Jamming of Cartridges in Machine or Battery Guns.
Year: 1885

page_text: Jamming of Cartridges in Machine or Battery Guns.
I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, of 57° Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
TO MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE FOULING OR JAMMING OF
CARTRIDGES IN MACHINE OR BATTERY GUNS" to be as follows:-
MENTS RELATING
Machine or battery guns'are frequently rendered inoperative by what is known
as "jamming," which is, in many cases, caused by the reduction in the diameter
of the cartridge-chamber or barrel-chamber of the gun due to the accumulation
of deposits on the interior thereof, which deposits consist of products of the
combustion of the gunpowder, dust, or other matter.
My invention is designed to prevent or avoid "jamming," in machine or battery
guns, from the above named cause, and thus enable the said guns to be worked
continuously without hindrance or impediment.
For this purpose, I provide for keeping the cartridge-chamber or barrel-chamber
of the gun clean, and preventing the accumulation of deposits thereon, in the
following manner, that is to say-I employ one or more dummy cartridges or
swabs" each of which is preferably formed with a head or flange at one end like
an ordinary cartridge and with a pointed or rounded metal piece at the other end
similar in shape to the apex of a projectile, so that the said dummy cartridges can
be pushed into the barrel and extracted therefrom by means of the mechanisın
usually employed in machine or battery guns for the insertion and extraction of
cartridges.
The middle portion of each dummy cartridge is formed of sheets of wire gauze
or thin metal plates, and pieces of fibrous material, arranged alternately preferably
at right angles to the axis of the said duminy cartridge, so that, when the latter is
inserted in the barrel-chamber of a gun and withdrawn therefrom it will act like a
"swab," the wire gauze or metal plates scraping the interior of the said chamber
and the pieces of fibrous material (which are previously saturated with glycerine
or other lubricant) lubricating the interior of the chamber.
In some cases, I employ four of these swabs or dummy cartridges, which are
successively inserted in, and withdrawn from, the barrel-chamber. The middle

page_text: portion of the first of these swabs comprises thin sheets or plates of metal, of
square or oblong form, and of such size that their corners will be slightly bent
when the swab is inserted in the barrel-chamber, that is to say, they are diagonally
larger than the diameter of the barrel-chamber. Each of these plates is slightly
turned on the axis of the swab relatively to the preceding plate, so that adjacent
plates will nearly, but not quite, coincide. By this arrangement the corners of the
said plates will together form spirals on the exterior of the swab. Between these
metal plates are placed pieces of flannel, which are to be wetted with water previous
to using the swab. The middle portion of the second of these swabs is composed
of bristles of any suitable kind, which are also to be wetted with water previous
to using the swab. The middle portion of the third swab is composed of absorbent
material such as felt or wash-leather, and this swab is to be used in a dry state.
The middle portion of the fourth, swab is made of fine or soft fibrous material, such
as flannel, which is to be saturated with oil previous to using the swab.
When it is desired to clean the barrel-chamber of a gun after firing, these four
swabs or dummy cartridges are placed in the magazine in their proper order, and
the gun is worked until they have been successively rinserted in, and withdrawn
from, the barrel-chamber.
To keep the barrel-chamber of a gun clean, while the gun is in use, I introduce
into the feed-belt or magazine, say between every hundred cartridges, a swab or
dummy cartridge the middle portion of which is composed of metal plates and
pieces of flannel, and which has been dipped in glycerine. The accumulation of
any deposits and the hardening of any substances on the interior surface of the
barrel-chamber will thus be avoided.
When a swab or dummy cartridge is used in this manner in an automatic gun,
it will be inserted in the barrel-chamber by force developed by the explosion of
the cartridge which precedes. it in the belt or magazine, the gun must then be
operated. by hand to withdraw. the swab on dummy cartridge, and insert another
ordinary cartridge, after which the gun will again operate automatically.."

page_text: Jamming of Cartridges in Machine or Battery Guns.
:
I, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, of 57° Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS RELATING TO MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE FOULING OR JAMMING OF
CARTRIDGES IN MACHINE OR BATTERY GUNS" and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Machine or battery guns are frequently rendered inoperative by the fouling or
jamming of cartridges therein. Such fouling or jamming is caused by the accumu-
lation of deposits on the interior surface of the chamber in the barrel, which
deposits consist mainly of products of the combustion of the gunpowder.
My invention is designed to prevent or avoid "jamming," in machine or battery
guns, from the above-named cause, and thus enable the said guns to be worked
continuously without hindrance or impediment.
I provide for keeping the chamber clean and free from the accumulation of
deposits in the following manner, that is to say:-I employ one or more devices
which I term "dummy cartridges" or "swabs," each of which is preferably formed
with a head or flange at one end like an ordinary cartridge, and with a pointed or
rounded metal piece at the other end similar in shape to the point or apex of a
projectile, so that the said dummy cartridge can be pushed into the barrel and
extracted therefrom by the mechanism usually employed for the insertion and
extraction of cartridges.
**
The middle portion of my dummy cartridge is composed partly of pieces of
wire-gauze or thin metal plates, and pieces of fibrous, or other soft or absorbent
material, so arranged that, when the dummy is inserted in the chamber of a gun
and withdrawn therefrom, it will act like a 'swab," the wire-gauze or metal
plates scraping the interior surface of the said chamber and the pieces of fibrous or
absorbent material (which are previously saturated with a lubricant, such as
glycerine) lubricating the said surface. In some instances, I dispense with the
said metal plates or pieces of wire-gauze. In other instances I use bristles instead
of the pieces of soft or fibrous material.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form or modification of my dummy cartridge
or swab.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same with the pieces of metal and fibrous
material removed.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the front end of the nut hereinafter described.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of another form or modification of the said dummy
cartridge.
1

page_text: a is a rod or spindle, which is provided with a head b and a flange c similar in
shape to the flange of an ordinary cartridge-shell. d is a metal nut fitted upon the
screw-threaded end of the spindle a and similar in shape to the apex or conoidal
portion of a projectile. e, e, are thin metal plates or pieces of wire-gauze, and
ff are pieces of fibrous or soft absorbent material, such as cloth, felt, or wash-
leather. These pieces of metallic and soft or fibrous material are arranged upon
the spindle a in the manner shown in Figure 1, that is to say, after every ten or
other suitable number of pieces of the soft or 'fibrous material is placed upon the
spindle, a metal plate or piece of wire-gauze is placed thereon. The said plates and
pieces are then secured upon the said spindle by means of the nut d, which is
formed with holes d¹ to permit the introduction of a key for screwing up and
unscrewing the said nut. It will be seen that the dummy cartridge has the same,
or approximately the same, shape as a real cartridge; it can, therefore, as above
stated, be readily inserted in, and withdrawn from, the chamber of a gun by the
means ordinarily employed for the insertion and extraction of cartridges.
In the dummy cartridge shewn in Figure 4, the metal plates e are of rectangular
form; and of such dimensions that their corners will project beyond the surface of
the soft or fibrous material and will be slightly bent when the dummy is inserted
in the chamber, that is to say, they are diagonally larger than the diameter of the
said chamber. Each of these plates is so placed on the spindle a relatively to the
preceding plate e, that it will nearly, but not quite, coincide therewith, and
the corners of the successive plates e will, therefore, be in lines extending spirally
around the dummy, as shown. The scraping of the whole surface of the chamber
is thus more effectually ensured than would otherwise be practicable. Between
these metal plates are placed pieces of flannel or other fibrous material, which are
to be wetted with water or other liquid previous to using the swab. If desired,
the said metal plates or pieces; instead of being rectangular, may be of triangular
or of polygonal form for the purpose above specified.
When it is desired to clean the chamber of a gun, after firing, I sometimes
employ four of my dummy cartridges or swabs, which are successively inserted in,
and withdrawn from, the chamber. The first of these swabs, that is to say, the
swab which is to be first inserted in the chamber for the purpose of cleaning the
same, has its middle part composed of metal plates or pieces of wire gauze and
pieces of soft or fibrous material as above described; the second of the said swabs
has its middle part composed of bristles of any suitable kind, which are to be
wetted with water previous to using the swab. The third swab has its middle
portion composed of absorbent material such as felt or wash-leather, and this swab
is to be used in a dry state. The fourth swab has its middle portion composed of
fine or soft fibrous material, such as flannel, which is to be saturated with oil
previous to using the swab. These four swabs or dummy cartridges are placed in
the cartridge-belt or magazine in their proper order, and the gun is worked until
they have been successively inserted in, and withdrawn from, the chamber in the
barrel,
To keep the chamber of a gun clean, during continuous firing of the said gun,
I introduce into the feed-belt or magazine, say between every hundred cartridges,
a swab or dummy cartridge the middle portion of which is composed of metal
plates and pieces of flannel, and which has been dipped in glycerine. The accumu-
lation of any deposits and the hardening of any substances on the interior surface
of the said chamber will thus be avoided.
When a swab or dummy cartridge is used in this manner in an automatic gun,
it will be inserted in the chamber by force developed by the explosion of the
cartridge which has preceded it in the belt or magazine; the gun inust then be
operated by hand to withdraw the swab or dummy cartridge from the barrel and
to insert a real cartridge therein, and fire the same; the gun will then again
operate automatically.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The improvements relating to the prevention of fouling and jamming in
machine or battery guns by the employment of dummy cartridges or swabs,
substantially in the manner above set forth.
Second. A dummy cartridge or swab constructed with the pieces of soft or
fibrous material and with or without the metal plates or pieces of wire-gauze,
substantially as above described for the purpose specified.
Third. The modification of the said dummy cartridge or swab wherein I employ
angular metal plates or pieces of wire-gauze of such dimensions that their corners
will project beyond the surface of the soft or fibrous material, substantially as
described with reference to Figure 4 of the drawing for the purpose specified.
Dated this 27th day of January 1886