Improvements in Breech-loading Ordnance.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-loading Ordnance.
I, HENRI SCHNEIDER of Le Creusot in the Republic of France Manufacturer do
ereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner the same is to be
erformed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
atement:-
This invention has for its object improvements in the construction of the breech
ading mechanism of ordnance and the improvements relating to the closing of the
cech of guns of medium and large calibres as hereinafter explained are designed to
btain as rapid a fire as possible by facilitating the operation of loading and reducing
e number of operations required.

page_text: as Schneider's composite gas check. The screw when disconnected from the gun
barrel or chamber is carried by a bronze or metal bracket the connection between the
bracket and screw being obtained with the aid of a double catch as in the breech
closing mechanism employed in the French Navy. The head of the lever handle
employed for working the screw.is provided with a cam engaging with a recess in
the rear face of the barrel so as to prevent accidental displacement.
The employment of the composite obturator and the perfect adjustment of the parts
ensure great speed in the movements of opening and closing the breech.
The mechanism for automatically changing or renewing the primers is contained
in the back face of the breech screw and consists of a disc or barrel A figs. 1, 2, 3
and 5 carrying the primers and operated automatically by a lever B. The disc A
the dimensions of which are regulated according to the size of the breech screw is
arranged to contain the greatest possible number of electric fuses or primers e which
are screwed into the disc in a circle so that as the disc rotates on its axis a the
primers e are successively placed opposite the vent a.
A forked lever B oscillates on an axis c and communicates a rectilinear motion
from front to rear and vice versa to the disc. With this object the extremities of the
fork are provided with pins engaged with a circular groove a' in the boss or pivot a
of the disc A.
The other extremity or tail of this lever is of suitable form for working in a helical
or inclined groove d in the support of the hinge D figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5.
A piston I, figs. 1 and 5 acted on by a spring F presses against a flat surface m n
or on the corners or augles at m and n on the lever B when the latter oscillates
on its fulcrum. The disc A is provided on its periphery with as many teeth and
notches as there are primers, a locking bolt G figures 2 and 3 acted on by a suitable
spring engages with these notches in succession and prevents the disc from rotating
freely on its centre or becoming accidentally displaced. The bracket or support of
the breech screw (figures 2, 3 and 4) is provided with a pawl or finger L capable of
rotating or oscillating on a pin but retained in a certain position by the action
of a blade spring H and a stop h.
In order to facilitate the introduction of the projectile into the gun and to prevent
injury to the threads of the screw an angular charging plate or planchette K
(figures 6 and 7 of bronze or other suitable metal is provided in the breech opening
the upper part of this plate being slightly curved forms a cradle for the reception of
the projectile and is contained in a cavity k in the breech opening at the time of
closing the breech so as not to interfere with the movements of rotation and displace-
ment of the screw. The vertical part M of this angular plate or carrier slides
vertically in a groove g cut in the face of the breech. Another groove cut at right
angles to the first acts as guide and support to a bar N provided with an incline i and
rack teeth C. An incline o on the plate K slides on the incline and the rack C
gears with a toothed quadrant R fixed on the pin S of the hinge which moves with
the bracket or support of the breech screw.
The action of this improved mechanism is as follows:-After firing, the plate A
and its lever B occupy the position represented in figures 1 and 2 the plate K being
underneath the screw. By turning the hand lever to the left to the extent of one
sixth of a revolution after suitably raising it the screw threads on the breech block
are disengaged from the threads in the breech opening at the same time the lever B
(one end of which slides in the helical groove d) oscillates and drawing back the
disc A disengages the exploded primer e from the vent. During the rotation of the
screw all these parts are moved together, one of the teeth on the disc A comes in
contact with the finger L (figure 3) and as the rotary motion continues the disc is
caused to turn upon its axis to the extent of one division and presents a fresh primer
in front of the vent ..
When the sixth of a revolution is completed the bolt G locks the disc A and
prevents it from becoming accidentally displaced and the piston E presses on the
flat part m, n of the lever B figure 5. All the parts connected with the primers
then become stationary and remain so during the other movements connected with

page_text: the opening and closing of the breech. At the moment when the screw, being
completely disengaged and withdrawn from the breech, actuates the bracket by
causing it to rotate upon its hinge the toothed quadrant R partaking of the same
movement actuates the rack C which by means of the inclines and o raises the
plate K slightly above the level of the adjacent screw threads in the breech
opening.
The charge being now introduced the breech is closed by similar movements in the
reverse direction. During the rotation of the bracket and of the quadrant R the
rack C and the plate K return to their original positions and clear the way for
the introduction of the breech screw.
In rotating this screw to the extent of one sixth of a revolution for the purpose of
re-engaging the screw threads, the lever B the tail of which engages with the helical
slot d is caused to vibrate and move forward the disc A so as to insert a fresh primer
into the vent a. These operations being completed the loaded gun is ready for firing
the electrical connections being established automatically by the act of closing the
breech by the aid of an arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 according to which
a blade spring with two arms and t is employed, being suitably insulated on an
ebonite block 8, to connect the extremity y of a carefully insulated conductor or wire
with the centre of the primer. On the other hand a fine platinum wire in the interior
of the primer connecting the central portion with the outer part, the circuit can now
be closed through the metal of the gun and the primer. An interrupter or commutator
interposed in the circuit is placed under the control of the gunner who closes the
circuit at the proper moment.
On the passage of the current the platinum wire in the primer becomes heated and
burns setting fire to the powder around it. As many shots can thus be fired in rapid
succession as there are primers in the disc A without further attention being paid to
the ignition and when one disc is exhausted a fresh disc charged with primers can be
substituted in place of the first. This exchange can be effected with great rapidity
by simply causing the lever B to describe a complete oscillation so as to disengage
the boss or pivot a from the fork thus enabling the exhausted disc to be removed and
the charged disc to be inserted in its place the gun being then fired as before with the
fresh series of primers.
.
The magazine carrying the primers and the loading plate K acting automatically
as hereinbefore described enable guns of any calibre to be worked in the same manner
as quick firing guns.
The forms and dimensions and the materials employed in the construction of the
parts constituting the improvements according to this Invention can evidently be
modified without departing from the principles of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The improved arrangements and combinations of parts whereby guns of any
calibre are enabled to be worked as quick firing guns substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The arrangement on the breech screw with interrupted threads, of a plate or
disc A forming a magazine of primers pivoted at a so that the primers e are successively
placed opposite the vent, the said disc or magazine acting in combination with a
fixed finger L which causes the disc to rotate to an extent equal to the distance
between two adjacent primers and a spring locking bolt G retaining the disc in its
successive positions to which it is moved automatically by the act of opening the
breech substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of the
accompanying Drawings.
3. The arrangement of the rotary primer disc A in combination with a forked
lever B engaging with the boss or pivot a of the disc for the purpose of moving it
from front to rear and from rear to front by the action of a helical or inclined groove d
engaging with the tail of the lever with the object of automatically removing the

page_text: exploded primer and introducing a fresh one in its place substantially as herein before
described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
4. In combination with the hinged bracket at the back of the breech the arrange-
ment of the loading plate K connected to the breech and elevated and depressed
automatically by the action of the inclined planes o and i the rack C and the
quadrant D in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein before described
with reference to Figs. 6 to 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
5. The general arrangement resulting from the combination with a breech closure
with interrupted screw threads of an automatic firing apparatus with a primer
magazine constituted by the primer disc A and an automatically actuated charging
plate K connected to the breech opening all operating in the manner and for the
purpose substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.