US796880A - Firing mechanism for breech-loading guns. - Google Patents

Description

No. 796,880, PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. R. P. STOUT. FIRING MECHANISM FOR BREBGH LOADING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Quorum PATENTED .AUG. 8, 1905.

R. P. STOUT. A FIRING MECHANISM FOR BREECH'LOADING GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wimeom IINITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE ROBERT PAUL STOUT, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRING MECHANISM FOR BREECH-LOADING GUNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed anuary 27, 1904:. Serial No. 190,881.

To a, whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT PAUL STOUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bethlehem, in the county of North ampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firing Mechanism for Breech-Loading Guns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to firing mechanism for breech-loading guns; and it consists in providing means whereby a firing-pin or other firing device cannot occupy a forward position, so as to fire the charge, until the breech-block is so engaged with the threads of the breech that no injury will result from the explosion of the charge, as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is .a sectional plan of sufficient of the breech mechanism of a gun to illustrate my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detached sectional view illustrating a different gear between the block and holder.

The firing mechanism of breech-loading guns as usually constructed is defective from the fact that if the firing-head of the firingpin becomes detached it may yet remain in a position projecting beyond the inner face of the breech-block in a manner to fire the charge in case of the sudden closure of the breech, and to obviate this defect I provide means whereby the firingpin, under which term I include the pin-point combined with any suitable firing device, is carried backward as the breech is opened and is onlymoved forward to firing position as the closure of the breech is completed by fully seating the block therein. As a result, if the head of the firing-pin is detached from the stem it cannot be brought against the charge merely by carrying the breech-block to its forward position, nor will it be brought into contact with the charge until the breech-block has been turned to such an extent that the firing of the charge will have no detrimental results.

In carrying out my invention the firingpin is combined with means whereby it is moved longitudinally backward as soon as the breech-block begins its movement prior to withdrawing the same and is carried for Ward intofiring position only after the breechblock has been fully introduced and after it is so secured in its place that the explosion of the charge cannot displace the block.

In the construction shown, A represents the breech of the gun; B, the breech-block of any desired design, with threads or collars on the periphery meshing With those of the gun and segmental to permit the withdrawal of the block after a partial rotation.

The breech-block is suitably supported upon a carrier E, the latter, as shown, having a hub 2, with threads engaging those of a recess in the block and corresponding in pitch to the threads of the block .which engage those of the breech. Instead of threads the engagement of the block and hub may be efiected through the medium of coacting collars. The firing-pin is carried bodily by a longitudinally-movable holder, which is only in its forward position when the breechblock is in firing position. Thus the breechblock forward of the hub has a threaded socket with threads adapted to those upon a firing-pin holder C, the said threads being the reverse of those of the breech-block, and the firing-pin or other firing-gear is carried by this holder, and both holder and firingpin, as shown, extend rearwardly through the hub and the carrier. In the construction shown the firing-gear consists of the pin D, sliding in the holder, carried forward by a firing-spring 3, and having a point 5 projecting beyond a shouldered or conical head 4, so that when the holder is moved to carry the firing-pin to a position with its point back of the face of the block the charge cannot be fired, even if by any accident the head of the pin should become detached and remain in firing position in the holder when the block is carried into the breech, because the said head will not be held in firing position in respect to the block.

While different means may be employed for turning the holder to carry the firing-pin into firing position upon the final movement of the block inclosing the breech, I prefer to make use of a suitable gear H, supported by and turning upon the carrier-as, for instance, by a stud 7-and meshing with a curved rack 8 at the rear of the block and with gearteeth 9 upon the holder, the teeth 9 of such length as to intermesh with the gear as the holder moves longitudinally in respect to said gear. Where the rotating movement of the block is to such a slight extent as to ren- .der it desirable to give a greater degree of rotation to the holder, I make use of a multiplying-gear H, as shown in Fig. 3.

Any suitable means may be employed for operating the firing-gear. As shown, a lever F is pivoted at 14 to the holder and is provided with jaws G, which engage an annular recess of the firing-pin until the lever F is swung back to the proper extent and the jaws are separated and the firing-pin released to be projected forward by the spring- 3. As this mechanism is well known and in common use and as any other suitable means for drawing back and releasing the pin may be employed, further description is unnecessary.

The operation of the mechanism. constructed as illustrated is as follows: In opening the breech the block B is rotated either to the right or left, according to the character of the screw-threads between the block and breech. Assuming that the block is turned to the left, the rack 8 will move around the axis of the block, rotating the gear H and turning the holderCto the right, and thereby also causing the holder C, with its firing-pin, to be carried longitudinally independently of the block to the rear sufiiciently to remove the firing-pin from firing position in respect to the block-that is, it is carried into the recess or socket of the block, so that the point 5 and the surrounding holder will not project beyond the face of the block, and this action is effected before the threads of the block are disengaged from those of the breech. The breech m ay then be opened, as usual. In restoring the parts to position after the insertion of a charge the carrier is swung toward the breech, and the block is inserted within the breech without the firingpoint being projected beyond the face of the block. As the block is turned and the threads thereof engage with those of the breech the gear H is turned, rotating the holder and gradually carrying it, with the firing-pin, to a firing position, a position, however, which it does not reach until the threads of the block and breech areso fully engaged that an ex plosion'of the charge will not be detrimental to the mechanism of the gun.

It will be evident that the mechanism above described or other mechanism involving my invention is adapted for use as well in connection with mechanism where the firing-pin or its equivalent is always concentric with the breech, as well as in mechanism where it is eccentric, or can be carried into and out of position concentric with the breech.

. Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim A 1 V I 7 i 1. A breech-block provided with a firingpin, a holder for the latter provided with external screw-threads adapted to those of a threaded socket in the block, and means to turn the holder relatively to the block and breech to carry it forward and the pin to liring position only as the closure of the breech is completed, substantially set forth.

2. A breech-block provided with a firingpin, a holder for the latter provided with external screw-threads adapted to those of a threaded socket in the block, and means to turn the holder positively and relatively to the block and breech to carry it forward and the pin to firing position only as the closure of the breech is completed, substantially as set forth.

3. The combin ation with a threaded breechblock adapted to a threaded breech, of a firing-pin, holder therefor carried by the block and provided with external threads engaging internal threads of the block, and gearing for turning the holder in respect to the block, substantially as set forth.

41. The combination with the carrier of a gun, and breech-ljilock carried thereby and rotating thereon, of a firing pin, a holder therefor having external threads engaging in ternal threads of the block, and gearing between the holder and. block, whereby the holder is turned the block rotates, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the carrier of a gun, andv breech-block carried thereby and rotating thereon, of a firing pin, a holder thereforhavin g threads engaging corresponding threads of the block, and gearing between the holder and block, whereby the holder is turned. as the block rotates but to a greater extent, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the carrier of a gun, and breech-block carried thereby and rotating thereon, of a firing-pin, a holder therefor having threads engaging correspon (ling threads of the block, gear-teeth onthe holder and block, and. an intermediate gear engaging said teeth and supported by the carrier, substantially as set forth.

7. The comlnnation with the carrier of a gun, and breech-block carriedv thereby and rotating thereon, of a firing pin, a holder therefor having threads engaging corresponding threads of the block, gear-teeth on the holder and block, and intermediate multiplying-gear engaging said teeth. and sup ported by the carrier, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT PAUL STOUT.

I/Vitnesses G. P. KRAMER, G. N. FREEMAN.

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