Improvements in Breech Loading Ordnance.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1887
Complete Left, 26th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 4th May, 1888
Improvements in Breech Loading Ordnance.
I, ALBERT SAUVÉE, of 22 Parliament Street, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Jean Baptiste Gustave Adolphe Canet,
Civil Engineer, of 91 Avenue Malakoff, Paris, France, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the closing of the breech.
In the annexed drawings
Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section of the breech.
Fig. 2 a back view of the mechanism.
Fig. 3 a horizontal section.
Fig. 4 a horizontal section.
Fig. 5 details of the firing mechanism.
Fig. 6 a section of the endless screw E.
Fig. 7 a section through the axis of the worm wheel.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the hydraulic mechanism.
The breech is closed by the usual French screw A with interrupted threads which
carries at the back a lug with a groove B in which slides a bearing carried by a stud C
forming part of a ring D.
This ring is mounted on a collar E which forms a nut working on an endless
screw X and which carries at its lower part a pinion F.
The pinion G mounted on the lower end of the endless screw receives its motion
from the pinion H by means of an intermediate toothed wheel. The axis of the
pinion H carries a worm wheel I gearing with an endless screw J put in motion by a
hand crank or a hydraulic apparatus.
When the hand crank is turned, the motion transmitted to the pinion G causes the
endless screw X to turn.
The collar D which cannot turn because one of the teeth of the wheel F is engagod
in a groove a in the breech, rises and carries with it the bearing.
The breech screw then takes a rotary motion.
When the rotation is sufficient to disengage the screw A from the breech of the
gun, the top part of the collar D bears at the top against the support of the endless

page_text: screw and the pinion F arriving at a certain position where an interruption in the
groove a releases it and allows it to turn, it follows the rotary motion of the endless
screw; this pinion F then gears with a rack K arranged along one of the generating
lines of the breech screw which it withdraws from the gun on the carrier R.
Up to this moment the carrier R is connected to the gun by the bolt L which slides
in a groove of the carrier into a socket S fixed on the gun.
The bolt L remains in the socket during the whole of the time that the screw is
disengaging itself from the breech of the gun and moves backward on the carrier.
At the moment that the pinion F arrives at the end of the rack, its motion is
stopped and the pinion H acting on the intermediate toothed wheel has a tendency to
turn the carrier. The bolt L is then withdrawn from its socket S sliding on the two
inclined planes d, e and enters into a notch f made for this purpose in the breech
screw; from this moment the carrier can turn freely and the breech screw be
connected to the carrier by the bolt L turning round to disengage the breech and
allow the loading of the gun.
The rotation of the breech screw, its extraction and the rotation of the carrier
succeed one another whilst the hand crank is being turned in the same direction.
The closing of the breech is effected by working the handle in the opposite
direction.
In order to work the breech hydraulically I arrange in the back girder or cross
beam of the slide on which the gun saddle recoils a movable press M with a fixed
piston N having a double rod.
The movable cylinder carries a rack O gearing with a pinion P, which by means
of a transmission shaft Q and toothed wheels acts on the bevel wheel of the shaft on
which is mounted the endless screw J.
This system is applicable to all breech screws worked by toothed wheels or an
endless screw from a continuous movement as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.
The usual percussion firing mechanism is divided into two parts; the first part 1
with the hammer is sliding in a groove in the breech screw and the other part 2 with
the firing pin is sliding in the groove of a collar 3 which can turn on the spindle of
the mushroom head p. This collar 3 is held in its place by the nut 4.

page_text: Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the hydraulic mechanism.
The breech is closed by the usual French screw A with interrupted threads which
carries at the back a lug with a groove B in which slides a bearing carried by a stud C
forming part of a ring D.
This ring is mounted on a collar E which forms a nut working on an endless screw X
and which carries at its lower part a pinion F.
The pinion G mounted on the lower end of the endless screw receives its motion
from the pinion H by means of an intermediate toothed wheel. The axis of the
pinion H carries a worm wheel I gearing with an endless screw J put in motion by a
hand crank or a hydraulic apparatus.
When the hand crank is turned, the motion transmitted to the pinion G causes the
endless screw X to turn.
The collar D which cannot turn because one of the teeth of the wheel F is engaged
with a groove a in the breech, rises and carries with it the bearing.
The breech screw then takes a rotary motion.
When the rotation is sufficient to disengage the screw A from the breech of the
gun, the top part of the collar D bears at the top against the support of the endless
screw and the pinion F arriving at a certain position where an interruption in the
groove a releases it and allows it to turn it, follows the rotary motion of the endless
screw; this pinion F then gears with a rack K arranged along one of the generating
lines of the breech screw. which it withdraws from the gun on the carrier R.
Up to this moment the carrier R is connected to the gun by the bolt L which slides
in a groove of the carrier into a socket S fixed on the gun.
The bolt L remains in the socket during the whole of the time that the screw is
disengaging itself from the breech of the gun and moves backward on the carrier.

page_text: At the moment that the pinion F arrives at the end of the rack, its motion is
stopped and the pinion H acting on the intermediate toothed wheel has a tendency
to turn the carrier. The bolt L is then withdrawn from its socket S sliding on
the two inclined planes d, e and enters into a notch f made for this purpose in
the breech screw; from this moment the carrier can turn freely and the breech
screw be connected to the carrier by the bolt L turning round to disengage the
breech and allow the loading of the gun.
The rotation of the breech screw, its extraction and the rotation of the carrier
succeed one another whilst the hand crank is being turned in the same direction.
The closing of the breech is effected by working the handle in the opposite
direction.
In order to work the breech hydraulically I arrange in the back girder or cross
beam of the slide on which the gun saddle recoils a movable press M with a fixed
piston N having a double rod.
The movable cylinder carries a rack O gearing with a pinion P, which by means
of a transmission shaft Q and toothed wheels acts on the bevel wheel of the shaft
on which is mounted the endless screw J.
This system is applicable to all breech screws worked by toothed wheels or an
endless screw from a continuous movement as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.
The usual percussion firing mechanism is divided into two parts; the first part 1
with the hammer is sliding in a groove in the breech screw and the other part 2
with the firing pin is sliding in the groove of a collar 3 which can turn on the
spindle of the mushroom head p. This collar 3 is held in its place by the nut 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The new arrangement consisting in completely opening the usual French breech
by means of a continuous movement in one direction, the rotation of the breech
screw being obtained by the action of a slide moved by an endless screw, a pinion
which works the screw in the line of its axis, and which is engaged or disengaged at
a given moment, the rotation of the breech on the pivot of the bracket being effected
by toothed wheels, substantially as herein described.
2. The arrangement of the bolt of the bracket, substantially as herein described.
3. The new arrangement which consists in making the firing mechanism in two
parts, one fixed on the back of the breech screw and the other made movable with
the spindle of the mushroom, substantially as herein described.
4. The combination of a hydraulic press having a movable cylinder with the parts
described for working the breech in all positions of the gun, substantially as herein
described.
5. The various modes for the transmission of this movement to all kinds of breech
pieces worked by toothed wheels, substantially as herein described.
6. The arrangement of the accessory parts, substantially as herein described.