Improvements in or connected with Horizontal Wedge Breech Closing Mechanism for Guns or Ordnance.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 15th Jan., 1898
CODE 7
Improvements in or connected with Horizontal Wedge Breech
Closing Mechanism for Guns or Ordnance.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me from abroad by the firm of Fried. Krupp of Essen, in the
German Empire, Cast Steel Manufacturers) and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement.
This invention for improvements in or connected with horizontal wedge breech-
closing mechanism primarily relates to the mounting of the locking screw all as
liereafter described.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the breech-closing
mechanism (breech being closed), and the locking screw being shewn in section
on the line A B of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a plan of the breech-closing mechanism (breech closed). The metal
of the gun barrel is shewn partly in section in order to expose the locking screw.
Figure 3 is a similar side elevation of the breech-closing mechanism to that
shewn at Figure 1 (the breech being open, that is to say, the locking screw is
rotated through 180°); the locking screw is shewn in section at Figure 3 on the
line A B of Figure 4).
Figure 4 is a plan view of the breech closure as at Figure 2, the breech being
open, that is to say, the locking screw is rotated through 180°; the metal of the
gun barrel at Figure 4 is shewn partly in section as it is at Figure 2 in order to
expose the locking screw.
Figures in the left hand view is a side elevation as in Figures 1 and 3, and
the right hand view, the rear elevation of the breech closure. The lower illustra-
tion of Figures 5 shews a horizontal section on the line CD of the upper illustra-
tion. Figures 6 shews several illustrations of the locking screw detached.
The locking screw is mounted with its end journal a and its one-sided
shoulder in the breech wedge F (Figures 2 and 4).
The invention relates to the mode of mounting or supporting the locking screw
by means of the one-sided shoulder b. For the sake of clearness the shoulder b
is shewn hatched in Figures 1 to 4 and 6.
The shoulder of the locking screw E has the shape of a cylindrical hoop of
which slightly more than half is cut away in the direction of the periphery
(Figure 6).
In the breech wedge (Figure 5) there is first bored, from the right hand front
end, a hole of the diameter of the shank or spindle of the screw threaded portion
of the locking screw. Then the said hole is under cut at a small distance from
the front end of the breech wedge, and the left half of the hoop remaining at the
front end of the breech wedge is removed, thereby producing the semi-circular
hoop c (left hand view and section on the line CD, Figure 5).
Between the locking screw and the breech wedge there is thus formed a sort of
bayonet ioint

page_text: When the breech is open, and when the shoulder b of the locking screw E is in
such a position that the shoulder is situated opposite to the recess or cut-out portion
in the breech wedge, the locking screw can be introduced into the latter.
When the breech is closed (Figure 1), only a small portion of the shoulder b
is situated behind the remaining part hoop of the breech wedge.
When the breech is opened (by axial rotation of the locking screw through 180°)
the shoulder b of the locking screw is situated almost wholly behind the remaining
hoop of the breech wedge (Figures 3 and 4). When the breech is open the
breech wedge can therefore be drawn out by any pulling action that may be
exerted on the locking screw or the breech crank (Figure 4).
The locking screw E can be removed from the breech only when the breech is
open and the breech block is drawn out, by rotating the locking screw from left
to right to such an extent that the hoop is brought again opposite to the recess
in the breech wedge.
By means of this invention, the breech plate, which is usually bolted to the front
end of the breech wedge, and which is otherwise necessary, can be dispensed with,
whereby a considerable simplification of the construction of the breech closure is
effected.
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:-
-
A horizontal wedge breech closure or block for guns, or ordnance, in which a
one-sided locking shoulder or collar 6 provided on the locking screw E engages in
an undercut groove in the breech wedge after the fashion of a bayonet joint, in
such a manner that the insertion and removal of the locking screw is only possible
when the breech is open, and the breech block is drawn out, substantially as
described.
Dated this 4th day of November 1807
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.