Improvements in Automatic Guns.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th F b., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Guns.
We, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, of Crayford Works, Crayford, in the County
of Kent, Mechanical Engineer, and LOUIS SILVERMAN, of Crayford Works,
Crayford, in the County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to automatic guns of the kind or class now well known as
the Maxim gun wherein the force of recoil is utilized for performing the cycle of
operations required to load and fire the gun, and extract and eject the spent
cartridge case.
The object of the present invention is to so modify the construction of the gun,
chiefly with reference to the crank arm and the fulcrum therefor as to make it
better adapted for firing cartridges having the small bullets and smokeless powder
now coming into more general use. With such modern cartridges it has been
found that the recoil force is not sufficiently powerful to work with certainty the
gun as heretofore constructed.
According to our invention we provide a crank arm of a peculiar curved shape
and which is adapted during the recoil and return movements of the barrel to slide
over a roller which forms the fulcrum for turning the said crank arm about its
shaft. During the recoil movement, the tail of the said crank lever slides over the
above-mentioned roller and the crank arm is thereby given a very rapid rotary
movement about its shaft. In the gun as heretofore constructed this rotary move-
ment is taken up by a spring, but according to our invention we utilize such motion
for effecting or assisting the return movement of the barrel. For this purpose, the
crank arm is so shaped that the continued rotation thereof after the force of recoil
is spent brings the near or inside portion of the said arm into contact with the
roller, and this part then acting as the fulcrum the pressure of the arm upon the
roller, causes or assists in causing the barrel and inner frame to return to the firing
position. With this peculiar construction we are enabled to fire the gun with a
considerably greater pressure upon the crank handle than has heretofore been
admissible.
This attachment applies to those guns wherein the barrel recoils, or is driven
back by the escaping gases.
ני
201
$11000

page_text: Improvements in Automatic Guns.
We, HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM, Mechanical Engineer, and LOUIS SILVERMAN
Engineer, both of Crayford Works, Crayford, in the County of Kent, 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 automatic guns of the kind or class now well known as
the Maxim gun, wherein the force of recoil is utilized for performing the cycle of
operations required to load and fire the gun, and extract and eject the spent
cartridge case.
The object of the present invention is to so modify the construction of the gun,
. chiefly with reference to the crank arın and the fulcrum therefor, as to make it
better adapted for firing cartridges having the small bullets and smokeless powder
now coming into more general use. With such modern cartridges it has been found
that the recoil force is not sufficiently powerful to work with certainty the gun as
heretofore constructed.
In order that our said invention may be more clearly understood we will now
proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings,
wherein,
Figure 1 illustrates, in side elevation, a Maxim gun, with improvements according
to our invention applied thereto, and
Figure 2 is a plan view of the weapon illustrated in Figure 1.
Like reference-letters indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.
A is a casing within which the breech-mechanism of the gun is contained. B is
the barrel-casing, and C is the end of the barrel protruding therefrom. D is a
crank shaft connected with parts of the weapon that, as is usual in the Maxim guns,
recoil after a discharge.
A¹ is a slot in the casing A, in which a block E, carrying one end of the shaft D,
reciprocates during recoil and return of the barrel.
Fis a peculiarly-shaped crank-arm or lever secured upon the said shaft D, and
provided with a handle F' and a tail F.
G is a roller which turns upon a stud H fixed upon the outside of the casing A.
The said roller is situated in the plane of rotation of the crank arm F, which, when
the gun is not being operated, rests upon the roller as shewn, with its curved
edge in contact therewith. The said crank-arm or lever F and roller G are
important features of this invention, and the convex portion F¼ of the former is an
important detail thereof.
In the operation of the weapon, the block E with the shaft D moves to the
rear in the slot A¹ during recoil, and the crank-arm or lever F is moved rearwardly
therewith so that the surfaces F, F thereof ride upon the roller G, and the
shaft D approaches the said roller. By the approach of the shaft and roller the
latter is caused to effect a rapid rotation of the crank-arm or lever F in the direction
of the arrow in Figure 1, to operate the breech mechanism. In the gun as hereto-
fore constructed, this rotary movement is taken up by a spring, but, according to
our invention the continued rotation in the direction of the arrow, after the force
of the recoil is partially expended, but before the rearward movement of the
shaft D ceases, brings the tail F of the said crank-arm or lever into contact with
the roller G, at a point on the said tail near to the axis of the shaft, as shown in
dotted lines in Figure 1, and, in the final portion of the movement of the shaft D
towards the roller, the tail F is caused by the action of the roller thereon to
rapidly rotate the shaft D in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow in
Figure 1.

page_text: During the return movement of rotation of the shaft D the convex portion F' is
brought against the roller and by its action and also by the action of the under-
side of the crank-arm or lever, thrusts the shaft D forward in the slot into its
original position.
A stud or projection may be substituted for the roller G, and the form of the
lever F may be that which is most suitable for any particular case.
With this peculiar construction we are enabled to apply the force of recoil
more advantageously than hitherto, and therefore are enabled as aforesaid, to
operate the gun automatically with the moderate force of recoil resulting from
the use of small cartridges and smokeless powder, as efficiently as when larger
cartridges and ordinary powder are used in guns constructed as heretofore.
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 we are
aware of the Specification of Patent No. 2904 A.D. 1892 granted to Colombo
Ricci but what we claim is :-
1. In an automatic gun, the combination of the peculiarly-shaped recoiling
crank-arm or lever with a non-recoiling roller, stud or projection, substantially as
herein before described, for the purpose specified.
2. An automatic gun having our improvements incorporated therewith, substan-
tially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings, for
the purpose snecified
Dated this 13th day of February 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.