Improvements in or connected with Ordnance.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 24th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
'Improvements in or connected with Ordnance.
We, CHARLES FRICKE, Gentleman of No. 55, Crown Street, THOMAS HENRY
TURNER, Gunmaker, of No. 8, Butter Market, and BENJAMIN DUNN, of No. 33,
Crown Street, all of Reading, in the County of Berks, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in, or connected with, ordnance, and. has
for its object to construct guns or mortars in such manner, that they may be employed
for firing twin projectiles, and more especially, projectiles of that class described in
the Specification 'accompanying an application for provisional protection made by
us and bearing even date herewith.
For this purpose, we form the gun or mortar with two breech chambers and
two barrels arranged side by side, and suitably spaced, and we couple the firing
mechanism in such manner, that both barrels will be fired simultaneously, and we
thus render ordnance suitable for firing twin projectiles.
The discharging mechanism in connection with the two breech chambers isiso
constructed and arranged that it may be disconnected, thereby allowing each barrel
and its corresponding breech chamber to be used independently.
Dated this 10th day of February 1891
VAUGHAN & SON,
'Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Ordnance.
We, CHARLES FRICKE, Gentleman, of No. 55, Crown Street, THOMAS HENRY
TURNER, Gunmaker, of No. 8, Butter Market, and BENJAMIN DUNN, Gentleman,
of No. 33, Crown Street, all of Reading, in the 'County of Berks, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with ordnance, and has
for its object to construct guns or mortars in such manner that they may be employed
for 'firing twin projectiles, and more especially, twin projectiles of that class which
are connected together by a chain.
For this purpose, we form the gun or mortar with two breech chambers and two
barrels arranged side by side, and suitably spaced, and we couple the firing
mechanism in such manner, that both barrels will be fired simultaneously, and we
thus render ordnance suitable for firing twin, projectiles.
The discharging mechanism in connection with the two breech chambers is so
constructed and arranged that it may be disconnected thereby allowing each'barrel
and its corresponding breech chamber to be used independently.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more
fully to describe the same.
'DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. is acplan of a piece of ordnance constructed.according to our invention
and showing one breech.chamber open and the other closed.
Figure 2. is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 1.
showing the breech end of the gun to.an enlarged scale.
Price 8d 1

page_text: Figure 3. is a similar view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and
Figure 4. represents a twin projectile suitable to be employed in connection with
our invention.
a. represents the breech end of the gun, and a' represents the muzzle ends or
barrels thereof which are formed separate and coupled or spaced by means of a
strap or distance piece a³, or they might be connected by a longitudinal web or
otherwise.
The breech end a. of the gun is formed with two separate breech chambers a³
each furnished with a breech bush or flange a surrounding the rear of the charge
chamber a* and above the breech chamber is formed an opening a' into which is
loosely fitted a breech block b. which closely fits against the bush or flange at at
the rear of the charge chamber a* where it is securely held during the firing
of the gun.
The rear end of the breech chamber a' is threaded to receive a screw c, and this
screw c. is formed tubular and of such diameter as will admit of the charge
being introduced therethrough into the charge chamber a* during which operation
the screw c. must be retracted by means of the lever c¹ to release the breech block b,
and the latter must be withdrawn from the opening a³ as shown at the upper part
of Figure 1. and at Figure 2.
After the charge has been inserted into the charge chamber a", the breech
block b. is placed in the opening a into alignment with the bush or flange a of
the charge chamber when the screw c. is advanced until it forces the breech block b.
against the bush or flange a' and thus effectually closes the breech of the gun as
shown at the lower part of Figure 1. and at Figure 3.
-
In order to discharge both barrels of the gun simultaneously we employ the
usual vent holes a* or we might employ axial vent holes formed through the
breech blocks b. and we insert therein the well known friction tubes and connect
both of such tubes to one lanyard, as will be. readily understood, so that the one
action will discharge both barrels simultaneously, or we might employ electricity
and the necessary conductors for effecting this object.
By these means, both barrels may be discharged simultaneously or by discon-
necting the lanyard or other firing means from one of the friction tubes, either
barrel may be fired separately.
In cases where it is desired always to fire both barrels simultaneously,
we may employ one vent hole communicating by suitable ways with both charge
chambers a*.
The kind of twin or compound projectile that we propose to fire from this class
of ordnance is represented at Figure 4. and consists of two projectiles d, each
provided with an eye or swivel d' at its apex, to which eyes are removeably
connected by shackles to the ends of a length of chain d.
A compound projectile such as that above described will present a very extended
surface and will therefore exercise a great destructive influence upon any object in
its course, such, for example, as the masts and rigging or funnel of a vessel, or a
body of troops, and when the compound projectile is not required and the
projectiles d. are to be fired separately or for purposes of transport the chain may
be detached therefrom.
Although we have shown and described our invention in connection with a gun
or long barrelled piece of ordnance, it will be understood that it is equally
applicable to mortars.
By means of our invention, we are enabled at will either to fire twin or compound
projectiles by discharging both barrels simultaneously or to discharge each barrel
separately or both simultaneously with ordinary projectiles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
Ր.
LL
and

page_text: corresponding barrels substantially as herein shown and described and for the
purpose stated.
2. A piece of ordnance formed with two distinct breech chambers and
corresponding barrels and means for firing both barrels simultaneously substantially
as herein shown and described.
Dated this 10th day of November 1891.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.