Improvements in Breech Loading Guns for Signalling and other Purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 16th Sept., 1895-Accepted. 16th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech Loading Guns for Signalling and other
Purposes.
I, WILLIAM BEAN of Rutland Brewery, Ketton, in the County of Rutland,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-1
The object of my invention is to construct simple and effective breech loading
guns for signalling and other purposes whereby simplicity of loading and firing are
effected.
In breech loading guns according to my invention I mount the barrel upon a
carriage having bearings to receive the trunnions of the gun; the breech of the
gun is bored and partially screwed internally, the threads being cut away on either
side of the internal screw to receive a breech block, which block is also partially
screwed, the threads also being cut away on either side so as to allow the breech
block to be slidden into position and then turned about a quarter of a revolution,
whereupon the screw threads engage one with another, thus securing the breech
block firmly in position when required. Passing centrally through the breech block
is the firing plunger or striker held in an inactive position by a spring, and the rear
end of the firing pin projects a sufficient distance to the rear of the breech block
to allow of its being driven in when struck by a hammer. Across the rear end of
the breech block, and between two projecting pieces or guides, I secure a cross piece
having a handle at one end and a forked part at the other, and the cross piece has
a central aperture to allow the rear end of the firing plunger or striker to project;
a collar on the firing plunger comes in contact with the cross piece and retains the
plunger in position.
Pivotted within the forked end of the cross piece is a hammer having a cord attached
to a projecting ring or loop on the hammer, such ring or loop being situated about mid-
way between the pivot and the striking surface of the hammer; this cord passes over
a guide wheel, located within the fork, so that a direct pull at right angles to the barrel
on the cord will operate the hammer. A spring is employed to retain the hammer in
a cocked position such a spring being conveniently secured to the forked end of the
handle and bearing against the side of the hammer. A safety pin is employed
which passes through the two rear projecting pieces of the breech block and in the
path of the striking face of the hammer, and thus protects the firing plunger from
being accidentally struck by the hammer.
The action is as follows:-The breech block having been removed, a cartridge
is inserted, the hammer is cocked and the breech block is then slidden into position,
turned a quarter of a revolution, and the gun is ready for firing, this firing being
effected by a pull upon the aforementioned cord; the breech block is then removed
and a ramrod is employed for removing the empty cartridge case.
Instead of inserting the cartridge and the breech block each separately, I may
form a recessed part in the forward end of the breech block, to receive say half the
circumference of the raised metal rim of the cartridge, the opposite edge of the
cartridge being retained by a spring catch secured to the breech block say by
screws or other convenient means, and thus the cartridge, together with breech
block, are inserted and extracted simultaneously, thereby obviating the necessity of
the employment of a ram rod. In the latter case when the cartridge is adjusted to
the breech block the two projecting ends of the breech block are essential to safety,

page_text: as without them the accidental falling of the breech block with its attached car-
tridge might, and probably would, result in an explosion, because the projecting end
of the firing plunger or striker would be exposed.
I generally form the bore of the gun of a larger diameter than the cartridge
commencing from the mouth of the said cartridge, and I taper the bore to the
muzzle, so that it is larger at the muzzle than near the mouth of the cartridge and
hy these means I am enabled to greatly increase the sound of the explosion, which
with guns used for signalling purposes is of especial advantage. When the car-
tridge is not adjusted to the breech block and therefore after firing is to be forced
outwards by the use of a ram rod, the shape of the latter should be such as to suit
the shape of the bore when the latter is formed as described.
Dated this 11th dow of Fahru 100%
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.
Improvements in Breech Loading Guns for Signalling and other
Purposes.
I, WILLIAM BEAN of Rutland Brewery, Ketton, in the County of Rutland,
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:-
The object of my invention is to construct simple and effective breech loading
guns for signalling and other purposes whereby simplicity of loading and firing are
effected.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a gun the breech block having
been removed;
Figure 2 is a rear end view, the breech block having been placed in position, the
dotted lines showing the breech block when ready for firing.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively side and end elevations of the breech block
removed.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section on the line y of Figure 4.
Figure 6 shows in section and Figure 7 in end view a part of a breech block
having means for affixing the cartridge thereto.
Similar letters refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawings.
In breech-loading guns according to my invention I mount the barrel A upon a
carriage B having bearings to receive the trunnions C of the gun; the breech of
the gun is bored as shown at Figure 1 and partially screwed internally as at A¹
Figure 1 the threads being cut away on either side of the internal screw to receive
a breech block D. This breech block D is partially screwed, the threads also
being cut away on either side so as to allow the said breech block to be slidden
into position as has been done at Figure 2 in the full line position and then turned
about a quarter of a revolution into the position shown by dotted lines at Figure 2,
whereupon the screw threads engage one with another, thus securing the breech
block D, firmly in position when required.
Passing centrally through the breech biock D is the firing plunger or striker E
held in an inactive position by a spring F clearly shown by the sectional view
Figure 5 and the rear end of the firing pin E projects a sufficient distance to the
rear of the breech block to allow of its being driven in when struck by a hammer.
Across the rear end of the breech block D, and between two projecting pieces or
guides D' D', I secure a cross-piece G having a handle G' at one end and a forked

page_text: part G2 at the other, and the cross piece G has a central aperture to allow the rear
end of the firing plunger or striker E to project; a collar E¹ on the firing plunger E
comes in contact with the cross piece G and retains the plunger E in position..
Pivotted within the forked end G² of the cross piece G is a hammer H, having a
cord J Figure 3 attached to a projecting ring or loop H' on the hammer, such ring
or loop being situated about midway between the hammer pivot H2 and the striking
surface of the hammer; this cord J passes over a guide wheel, located within the
fork G², so that a direct pull at right angles to the barrel A on the cord J will
operate the hammer H. A spring K is employed to retain the hammer H in a
cocked position such a spring being conveniently secured to the side of the forked
end G of the handle and bearing against the side of the hammer. A movable
safety pin L, Figs. 3 and 4, is employed, which passes through the two rear
projecting pieces D¹ D' of the breech block D and in the path of the striking face
of the hammer H and thus protects the firing plunger from being accidentally
struck by the hammer while the said safety pin L is in position.
The action is as follows: The breech block D having been removed a cartridge
is inserted, the hammer H is cocked and the breech block D is then slidden into position
Figure 2, turned a quarter of a revolution as shown by dotted lines Figure 2, and
the gun is ready for firing, this firing being effected by a pull upon the afore-
mentioned cord J; the breech block D is then removed and a ramrod is employed
for removing the empty cartridge case.
Instead of inserting the cartridge and the breech block D each separately, I may
as shown at Figures 6 and 7 form a recessed part in the forward end of the breech
block D to receive say half the circumference of the raised metal rim M of the
cartridge M', the opposite edge of the cartridge being retained by a spring
catch N secured to the breech block D say by screws or other convenient means,
and thus the cartridge M' together with breech block D are inserted and extracted
simultaneously, thereby obviating the necessity of the employment of a ramrod.
In the latter case when the cartridge is adjusted to the breech block the two
projecting ends D' D' of the breech block D are essential to safety, as without them
the accidental falling of the breech block with its attached cartridge might, and
probably would, result in an explosion, because the projecting end of the firing
plunger or striker E would be exposed.
I generally form the bore of the gun of a larger diameter than the cartridge com-
mencing from the mouth of the said cartridge, and I taper the bore to the muzzle, so
that it is larger at the muzzle than near the mouth of the cartridge and by these means
I am enabled to greatly increase the sound of the explosion which with guns used
for signalling purposes is of especial advantage. When the cartridge is not
adjusted to the breech block and therefore, after firing is to be forced outwards by
the use of a ramrod, the shape of the latter should be such as to suit the shape of
the bore when the latter is formed as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim as my improvements in breach loading guns for signalling and other purposes
is as follows:-
1. The combination with the internally screw threaded breech, the screw threads
therein being partially cut away, of a breech block having screw parts adapted to
be inserted and fixed in the breech by a partial revolution, a spring plunger E in
the breech block, a cross piece G on the breech block fitted with a handle at one
end for rotating the block, and a pivotted hammer H at the other end, a cord or
the like for operating the hammer to strike the firing plunger E, and a spring to
retain the hammer H in its back position before being operated all substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. The combination with the arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, of the rear
projecting parts D' D' on the breech block, and the safety pin L substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 3. The means whereby the cartridge is affixed to the breech block D substantially
as described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The general combination and arrangement of parts composing my improve-
ments in breech loading guns for signalling and other purposes all constructed and
acting substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st dow of dan 1008
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.