Year: 1888

page_text: 1, GEORGE QUICK, of 2, Victoria Mansions, in the City of Westminster, Fleet
Engineer Royal Navy Retired, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
'
This invention relates firstly to an improvement in the form of breechscrew to be
used in that type of breechiloading ordnance in which the breech is closed by means
of a screw working in a guide or slot cut in one side of the gun as described in the
Specifications of my Letters Patent No. 4139 dated 24th March 1886 and No. 17113
of 31st December 1886.
This improvement consists in making the rear portion of the screwed part of the
breechscrew of a conical form so arranged that the least diameter of the conical part
shall form the rear end of the screwed part of the breechscrew, and the greater
diameter of the conical part shall be next to the cylindrical screwed portion which
forms the front part of the breechscrew. On this conical part a screw-thread is cut
to engage in a similar conical recess formed in the gun in which a corresponding
screw-thread is cut suitable to receive the said screw thread on the conical part of the
breechscrew. The screw-thread on the conical part must of course be of the same
pitch as the screw-thread on the cylindrical part of the breechscrew. I do not
restrict myself to any definite proportion between the length of the conical part of
the breechscrew and the length of the cylindrical part thereof.
The second part of my invention relates to an arrangement for opening and closing
the breech of heavy guns. In order to close the gun ready for firing a lateral
motion is first given to the breechscrew and the closing motion is completed by
a rotary motion for a portion of a revolution which motions are given by means
of a worm and screw combined. According to this part of my invention I fix a
toothed segment on or form it in one with the central boss of the breechscrew or
on a boss fixed to the same. Above this and at the proper distance therefrom I
mount a shaft in brackets fixed to the rear face of the gun and on this shaft I
mount a worm by means of a screw like slot of coarse pitch formed in the shaft
which receives a corresponding screw-like feather fitted in the worm, so that the
ID 1 1/1

page_text: said- worm may be made when required to move quickly upon the said shaft. The
periphery of the worm is of course adapted to engage with the toothed segment
on the breechscrew boss. I give motion to the shaft and worm and consequently to
the breechscrew by a crank-handle fixed to the extremity of the shaft or by a pair of
bevel wheels and crank handle or any other suitable mechanism.
.
In order to open and close the breech the operator will give the necessary
rotation to the shaft and the breechscrew will be unscrewed. Further movement
of the shaft will give the lateral motion to the breechscrew. by means of the
aforesaid coarse pitch screw-like slot imparting the lateral motion to the worm.
which in turn will force outwards the aforesaid toothed segment and breechscrew.
The third part of my invention consists in opening the breech by means of a pinion
mounted on the end of the said shaft and gearing into a rack secured to one part
of the gun-carriage which does not recoil. The gun can be loaded in the run-in
position, and when it is forced out to the firing position the breech will be auto-
matically closed by means of the rack acting in a reverse way upon the pinion on the
shaft.:
By this arrangement I obtain a slow but powerful first motion to unscrew the
breechscrew and a rapid after motion for effecting the lateral movement of the said
breechscrew..

page_text: Improvements in Breechloading Ordnance.
I, GEORGE QUICK, of 2. Victoria Mansions, in the City of Westminster, Fleet
Engineer Royal Navy Retired, 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 firstly to an improvement in the form of breech-screw to be
used in that type of breechloading ordnance in which the breech is closed by means
of a screw working in a guide or slot cut in one side of the gun. as described in the
Specifications of my Letters Patent No. 4139 dated 24th March 1886, and No. 17113
of 31st December 1886.
to
This improvement consists in making the rear portion of the screwed part of the
breech-screw of a conical form so arranged that the least diameter of the conical part
shall form the rear end of the screwed part of the. breech-screw and the greater,
diameter of the conical part shall be next to the cylindrical screwed portion which
forms the front part of the breech-screw: "On this conical part a screw-thread is cut
engage in a similar conical recess formed. in the gun in which a corresponding
screw-thread is cut suitable to receive the said screw-thread on the conical part of the
breech-screw. The screw-thread on the conical part must of course be of the same
pitch as the screw-thread on the cylindrical part of the breech-screw.
restrict myself to any definite proportion between the length of the conical part of
the breech-screw and the length of the cylindrical part thereof.
I do not
The second part of my invention relates to an arrangement for opening and closing
the breech of heavy guns. In order to close the breech ready for firing a lateral
motion is first given to the breech-screw and the closing motion is completed by a
rotary motion for a portion of a revolution, which motions are given by means of a
worm and screw combined.
According to this part of my invention I fix a toothed segment on or form it in
Above
one with the central boss of the breech-screw or on a boss fixed to the same.
this and at the proper distance therefrom I mount a shaft in brackets fixed to the rear
face of the gun and on this shaft I mount a worm by means of a screw-like slot or
slots of coarse pitch formed in the shaft which receives a corresponding screw-like
feather or feathers fitted in the worm so that the said worm may be made when
required to move quickly upon the said shaft. The periphery of the worm is of
course adapted to engage with the toothed segment on the breech-screw boss. I give
motion to the shaft and worm and consequently to the breech-screw by a crank handle
fixed to the extremity of the shaft or by a pair of bevel wheels and crank handle or
any other suitable mechanism.
In order to open and close the breech the operator will give the necessary rotation
to the shaft and the breech-screw will be unscrewed. Further movement of the shaft
will give the lateral motion to the breech-screw by means of the aforesaid coarse pitch
screw-like slot imparting the lateral motion to the worm which in turn will force
outwards the aforesaid toothed seginent and breech-screw by which the breech of the
gun will be opened.

page_text: The third part of my invention consists in opening the breech by means of a
pinion mounted on the end of the said shaft and gearing into a rack secured to
one part of the gun-carriage which does not recoil. The gun can be loaded in the
run-in position and when it is forced out to the firing position the breech will be
automatically closed by means of the rack acting in a reverse way upon the pinion on
the shaft.
Or as an alternative plan to the above arrangement I may mount a multi-threaded
screw on the gun in such manner that it can revolve freely and I fix a nut to
correspond with the multi-threaded screw on that portion of the gun-carriage or
cradle in which the gun recoils and which is therefore stationary during the recoil so
that on the gun recoiling with the multi-threaded screw the said fixed nut shall cause
the said multi-threaded screw to revolve. I provide a bevel wheel on the rear end of
the multi-threaded screw to engage with a bevel-wheel on the end of the worm-shaft
and thereby effect the opening and closing of the breech of the gun.
1 provide suitable means such as any well known hydraulic or spring or other
arrangement to store up and utilize the recoil of the gun and apparatus for
permitting the running out of the gun and the closing of the breech of the same
when re-loaded.
I do not claim any special kind of "storage recoil" gun-carriage but utilizo any
existing arrangement which may be found to be suitable.
By this arrangement of a worm mounted on a quick-threaded screw-shaft I obtain
a slow but powerful first motion to unscrew the breech-screw and a rapid after motion
for effecting the lateral movement of the breech-screw.
And in order that my invention may be thoroughly understood and carried into
practical effect I have caused to be annexed to this specification the accompanying
sheets of drawings and now refer to the figures and lotters of reference marked
thereon.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through part of the rear end of a gun showing the
improved form of breech-screw.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of the rear end of the said breech-screw.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the apparatus for effecting the opening and closing motions.
of the breach, motion being given to the worm-shaft by means of a crank handle, the
breech-screw sliding to the left hand side of the gun.
Fig. 4 is a similar view in which the crank-handle is replaced by a pair of bevel
wheels, the breech-screw sliding to the right hand side of the gun.
Fig. 5 is a section across the worm shaft.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the rear end of a gun provided with rack and wheel
mechanism for opening the breech of the gun by means of the recoil.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the rear end of a gun provided with an alternative
arrangement of nut and screw mechanism for opening the breech of the gun by
means of the recoil.
In all these figures similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is the breech-screw formed with a front cylindrical screwed portion B and rear
conical screwed part C which engage with corresponding cylindrical and conical
screwed parts B and C in the breech of the gun.
D is the toothed segment on the central boss of the breech-screw. E is the worm-
shaft fixed in brackets F. G is the worn adapted to engage with D. H is the
screw-like slot of coarse pitch formed in E, and I the corresponding screw-like feather
or feathers fitting in E and G.
In Fig. 3, J is the crank-handle for giving motion to the worm-shaft E.
In Fig. 4, K K are the bevel wheels for effecting the same object.
In Fig. 6, L is the pinion keyed at the end of the worm-shaft E. This pinion L
engages either directly or indirectly by means of intermediate mechanism with a
rack M fixed to a part M¹ of the gun-carriage which does not recoil and which is
elevated and depressed simultaneously with the gun. As shown N¹, N3, N³ and N
are the intermediate gear wheels fitted to a plate or bracket which is connected to the
gun. The gear wheels engage as shown whereby the backward motion given to the

page_text: gun by the recoil is multiplied and transmitted to the pinion L. The motion of
the various parts will, during the breech-opening movement, be in the directions shown
by the several arrows, but during the return or breech-closing movement in the
opposite directions respectively.
In Fig. 7, O is the multi-threaded screw mounted on the gun and P is the corre-
sponding nut fixed on that portion of the gun-carriage or cradle Q in which the gun
recoils and which is elevated and depressed simultaneously with the gun. R¹ and R²
are the two bevel wheels.
I do not bind myself to the exact arrangements shown in the accompanying
drawings as I may considerably vary the same without departing from the essence of
my invention.
Having now particularly described and illustrated the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. In breechloading ordnance of the type herein illustrated the breech-screw A
formed with a front cylindrical screwed part B and rear conical screwed part C (the
threads on being of the same pitch as those on B) substantially as described and
illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2nd. Hand-power mechanism for opening and closing the breech of guns con-
sisting of a worm mounted on a quick-threaded screw shaft substantially as described
and illustrated by Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. Automatic mechanism for opening and closing the breech of heavy guns
by means of the power developed and stored up by the recoil of the same, substan-
tially as described and illustrated with the aid of Figs. 6 and 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 27th day of February 1889.