Improvements in Small Arms. and Ordnance.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 4th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 12th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL ITUITUATION.
Improvements in Small Arms. and Ordnance.
I, ARTUR DUFFEK, of VLII Piaristen gasse No. 46, Vienna, Austria,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in small arms and ordnance of all kinds,
having for their purpose to render these applicable for use with cartridges or
powder chambers of such a form that the charge of explosive is gradually dimin-
ished in cross sectional area towards the point of ignition, in consequence of which
the force of the combustion gases is rendered mainly effective only against the
base of the projectile, and whereby recoil and lateral pressures are reduced to a
minimum, and, notwithstanding a reduction of the explosive charge, an essentially
increased initial velocity and penetrating force are obtained.
J
For this purpose the cartridge chambers, or loading chambers of the fire arms or
guns are formed with a recess or a projection of mainly ogival or conical, or cylindro-
ogival form, which recess or projection is formed in or on the moveable breech
block of the fire arm, and either receives the rear end of the cartridge case or itself
constitutes the powder chamber, the front end of the cartridge together with the
projectile, or the projectile by itself, being made to fit in the usual mauner in the
breech chamber of the fire arm.
On the accompanying drawing are shewn, solely by way of example, sections
of several forms of fire arms constructed according to my said invention. For
cartridges the powder space b of which has an ogival or conical form towards the
ignition point, the breech block A l'ig. 1 is formed with a conical or tapering
hollow forming the rear part of the cartridge chamber, into which on closing
the breech, the rear end of the cartridge, together with the percussion cap fits.
With cartridges in which the decrease of the sectional area of the powder
charge is effected by means of a conically hollowed base a whose apex is directed
towards the base of the projectile, the breech block A Fig. 2 is formed with a conical
projection 63 which, on closing the breech, fits into the said hollow a¹.
With firearms having a breech-closing mechanism by means of which the
barrel is tilted downward on opening or closing, the cartridge chamber Fig. 3
for receiving the conical or ogival rear part of the cartridge is formed in the
pivotted breech piece or bascule C. The cartridge is in this case introduced with
its rear end a into the loading chamber of the open breech piece. l'or fire arms
of large calibre and ordnance such for example as shewn at Fig. 4, the breech
piece C is formed with an ogival or conical recess b₁ which, when loading with
cartridges, receives the ogival or conically formed rear end of the cartridge, while
with charges in which the explosive and projectile are separate from each other,
the explosive charge is introduced into the said recess, constituting the loading
chamber, while the projectile is introduced into the breech chamber of the gun.
The breech piece is in this case advantageously arranged to turn down on a
pivot d, and the gas-tight cloure is effected by means of a screw screwing
0

page_text: through the looped rear extension of the gun E, and bearing against the rear
end of the breech piece e¹.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Small Arms and Ordnance.
I, ARTUR DUFFEK, of VIII Piaristen grasse N°. 46, Vienna, Austria,
Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in small arms and ordnance of all kinds,
having for their purpose to render these applicable for use with cartridges or
powder chambers of such a form that the charge of explosive is gradually dim-
inished in cross sectional area towards the point of ignition, in consequence of
which the force of the combustion gases is rendered mainly effective only against
the base of the projectile, and whereby recoil and lateral pressures are reduced to
a minimum, and, notwithstanding a reduction of the explosive charge, an
essentially increased initial velocity and penetrating force are obtained.
For this purpose the cartridge chambers or loading chambers of the fire arms or
guns are formed with a recess or a projection of mainly ogival or conical, or
cylindro ogival form, which recess or projection is formed in or on the moveable
breech block of the fire arm, and either receives the rear end of the cartridge case
or itself constitutes the powder chamber, the front end of the cartridge together
with the projectile, or the projectile by itself, being made to fit in the usual manner
in the breech chamber of the fire arm.
On the drawing accompanying my Provisional Specification are shewn, solely
by way of example, sections of several forms of fire arms constructed according to
my said invention.
For cartridges the powder space of which has an ogival or conical form towards
the ignition point, the breech block A Fig. I is formed with a conical or tapering
hollow forming the rear part of the cartridge chamber, into which on closing
the breech, the rear end of the cartridge, together with the percussion cap fits.
With cartridges in which the decrease of the sectional area of the powder
charge is effected by means of a conically hollowed base whose apex is
directed towards the base of the projectile, the breech block A Fig. 2 is formed
with a conical projection 62 which, on closing the breech, fits into the said
hollow a¹.
With fire arms having a breech-closing mechanism by means of which the barrel
is tilted downward on opening or closing, the cartridge chamber b' Fig. 3 for
receiving the conical or ogival rear part of the cartridge is formed in the pivotted
breech piece or bascule C.
The cartridge is in this case introduced with its rear end a into the loading
chamber of the open breech piece.
"For small arms of large calibre and ordnance such for example as shewn at
Fig. 4, the breech piece C is formed with an ogival or conical recess
which, when loading with cartridges, receives the ngival or conically
formed rear end of the cartridge, while with charges in which the
explosive and projectile are separate from each other, the explosive charge 'is

page_text: introduced into the said recess, constituting the loading chamber, while the pro-
jectile is introduced into the breech chamber of the gun.
The breech piece is in this case advantageously arranged to turn down on a
pivot d, and the gas tight closure is effected by means of a screw e screwing
through the looped rear extension c of the gun E, and bearing against the rear
end of the breech piece C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
In small arms and ordnance in which cartridges or powder chambers are used,
of which the powder charge gradually decreases towards the point of ignition,
forming the rear part of the cartridge chamber or powder chamber in the breech
closing device, either of a hollow, ogival, conical or cylindro-ogival or otherwise
tapering or diminishing configuration, or with a similarly formed central tapering
inward projection, so as, when the breech is closed, to fit the rear end of the cart-
ridge or casing or to receive the powder charge, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of February 1898.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.