Improvements in Machine and Quick-firing Guns.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machine and Quick-firing Guns.
I, GEORGE BOWEN SATTERLEE of 42 Broadway, New York in the United States
of America, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to machine and quick-firing guns and is designed
to increase their safety and to perfect their working. It is applicable to guns in
which the operations of the gun are not entirely actuated by the explosion of the
powder.
The main object is to prevent, when the gun is being worked, the removal of
a cartridge case from the barrel chamber or the withdrawal of the breech block
from the barrel until the load in the cartridge case is discharged, unless and until
a movement is made either voluntary or provided for in the mechanism for the
withdrawal and removal after a proper time has elapsed, in the event of the
failing of the cartridge to ignite, whereby the risk of a "hang-fire" explosion
with an open breech is avoided.
With this object I attach to the gun an electric battery (either a source or store
of electric energy) which by means of an electro magnet actuates a device such
for example as a cam or pawl in such manner that an obstacle to the continued action
of the machinery or mechanism of the gun and constituting a safety lock is interposed
at the time of the ignition of the charge and withdrawn on the full discharge by the
action of the electric current the circuit of which is for this purpose completed (or it
may be arranged to be broken) by the explosion; the action of opening the breech is
thus prevented until the discharge releases the obstacle or safety lock, or until a
separate motion is made either voluntary or provided for in the mechanism to release
the safety lock after the proper time in the event of the discharge of the cartridge
failing.
In applying my invention to the various patterns or types of machine guns I can employ
devices different whereby the discharge in the barrel is caused to complete the circuit
of the electric current. The form of these devices will depend in some measure upon
the particular construction of the gun. I can for example have at the muzzle of the
gun a movable flange, wing, flap or valve a slight motion of which imparted by the
explosion completes the electric circuit; or I can have a movable pin or springhoad
which is acted upon by the gases of the combustion or by the reaction of the gun and
when so acted upon completes the electric circuit.
It is not any part of my invention to store up the energy of the reaction of the gun
or of the unused or by-effects of the explosion to do the mechanical part of loading,
firing, or withdrawal of cartridge cases, I simply use the results of the explosion as a
sort of "tell-tale" to ciose the circuit of an electric current which controls and works
a safety lock or obstacle to the continuous working of the gun mechanisin which is
being actuated by power extraneous to the explosion of the charge.
Where the mechanism of the gun allows uso a spring similar to those which are
employed in storing up power on some tram-cars, or a spring which can be in the
process of being wound while it is at the same time delivering its force; this spring
receives and stores power for working the gun and delivers it without derangement
from the interposed checks of the safety electrical device hereinbefore described. In
this case I arrange the actuating crank or lever so that in the event of a difficult
removal of a cartridge case resisting the force at the time in the spring, the force
applied to the crank or lever may act directly on the removing mechanism until the
cartridge case is started, or the operator may, by a voluntary act, release the obstacle

page_text: mechanism and withdraw an unexploded cartridge; or the operation of the gun action
may be arranged to release and withdraw the cartridge automatically after a given
lapse of time so as to provide against the risk of a "hang-fire" explosion.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machine and Quick Firing Guns.
I, GEORGE BOWEN SATTERLEE of 42 Broadway New York in the United States
of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to machine and quick firing guns and is designed to
increase their safety and to perfect their working. It is applicable to guns in which
the operations of the gun are not entirely actuated by the explosion of the
powder.
The main object is to prevent when the gun is being worked, the removal of a
cartridge case from the barrel chamber or the withdrawal of the breech-block from the
barrel until the load in the cartridge case is discharged, unless and until a movement
is made by the man in charge for the withdrawal and removal after a proper time has
elapsed, in the event of the failing of the cartridge to ignite, whereby the risk of a
hang fire" explosion with the breech open is avoided.
"
With this object I attach to the gun an electric battery (either a source or store of
electric energy) which by means of an electro-magnet actuates a device such for
example as a cam or pawl in such manner that an obstacle to the continued action of
the machinery or mechanism of the gun and constituting a safety lock is interposed
at the time of the ignition of the charge and withdrawn on the full discharge by the
action of the electric current the circuit of which is for this purpose completed (or it
may be arranged to be broken) by the explosion; the action of opening the breech is
thus prevented until the discharge releases the obstacle or safety lock, or until a
separate motion is made to release the safety lock after the proper time in the event of
the discharge of the cartridge failing.
In applying my invention to the various patterns or types of machine guns I can
employ different devices whereby the discharge in the barrel is caused to complete the
circuit of the electric current. The form of these devices will depend in some measure
upon the particular construction of the gun. I can, for example, have at the muzzle
of the gun a movable flange, wing, flap or valve, a slight motion of which imparted by
the explosion completes the electric circuit; or 1 can have a movable plunger, pin or
springhead which is acted upon by the gases of the combustion or by the reaction of
the gun and when so acted upon completes the electric circuit.
It is not any part of any invention to store up the energy of the reaction of the gun
or of the unused or by-effects of the explosion to do the mechanical part of loading,
firing or withdrawal of cartridge cases." I simply use the results of the explosion as a
sort of "tell-tale" to close the circuit of an electric current which controls and works
a safety lock or obstacle to the continuous working of the gun mechanism which is
being actuated by power extraneous to the explosion of the charge.
Where the mechanism of the gun allows I use a spring similar to those which are
employed in storing up power on some tram-cars, or a spring which can be in the
process of being wound while it is at the same time delivering its force; this spring
receives and stores power for working the gun and delivers it without derangement
from the interposed checks of the safety device hereinbefore described.
In this case
I arrange the actuating crank or lever so that in the event of a difficult removal of a
cartridge case resisting the force at the time in the spring, the force applied to the

page_text: crank or lever may act directly on the removing mechanism until the cartridge case is
started, or the operator may by a voluntary act release the obstacle mechanism and
withdraw an unexploded cartridge; the risk of a "hang fire" explosion is thus
provided against.
My invention will be fully understood on reference to the accompanying drawings
which represent it applied to the gun known as the Gardner one barrel machine gun,
but it may obviously be applied to other forms of machine guns. Figure 1 is a side
elevation of the gun a portion of the barrel being shown in section and the side of the
box or case which encloses some of the parts which constitute my invention being
removed to allow these parts to be seen. Figure 2 is a front view the front of the
said box being removed and Figure 3 a plan with the top of the box removed.
Figures 4 and
represent a modified form.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3; a is the breech or body of the gun and ↳ the
barrel. c is a pinion fixed on the shaft d the rotation of which operates the loading of
the barrel chamber, the firing and the discharge of the cartridge case through the
intermediation of mechanism forming no part of my present invention. e is a toothed
wheel or cylinder engaging with the pinion c and containing a powerful spring/one
end of which is attached to the winding spindle g and the other to the inside of the
wheel or cylinder e as shown. Instead of the simple form of spring shown a series or
congeries of springs arranged in the well known manner to conduce to regularity in
the application of their force can be employed. h is a locking pawl or catch of the
usual character to hold the wheel e while the spring fis being wound; this pawl is
carried by a rod i fitted with a handle or lever k by which the pawl can be released at
will from the wheel e. jis a ratchet wheel fixed on the spindle g and m¹ is a pawl
engaging with this wheel so as to prevent reverse notion of the spindle when the
spring is being wound. I is a pinion engaging with the wheel e and m is a cam or
stop piece fixed to the pinion or on the same spindle. n is a pawl which normally
engages as shown with one of the stops of the cam m. p is an electric battery, one
pole of which is connected with an electro-magnet and through this magnet with a
contact piece s, while the other pole is connected with a lever t.
The pawl n serves as the armature of the electro-magnet and normally the circuit
is broken between the contact pieces and the lever t, their separation being ensured
by the spring u.
The lever has its fulcrum at vand its front end bears against a
plunger or pin w fitted in a recess in the side of the barrel b, the said recess extending
beyond the plunger into the bore. The pinion is fixed to the gun, the wheel e,
spring, pinion, battery p, electro magnet r, pawls hand n are mounted and protected
in a substantial box or case clamped to the gun by means of brackets y y at
bottom and rear and tightening screws with handles z 2. The spring can be wound
by applying a handle to the spindle g either when the box and the parts that it carries
are attached to the gun or while the box is detached from the gun.
The operation of the mechanism will be readily understood. When the gun is fired
the pressure within the barrel b forces down the plunger w together with the front end
of the levert thereby causing the rear end of this lever to rise and come in contact
with the piece s. The electric circuit being thus completed the electro magnet draws
up the pawl armature n and thereby frees the cam or stop piece m, together with the
pinion, wheel e and pinion c all of which then turn on their axes through the action
of the spring until the pawl n, when freed from the electro magnet through the
breaking of the electric circuit, engages in the next stop of the cam m; the movement
thus allowed to the pinion e suffices to work the mechanism or devices that operate
the loading, firing and cartridge case discharge. Should an explosion not take place
the plunger w is not forced down and consequently the pawl n remains in the stop
of the can m and the pinion c is not moved. In such case after waiting a suitable
time the man in charge can complete the electric circuit by forcing up the rear end of
the lever t.
Although I prefer to employ the power of the electric battery to free the pawl or
stop n from the cam or stop piece m, these parts forming the safety lock which is the
essential and characteristic feature of my invention the battery can be dispensed with,

page_text: the pawl or stop n can be freed by the direct action of the lever under the impulse of
the plunger to when moved by the pressure of the gases of combustion.
readily understood on reference to Figures 4 and 5.
This will be
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim in respect of machine or quick-firing guns is:
1. In a gun in which the mechanism is actuated by power extraneous to the
explosion of the charge an arrangement whereby an obstacle to the continued action
of the gun mechanism and constituting a safety lock is interposed at the time of the
ignition of the charge and is withdrawn by the effects of the discharge or explosion,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. In a machine or quick firing gun a spring or springs for storing power to serve
the gun, the said spring or springs being controlled by a pawl or stop which forms a
safety lock until the ignition of the charge and is temporarily withdrawn or freed by
the effects of the discharge or explosion, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
3. The respective combinations or arrangements of parts substantially as herein-
before described and represented in the accompanying drawings whereby in a gun in
which the mechanism is actuated by power extraneous to the explosion of the charge
an obstacle to the continued action of the gun mechanism and constituting a safety
lock is interposed at the time of the ignition of the charge and is withdrawn by the
effects of the discharge or explosion as set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1889
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.