US880994A - Breech mechanism of ordnance. - Google Patents

Description

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110.880,994. PATENTED MAR. 3, 1908.

G. HOLMSTROM. BREEGH MEGHANISM 0F ORDNANGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZS. 1906. 1

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No. 880,994. l PTENTED MAR. 3, 1908.

C. HOLMSTROM. v

{ BREECH MEGHANISM 0F ORDNANGE.

PPLI ATION FILED J Y23, l 06.

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UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

CARL HOLMSTROM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ELIAS MIDDLETON, OF SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

BREECH MECHANISM OF ORDNANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application 1ed July 23, 1906.

T o all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HoLMsTRoM, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 25 Victoria street, Westminster, in the county of London, England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to the Breech Mechanism of Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gun breech mechanism of the kind in which the breech block is provided with a De Bange obturator and is rotatably mounted in a swinging carrier pivoted at the side of the breech. Attempts have been made to employ in this class of breech mechanism obturatorshaving little, if any taper, and to furnish means whereby, after the block has been angularly displaced to unlock it from the breech threads, said block will be caused to move a short distance in a rectilinear path, to remove the obturator from its seat and permit of the block being then swung out of the breech chamber by the carrier.

It is the chief object of my invention to so construct breech mechanism of the above stated character, that great power'can be exerted on the block forimp arting thereto the aforesaid rectilinear movement by an appropriate arrangement of lever mechanism which will remain inoperative until the unseating effort on the obturator is required to be exerted, whereupon said lever mechanism will exert a powerful rearward pull or toggle-like action on the block which will effectually unseat the obturator. Said mechanism will also operate with equal effectiveness during the inward rectilinear movement of the block and the seating of the obturator.

The aforesaid lever mechanism may comprise a pair of cranks or arms pivoted to the carrier so as to move in a horizontal plane fi. e. a plane transverse to that of the face of the breech block, which latter has a pair of flanges or cam grooves thereon for the free ends of the said cranks or arms to engage with. The position of this pair of cranks or arms relatively to the pair of flanges or cam grooves on the block is such that the cranks or arms come into engagement with the lianges or cam grooves as the block completes its angular displacement so that by the continued movement of the cranks or arms about their pivot, the block willy experience a powerful rearward pull which will be exerted through the said flanges or cam grooves, thus exerting on the block a rectilinear pull similar to that which would be produced by a toggle-likeV arrangement. For imparting motion to the said pair of cranks or arms the swinging carrier is furnished with a movable piece which may be in the form of a sliding bar receiving its motion from suitable mechanism such as a crank and link arrangement which may be operated from the usual gearing at the pivot of the swinging carrier. This movable piece is suitably connected with a crank or arm 'pivoted to the carrier so as to move in a vertical plane, i. e. parallel to the face of the breech block, and engaging with a radial slot i clearly understood and readily carriedl into effect I will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the breech endv of a gun with the improved breech mechanism applied thereto, the parts being in the position they assume when the breech is fully closed. In this arrangement the mechanism is adapted to be actuated by a hand-lever. Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig. 3 a vertical central section of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan similar to Fig. 2 with the parts in the position they occupy when the block has been unlocked and rectilinearly moved rearwardly. Fig. 5 is an elevation, and Fig. 6 a plan of the improved breech mechanism adapted to be actuated by a hand-wheel in stead of by a lever.

Like letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.

A is the breech end of the gun, B the breech block, C the obturator, D the obturator-pad, E the swinging carrier and F the breech actuating hand-lever. The aforesaid sliding bar is, in the example shown,

made in the form of a double rack a', a2, one set of teeth (viz. a) engaging with a toothed segment g, forming part of the crank or arm G which is on the carrier and which imparts the angular movement to the block through the radial slot b thereof. The other set of teeth (viz. a2) is at right angles to the set of teeth a', and engages with a toothed segment 7L formingpart of the pair of cranks or arms H, H. These cranks or arms are carried by a vertical shaft h on the carrier and impart the rectilinear movement to the block. Their free ends move in a horizontal plane and have anti-friction rollers which move in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2) to engage with the pair of flanges or grooves b, b on the rear face of the block and exertV a powerful rearward pull on the latter as aforesaid.

In the arrangement illustrated by Figs; l to 4 the said double rack'is actuated by a link f which is connected at f to said'rack and at f 2 to the breech actuating lever which moves about a pivot f3 on the carrier and in its? outward movementbrings a tooth or projection f4 against a lug e on said carrier so that the-continued outward movement of thelever causes the carrier to swing about its pivot E.

In the arrangement illustrated by Figs. 5 and the' said double rack is also actua-ted by a link f but this link instead of being pivoted-to the breech actuating lever as in the preceding figures is pivoted to a crank fion the carrier. This crank receives motionthrough toothed gearing f6' from the carrier-pivot 'f7 to which the breechactuating hand wheel f8 is gearedby a wormf9 and -worm wheel f 10.

A suitable catch may b'e provided forretaining'the block in its position of. disengagement:with ther crank G, during the time that the carrier is being swung to and from theV breech opening. This catch may comprise a sliding bolt i carried by the carrier and having an inclined'nose i; it may be provided'with a lateral spring i2 for exerting sufficient friction thereon to prevent it from unintentional movement. The said bolt mayalso have an incline i3 fora corresponding ,projection i4 on the gun-breech to act upon during the closing movement of the carrier.

Instead of arranging the aforesaid cranks orarms H, H'to move in a horizontal plane asfab'ove stated, they may be arranged to move in any other suitable plane transverse to that of the face of the breech block and the motion may be imparted to them from bevel gearing or the like. In some cases also only one of the cranks or arms I-Iand one of the flanges or grooves b need 4be employed.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is z- 1. In gun breech mechanism of the De Bange obturator type, the combination with the swinging carrier and the breech block movably mounted thereon, of means for impartingr angular motion to said block, lever mechanism turning about a fulcrum situated immediately behind the face of the breech block for rectilinearly moving the said block movably mounted thereon, of means for imparting angular motion to said block, an arm or crank mounted on the carrier to `move about a fulcrum situated immediately be-l hind the face of the breech block in a plane transverse with respect to the reari face of the said block, a iiangeon said block-with which the arm or crankengagesto move the block in a rectilinear path, meansfor operating said arm or crank, means for swinging the carrier-about its pivot, and ymeans whereby these various movements take place in proper sequence by the continued movement of the member by which the force for working the mechanism is applied thereto.

3. In gun breech mechanism ofthe iDe* Bange obturator type, the combination with the swinging carrier and the breech block movably mounted thereon, of means for im'- parting angular'motion to said bleek, an arm or crank mounted on the carrier to move in 'a plane transverse with respect to the rear face of the block, a flange on saidiblock with which the arm or crank engages to move the block in a rectilinear path, toothed gearing for actuating said arm 0r crank, meansffor swinging the carrier about itspivot, and means whereby thesel various movements take place in proper sequence-by the continued movement ofthe member-by which the force of.working-theffmechanism israpplied thereto.

4. In gun breech'mechanisinof the De Bange'obturatortype, the combination with the swinging carrier: andthe breech" block movably mounted thereon, of a= crank mounted on the carrier to move ina plane parallel with the rear face of the block and engaging wi-th a radial slot of the latter to angularly displace the same, 4a pair of'arms orfcranks mounted on the carrierto move in a plane transverse with res )ect to the face of the block, flanges on the lock with which the pair of arms orcranks` engage-to shift the block rectilinearly, means for actuating the aforesaid cranks, means forfswinging Vthe carrier about-its pivot, and means'whereby these various movements take place in proper sequenceby the continued movement ofthe meinberbyv which the force forworking the mechanism is applied thereto.

5. In gun breech mechanism of the De Bange obturatorftype, the'combination with the swinging carrier and the breech block movably mounted thereon, of `a crank mounted on the carrier to movel in a plane parallel with the rear face of the block and engaging with a radial slot of the latter to angularly displace the same, a pair of arms or cranks mounted on the carrier to move in aplane transverse with respect to 'the face of the block, flanges on the block with which the pair of arms engage to shift the block rectilinearly, a sliding rack bar on the carrier for actuating the crank that engages with the radial slot on the block and the cranks or arms that engage with the flanges on the block, means for actuating said rack bar7 and means whereby these various movements take place in proper sequence by the continued movement of the member by which the force for working the mechanism is applied thereto.

6. In gun breech mechanism of the De Bange obturator type, the combinationwith the swinging carrier and the breech block movably mounted thereon, of a crank mounted on the carrier to move in a plane parallel with the rear face of the block and engaging with a radial slot of the latter to angularly displace the same, a pair of arms or cranks mounted on the carrier to move in a plane transverse with res ect to the face of the block, ilanges on the block with which the pair of arms engage to shift the block rectilinearly, a sliding rack bar on the carrier having two sets of teeth, a toothed segment engaging with one set of the teeth and imparting motion to the crank that turns the block, a toothed segment engaging with the other set of teeth and imparting motion to the cranks or arms that rectilinearly shift the block, lever mechanism for operating the said sliding rack bar, a crank on the carrier for operating the lever mechanism, and means for operating said crank by the movement of the member by which the force for working the mechanism is applied thereto.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses this twelfth day of July 1906.

CARL HoLMsTRoM.

Vitnesses:

T. SELBY WARDLE, CHAs. S. RUTLIDGE.

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