wheel with which the toothed rods
successively engage.
As is the case with other known rammers, the improved.
rammer may of course be employed for the transport of any desired objects in
any direction.
The improved rammer consists of a number of toothed rods, the first of which
is formed from a single rod, and is furnished with a rammer head, or plate, while
the remaining toothed rods are each built up of two parallel cheeks connected at
their rear ends, by a cross bar. The single toothed rod lies within the cheeks
of the second rod, this in turn within the cheeks of the third, and so on. By
means of dove-tail tongues and grooves the several rods are accurately guided
within each other longitudinally. The travel of each of the toothed rods within
the other is regulated by means of stops.
At the rear end of each toothed rod, except the last, there are provided notches
into which, when the rods are fully extended, spring-pressed pawls, attached to
the next succeeding rod, take, and thereby prevent the rods from closing up
automatically. The whole system of rods when closed up, does not take up more
space longitudinally than that occupied by a single toothed rod. The last rod which
surrounds the others is contained in a casing, which entirely encloses the com-
pletely closed up series of rods. In the fore part of this casing is mounted a
toothed driving wheel, which when rotated, causes the several rods to be pushed
out in succession. To this end the front teeth of the second and following rods
are slightly shortened, so that every one of these rods is only extended after the
one preceding it has been fully drawn out, this latter drawing the rod following
along with it.
To prevent during the extension of a rod, the premature withdrawal of the next
succeeding rod by reason of its friction of contact with its neighbour, spring bolts
are provided in the cover of the casing which, when the series of rods is in its
closed position take into wedge-shaped depressions in all the rods (excepting

page_text: the first) and only yield on superior force, that is to say, when the toothed wheel
engages with the corresponding rod. When it is desired to close up the series,
which is effected by rotating the toothed wheel in the opposite direction, the
several rods are successively automatically disconnected, by means of a cam
shaped plate attached to the front end of the casing, the sloping teeth of which
release the pawls from engagement with the notches.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Rammer for Ordnance.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried. Krupp, of Essen, in
the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), and in what manner the same
Is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
The present invention relates to a rammer for ordnance, and consists in con-
structing the rammer from a series of toothed rods, sliding telescopically one
within the other, and operated by a toothed wheel with which the several toothed
rods successively engage.
Like any other form of rammer now known, the improved rammer may be used
for transporting any desired objects in any required direction.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1
is an elevation of the rammer in its partially extended position, a part, hereafter
termed the casing being in section.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shews the rammer closed up, the casing enclosing it being in section.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3, the cover plate of the rammer casing being
partly cut away.
Figs. 5 to 9 are illustrations of details on a larger scale, which will be referred
to hereafter in the specification.
Of these latter figures Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 looking
from the left.
The improved rammer, Figs. 1 and 2, is composed of a system of toothed
rods B1, B2, B3, B4, of which the one B', carrying the rammer head G, is a single
rod, while the other toothed rods B2, B3, B4, each consist of two parallel checks
connected at one end by a cross tie 2, 3, or 4, see Fig. 2.
The toothed rod B₁, lies between the cheeks of the toothed rod B2, and is
guided thereon at S (see Fig. 8), by means of dovetail grooves and tongues, in
the direction of its length. It is thus capable of telescoping within the rod B2,
and by reason of the shape of the guiding grooves, supplies the place of the
wanting cross bar at the one end of the toothed rod B². The travel of the toothed
rod B, relatively to the toothed rod 132 is limited by pins on the latter (Figs. 1
and 5) which enter grooves el in the rod 131. The rod B2 has also pawls f2 mounted
on it, (see Figs. 2 and 6), against the heads 2 of which operate springs g², so
as to press the pawls behind projections on the rod B when fully drawn out,

page_text: and thus lock the toothed rods 131 and B2 together. The first tooth on the
rod B2 (see Figs. 1 and 5) is made slightly shorter than the remaining teeth, for
a purpose to be hereinafter described.
Similar devices to those described in connection with the rods B1 and B2, are
also applied to the rods B2 and 133, and 13 and 13. The rods. B2, B3, and B are
provided in addition with bents or notches 2, 3, cut in the projections ³ ³ and +
(see Figs. 1 and 2) for a purpose to be hereinafter described.
From the above description it will be seen that the toothed rods B1, B2, B' and
13 constitute a collapsible telescopic system, which when closed up as shown in
Fig. 4, does not take up much more space in length than the length of one of
the rods composing it, and which when fully extended is prevented from being
pushed together by the pawls f, f, f falling behind the projections h', h2, h3.
The toothed rod 13+ is guided upon ribs a inside the casing A (see Figs. 1, 2
and 8), which is of such a length that the series of toothed rods when completely
closed up and pushed into the casing, lies entirely within it, (see Figs. 3 and 4).
A toothed wheel C is journalled in the casing (see Fig. 3) which when the
series of rods is closed up and pushed in, only engages the teeth of the toothed
rod B, while the shortened teeth 2, 3, 4 of the rods B2, B3, B lie above the
path of the teeth of the wheel C.
When therefore the wheel C is rotated, the toothed rod B is extended, while
for the time being no forward motion is imparted to the toothed rods B², B³
and B. These latter are only caused to move forward, successively one after
another, when the rod B¹ has been fully extended as will be hereinafter more
fully described, and brought into the bite of the teeth of the wheel C.
For the purpose of preventing the rod next to the one being positively fed
forward by the wheel C, from being dragged along with it by mere friction of
contact, spring bolts D (see Figs. 3 and 4) are provided in the cover E of the
casing, the wedge-shaped ends of which when the series is closed up. enter the
bents or notches in the rods B2 B3 B4, and prevent them from being pushed
outwards, till the extending force is sufficiently great to pull the wedge shaped
ends of the bolts D out of the bents, or, as the case may be. This can only
take place when the ends of the grooves el, e2 or 3 of the rod B1, B2 or 13 engaged
by the wheel C, coming in contact with the pins or of the following rod B²
133 or B, draw the latter along with them.
Attached to the cover E of the casing A (see Figs. 1, 3, 6 and 7) above the
toothed wheel C, is a forked plate F, more clearly shewn in Fig. 9. The teeth 1273
7 of this plate are provided with sloping edges m², m³ mt, for the purpose of
releasing the pawls ff3ft from engagement with the projections
on the
toothed rods B1, B2, B3, when the system is being closed up. When the series is
completely closed up, the heads 3 of the pawls f f f lie against the edges'n²
nn of the teeth of the forked plate 72, 73, 74 (see Fig. 7), and so hold the pawls
out of the path of the projections h¹² h³.
The operation of the improved rammer constructed as above described is as
follows:
In their closed position the several parts of the rammer occupy the positions
shewn in Figs. 3 and 4. Supposing now it is desired to supply a projectile or
cartridge to the gun, the toothed wheel C is rotated in the direction of the arrow
Fig. 3, either by hand or by power. As the teeth of the driver pinion engage
only the teeth of the rod B₁ the rod B only is thrust forward, until the ends of
the grooves e come in contact with the pins on the rod 132 (see Fig. 5). As
will be more particularly seen from this figure, the toothed rod B₁ will draw the
rod B2 along with it, and so brings the tooth 2, and also the remaining teeth.
into the bite of the driver pinion C. While this latter is engaging the teeth of
the rod 12. and before the teeth of the rod 'B¹ have left the bite of the pinion C.
the pawls (see Fig. 6), with their heads on the rod B2, emerge from the teeth
of the forked plate F, and spring into place behind the projections 7' so that

page_text: when the toothed rod B' emerges from engagement with the wheel C, the rod B³
carries it along rigidly locked to it. In precisely the same manner by rotating
the wheel C further, the rods B and B are thrust forward. During the exten-
sion of the successive members of the series, the spring bolts 1), as has been
previously described, have acted to prevent the premature advance of the rod
next the one in motion, by friction of contact between them.
When the projectile or cartridge has been completely thrust into the gun, the
toothed wheel C is rotated in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1. The whole series
of toothed rods is thus withdrawn within the casing A. At the moment when
the first teeth of the rod 13 begin to enter the bite of the wheel C, the heads k
on the pawls f strike against the sloping edges m on the teeth of the forked
plate F (see Fig 6). The pawls f are thus thrust out of the path of the pro-
jections on the rod 133, so that now as the teeth of the rod B become released
from the bite of the wheel C and this rod becomes stationary, the rods B3 B2 B₁
continue their return movement into the casing A united: On further rotating
the wheel C the toothed rod 12 is uncoupled from the rod B and likewise, the
rod B' from the rod B2, so that finally the toothed rods once more are brought to
the position shewn in Figs. 3 and 4.
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. A rammer for ordnance, consisting of a series of toothed rods, collapsible,
and telescopically connected together, operated by a toothed wheel engaging the
several rods successively, said rods being locked together automatically, and un-
locked automatically when moved in the opposite direction, substantially as
described.
2. A form of construction of the rammer claimed in Claim 1, in which the
series of toothed rods consists of a single toothed rod as 'B', a plurality of toothed
rods as B B B+, each consisting of two cheeks placed together and connected at
one of their ends by cross ties as 6234, said rods being connected to each other
and to the single rod by dovetail grooves and tongues, the whole series being
guided on ribs within a box-shaped casing A, substantially as described.
3. A form of construction of the rammer as claimed in Claims 1 and 2 in which
the toothed wheel employed to operate the rammer, only engages the tooth of
the rod B carrying the rammer head G, while the succeeding rods B2 B3 B are
carried along by the preceding rods, B1, B2, 133, when these are fully extended
and brought into the path of the toothed wheel C, substantially as described.
4. A form of construction of the rammer as claimed in Claims 1, 2 and 3, in
which each rod is prevented from being carried forward by the one preceding it,
from friction of contact between them by means of spring bolts 1), provided
with wedge shaped ends adapted to enter bents or notches in the rods B2 B3 B+,
and by reason of the shape of their heads, automatically release themselves as
soon as the preceding toothed rod draws the respective toothed rod along with it,
substantially as described.
"
5. A form of construction of the rammer as claimed in Claims 1, 2 3. and 4,
in which the series of toothed rods when extended, prevented from collapsing
by means of spring pawls f f f mounted on the rods 132 133 134, and adapted to
take behind projections hhh of the adjacent or respective toothed rods B₁ 12
13 substantially as described.
6. A form of construction of the rammer as claimed in Claims 1 and 5 in which
a forked plate F furnished with teeth is attached to the casing A, said teeth
having sloping edges m² m³ m³ against which the heads 3, of the pawls f2 fi³ få
strike, when the series of rods is being pushed in, so that the pawls are removed
from the path of the projections h¹³ on the rods B1 B2 B3, and the several
toothed rods successively uncoupled from each other, substantially as described..