Improvements in or relating to Machine Guns.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Machine Guns.
A communication from FREDERICK WILLIAM PRINCE, Gentleman, a citizen of
the United States, residing at Hartford, County of Hartford and State of
Connecticut, United States of America.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:—
The invention relates to the class of machine guns commonly known as Gatling
guns, the object being to provide a gun of this class which can be readily charged
so as to be fired with great rapidity either by hand or by power, the power driving
mechanism being so constructed that it may be quickly removed, or attached in
such manner that it is out of sight, and not a mark for hostile projectiles or in
the way of the gunners, and further to so construct the mechanism of the gun
that the parts may be quickly removed and assembled, and enable cartridges
of small calibre to be used and positively extracted after being fired. To this
end, the invention resides in a gun having a frame or casing supporting a cylin-
drical cam and a central revolving shaft bearing coils of wire, a group of barrels
and a cylinder with reciprocating locks and in details of the construction of these.
parts.
The trunnion frame of the gun consists of a pair of metallic bars connected
together at their front ends by a cross-piece, and at their rear ends by a casing.
The cylindrical casing is divided diametrically and the upper part hinged to the
lower so that it may be thrown open to expose the interior when its catch is
released, and another casing that is screwed upon a mutilated thread at the end of
this casing is removed. A shaft, passing through the centre from end to end of
the gun is supported at the front by the cross piece of the frame and at the rear
end by the cascabel plate, or a bearing in the cascabel. It is preferred that this
shaft be formed in two sections joined back of the casing by means of a coupling
so that the rear portion of the shaft may be separated from the forward portion
and removed. Keyed to the shaft are the barrel discs, the front disc being
perforated and holding the barrels near their muzzle, while the rear disc is
perforated and holds the butts of the barrels which are provided with lugs. The
rear disc is chambered, and in the chamber is placed a disc of hard steel having a
number of mortises in its periphery to receive and hold the lugs projecting from
the ends of the barrels so that the barrels are prevented from twisting or turning
under the strain of the bullets as they pass through the rifling. The lock carrier
cylinder is keyed to the shaft directly back of this steel disc so as to hold the disc
in place, and in grooves in this cylinder slide the locks as they are reciprocated by
the cam, cut in the interior of the cylinder that fits into the casing which has a
socket to receive a pin that projects from the cylinder so as to ensure the correct
location of the parts.
Each of the locks consist of a block which forms a breech block, having a
tongue that runs in a groove in the carrier block and a lug that fits the cam groove
so that the locks are reciprocated by the cam as the carrier revolves with the locks

page_text: as in the common Gatling gun. In a central perforation through each lock block
is placed a spring firing pin having a head adapted to engage the cocking block
located on the interior of the cam cylinder back of the recoil block, as in the
common construction, while in a longitudinal mortise in the top of the block is an
extractor having a hooked forward end adapted to engage the upper portion of the
rim of a cartridge, and in a mortise in the bottom of this block is another
extractor having a hooked end adapted to engage the lower part of the rim of the
cartridge to withdraw it from the barrel after it has been fired. The first extractor
is formed of a piece of spring steel, and has a small reciprocation in the mortise
on its holding pin, while the second extractor has a longitudinal movement on its
holding pin, and is thrust forward by a spring, the elastic tail of this latter
extractor riding on a roll in the bottom of the mortise.
A diaphragm with a bearing for the central shaft is located in the rear of the
front casing behind the cam cylinder and this diaphragm is divided, the upper
part being hinged to the lower so that it may be lifted when, the top of the
casing is lifted to allow a free removal of the locks from the grooves in the carrier
block.
To the central shaft is keyed a core of magnetic material with a common
winding of wire forming an armature of an electric motor, which when electrically
excited rotates the shaft, while loosely mounted upon the shaft is a frame which
bears an electric field magnet. To the frame of this field magnet is secured a gear,
that meshes into gears secured to shafts which are journalled in the ends of a
coupling and which bear gears in mesh with a gear secured to a diaphragm,
extending across the forward end of this casing. The coupling is removably
secured to the end of the shaft of the gun where the usual crank handle would be
attached, and also to the extension to the shaft which bears the armature of the
electric motor. The field magnet is wound in the customary method and connected
with its source of excitation in any common manner, and the armature is also
wound as usual, and connected in the ordinary way, with any suitable source of
electrical supply.
To start the gun into action the motor is excited by a current of electricity.
The construction and arrangement is such that the armature revolves in one
direction, and being connected with the main shaft revolves it and operates the
gun, while through the medium of the intermeshing gears the field revolves in an
opposite direction in order that the revolution of the armature may be slower so
that the speed of the firing may be better regulated.
At the forward end of the casing in the frame of one form of gun, a hopper
made to receive a cartridge feed slide of the class known as the "Bruce feed," is
hinged to the frame on one side, and provided with a catch on the opposite side
to permit of its being open or closed. Formed on or secured to the underside of
this hopper are the ploughs, which extend into the path of the exploded cartridge
shell after they have been extracted from the barrels to eject them from the gun,
as in the Gatling gun in common use.
In another form of gun the barrels are surrounded by a shell for nearly their
entire length, and in this shell; water or any suitable cooling liquid may be place
to keep down the temperature of the barrels. In this form the upper part of th
rear end of the casing and the hopper are hinged to a portion of the shell, the
hopper in this form being that of common forin, designed to receive the ordinary
"drum feed" used with the guns of this class.
Dated this 1st day of A nonst 1902
: 19
W. P.THOMPSON & BOULT,
London, Nottingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: A communication from FREDERICK WILLIAM PRINCE, of Hartford, in the County
of Hartford and State of Connecticut, U.S.A.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent 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 :—
The invention relates to 'the class of machine guns com nonly known as Gitling
guns, the object being to provide a gun of this class which can be readily changed
so as to be fired with great rapidity either by hand or by power, the power
driving mechanism being so constructed that it may be quickly removed, or
attached in such manner that it is out of sight and not a mark for hostile
projectiles or in the way of the gunners; and further to 80 construct the
mechanism of the gun that the parts may be quickly removed and assembled,
and enable cartridges of small calibre to be used and positively extracted after
being fired.
To this end the invention resides in a gun having a frame or casing supporting a
cylindrical cam and a central revolving shaft bearing coils of wire, a group of
barrels and a cylinder with reciprocating locks, and in details of the construction
of these parts, as more particularly hereinafter described and pointed out in the
claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a side view of one of these guns of the class known as the ". Army
gun. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
"
Fig. 3 is a side view of one of these guns of the class known as the " Navy
gun. Fig. 4 is a plan of this latter gun.
.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the revolving parts of one of the guns.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged central longitudinal vertical section of the butt of the gun
shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 7 is a section on plane denoted by the broken line a a.
Fig. 8 is a section on plane denoted by bb.
Fig. 9 is a section on plane c c.
Fig. 10 is a section on d d.
Fig. 11 is a view of the breech of the barrels and their holder. Fig. 12 is a
section of a portion of the same.
Fig. 13 is a section of the cam cylinder; and
Fig. 14 shows top, bottom, side, sectional and end views of one of the locks.
In the views 1 indicates the trunnion frame which consists of a pair of metallic
bars connected together at their front ends by a cross-piece 2, and at their rear
ends by the casing 3. This cylindrical casing 3 is divided diametrically and the
upper part hinged to the lower so that it may be thrown open to expose the
interior when its catch is released 'and the casing 4,'that is screwed upon a mutilated
thread on the end of this casing, is removed. A shaft 5 passing through the
centre from end to end of the gun is supported at the front by the cross-piece of
the frame and at the rear end by the cascabel plate or a bearing in the cascabel.
It is preferred that this shaft be formed in two sections joined back of the casing 3
by means of a coupling 6 so that the rear portion of the shaft may be separated
from the forward portion and removed. Keyed to the shaft are the barrel discs, the
front disc, 7, being perforated and holding the barrels near their muzzles, while
the rear disc. 8, is perforated and holds the butts of the barrels which are provided
with lugs 9. The disc 8 is chambered and in the chamber is placed a disc 10 of

page_text: hard steel, having a number of mortises in its periphery to receive and hold the
lugs projecting from the ends of the barrels, so that the barrels are prevented
from twisting or turning under the strain of the bullets as they pass through the
rifling. The lock carrier cylinder 11 is keyed to the shaft directly back of this
disc 10 so as to hold the disc in place, and in grooves in this cylinder slide the
locks 12 as they are reciprocated by the cam cut in the interior of the cylinder 13
that fits into the casing 3 which has a socket to receive a pin 14 that projects from
the cylinder so as to ensure the correct location of the parts.
Each of the locks 12 consist of a block 15 which forms a breech block, having
a tongue 16 that runs in a groove in the carrier block and a lug 17 that fits the
cam groove so that the locks are reciprocated by the cam as the carrier revolves
with the locks as in the common Gatling gun. In a central perforation through
each lock-block is placed a spring firing pin 18 having a head 19 adapted to engage
the cocking switch 20 located on the interior of the cam cylinder back of the
recoil block 40, as in the common construction, while in a longitudinal mortise in
the top of the block is an extractor 21, having a hooked forward end adapted
to engage the upper portion of the rim of a cartridge, and in a mortise in the
bottom of this block is an extractor 22 having a hooked end adapted to engage
the lower part of the rim of the cartridge to withdraw it from the barrel after it
has been fired. The extractor 21 is formed of a piece of spring steel, and has a
small reciprocation in the mortise on its holding pin, while the extractor 22 has a
longitudinal movement on its holding pin, and is thrust forward by means of the
spring 23, the elastic tail of this extractor riding on a roll in the bottom of the
mortise.
A diaphragm 24 with a bearing for the centre shaft is located in the rear of
the casing 3 behind the cam cylinder, and this diaphragm is divided, the upper
part 25 being hinged to the lower so that it may be lifted when the top of the
casing is lifted, to allow a free removal of the locks from the grooves in the
carrier block.
In the construction shown, to the central shaft 5 is keyed a core 26 of magnetic
material with a common winding of wire 22 forming an armature of an electric
motor which when electrically excited rotates the shaft, while loosely mounted
upon the shaft is a frame 28 which bears an electro field magnet 29. To the
frame 28 of this field magnet is secured a gear 30 that meshes into gears 31
secured to shafts 32 which are journalled in the ends of a coupling 33 and which
bear gears 34 in mesh with a gear 35 secured to a diaphragm 36 extending across
the forward end of this casing. The coupling 33 is removably secured to the
end of the shaft of the gun where the usual crank-handle would be attached,
and also to the extension of the shaft which bears the armature of the electric
motor.
The field magnet is wound in the customary manner and connected with its source
of excitation in any common manner, and the armature is also wound as usual and
connected in the ordinary way with any suitable source of electrical supply.
To start the gun into action the motor is excited by a current of electricity.
The construction and arrangement described are such that the armature revolves
in one direction, and being connected with the main shaft revolves it and operates
the gun, while through the medium of the intermeshing gears the field revolves in
an opposite direction in order that the revolutions of the armature may be slower
so that the speed of the firing may be better regulated.
At the forward end of the casing 3 in the frame of the gun shown and described
in Figs. 1 and 2, a hopper 37 made of a form to receive a cartridge feed slide is
hinged to the frame on one side and provided with a catch ou the opposite side to
permit of its being opened or closed. Formed on or secured to the under side of
this hopper are the plows 38 (Figs. 6 and 10) which extend into the path of the
exploded cartridge shells after they have been extracted from the barrels, to eject
them from the gun, as in the Gatling gun in common use.
In the form of gun shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the barrels are surrounded by a

page_text: shell 39 for nearly their entire length, and in this shell water or any other
suitable cooling liquid may be placed to keep down the temperature of the barrels.
In this form the upper part of the rear end of the casing and the hopper are
hinged to a portion of the shell, the hopper shown in this connection being that
of common form which is designed to receive the ordinary "drum feed" used with
guns of this class.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In combination with the frame of a machine gun, a revolving shaft bearing
an armature a group of barrels and a mortised cylinder holding reciprocating
locks, a casing inclosing a field magnet adjacent to the armature, and a cylindrical
cam in the path of the locks, substantially as specified.
2. In combination with the frame of a machine gun, a revolving shaft bearing an
armature a group of barrels and a mortised cylinder holding reciprocating locks, a
casing supporting a cylindrical cam in the path of the locks, and a casing
detachably secured to the former casing and inclosing a field magnet adjacent to
the armature, substantially as specified.
3. In combination with the frame of a machine gun, a revolving shaft bearing a
group of barrels and a mortised cylinder holding reciprocating locks, a sectional
hinged casing supporting a cylindrical cam. in the path of the locks, a hopper
hinged to the frame adjacent to the breech of the barrels, and means for revolving
the shaft, substantially as specified.
4. In combination with the frame of a machine gun, a revolving shaft bearing
a group of barrels and a mortised cylinder holding reciprocating locks, a
sectional hinged casing supporting a cylindrical-cam in the path of the locks,
a sectional hinged diaphragm at the rear of said casing, a hopper hinged to the
frame adjacent to the breech of the barrels, and means for revolving the shaft,
substantially as specified.
5. In combination with the frame of a machine gun, a revolving shaft bearing a
mortised cylinder holding reciprocating locks, and discs holding a group of barrels,
the rear one of said discs being formed of a portion with circular perforations
and a portion of harder metal having mortises adjacent to the circular perfora-
tions, barrels with lugs projecting from their rear ends into said mortises, a casing
supporting a cylindrical cam in the path of the locks, and means for revolving the
shaft, substantially as specified.
Dated this Seventh day of April A.D. 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.