Improvements in Obturators for Breech Loading Guns.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Obturators for Breech Loading Guns.
We, ANDREW NOBLE, a Companion of the Bath, late Captain in the Royal
Artillery, of the Elswick Works, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and ALBERT GEORGE
HADCOCK of Elswick Park Terrace, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In a gun having a coned or other breech screw we make the obturator seat of a
coned form so that the obturator is easily entered into its seat and after firing is very
readily withdrawn.
The obturator we form of a pad of asbestos and suet enclosed in canvas, pro-
tected either wholly or in part by a copper sheath and around its circumference by
a steel ring which is coned on its outer surface to suit the correspondingly coned
seat in the gun. This steel ring need not cover the whole of the obturator seat,
but preferably covers the rear portion only, the front portion being covered by the
asbestos pad which is coned to suit. The face of the pad next the mushroom head
of the axial bolt or vent may be flat and at right angles to the bore but is preferably
coned being thicker on the exterior than on the interior, the head being similarly
coned to suit, so that it occupies but little space in the powder chamber.
This obturator is applicable for use in breech loading guns closed by breech
screws having an interrupted thread, but more especially in guns baving coned
breech screws.
In some cases we place the pad around the outer circumference of the head which
is then made cylindrical and in front of the pad we place a stecl ring which fits to
the outer circumference of the head and to the obturator, seat. The face of the
ring or of the ring and obturator head is hollowed in such a way that the pressure
of the gases acting radially make tight joints between the ring and obturator seat
and the ring and obturator head whilst at the same time the ring being forced back
against the obturator pad the pad also is pressed against the obturator seat so
preventing the escape of any gas which may pass the steel ring.
Dated this 9th day of April 1892.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Obturators for Breech Loading Guns.
We, ANDREW NOBLE, a Companion of the Bath, late Captain in the Royal
Artillery, of the Elswick Works, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and ALBERT GEORGE
HADCOCK of Elswick Park Terrace, 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 :-
In a gun having a coned or other breech screw we make the obturator seat of a
cone form so that the obturator is easily entered into its seat and after firing is
very readily withdrawn.
The obturator we form of a pad of asbestos and suet enclosed in canvas, protected
either wholly or in part by a copper or other metallic sheath and around its circum-
ference by a steel ring which is coned on its outer surface to suit the corre-
spondingly coned seat in the gun. This steel ring need not cover the whole of the
obturator seat, but preferably covers the rear portion only, the front portion being

page_text: covered by the asbestos pad which is coned to suit. The face of the pad next the
mushroom head of the axial bolt or vent may be flat and at right angles to the
bore but is preferably coned being thicker on the exterior than on the interior,
the head being, similarly coned to suit, so that it occupies but little space in the
powder chamber.
This obturator is applicable for use in breech leading guns closed by. breech
screws having an interrupted thread, but more especially in guns having coned
breech screws.
In some cases we place the pad around the outer circumference of the head which
is then made cylindrical and in front of the pad we place a steel ring which fits to
the outer circumference of the head and to the obturator seat. The face of the
ring or of the ring and obturator head is hollowed in such a way that the pressure
of the gases acting radially makes tight joints between the ring and obturator seat
and the ring and obturator head whilst at the same time the ring being forced back
against the obturator pad the pad also is pressed against the obturator seat so
preventing the escape of any gas which may pass the steel ring.
In order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into.
effect we will proceed to describe the drawings annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1, 2 3 and 4 of the drawings annexed shew longitudinal sections of.
various forms of obturator constructed in accordance with our invention.
In Figures 1 and 2 A. is part of the bore of the gun and A' a coned seating for.
the obturator to close against. B is the end of the breech block by which the
breech end of the bore is closed. C is the mushroom head on the axial bolt or
vent piece which passes through the breech block in the ordinary way. D is a pad
usually of asbestos and suet enclosed in canvas. is copper sheathing by which
the front and back of the pad are protected. F is the steel ring protecting the
circumference of the pad. In Figure 1 it is shewn as covering the whole of the
circumference of the pad but preferably as above stated we form it as shewn at
Figure 2 to cover only. the rear portion of the circumference.
In Figure 2 also we have shewn the back of the head C and the pad D.to be
coned so that when the head is driven backwards the pad may the more readily be
expanded radially to make a tight joint.
In Figures 3 and 4 the pad D is shewn around the circumference of the head C
which is made cylindrical-the back and front of the pad are as in Figures 1 and 2
protected by copper or other metallic sheathing and as in Figure 2 the rear portion
of the circumference of the pad is protected by a ring of steel F which tills
the angle and protects the space between the end of the breech block and side of the
seating in the gun. G is a steel ring placed in front of the pad and fitting to the
outer circumference of the head and to a portion of the obturator seating which is
made cylindrical. The head is made to overhang the ring so as to keep it in place.
The ring is hollowed in front either in the way shown at Figure 4 so that the
pressure of the gases may press the inner and outer sides away from one another
and cause the outer side to bear against the seating and the inner side to bear
against the sides of the head. Or the ring may be hollowed in the way shewn at
Figure 3 so that its outer side is forced outwards as in Figure 4 and a tight joint
made between the interior of the ring and the head by forming a hollow around the
head in the manner shewn so that the sides of the head may by the pressure of the
gases be pressed outwards against the interior of the ring.
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. An obturator formed with an annular pad surrounding the head or its axial
bolt or stem and protected around its outer circumference or the outer circum-
ference of its rear end only by a steel or like ring which fits to the seating and

page_text: occupies the angle between the sides of the seating and the front of the breech
block.
2. An obturator formed with an annular pad protected wholly or in part by a
copper or like metallic sheath and also protected around its outer circumference by
a steel or like ring coned on the exterior to fit to a correspondingly coned seat in
the gun substantially as described with reference to Figure 1.
3. An obturator formed with an annular pad surrounding the axial bolt or stem
of the head protected wholly or in part by a copper or like metallic sheath and
also protected around the rear portion of its outer circumference by a steel or like
ring the ring and pad being coned on the exterior to fit to a correspondingly coned
seat in the gun substantially as described with reference to Figure 2.
4. An obturator formed with an annular pad surrounding the axial bolt or stem
of the head placed between the head and the front end of the breech-block and
coned on its exterior to fit to a corresponding seating in the gun and also coned so
as to be thicker on its exterior than on its inner circumference the rear face of the
head being correspondingly coned to fit against it substantially as described with
reference to Figure 2.
5. An obturator formed with an annular pad surrounding the head and with a
steel ring in front of the pad also surrounding the head and hollowed in front so
that its outer side may be pressed outwards by the gases against the seat in the
gun and its inner side against the head substantially as described with reference to
Figure 4.
6. An obturator formed with an annular pad surrounding the head and with a
steel ring in front of the pad and also surrounding the head and hollowed in front
so that its outer side may be pressed outwards by the gases against the seat in the
gun and with a hollow formed around the head so that the sides of the head may
be pressed against the ring substantially as described with reference to Figure 3.
Dated this 14th day of December 1892.
W. NOBLE.
A. G. HADCOCK.