IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING ORDNANCE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Astbury, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford,
Ordnance Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING ORDNANCE"
Sealed the 27th April 1877, and dated the 19th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION filed by the said James Astbury at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th February 1877.
JAMES ASTBURY, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Ordnance Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE."
My said Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in those
parts of breech-loading ordnance by which the opening and closing of the breech are
effected. On the rear open end of the ordnance or cannon I form a collar of a
diameter considerably greater than that of the cannon. The said collar is
situated eccentrically to the bore of the cannon, its axis being parallel to the
axis of the bore, but situated below the lowest point of the bore of the cannon.
This collar has a screw thread in its interior, and a solid cylindrical closing
block or breech piece having a corresponding screw thread engages in the said
collar by a screwing motion. In the top of the said collar is a slot of a size
and shape proper for the introduction of the cartridge or charge, and in the
cylindrical closing block or breech piece is a trough-like recess of a size and
shape proper for the reception of the cartridge or charge. By turning the
cylindrical closing block or breech piece so as to bring its recess under the
slot in the collar, the cartridge or charge may be passed through the slot in
the collar into the recess in the block, when the charge is in a line with the
open bore of the cannon, and can be passed into the cannon by a sliding motion.
By giving the block a semi-rotation, the part opposite to that containing the recess
is brought against the breech end of the cannon. A replaceable face plate may be
fixed on this part of the closing block. By turning the said closing block in the
direction proper to drive it home the said block or face plate is made to press closely.
and firmly against the open breech end of the cannon and thereby effectually to
close the breech. After the cannon has been discharged the closing block is made
to perform a semi-rotation in a direction proper for unscrewing the said block, when
the breech is opened and the charge may be introduced into the cannon.
The screw:
thread is cut away from that portion of the block which when the breech is closed

page_text: is presented to the slot in the collar. The block is turned by a winch on its
rear end.
The slot described in the collar may be dispensed with, in which case a cylindrical
hole sufficiently large to permit of the introduction of the charge through it into the
charge chamber is made in the closing block in place of the trough-like recess
described. The charge is in this modification introduced at the rear end of the
block and pushed forward into the charge chamber. In this modification no part of
the screw thread on the closing block is cut away.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Astbury in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th August
1877.
JAMES ASTBURY, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Ordnance Manu-
facturer. IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE."
"
My said Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in those
parts of breech-loading ordnance by which the opening and closing of the breech
are effected. On the rear open end of the ordnance or cannon I form a collar of a
diameter considerably greater than that of the cannon. The said collar is situated
eccentrically to the bore of the cannon, its axis being parallel to the axis of the bore,
but situated below the lowest point of the bore of the cannon. This collar has a
screw thread in its interior and a solid cylindrical closing block or breech piece
having a corresponding screw thread engages in the said collar by a screwing motion.
In the top of the said collar is a slot of a size and shape proper for the introduction
of the cartridge or charge, and in the cylindrical closing block or breech piece is a
trough-like recess of a size and shape proper for the reception of the cartridge or
charge. By turning the cylindrical closing block or breech piece so as to bring its
recess under the slot in the collar the cartridge or charge may be passed through
the slot in the collar into the recess in the block when the charge is in a line with
the open bore of the cannon, and can be passed into the cannon by a sliding motion.
By giving the block a semi-rotation the part opposite to that containing the recess
is brought against the breech end of the cannon. A replaceable face plate may be
fixed on this part of the closing block. By turning the said closing block in the
direction proper to drive it home the said block or face plate is made to press closely
and firmly against the open breech end of the cannon and thereby effectually to
close the breech. After the cannon has been discharged the closing block is made
to perform a semi-rotation in a direction proper for unscrewing the said block, when
the breech is opened, and the charge may be introduced into the cannon.
The screw
thread is cut away from that portion of the block which when the breech is closed
is presented to the slot in the collar. The block is turned by a winch on its
rear end.
I will now describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in
which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a breech-loading ordnance or cannon, the
breech mechanism of which is constructed and arranged according to my Invention;
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the breech end of the same, and Figure 3
is a plan of the same without the breech block. In Figure 1 the breech is represented
open, and in Figure 2 closed.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, Figure 5 a back elevation, and Figure 6 a front eleva-
tion of the breech block detached from the cannon.
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the cannon open, and exhibits the arrangement
for working the breech block for opening and closing the breech.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a is the eccentric collar at the open rear end of the ordnance or cannon, in which

page_text: eccentric collar the solid cylindrical closing block b works. In the interior of the
said eccentric collar a a screw thread is made, and on the exterior of the breech block b
a corresponding screw thread is made. By a screwing motion the screw thread on
the breech block b is engaged with the screw thread in the collar a; c is the slot in
the top of the eccentric collar a through which the cartridge or charge is passed,
and d is the trough-like recess in the closing block for receiving the cartridge or
charge from the slot c to be introduced into the cannon. The position of the
trough-like recess d with respect to the solid part of the block is represented in the
Drawing. On the front face of the closing block b is a replacable face plate f
best seen in Figures 2 and 6, the said face plate f being attached to the breech
block b by the screws at g, g, Figure 6.
In the bore of the cannon is a ring h
against which the face plate f bears when the breech block b is screwed home, as
illustrated in Figure 2. A gas-tight joint is thereby formed.
In order to charge the ordnance or cannon the breech block b, Figure 2, is turned
through a semicircle in a direction suitable for unscrewing it, that is, into the
position represented in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7. By this motion the trough-like
recess d in the said block is brought under the slot c in the eccentric collar a, and
the solid or closing part of the block is turned away from the bore of the cannon,
and the said bore thereby opened. The cartridge or charge is now passed through
the slot c in the collar a into the recess d in the block b, which said recess is
coincident with the bore of the cannon (see Figure 7), and the charge is passed along
the said recess into the said bore by a sliding motion. After thus charging the
cannon the block b is turned through a semicircle in the direction proper for
screwing home the said block so as to bring it into the position represented in
Figure The bore of the cannon is thereby closed by the face plate fand solid
part of the block b, and the slot c in the eccentric collar a is at the same time closed
by the said block. The cannon is now ready to be discharged. That part of the
screw thread on the block b which is presented to the slot c in the eccentric collar a
when the block is turned into a position for closing the cannon is cut away, as
illustrated in Figure 6, where the cut-away part of the screw thread is marked b².
The breech block b is turned through a semicircle in one or other direction for
opening and closing the breech by the lever i represented in Figure 7, the said lever
being pivotted on the projecting pin or stud k on the rear end of the said breech
block. The breech block 6 when open is kept in position by the stops l, m, the
stop m being on the rear end of the cannon, and the stop 7 being attached to the
breech block. The breech is closed or opened by the handle or lever i striking
against one or other of the projecting pieces n, p, on the breech block b.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,
the improvements in breech-loading ordnance herein-before described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, opening and closing the breech of the
said ordnance by means of an eccentric breech block provided with a trough-like
recess as described and illustrated, in combination with an eccentrically arranged
collar at the rear end of the ordnance, the said collar having a slotted top through
which the cartridge or charge is passed into the trough-like recess in the breech
block, and from thence into the bore of the ordnance, as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Astbury, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JAMES ASTBURY. (L.S.)