Improvements in Breech Mechanism for Ordnance.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 11th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 12th Oct.,
1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech Mechanism for Ordnance.
I GEORGE QUICK of 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 to an improvement in the Breech Mechanism for Ordnance
described in the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 4139 dated 24th March 1886..
The object of this Invention is to cause the breechscrew to be unscrewed and to slide
in its recess from the centre to one side of the gun by the continuous motion of the
breechscrew lever, and to slide the breechscrew back again and screw it up by the
reverse movement of the said lever, as described in the Specifications of my Letters
Patent No. 2251 dated 24th May 1881, and No. 1115 dated 10th January 1884, and
No. 17007 dated 29th December 1884.
To effect this object I screw the actuating lever to the rear stem of the breechscrew
I also cut a
and I form grooves in the said lever in which the firing lock can slide.
slot or groove in the stem of the breechscrew for the said firing lock to engage with or
withdraw from as and when required so as to lock the lever to the breechscrew
whereby the said lever may turn the breechscrew or revolve upon the breechscrew
without turning it as and when required. The firing lock is caused to engage
with the slot in the breechscrew or is withdrawn therefrom by means of a pin
affixed to the said firing lock, which pin works in a cam groove cut in the rear
face of the breech. The lever is fitted with a pin in one end of it adapted to
engage with a straight groove cut in the rear face of the breech to give the
necessary sliding motion to the breechscrew as described in the Specifications of the
before cited Letters Patent.
By this arrangement of the sliding lock the lever will be locked to the breechscrew
during one part of a revolution of the said lever so as to turn the breechscrew, and
during the other part of the revolution the lever will be free to turn on the breech-
screw and by means of the pin in the end of the said lever gearing into the straight
slot in the breech of the gun thereby impart a sliding motion to the breechscrew
without causing the breechscrew to revolve.
Dated this Eighteenth day of December 1888.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech Mechanism for Ordnance.
I GEORGE QUICK of Chipping Campden in the County of Gloucester, 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 to an improvement in the Breech Mechanism for Ordnance
described in the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 4139 dated 24th March 1886.
The object of this invention is to cause the breechscrew to be unscrewed and then
to slide in its recess from the centre to one side of the gun by the continuous motion
of the breechscrew lever, and to slide the breechscrew back again and then screw
it up by the reverse movement of the said lever somewhat as described in the
Specification of my Letters Patent No. 2251 dated 24th May 1881 and No. 1115
dated 10th January 1884 and No. 17007 dated 29th December 1884.
To effect this object I screw the actuating or breechscrew-lever to the rear stem of
the breech screw and I form grooves in the said lever in which the firing lock can
071

page_text: slide. I also cut a slot or groove in the stem of the breechscrew for the said firing
lock to engage with or withdraw from as and when required so as to lock the
breechscrew lever to the breechscrew whereby the said lever may turn the breech-
screw, or revolve upon the breechscrew without turning it as and when required.
The firing lock is caused to engage with the slot in the breechscrew or is with-
drawn therefrom by means of a pin affixed to the said firing lock which pin works
in a cam groove cut in the rear face of the breech.
The breechscrew lever is fitted with a pin in one arm of it adapted to engage with
a straight groove cut in the rear face of the breech to give the necessary sliding
motion to the breechscrew as described in the Specification of the before cited
Letters Patent No. 2251 of A.D. 1881.
By this arrangement of the sliding lock the breechscrew lever will be locked to
the breechscrew during one part of a revolution of the said lever so as to turn the
said breecbscrew and during the other part of the revolution the lever will be free to
turn on the breechscrew and by means of the pin in the end of one arm of the
said lever gearing into the straight slot in the breech of the gun thereby impart
a sliding motion to the breechscrew without causing the breecbscrew to revolve.
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
Drawings and shall now refer to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the rear end of the breech of a gun with the breech
closed and locked ready for firing.
Figure 2 is a similar elevation of the rear end of a gun with the breech open ready
for loading.
Figure 3 is a vertical section at wx of Fig. 1 showing the percussion lock G
engaged with the stem of the breech screw B.
In these Figures similar reference letters indicate corresponding parts.
A is the body of the gun; B is the breechscrew; C is the breechscrew lever which
is screwed into the stem or rear end of the breechscrew; D is the locking lever
jointed to the breechscrew lever C which locking lever actuates the breechscrew
lever and secures it to the gun when the breechscrew is finally screwed up; E is
the sliding casing which supports and partly covers the breechscrew B; F is the slot or
recess in the gun in which the breechscrew B and its casing E slide; and G is the
percussion lock which slides in grooves formed in the breechscrew lever C.
a is a pin with spiral spring fitted to the percussion lock G and a¹ is the slot in
the breechscrew lever in which the pin a moves; a³ is a cam groove cut in the gun
which cam groove moves the said pin a as the lever is moved and thus causes the
percussion lock G to slide in the said lever and to cover and uncover the vent, and
to connect the lever with or free it from the stem of the breechscrew B; b is a
projecting stop on the gun on the left hand side of which a screw-like surface is
formed against which the lug 61 (on the locking lever D) having a corresponding
screw-like surface on its right hand side abuts so as to arrest the locking lever and
breechscrew lever at the proper position in closing the breech of the gun; c is a
portion of a male screw thread formed on one end of the locking lever D and c¹ in
Fig. 2 is a portion of a female screw thread cut in the breech of the gun to
receive the male screw thread c by which means the breech screw is with great
force caused to turn through a very small part of a revolution both when screwing
up and when unscrewing and by this means also the breechscrew is securely locked
in its place when the said breechscrew is completely screwed up and the gun is ready
for firing; d is a stop pin fitted in the breechscrew lever to arrest the locking
lever D at the proper position when the breech is to be opened so as to prevent
the locking lever rubbing against the gun; e is a spring catch fitted in the breech-
screw lever C to hold the locking lever in position when it is turned down as shown
in Fig. 1 and the breech is completely closed; f is the pin (shown by a dotted circle
in Figs. 1 and 2) secured in the end of one arm of the lever and f¹ is the
curved and straight groove formed in the gun for the pin f to move in g in
Figs. 2 and 3 is a slot or recess cut in the stem of the breechscrew B into and

page_text: out of which slot the lock G slides and thus secures the lever C to, or permits it
to turn on, the screwed stem of the breechscrew B as and when required-te lock G
being moved in or out of gear by the action of the cam groove a' on the pin a as
before described.
In Figures 1 and 2 h is a stop pin screwed into the gun to prevent the breechscrew
being moved too far out of the gun. By removing this stop h the whole of the
breechscrew and its attachments can be taken out of the gun. In Figure 3 k is
the vent sealing primer secured in its place by the sliding lock.
The action of the mechanisin is as follows:-To open the breech (see Fig. 1) the
locking lever D is lifted up until it is stopped by the pin d-by this lifting up motion
the male screw thread c acting in the female screw throad c starts with great force
the breechscrew into motion very slowly thus overcoming any tendency the said
breechscrew may have to jamm. When the locking lever is stopped by the pin d the
male screw thread c ceases to be engaged with the female screw thread c (shown
in Fig. 2) and the breechscrew and lever can now be easily turned by the locking
lever D through a quarter of a revolution-the breechscrew and its lever C being
locked together by the sliding lock G. But the pin a working in the cam groove a
has been withdrawing the sliding lock G from over the vent and also from the
slot g in the stem of the breechscrew so that on the completion of the quarter of a
revolution the breechscrew lever C is free to revolve on the screwed stem of the
breechscrew so that the continued rotation of the lever will not cause the breech-
screw to turn any further. There is moreover a stop (not shown in the Drawings
arranged to arrest the breechscrew at the proper position for sliding out in the
recess F. The pin f in the lever C having now come into the straight part of the
groove further motion of the locking-lever will force the breech screw outwards in
the slot F as shown in Fig. 2 and thus the breech will be opened ready for loading
and the vent uncovered by the continuous movement of the locking-lever D.
The reverse motion of the lever D forces the breech screw back to its place
opposite the powder chamber, the lock G is then by the action of the cam groove a*
on the pin a pushed into gear with the stem of the breechscrew so that the lever C is
locked to the said breechscrew and the two turn together until the stop b¹ on the
locking lever D butts up against the stop b on the gun, when the locking lever
is turned down causing the male screw thread c to gear into the female screw
thread c by which the breechscrew is completely screwed up with great force and
the locking lever is secured in its place by the spring catch d engaging in a small
recess formed for its reception in a projection or boss on the locking lever D.
It is evident that in those guns which are to be fired exclusively by electricity the
percussion lock may be dispensed with and a slide of metal may be substituted
therefor.
I have thus far described this invention as applied to guns of such size that no
multiplication of power would be required for operating the breechscrew lever
except that afforded by the locking lever, but for heavier guns for which more
power would be required for operating the breechscrew lever a rack and pinion with
crank lever would be employed-somewhat similar to that described in the before cited
Specification of my Letters Patent No. 4139 of A.D. 1886, Page 3, lines 31 to 39
and illustrated by Fig. 15. The rack must have a suitable curvature adapted to the
path described by the end of the breechscrew lever, but the application of this rack
and pinion gearing is so obvious that further description is unnecessary.
Having now fully described the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
strictly to all the details herein described as such may be varied somewhat without
departing from the principles of the said invention, but what I claim is :-
1st. The combination consisting of the gun having a transverse opening to permit
the breechscrew to slide therein, the breechscrew and casing as described, the breech-
screw lever screwed on the stem of the breechscrew, the pin in one end of said lever
to work in a cam groove in said gun, the percussion lock to slide in the breechscrew

page_text: lever to lock the same to the breechscrew, and the cam groove in the gun to actuate
the percussion lock.
2. The combination consisting of the gun, the breechscrew with casing, the
breechscrew lever, a sliding lock and the cam grooves in the gun together with the
locking lever as described for actuating the breechscrew lever and mechanism as
described.
3. The combination consisting of the gun the breechscrew with casing, the breech-
screw lever, a sliding lock and the cam grooves in the gun as described together with
a pinion in breechscrew lever, crank lever on pinion, and curved rack on the gun
substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this Ninth day of September A.D. 1889.