IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINE GUNS AND CAISSONS THEREFOR."
Year: 1878

page_text: --LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of Harris
and Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINE GUNS AND CAISSONS
THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Myron Coloney, Journalist, of
St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th December
.1878.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINE GUNS AND CAISSONS THEREFOR." A communication from
abroad by Myron Coloney, Journalist, of St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States
of America...
The subject of the Invention is a battery gun constructed with a horizontal range
of barrels, and a reciprocating breech slide containing two sets of chambers, the
chambers in each set corresponding in number with the barrels, so that when the
breech slide is moved in one direction, the one set of chambers having been
previously charged will be brought into position for firing, while the other set are
in position for loading, and vice versa, on the other stroke.
For hand loading the cartridges are placed in guide grooves or channels in rear
of the slide, and are inserted simultaneously in all the chambers of each set by
means of a bar carrying forward all the cartridges at once, the empty shells of the
previous charge having been previously ejected by slide rods operated simul-
taneously. When the Invention is used as a magazine battery gun, a range of
magazines corresponding in number with the barrels is placed on each side thereof,
so that each set of chambers in the breech slide will be filled automatically and
simultaneously on reaching their loading position.
rn

page_text: To confine the cartridges in the magazines when the breech slide is moved away
vertically, sliding plates are applied at the rear of the respective magazines, said
plates being connected to a common bar to operate them simultaneously, and the
said bar being depressed to uncover the magazines at the instant the breech slide
reaches the termination of its stroke, and released when the breech slide begins its
return stroke, the movement of the vertical slides being so regulated that the
cartridges are released in all the magazines simultaneously when the chambered
slide reaches the loading position, and the remaining cartridges are locked in all the
magazines before any of the latter are uncovered by the return stroke of the
chambered slide. .
The cartridges used for magazine loading are of peculiar construction, having a
shoulder between the ball and shell which is seated on a corresponding shoulder
within the slide chamber to limit the insertion of the cartridge from the front, the
absence of said shoulder when the ball has been discharged allowing the empty
shell to be ejected through the open rear end of the slide chamber by the entrance
of a new cartridge. For hand loading from the rear, cylindrical cartridges are
employed with the customary rim flanges or with stop pins.
In the rear of the stationary breech within which the chambered slide moves are
recoil springs, in line with the barrels for the purpose of taking up the recoil and
effecting the self cocking of the firing pins if centre fire cartridges are used.
For use with transverse pins by which the ignition of the powder may be
effected in close contact with the back of the ball falling hammers are used, and to
raise these to cocked position simultaneously a rigid bar is passed beneath their
necks attached at its ends to the short horizontal arms of bell crank levers, whose
longer arms extend upward and are connected by a hand bar.
The heels of the hammers when cocked are engaged by triggers of peculiar
construction. The heel of each hammer is formed with a slot to receive the
projecting nose forming one half of the end of its own trigger, and with a cam
surface on which one half of the adjoining trigger bears, so that the release of one
hammer causes its cam to retract the trigger of the next, and so on to the end of
the series. By this device the barrels may be automatically discharged in rapid
succession by pulling the trigger of the first one. All the desirable effect of a
simultaneous fire is thus produced while the gun sustains the shock of but a single
barrel at a time. The battery is mounted on a carriage, the wheels of which move
transversely to the line of fire.
The Invention further relates to a caisson specially constructed and adapted for
carrying self-feeding cartridge-magazines, connected together in horizontal ranges
to adapt them for use in the automatic machine gun.
To this end the caisson is constructed with a series of shelves accessible at the
rear by means of a door or tail board, which being hinged at bottom and provided
with a supporting brace forms when let down a table on which the connected
magazines may be drawn from the shelves of the caisson, the brace serving further
to stay the caisson and prevent it running back as the magazines are drawn out.
In the front part of the caisson is a driver's seat with a box for ammunition
under it having a lid in the seat. In the back of the seat is a door giving access
to a compartiment for blankets, tools, and other necessaries occupying the space in
front of the magazine shelves.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th June 1879.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINE GUNS AND CAISSONS THEREFOR." A communication from
abroad by Myron Coloney, Journalist, of St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States
of America.
The subject of the Invention is a battery gun constructed with a horizontal range
of barrels, and a reciprocating breech slide containing two sets of chambers, the
chambers in each set corresponding in number with the barrels, so that when the
breech slide is moved in one direction, the one set of chambers having been
previously charged will be brought into position for firing, while the other set are
in position for loading, and vice versa, on the other stroke.
For hand loading the cartridges are placed in guide grooves or channels in rear
of the slide, and are inserted simultaneously in all the chambers of each set by.
means of a bar carrying forward all the cartridges at once, the empty shells of the
previous charge having been previously ejected by slide rods operated simul-
taneously. When the Invention is used as a magazine battery gun, a range of
magazines corresponding in number with the barrels is placed on each side thereof,
so that each set of chambers in the breech slide will be filled automatically and
simultaneously on reaching their loading position. To confine the cartridges in the
magazines when the breech slide is moved away vertically, sliding plates are applied
at-the-rear of the respective magazines, said plates being connected to a common
bar to operate them simultaneously, and the said bar being depressed to uncover
the magazines at the instant the breech slide reaches the termination of its stroke,
and released when the breech slide begins its return stroke; the movement of the
vertical slides being so regulated that the cartridges are released in all the
magazines simultaneously when the chambered slide reaches the loading position,
and the remaining cartridges are locked in all the magazines before any of the
latter are uncovered by the return stroke of the chambered slide.
The cartridges used for magazine loading are of peculiar construction, having a
shoulder between the ball and shell, which is seated on a corresponding shoulder
within the slide chamber to limit the insertion of the cartridge from the front, the
absence of said shoulder when the ball has been discharged allowing the empty
shell to be ejected through the open rear end of the slide chamber by the entrance
of a new cartridge. For hand loading from the rear, cylindrical cartridges are
employed with the customary rim flanges or with stop pins.
In the rear of the stationary breech within which the chambered slide moves are
recoil pins in line with the barrels, for the purpose of taking up the recoil and
effecting the self cocking of the firing pins if centre fire cartridges are used.
.
For use with transverse pins by which the ignition of the powder may be
effected in close contact with the back of the ball falling hammers are used, and to
raise these to cocked position simultaneously a rigid bar is passed beneath their
necks, attached at its ends to the short horizontal arms of bell crank levers, whose
longer arms extend upward and are connected by a hand bar.
The heels of the hammers when cocked are engaged by triggers of peculiar
construction. The heel of each hammer is formed with a slot to receive the
projecting nose forming one half of the end of its own trigger, and with a cam
surface on which one half of the adjoining trigger bears, so that the release of one
hammer causes its cam to retract the trigger of the next, and so on to the end of
the series,

page_text: The front of the battery is provided with a shield of boiler iron to protect the
men from rifle shots, and also to weight the front part of the battery, and render it
more steady in discharging its missiles; 64 is the elevating screw for regulating the
range.
To adapt the gun for automatic loading, a range of magazines 27, 27, is employed
on each side of the barrels, as shown in Figure 6, the magazines in each range
corresponding in number with the barrels. These magazines are provided with the
customary followers 28 and springs 29. The cartridges are made with a cylin-
drical case 30, and with a ball 32 having a shoulder 33 projecting beyond the
circumference of the case for the purpose of seating the cartridge on an internal
shoulder 34, which is formed in the load chamber when the arm is designed and
prepared for automatic loading.
After firing, the absence of the ball permits the empty shell to be ejected
backward by the pressure of the in-coming cartridge, the empty shells falling into a
box at back as before described. In the event of a shell sticking in the chamber, it
is instantly expelled by pressure of the finger on the projecting knob 28ª on the
follower of the corresponding magazine.
In order to confine the cartridges within the magazines when the slide is moved
away from them, stop plates 65 (Figure 7), are employed attached to a bar 66
pivotted at its inner end 67, and depressed by the contact of the slide 8 with its
inclined and upwardly projecting outer end 68, as the slide reaches the termination
of its stroke.
As the slide again retreats and before either of the magazines is uncovered the
bar 66 is released and drawn upward by a spring 69, the conical ends of the
cartridges permitting the plates 65 to rise behind the cartridges next in advance
within the magazines.
The magazines are connected in clusters as described, each battery of magazines
being seated on a frame 70 prepared for it, as shown in Figure 6, where one
set or battery of magazines is omitted in order to show the mode of applying_
them.
The connected magazines are carried in a caisson specially constructed to receive
them, which will be more particularly described hereinafter.
The gun may be adapted for various modes of firing either by hammers or firing
pins.
In Figures 1, 3, and 4 is illustrated a new system of hammer firing by which on
one barrel being fired the remainder are discharged automatically in rapid suc-
cession. To this end the hammers 71 are constructed with cam shaped heels 72,
and provided with slots 73 to receive the projecting noses 74 of triggers 75, which
turn on a common axis 76 and are arranged as shown in Figure 3, with each
trigger resting against the adjacent halves of two hammer heels, so that when the
nose 74 of a trigger engages in the cock, notch, or slot of one hammer, the depressed
part 77 of the face of the same trigger will rest on the cam surface 72 of the
adjoining hammer.
To cock all the hammers sinultaneously, a bar 78 extends from end to end
beneath their necks, said bar being mounted in the ends of arms 79, 79, with
which a hand bar 80 and arms 81 are rigidly connected.
A lanyard is connected to one or each of the triggers as shown at 82.
The hammer springs are shown at 83.
It will now be apparent that on drawing back the bar 80 all the hammers
will be raised simultaneously and will be secured in their cocked position by
trigger noses 74 catching in the slots 73.
On the lanyard 82 of the right hand trigger being pulled, the falling of its
hammer retracts the next trigger by the action of the cam motion from 73 to 72,
so as to release the second hammer, the falling of which draws the third trigger,
and so on.

page_text: The hammers fall on firing pins which may be arranged to ignite the charge at
the front or at the rear of the powder chamber as preferred.
If it be desired to fire the barrels singly, this can be done by beginning at the
left instead of the right end of the series, the triggers being drawn singly as
required.
The hand system of loading and the automatic or magazine system each has its
advantages, and the Invention herein described may be used under either system.
The first described system with cartridge boxes in the rear avoids the need for a.
separate caisson, and adapts the gun to carry its own ammunition, and also to carry
from the field the empty cartridge shells, which will be made of steel or other
durable metal and adapted for repeated use.
The gun is intended to be run on and off the field by men by means of ropes
which may be wound on a reel under the carriage, so as to be let out to any
necessary length.
The ammunition for the magazine battery gun being carried in a separate caisson
may be kept at the rear with the horse attached, so that in event of retreat being
necessary the ammunition will be secure, and the gun will be useless to the enemy
even if captured.
The caisson is constructed with a frame 84 supported on wheels 85, and with
sides 86, 86, rising the necessary height to contain any desirable number of shelves
87, which are adapted to hold tubular magazines connected together in horizontal
ranges; 88 is a door or tail-board attached by hinges 89 at its bottom, so that it
may be let down to the horizontal position shown, in which position it is supported
by a leg 90 hinged at 91 to the tail board to adapt it to hang against the latter in
vertical position when it is raised, and when lowered to serve as a brace to over-
come the friction in drawing out the connected magazines, so that the caisson will
not be drawn backward on its wheels.
In front of the shelves 87 is a compartment 92 accessible through a door 93 at
back of the driver's seat, and employed to contain blankets, tools, and any other
matters desired.
Under the driver's seat is an ammunition box 94 accessible through a cover 95
in the seat, and employed especially to contain the cartridge shells in event of the
shell box in the battery gun becoming full in a protracted action, these shells being
of durable metal and adapted for repeated use; 96 is the roof or top.
In action the caissons being kept out of range with horses constantly attached
admit of the ammunition being carried to a place of safety if retreat becomes
necessary, so that the battery gun will be useless in the event of falling into the
hands of the enemy.
Having thus described the said Invention I would have it understood that the
following is what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-
First. A machine gun constructed substantially as herein described with a
horizontal range of barrels, a chambered breech slide working in rear thereof, and
suitable guides to effect the simultaneous introduction of cartridges as the slide is
projected alternately on each side of the range of barrels.
Second. The combination of the range of hammers 71, 71, and the elevating
bar 78, and lever 79, 80, 81, to effect the simultaneous cocking thereof, as
described.
Third. The combination with a range of hammers 71, 71, of a corresponding
range of triggers 75, 75, constructed and operating substantially as described to
release the hammers in succession.
Fourth. A battery gun constructed as herein described and mounted on a carriage
with wheels transverse to the line of fire, for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. A caisson for machine guns constructed with a series of shelves 78, and
a hinged door or tail-board 88 giving access thereto from the rear and supported
by a brace 90, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Sixth. The caisson herein described constructed with shelves 87, compartment
92, ammunition box 94, and doors or shutters 93 and 95, all substantially as and
for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
B. J. B. MILLS. (L.S.)

page_text: 29.
27.