An Improvement in Breech Loading Ordnance.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Breech Loading Ordnance.
I, DOUGLAS VICKERS, a Managing Director of Vickers Sons & Co. Limd.,
Steel Manufacturers, Sheffield, in the County of York, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to the mechanism for opening and closing the breech of a
breech loading gun, which mechanism I arrange in such a manner that a continuance
of the same action which rotates and unlocks the breech plug swings it out of the
gun round the pivot on which it is mounted, also in some cases gives a slight
longitudinal movement to the rear between the two other actions, the closing of
the breech and locking of the plug being similarly effected by the reverse action.
For this purpose, I fit in the plug carrier a horizontally sliding bar one end of
which is connected by a pin working in a slotted hole to a lever which is mounted
on the same pivot with the carrier, and which can be moved by hand in the case of
a small gun, or by worm gear in the case of a large gun. The other end of the
sliding bar is connected by a link to a pin projecting from the rear face of the
breech plug, this link standing upright or nearly so when the plug is locked in
the breech. On swinging the lever away from the gun so as to open the breech,
the sliding bar is first moved some distance horizontally causing the plug to turn
partly round, at first slowly and then more rapidly, till it becomes unlocked, and
then the carrier is swung with the lever, withdrawing the plug. By swinging the
lever towards the gun, the plug is first introduced into the breech and then it is
turned partly round to become locked.
In cases where a small longitudinal movement of the plug is required, the
breech plug is fitted upon a cylindrical stud projecting from the carrier into the
plug. This stud can turn in the carrier and has an arm projecting from it which
is connected to the horizontally sliding bar by the link mentioned above.
When this bar is caused to slide it turns the stud partly round causing the
breech plug to turn with it until it is unlocked, whereupon it becomes disconnected
from the stud, the farther rotation of which causes the plug to move longitudinally
rearwards by means of two or more pins which project from the stud into inclined
grooves formed in the bore of the plug.
Instead of arranging the stud to turn in the carrier, it may be fixed therein, a
sleeve fitted upon it acting on the plug as above described.
Dated this 17th day of May 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Breech Loading Ordnance.
I, DOUGLAS VICKERS, a Managing Director of Vickers Sons & Co. Limd.,
Steel Manufacturers, Sheffield, in the County of York, 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 relates to the mechanism for opening and closing the breech of a
D
1

page_text: •
breech loading gun, which mechanism I arrange in such manner that a continuance
of the same action which rotates and unlocks the breech plug, swings it out of the
gun around the pivot on which it is mounted, also, in some cases, gives a slight
longitudinal movement to the rear, between the other two actions. The closing of
the breech and the locking of the plug are similarly effected by the reverse
action.
I shall describe my invention referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a gun having a breech mechanism in accordance
with my invention.
Figure 2 is a part section on the line 1-1 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a plan.
Figure 4 is a rear elevation with the breech plug shewn unlocked, and
Figure 5, is a plan with the plug unlocked, and also shewn in dotted lines
swung out.
Figure 6 is a rear elevation, and Figure 7 is a plan of the breech mechanism,
arranged so as to give a longitudinal movement to the rear.
Figures 8, 9 and 10 shew a modification of the mechanism shewn in Figures 6
and 7. Figure 8 is a rear elevation, Figure 9 is a plan and Figure 10 is a section
on the line 8-8 of Figure 8.
Figure 11 is a part elevation shewing the catches.
Figure 12 is a section on the line 11-11 of Figure 11, and Figure 13 is a
section on the line 13-13, of Figure 11..
In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 the construction is as follows:-I fit in the plug
carrier A, a horizontal sliding bar B (which may be round as shewn, or may be
square or of other suitable section) one end of which is connected, by a pin B¹
engaged in a sliding block C2 working in a slotted hole C', to a lever C which
preferably mounted on the same pivot G¹ with the carrier A, and which can be
moved by hand in the case of a small gun, or by worm gear (as shewn in
Figures 8 and 9) in the case of a large gun. The other end of the sliding bar B
is connected by a link D to a stud E¹ projecting from the rear face of the breech
plug E, this link D standing at right angles to the bar B or nearly so, when the
plug E is locked in the breech G.
The breech plug E may be of any suitable form that will swing out clear of
the gun, immediately after being unlocked, without requiring any. longitudinal
movement to the rear.
!
The breech plug E is attached to a fixed stud A¹ projecting inwards from the
carrier A by screw threads preferably interrupted and equal in pitch to the threads
of the breech plug E.
-***
The action in opening the breech is as follows:-On swinging the lever C away
from the gun, the sliding bar B is moved some distance horizontally towards the
pivot G of the carrier A. This movement of the bar B, by means of the
"connection of the link D to the stud E¹, causes the plug E to turn partly round,
at first slowly, and then more rapidly, until it becomes unlocked, and then, by
continuing to swing the lever C away from the gun, the carrier A is swung out,
withdrawing the plug E from the breech. As the carrier recedes from the breech
face of the gun, a spring catch H (the end of which was bearing against the rear
face of the gun) is liberated and enters a notch in the flange of the breech plug E,
preventing the plug E from turning except when it is in position for locking with
the threads of the breech G, the catch H being then pushed out of the notch.
By swinging the lever C towards the gun, the plug E is first introduced into
the breech G, and when in position for locking, the catch H has been pushed back
and has freed it, and then it is turned. partly round and locked. I arrange the
centre of the pin D connecting the bar B to the link D, so as to pass the vertical
line of the centre of E', thus forming a locking arrangement, such that the plug E
cannot become unlocked when the gun is fired.
I fit on the face of the plug carrier A a spring catch A having a rounded end
entering a hollow of the lever C, so as to hold the lever from dropping when the
breech end of the gun is depressed, but to allow of its being pulled rearward.

page_text: Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 shew the breech mechanism' modified so as
to provide for a small longitudinal movement of the plug E to the rear, when that
is required. In Figures 6 and 7, the breech plug E is fitted upon a cylindrical
pin A projecting from the carrier A into the plug. This pin A is fitted to the
carrier A by screw threads or annular collars, which may be interrupted, and is
free to turn in the carrier A, it has an arm A³ projecting from it which is connected
to the horizontally sliding bar B by the link D. A pin K, which connects the
plug E to the arm A³, has a projection K' working in an inclined groove M cut in
the breech of the gun.
The pin A has two or more studs, such as A and A', which work in inclined
grooves (preferably of increasing pitch) cut in the bore of the breech plug E, so
that a longitudinal movement is given to the breech plug E when the pin AⓇ turns
in it.
As shewn in Figures 11 and 13 a hook X projecting from the carrier A and
fitting into another hook X' fixed to the breech of the gun, serves to steady the
carrier vertically when it is subjected to the strains of locking and unlocking.
Figures 11 and 12 show the means of locking the carrier up against the breech
when the plug is being moved longitudinally. For this purpose a bolt R fitted in
the carrier A is provided at its, upper end with a projection R₁ which works in a
partly straight and partly inclined groove B2 in the bar B; by the movement of
the bar B the bolt R is pushed into a bolt hole on a projection S fixed to the
breech.
When, for opening the breech, the bar B is caused to slide, it partly turns the
pin A and with it at first the breech plug E by means of the pin K. When the
plug E is thus unlocked, the pin K has been withdrawn from the arm A³ by
means of the projection K' working in the inclined groove M in the breech of the
gun, and the pin A is then free to turn in the plug, which is now prevented from
turning farther by the stop pin P, which has travelled to the end of a circular
groove P¹ formed in the carrier, and is over a hole at the end of the groove which
it enters as the plug is withdrawn rearwards.
By continuing to rotate the pin A the plug E is caused to move longitudinally
rearwards by the studs A' and A' working in the inclined grooves E³ cut in the
bore of the plug E. When the plug E has thus been drawn rearwards the
required distance, the bolt R has been lifted out of the projection S on the breech
of the gun, and the carrier A is now free to swing away from the gun. As the
carrier A recedes from the breech, a spring catch Q is free to move forwards and
engage in a notch on the upper side of the sliding bar B, preventing the bar, and
by means of it, the breech plug, from moving until the carrier A is again moved
up against the face of the breech, the spring catch Q being then pushed back out
of the notch of the sliding bar B.
Figures 8, 9 and 10 shew a modification according to which, instead of employing
the pin A turning in the carrier A as described with reference to Figures 6 and 7,
I fix a stud A' on the carrier and fit a sleeve T to turn upon it, this sleeve having
the arm A3 and the projections A' and A' acting as above described.
The Figures 8 and 9 also show a worm and wheel gear to be substituted in large
guns for the lever C which, in such cases, would not be sufficiently powerful.
In this arrangement, I fix a worm wheel W to an arm Whaving a slot in
which the pin B₁ of the sliding bar B works as above described.
The worm
which gears with the worm wheel is rotated by a hand-wheel or handle W².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner it is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In combination with the breech plug of a gun, a carrier in which is fitted a
sliding bar, its one eud having a pin working in a slotted hole in a lever or arm,
its other end connected by a link to a stud projecting from the breech plug,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In combination with the breech plug, a pin free to turn in the carrier and

page_text: projecting therefrom into the plug, all so arranged that by part of the turning
movement of the pin, actuated as above set forth by the link and sliding bar, the
plug is first unlocked and by the remainder of the movement, it is moved rearward,
substantially as described.
3. The modification wherein a sleeve fitted on a stud projecting from the
carrier is arranged to operate as the pin in the preceding claim, substantially as
.described.
4. In combination with breech mechanism of the kind referred to in Claims 2
and 3 the bolt which holds the carrier to the breech actuated by the horizontally
sliding bar, substantially as described.
5. In combination with breech mechanism of the kind referred to in Claims 2
and 3 the pin which connects the breech plug to the arm on the pin or the sleeve
during unlocking, and which is withdrawn on the completion of the unlocking,
so as to permit the pin or sleeve to turn in the breech plug, substantially as
.described.
Dated this 15th day of February 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.