Year: 1898

page_text: I, JAMES JUDGE, of Neptune House, Dene Crescent, Walker-on-Tyne, in the
County of Northumberland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a machine gun and has for its object to provide a gun
from which the shots or projectiles are discharged by mechanical power only
whereby the use of explosives are entirely obviated with the accompanying
advantages.
To this end, according to my invention, I fix on a shaft a disc whose function
is, by the aid of peripheral arms or projections thereon, to engage or make con-
tact with and discharge the shots or projectiles by centrifugal force for which
purpose it is revolved at a high velocity by any suitable type of mechanism,
such as spur gearing connecting with the shaft or the latter may be belt or
rope driven or directly operated, the power being either manual or mechanical.
This disc is enclosed in a casing or cover furnished with an inlet and outlet
for the shots or projectiles. At the inlet I arrange a hopper or receiver for
receiving and holding the shots which are fed or delivered by suitable mecha-
nism to the arms of the disc as it is revolved; this feeding mechanism, which
is actuated from the disc shaft, may conveniently consist of an eccentric or cam
operating a slide or the like at the inlet to draw the shots gradually towards
the disc. At the outlet I fix the usual barrel which may appropriately be in
two parts, the outer part being in the form of a conical sleeve united to the other
part by an universal joint thereby permitting of elevation or depression to pro-
vide for angular' discharges.
The casing is adapted to be oscillated round the shaft, which projects there-
through, so as to allow the gun to be discharged at different angles and to
accomplish this I connect a screw, system of levers or the equivalent to the cas-
ing so that on operation it may be vibrated or moved to the desired extent and
there maintained, a guide or other contrivance being disposed to ensure true
movement.
The several parts referred to are carried by a suitable frame which in turn
is supported in a bearing or footstep so that it can be turned round in a complete
circle to permit discharges in different directions, appropriate appliances being
fitted for effecting the adjustment and locking the gun in the desired position.
Dated this 6th day of June 1898.

page_text: An Improved Machine Gun.
I, JAMES JUDGE, of Neptune House, Dene Crescent, Walker-on-Tyne, in the
County of Northumberland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this in-
vention 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 a machine gun and has for its object to provide a gun
from which the shots or projectiles are discharged by mechanical power only
whereby the use of explosives are entirely obviated with the accompanying
advantages.
The invention consists in the combination of a disc, fixed on a revoluble shaft
and having peripheral arms or projections, with a casing or cover enclosing
the disc and furnished with an inlet and outlet for the shots or projectiles fed
or delivered at the circumference of the casing in such manner that as the disc
revolves its arms or projections engage or make contact with and discharge
them by centrifugal force through a barrel fixed at the outlet, the whole being
constructed and adapted for use as hereinafter described.
The gun is applicable for use in the field, on a warship, at a fort or else-
where and in order that my invention may be fully understood and carried into
practice, I will explain it in reference to the accompanying drawings which
show a gun adapted for naval warfare and whereof Fig. 1 is a side elevation,
Fig. 2 an end elevation at the muzzle of the gun and Fig. 3 a central vertical
section on the line X-X in Fig. 2.
In the drawings, A is a frame carrying the parts composing the gun. B} is
a circular open-sided casing or cover provided with an inlet and an outlet b₁
with which communicate respectively a receiver or hopper C for receiving and
holding the shots or projectiles and a barrel D, both connected to the said cas-
ing. is a dise located within the casing B and fixed on a revoluble shaft F
projecting at both sides of the latter whereat it is supported in bearings f, f
upon the frame A by which the casing B is also supported, being seated on
circular parts a, a appropriately connected to the side members of the frame..
As illustrated, the casing B is made in halves bolted together to permit the
fitting and unfitting of the disc E, though it may be provided with a removable
side or otherwise disposed for the same object, while, instead of being open-
sided, it may be completely closed, if desired. The casing B and disc E are
made of such relative diameters that an annular space G intervenes there-
between whereinto projects an arm e dovetailed and pinned into, or otherwise
fastened to, the periphery of the disc E. Thus when the disc E is revolved by
operating its shaft F, the arm e engages or makes contact with the shot or
projectile that is fed from the hopper Cinto the casing B through the inlet b
and impels it, under the influence of centrifugal force, out of the gun through
the opening b₁ and barrel D, the shot being maintained in line with the arm e
by grooving or channelling the whole of the inner circumference of the casing B,
as shown in Fig. 3, or only that part between the inlet and outlet b', so that
the shot may run therein.
To obtain the requisite discharge velocity, the disc E must be revolved at a
very high speed and for driving its shaft F I may adopt an electric, steam,
oil or other motor mounted at the rear of the frame A and transmitting its
power to the shaft F through the intervention of spur or other gearing; or the

page_text: motor may be directly coupled to the shaft F; or in some cases the shaft F
may be manually driven; but as such mechanism is of the ordinary type and
well understood specific examples are unnecessary.
The slots or projectiles, stored in the hopper C, enter the casing B singly for
which purpose the inlet 6 is controlled by a suitable contrivance, such as a
reciprocating slide or the like. The use of a slide H disposed in the hopper C
is indicated in the drawings. The slide is drawn to the left to allow of the
delivery of a shot into the casing B after each discharge and just prior to the
arm e arriving at the inlet b so that the arm may overtake and engage or strike
the falling shot to give it the necessary impulse; stops or the like are or may
be provided in connection with the slide to limit its outward movement and
ensure that only one shot may be fed at a time and when the shot falls the slide
is returned to its original position ready for the next delivery. For accom-
plishing the movements of the slide H at the required period in the revolution
of the disc E, it is joined, by the aid of a spindle or continuation h, to a lever,
or system of levers co-acting with a spring or springs and a cam or eccentric
connecting with and actuated by the shaft F. The arrangement of this feed-
ing mechanism too will be apparent to those skilled in the art, since mechanisms
for giving periodic motion are well known and any of them may be readily
adapted to attain the end described without requiring further explanation
herein. Instead of the slide H being automatically actuated, it may sometimes
be manually controlled by a handle uniting with the part h, or even the shots
or projectiles may be dropped singly by hand into the hopper.
For obtaining access for inspection, clearing or cleaning purposes, an open-
ing may be made in the casing B at a convenient point and closed by a hinged
door J held shut by a spring or the like, and the barrel 1) constructed in two
parts d, hinged together at d2 and maintained in the normal position by an
arm pivoted on the part d' and engaging with a catch or recess d on the
part d, whereby the forward extremity d can be turned up at right angles to
the rear portion d on disengaging the arm d³ from the catch d*.
K is a nut mounted in lugs k, k on the casing B and in it works the screwed
end of a shaft L rotating in a bearing pivoted on the frame A and fitted with
a hand wheel 11, hence when this shaft L is revolved, the nut K travels thereon
and the casing is oscillated round the shaft and the barrel D-depending on
the direction of rotation of the hand wheel is raised/or depressed, as indi-
cated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, thereby permitting discharges at different
vertical angles; the parts a, a before referred to serve to guide the casing in
this movement.
The gun is also adapted to be discharged in different horizontal directions
for which purpose the frame A is formed with a gudgeon or pivot a that is
supported in a pedestal M bolted to the deck N and I may arrange the part a³
of the frame to receive a marlin spike for turning the frame round in a com-
plete or partial circle to meet the desired direction, in which position it is locked
by a screw O passed through the pedestal M to engage the pivot a¹. As will
be understood, other mechanism or means may be applied for effecting this,
and the vertical, adjustment.
Although I have described herein and shown on the accompanying drawings
only one arm e, there may be two or more, their number being determined by
the number of discharges desired for every revolution of the disc E, while the
inlet b may be situated at other points in the casing besides that represented.
Further, the disc E may be replaced by an arm or arms keyed on and revolving
with the shaft F, but I prefer the arrangement described and illustrated since
it conduces to strength and allows of the fitment of a plurality of arms e.
I have explained the arrangement of my improved gun on the deck of a war-
ship, but as before stated, it is applicable for use in other situations in which
case its mounting is varied to suit; for instance, when placed on a field carriage,
there is no necessity to provide for the revolution of the frame A whose shape

page_text: and construction is decided by the use and the kind of power adopted for driving
the disc E.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a machine gun, the combination of a disc, fixed on a revoluble shaft
and having peripheral arms or projections, with a casing or cover enclosing
the disc and furnished with an inlet and an outlet for the shots or projectiles
fed or delivered at the circumference of the casing in such manner that as the
disc revolves its arms or projections engage or make contact with and discharge
them, substantially as set forth.
2-The combination of the various parts constituting the improved machine
gun, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially in the manner herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.