Improvements in Breech Loading Guns or Ordnance.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech Loading Guns or Ordnance.
1, JAMES ASTBURY, of the firm of Thomas Astbury and Son, of Smethwick
Foundry, Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Ordnance Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to breech loading ordnance of the kind described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me dated the 19th day of February
1877 No. 670.
.
The said invention consists essentially in opening and closing the breech of the
said ordnance b⚫ means of an eccentric breech block provided with a trough like
recess in combination with an eccentrically arranged collar at the rear end of the
ordnance the said collar having a slotted top through which the cartridge or charge
is passed into the trough like recess in the breech block and from thence into the
hore of the ordnance.
My present invention consists of the addition to ordnance of the kind referred to
of mechanism constructed essentially in the manner hereinafter described for the
purpose of ejecting the case of the exploded cartridge or for starting the said case
so that it can be readily removed by hand.
The mechanism for ejecting or starting the case of the exploded cartridge is
constructed as follows. "A fork or half ring supported on a vertical arm somewhat
similar to that used in small arms for ejecting the case of the spent cartridge
occupies when in its normal position a suitably formed recess in the breech of the
ordnance. The lower end of the lever supporting the said fork is outside the
eccentric collar and is horizontal or at right angles to the upper part. On the end
of the lower horizontal arm of the said lever is a vertical arm turning upon the
said horizontal arm. A projection on the top of the said vertical arm passes
through a slot in the eccentric collar. When the breech block is screwed home a
projection on it presses upon the projection on the said vertical arm and turns it
aside without moving the upper part of the ejector lever. When however the
breech block is unscrewed after discharge the said projection on the block strikes
upon the projection on the vertical arm which is incapable of turning aside in that
direction. The said vertical arm is consequently suddenly depressed and the upper
arın carrying the ejector fork suddenly recedes from its seat in the breech of the
ordnance and ejects or starts the case of the exploded cartridge.
Dated th7+ 1900
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech Loading Guns or Ordnance.
1. JAMES ASTBURY, Engineer, of Smethwick Foundry, Smethwick, near Bir-
mingham, 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 :-
My invention has reference to breech loading ordnance of the kind as described
in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 670 dated Feb. 19 1877 which
consisted essentially in opening & closing the breech of the said ordnance by
means of an eccentric breech block provided with a trough like recess in combina-
tion with an eccentrically arranged collar at the rear end of the ordnance; the
said collar having a slotted top through which the cartridge or charge is passed
.... J1

page_text: into the trough like recess in the breech block & from thence into the bore of the
orduaner.
My present invention consists of the addition to ordnance of this kind, of
mechanism constructed essentially in the manner bereinafter described for the
purpose of ejecting the case of the exploded cartridge, without any additional
manipulation on the part of the gummer, that is to say, the extracting gear is
automatically actuated by the prime motion imparted in the action of opening
the breech.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of the breech end of the said gun: &
Figure 2, an end view of same.
1 provide a bell cranked, or right angle lever By, the vertical limb of which may
be placed in a corresponding recess cut in the breech of the ordnance (
upper extremity is bifurcated at B. B. semicircularly, & may also lie in its corre
sponding wew It bifurention encloses the body of the cartridge ease A, preferably
up to or a little beyond its centre line, & abutting or engaging the back collar A
of same in the operation of throwing it out. Its lower extremity is situated beyond
or outside the periphery of the ordnance & has its fulerum at B, & its other
limb. 1,, pointing horizontally rearwards. Now this limb is turned at B, & carries
thereon, loosely, serving as a' fulerin thereto, a small trip lever D. The nose Dg
of this trip lever projects upwards & within the breech C. & it is counterweighted
at its bottom end at D, in order to maintain it in that normal position with freedom
for oeillution about fi fulcrum. There is a tooth E, provided on the bottom
of the breech block E, which (at the particular moment of acquiring a full opening
of the trough E. of the breech blork, for the purpose of extracting the cartridge.
when winding the handle backwards as shewn at F₁) engages the nose D., of
the trip lever, & striking or pushing it out of its path, until it be arrested by
the clutch tooth D, thereby deflects that lower limb of the hell crank & conse
quently pushes, or jerks backwards, the spent cartridge case A, abutting on the
Linck side of the bifurcation B. By of the ofler lamb.
When winding the handle in the opposite or forward direction as shewn at F,
that is when closing the breech ready for firing the said tooth E merely pushes
the nose D. of its lever out of its path which being free of the clutch D in this
direction impart to imposting or colliding motion to the cartridge. Thus, the
extraction gear is automatic throughout & is actinated from the prime motion of
the breech block handle K only.
I do not bind myself to place the bell crank with its trip lever vertically &
immediately below the breech for there are cases where it may be a convenience
to place it to the one side of same; but, as a rule it will be better to put it below.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said
invention, & in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I claim is:-
(1) In breech loading ordnance, of the nature as described, an automatic
cartridge extraction gear, consisting of a bifurcated bell crank lever, containing
on its lower limb a trip lever, actuated by the prime motion only as imparted
through the handle to the breech-block, & transmitted from a tooth situated upon
the latter, through the clutch, deflecting thereby, en passant, the lower limb of the
bell crank. & so discharging or extracting the cartridge case at the upper or
bifurented end of same: & which clutch, being clear, imparts no such motion to the
bifurcation during rotation in the opposite direction, substantially as hereinbefore
described & illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2) In breech loading ordnance, of the nature as described, the arrangement &
combination of parts, constituting the extraction gear, substantially as hereinbefore
deserihod & illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of February 1891.