Improvements in Apparatus for Adapting Breech Loading Guns for Practice with Miniature Ammunition.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Adapting Breech Loading Guns for
Practice with Miniature Ammunition.
We, THE MORRIS TUBE AMMUNITION AND SAFETY RANGE COMPANY, LIMITED,
and ARTHUR JAMES HERVEY WYATT, Engineer, all of No. 11, Haymarket, in the
County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In the Specifications No. 4846 of 1883, and No. 9356 of 1885 are described
arrangements for fitting in the bore of a large gun, a small barrel by means of
which small projectiles can be fired over moderate ranges, while the drill and
practice with the guns can be the same as when they are used for full sized
projectiles.
The charge chambers of many breech loading guns are made larger in diameter
than the bore of the gun or the breech opening into the chamber so that no
entire block or piece for centreing the small barrel can be introduced at either
end of the chamber.
The present invention relates to the construction of a centreing piece which is
small enough to pass through the breech inlet into the charge chamber, and can
then be expanded so as to fit the chamber.
For this purpose we fit on the miniature barrel a sleeve having at each end
three projecting arms at 120° apart. In a dovetail groove in each of these
arms is fitted to slide one of the projecting limbs of an E shaped piece, the middle
member of which has its back rounded so as to fit or approximately fit the bore
of the gun. The middle projection of the E is internally screw threaded to
receive a screw. Thus there are three E pieces with their screws uniformly
arranged around the sleeve. Each of the screws has fixed on it a bevil pinion,
and these three pinions gear with a bevil wheel which can be caused to revolve
on the sleeve by turning a spindle which is parallel to the sleeve and has on
it a pinion gearing with the bevil wheel.
After the barrel with the sleeve on it and its three E pieces retracted is intro-
duced into its place in the bore of the gun, the spindle, which extends either back
beyond the breech or forwards beyond the muzzle, is turned, turning the three
Screws and the three E pieces are thus moved radially outwards until they are
firmly pressed against the interior of the bore thus holding the miniature barrel
centred and firmly held. Instead of bevil pinions on the screws gearing with
a bevil wheel on the sleeve, they may be ordinary toothed pinions gearing with
a crown toothed wheel on the sleeve.
Dated this 20th day of June 1899.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Adapting Breech Loading Guns for
Practice with Miniature Ammunition.
.
We, THE MORRIS TUBE AMMUNITION AND SAFETY RANGE COMPANY, LIMITED,
and ARTHUR JAMES HERVEY WYATT, Engineer, all of No. 11, Haymarket, in the
Price 8d.]

page_text: County of London, 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:-
In the Specifications No. 4846 of 1883, and No. 9356 of 1885 are described
arrangements for fitting in the bore of a large gun, a small barrel by means of
which small projectiles can be fired over moderate ranges, while the drill and
practice with the guns can be the same as when, they are used for full sized
projectiles.
4. 1
The charge chambers of many breech loading, guns are made larger in diameter
than the bore of the gun or the breech opening into the chamber so that no
entire block or piece for centreing the small barrel can be introduced at either
end of the chamber.
#
.1.
The present. invention relates to the construction of a centreing piece-which is
small enough to pass through the breech inlet into the charge chamber, and can
then he expanded so as to fit the chamber as we shall describe referring to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a part longitudinal section of the gun bore shewing part of the
small barrel fixed in it.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the bore and barrel shewing the centreing piece
for fixing the barrel in elevation partly sectional as seen from the muzzle.
The
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the centreing piece retracted as seen from the breech.
We fit on the miniature barrel b a sleeve a having at each end three projecting
arms at 1200 apart. In a dovetail groove in each of these arms is fitted to slide
one of the projecting limbs of an E shaped piece e, the middle member of which
has its back rounded so as to fit or approximately fit the bore of the gun.
middle projection of the E is internally screw threaded to receive a screw; d. Thus
there are three E pieces e with their screws d uniformly arranged around the
sleeve. Each of the screws has fixed on it a pinion f, and these three pinions
gear with a crown wheel g, or instead of a pinion and crown wheel as shown a
Bevil pinion and bevil wheel may be employed. The wheel has also cog teeth h
with which gears a pinion k. This pinion is fixed on a spindle mounted in
bearings on the sleeve a, and having a squared end to receive a socket wrench.
After the barrel with the sleeve a on it and its three E pieces e retracted is
introduced into its place in the bore m of the gun. the spindle / turning the
three screws d and the three E pieces e are thus moved radially outwards until
they are firmly pressed against the interior of the bore m thus holding the minia-
ture barrel centred and firmly held.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
A centreing piece for fixing in the bore of a gun a barrel for practice with
miniature ammunition, constructed and operating substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of March 1900
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.