Improvements in Breech-loading Ordnance.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 8th Nov., 189U
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-loading Ordnance.
I, ALFRED LONGSDON of 9 New Broad Street in the City of London Civil Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad
by the firm of Fried. Krupp, of Essen, in the Empiro of Germany, Cast Steel
Manufacturer) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a safety device against hanging fire applied to breech
blocks for ordnance in which the cocking of the striker is effected by a lever by means
of a breech screw in opening the breech, whereby a locking piece which in discharging
the gun locks the breech and permits the latter to be opened only after the locking
piece at the recoil of the gun has been disengaged.
According to the invention, to the closure plate a locking piece is connected in a
movable manner by means of a head screw, which locking piece is held in two different
positions by means of a plate spring fastened to the lower edge of the closure plate,
the end of the plate spring bearing against the inclined faces of the locking piece and
holding the same fast. This locking piece terminates at its top end in a nose, leaning
when the breech is secured, against the nose of the breech crank and prevents the
breech: from being opened. The lower end of the locking piece is connected to the
fixed frame of the gun carriage, by means of a spiral spring and chain.
end of the trigger is provided with a cam-like projection bearing against the lower
face of the locking piece when the latter is in its open position.
The lower
When in discharging the gun the trigger piece is drawn backwards by means of
the cord fixed thereto, the locking piece is moved so that the nose of the locking pieco,
bearing against the nose of the breech crank, prevents a rotary motion of the latter,
i.e. the opening of the breech.
After the charge has been ignited the gun recoils together with the carriage on the
frame and the chain secured to the frame by means of its spiral spring at the end
of the recoil moves the locking piece from the back into the former position. The
nose of the locking piece now sets free the nose of the crank, so that the breech can
be opened again.
In gun carriages not allowing the gun to recoil, the arrangement of the spiral spring
and of the chain is dispensed with.
For opening the breech in this case a haudle is necessary to disengage the locking
piece.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-loading Ordnance.
I, Alfred LongsDON of 9 New Broad Street in the City of London, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad
by the firm of Fried. Krupp of Essen in the Empire of Germany Cast Steel
Manufacturer) 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 a safety device against hanging fire applied to breech blocks
for ordnance in which the cocking of the striker is effected by a lever, by means of
a breech screw, in opening the breech, whereby a locking pieco which in discharging
001 ...מ

page_text: the gun locks the breech and permits the latter to be opened only after the locking
piece at the recoil of the gun has been disengaged.
This invention will be readily understood by reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawing which show the said invention applied to a breech block for
ordnance in two different positions. To the closure plate a locking piece A is
connected in a movable manner by means of a screw a, which locking piece A may
be held in two different positions by means of a plate spring B fastened to the lower
edge of the closure plate, the end of the plate spring bearing against the inclined faces
of the locking piece and holding the same fast. The locking piece A terminates at
its top end in a nose leaning when the breech is secured against the nose c of the
breech crank and prevents the breech from being opened. The lower end of the
locking piece is connected to the fixed frame of the gun carriage by means of a spiral
spring Cand a chain D. The lower end of the trigger E is provided with a cam-like
projection d bearing against the lower face of the locking piece (see Figure 2) when
the latter is in its open position.
When in discharging the gun the trigger piece E is drawn backwards by means
of a cord fixed thereto, the locking piece A is moved from the position shown in
Figure 2 into the position shown in Figure 1, in which the nose of the locking piece,
bearing against the nose c of the breech crank, prevents a rotary motion of the latter,
i.e. the opening of the breech.
After the charge has been ignited the gun recoils together with the carriage on the
frame and the chain D secured to the frame by means of the spiral spring c at the end
of the recoil moves the locking piece A from the position shown in Figure 1 back
into the position shown in Figure 2. The nose of the locking piece A now sets
free the nose c of the crank, so that the breech can be opened again.
In gun carriages not allowing the gun to recoil, tlie arrangement of the spiral
spring C and of the chain D is dispensed with.
For opening the breech in this case a handle is necessary to disengage the locking
piece.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is
In breech loading ordnance the horizontal breech blocks for same in which the
cocking of the striker is offected by a lever operated by means of the breech screw in
opening the breech, the device for locking the breech, when the gun is discharged,
and permitting the breech to he opened only after the locking piece has been dis-
engaged again owing to the recoil of the gun or by means of a handle all substantially
as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 26th day of September 1890.