Improvements in Breech Loading Guns having Vertically Sliding Breech Blocks.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 27th Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 13th Jan., 1888
Improvements in Breech Loading Guns having Vertically Sliding
Breech Blocks.
I, WILHELM LORENZ, of Westendstrasse 44, Karlsruhe in the Grand-Duchy of
Baden, German Empire, Engineer and Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to breech loading guns having closing mechanism with
vertical wedge action, that is to say in which a vertically sliding breech block is moved
downwards for opening the cartridge chamber, and upwards for closing the same, in
which position it is held by a wedging action.
My present invention has for its object to utilise the recoil or other motion of the
gun in firing to effect automatically the opening movement of the breech block and in
some cases also, the closing movement.
In utilising the motion of guns that are so mounted as to drop at the muzzle after
firing, the breech block is for the purpose of my invention held in such manner by a
suitable contrivance connected to the gun carriage, that on the sinking of the gun's
muzzle and consequent rising of the breach, this draws itself away from the block to
such an extent as to cause the cartridge chamber to be uncovered thereby.
The extent of this relative motion of the two parts can be limited by any suitable
means such as a spring or other catch or a collar or projection on the breech block
coming in contact with a stop on the gun, and the breech block of the gun may be
retained in the raised position by any suitable locking arrangement, on releasing which
it will of itself sink down upon the breech block and thus automatically close the
cartridge chamber again.
For utilising the recoil of the gun for the above purpose, the vertically sliding
breech block is held in its closed position by a catch, bolt, or other known locking

page_text: device, connected to a part of the gun carriage, on which the gun with its breech
block is free to slide backwards to a certain extent on firing, so that on such motion
taking place, the block is freed from the locking device; and can sink down by gravity
so as to uncover the cartridge chamber. The extent to which the breech block sinks
may be limited by a catch or other device as in the previous case, so that part thereof
remains in the breech of the gun, and can therefore readily be raised therein again to
effect the closing movement.
The recoil of the gun upon its carriage being made to compress a caoutchouc buffer,
spring, or other opposing resistance that will react when the force of recoil is expended,
so as to bring the gun and breech block back into their original position relatively to
the before mentioned breech locking mechanism, so that on raising the breech block
again, it will be locked in the closed position thereby.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech Loading Guns having Vertically Sliding
Breech Blocks.
I, WILHELM LORENZ of Westendstrasse 44 Karlsruhe in the Grand Duchy of
Baden, German Empire, Engineer and Manufacturer 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 breech loading guns having closing mechanism with
vertical wedge action, that is to say in which a vertically sliding breech block is moved
downwards for opening the cartridge chamber, and upwards for closing the same, in
which position it is held by a wedging action.
My present invention has for its object to utilise the recoil or other motion of the
gun in firing to effect automatically the opening movement of the breech block and in
some cases also, the closing movement.
In utilising the dropping motion of guns at the muzzle after firing, the breech
block is, for the purpose of my invention, held in such manner by a suitable con-
trivance connected to the gun carriage, that on the sinking of the gun's muzzle and
consequent rising of the breech, this draws itself away from the block to such an
extent as to cause the cartridge chamber to be uncovered thereby.
The extent of this relative motion of the two parts may be limited by any suitable

page_text: means such as a spring or other catch or a collar or projection on the breech block
coming in contact with a stop on the gun, and the breech of the gun may be retained
in the raised position by any suitable locking arrangement, on releasing which it will
of itself sink down upon the breech block and thus automatically close the cartridge
chamber again.
For utilising the recoil of the gun for the above purpose, the vertically sliding
breech block is held in its closed position by a catch bolt, or other known locking
device, connected to a part of the gun carriage, on which the gun with its breech
block is free to slide backwards to a certain extent on firing, so that on such motion
taking place, the block is freed from the locking device, and can sink down by gravity
so as to uncover the cartridge chamber. The extent to which the breech block sinks
may be limited by a catch or other device as in the previous case, so that part thereof
remains in the breech of the gun and can therefore readily be raised therein again to
effect the closing movement.
The recoil of the gun upon its carriage is made to compress a caoutchouc buffer,
spring or other opposing resistance that will react when the force of recoil is expended
so as to bring the gun and breech block back into their original position relatively to
the before mentioned breech locking mechanism, so that on raising the breech block
again, it will be locked in the closed position thereby.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawings shew diagramatically two arrange-
ments for carrying out the above described invention. Fig. 1 shews a gun A dropping
at its muzzle after firing with vertically sliding breech block B.
In the horizontal position of the gun shewn in full lines, the breech block is in the
closed position.
The arrow I is intended to indicate that it is held in some way by a connection with
the gun carriage. On the gun dropping at the muzzle in turning on its trunnions a
the breech end of the same rises in the direction of arrow II into the dotted position,
in which it is held by any suitable means, while at the same time, as the breech
block B remains in its original position, the cartridge chamber b is opened so that a
fresh charge can be introduced into the gun as indicated by Fig. III.
Upon releasing the device that holds the gun in the raised position this sinks down
into the horizontal position again owing to the preponderance of the breech, thereby
causing the breech block to close the cartridge chamber again.
Figs. 2 and 3 shew a gun A' with vertically sliding breech block B¹, that is free to
recoil in its horizontal position on the carriage.
Fig. 2 shews the gun in the loaded position in which the breech block is held in the
closed position by a catch or fastening C. The arrow 1 indicates that the catch C is
connected in any suitable way with the gun carriage.
On firing, the gun recoils through the distances in the direction of arrow II and
assumes the position shewn in Fig. 3, so that the breech block B' in receding with
the gun is released from the catch C, so that it can sink down by gravity in the
direction of arrow III, thereby opening the cartridge chamber band allowing of the
charging of the gun as indicated by arrow IV.
The breech block can then be raised into the closed position again by any suitable
means such as a lever d, as indicated by arrow V in which position it is again secured
by the catch on the running forward of the gun.
Fig. 4 shews a side view and Fig. 5 an end view of a construction for carrying out
the first above described mode of operating.
The breech block B is pivotted to the adjusting screw I connected at its lower end
to the gun carriage and serving at the same time to support and elevate the gun
which rests at bottom on the supporting shoulder of the breech block.
On firing, the breech of the gun in rebounding upon its support rises into the
dotted position while the breech block remains stationary, being held by the screw I,
so that the chamber b is open to receive a fresh charge, the gun being temporarily held
in this position by a catch C on the gun entering a notch in the breech block. After
charging, the catch is withdrawn and the gun drops over the breech block again.
Fig. 6 shews a construction for carrying out the second above described mode of

page_text: operating. The trunnions a of the gun are in this case mounted on links D supported
at their lower ends on trunnions a' on the carriage, and held in position by a suitable
buffer cylinder E for bringing the gun back into its original position, after the recoil.
The breech block B₁ is connected by a rod d¹ to a lever d on the gun carriage, and
is held in the closed position by a sliding catch C on the underside of the gun to
which is pivotted a rod I the other end of which fits with a semicircular hollow on
the trunnion a' so as to hold the catch while engaged with the breech block.
On firing, the gun recoils on its carriage through the distance S, and also rebounds
upon its support at the breech (not shewn) so as to assume the dotted position.
The catch C being held by the rod I, the breech block becomes disengaged therefrom,
and consequently drops by gravity into the dotted position. After loading, the breech
block is raised into the closed position by the lever d and on the gun resuming its
original position, the catch C again engages with the breech block.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. Effecting the automatic opening of the vertically sliding breech block of a gun
by securing the breech block to the gun carriage so that on the muzzle of the gun
dropping on firing, the breech end in rising causes the breech block to uncover the
cartridge chamber substantially as herein described.
2. Effecting the automatic opening of the vertically sliding breech block of a gun
by holding the breech block in the closed position by a catch or other fastening
connected to the gun carriage, so that on the horizontal recoil of the gun upon its
carriage on firing, the breech block being released from the catch will drop so as to
uncover the cartridge chamber substantially as herein described.
Dated this 27th day of September 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.