Working the Actions of Breech Loading Cannon.
Year: 1885

page_text: Working the Actions of Breech Loading Cannon.
I JACQUES PHILLIPPE PIERI of St Margarets Mansions, Victoria Street, West-
minster, Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION, ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD OF WORKING
THE ACTIONS OF BREECH LOADING CANNON" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a novel construction arrangement and method of
working the actions of breech loading cannon, the block or breech closer having a
tumbling action controlled by a hand lever.
For the purpose of my invention I mount on the axis of a hand lever a sort of
tumbler bolt which rides within a right angled slot of the breech block so that
when moved in one direction it bears against one face of the slot to open the breech
by turning the block over to the rear of the cannon. Within a recess of the closing
block I suspend the striker and so arrange its tail piece that it lies within the path
of the free end of the tumbler bolt by which it is forced back during the first part
of the motion of the hand lever so as to throw the tail piece within reach of the
trigger and at the same time put tension in the main spring the striker being thus
locked in a cocked position. A continued movement of the hand lever puts the
free end of the tumbler bolt into contact with another part of the right angled
slot and then causes the block to turn about the axis of the tumbler bolt which
not only forms its pivot but supports it whether said block be open or closed.
A portion of the block has an outer slot and its terminal just as the block is fully
opened comes into contact with the tail end of an extractor within its path so that
as the block is fully opened the extractor removes the empty cartridge case and
clears the breech.
The closing block rides within cheeks of the breech portion of the cannon to
steady and to direct it at the same time give it rigidity when in place.
The tumbling breech block and action hereinbefore described is more particularly
adapted for light rifled cannon on board ship and may be mounted in any desired
manner but preferably on the supports with recoil subdueing mechanism such as
I have described in my application for Patent N° 3600 of the year 1885.
Di
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page_text: Working the Actions of Breech Loading Cannon.
I JACQUES PHILLIPPE PIERI of St. Margarets Mansions, Victoria Street, West-
minster, Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 :—
This invention rolates to a novel construction, arrangement, and method of
working the actions of breech loading cannon, the block or breech closer having a
tumbling action controlled by a hand lever.
For the purpose of my invention I mount on the axis of a hand lever a sort of
tumbler bolt which rides within a right angled slot of the breech block so that
when moved in one direction it bears against one face of the slot to open the breech
by turning the block over to the rear of the cannon. Within a recess of the closing
block I suspend the striker and so arrange its tail piece that it lies within the path
of the free end of the tumbler bölt by which it is forced back during the first part
of the motion of the hand lever so as to throw the tail piece within reach of the
trigger and at the same time put tension in the main spring, the striker being thus
locked in a cocked position. A continued movement of the hand lever puts the
free end of the tumbler bolt into contact with another part of the right angled
slot and then causes the block to turn about the axis of the tumbler bolt which
not only forms its pivot but supports it whether said block be open or closed.
A portion of the block has an outer slot and its terminal, just as the block, is fully
opened comes into contact with the tail end of an extractor within its path so that
as the block is fully opened the extractor removes the empty cartridge case and
clears the breech.
The closing block rides within cheeks of the breech portion of the cannon to
steady and to direct it, at the same time give it rigidity when in place.
The tumbling breech block and action hereinbefore described is more particularly
adapted for light rifled cannon on board ship and may be mounted in any desired
manner but preferably on the supports with recoil subdueing mechanism such as
I have described in my application for Patent No 3600 of the year 1885.
My invention is represented in the annexed drawings in which at Figure 1
I show the breech part of a cannon in section with the tumbling closing block in a
fixed closed position. At Figure 2 the block is shown dropped from its fixed
position ready to be turned or tumbled over into the position shown at Figure 3,
the empty cartridge case supposing to have been extracted and the cannon ready
for the reception of a fresh loaded cartridge. Figure 4 shows the exterior of the
breech portion of the cannon with the hand lever in position when the breech is
closed. Figure 5 is a plan view and Figure 6 a partial rear section illustrating the
extractor and with the closing block tumbled down or lowered.
A, A, are the two side cheeks forming the breech of the cannon B. C is the
closing block supported by the tumbler bolt D working within a right angled slot
within the block C, said tumbler bolt D being carried by a transverse shaft E
forming the axis of the lever handle F by which the operations, opening and
closing, are affected.

page_text: The striker G is carried by a hanging plate H whose lower end drops into
contact with the nose I of the tumbler D under the action of the main spring J as
indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, when the plate H is released by a pull on the
trigger K this being otherwise kept up to its work by the spring L.
The extractor M is formed of two parts and their necks are recessed in the side
cheeks of the breech portion of the cannon they are pivotted therein with a
clearance for their proper motion by lugs N which come against them just as the
tumbler block D reaches the extremity of its travel, the lugs N being on the sides
of the tumbler block D.
P is a safety bolt, the turning of which slightly causes its stem to fill up the
space between the lump and the trigger K which becomes locked thereby.
The action is as follows; supposing the breech to be open as at Figure 3.
A loaded cartridge is pushed into the barrel (the block serving as a guide) until the
rim of the cartridge bears against the extractors, the lever handle is then thrown
up into the position indicated at Figure 2 by which action the cartridge is pushed
into the cannon by the face of the tumbling block the extractor being sent home
simultaneously. It will be seen that the tumbling bolt has a flat portion between
its nose and the boss upon which a flat portion the tumbling block bears so that
when the bolt is turned the tumbler turns with it to close the breech the two flat
portions being still in contact; the lever handle by a continued movement causes
the block to be lifted by the nose of the tumbler bolt riding along the flat portion
of the block forcing the block upwards between two shoulders QQ Figure 5 to
lock the block firmly in position.
The shoulders Q Q in the side cheeks of the breech serve as abutments to resist
the back action of the discharge in conjunction with the shoulders R ready for
firing. During this closing motion the striker and plate is retained in the cocked
or set position which they were set to when the block was lowered for opening the
breech and it is only by a pull on the trigger that the striker can be released.
The striker mechanism is enclosed within the block and protected from injury.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The particular construction and arrangement of the action of a breech loading
cannon as hereinbefore described and shown in the annexed drawings.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said J. P. Pieri.