Improvements in Heavy Breechloading Ordnance and in Firing Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Heavy Breechloading Ordnance and in Firing
Apparatus therefor.
1 GEORGE QUICK of Glenbank, Bournemouth, in the County of Hants, Flect
Engineer, Royal Navy, Retired, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates :-
Firstly, to improvements in the construction of heavy breechloading ordnance:
Secondly, to an improved single-motion mechanism giving a multiplication of
power for opening or closing the breech of heavy guns by the continued rotation of
a single shaft gearing directly with the breechscrew:
Thirdly, to a combined electric and percussion firing apparatus adapted for use
in heavy guns having the breech mechanism above referred to.
In order that this invention may be clearly understood I have appended hereto
the accompanying sheets of drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a gun, without the breech mechanism, showing
the system of construction.
Figs. 14, 2, 3, 34 and 4 are detail views.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the rear face of a gun with breech mechanism and firing
apparatus, showing the breech closed ready for firing.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of the right-hand side of the breech also showing the breech
closed ready for firing.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the breech taken at the line Z-Z of Fig. 6 but
showing the breechscrew and its casing moved transversely to the right-hand side
of the gun the breech being thus fully open.
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the breech taken at the line Y-Y of Fig. 5
showing the position of the parts when the breech is closed ready for firing.
Figs. 9 and 94 are a section and an end view of a useful and safe form of electric
firing-key.
Figs. 10 and 10^ are a section and an end view of another form of electric firing-
key which may be used in lieu of that shown by Figs. 9 and 94.
Figs. 11, 11 and 11 indicate the general arrangement of primer to be used
with the firing apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the first part of my invention, namely, improvements in the
construction of heavy breechloading ordnance, the objects of these improvements
are as follow:-
(1) To obtain great longitudinal strength and rigidity in the chase, as well as at
the rear or breech end of the guns:
(2) To permit of the easy removal of the chase tubes and A tube from the
breech part of the gun when any of them have been injured by shot or otherwise,
and also to permit of the easy substitution of new tubes in the place of those
removed:
(3) To simplify the construction of the guns generally and to reduce the cost of
production.
According to this part of my invention I form the exterior of the A tube truly
cylindrical and of any given diameter for a certain portion of its length, the other
portion of its length I make also truly cylindrical but of a reduced diameter, the
two different diameters merging into one another by a curve or shoulder as shown
at a in Fig. 1.
No part of the said tube A is formed so as to interlock with any other part of

page_text: the gun; this being a special feature of the construction to allow of the removal
of the A tube from the gun without it being necessary to disconnect or remove any
parts of the gun except the chase tube at the muzzle as hereinafter described, and
the breechscrew with its attachments.
In building up the gun shown by Fig. 1, the B' tube is shrunk on the A tube
first then the 12 tube, and then the 133 tube, care being taken to make the ends of
the tubes B1, B2 and 13³ to butt together as closely as possible. The tubes C1, C2, C3
and C are then shrunk on in order as named and lastly the breechhoop D is shrunk
It is obvious that a greater or less number of B tubes and C tubes may be
used as required.
on.
The male screwthread for the trunnion hoop or bearing hoop & Fig. 1 is then cut
and the said hoopis screwed on, and this rigidly secures the tubes C and C
together and also at the same time secures together the two tubes B and B². At
the same time that the male screwthread is cut for the trunnion hoop other male
screwthreads may be cut on the exterior of the C2, C3 and C4 tubes for the reception
of the screwed unions" e and c¹. The exterior of the tubes where these male
screwthreads are cut may be either cylindrical or tapered somewhat. If the male
screwthread be cut on a cylindrical surface the screwed union employed will be as
shown in section by Fig. 3; but if the male screwthread be cut on a conical or
taper surface the screwed union will be as shown in section by Fig. 4. But to
facilitate the connection of new tubes in the place of those damaged and removed
I prefer to use the form of "screwed union" shown by c³ Fig. 3ª, which figure is on
an enlarged scale. This form of joint or union has certain advantages over the
other forms shown as hereinafter referred to. In this form of union the rear part
or breech end only of the union has a female screwthread cut into it, the forward or
muzzle end having one or more narrow annular bearing collars as shown in Fig. 34
On an enlarged scale, but I do not restrict myself to the exact details of these
screwed unions.
The unione when screwed on in its place will rigidly secure the tube C³ to C²
which will cause the tubes C3 and C to rigidly secure together the tubes B3 and 12.
And the union will rigidly secure C' to C³ and also C to the tube A and thus
all the parts of the gun (except the D tube) will be rigidly secured together by the
trunnion ring and the external unions c and e', without any internal interlocking
of the parts. There is of course in addition the security and connection derived
from the shrinking of the parts together.
The rear end of the 13 tube may be supported by means of a ring d Fig. 1
screwed into the rear end of the tube C' or by the usual form of shoulder shown
at din Fig. 2.
The rear end of the screwed recess for the breechscrew is fitted with a screwed
ringe the front face of which being formed as the surface of a screwthread supports
the rear face of the breechscrew which is also formed as the surface of a corre-
sponding screwthread as described in the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 17113
of A.D. 1886. And on the lower part of the front face of this screwed ring e 1
form a ledge or stop e (see Fig. 1 which is a front elevation of the ring e on an
enlarged scale) to arrest the breechscrew after it has been moved through a quarter
of a revolution, that is when the breechscrew is in a proper position for sliding out
from the centre to the side of the gun. The principle of this stop arrangement as
applied to the rear face or exterior of the breech of the gun and to the stem of a
breechscrew is fully set forth and illustrated in the Specification of my Letters
Patent No. 4139 of A.D. 1886. This screwed ring e also acts as a guide for the
charge in loading the gun, the loadinghole being approximately of the same diameter
as the chamber.
Having described the process of building up the gun I now proceed to describe
the process of removing and replacing damaged portions of the chase of the guns.
In case of injury to the chase through being struck by projectiles it would be
most probably necessary to put in a new A tube as well as to remove one or more
of the damaged external or chase tubes and replace them with new tubes.

page_text: To effect this the "scrowed union in the rear of the injured part would be
removed by unscrewing or by splitting it off'; then a deep straight groove would
be cut up the inside of the A tube, this groove being of a V shape so as to allow
the A tube to contract under the compression of the B1, B2, B3, C, C², and C³ tubes.
This V groove would be cut from the breech end of the A tube up to and past the
line or joint where the screwed union" had been removed, and the said V shaped
groove would be cut very nearly if not quite through the thickness of the A tube-
care being taken however that the interior of the B³, B², and B³ tubes should not
be cut in any way.
The V shaped groove having been cut, the A tube with the injured chase tubes
still attached to the said A tube may be then forced forwards from the uninjured
breech end of the gun by means of hydraulic pressure by preference (although other
means may be employed). It is to be understood that the A tube is forced from
the breech forwards, and not through the breech of the gun rearwards. To facilitate
the removal of the A tube the outside or body of the gun may be heated by steam,
or by a gas or wood fire to expand it, and a stream of cold water or cold air may be
force through the A tube to prevent it from expanding so rapidly or to so great
an extent as the exterior parts.
After the damaged tubes have been removed the remaining part of the gun
may be brought to the proper temperature and a new A tube may be inserted. The
other tubes necessary to complete the gun would be then shrunk on in order and
finally the screwed unions would be screwed on. If the form of screwed union.
shown on an enlarged scale by Fig. 3A be employed no care is required in shrinking
on the C2, C3 or tubes to make the screwthreads at their junction correspond
with one another. But if either of the forms of screwed unions shown by Figs. 3
or 4 be used then great care must be taken in shrinking on the tubes that the screw-
thread on C shall correspond with that on C³, and the thread on C3 shall correspond
with that on C. Or the new tubes C2, C3 or C may not have the male screw-
threads for the unions cut until after those tubes have been shrunk on.
Referring now to the second part of my invention, namely, an improved single
motion mechanism giving a multiplication of power for opening or closing the
breech of heavy guns by the continued rotation of a single shaft, which shaft
gears directly with teeth cut in the breechscrew, the objects of this improvement
are:-
(1) To so arrange the motive shaft relative to the breechscrew that it shall
act upon the said breechscrew near the centre of its length (instead of at or
near its rear end as described in some of my former Specifications) so as to exercise
a direct tractive force in moving or sliding the said breechscrew and not to produce
any twisting, cross thrust, or jaimming of the said breechscrew when sliding it to
and fro transversely in the slideway of the gun.
(2) To do away with the projecting stem at the rear end of the breechscrew and
thus to prevent the necessity for cutting through one side of the rear face of the
breech of the gun to permit of the sliding motion of the breechscrew stem, by the
absence of which cutting the strength of the breech of the gun will be increased:
(3) To reduce the breech mechanism to the greatest simplicity and to increase
its efficiency whilst reducing the number of working parts.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate this part of my invention.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the rear end of the breech as when closed ready for
firing;
Fig. 6 is an elevation of the righthand side of the same;
Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken through the breech of the gun and at the
midlength of the breechscrew (as at %-% of Fig. 6) and showing the breechscrew
and its casing moved out transversely to the greatest extent allowed by the operating
mechanism. (This movement of the breechscrew is more than is absolutely necessary
for loading purposes, but it may be desirable for the breechscrew to be moved to
this extent when examinations or repairs of the breechscrew face are required.)
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken through Y-Y at Fig. 5 showing the..

page_text: position of the parts of the breech mechanisin when the breech is closed ready for
firing.
According to this part of my invention the breechscrew designated by E is a
modification of that form of breechscrew described and illustrated by me in the
Specifications of my Letters Pateut, Numbers, 4139 and 17113 both of A.D. 1886
but it is to be observed that there is not a rear stem to the breechscrew E for the
reception of a lever or gear wheel for moving the breechscrew, but that some teeth
suitable for gearing with a worm are cut around a portion of the circumference of
the breechscrew E near the middle of its length.
Referring now to the drawings Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 it will be seen that I fit in the
gun, by preference at the lower part of the breechscrew recess, and at or near the
middle of its length, and at right angles to the axis of the recess a shaft F which
has a singlethreaded screw F cut on one end of it adapted to engage with a corre-
sponding female screwthread F cut in the gun; on the other end of the said
shaft there is cut a doublethreaded screw or worm 3 (of the opposite hand to
that of the screwthread F) adapted to engage with suitable gear teeth designated
by E cut helically around a portion of the middle of the breechscrew E. The
pitch of the helical direction or path of the teeth is the same as that of the thread
of the breechscrew itself which permits the breechscrew to be turned and to move
rearwards or forwards when turning without the said teeth E' jamming the thread F³.
As the thread engages with a corresponding female screwthread F in the gun
the latter serves as a bearing or support for the inner end of the shaft F and also
to give a slow but powerful lateral motion thereto as the shaft is turned. The gear
teeth E' are also so arranged as to allow of only a quarter of a revolution being
given to the breechscrew E, the turning of which is also limited by a stop as herein-
before referred to, scc e¹ on e in Fig. 1A
To the outer end of the shaft F I secure a handwheel G as shown in Figs. 5 and 6,
or a crank lever Gas shown in Fig. 7 by means of which the shaft can be rotated.
To the inner end of the shaft F I secure a screwed cap or fixed nut or collar H to
prevent the shaft being moved out too far. The recess K in the left side of the
gun is closed by the screwed cap L.
To open the breech of the gun the operator turns the shaft F by means of the
hand wheel G (or by a crank lever G Fig. 7) which causes the thread F¹ to turn
in the female screw thread F and thus the shaft F is moved endways outwards
towards the righthand side of the gun and at the same time the doublethreaded
screw or worm is acting on the teeth E¹ and is thereby causing the breechscrew
to turn. There is therefore the combined action of the threads F1 and F³ to cause
the breechscrew E to turn through a quarter of a revolution, when further rotation
being prevented by a stop as before explained, and by some of the gear teeth on the
breechscrew E being cut at a tangent to the quadrant of teeth as shown in Fig. 7,
the continued rotation of the shaft F with the threads and F3 acting together as
before will cause the breechscrew E to slide laterally in the slideway and the
breech of the gun to be opened for loading. Thus the combined action of the two
threads F and F3 of the one motive shaft F will give:-
Firstly, the turning motion to the breechscrew E and
Secondly, the lateral or sliding motion.
To close the breech the shaft
is turned in the opposite direction and the two
threads by their combined action give :-
Firstly, the lateral motion to move the breechscrew to the centre of the breech, and
Secondly, the turning motion to the breechscrew to screw it up.
It is to be observed that the hand wheel G on the end of the shaft F travels from
the gun outwards to the righthand when the breech is being opened, see Fig. 7,
and that when the breech is closed the said handwheel G is in close proximity to
the side of the gun see Fig. 5 this movement of the handwheel G and shaft F being
due to the singlethreaded screw F' and female thread F cut in the gun.
I provide the breechscrew with a casing M somewhat similar to that illustrated
in the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 18466 of A.D. 1888. This casing

page_text: can be moved easily in the slideway and serves partly to guide and support the
breechscrew E when the latter is being turned or moved laterally. A hole is
provided at the lower part of the casing M which hole forms a plain bearing in
which the shaft F and worm thereon F³ can turn freely or move endways. By
the employment of the above described mechanism the opening and closing of the
breech of the heaviest guns can be effected rapidly, simply and safely by a single
shaft acting directly on the breechscrew.
Referring now to the third part of my invention, namely, the combined electric
and percussion firing apparatus, the objects of this improvement are :-
(1) To provide a perfectlysafe and simple means for firing charges in heavy guns
by electricity when electrical primers are employed:
(2) To utilize parts of the same apparatus for safely and effectively firing charges
in heavy guns by percussion when percussion primers are employed:
(3) To provide an electrical and percussion firing apparatus which can be used for
firing electric primers when electric primers are used, and also for firing percussion
primers when percussion primers are used without any change or adjustment of the
said firing apparatus-the percussion part of the firing apparatus being of the kind
generally known as "self cocking and rebounding."
Now although this firing apparatus is specially designed for the firing of either
electric or of percussion primers I wish it to be distinctly understood that I prefer
as a rule to use electric primers and electric firing apparatus only. But as electrical
primers have been found in some few cases to become deteriorated or noneffective
from age or climate I have combined the self-cocking and rebounding percussive
firing apparatus with the electrical firing apparatus as a reserve in case of the failure
of the electric primers from age or otherwise.
Figs. 5, 6, 8, 9, 94, 10 and 10 illustrate this combined electric and percussion
firing apparatus, from which it will be seen that the present invention is a develop-
ment of the self-cocking and rebounding percussion firing apparatus described and
illustrated by me in the Specifications of my Letters Patent No. 15833 of A.D. 1884
and No. 15941 of A.D. 1886.
In the drawing Fig. 8, N indicates the case or shell of a self-cocking rebounding
percussion apparatus secured in the centre of the bolt which secures the breech-
screw face to the breechscrew. The case N is quite insulated from the bolt and all
parts of the gun by vulcanized fibre or other suitable material, the insulating
material being indicated in the drawings by black lines. This self-cocking
rebounding percussion arrangement is practically identical with that shown by
Fig. 1 in the drawing annexed to the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 15833
of A.D. 1884 and therefore needs no further explanation here. O is the percussion
striker and is also the electric contact maker to the primer T, in Fig. 8 of the
drawings hereunto annexed. The stem of the "trigger piston" passes through
the rear end of the case N and on the end of the stem l' is secured an oblong piece
of ivory as a stop (or the stop may be made of any other hard insulating material)
which insulates the end of the stem P and to this stop P I attach a self-coiling
lanyard of flexible metal or of fibrous material contained in a case, this lanyard
being employed for percussion firing only. Qis the self-coiling lanyard which is in
general similar to the well known spring tape measures, except that the and
case are made very strong, and that the length of the tape or lanyard is limited to
suit the firing of the gun, also that a handle is connected to the end of the lanyard
so that it can be conveniently pulled by hand. The principle of construction of the
self-coiling spring tape measure is so well known that it requires no description here.
The application of a self-coiling spring lanyard constructed on the principle of a
spring tape measure is novel and particularly useful in the case of the breech
mechanism herein before described as the self-coiling lanyard will hang down and
ocenpy very little space, when not held in hand, in the recess in the rear end of the
breechscrew and so offer no obstacle to the sideway movement of the breechscrew.
In Figs. 5 and 8 M indicates a flat bar of metal which is secured by screws to the
rear face of the casing M which flat bar M' acts as a safeguard to prevent premature
tape

page_text: firing by the percussion firing apparatus. In the middle part of this guard Man
oblong slot is cut which will permit the ivory oblong stop P on the stem P to pass
through it only when the breechscrew is properly screwed up at which time the
stop will exactly coincide with the oblong slot in the guard M. If the ivory
stop P does not coincide with the slot in M the "trigger piston" cannot be pulled
rearward to cock or fire the percussión lock. From the foregoing description and
by reference to the, before cited Specification of my Letters Patent No. 15833 of
A.D. 1884 the action of the percussion part of this firing apparatus will be clearly
understood. I now proceed to describe the arrangement for electric firing through
the aforesaid percussion firing apparatus.
In
Figs. 5, 6, 8, 9, 9, 10 and 10 indicate the electrical firing arrangements.
these figures R is the electric battery which may be of any convenient shape and
which may be attached to the gun in any convenient position (or the electricity
may be supplied to several guns from one large central battery). is an
insulated flexible conductor leading from one pole of the battery to the firing-
key R (which said firing-key is shown on an enlarged scale by Figures 9 and 94)
and from the firing-key R₁ to the insulated spiral spring conductor which is
secured into the rear face of the breech. When the breech is properly closed the
point of the insulated spring conductor will come into contact with a small
platinum face on the insulated conductor which is of flat shape and is rigidly
secured to the rear face of the breechscrew. Should the breechscrew be not
properly screwed up the insulated conductors and cannot make contact with
each other. The other end of the insulated conductor has a hole through
it, through which hole the stem l' of the percussion firing lock passes and
makes electrical contact with the conductor The stem P being part of the
"trigger piston" is in electric circuit therewith and the latter is in contact with
the striker and contact maker which is also in electric contact with the centre
conductor of the electric primer T which primer may be screwed into the front
face of the breechscrew or into the central bolt as shown in Fig. 8. The other pole
of the battery R, Fig. 5, is connected by an insulated conductors directly to the
metal of the gun which is in electric connection with the metal case of the
primer T and thence through the platinum resistance wire in the primer with
the other pole of the battery, but only when the breech is properly closed and when
contact is made by the firing-key R.
Figs. 9 and 94 are a section and an end elevation of a safety firing-key or contact
maker for firing the gun by electricity. The details of this firing-key are so very
obvious from the Fig. 9 that particular description is unnecessary.
The insulated wires are secured in the front part of the body of the firing-key
there being no connection between the ends so that no current can pass until the
contact maker is pressed down and connection made therethrough. The body of
this firing-key is encased in a closely fitting covering of indiarubber to protect it
from water or damp air and it is provided with a sling or hook by which it may be
suspended from the gun, or gunner's belt, or other suitable position. One advantage
of this form of firing-key is that the gun can be fired without any pull on a lanyard
being required so that the gunner may stand in any position without regard to the
"lead" or direction of the firing wires. Another advantage of this form of firing-
key is that contact cannot be made by any accidental or unintentional grip of the
operator's hand. Figs. 10 and 10A show a modification of the above form of firing-
key, contact in this case being made only by pressure of the thumb. I wish it to
be distinctly understood that I make no claim to the details of these firing-keys.
The operation of the electric firing apparatus is as follows: An electric primer T
having been screwed into the front of the breechscrew and the breech of the gun
properly closed, the current will pass from the battery R through the insulated
conductor to the firing-key R' where on the push being duly pressed down the
current will pass through the firing-key R' to the spring conductor thence
through to the stem and to the striker O then through the primer T to the
metal of the breechscrew and gun and the conductors to the battery R. The
3

page_text: current in passing through the primer T will fire it in the well known usual manner.
I do not claim any of the details of the priniers for this firing apparatus, but there
are some differences in them from those usually employed and Figures 11, 114
and 11 indicate their general arrangement. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of an
electric or percussion primer; Fig. 11 is an elevation of the rear end and Fig. 11ª
is an elevation of the front end of an electric primer; is an interrupted screw-
thread on the exterior of the primer to permit of its secure attachment to or of
its easy removal from the front of the breechscrew; m indicates the insulated
conductor in the centre of the rear face of the electric primer, and indicates the
position of the blowing charge of fine grained powder for igniting the charge in
the gun.
In the case of percussion primers the part m would contain the percussion cap in
the usual manner of vent scaling percussion primers and n would contain the blowing
charge.
Now although I have shown in these drawings the striker O arranged for the
primer T to be screwed into the centre of the face of the breechscrew yet it is
obvious that the striker O may be made to extend through the face of the breech-
screw so as to fire primers of the usual form when secured into the rear end of the
crrtridge as described and illustrated in the Specification accompanying my other
application for Letters Patent of even date herewith.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown that the breechscrew is moved
transversely to the right of the centre line of the gun in opening the breech, but it
is obvious that guns can be constructed on this system so that the breechscrew
shall be moved to the left of the centre line of the gun in opening the breech for
loading. It is also obvious that the handwheel or cranklever for operating the
motive shaft may be arranged to be worked on the lefthand side of the gun.
It is also obvious that the firing apparatus for this breech mechanism may be
arranged to be simply percussive or simply electric if it be desired that only one
description of primer shall be employed.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Heavy Breechloading Ordnance and in Firing
Apparatus therefor.
I, GEORGE QUICK, of Glenbank, Carlton Road, Bournemouth, in the County of
Hants, Fleet Engineer, Royal Navy, Retired, 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
Firstly, to improvements in the construction of heavy breechloading ordnance:
Secondly, to an improved single-motion mechanism giving a multiplication of
power for opening or closing the breech of heavy guns by the continued rotation of
a single shaft gearing directly with the breech screw:
Thirdly, to a combined electric and percussion firing apparatus adapted for use
in heavy guns having the breech-mechanism above referred to.
In order that this invention may be clearly understood 1 shall refer to the sheets
of drawings appended to my Provisional Specification No. 15910 dated 8th
October, 1890, in which drawings similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts.
Fig. 1. is a longitudinal section of a gun, without the breech mechanism, showing
the system of construction.
Figs. 14, 2, 3, 34 and 4 are detail views.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the rear-face of a gun with breech mechanism and firing
apparatus, showing the breech closed ready for firing.

page_text: Fig. 6 is an elevation of the right hand side of the breech also showing the
breech closed ready for firing.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the breech taken at the line Z-Z of Fig. 6 but
shewing the breechscrew and its casing moved transversely to the right hand side
of the gun, the breech being thus fully open.
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the breech taken at the line Y-Y of Fig. 5,
shewing the position of the parts when the breech is closed ready for firing.
Figs. 9 and 9 are a section and an end view of a useful and safe form of electric
firing-key.
Figs. 10 and 10A are a section and an end view of another form of electric
firing-key which may be used in lieu of that shown by Figs. 9 and 9^.
Figs. 11, 114 and 11" indicate the general arrangement of primer to be used with
the firing apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the first part of my invention, namely, improvements in the
construction of heavy breechloading ordnance, the objects of these improvements are
as follow:-
(1) To obtain great longitudinal strength and rigidity in the chase, as well as
at the rear or breech end of the guns.
(2) To permit of the easy removal of the chase tubes and A. tube from the.
breech part of the gun when any of them have been injured by shot or
otherwise, and also to permit of the casy substitution of new tubes in the
place of those removed.
(3) To simplify the construction of the guns generally and to reduce the cost
of production.
According to this part of my invention I form the exterior of the A tube truly
cylindrical and of any given diameter for a certain portion of its length, the other
portion of its length I make also truly cylindrical but of a reduced diameter, the
two different diameters merging into one another by a curve or shoulder as shown
at a in Fig. 1. No part of the said tube A is formed so as to interlock with any
other part of the gun, this being a special feature of the construction to allow of
the removal of the A tube from the gun without it being necessary to disconnect or
remove any parts of the gun except the chase tube at the muzzle as hereinafter
described, and the breechscrew with its attachments.
In building up the gun shown by Fig. 1, the B' tube is shrunk on the A tube
first; then the 132 tube, and then the B³ tube, care being taken to make the ends of
the tubes 1, B2 and B to butt together as closely as possible. The tubes C¹, C², C³
and Care then shrunk on in order as named and lastly the breech hoop D is shrunk
on. It is obvious that a greater or less number of B tubes and C tubes may be
used as required.
:
The male screwthread for the trunnion hoop or bearing hoop 6 Fig. 1, is
then cut and the said hoop is screwed on, and this rigidly secures the tubes C
and C2 together and also at the same time secures together the two tubes B¹
and 132. At the same time that the male screwthread is cut for the trunnion
hoop other male screwthreads may be cut on the exterior of the C², C³ and C
tubes for the reception of the screwed unions c and c¹. The exterior of the
tubes where these male screwthreads are cut may be either cylindrical or
tapered somewhat. If the male screwthread be cut on a cylindrical surface the
screwed union employed will be as shown in section by Fig. 3; but if the male
screwthread be cut on a conical or taper surface the screwed union will be as
shown in section by Fig. 4. But to facilitate the connection of new tubes in
the place of those damaged and removed I prefer to use the form of "screwed
union" shown by Fig. 34, which figure is on an enlarged scale. This form of
joint or union has certain advantages over the other forms shown as hereinafter
referred to. In this form of union the rear part or breech end only of the
union has a female screwthread cut into it, the forward or muzzle end having
one or more narrow annular bearing collars as shown in Fig. 34 on an enlarged

page_text: scale, but I do not restrict myself to the exact details of these "screwed
unions."
The union c when screwed on in its place will rigidly secure the tube C³ to C³
which will cause the tubes C³ and C2 to rigidly secure together the tubes B³ and B².
And the union c¹ will rigidly secure C to C³ and also C to the tube A. and thus all
the parts of the gun (except the D tube) will be rigidly secured together by the
trunnion ring and the external unions c and without any internal interlocking of
the parts. There is of course in addition the security and connection derived from
the shrinking of the parts together.
с
The rear end of the B tube may be supported by means of a ring & Fig. 1
screwed into the rear end of the tube Cor by the usual form of shoulder shown
at in Fig. 2.
The rear end of the screwed recess for the breechscrew is fitted with a screwed
ringe the front face of which being formed as the surface of a screwthread supports
the rear face of the breechscrew which is also formed as the surface of a corre-
sponding screwthread as described in the Specification of my Letters Patent
No. 17113 of A.D. 1886. And on the lower part of the front face of this screwed
ring e I form a ledge or stop e' (see Fig. 1 which is a front elevation of the ring e
on an enlarged scale) to arrest the breechscrew after it has been moved through a
quarter of a revolution, that is when the breechscrew is in a proper position for
sliding out from the centre to the side of the gun. The principle of this stop
arrangement as applied to the rear face or exterior of the breech of the gun and to
the stem of a breechscrew is fully set forth and illustrated in the Specification of
my Letters Patent No. 4139 of A.D. 1886. This screwed ring e also acts as a
guide for the charge in loading the gun, the loading-hole being approximately of
the same diameter as the chamber.
Having described the process of building up the gun I now proceed to describe
the process of removing and replacing damaged portions of the chase of the guns.
In case of injury to the chase through being struck by projectiles it would be most
probably necessary to put in a new A tube as well as to remove one or more of the
damaged external or chase tubes and replace them with new tubes.
To effect this the "screwed union in the rear of the injured part would be
removed by unscrewing or by splitting it off'; then a deep straight groove would be
cut up the inside of the A tube, this groove being of a V shape so as to allow the
A tube to contract under the compression of the B1, B2, B3, C1, C2 and C³ tubes.
This V groove would be cut from the breech end of the A tube up to and past the
line or joint where the "screwed union" had been removed, and the said V shaped
groove would be cut very nearly if not quite through the thickness of the A tube-
care being taken however that the interior of the B1, B2, and B³ tubes should not
be cut in any way.
i
The V shaped groove having been cut, the A tube with the injured chase tubes
still attached to the said A tube may be then forced forwards from the uninjured
breech end of the gun by means of hydraulic pressure by preference (although
other means may be employed). It is to be understood that the A tube is forced
from the breech forwards, and not through the breech of the gun rearwards. To
facilitate the removal of the A tube the outside or body of the gun may be heated
by steam, or by a gas or wood fire to expand it, and a stream of cold water or cold
air may be forced through the A tube to prevent it from expanding so rapidly or to
so great an extent as the exterior parts.
After the damaged tubes have been removed the remaining part of the gun may
be brought to the proper temperature and a new A tube may be inserted.
The
other tubes necessary to complete the gun would be then shrunk on in order and
finally the "screwed unions" would be screwed on. If the form of screwed union
shown on an enlarged scale by Fig. 3A be employed no care is required in shrinking
on the C2, C3, or C₁ tubes to make the screw threads at their junction correspond
with one another. But if either of the forms of screwed unions shown by Figs. 3
or 4 be used then great care must be taken in shrinking on the tubes that the
B

page_text: screwthread on C shall correspond with that on C³; and the thread on C³ shall
correspond with that on C. Or the new tubes C2, C3 or C may not have the
male screwthreads for the unions cut until after those tubes have been shrunk on.
Referring now to the second part of my invention, namely, an improved single
motion mechanism giving a multiplication of power for opening or closing the
breech of heavy guns by the continued rotation of a single shaft, which shaft gears
directly with teeth cut in the breechscrew, the objects of this improvement are
(1) To so arrange the motive shaft relative to the breechscrew that it shall
act upon the said breechscrew near the centre of its length (instead of at or
near its rear end as described in some of my former Specifications) so as to
exercise a direct tractive force in moving or sliding the said breechscrew
and not to produce any twisting, cross thrust, or jamming of the said
breechscrew when sliding it to and fro transversely in the slideway of
the gun.
(2) To do away with the projecting stem at the rear end of the breechscrew
and thus to prevent the necessity for cutting through one side of the rear
face of the breech of the gun to permit of the sliding motion of the breech-
screw stem, by the absence of which cutting the strength of the breech of
the gun will be increased.
(3) To reduce the breech mechanism to the greatest simplicity and to increase
its efficiency whilst reducing the number of working parts.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate this part of my invention.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the rear end of the breech as when closed ready for
firing;
Fig. 6 is an elevation of the righthand side of the same;
Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken through the breech of the gun and at the
midlength of the breechscrew (as at Z-Z of Fig. 6) and showing the breechscrew
and its casing moved out transversely to the greatest extent allowed by the operating
mechanism.
(This movement of the breechscrew is more than is absolutely necessary for
loading purposes, but it may be desirable for the breechscrew to be moved to this
extent when examinations or repairs of the breechscrew face are required.)
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken through Y-Y at Fig. 5 showing the
position of the parts of the breech mechanism when the breech is closed ready for
firing.
According to this part of my invention the breechscrew designated by E is a
modification of that form of breechscrew described and illustrated by me in the
Specifications of my Letters Patent, Numbers 4139 and 17113 both of A.D. 1886
but it is to be observed that there is not a rear stem to the breechscrew E for the
reception of a lever or gear wheel for moving the breechscrew, but that some teeth
suitable for gearing with a worm are cut around a portion of the circumference of
the breechscrew E near the middle of its length.
Referring now to the drawings Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 it will be seen that I fit in the
gun, by preference at the lower part of the breechscrew recess, and at or near the
middle of its length, and at right angles to the axis of the recess a shaft F which
has a singlethreaded screw F cut on one end of it adapted to engage with a corre-
sponding female screwthread F2 cut in the gun; on the other end of the said
shaft there is cut a doublethreaded screw or worm 3 (of the opposite hand to
that of the screwthread F) adapted to engage with suitable gear teeth designated
by E' cut helically around a portion of the middle of the breechscrew E. The
pitch of the helical direction or path of the teeth is the same as that of the thread
of the breechscrew itself which permits the breechscrew to be turned and to
move rearwards or forwards when turning without the said teeth E¹ jamming the
thread F³.
As the thread F¹ engages with a corresponding female screwthread F2 in the gun
the latter serves as a bearing or support for the inner end of the shaft F and also
to give a slow but powerful lateral motion thereto as the shaft is turned. The

page_text: gear teeth E' are also so arranged as to allow of only a quarter of a revolution
being given to the breechscrew E, the turning of which is also limited by a stop as
herein before referred to, see e¹ on e in Fig. 14.
To the outer end of the shaft F I secure a hand-wheel G as shown in Figs. 5
and 6, or a crank lever G' as shown in Fig. 7 by means of which the shaft can be
rotated. To the inner end of the shaft FI secure a screwed cap or fixed nut or
collar H to prevent the shaft F being moved out too far. The recess K in the
left side of the gun is closed by the screwed cap L.
To open the breech of the gun the operator turns the shaft F by means of the
handwheel G (or by a crank lever (Fig. 7) which causes the thread F¹ to turn
in the female screwthread F2 and thus the shaft F is moved endways outwards
towards the righthand side of the gun and at the same time the doublethreaded
screw or worm is acting on the teeth E' and is thereby causing the breechscrew
to turn. There is therefore the combined action of the threads and F³ to cause
the breechscrew E to turn through a quarter of a revolution, when further rotation
being prevented by a stop as before explained, and by some of the gear teeth on the
breechscrew E being cut at a tangent to the quadrant of teeth as shown in Fig. 7,
the continued rotation of the shaft F with the threads F' and F3 acting together as
before will cause the breechscrew E to slide laterally in the slideway and the
breech of the gun to be opened for loading. Thus the combined action of the two
threads F and F³ of the one motive shaft F will give :-
Firstly, the turning motion to the breechscrew E and
Secondly, the lateral or sliding motion.
To close the breech the shaft F is turned in the opposite direction and the two
thrends by their combined action give:
Firstly, the lateral motion to move the breechscrew to the centre of the
breech and
Secondly, the turning motion to the breechscrew to screw it up.
It is to be observed that the handwheel G on the end of the shaft F travels from
the gun outwards to the right hand when the breech is being opened, see Fig. 7,
and that when the breech is closed the said handwheel G is in close proximity to
the side of the gun, see Fig. 5, this movement of the handwheel G and shaft F
being due to the singlethreaded screw F¹ and female thread F2 cut in the gun.
I provide the breechscrew with a casing M somewhat similar to that illustrated
in the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 18466 of A.D. 1888. This casing
can be moved easily in the slideway and serves partly to guide and support the
breechscrew E when the latter being turned or moved laterally. A hole is
provided at the lower part of the casing M which hole forms a plain bearing in
which the shaft F and worm thereon F can turn freely or move end ways. By the
employment of the above described mechanism the opening and closing of the
breech of the heaviest guns can be effected rapidly, simply and safely by a single
shaft acting directly on the breechscrew.
Referring now to the third part of my invention, namely, the combined electric
and percussion firing apparatus, the objects of this improvement are:-
(1) To provide a perfectly safe and simple means for firing charges in heavy
guns by electricity when electrical primers are employed:
(2) To utilize parts of the same apparatus for safely and effectively firing
charges in heavy guns by percussion when percussion primers are
employed:
(3) To provide an electrical and percussion firing apparatus which can be
used for firing electric primers, when electric primers are used, and also for
firing percussion primers, when percussion primers are used without any
change or adjustment of the said firing apparatus-the percussion part of the
firing apparatus being of the kind generally known as "self-cocking and
rebounding.
33
Now although this firing apparatus is specially designed for the firing of either
electric or of percussion primers I wish it to be distinctly understood that I prefer

page_text: as a rule to use electric primers and electric firing apparatus only. But as
electrical primers have been found in some few. cases to become deteriorated or
noneffective from age or climate I have combined the self-cocking and rebounding
percussive firing apparatus with the electrical firing apparatus as a reserve in case
of the failure of the electric primers from age or otherwise.
Figs. 5, 6, 8, 9, 9ª, 10 and 104 illustrate this combined electric and percussion
firing apparatus, from which it will be seen that the present invention is a develop-
ment of the self-cocking and rebounding percussion firing apparatus described and
illustrated by me in the Specifications of my Letters Patent No. 15833 of A.D. 1884
and No. 15941 of A.D. 1886.
In the drawing, Fig. 8, N indicates the case or shell of a self-cocking rebounding
percussion apparatus secured in the centre of the bolt which secures the breech-
screw face to the breechscrew. The case N is quite insulated from the bolt and
all parts of the gun by vulcanized fibre or other suitable material, the insulating
material being indicated in the drawings by black lines. This self-cocking
rebounding percussion arrangement is practically identical with that shown by
Fig. 1 in the drawing annexed to the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 15833
of A.D. 1884 and therefore needs no further explanation here. O is the percussion
striker and is also the electric contact maker to the primer T, in Fig. 8 of the
drawings hereunto annexed. The stem P of the "trigger piston" passes through
the rear end of the case N and on the end of the stem P is secured an oblong piece
of ivory PI as a stop (or the stop may be made of any other hard insulating
material) which insulates the end of the stem P and to this stop P attach a self-
coiling lanyard of flexible metal or of fibrous material contained in a case, this
lanyard being employed for percussion firing only. Q is the self-coiling lanyard
which is in general similar to the well-known spring tape measures, except that the
tape and case are made very strong, and that the length of the tape or lanyard is
limited to suit the firing of the gun, also that a handle is connected to the end of
the lanyard so that it can be conveniently pulled by hand. The principle of con-
struction of the self-coiling spring tape measure is so well-known that it requires
.no description here. The application of a self-coiling spring lanyard constructed
on the principle of a spring tape measure is novel and particularly useful in the
case of the breech mechanism herein before described, as the self-coiling lanyard
will hang down and occupy very little space, when not held in hand, in the recess
in the rear end of the breechscrew and so offer no obstacle to the sideway movement
of the breechscrew.
If
In Figs. 5, and 8 M' indicates a flat bar of metal which is secured by screws to
the rear face of the casing M which flat bar M' acts as a safeguard to prevent
premature firing by the percussion firing apparatus. In the middle part of this
guard M an oblong slot is cut which will permit the ivory oblong stop on the
stem l' to pass through it only when the breechscrew is properly screwed up at which
time the stop 1" will exactly coincide with the oblong slot in the guard M.
the ivory stop P' does not coincide with the slot in M the "trigger piston" cannot
be pulled rearward to cock or fire the percussion lock. From the foregoing
description and by reference to the before cited Specification of my Letters Patent
No. 15833 of A.D. 1884 the action of the percussion part of this firing apparatus
will be clearly understood. I now proceed to describe the arrangement for electric
firing through the aforesaid percussion firing apparatus.
In
Figs. 5, 6, 8, 9, 9A, 10 and 10 indicate the electrical firing arrangements.
these figures R is the electric battery which may be of any convenient shape and
which may be attached to the gun in any convenient position or the electricity may
be supplied to several guns from one large central battery, is an insulated
flexible conductor leading from one pole of the battery to the firing-key R₁ (which
said firing-key is shown on an enlarged scale by Figures 9 and 94) and from the
firing-key to the insulated spiral spring conductor which is secured into the
rear face of the breech.
When the breech is properly closed the point of the insulated spring conductor.ŕ!

page_text: will come into contact with a small platinum face on the insulated conductor³
which is of flat shape and is rigidly secured to the rear face of the breechscrew.
Should the breechscrew be not properly screwed up the insulated conductors 7
and cannot make contact with each other. The other end of the insulated
conductor has a hole through it, through which hole the stem P of the percussion
firing lock passes and makes electrical contact with the conductor 2. The stem P
being part of the "trigger piston " is in electric circuit therewith and the latter is
in contact with the striker and contact maker O which is also in electric contact
with the centre conductor of the electric primer T which primer may be screwed
into the front face of the breechscrew or into the central bolt as shown in Fig. 8.
The other pole of the battery R, Fig. 5, is connected by an insulated conductor s
directly to the metal of the gun which is in electric connection with the metal case.
of the primer T and thence through the platinum resistance wire in the primer
with the other pole of the battery, but only when the breech is properly closed and
when contact is made by the firing-key R'.
Figs. 9 and 94 are a section and an end elevation of a safety firing-key or
contact maker for firing the gun by electricity. The details of this firing-key are
so very obvious from the Fig. 9 that particular description is unnecessary.
The insulated wires are secured in the front part of the body of the firing-key
there being no connection between the ends so that no current can pass until the
contact maker t is pressed down and connection made therethrough. The body of
this firing-key is encased in a closely fitting covering of indiarubber to protect it
from water or damp air and it is provided with a sling or hook by which it may be
suspended from the gun, or gunner's belt, or other suitable position. One advantage
of this form of firing-key is that the gun can be fired without any pull on a lanyard
being required so that the gunner may stand in any position without regard to the
"lead or direction of the firing wires. Another advantage of this form of
firing-key is that contact cannot be made by any accidental or unintentional grip of
the operator's hand. Figs. 10 and 10A show a modification of the above form of
firing-key, contact in this case being made only by pressure of the thumb. I wish
it to be distinctly understood that I make no claim to the details of these
firing-keys.
The operation of the electric firing apparatus is as follows:-An electric primer T
having been screwed into the front of the breechscrew and the breech of the gun
properly closed, the current will pass from the battery R through the insulated
conductor to the firing-key R' where on the push t being duly passed down the
current will pass through the firing-key R' to the spring conductor r thence
through to the stem P and to the striker O then through the primer T to the
metal of the breechscrew and gun and the conductors to the battery R. The
current in passing through the primer T will fire it in the well-known usual manner.
I do not claim any of the details of the primers for this firing apparatus, but there
are some differences in them from those usually employed and Figures 11, 11ª and
11 indicate their general arrangement. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of an electric
or percussion primer; Fig. 114 is an elevation of the rear end and Fig. 11B is an
elevation of the front of an electric primer; is an interrupted screwthread on the
exterior of the primer to permit of its secure attachment to or its easy removal from
the front of the breechscrew; m indicates the insulated conductor in the centre of
the rear face of the electric primer, and indicates the position of the blowing
charge of fine grained powder for igniting the charge in the gun.
In the case of percussion primers the part would contain the percussion cap in
the usual manner of vent-sealing percussion primers and n would contain the blowing
charge.
Now although I have shown in these drawings the striker O arranged for the
primer T to be screwed into the centre of the face of the breechscrew yet it is
obvious that the striker O may be made to extend through the face of the breech-
screw so as to fire primers of the usual form when secured into the rear end of the

page_text: cartridge as described and illustrated in the Specification accompanying my other
application for Letters Patent of even date herewith.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown that the breechscrew is moved
transversely to the right of the centre line of the gun in opening the breech, but it
is obvious that guns can be constructed on this system so that the breechscrew
shall be moved to the left of the centre line of the gun in opening the breech for
loading. It is also obvious that the handwheel or cranklever for operating the
motive shaft may be arranged to be worked on the lefthand side of the gun.
It is also obvious that the firing apparatus for this breech mechanism may be
arranged to be simply percussion or simply electric if it be desired that only one
description of primer shall be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what 1
claim is
"
1. The above described method of constructing guns with "outside screw
unions to obtain great longitudinal strength and rigidity, and to permit of the
breech end of the guns to be readily repaired or utilized after the muzzle end has
been damaged by shot or otherwise.
2. The breech mechanism consisting of the breechscrew E, the casing M, and
the shaft gearing directly into the breechscrew E substantially as described.
3. The firing apparatus consisting of the electric firing gear substantially as
described.
4. The self-cocking and rebounding firing apparatus in combination with the
self-coiling lanyard substantially as described.
5. The firing apparatus consisting of the electric firing gear in combination with
the self-cocking and rebounding percussion firing gear substantially as described.
6. The combination of the breech mechanism as herein described with the firing
apparatus as herein described.
Dated this Seventh day of July 1801
GEORGE QUICK.