A New or Improved Gun for Alarm Signalling and Similar Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 10th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Gun for Alarm Signalling and Similar Purposes.
We GUSTAV ZIMMERMANN, Pensioned Engine Driver of Rosenheim, Bavaria, and
JOHANN BAPTIST MICHIELS, Merchant of Brohl-on-the-Rhine, Prussia, 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 improved alarm gun is intended to replace the small inortars hitherto used for
firing blank cartridges as signals or for festivities etc. and which had many
inconveniences causing frequent accidents. It is as easily to be operated as the
mortar generally used for these purposes and is absolutely secure against exploding
spark remains which would bring the new charge to a premature explosion; the effect
of detonation is greater than that of an ordinary mortar and further it is possible to
fire the shots much quicker. The discharge being effected by a spring operated or
other hammer stroke does not require fuzes or the like.
In the annexed drawing Fig. 1 shows this gun in longitudinal section, the closure
being put in but not yet turned.
Fig. 4 shows the same from behind without the closure.
Fig. 2 shows the closure in longitudinal section.
Fig. 3 shows its head side and Fig. 5 is a detail.
The last four figures are on a larger scale.
The body A which may be provided with a sound tube 6 for increasing the effect is
bored behind and provided with a groove as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The form of
the closure plate C corresponds to its exterior cut. This plate C fits exactly into this
cut and after having pressed the closure in, by a quarter turn in the direction of the
arrow, it is placed by means of the handle d in such a manner that its segments e
pass behind the projections f and the closure is fixed. In this position it can be fixed
by sliding in any securing pin or the like.
.
The charge can consist either of a cartridge with central fire system or of a
cartridge (or a detonating petard) which has not the nipple in the middle of its
bottom but sidewards. In the hereshown form of construction there is represented a
cartridge which is to be filled with cominon powder and allows of being used
repeatedly and the percussion cap of which lies in the centre of its bottom. In the
central fire system the closure body is bored and a striking pin g is seated in it, the
point of which pin pushes on the cartridge percussion cap and the other end of which
is provided with a handle for extending and bending the spiral spring h. When one
pulls on the pin, the spring his tensioned and is thus kept by an exteriorly fixed
spring detent i which engages a groove k of the pin. The ring is seated loosely
upon the pin but the projection g' is solid. Between gland is thus produced a
small free space which allows that the point of the pin which must advance sufficiently
far can be pressed back by the cartridge at the charging and closing without having
to overcome any tension. When the pin is loosened, it is thrown by means of the
power of the spring over the dead free space and with force into the percussion cap
so that the explosion is effected. It is effected by bending the spring i by means of
a string m or the like, so that the pin and the spiral spring are disengaged from this
tension position. The tension of the spiral spring can be regulated by means of the
closure screwnut n...

page_text: For cartridges or petards which have a percussion pin projecting from their
peripheries instead of the central fire system, the striking pin in the above described
form is not used but a rod to put in through a vertical bore (after the dotted line g
Fig. 1) to stand on the firing pin; it is then driven in by means of a haminer stroke.
When one desires to charge in quick succession or to facilitate the manipulation
and the cartridge is to be brought out automatically after having loosened the closure
without the usual manner of taking it out, the closure can be provided also with a
special cartridge extractor. The latter consists of two reacher-like petard hooks O
which are lying in the cap q fixed on the closure plate C by means of screws p or the
like, as shown in Fig. 5, from inside.
The cap cover has a pin r and each hook has a slot with which it lies on the pin
and can undergo a small straight displacement. The hook passing through a slot 8
of the cap ends outwards in the reaçher like head. In a groove of each hook lies a
band spring which pulls it always inwards. When the cartridge is placed into the
gun and the closure is slid after, the hooks when pushing on the cartridge wall escape
a little and then spring back again seizing the cartridge (Fig. 1). Hereby they enter
into holes of the gun-body so that they remain in their position during the quarter
revolution of the closure-body. Hereby the slots in the cap allow that the closure
can be turned and also the springs t can be displaced unhindered. Instead of these,
flat band springs, may also be used any other spring which in spite of the fixed position
of the hooks can make a revolution together with the closure.
When the closure is loosened and pulled out the hooks pull also the cartridge out,
and the latter can then easily be taken away.
This cartridge extractor can be used in the central as well as in any other fire
system.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. An improved alarm gum with turning breech block which consists of a block
plate C provided with a handle and shaped to two segments e which enter into the
similarly cut opening of the gun body and are turned in a groove of the same for
the purpose of their fastening.
2. In the turning breech block, under Claim 1, for the purpose of discharging, a
striking pin g which may be horizontal and influenced by the spring device h or
vertical and driven by a stroke on the cartridge or petard.
3. In the turning breech block, as under Claims 1 and 2, a cartridge extractor,
consisting of two spring operated hooks O for seizing the cartridge or petard and
extracting the same when the closure is taken away.
Dated this 20th day of April 1897.