Improvements in Breech-mechanism for Quick-firing Guns and Ordnance.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2-th June, 1894
Complete Specification Loft 26th Apr
1895-Accepted. 1st June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-mechanism for Quick-firing Guns and
Ordnance.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co.,
The General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of
London, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me by Ernst Ternström, of 8, Rue Auber, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Civil Engineer) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to breech-mechanism having interrupted screw threads in
which the breech-block is adapted to be partially rotated and then swung to the
side to open the breech without any rectilinear movement of the said breech-block,
other than that caused by the pitch of the threads on the breech-block under such
partial rotation of the screw breech-block, and in which the opening of the breech
is effected by the operation of a single hand lever moving only in one plane. An
example of such breech mechanism is described in Oscar William Bergman's
Patent No. 7499 of the 30th of April 1891.
The object of this invention is to provide improved means for imparting the
required movements to the breech-block, reducing the resistance and friction of the
parts imparting such movements, and protecting the said parts against dirt or
damage from outside blows or concussions; and also to provide means for
recocking the firing mechanism without opening or even partially opening the
breech.
An arc or portion of a solid flange on the rear part of the breech-block is
provided with radial teeth engaged by the straight teeth of a rack which slides
in a groove on the inner side of the hinged carrier-ring, a space that would
otherwise not be utilised. This rack is also provided with another row of straight
teeth on another side of it than that which touches the collar of the breech-block.
These teeth are actuated by an ordinary straight-toothed segment formed on one
end of the hand lever, which moves upon an axle in an opening in the hinged
carrier-ring.
When the hand lever is moved in one direction its toothed segment causes the
rack to slide, and the rack gives thus to the breech-block its partial rotation; the
teeth on the flange are sufficiently long not to be disengaged from the teeth on
the rack under the short rectilinear movement rearwards of the breech-block
caused by its unscrewing.
The teeth of the flange slide freely between the straight teeth on the rack
without any resistance of the latter to the above mentioned rectilinear movement
of the breech-block while unscrewed.
All the teeth on the segment on the hand lever, the rack and the collar of the
breech-block being inside the mechanism, none of them are exposed to damage
from outside concussions.
When during the first part of the movement of the hand lever the threads of
the interrupted screw-breech-block are free from the corresponding threads inside
the breech of the gun, the continued movement of the hand lever in the same
direction and in the same plane swings the breech-block to the side and opens the
breech for the insertion of a fresh loaded cartridge after the fired cartridge has
been ejected by the extractor; during the latter part of the hand lever-movement,
the breech-block is prevented from turning in relation to the hinged carrier-ring.

page_text: The movement of the hand lever in the opposite direction in the same plane
actuates inversely the parts and closes the breech.
:-In
The firing mechanism can be recocked, while the breech of the gun remains fully
closed and without any movement of the hand lever by the following means:-
the rear end of the breech-block is a tube containing the firing-pin and having a
helicoidal surface cut in an opposite direction to the one in the breech-block which
surface, when the tube is turned, by means of a lever at its rear end, brings the
firing-pin rearwards until it is caught by the trigger, which latter is hinged in the
carrier-ring. The recocking tube being returned to its first position and the trigger
released the firing-pin is thrown forwards by the firing-spring and strikes the cap
of the cartridge.
The recocking tube is kept from longitudinal displacement in relation to the
breech-block by means of a lug (bayonet-lock) entering into a cylindrical groove
cut in the collar of the block. The above mentioned cylindrical groove com-
municates with a longitudinal groove, and when the tube is turned so that its lug
arrives in front of this latter groove, the tube, firing pin and spring being, in
connection can be withdrawn from the breech-block. In order to prevent the
recocking tube from turning while unscrewing the breech-block, the lever attached
to the tube engages, and presses by means of a spring, into a longitudinal groove
cut in the carrier-ring.
Dated the 28th Jay of June 1891
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
ODELELE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-mechanism for Quick-firing Guns and
Ordnance.
1, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the Firm of G. F. Redfern & Co.,
The General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of
London, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me by Ernst Ternström of 8, Rue Auber, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Civil Engineer) 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 breech-mechanism having interrupted screw-threads in
which the breech-block is adapted to be partially rotated and then swung to the
side to open the breech without any rectilinear movement of the said breech-block
other than that caused by the pitch of the threads on the breech-block under such
partial rotation of the screw breech-block. An example of such breech-mechanism
is described in the Specification of Oscar William Bergman's Patent No. 7499 of
the 30th of April 1891.
The object of this invention is to provide improved means for imparting the
required movements to the breech-block to reduce the resistance and friction of the
parts imparting such movements, and protect the parts against dirt or damage from
outside blows or concussions; and also to provide means for recocking the firing
mechanism without opening or even partially opening the breech.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of a gun having my
improved breech mechanism, the breech being represented as closed:
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same; and,
Figure 3 is a plan view representing the breech open :
Figure 4 is a horizontal section shewing the breech closed :
Figure 5 is an end view with the breech closed:

page_text: igures, and o are views similar to Figures 1, 4 and 5 respectively illustrating
a modification :
Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9, Figure 6; and,
Figure 10 is a similar view shewing the parts in a different position:
Figure 11 is a development of a portion of the breech-mechanism illustrated in.
Figures 6, 7 and 8.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a is the breech of the gun, 6 the breech-block, e the firing-pin, and d the hinged
ring carrying the breech-block.
e is a rack sliding transversely in guides in the carrier-ring and having two sets
of teeth f, g.
On the rear part of the breech-block is an arc or portion of a flange b¹
(Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5) provided with radial gear teeth which engage with the
teeth of the rack e, and in a slot in the carrier-ring d is a segment lever i pivotted
upon a pin and having its teeth engaging with the teeth y of the rack e, the
said segment lever being also provided with a handle by means of which it can
be operated.
With this arrangement it will be understood that when the segment lever is
moved from the position shewn in Figure 2 in the direction of the arrow, its teeth i²
cause the rack e to slide and thus give to the breech-block b its partial rotation.
The teeth on the flange bare sufficiently wide not to be disengaged from the
teeth on the rack under the short rectilinear movement of the breech-block
rearward caused by its unscrewing, the said teeth h sliding freely between the said
teeth without any resistance.
As the teeth on the segment lever i, the rack e and the flange b' of the breech-
block are inside the carrier-ring d, none of them are exposed to damage from
outside blows.
The first part of the movement of the hand or segment lever i disengages the
threads of the interrupted screw breech-block 6 from the corresponding threads
inside the breech of the gun, and the continued movement of the hand-lever i swings
the breech-block to the side and opens the breech for the insertion of a fresh loaded
cartridge, after the fired cartridge has been ejected by the extractor. During the
latter part of the movement of the hand-lever, the breech-block is prevented from
turning in relation to the hinged carrier-ring in the manner described in the
Specification of Bergman's Patent No. 7499 of 1891.
The movement of the hand-lever in the opposite direction to that described
actuates the parts in a reverse order and closes the breech.
The firing-pin e is cocked during the rotary motion of the breech-block 6 when
opening the breech by the action of a helicoidal surface j on a prolongation k of the
breech-block against the tail k' of the firing-pin c, the firing-pin being held against
axial rotation by causing the said tail k to slide in a slot k in the annular flange
on the carrier-ring through which the prolongation k of the breech-block extends as
shewn in Figure 1ª which is a section on the line 1-1, Figure 1.
I is the trigger which is pivotted in the carrier-ring d and engages with the tail k¹
of the firing-pin c when the latter is moved rearwards.
In order to permit of recocking the firing-pin in case of a miss-fire without the
necessity for opening the breech, I provide the following arrangement:
Within the prolongation of the breech-block is a tube m adapted at its front
end to engage in front of the tail of the firing-pin c and having a helicoidal
surface m (Figures 14 and 4) formed in an opposite direction to the surface j,
which surface mi when the tube m is turned in the direction of the arrow (Figure 1A)
by means of a lever m² at its rear end moves the firing-pin e rearwards until it is
caught by the trigger l.
When the recocking tube m is returned to its first position and the trigger
pulled, the firing-pin is thrown forwards to fire the cartridge by the firing-
spring n

page_text: The re-cocking tube m is kept from longitudinal displacement in relation to the
breech-block by means of a lug o entering a cylindrical groove o¹ cut in the
prolongation of the block, as shewn in Figure 1B which is a section on
the line 1, 1, Figure 1. The cylindrical groove of communicates with a
longitudinal groove 02 whereby when the tube m is turned so that its lug o is in
front of this latter groove, the said tube, firing-pin c and firing-spring, being in
connection, can be withdrawn from the breech-block. In order to prevent the
recocking tube m from turning whilst unscrewing the breech-block, the lever m²
attached to the tube m engages in a groove m³ in the carrier-ring d under the action
of a spring m*.
p is the extractor operated from the hinge portion of the carrier-ring d in the
usual manner, and y is a locking-catch arranged in conjunction with the hand-
lever, the construction of which locking catch will be readily understood by
reference to Figure 2A which is a section on the line 2ª-2ª, Figure 2.
The recocking of the firing-pin can be attained by means of the hand-lever i
without the employment of a special lever. In this case the recocking tube mis
placed outside the cylindrical prolongation k of the breech-block and the teeth h
with which the rack teeth f engage, instead of being formed on the breech-block
are formed on the said tube m, as shewn in Figures 7 and 8. Also the helicoidal
surface on the prolongation of the breech-block is dispensed with, the helicoidal
surface (Figure 11 which is a development of the recocking tube) serving for both
cocking and recocking.
With this arrangement it is necessary to provide means whereby under ordinary
circumstances the recocking tube m shall be locked to and rotate with the breech-
block, but whereby when it is desired to recock the firing-pin e the said recocking
tube can be disconnected from the breech-block so that the movement of the hand-
lever shall rotate the recocking tube only and not the breech-block.
The means I have employed and which I shew in the drawings comprise a rotary
coupling mounted on a stud carried in the prolongation of the breech-bolt and
having two lugs s, t, the former of which is designed to enter one or the other of
two slots or notches s', in the annular flange of the carrier-ring d, whilst the
latter enters one or the other of two pairs of slots or notches u, u, v, v' in the
breech-block prolongation k and recocking tube m.
The coupling is held with its lugs in one or the other set of the slots by a
spring w.
When the gun is firing under ordinary conditions the lugs is in the slot s
and the lug t in the pair of slots u, u' as shewn in Figure 9 so that, when rotary
motion is imparted to the recocking tube m by the hand-lever i, the breech-block
will also be moved on its axis, the lugs sliding round in the slots which is made
sufficiently long to allow of this movement.
Should the firing-pin be required to be recocked the coupling is pulled against
the pressure of the spring w so as to disengage its lugs from the slots s, u, u¹ and
turned so that the lug s enters the slot s² and the lug t the slots v, vl, as shewn in
Figure 10. In this position the breech-block is locked to the carrier-ring d and
the recocking tube m is free to rotate independently, the slot v¹ being made of
sufficient length to permit of the desired movement.
The slot in the recocking tube is made slightly wider than the lug t as shewn
in Figure 9 so as to allow the said tube to be turned a short distance before i
takes the breech-block with it. During this period the tail of the firing-pin is
drawn out of a notch (Figure 6) in the breech-block b by an incline a' (Figure 11)
on the tube m, which tail when in the said notch during firing serves as a safety
device as the breech-block is locked to the carrier-ring by the said tail being
engaged in this notch as well as in the groove of the carrier-ring.
The recocking tube m is kept from longitudinal displacement in relation to the
breech-block by means of the coupling r which is normally maintained in contac
with the rear ends of the prolongation and the said recocking tube by the
spring w.

page_text: 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 I
claim is :-
1. In breech-mechanism having an interrupted screw and in which the opening
and closing of the breech is effected without any rectilinear movement of the screw
between its being unscrewed and its being swung to the side of the gun other than
the short rectilinear movement caused by the pitch of the screw on unscrewing, the
arrangement of a rack placed in a groove on the inner side of the carrier-ring
which supports the breech-screw, the said rack having teeth on two of its sides, the
teeth on one side being in engagement with teeth on a segment of the hand-lever
whilst the teeth on the other side of the said rack engage with teeth on the breech-
block or on a tube in connection therewith, by which means the breech can be
opened or closed by one single movement of the hand-lever working in one and the
same plane as, and for the purposes, described.
2. In breech-mechanism for guns the arrangement of parts substantially as
described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings for re-cocking the
firing-pin.
3. The modified form of re-cocking mechanism substantially as described by
reference to Figures 6 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The improved breech mechanism constructed and arranged substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the oath day of Anail 1905
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.