Improvements in or connected with Safety Devices for Breech Mechanisms of Guns.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1898.
Complete Specification Left, 28th June, 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Safety Devices for Breech
Mechanisms of Guns.
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 inven-
tion (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried. Krupp, of Essen,
in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), to be as follows:-
Safety devices for breech mechanisms of guns have frequently been so con-
structed that they not only prevent the accidental firing of the gun, but also
guard against the accidental opening of the breech. For this latter purpose
these safety devices, when they are in their operative position, lock the locking
handle of the breech block (locking screw, pushing lever and the like). Such
safety locking devices being put into operation by hand, it frequently happens
that the safety locking is forgotten to be effected before the gun is limbered
up, and thereby an unintentional opening of the breech may take place while
driving.
This invention has for its object to provide a safety device which, upon the
breech being closed, will automatically lock the locking handle, either until
the gun is fired, or until the safety device is disengaged by hand.
The following is a description of the invention as applied to a horizontal
wedge breech mechanism for guns with a locking screw.
The mechanism constituting the safety device consists of a safety piece actuated
by a spring. The safety piece is formed with a guide pin, a safety boss and a
lateral part which carries a push knob. The safety device is arranged on the
breech of the gun in such a manner that the guide pin is mounted so as to be
capable of being moved longitudinally in a recess in the breech wedge; the
safety spring bears against and tends to move the pin outwards. When the
breech is closed and the trigger is in the position of rest, the spring causes the
safety boss to enter a notch provided in the locking screw. By this means
rotation of the locking screw and consequently the opening of the breech is
rendered impossible. The lateral part, (the front face of which is to some extent
inclined downwards), and the push knob, which is situated on the said part, are
guided in a suitably formed recess in the breech wedge. An arm provided on
the trigger is located in front of the lateral part and the arrangement is such,
that when the trigger is in the position of rest, its arm bears upon the end of
the lateral part. Upon drawing the trigger back for the purpose of firing, it will
slide with its arm along the lateral part and thus will force the safety piece into
the recess provided for its reception in the breech wedge.
The mode of operation is as follows: When the breech is closed and the trigger
is in the position of rest, the safety boss is in engagement with the notch in
the locking screw, thus securely locking the breech. Upon pulling back the
trigger for the purpose of firing the gun, the trigger arm pushes the safety piece
back into the recess in the breech wedge, the safety boss being thus moved
out of its notch in the locking screw, so that the breech may be opened. In

page_text: rotating the locking screw for opening the breech, the curved flange of the lock-
ing screw moves the trigger back into the position of rest, so that the trigger
arm moves out of the path of the safety part. When now, in again turning the
locking screw, so as to lock the breech, the notch in the locking screw coincides
with the safety boss, the latter will be at once caused by the pressure of the
spring to automatically enter into the notch, thereby safety-locking the locking
screw handle. If the breech has to be opened without previously pulling back
the trigger, the safety locking device is thrown out of operation by pressing upon
the push knob of the safety piece, and at the same time turning the locking
screw handle round.
1
ባበ
1
e
1000
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with Safety Devices for Breech
Mechanisms of Guns.
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 inven-
tion (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried. Krupp, of Essen,
in the Empire of Germany, 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:
-
Safety devices for breech mechanisms of guns have frequently been so con-
structed, that they not only prevent the accidental firing of the gun, but also
guard against the accidental opening of the breech. For this latter purpose
these safety devices, when they are in their operative position, lock the locking
handle of the breech block (locking screw, pushing lever and the like). Such
safety locking devices being put into operation by hand, it frequently happens
that the safety locking is forgotten to be effected, before the gun is limbered
up, and thereby an unintentional opening of the breech may take place while
driving.
1
This invention has for its object to provide a safety device which, upon the
breech being closed, will automatically lock the locking handle, either until
the gun is fired, or until the safety device is disengaged by hand.
The accompanying drawings illustrate this invention as applied to a horizontal
wedge breech mechanism for guns with a locking screw.
Figs. 1 and 2 are side elevations of the breech mechanism. Figs. 3 and 4
are horizontal sections on the lines I-II of Figs. 1 and 2 respectively.
Figs. 1 and 3 shew the breech mechanism safety-locked. Figs. 2 and 4 shew
the safety device disengaged. Fig. 5 illustrates a detail of the safety device.
The mechanism constituting the safety device, consists of a safety piece A,
Fig. 5, and spring 9. The safety piece A is formed with a hollow guide pin h,
a safety boss a, and a lateral part e which carries a push knob b. The cavity
of the guide pin h receives the safety spring g. The safety device is arranged
on the breech of the gun, in such manner, that the guide pin h is mounted so
as to be capable of being moved longitudinally in a recess in the breech wedge;
the safety spring y bears against and tends to move the pin outwards.
When the breech is closed, and the trigger is in the position of rest, the spring g
causes the boss a to enter a notch provided in the inner side of the breech crank
plate C. By this means rotation of the locking screw, and consequently the opening

page_text: of the breech, is rendered impossible. The lateral part c (the front face of which is
to some extent sloping towards its end) and the push knob b which is situated
on the said part e, are guided in a suitably formed recess in the breech wedge.
An arm & provided on the trigger D) is located in front of the part C, and the
arrangement is such that when the trigger is in the position of rest (Figs. 1
and 3), its arm & bears upon the end of the part c. From the drawings it will
be seen, that upon drawing the trigger back for the purpose of firing, it will
slide with its arm along the part c, and thus will force the safety piece into
the recess provided for its reception, in the breech wedge.
The mode of operation is as follows:-When the breech is closed and the
trigger is in the position of rest (Fig. 3), the safety boss a is in engagement with
the notch in the breech crank plate C, thus securely locking the breech. Upon
pulling back the trigger D for the purpose of firing the gun, the arm d pushes
the safety piece A back into the recess in the breech wedge (Fig. 4), the safety
boss a being thus moved out of its notch in the breech crank plate. C, so that
the breech may be opened. In rotating the locking screw for opening the breech,
the curved flange of the breech crank plate C moves the trigger D back into the
position of rest, so that the arm d moves out of the path of the safety part c.
When now in again turning the locking screw so as to lock the breech, the notch
in the breech crank plate C coincides with the safety boss a, the latter will be
at once caused, by the pressure of the safety spring y to automatically enter into
the notch, thereby safety-locking the locking screw handle. If the breech has
to be opened without previously pulling back the trigger, the safety locking
device is thrown out of operation by pressing upon the knob b of the safety piece,
and at the same time turning the locking screw handle round.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
An automatic safety device for breech mechanisms of guns, consisting of a
safety piece, located in the breech block, which piece is caused by spring pres-
sure to snap into a notch in the breech block handle, when the breech is locked,
and may be disengaged from the notch either indirectly, by means of the trigger,
when the latter is pulled for the purpose of firing the gun, or directly by hand.
Dated this 28th day of June 1899.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.