IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING HEAVY ORDNANCE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wirth, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent
Solicitors, at Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
DISCHARGING HEAVY ORDNANCE." A communication from the "Caststeel-
works, Ordnance, and Small-arms Factories, Witten, formerly Berger & Co."
(Gussstahl-und-Waffenfabrik, Witten, vormals Berger & Co.), of Witten-on-the-
Ruhr in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Wirth at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1879.
FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at
Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING HEAVY ORDNANCE." [A com-
munication from the 'Caststeel-works, Ordnance, and Small-arms Factories,
Witten, formerly Berger & Co." (Gussstahl-und-Waffenfabrik, Witten, vormals
Berger & Co.), of Witten-on-the-Ruhr, in the Empire of Germany.]
This Invention relates to the firing of heavy guns by means of apparatus more
particularly applicable to guns having central vents, but capable with certain
modifications of being applied to laterally vented guns.
The object of the
Invention is to obtain simplicity and rapidity of manipulation, complete closure of
the vent, and security against accidental discharge, the apparatus being so arranged
that the various steps of manipulation must follow each other in due succession.
The firing apparatus consists of a lock tube, the front part of which is hollowed
out to an enlarged diameter to receive a firing cartridge or detonator, which is
secured therein by a lateral set screw. This front end of the tube has an external
screw thread to screw into the mouth of the vent of the gun, which has a
corresponding internal thread, but both threads are partially cut away so as to
present three or more segments, so that the tube can be introduced into the vent;
and then by a partial turn of the tube, by means of a handle at its back end, the
thread segments are engaged so as to hold the tube firmly in the vent. Within
the hinder part of the firing tube is fitted a sliding rod or hammer pressed forwards
by a helical spring, and provided with an external handle, by which the rod can be

page_text: drawn back, in which case it is held back by a lateral spring scar engaging against
a shoulder on the hammer rod, the instrument being then cocked. The sear is
withdrawn by a spring trigger, which can be pulled by a cord from a distance, and
in that case the hammer rod is advanced rapidly by the spring, and its point
entering the detonator and firing it in the manner of a central fire cartridge, the
flash passing along the vent fires the charge of the gun. To provide against escape
.of fire backwards the front of the detonator has in it a cupped ring, which acts as
a gas check, and the firing rod has a little behind its point a cupped collar for the
same purpose. To provide for safety and certainty in the order of manipulation a
safety bolt is fitted to be turned partly round by an external handle, so as in one
position to prevent the trigger from releasing the hammer rod, and there is on the
lock tube an external slide which has arms projecting from it that can enter the
spaces between the screw segments when the slide is pushed forwards, the slide
itself when it is drawn back covering the sear and the safety bolt, so that both
are locked thereby. The apparatus is worked as follows:-The lock is cocked by
pulling back the spring rod till it is engaged by the sear, and it is locked in that
condition by turning down the handle of the safety bolt; the external slide being
drawn back so as to cover and lock the sear and safety bolt, the detonator is
introduced into the front cavity of the tube, which is then inserted into the mouth
of the vent, and screwed into it by a partial turn. The external slide is now
pushed forwards, and its arms entering the spaces between the segments of the
screw threads prevent the lock tube from being unscrewed from the vent, at the
same time, by this forward movement of the slide the safety bolt and sear are left
free; the safety bolt being now partly turned so as to unlock the trigger is pulled,
and the discharge is effected; after discharge the lock is again cocked, the slide is
pulled back so as to cover and lock the sear and safety bolt, and to release the vent
screw, and the lock is then unscrewed from the vent, and can be charged with a
fresh detonator during the charging of the gun. Thus, it will be seen that a due
order in the manipulation is rendered imperative, and that the detonator cannot be
fired unless the lock be secured in the vent by pushing forward the external slide.
The detonator cases are made strong so that they can, be used repeatedly, and all
the parts are so fitted together that they can be taken apart, cleaned, and put
together again without the need for special tools.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent file.l
by the said Frank Wirth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
May 1880.
A com-
FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at
Frankfort-on-the-Main, in the Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING HEAVY ORDNANCE."
munication from the Cast Steel Works, Ordnance, and Small Arms Factories,
Witten, formerly Berger and Co. (Gussstahl-und Waffenfabriks, Witten, vormals
Berger and Co.), of Witten-on-the-Ruhr, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention relates to the firing of heavy guns by means of apparatus more
particularly applicable to guns having central vents, but capable with certain
inodifications of being applied to laterally vented guns. The object of the Invention
is to obtain simplicity and rapidity of manipulation, complete closure of the vent,
and security against accidental discharge, the apparatus being so arranged that the
various steps of manipulation must follow each other in due succession. The firing
apparatus consists of a lock tube, the front part of which is hollowed out to an
enlarged diameter to receive a firing cartridge or detonator, which is secured
therein by a lateral set screw. This front end of the tube has an external screw
thread to screw into the mouth A' of the vent A of the gun, which has a corre-
sponding internal thread, but both threads are partially cut away so as to present
three or more segments, so that the tube can be introduced into the vent; and then
by a partial turn of the tube by means of a handle at its back end the thread
segments are engaged so as to hold the tube firmly in the vent. Within the hinder
part of the firing tube is fitted a sliding rod or hammer pressed forwards by a
helical spring, and provided with an external handle by which the rod can be
drawn back, in which case it is held back by a lateral spring sear engaging against
a shoulder on the hammer rod, the instrument being then cocked. The sear is
withdrawn by a spring trigger which can be pulled by a cord from a distance, and
in that case the hammer rod is advanced rapidly by the spring, and its point
entering the detonator and firing it in the manner of a central fire cartridge, the
flash passing along the vent fires the charge of the gun. To provide against escape
of fire backwards the front part of the detonator has in it a cupped ring, which
acts as a gas check, and the firing rod has a little behind its point a cupped collar
for the same purpose. To provide for safety and certainty in the order of
manipulation a safety bolt is fitted to be turned partly round by an external
handle, so as in one position to prevent the trigger from releasing the hammer rod,
and there is on the lock tube an external slide which has arms projecting from it
that can enter the spaces between the screw segments when the slide is pushed
forwards, the slide itself when it is drawn back covering the sear and the safety
bolt, so that both are locked thereby. The apparatus is worked as follows:-The
lock is cocked by pulling back the spring rod till it is engaged by the sear, and it
is locked in that condition by turning down the handle of the safety bolt. The
external slide being drawn back so as to cover and lock the sear and safety bolt,
the detonator is introduced into the front cavity of the tube, which is then inserted
into the mouth of the vent, and screwed into it by a partial turn. The external
slide is now pushed forwards, and its arms entering the spaces between the
seginents of the screw threads prevent the lock tube from being unscrewed from
the vent, at the same time, by this forward movement of the slide the safety bolt.
and sear are left free; the safety bolt being now partly turned so as to unlock, the
trigger is pulled, and the discharge is effected. After discharge the lock is again
cocked, the slide is pulled back so as to cover and lock the sear and safety bolt,
and to release the vent screw, and the lock is then unscrewed from the vent, and
can be charged with a fresh detonator during the charging of the gun. Thus, it

page_text: the detonator cannot be fired unless the lock be secured in the vent by pushing
forward the external slide. The detonator cases are made strong so that they can
be used repeatedly, and all the parts are so fitted together that they can be taken
apart, cleaned, and put together again without the need for special tools.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings shews a vertical longitudinal section of the
before described apparatus applied to the breech of a gun; Fig. 2 shews a plan of
the same detached; and Fig. 3 shews a cross section on line X, X, Fig. 2.
The apparatus consists, firstly, of the vent tube A which receives the detonator
holder B and gas check ring r in its enlarged head; secondly, the detonator holder B
which receives the detonating cartridge containing a percussion cap and fine grain
powder, and which is provided at the rear end with a striker, the enlarged head of
which forms a gas check; thirdly, the lock or firing mechanism C, which is
constructed as follows:-A main body or lock tube a has at its front enlarged end a
recess for receiving the detonator holder, and fitting over the head of the vent
tube; its outer surface is provided with a multiple screw thread, which screw
into corresponding screw threads at A' in the breech of the gun, whereby the
firing apparatus is held securely in position. In order to fix the same rapidly in
position the screw threads, both of the tube, and on the gun, are cut away at
intervals, so that the screwing in is effected by a partial revolution in a manner
well understood, the detonator holder B being-fitted into a, as shewn, it is secured
by a set screw n.
In the rear end of the tube a is the striker rod b with handle c, and having a
coller 8, against which bears a helical spring & tending to throw the rod forward;
its front end is of reduced diameter, and enters the small front passage, into which
projects the striker of the detonator holder B. The rod b has a second shoulder,
against which bears a detent g, which is held in the position shewn by a flat
spring i, in which position the detent holds the hammer rod in the cocked position,
with its front end away from the striker of the detonator holder. For firing the
detent g is moved downwards, so as to release the rod b by means of a nose on the
trigger, which is drawn backwards for this purpose. The firing is, however,
prevented so long as a safety bolt h is held in the position shewn by a spring k
and safety slide l, as when h is in that position the rod b in springing forward on
the withdrawal of the detent would strike with its shoulder & against the bolt h,
which would thus arrest its progress. Before firing therefore it is necessary first
to move back the slide 7 by means of the handle m, and then to turn up the bolt h
into the recess in a, by means of a handle h², Fig. 2. The safety slide 7 has a
projecting arm, which, when the lock tube a is screwed into the gun, and the
slide is pushed back, enters one of the spaces formed by the cutting away of
the screw threads A¹, and thus prevents the lock tube from unscrewing on firing;
e is a handle to the lock tube for screwing and unscrewing the same. The action
of the apparatus, and mode of operating therewith, is as follows:―.
The lock is first cocked by pulling back the rod b by its handle c until the
detent g is caused by the spring i to spring into the position shewn, the safety
bolt is then turned down by its handle, and is secured by pushing the
backward so as to cover the end of spring k; the detonator holder B provided with
its detonator is then inserted into a, and secured by the screw n; the lock tube
with its charge is then pushed with its screw threads into the spaces between the
screw threads in the breech, and is turned partly round so as to be screwed in
securely; the slide is then pushed forward, so that its arm locks the screw
tbreads as described, and the spring & being thus freed the bolt h can be turned up
out of the way of the collar S; the lock is then ready for firing, which is effected
by pulling the trigger by a cord, whereby the detent g is withdrawn against the
action of the spring i, as described; the hammer rod is then thrown forward by

page_text: the spring d, and in striking the striker of the detonator holder effects the
firing of the detonator, the flash from which fires the charge of the gun through
the vent tube.
The ring and the enlarged head of the striker form a complete gas check after
firing, the lock is again cocked before removal from the gun, this being effected by
pulling back the handle c, and operating in the manner above described, so that on
sliding back the slide again the lock tube can be unscrewed and removed to be
charged again; this being effected while the gun itself is being charged, so that no
time is lost in loading the apparatus. The used detonator holder can be cleaned
and used again. All the connecting pins are so arranged that the apparatus can be
taken to pieces without special instruments.
A peculiarity of the apparatus consists in the fact that by the construction
described all the manipulation must necessarily follow in the given order, thereby
preventing accident or loss of time through wrong manipulation in the beat of
action. Thus before removing the lock from the gun the operator must always
first cock and secure the apparatus, otherwise the locking arm cannot be
withdrawn, nor the tube a unscrewed, and the apparatus thus always comes
cocked and locked out of the gun. The apparatus cannot be fired until the safety
slide is pushed forward, and this cannot be done until the lock tube is screwed
perfectly home in the gun, and thus any throwing out of the apparatus by the
shock on firing is impossible.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my correspondents I claim,-
First. The before described peculiar construction of lock or firing apparatus for
ordnance, whereby the required manipulations can only be effected in the required
order, thus preventing any wrong handling of the apparatus or accident by untimely
discharge.
Second. The provision of means in combination with a detonator holder for guns,
whereby any escape of gas is prevented, both at the point of contact between the
detonator holder and the vent, and at the rear end of the detonator holdor,
substantially as herein described.
Third. The combination of parts constituting an apparatus for discharging
ordnance, arranged and operating as herein described with reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Wirth, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.