IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Lloyd Wisc at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd February 1871.-A communication from abroad by Thomas
Wacha, Foreman of the First Class in the Cannon Foundry of the
Imperial Royal Arsenal of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the City
of Westminster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE," (a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Thomas Wacha, Foreman of the First
Class in the Cannon Foundry of the Imperial Royal Arsenal of Vienna,
in the Empire of Austria) to be as follows:—
This Invention relates to the construction of the breech. mechanism of
breech-loading ordnance, in such manner as to secure the breech block
or closing piece firmly in position without screwing or cross holes.
For these purposes a bored cylindrical breech block or closing pieco is
suitably slotted and provided with pivotted struts, which when the block

page_text: is in position for closing the breech take into and abut against the sides
of suitable grooves or recesses formed within the bore of the gun.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan view, partly in section,
shewing the manner in which the Invention may be applied; Fig. 2 a
section through the line 1, 2, of the preceding Figure; Fig. 3 a side
view partly in section, and Fig. 4 an elevation of the breech end of the
gun, with the breech mechanism in position.
The apparatus consists essentially in the slotted and partly bored
cylindrical breech block A and struts B, B, situated in the slot in the
breech block and working on the pins or pivots b, b. The struts B, B,
may have their outer sides turned. They are connected by the links d, d,
with the screw c, which is capable of endwise movement in the direction
of the axis of the bore. When the struts B, B, aro spread out, the
links d, d, assume a vertical position, but when the struts are drawn in
the links take the oblique position m, n, shewn in red lines. The
longitudinal movement of the screw e is effected by means of the crank
handle fixed on the female screw and turning round the shoulder of
the cylinder. The door O is bored to receive the cylindrical breech
block, and may be closed and opened by swinging on the hinge bolt a,
being fastened by the catch e, it is also provided on its outer end with
a jamb nut. The packing is effected by the metal ring D which is
kept on the cylindrical block A by the hollow screw E, and is drawn
out of the gun together with the block. The screw itself is packed in y.
For the purpose of the central priming there is set in the main cylinder
a nipple scat F lined with copper on its inner end, and passing between
the knobs v, v, so that the reception of the friction priming in the hollow
of the nut is secured. The abutments for securing the breech block
in the gun arc furnished by two grooves G, G, formed one on cach side
of the bore. The rear ends of the struts B, B, bear firmly against these
grooves while the fore ends or surfaces of the struts form abutments for a
the back part of the fore end of the block. In this manner the struts
serving to hold the breech block in position give it great stability.
When the gun is loaded and the breech is to be closed the axis of the
mechanism is to be brought into position in line with the axis of the
bore by means of the door C, and the block is to be pushed into the
breech until the shoulder pushes against the door C. The left-handed
female screw is now turned to the right hand by incans of the crank

page_text: handle fixed thereon, consequently the hollow screw c is moved
forward and the two struts B, B, are spread out into the grooves G, G.
Towards the end of the spreading movement of the struts the wedged-
shaped end of the screw c advances between them and relieves the
links d, d. The jamb nut with left-handed thread is to be turned a
little to the right hand in order to take up the back lash and steady the
struts against their abutments, whereupon the gun may be fired. After
firing tho jamb nut fis slackened, the struts B, B, are drawn into the slot
in the block A with their links d, d, by means of the nut g and screw c, and
the apparatus is drawn out of the gun together with the packing ring D,
until the recess i formed in the guide groove in the under surface of the
block comes in contact with the catch e and raises it out of the socket,
so that the door may be opened without injuring the shutting ring.
When the door is opened the catch centers the recess or groove i and
thereby prevents accidental movement of the ring while the breech is
open. Until the gun is fired the hollow screw projects over the nipple
scat in the hollow of the nut, consequently premature firing by mistake
is impossible. The cylindrical breech block is shown made entirely in
one piece, but it may be composed of several pieces. The struts jutting
from the block may be rounded off at their fore ends at a given radius
from their fulcra, or may have any other convenient form. The grooves
or recesses in the gun may be formed as represented in the Drawings in
full lines, or instead of these two grooves the gun may be turned
around and a lining represented in dotted lines may be employed. Tho
struts may be spread out and drawn in, and the closing effected by
screwing in the manner represented, or it may be effected by means of
other screws, wedges, driving gear, eccentrics, or lovers. The number of
the struts may also be increased.
The mode of fastening the packing ring on the breech block is a part
of the Invention, but the same rings may also be employed separately
from the block as packing washers. The well-known "Broadwell
rings" may be employed in this apparatus instead of the above
packing rings. The improved breech mechanism may be arranged for
cither central or eccentric priming or without such primings. No side
rent hole is necessary in the gun, but one or several small side vent
holes may be bored about the breech without affecting the solidity of
the gun. The apparatus when applied to guns of small calibre is moved

page_text: directly with the hands, but in large guns suitable gearing will bo
required. The door may either be constructed as represented in the
Drawings and opened right or left hand, or may be arranged to open by
a sliding movement. In some cases it may be convenient to furnish it.
with a collar or bearing having a larger base.