Improvements in and relating to Breech-loading Ordnance.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application. 23rd Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Breech-loading Ordnance.
I, CHARLES GUSTAV MELLSTROM, of Victoria Mansions, 32 Victoria Street,
Westminster, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to he
as follows:-
In the now well known "Maxim" guns, energy derived from the discharge of
successive cartridges is utilized by means of springs for working the gun. And the
arrangement of the mechanism is varied or modified in various of the guns so that
the breech is opened and closed at different times relatively to the duration of the
recoil and return movement.
The main feature of my present invention relates only to guns in which the
opening and closing of the breech take place when, but not until, the entire
movement of the recoil and return of the gun, after each discharge, has been
terminated. I thus avoid the severe shocks to which in some instances the
mechanism has been subjected in the opening and closing of the breech.
For this purpose I arrange a suitable spring to operate so that in the recoil the
said spring is compressed at one end, and in the return of the gun the said spring is
compressed at its other end, without acting on the breech-mechanism. And when
this double movement is terminated, the spring is released from compression first at
one end to open the breech, and then at its other end to close the breech.
This arrangement of the mechanism is advantageously carried into effect by
enclosing the spring in a tube or cylinder arranged to slide upon the cradle or
top carriage in combination with a rod or bar which extends centrally through
the tube and is provided with a head or disc. The rear end of the tube forms
the abutment for one end of the spring and the head or disc forms the abutment
for the other end of the spring so that the latter can be compressed between
the said two parts.
A stop on the cradle limits the rearward movement of the
tube and holds it firmly against the pressure of the spring. At the rear end
of the said rod there is fixed or formed on it a rack, which gears with a pinion
on a shaft carried on the breech end of the gun for operating the breech-
mechanism. This apparatus is so arranged that the said shaft will not be turned
hy the rack before the proper time for opening the breech.
The gun in recoiling carries the rod and its dise or head with it and com-
presses the forward part of the spring, and the head then engages with a latch
on the cradle. Then in the return of the gun after its recoil a latch on the
gun engages with the end of the tube which acting on the rear end of the
spring compresses it into engagement with a spring catch on the central rod.
In combination with the said latches and spring catch I arrange a lever which
can be operated by hand to adjust the same in such a manner as to release
first one end and then the other end of the spring.
.
The spring is by the aforesaid latches held under compression during the recoil
and return of the gun while the breech-block and mechanism remain in the
position they occupied at the moment of the discharge. But at any time after the
return of the gun the said lever can be operated to release the ends of the spring.
The rod and its rack will then move relatively to the gun and operate the breech-
mechanism.
The rod has in it a slot or recess in which is pivotted the aforesaid spring catch
which until depressed by the aforesaid lever holds the rod against the spring
pressure tending to force it forward. But at the proper moment it can be pressed
into its recess by the lever to effect the release of the rod therefrom simultaneously

page_text: with its release from the latch at the forward end. I prefer that this part of the
rod should slide through a sleeve which is surrounded by the spring.
In some instances I provide a friction brake for retarding or diminishing the
effect of the spring in the opening and closing of the breech if necessary. I also
provide an indiarubber or other suitable buffer or cushion for limiting the forward
movement of the rod.
Dated thi. 42ml day of Damber t002
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Breech-loading Ordnance.
I, CHARLES GUSTAV MELLSTROM, of Victoria Mansions, 32 Victoria Street,
Westminster, 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 breech-loading ordnance.
In the now well known "Maxim "
guns, energy derived from the discharge of
the cartridges is utilized by means of springs for automatically working the breech-
mechanism, the arrangement of the mechanism being capable of modification so
that in different guns the breech will be opened and closed at different times
relatively to the recoil and return movements.
The object of my present invention is to construct a gun in which the opening
and closing of the breech are effected by the recoil energy and can take place at
any required time after the termination of the entire recoil and return movement.
For this purpose I provide means for storing up the recoil energy, until such
time as it is required to operate the breech mechanism. The gunner can then by
means of a suitable operating handle permit a part of the accumulated energy to
actuate the breech mechanism to open the breech and at any subsequent time permit
the remaining part of the accumulated energy to actuate the breech mechanism so
as to close the breech.
In carrying my invention into practice I preferably arrange that only so much
energy is accumulated during each recoil and return movement, as will open and
close the breech when the breech mechanism is working properly. Any undue
resistance to the working of the breech mechanism cannot therefore be overcome
by the accumulated energy and the mechanism will not be operated.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe one method of carrying the same into practice.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly sectional, of the rear end of a gun having
recoil mechanism constructed according to my invention.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are similar views shewing the positions of the parts at different
periods of the recoil.
Figure 5 is a section on the line, Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a section on the line y, y Figure 2.
Like letters denote the same parts throughout the drawings.
A is the cradle. A is the breech end of the gun, B is the breech-block.
D is a tube or cylinder arranged to slide in guides A, A2 formed in the cradle A,
the rearward travel of the tube D being limited by the part A³, see Figure 3, at
the end of the guides A, A. E is a rod arranged to slide in and out of said tube
or cylinder through an orifice D' in the end thereof. The said rod is provided at
its forward end with a trunk or hollow piston E' adapted to slide thereon and
prevented from sliding off the end thereof by a nut E. A projection E³ at the
side of the piston E¹ slides in a longitudinal slot D formed in the side of the

page_text: cylinder D, which slot extends from the front of said tube to approximately
the middle thereof. I provide an india-rubber or other buffer D in the end of the
tube D for limiting the forward movement of the rod E. F is a spiral spring
surrounding the rod E and enclosed between the end of the cylinder D and the end
of the piston E. D is a sleeve secured to the end of the cylinder D between the
spring F and the rod E for a purpose hereinafter specified. G is a latch or pawl
pivoted at G on the cradle A and adapted to fall into the slot D' so as to engage
when necessary with the projection E on the piston E'. H is a catch having a
spring H' and contained in a slot or recess E in the rod E. The said catch when
the rod E moves out of the cylinder D from the position shown in Figure 1 to that
shewn in Figure 2 will engage with the end of said cylinder thereby preventing the
rod from moving in again as shewn in Figure 3. 1 is a latch pivoted at 'on the
breech end of the gun and adapted to engage with a projection D' at the rear end
of the cylinder D. Pivoted at J on the cradle A is a lever I provided with an
operating handle J2 by means of which it can be turned in one direction on its
pivot to raise the latch G or turned in the other direction to raise the latch I.
moreover provide a stud J on the operating handle J which when said handle is
depressed so as to raise the latch G forces the spring catch H into its slot or
recess E thereby allowing the rod E to pass through the orifice D' in the end of
the cylinder D.
At the rear end of the rod E there is fixed or formed on it a rack Es which gears
with a pinion K on a shaft K' carried on the breech end of the gun. The breech
mechanism is arranged in any suitable manner so as to be operated to open the
breech when the shaft K' is rotated in one direction and to close the same when
the said shaft is rotated in the other direction.
L, Lindicate brake cylinders for hydraulic or other mechanist which retards or
diminishes the recoil and effects the subsequent return of the gun.
1 sometimes provide suitable friction or other brakes for retarding or diminishing
if necessary the effect of the spring F in opening and closing the breech.
The operation of my improved mechanism is as follows, that is to say; when the
gun is in readiness to be fired the parts are in the relative positions shewn in
Figure 1. The gun in recoiling carries the rod E and piston E' with it and
partially compresses the spring F. During this movement the projection E³ passes
to the rear of the latch G, also as soon as the catch H is clear of the orifice D' it
opens under the action of the spring H. The position of the parts is then as
shewn in Figure 2. In the return of the gun after its recoil the latch I on the gun
and the catch H engage with the projection D at the end of the cylinder D and
cause the said tube to move forward in the guides A², A thereby compressing the
spring F to its limit, the projection E3 of the piston E' is during this time engaged
by the latch G and prevents the spring F moving forward; this disposition of parts
is shewn in Figure 3.
During these movements the lever J' maintains an approximately horizontal
position as shewn.
When it is required to open the breech the lever is rotated by means of its
operating handle J in such a manner as to lift the latch 1. The end of the
cylinder D being released moves back under the action of the spring F to the
rearward limit of its travel, that is to say until stopped by the part A³ or by
the breech being fully opened, and carries the rod E with it, since the said rod
cannot, by reason of the catch H, pass through the orifice D' in the end of the
cylinder D. The rack E' at the end of the rod then through the pinion K operates
the shaft K' to open the breech. The position of the parts after this has occurred
is shewn in Fig. 4.
In order to close the breech the lever is rotated in the opposite direction so as
to raise the latch G out of engagement with the projection E. At the same time
the projecting stud J on the operating handle J2 presses the catch H into its recess
in the rod E so that the said rod can pass through the orifice D' in the end of the
cylinder D. The spring F then expanding to its utmost extent forces the piston E¹

page_text: and rod E forward and the rack E' operates the shaft K' to close the breech. The
position of the parts when the breech is closed is shewn in Figure 1, the projection E
on the piston E¹ being in front of the latch G. During the forward movement of
the rod E the catch H is prevented by the sleeve D* from moving out of its recess
and becoming engaged with the convolutions of the spring F and so stopping the
said forward movement. The lever returns to its horizontal position as the
breech closes. Inclined faces are formed on the lever J¹ and latch I as shown
at J and 12 respectively so that the latch will always take up a position above the
said lever.
I preferably so arrange that the spring F when compressed to its limit as shewn
in Figure 3 shall have accumulated sufficient energy to open and close the breech
as above described only when the breech mechanism is working properly. The
breech mechanism will therefore not be actuated if undue resistance is experienced
in opening or closing the breech and I thus avoid the severe shocks to which
in some instances the said mechanism has been subjected in performing these
operations.
It will be observed that the breech can be opened at any time after the
termination of the recoil and return movement of the gun and also that the closing
of the breech can be effected at any time after the opening of the same.
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. A gun of the kind or class herein described provided with mechanism for
accumulating energy during its recoil and return movements and for utilizing such
energy at any required time after the termination of the return movement to open
and close the breech.
2. A spring or springs such as that herein described arranged to be compressed
during the recoil and return movements of the gun, for the purpose specified.
3. A gun provided with the improved mechanism substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings and operating as, and for the purpose,
specified.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.