US789687A - Automatic blower for guns. - Google Patents

Description

No. 789387. PATENBD MAY 9. 1.905. J.D.BDWARDS&G. 0.1mm. AUTOMATIG BLOWER FOR GUNS.

APPLIOATION'IILED 00T. 20, 1904.

SHEETS-sum1,

No. '789,687. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905. J. D. EDWARDS 6r, C. C. LOVE.y

AUTOMATIC BLOWER EUR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 20, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NITED STATES Patented May 9, `1905.

JOE D. EDWARDS AND CHARLES C. LOVE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO MARGARET MARY LOEFFLER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

AUTOMATIC BLOWER FOR GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,687, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed October 20, 1904. Serial No. 229,322.

T0 all ll/71,0711, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, Jon D. EDWARDS and CHARLES C. Lovn, citizens of the United States, residing' at l/Vashington city, District of Columbia. have invente'd new and useful Improvements in Automatic Blowers for Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic blower for guns; and the object thereof is to provide means for` automatically forcing from the gun before the breech thereof is opened any gases or products of combustion due to the explosion or ignition of the explosive or combustible charge when firing the gun, thereby preventing premature explosions.

The invention further aims to provide a blower for guns for the purpose set forth which will be automatically operated by the recoil and counter-recoil of the'gun, thereby forcing from the gun any gases or products of combustion to prevent premature explosion. i

The invention further aims to construct an automatic blower for guns which shall be simple in its construction, strong, durable, eficient in its use and operation, readily set up in operative relation with respect to the gun, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

IVith the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention; but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications can be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and therefore the invention is not restricted to the details of construction hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings; but the right is reserved to make such changes, variations, and modifications as come properly within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

A blower constructed in accordance with piston-head, and said piston-rod may be car- A ried by the gun, so as to reciprocate during the recoil and counter-recoil thereof, or said reciprocatory element can be the piston-rod of the recoil brake mechanism, said rod of said mechanism being bored and provided with a valved head, so as to obtain the function desired. The discharging element is in the form of a hollow tube, having one end provided with a valve to prevent back pressure. Said discharging element is carried by the gun, the latter being bored to receive it, and the said discharging element may extend in the gun from the back thereof or from the top, at the rear thereof.

Inthe drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure l is a side elevation of a gun broken away and showing the blower in longitudinal section, and, as shown in Fig. l, the blower is arranged at the top of the gun and extends into the gun, at the rear thereof. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a view of one end of the stationary element with the parts thereof removed. Fig. L is a similar view of the piston-head. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the valve-head for the stationary element. Fig. 6 is a like view of the piston-head. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the discharging element. Fig. 8 is a face View of the valve forthe discharging element. Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation showing the application of the blower to a recoil brake mechanism, and Fig. l() is a detail of one end of the gun, showing the discharge element extending therein from the top.

In the adaptation of the invention to a gun it will be stated that one or more of the blowers can be employed; but preferably two are employed, as unusually favorable results are obtained from the employment of two blowers; but it will be stated that very satisfactory results are obtained when but one blower is employed.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 8 of the drawings, 1 denotes the gun; 2, the powder-chamber; 3, the gas-check chamber; 4, the breech-block chamber; 5, the gun-carriage, and 6 the recoil brake mechanism. These elements may be of any known construction, with the eX- ception that when one blower is employed the rear portion of the gun is provided with a bore terminating in an air-passage, to be hereinafter referred to, and that when two or more blowers are employed the rear portion of the gun is provided with a corresponding number of bores and air-passages, the function of which will be hereinafter referred to.

A blower constructed in accordance with this invention embodies a stationary element, a reciprocatory element, and a discharging element coupled with the reciprocatory element.

The stationary element consists of a hollow cylinder 7, screw-threaded at one end, as at 8, and said cylinder 7 is closed at its screw-threaded end through the medium of a cap 9, interiorl y screw-threaded, as at 10, provided with an air-chamber 10' on its inner face, with a shoulder 11 and a beveled surface 12, and in its head with a centrally-arranged opening 13 and a plurality of air-inlet passages 14. The screw-threads 10 of the cap 9 are adapted to engage with the screwthreads 8 of the cylinder 7, and said cylinder 7 is adapted to abut against the shoulder 11, the connection between the cylinder and cap being substantially air-tight. Resting against the inner face of the head of the cap 9 and closing the passages 14, as well as the passage 13, is a disk valve 15, which is lixedly secured to the inner end of a valved stem 16, projecting through the opening 13. Said stem 16 carries on its outer end an enlargement 17, preferably in the form of a nut, and interposed between said enlargement 17 and the outer face of the head of the cap 9 and surrounding the valved stem is a coiled compression-spring 18, whose tendency is to normally retain the valve 15 againstthe inner face of the head of the cap 9, so as to close the passages 13 14. The stationary element, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is fixedly secured to the gun-carriage 5. Two blowers are illustrated in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, and the stationary elements thereof are secured to the gun-carriage at each side of the gun.

The reciprocatory element is in the form of an elongated hollow piston-rod carrying on its inner end a valved piston-head. r1 he elongated hollow piston-rod is indicated by the reference character 19 and is cxteriorly screw-threiuled at cach end, as at 20 21, and to the screw-threads 21 is secured the valved piston-head, which is in the form of an interior]y-screw-threaded cap 22, having an enlargement 23 of a diameter substantially equal to that of the inner diameter of said hollow cylinder 7. The head of the cap 22 is indicated by the reference character 24 and is provided with a centrally-arranged opening 25 and a plurality of air-passages 26. Engaging the inner face of the head 24 of the cap 22 is a disk valve 27, the function of which is to normally close the passages 26, as well as the opening 25, and said valve 27 is carried on the inner end of a valve-stem 28, which extends through the opening 25. Said stern 28 carries on its outer end an enlargement 29, preferably in the form of a nut, and between said enlargement 29 and the outer face of the head 24 said valve-stem 28 is surrounded by a coiled compression-spring 30, whose function is to normally retain the Valve 27 against the inner face of the head 24, so as to close the passages 26, as well as thc opening 25. The reciprocatory element is adapted to operate within the cylinder 7. and said element is iXedly secured in any suitable manner, as at 31, to the gun, so that when the gun recoils and counter-recoils a reciprocatory movement will be given to said pistonrod and the valved piston-head. The function obtained from the operation of the reciprocatory element Within the stationary element is the same as that of an air-pump. The valved piston-head is constructed in such a manner that when it is secured to the rod 19 an air-chamber 32 will be formed and which is adapted to communicate with the passage in the rod 19. As shown in Fig. 2, two blowers are employed. Consequently two reciprocatory elements are employed, there being an element secured to each side of the gun, so that said reciprocatory elements will move with the gun during the recoil and counterrecoil thereof.

.The discharging element consists of an inclined nozzle 33, shouldered as at 34 and provided with exterior screw-threads 35. The mouth of the nozzle is closed through the medium of a gravity-return flap-valve 36, having an extension 37, which is pivoted, as at 38, to the end of the nozzle 33. The nozzle at its opposite end is provided with a screw-threaded projection 39, which is engaged by the coupling member 40, so as to connect the nozzle with the rcciprocatory element as the coupling at its upper end engages the screw-threads 20 of the rod 19. The discharging element is adapted to be inserted into the gun, and for this purpose a bore corresponding in contour to the nozzle 33 is provided. Said bore is indicated by the refe-rence character 41 and extends at an iuclination. When two blowers are employed,

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one of the bores 41 extends downwardly at an inclination and the other extends upwardly at an inclination. The bore 41 is of greater length than the nozzle 33, and by such an arrangement sufficient space is formed to enable the operation of the flap-valve 36 when it opens the mouth of the nozzle 33. The bore 41 communicates at its inner end with an inclined air-passage 42 of less diameter than the diameter of said bore 41 at the inner end thereof, so as to contract the column-of air, and said passage 42 opens into the gun at a point in as close proximity to the gas-check chamber 3 as is possible. When two blowers are employed, two passages 42 are provided, one of them extending' downwardly at an inclination and the other upwardly at an inclination. By such an arrangement the air-currents when two blowers are employed meet, and it has been found that after the air-currents meet they will cause the travel of the air to be in substantially alongitudinal direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the discharging' elements are inserted into the back of the gun at each sideof the breech-block; but any other position of the discharging element than that as shown can be employed.

In Fig. 9 of the drawings the adaptation of the blower is shown in connection with a recoil brake mechanism, and in this connection the cylinder 43 of such mechanism has its head 44 constructed in the same manner as the head of the cylinder 7, the same reference characters being applied thereto. The piston-rod of the recoil brake mechanism is indicated by the reference character 45 and is bored so as to form an air-passage 46 and carries on its inner end a piston-head 47 of the same construction as the piston-head referred to, the same referencecharacters being applied thereto. The piston-rod 45 is coupled in any suitable mannerwfor example, in the manner as shownto the discharging element.

In Fig. 10 of the drawings the discharging element is shown as inserted from the top of the gun, at the rear thereof, and for this purpose a bore 43 is provided, which is of the same contour as the bore 41, but extends in a `vertical direction and at its lower end communicates with the inclined air-passage 49, this passage being the same as the passage 42, hereinbefore referred to. The discharging element (indicated by the reference character 50 in Fig. 10) is coupled with the reciprocatory element in any suitable manner-for eX- ample, that as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The length of the cylinders 7 and 43 and the outstrolre of the piston-rods 19 and 45 are such that on the recoil of the gun a sufficient quantity of air is drawn therein so that on the instroke of the piston-rod 19 or 45 the necessary amount of air will be forced into the gun so the cleansing operation will be had in a satisfactory manner.

The operation of the structure, as shown in Figs. 1 to 8, is that when the gun recoils air will be drawn into the cylinder 7, as will be evident, owing to the fact that when the pis'- ton-rod 19 moves outwardly the valve 15 will be moved so as to open the air-inlet passages 14, and consequently air will be drawn into the cylinder 7, as well as the air-chamber 10. On the counter-recoil of the gun the piston-rod 19 will move inwardly, causing the valve 15 to close the passages 14 and the valve 17 to move so as to open the air-inlet passages 26, which will cause the air within the cylinder 7 and air-chamber 10l to enter through the passages 26 into the hollow piston-rod and travel therethrough, through the coupling 40 into the nozzle 33, and be discharged into the gun through the passage 42, thereby forcing the gases or products of combustion from within the gun to the atmosphere. The air when traveling through the nozzle 33 will move the valve 36 from its seat, consequently opening the nozzle; but back pressure from within the gun will cause the valve 36 to retain its closing position. The construction of the valve 36 is such that it will normally retain its seat, and consequently prevent air from enteringinto the gun unless said valve is moved from its seat, when the reciprocatory elcment is operated in a manner as hereinbefore referred to.

The operation of the structure shown in Fig. 9 is substantially the same as that referred to in connection with the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 8, as will be evident.

When two blowers are employed, as before stated, the currents of air are projected into the gun at an inclination and meet and then travel in a longitudinal direction. It has been found that the current of air expunges the gases or products of combustion from the gun, consequently preventing premature explosion, and owing to the fact that the operation of the device is automatic itwill be had before the breech is opened. Consequently when the breech is opened no gases or products of combustion can pass out through the breech.- rlhe first operation, which is obtaining a supply of air or what may be termed a cleansing medium, is had on the recoil of the gun, and the second operation of supplying said cleansing medium to the interior of the gun, so as to expunge the gases or products of combustion, is had on the counter-recoil of the gun. It is therefore evident that the entire operation of the blower is automatic.

Although in Fig. 1 of the drawings the blower is shown attached to a gun supported by a stationary gun-carriage, it is to be understood that the device is fully applicable for field-guns as well, whether they be rapid-fire guns or of other character. So, therefore, it

is to be `understood that the device is applicable for every description of guns provided with a recoil brake mechanism.

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Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A blower for guns involving a pumping element connected with and operated by the recoil and counter-recoil of the gun and having its discharge through the piston of said element, and a nozzle independent of and detachably connected with the piston and opening into the gun and forming a continuation of said piston. i

2. A blower for guns involving` a pumping element connected with and operated by the recoil and counter-recoil of the gun and having its discharge through the piston of said element, and a valved nozzle opening into the gun and forming a continuation of said piston.

3. An automatic blower for guns involving a valved stationary element opening into the atmosphere, a valved reciprocatory element opening into said stationary element, and a valved discharging element opening into the interior of the gun and forming a continuation of said reciprocatory element.

4. A blower for guns involving a pumping element having its piston connected with the gun so as to be automatically operated by the recoil and coun ter-recoil of the gun,said pumping element having its discharge through the piston thereof, a valved nozzle opening into the interior of the gun, and a coupling connected with the piston and the nozzle for establishing communication between them.

5. A blower for guns embodying a valved stationary element opening into the atmosphere, a valved reeiproeatory element operating in and opening into the stationary element and connected with the gun so as to be operated by the recoil and counter-recoil thereof, a valved discharging element opening into the interior of the gun, and a coupling for connecting the discharging element with the rcciprocatory element.

6. A blower for guns embodying a valved cylinder opening into the atmosphere, a hollow piston-head provided with a valve and opening into said cylinder, a hollow pistonrod connected with and opening into said head, a valved nozzle opening into the gun, and a coupling for connecting the nozzle with the piston-rod.

7. The combination with a gun having a bore opening into an inclined air-passage communicating with the interior of the gun, of a stationary valved element, a hollow reciprocatory element provided with a valve and operating in an opening into the stationary elcment and connected with the gun so as to be automatically operated by the recoil and counter-recoil thereof, a discharging element secured in said bore and provided with a valve, and a coupling for connecting said discharging element with said reciprocatory element.

8. The combination with a gun having a bore opening into an inclined air-passage communicating with the interior of the gun, and the carriage for the gun, of a valved cylinder lixed to said carriage, a hollow piston-head operating in said cylinder and provided with avalve, a hollow piston-rod connected to said head and to the gun and automatically operated by the recoil and counter-recoil of the gun, and a valved nozzle extending in said bore and connected with said piston-rod.

9. A blower for guns embodying a cylinder having one end provided with a plurality of inlet-passages, an automatically-operablc valve for normally closing said passages, a hollow piston-head operating in said cylinder and provided with a plurality of outlet-passages, an automaticallyoperable valve carried by said head for normally closing said passages, said last-mentioned valve operating in an alternate direction with respect to the operation of the first-mentioned valve, a hollow piston-rod secured to and communicating with said hollow piston-head, a nozzle extending into the gun and opening into the interior of the gun, a gravity return-Valve connected to the inner end of said nozzle `for normally closing the mouth thereof, and means Afor establishing communication between said nozzle and said hollow piston-rod.

10. Ablowerforgunsembodyingacylinder having one end provided with a plurality of inlet-passages, an automatically-operable valve for normally closing said passages, a hollow piston-head operating in said cylinder and provided with a plurality of outlet-passages, an automatically-operable valve carried by said head for normally closing said passages, said last-mentioned valve operating in an alternate direction with respect to the operavtion of the first-mentioned valve, a hollow piston-rod secured and opening into said piston-head and connected with the gun and automatically operated by the recoil and counter-recoil of the gun, a nozzle extending into the gun and opening into the interior of the gun, a gravity return-valve connected to the inner end of said nozzle for normally closing the mouth thereof, and means for establishing communication between said nozzle and said hollow piston-rod.

l1. A blower for guns embodying a cylinder having one end provided with a centrally-arranged opening and a plurality of inlet-openings, a Valve-stem extending through said centrally-arranged opening and having its outer end provided with an enlargement, a valve carried on the inner end ol said valvestem and adapted to close said inlet-openings, a coiled vspring interposed between said enlargement and the cylinder for normally rctaining the valve in its closure position, a hollow piston-head operating in said cylinder and provided with a centrally-a1'ranged opening and a plurality of outlet-openings, a valvestem extending through said centrally -arranged opening' and having its outer end pro- IOC IIC

vided with an enlargement, a valve arranged in said piston-head and secured to the inner end of the stem and extending through the centrally-arranged opening of the piston-head, a coiled spring mounted upon the valve-stem for the piston-head and interposed between the enlargement on said stem and said pistonhead, a hollow piston-rod secured to and cornmunicating with said piston-head, a nozzle opening into the interior of the gun, a gravity return-valve carried on the inner end of the nozzle and adapted to normally close the mouth thereof, and a coupling for establishing communication between the nozzle and the piston-rod.

12. A blower for guns embodying a cylinder having one end provided with a centrally-arranged opening and a plurality of inlet-openings, a valve-stein extending through said centrally-arranged opening and having its outer end provided with an enlargement, a valve carried on the inner end of said valvestem and adapted to close said inlet-openings, a coiled spring interposed between said enlargement and the cylinder for normally retaining the valve in its closure position, a hollow piston-head operating in said cylinder and provided with a centrally-arranged opening and a plurality of outlet-openings, a valvestem extending through said centrally-arrangeolopening and having its outer end provided with an enlargement, a valve arranged in said piston-head and secured to the inner end of the stem and extending through the centrally-arranged opening ofthe piston-head, a coiled spring mounted upon the valve-stem for the piston-head and interposed between the enlargement on said stem and said pistonhead, a hollow piston-rod secured to and opening into said piston-head and connected with the gun and automatically operated by the recoil and counter-recoil oi' the gun, a nozzle opening into the interior of the gun, a gravity return-valve carried on the inner end of the nozzle and adapted to normally closethe mouth thereof, and a coupling for establishing communication between the nozzle and the piston-rod.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOE D. EDWARDS. CHARLES C. LOVE. Vitnesses:

N. L. BoeAN,

SIGMUND J. BLOCK.

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