US45641A - Improvement in expanding tampions for fire-arms - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT Erica,

IMPROVEMENT IN EXPANDING TAMPIONS FOR FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 45,61Ldated December 27, 1864; antedated December 17, 1864.

To (ZZZ whom it may concerm- Be it known that we, THOMAS K. Sonne- MERHORN and J OsErH ANDERSON, both of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Tampion; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a longitudinal central section of our invention, the line x 00, Fig. 2, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, taken in the plane indicated by the line 3 1 Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. I

This invention consists in the employment or use of a stationary nut, in combination with a plug divided in two or more sections and held together by elastic packing-rings, and with a conical expander and flange in such a manner that when the plug is not expanded it can bereadily introduced into the muzzle 'Of a gun or other firearm, and by screwing down the expander the sections of the plug are forced out against the inner circumference of the barrel, and at the same time the flange is pressed up tight against its mouth,and a joint is produced which is perfectly impervious to water, and, furthermore, by unscrewing the expander the plug readily contracts,so that it can be easily withdrawn from the barrel.

A represents aplug,turned of woodor other suitable material, and cut in two or more sections, a b c, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These sections are held together by bands d,of indiarubber or other suitable material, capable of acting simultaneously as springs and as packing. Two or more such bands may be applied to the plug, according to its size.

B is the expander, which is made of wood or other suitable material,and the conical part of which fits into a correspondingly conical socket, e, in the plug, as shown in Fig. 1. This plug is provided with a screw-shank, f, at its inner end, which is tapped with a nut, g, inserted in a mortise, h, in the several sections of the plug. This mortise is square, the same as the nut, so that in screwing down the round, and at the same time by means of the mortise said nut is held stationary, allowing the sections of the plug to expand or contract at pleasure. The expander B is rotated by a handle, 0, attached to or passing through its head, and a shoulder, 73, under its head serves to act on the flange D, which is intended to bear against the end of the barrel when the expander is screwed down. If the expander is unscrewed,the plug A can be easily introduced in the barrel, and by screwing up the expander the sections of the plug are forced out against the inner surface of the barrel,and at the same and a perfectly water-tight joint is produced, so that the barrel can be submerged in water without danger of wetting the charge, and even by application of considerable hydraulic pressure we have not been able to force a particle of water into the barrel. When it is desired to remove the tampion from the barrel, the expander is turned back, and the sections of the plug contract spontaneously by the action of the elastic bands d. Our tampion is thus easily applied and readily removed. It can be made cheap and readily fitted to barrels of any size, and by its use the charge in the barrel is perfectly protected against moisture.

We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The stationary nut g, in combination with the expander D, sectional plug A, elastic bands (I, and flange D, constructed and operating as and for the purpose shown and described.

THOMAS K. SOHERMERHORN. JOSEPH ANDERSON, Witnesses:

- JAS. P. HALL,

GEO. W. REED.

expander the nut is prevented from turning time the flange D is pressed up against its end

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