Improvements in Quick Firing Guns and Mountings.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Mar., 18
Improvements in Quick Firing Guns and Mountings.
I. THORSTEN NORDENFELT, of 53 Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in quick firing guns and mountings.
The general arrangement of the gun and mounting is preferably such as is described
in the specifications of former patents granted to me; the gun is attached to a cross
head and with it is able to slide longitudinally in a cradle. The cradle is provided with
trunnions and these are held in bearings upon a forked pivot whilst the stem of the
pivot is received into a fixed socket or base in which it turns to admit of the gun being
trained upon the object. The elevation is obtained by turning the cradle in its bearings.
In order to check the recoil and to bring the gun back when the recoil is expended
two cylinders are formed in the substance of the cradle; their axes are parallel to the
gun. The cylinders contain pistons and also springs; they are charged with oil which
during recoil passes from one side of the piston to the other by grooves in the cylinder
walls. The piston rods extend rearward and are secured to a flange projecting down-
wards from the crosshead. Between the two recoil cylinders and with its axis at right
angles to them there is a brake cylinder. This cylinder contains a ram and it
communicates with the other cylinders. Thus the pressure set up by the recoil is
communicated to the brake ram which then operates against frictional locking surfaces.
The two sides of the cradle are connected in rear by a cross piece which is fitted to
its place with dovetails. On the cross piece are two arms projecting rearwards; that on
the left side carries the shoulder piece by the aid of which the gun is directed; the
other carries a handle and the trigger. It may here he observed that it is an important
feature of this invention that the trigger upon which the finger is pressed for the
purpose of firing the gun.is carried-upon the cradle and therefore. does not recoil on

page_text: firing as it would do, were it mounted upon the gun itself. The lock mechanism is in
the block which closes the breech of the gun and when the gun is loaded and the breech
closed and ready for firing the lock mechanism is within reach of the trigger cither
directly or indirectly through a trigger in the breech of the gun and the discharge
takes place when the trigger is pulled.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Quick Firing Guns and Mountings.
1, THORSTEN NORDENFELT, of 53 Parliament Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil 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 :-
This invention has for its object improvements in quick firing guns and mountings.
The general arrangement of the gun and mounting is preferably such as is described
in the specifications of former patents granted to me; the gun is attached to a cross
head and with it is able to slide, longitudinally in a cradle. The cradle is provided
with trunnions and these are held in bearings upon a forked pivot whilst the stem of
the pivot is received into a fixed socket or base in which it turns to admit of the gun
being trained upon the object. The elevation is obtained by turning the cradle in its 2
bearings.
In order to check the recoil and to bring the gun back when the recoil is expended
two cylinders are formed in the substance of the cradle; their axes are parallel the
gun. The cylinders contain pistons and also springs; they are charged with oil which
during recoil
passes from one side of the piston to the other by grooves in the cylinder
walls. The piston rods extend rearward and are secured to a flange projecting down-
wards from the crosshead. Between the two recoil cylinders and with its axis at right
angles to them there is a brake cylinder. This cylinder contains a ram and it com-
municates with the other cylinders. Thus the pressure set up by the recoil is
communicated to the brake ram which then operates against frictional locking surfaces.
The two sides of the cradle are connected in rear by a cross piece which is fitted to its
place with dovetails. On the cross piece are two arms projecting rearwards; that on the
left side carries the shoulder piece by the aid of which the gun is directed; the other
carries a handle and the trigger. It may here be observed that it is an important

page_text: feature of this invention that the trigger upon which the finger is pressed for the pur
pose of firing the gun is carried upon the cradle and therefore does not recoil on firing
as it would do, were it mounted upon the gun itself. The lock mechanism is in the
block which closes the breech of the gun and when the gun is loaded and the breech
closed and ready for firing the lock mechanism is within reach of the trigger either
directly or indirectly through a trigger in the breech of the gun and the discharge
takes place when the trigger is pulled.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereto annexed.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the gun and mounting; the shield is represented in
section.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation.
Figure 3 is a plan and Figure 4 a vertical section of the breech end of the gun.
The remaining figures show separate parts as indicated by the letters marked upon
thom.
In figures 1 and 2 a is a base of conical form bolted to a deck or other platform; it
has a socket at its upper end which receives into it the pivot or stem of the forked
picce band this can be locked fast to the base when desired by the hand screw c. 6¹ are
bearings on the piece b in which are held the trunnions d' of the cradle d.
By means of the hand screw d' the cradle can be locked fast with the pivot piece b.
The gun
is attached to the cross head which slides in the cradle. gg aro piston rods
attached to the cross head f they carry pistons g¹ g¹ contained in the cylinders d³ ³
formed in the substance of the cradle. Within the cylinders are coiled springs which
resist the rearward movement of the pistons; the cylinders also contain oil or other
liquid and are otherwise arranged to regulate the movements of the gun as is described
in the Specification of my Patent No. 1072 in the year 1882. Between the cylinders
dsds and at right angles to then a third cylinder d is formed and in this cylinder a
ram works which presses downwards upon the arc formed upon the pivot piece. The
cylinders are connected by passages so that when the recoil of the gun causes pressure
within them the pivot piece and cradle become locked together. I have described a
somewhat similar means of locking the pivot and cradle in the Specification of a former
Patent No. 11173 in the year 1885 but not with the three cylinders formed in the
substance of the cradle is a cross piece extending beneath the gun from side to side
and fitting with dovetails on to the back of the cradle- and h' are arms on tho
piece h. The arm A carries a spring shoulder piece such as is shown in my Specifica-
tion 1751 in the year 1886. The arm terminates in a handle marked i provided
with a trigger. The trigger j is upon an axis j¹ which also carries an arm. The
breech mechanism of the gun is of well known construction; it is shown in the
specification of my former patent No. 5451 in the year 1887 and need not now be
described in detail.
The act of opening and closing the breech brings the parts to the position in which
they are shown in Figure 4. The firing pin k is then held back by the sear lever
against the resistance of the spring m. The rear end of the lever / when the breech is
closed comes up into contact with the end of an arm n. The arm n is on an axis n¹
and this at its outer end next the handle i also carries the arm n², o is a bracket
piece fixed on to the end of the gun and in this the axis n' is held so that it is able to
turn. The arm n is sustained in the position in which it is shown in Figure 4 by a
light spring, o' is a tail piece on the bracket o which when the gun is forward engages
with the end of the arm 2. The arms and n³ are then in contact and practically
the axes and n¹ (which are then aligned) are coupled together. Consequently when
the trigger is pulled the arm n is depressed, the lever is displaced moving around its
fulcrum ; the firing pin starts forward and the gun fired.
By providing the trigger upon the cradle in place of as heretofore upon the gun or
parts carried thereby I avoid the shock on the hand which with former arrangements

page_text: has been experienced when the gun is fired. In other respects the firing mechanism
admits of variation without departing from my invention.
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 a quick firing gun mounting the cradle with three cylinders formed in its
substance viz. two recoil cylinders and between them a brake cylinder substantially
as described.
2. In a quick firing gun mounting the rearwardly extending arm upon the cradio
carrying a trigger for firing the gun substantially as described.
3. A quick firing gun mounting substantially as described and représented by the
annexed drawings.