Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 5th Apr., 1887
I, JOSEPH FARCOT, of Saint-Ouen (Seine) in the Republic of France, 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 apparatus so arranged that by the rotation of a single axis
the successive movements necessary for introducing or withdrawing the breech block
of a breech loading gun are performed with ease, rapidity and exactness, as will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a part longitudinal section and Fig. 2 a part end view of the breech of a
gun, Fig. 3 is a part sectional plan and Fig. 4 is a part sectional plan at a lower level.
The breech plug. a, which is made as usual with an interrupted screw thread so that
it can be moved longitudinally and turned through a fraction of a turn, such as one
sixth, to screw or to unscrew it, has a toothed rack B formed along one side, and has
part of its outer rim at A toothed, the teeth in both cases being suited to those of a
worm pinion which is mounted on a vertical axis that can be turned by a handle
applied to its squared end k. On this axis is pivotted a shelf d which is grooved to
receive the lower side of the breech plug a. In the shelf d are fitted two spring
bolts e and, the vertical bolt e having its head formed as a sloped latch, and notched
underneath to embrace a catch i that is fixed to the breech of the gun. The front end
of the horizontal bolt is made so as to advance under the head of e when e rises.
A sloping notch a' is formed in the lower side of the breech plug a.
A lever arin c
projects from the breech plug a and is stopped by a stud c. The action is as follows.
The breech plug being in position in the breech, and it being desired to withdraw it,
the axis & is turned in one direction. At this time the bolt e is embracing the catch i
and, consequently, the shelf d is held stationary; also the worm wheel is in gear
with the toothed segment A, consequently the effect of turning I during the first part
of its revolution, is to turn the breech plug a partly round, unscrewing it. The
wheel now coming in gear with the rack B, the continued turning of l is to move
the plug longitudinally out of the breech and on to the shelf d along the groove of
which it is guided until it comes against stops at the end. At this time the notch a¹
presents itself to the head of the bolt e, allowing the bolt to rise and disengage itself

page_text: from i. The axis k being still turned, the shelf d carrying the breech plug turns to
the position shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 3 leaving the breech clear. As d begins
to move towards the dotted position the end of the bolt advances under the head of e
and keeps e up, holding the breech plug in position during the movement of d. The
introduction of the plug into the breech is effected by turning & backwards, all the
movements taking place in inverse order; that is to say, first, the shelf d sweeps round
bringing the breech plug in line with the breech, and thrusting back the bolt so
that is free to descend; secondly, the wheel acting in the rack B causes the breech
plug to advance longitudinally, the first part of its movement depressing the bolt e
and so causing it to engage i, and finally the wheel 1 acting on the toothed segment A
causes the breech plug to turn partly round engaging its interrupted screw threads
with those of the breech.
e
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 :-
1. The construction and use of apparatus for working the breech blocks of breech
loading guns, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
2. In combination with a worm wheel and grooved shelf d pivotted on its axis, a
breech plug a with toothed segment A and toothed rack B arranged and operating
substantially as described.
3. In combination with the shelf d, the spring bolts e and fand the catch i arranged
and. operating as described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.