Improvements in Electric Firing Gear for Rapid Firing and other Guns.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 24th Aug., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Firing Gear for Rapid Firing and
other Guns.
I, ANDREW NOBLE, late Captain in the Royal Artillery, of Jesmonddene House,
Newcastle on Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The objects attained by this invention are-
1. Increase of safety in the stowage of ammunition where the powder case and
projectile are made up together as in rapid fire guns.
2. Rapidity of fire and avoidance of necessity to cock the gun.
3. Simplicity of the breech mechanism by the avoidance of the cocking.
4. Absolute security against firing the gun prematurely or before the breech is
closed-this is attained by arranging the unlocking of the breech screw to break
contact with the battery and to make contact to earth with the firing needle.
An electric primer is fitted into the base of the brass cartridge case containing
the charge. This primer is made to suit a single wire-one end of the platinum
fusing wire making earth with the gun, the other end joining up to an insulated
wire in the base of the primer and which makes contact when the breech is closed with
This needle
an insulated needle which passes through the centre of the breech screw.
is pressed forwards by a spring to keep it in contact with the base of the primer when
the breech is closed. To the rear end of the needle a wire is attached which is
passed through a guard and attached to the end of an insulated pin which is made to
revolve with the locking lever of the breech screw and in revolving to make and
break contact with an insulated pin coupled to a wire passing to a firing key and from
there to a battery. When the locking lever is in the locked position the two insulated
pins are brought into contact and a current can be established to the firing key and
from there to the battery. When the locking lever is in the unlocked position the
insulated pin which turns with it is moved out of contact with the other pin and
brought into contact with a spring carried by the guard and so to earth thus
the first act of unlocking the breech screw renders the electric firing gear absolutely
safe.

page_text: The improvements are not only applicable where the electric primer is fitted into
the base of the cartridge case but are also applicable to guns of the ordinary type
fitted with the De Bange obturator or the Elswick steel cap. The head of an electric
primer is in this case made to slide into a V groove in the end of a firing bolt which
outwardly is similar to the firing bolts ordinarily used and which is held in the breech
in the ordinary way.
The primer is as just described made with a single wire one end making earth with
the gun and the other end joining up to an insulated wire in the base of the primer.
When the primer is pressed into the V groove at the end of the firing bolt this
wire is caused to make contact with the end of an insulated needle which passes
back lengthwise through the bolt. When the bolt has been inserted into its place in
the breech and has had a partial turn given to it to lock it in position a projecting
piece at the rear end of the needle is brought into contact with the end of an insulated
spring bolt carried by the back of the breech block. This insulated spring bolt is
coupled by a wire with a second insulated bolt with which a projection on a third
insulated bolt which is made to revolve with the locking lever is brought into contact
whenever the locking lever is turned into its locked position as in the arrangement
above described. This projection is also as in the arrangement just described brought
into contact with a spring to establish communication between the firing needle
and earth whenever the locking lever is turned into its unlocked position so that
it is impossible to establish accidentally a current through the needle when the breech
screw is unlocked.
Dated this 14th L
1097

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Firing Gear for Rapid Firing and
other Guns.
I, ANDREW NOBLE, late Captain in the Royal Artillery, of Jesmonddene House,
Newcastle on Tyne, Manufacturing 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 :-
In breech loading guns in which the breech is closed by a breech piece which has
segments of screw threads upon its exterior to interlock with corresponding segments
in the breech when the breech is closed I form the breech piece with an insulated
needle passing centrally through it. This needle is pressed forwards by a spring so
as when the breech is closed to bring its front end into contact with the base of the
electrical primer which is fitted into the base of the cartridge case.
This primer is made to suit a single wire-one end of the platinum fusing wire
making earth with the gun, the other end joining up to an insulated wire in the base
of the primer and which makes contact when the breech is closed with an insulated
needle which passes through the centre of the breech screw.
To the rear end of the needle a wire is attached which is passed through a guard
and attached to the end of an insulated pin which is made to revolve with the locking
lever of the breech screw and in revolving to make and break contact with an insulated
pin coupled to a wire passing to a firing key and from there to a battery. When the
locking lever is in the locked position the two insulated pins are brought into contact
and a current can be established to the firing key and from there to the battery.
When the locking lever is in the unlocked position the insulated pin which turns with
it is moved out of contact with the other pin and brought into contact with a spring
carried by the guard and so to earth thus the first act of unlocking the breech screw
renders the electric firing gear absolutely safe.
The improvements are not only applicable where the electric primer is fitted into
the base of the cartridge case but are also applicable to guns of the ordinary type
fitted with the De Bange obturator or the Elswick steel cap. The head of an electric
primer is in this case made to slide into a V groove in the end of a firing bolt which
outwardly is similar to the firing bolts ordinarily used and which is held in the breech
in the ordinary way.
The primer is as just described made with a single wire one end making earth with
the gun and the other end joining up to an insulated wire in the base of the primer.
When the primer is pressed into the V groove at the end of the firing bolt this
insulated wire is caused to make contact with the end of an insulated needle which
passes back lengthwise through the bolt. When the bolt has been inserted into its
place in the breech and has had a partial turn given to it to lock it in position a
projecting piece at the rear end of the needle is brought into contact with the end of
an insulated spring bolt carried by the back of the breech block. This insulated

page_text: spring bolt is coupled by a wire with an insulated pin which is made to revolve with
the locking lever and which is brought into contact with a second insulated bolt
whenever the locking lever is turned into its locked position as in the arrangement
above described. The insulated pin is also as in the arrangement just described
brought into contact with a spring to establish communication between the firing
needle and earth whenever the locking lever is turned into its unlocked position so
that it is impossible to establish accidentally a current through the needle when the
breech screw is unlocked.
The objects attained by this invention are-
1. Increase of safety in the stowage of ammunition where the powder case and
projectile are made up together as in rapid fire guns.
2. Rapidity of fire and avoidance of necessity to cock the gun.
3. Simplicity of the breech mechanism by the avoidance of the cocking.
4. Absolute security against firing the gun prematurely or before the breech is
closed this is attained by arranging the unlocking of the breech screw to break
contact with the battery and to make contact to earth with the firing needle.
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings hereunto annexed shew my invention applied
to a gun in which the breech piece is as in quick firing guns before designed by me
made of such a tapered form that when it has had a partial turn given to it to
disengage the screw segments which are upon it from the screw segments in the breech
it can be at once turned upon a hinge joint to one side of the breech without first
having to draw it back in a straight line.
This construction of quick firing gun is now well known.
Figure 1 is a vertical section and Figure 2 an end view of the gun-Figure 3 shews
on a larger scale the locking lever and parts in connection therewith the locking
lever being in its locked position and Figure 4 is a similar view with the lever in
the unlocked position.
A is the breech end of the gun with the shoulder piece B extending backwards
from it-C is the tapering breech piece and D the hinge joint at one side of the
breech end of the gun upon which the breech piece is turned to one side when the
breech is opened. E is the locking lever which is carried by the breech piece and
by which the breech piece is turned-F is part of a cartridge case with an electrical
primer G at the centre of its base and formed in the manner herein before described.
H is a needle passing centrally through the breech piece and pressed forwards by
a coiled spring as shewn so that its forward end may come into contact with the
rear end of the central insulated wire of the primer immediately that the breech is
closed I is an insulated wire passing from the rear end of the needle H through
a guard J to an insulated pin K carried at one end of the axis of the locking
lever E-L is an insulated spring bolt with the end of which the pin K is brought
into contact when the breech is closed and the locking lever turned into the locked
position M is an insulated wire passing from the bolt L to a firing key carried
at N on the shoulder piece of the gun-and by which it can be coupled electrically to
the wire O leading from one of the poles of a galvanic battery which may be carried
in any convenient position.
The other pole of the battery is coupled to the metal of the gun.
P is a metallic spring carried by the metallic guard J with which the pin K comes
into contact as the locking lever is being turned from its locked position so
putting the pin K into metallic contact with the gun and rendering it impossible
for any electric current to be passed through the primer of the cartridge.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 shew the invention applied to a gun the breech piece of
which carries a De Bange obturator at its front end.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the breech end of the gun and breech piece―
Figure 6 is a part end view. Figure 7 shews separately the locking lever and parts
in connection therewith the locking lever being in the locked position-Figure 8 is a
similar view with the lever in the unlocked position.
The parts which are similar to the parts used in the construction shewn at
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are marked with the same letters of reference. It will be

page_text: seen that the insulated needle H is made to pass centrally through a bolt Q which
like the ordinary firing bolt lies within the central stem of the obturator and is locked
therein by interlocking segments of screw threads as is usual with the ordinary firing
bolts. In the front end of the bolt is a V groove into which the head of a primer G
can be pressed when the bolt has been unlocked and withdrawn. When the firing
bolt has been inserted into its place and locked the primer lies as shewn within a
recess in the head of the obturator from which a passage leads to the front of the
obturator for the flash from the primer to pass through to the powder charge in the
gun when the primer is fired.
In the construction shewn, the front end only of the needle H is pressed forwards
by the coiled spring.
A short length only of the insulated wire M is shewn-the wire is as in the
arrangement shewn at Figures 1 to 4 led away to a firing key and the action of the
whole mechanism was described with reference to those figures.
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. In breech loading guns having a screw breech piece the combination of an
insulated needle passing centrally through the breech piece, and pressed forwards by
a spring an insulated wire connecting this needle with an insulated pin made to
revolve with the locking lever used for locking the breech piece and an insulated bolt
or conductor carried by the gun with which this pin is brought into contact when the
lever is turned into its locking position so that unless the locking lever is in this
position no current can be transinitted through the insulated conductor to the electrical
primer of the cartridge.
2. In combination with electrical firing gear of the above kind an uninsulated
metallic spring with which the insulated pin moved by the locking lever is brought
into contact as the locking lever is being turned from its locking position.
3. In combination with the breech piece of a gun fitted with a De Bange or other
obturator a bolt which is formed at its front end in such a manner that the base of an
electrical primer may be secured to it and which can be inserted and locked into a
central longitudinal aperture formed in the stem of the obturator and an insulated
needle passing centrally through the bolt and pressed forward by a spring to bring
its front end into contact with the central wire of the electrical primer."
4. Electric firing gear constructed substantially as herein before described and
illustrated at Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
5. Electric firing gear constructed substantially as herein before described and
illustrated at Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8.