Improvements in Breech-loading Ordnance.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1898--Accepted, 4th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-loading Ordnance.
I, JOSEPH SIMONSON LOCKWOOD, of 28, Spencer Place, Brooklyn, United States
of America, Electrician, 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 relates to that class of guns in which there is a cylindrical
breech block having on its outer surface an interrupted screw thread that engages
with corresponding interrupted or mutilated threads in the breech of the gun
to lock the breech block in the bore of the gun, and it consists of improvements
in the means of operating the breech block for opening and closing the gun,
and in the means of operating the cartridge ejector, as hereinafter described
reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a central horizontal section of the breech of the gun and the appliances,
the breech being closed.
Fig. 2, is a central horizontal section of the breech of the gun and of the carrier
the breech closing block being swung open and shown in top view.
arm,
Fig. 3, is a rear end elevation of part of the breech of the gun and part of the
carrier arm, said carrier arm being closed and partly shown in vertical section
parallel with the transverse plane of the end of the breech of the gun.
Fig. 4, is a horizontal section of the breech of the gun and the carrier arm on
the line indicated by 2-2 Fig. G.
Fig. 5, is a central horizontal section of the breech of the gun, breech closing
block, and part of the carrier arm, the rest of which is in top view, with a modified
form of cartridge shell extractor, which is represented in plan view.
Fig. 6, is a rear end elevation of the breech of the gun and the breech closing
appliances.
Fig. 7, represents the cartridge shell extractor lever in plan, end and edge
views.
Fig. 8, is a detail in central vertical section of the breech of the gun, breech
closing block and the carrier arm.
Fig. 9, is a side elevation of a portion of the breech of the gun and the
appliances with a part in vertical section as seen looking from the right hand
side, and
Fig. 10, is a detail in horizontal section showing a latch device to prevent the
breech block from jarring slack.
A represents the breech of the gun which is recessed, as at a in the end for
reception of the breech closing block b, and it has the internal interrupted or
sectional screw threads c, with which like sectional threads d on the block b
engage in the well known way for securing the block in position.
The breech block is mounted by the central stud e, and the ribs and grooves f
on the inner face of the carrier arm g suitably to swing into and out of the
recess a, said carrier arm being hinged to one side of the breech at h, and also
037

page_text: being recessed at i, for reception of the rear end of the block, in which recess
and on the stud e the block is centered for oscillation to interlock and release
the sectional threads which hold the block against the reactionery effects of the
discharges. In Figs. 2 and 4 and at the right hand side of the block the
retaining groove for the rib of the block is shown to be in a removable piece
retained by a screw 62 as a means of assembling the parts.
The breech block is interlocked with the carrier arm by the ribs and grooves f
which keep said block in connection therewith and at the same time allow it to
turn freely for locking and unlocking it in the recess a.
For so turning the breech block, and also for opening and closing the carrier
arm g I have provided the bell-crank lever which is pivoted at in the
extremities of brackets projecting outward from the outside of carrier arm g
with its short arm m projecting through a slot n in the carrier arm into a recess o
in the end of the breech block, said recess being near the periphery of the block
as seen in Fig. 3. The axis of the pivot of the bell-crank is in a diametrical
plane of the axis of the breech block across which plane the recess o swings
about equally each way in the engagement and disengagement of the breech
block, and the end of the short arm m taking effect in said
slot is thus in the relation best adapted for direct application of the power
with the least amount of sliding friction, which is an important factor in rendering
the apparatus much easier of operation than when the arm acts in a cam slot,
and it is to be noted that the bell crank is formed with a dust excluding sector n²
which keeps the slot closed when the breecli block is secured in position.
The long arm of lever j ranges lengthwise of the carrier arm and extends beyond
the free end of said carrier arm, so that an outward pull on said lever in the
direction for opening the carrier arm first turns the breech block in the direction
for unlocking it, and then swings the carrier arm open and withdraws the breech
block, and the reverse movement first closes the carrier arm and enters the breech
block in the recess a, and then turns said breech block for locking it; stops o²
on the breech block and the carrier arm respectively limit the movement of the
breech block for unlocking.
To prevent the turning of the breech block before being reentered in the
recess a, by the pressure on lever j for closing the carrier arm, I have provided
the spring catch p in a recess 7, in the carrier arm, and the notch s in the
periphery of the block in such relations that when the breech block is unlocked,
the notch will register with the catch, and said catch will then, when the
carrier arm has opened a little as shown in Fig. 8, be thrust into the notch and
will then lock the breech block and hold it against the effect of the elbow lever
until the carrier arm is again closed, when the catch will be thrust back out of
notch by contact of its inner end with the face of the end of the gun as seen
in Fig. 9.
In Figs. 4 and 9, I represent a cam lug t on the hub u of the lever j, arranged
to engage a stud pin on the rear end of the firing pin w, and withdraw and hold
the firing pin so as to prevent the possibility of the firing pin taking effect on the
cartridge before the breech block is closed and locked.
The firing pin w, its actuating spring, and holding and releasing sear y are
substantially the same as now in use and are not claimed by me.
The recess a in the breech for the breech block is suitably curved in one side a¹
to permit the block to swing in and out.;
•
In Figs. 2, 4 and 6, I represent the ordinary cartridge ejecting slide 6 arranged
in the slide way c¹ at one side of the recess and Leing dovetailed therein as shown in
dotted lines in Fig. 6.
To operate the ejector I have provided the horizontal slot d through the side
of the breech on which the pivot of the carrier arm g is mounted, said pivot
being supported in lugs el projecting from the breech, and in this slot I have
arranged the ejector lever f¹ the free end of which engages the ejector slide b¹
in a slot f. The other end of this lever has a curved slot f³, said lever is

page_text: mounted on the pivot h by said slot the carrier arm being slotted at h¹ to admit
the lever to such connection.
The carrier arm also has prongs which engage the end of the lever by the
notches for coupling it to be actuated together with said carrier arm by the
lever j, said prongs taking effect on the shoulders and 1 of the notch
respectively according as it shifts lever f¹ one way or the other.
Between the shoulders m and n¹ of the mouth of the slot d, the lever f¹, being
considerably narrower thereat than said mouth, has a shifting fulcrum on which
it mainly turns, while at o' near the ejector slide and where the end wall of the
slot d' is suitably bulged inward, said lever has another fulcrum whereon it first
acts slowly but with powerful effect for starting the cartridge case in the first
part of the ejecting movement, and while the lever is shifting from shoulder n¹
to shoulder m', the case being then bound tightly in its position; when the
ejecting lever comes to rest on shoulder m' after thus starting the shell free, the
movement of the ejector is accelerated and the shell is thrown out by a quick
movement. The spur p of the lever f¹ and the re-entering wall g' of the slot
constitute a dust excluding device.
The arrangement in Fig. 5 is in all respects the same as in the other figures,
except the cartridge ejecting slide is dispensed with and the ejecting lever f¹
is constructed with the curved ejecting terminal a³ reaching forward of the
flange of the cartridge suitably for having the same effect on it as the ejector b¹.
The slot 3 may be adapted to allow parallel motion of terminal a².
In Fig. 2 it will be seen that a shoulder is formed at the base of the prong
of the carrier arm forming part of the connection of said carrier arm and lever,
which shoulder strikes the end of the lever at ² just prior to the limit of the
ejecting movement of the lever and thrusts the lever so that the ejector has a
final projecting effect on the shell for its discharge.
To prevent the possibility of the block unscrewing by the powerful back
thrust of the discharges, a latch a³ is mounted on the bell crank and provided with
a catch ³ in suitable relation to a notch 3 in the back of the carrier arm to lock
the bell-crank and thereby secure the breech block against such action. "The
latch arm has a skeleton handle e in such relation to the handle f3 that it may
be grasped together with handle 3, when the breech is to be opened and the
catch may thereby be released to allow the bell crank to be operated. The
latch is connected to the bell-crank at g³ in suitable relation to the pivot k for
direct resistance to the opening movement of the lever. In this example I
represent the connection by a spring plate secured in a slot in the end of the
latch bar, and in a slot in a lug on the underside of the bell-crank, said spring
having "set" tending to keep the catch 63 in the notch but the latch may be
fitted on a pivot, and have a spring of any approved form to keep it engaged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination with a breech loading gun having the sectionally threaded
recess for the breech block, of the carrier arm hinged to the breech of the gun,
the sectionally threaded breech block revolubly mounted on the carrier arm,
and the bell crank lever pivoted on the carrier arm and engaging the breech
block suitably for effecting the locking and unlocking of said block when actuated
for closing and opening the carrier arm, the axis of the pivot of the elbow lever
being in a diametrical plane of the axis of the breech block across which plane the
recess in the breech block, wherein the end of the short arm engages, swings
about equally each way in the engagement and disengagement of the breech
block for direct application of the power, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a breech loading gun having the sectionally threaded
recess for the breech block, of the carrier arm hinged to the breech of the gun,
the sectionally threaded breech block revolubly mounted on the carrier arm, and

page_text: the bell crank lever pivoted on the carrier arm and engaging the breech block
suitably for effecting the locking and unlocking of said block when actuated,for
closing and opening the carrier arm, the axis of the pivot of the elbow lever being
in a diametrical plane of the axis of the breech block across which plane the recess
in the breech block, wherein the end of the short arm engages, swings about
equally each way in the engagement and disengagement of the breech block for
direct application of the power, said bell-crank having a sector that closes the
slot in which the short arm of the bell-crank works through the carrier arm when
the breech is closed, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a breech loading gun having the recess for the breech
block, the carrier arm hinged to the side of the gun, breech block carried on the
carrier arm, cartridge ejector, and ejector actuating lever, said lever having the
long leverage fulcrum for starting the cartridge and the successively operative
shifting fulcrum for shorter leverage subsequent to the starting action, and
coupled with the carrier arm for being actuated thereby substantially as described.
4. The combination with a breech loading gun, of the ejector lever having the
long leverage fulcrum for starting the shell, the successively operating shorter
leverage fulcrum for accelerating the ejectment, and means for operating' said
lever substantially as described.
5. The combination with the breech loading gun, of the ejector lever having the
long leverage fulcrum for starting the shell, the successively operating shorter
leverage fulcrum for accelerating the ejectment, and the carrier arm for the
brcech block recess, said lever connected with said arm for being actuated thereby
substantially as described.
6. In a breech loading gun having the carrier arm pivoted at one side of the
breech and an actuating lever for said arm pivoted in brackets projecting from
said arm and swinging in the same plane, the combination of a cam lug on the
hub of said lever, and a lateral stud on a portion of the firing pin projecting
through said carrier arm, said cam lug and stud pin adapted for engaging and
locking the firing pin while the breech is open substantially as described.
7. The combination of the cam lug on the hub of the carrier arm actuating
lever, and the stud on the firing pin for engaging and locking the firing pin
while the breech is open substantially as described.
8. The combination with the bell-crank and the carrier arm, of the latch
adapted to lock said bell-crank and prevent release of the breech block by the
shocks of the discharges substantially as described.
Doted this 28th dox of Van 1000
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.