Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Opening and Closing the Breech of a Gun.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 11th Nov., 1893-Accepted. 16th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Opening and Closing
the Breech of a Gun.
We, ANDREW NOBLE, C.B., late Captain of the Royal Artillery, of Jesmond
Dene House, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer, and CHARLES HENRY
MURRAY, of Elswick Works, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to guns in which the breech screw or block can be swung,
turned, or slid, out of its secure position in the gun and be afterwards returned to
the same place by the energy of recoil of the gun stored up and then allowed to act;
to open and close the breech during and after the time the gun runs out to the firing
position.
When the breech screw is made to turn to one side upon a hinge when the breech
is opened and when all the movements necessary to unlock withdraw and swing
open the breech are performed by turning the hinge pin, we provide the hinge pin
with a quick pitched screw thread and on some fixed part of the gun we provide a
nut to suit so that the hinge pin if pushed through the nut is compelled to turn
round.
In order to push the screwed hinge pin through the nut and so turn it round we
couple the end of the hinge pin to a slipper or block which fits in or on to an
inclined bar or groove. This incline we carry on a cylinder fitted with a piston
and piston rod. During the recoil of the gun the cylinder and incline move back
bodily with the gun, being driven by a lug or projecting piece on the cylinder.
The cylinder and incline are prevented from returning when the gun runs out by a
pawl which falls in behind a convenient projection on the cylinder. During the
running out of the gun the piston rod being fixed to the gun is drawn through its
cylinder and a powerful spring or springs are compressed between the piston and
one end of the cylinder.
Also, as the gun runs out, since the cylinder and incline are fixed by the pawl,
the sliding slipper or block on the end of the hinge pin is forced up the incline
whereby the necessary endway motion is given to the hinge pin to cause it to turn
on its axis and so swing round and open the breech of the gun. After the com-
pletion of the loading, the pawl by which the cylinder and incline were held back
may be withdrawn the compressed spring in the cylinder is then able to slide
the cylinder back along its piston rod carrying therefore the incline with it, and
drawing the slipper in the opposite direction and by turning the hinge pin closing
the gun breech.
The speed with which the breech is closed or opened may be governed and
regulated by the following arrangement. The piston is bored to form a channel
of communication from one side of the piston to the other for the liquid with
which the cylinder is filled. One opening from the central channel comes out to
the rear of the piston and the size of this opening is varied by a valve or plug
controlled from the end of the piston rod. The regulation of this valve affects the
speed of opening or closing throughout the whole movement. It will also regulate
the velocity of the gun in running out since when the gun runs out it draws the
piston from one end of the cylinder to the other.
The other opening from the central channel comes out well in front of the piston
and when it is desired to slowly perform any part of the movement of opening or
closing the breech of the gun we arrange that this opening shall be nearly covered

page_text: up at one part of the stroke so that the passage or channel shall be still further
blocked.
A. NOBLE.
C. H. MURRAY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically. Opening and Closing
the Breech of a Gun.
We, Sir ANDREW NOBLE, K.C.B., F.R.S., late Captain of the Royal Artillery,
of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Manufacturing Engineer, and
CHARLES HENRY MURRAY, of Elswick Works, Newcastle-on-Tyne, 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 relates to guns which after recoil are immediately run out again
by the operation of recoil springs and which also have a screw breech block mounted
upon a carrier hinged to the breech of the gun. For such guns the invention
provides automatic apparatus for opening and closing the breech. The pin passing
through the hinge joint is arranged to move longitudinally, and a fast threaded
screw and nut in connection with it then causes the hinge pin to turn. The hinge
pin is, by intermediate parts, connected with the breech block and its carrier in
such manner that the rotary movement of the hinge pin causes the breech block to
turn through the angle necessary to lock and unlock it and also moves the carrier
around the hinge pin to convey the breech block away from the breech of the gun
for loading and to replace it when the loading has been performed.
The longitudinal motion is imparted automatically to the hinge pin by means of
an incline.
The speed at which the breech block and the carrier are moved in closing the
breech is regulated by an hydraulic cylinder and piston; liquid contained in the
cylinder being compelled during the opening and closing movements to pass from
one side of the piston to the other by a passage in the piston rod of suitably
regulated dimensions. The cylinder also contains a spring, and the incline which
imparts longitudinal movement to the hinge pin is upon the exterior of the
cylinder.
The gun when it recoils carries the cylinder back with it compressing the spring
which the latter contains; the cylinder is then retained by a catch whilst the gun
runs forward and the hinge pin receiving movement, the breech is opened. After
loading the catch retaining the cylinder is released, the cylinder then goes forward
by the reaction of the spring, the hinge pin is moved in the contrary direction and
the breech of the gun is closed.
In the drawings annexed
Figure 1 is a side elevation and shows the breech end of a gun provided with
automatic mechanism in accordance with our invention.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation partly in section of the same.
Figure 3 shows a vertical section through the breech block and carrier and part
of the gun.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section and shows to a larger scale a portion of the
mechanism.
Figure 5 shows to a large scale the hinge pin and parts in immediate connection
therewith.
Figures 6 and 7 shows a detail.
a is the gun and bis the cradle in which the gun slides during recoil and in
running out by the reaction of the recoil springs with which a gun mounting of
this class is always provided, e is the divided screw breech block, is the breech

page_text: block carrier, it is hinged to the breech of the gun by means of lugs a' a' provided
on the gun to receive it. The carrier d supports the breech block upon a pivot
piece d and the breech block has a cavity in it into which the pivot piece fits.
The firing pin, as is seen in Figure 3 passes through the breech block c and the
pivot piece d¹.
It will thus be seen that the breech block is free to turn upon the carrier; it
is provided as is usual, with a segmental screw thread at by which it engages
with the breech of the gun, within which a corresponding segmental thread is cut.
e is the hinge pin, it has a rapid screw thread upon it at e¹ and it works through a
corresponding nut fixed upon the gun. 9 g are ball bearings for the carrier d.
h is a lever arm turning with the hinge pin but the pin is able to move longi-
tudinally through it. i is a slide block moveable horizontally in a recess in the
carrier d and connected by a link with the arm h. c is a pin projecting from
the breech block and entering a die which can slide vertically in an elongated hole
in the slide block i. This constitutes a suitable way of connecting the hinge pin e
with the breech block but others may be resorted to as is shown for example in
the Specification of the Patent No. 9989 in the year 1892. j is a spring catch
which when carrier d is not in contact with the breech of the gun engages with the
breech block and prevents it turning.
It will now be obvious that a partial rotary motion imparted to the hinge pin e
will serve to open or close the breech as the case may be. Thus if the breech be
closed and the pin e be so rotated as to move the arm rearward, then by its con-
necting link the arm draws the block i from left to right along the recess in the
carrier d in which it is contained. From this movement of the slide block ia
rotary movement of the breech block results, the pin c¹ and the die upon it being
engaged in a vertical slot in the slide block i. This movement continues for a
sufficient distance to unlock the breech block from the gun. Then the slide block i
comes to the end of its free path and the further movement of the arm h causes the
carrier d to swing rearwards carrying the breech block with it. In closing the
breech similar movements take place in reverse order.
is a shoe at the lower end of the hinge pin e, it is lodged in the inclined
guide groove l. The guide is formed upon the exterior of the hydraulic control
cylinder m which itself is able to slide longitudinally upon the gun. The cylinder m
contains a piston n and the hollow piston rod o passes through it. p is a spring
contained within the cylinder m. The piston rod is fixed to the cradle or gun
mounting at o' and the breech of the gun abuts on the cylinder at m¹; consequently
when the gun recoils the cylinder m moves rearward with it; the spring p is thus
compressed and liquid passes through the hollow piston rod and the perforations o³ os
in it, from one side of the piston to the other.
9 is a spring catch on the gun mounting which engages with the projection m² on
the exterior of the cylinder m and retains the cylinder whilst the gun moves
forwards as soon as the recoil is spent. The shoe k then advances from the rear to
the fore end of the guide groove and in consequence of the rotary motion thus
imparted to the hinge pin e the breech is unlocked and opened. The charge is then
put into the gun; the spring catch q is drawn down releasing the cylinder m which
moves forward, with the result that the breech is again closed and locked fast.
o is a screw plug for the regulation of the orifice o³. is a ring supported within
the cylinder m, it covers and partially closes the orifice o' at the time when the
carrier d approaches the breech of the gun and prevents the breech closing with
violence.
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 :-
1. In a gun in which a screw breech block is mounted on a carrier hinged to the
breech; the combination of a hinge pin with quick threaded screw and nut,
means for moving the hinge pin longitudinally through the nut and a connection

page_text: between the hinge pin and the breech block such that the rotation of the hinge pin
imparts to the breech block the rotary motion necessary to lock and unlock.it and
also to move the breech block with its carrier to and from the breech..
2. The combination as in the preceding claim of the gun, breech block, carrier,
hinge pin, screw and nut, connecting parts between the hinge pin and the breech
block and an incline automatically imparting endwise movement to the hinge pin.
3. The combination of parts consisting of the gun, the screw breech block, the
breech block carrier hinged to the breech of the gun, the hinge pin, the quick
threaded screw and nut, the arm turning with the hinge pin, the connecting links
between the arm and the breech. block the shoe upon the hinge pin, the incline
along which the shoe travels, the cylinder carrying the incline, the spring which is
compressed when the cylinder recoils with the gun, the catch which retains the
cylinder whilst the gun runs out and the piston and passages for liquid which
control the movement of the parts when the cylinder is released.
Dated this 20th day of October 1893.
A. NOBLE.
C. H. MURRAY.