US502185A - Machine-gun - Google Patents

Description

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No. 502,185. Patented July 25, l 555555 mi. z mugnmnnuInmmlngun ilmmunumummm 5 nriuum ngi |.N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet A2.

MACHINE GUN.-

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(No Model.)

N0.A502,l85. Patented July 25,1893.

n TTan STATes PATENT @Ferca RICHARD J. GATLING, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICU".

` MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming 'part of Letters Patent No. 502,185, datediuly 25, 1893. Application filed September 10, 1.892. lSerialllo. 445,492. (No model.)\

.Connecticuh have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machine-Guns, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact speciiication.

The invention relates to the class of machine guns commonly known as Gatling guns,

the object being to providea gun of this class which can be readily changed so as to be fired with great rapidity either by hand or by power, the`\power driving' 'mechanism being so constructed that'it may be quickly removed, or attached in suc manner that it is out of sight and not a mar` forhostile projectiles or in the way of the gunners; and further to so construct the mechanism of the gun thatl the parts may be quickly removed and assembled, and enable cartridges of small caliber to be used and positivelyextracted after being fired.

To this end the invention resides in a gun having a frame or casing supporting'a cylindrical cam and a central revolving shaft bearing coils of wire, a group of barrels and a cylinder with reciprocating locks, and in details of the construction of these parts, as more particularly hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

4Referring.; to the accompanying drawings:- Figure 1 is a side view of one of these guns of the class known as the army gun. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is aside view of one of these guns of `the class known as the navy gun.7 Fig. 11 is a plan of this latter gun. Fig. 5 is a plan of the revolving parts of one of the guns. Fig. 6 is an enlarged central longitudinal vertical section of the butt of the gun shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a section on plane denoted by the broken line a' c.' Fig. 8 is a section on plane denoted by b b. Fig. 9 isa section on plane c c. Fig. 10 is a section on cl (L Fig. 11 is -a view of the breechbf the barrels and their holder. Fig. 12 is a section of a portion of the same. Fig. 13 is a sectionof the cani cylinder; aud Fig.- 14 shows top, bottom, side, sectional and end views VAof one ofthelocks, i

In the views 1 indicates the trunnion frame which consists of a pair of metallic bars con- *the cascabel.

nected together at their front ends' by a crosspiece 2, and at their rear ends by the casing This cylindrical casing 3 is divided dialm etrically and the upper part hinged to the lower so thatit may be thrown open to expose the interior when its catch is released and the casing 4,that is screwed upon a mutilated thread on the end of this casing, is removed. A shaft 5 passing -through the center from end to end of the gun is supported at the front by the cross-piece of the frame and at the rear end by the cascabel plate or a bearing in It is preferred that this shaft be formed in two sections joined back of the casing 3 by means of a coupling G so that the rear portion of the shaft may be separated from the forward portion and removed. Keyed to theshaft are the barrel disks, the front disk, 7, being perforated and holding the barrels near their muzzles, while the rear disk, 8, is perforated and holds the butts of the barrels which are provided'with lugs 9. The disk 8 is chambered and in the chamberis placed a disk 10 of hard steel, havinga number ofmortises in its periphery to receive and hold the lugs projecting from the ends of the barrels, so that the barrels are prevented from twisting or turning under the strain of the bullets as they pass through the riding. The lock carrier cylinder 11 is keyed to the shaft directly back of this disk 10 so as to hold the disk is place,-and in grooves in this cylinder slide the locks 12 as they are reciprocated by the cam cut in the interior of the cylinder 13 that ts into the casing 3 which has a socket to receive a pin 14 thatprojects fronrthe cylinder so as to insure the correct-location of the parts.

Each of the locks 12 consists of a block 15 which forms a breech block, having a tongue 1G-that runs in a groove'in the carrier block and a lug 17 that tits the cam groove so that the locks are reciprocated by the cam as the carrier revolves with the locks asin the common Gatling gun. In a central perforation through .each lock-block is placed a spring firing pin 18 having a head 19 adapted to enr gage the cooking switch 20 located on the interior of the cam cylinder back of the recoil block 40, as in the common construction, while in a longitudinal mortise in the top of the block is an extractor 21, having a hooked forward ,end adapted to engage the upper portion of the rimof a cartridge, and in a mor- ICO forward by means of the spring 23,1116; elasticvr tail of this extractor riding on a ro`il iii'heV` bottom of the mortise.

A diaphragm 24 with a bearing for the center shaft is located in the. rear ot' the casing 3 behind the cam cylinder, and this diaphragm is divided, the upper part 25 being hinged to the lowei` so that it may be lifted when the top of the casing is lifted,to allow a tree removal of the locks from the grooves in the carrier block.

In the construction shown, to the central shaft `5 is keyed a core 2G of magnetic mafterialwith a common winding of wire 27 forniing an armature of an electric motor which when ,electrically excited rotates the shaft, while loosely mounted upon the shaft is a frame 2S which bears an electro field magnet 29. To the frame 28 of this field magnet is secured a gear 30 that meshes into gears 31 secured to shafts 32 which are journaled in the ends of a coupling 33-and which bear gears 34 in mesh 'with a gear 35 secured to a ydiaphragm 36 extendingacrossl the forward -end of'this easing. codplingSS-isv'lrmovablyscured to the'cnd of the shaft of A the gun where the usual crank-handle would be attached, and alsoto the extension of the shaft which bears the armature of the electric motor.

The held magnet is wound in the customary manner and connected with its source of excitation in any common manner, and the armature isalso wound as usual and connected in the ordinary way with any suitable source of electrical supply.

To start the gun into action the motor is excited byv alcurrent of electricity. The construction and arrangement described are such that the armature revolves in one direction, and being connected with the main shaft revolves it and operates the gnn,while through the medium of the intermeshing gears the eld revolves in an opposite direction in order that the revolutions of the armature may be slowerso that the -speed of the tiring may be better regulated.

At the forward end of the casing 3 in the frameof the gun shown and`describedin scenes them from 'the gun, as in the Gatling gun in common use. e

In the form of gun shown in Figs. 3 and i, the barrels are surrounded by a shell 39 for nearly their' entire length, and in this shell water or anysnitable coolingliquid may be placed to keep down the temperature of the barrels. In this form the upper part of therear e'nd of the casing and the hopper are hihged'to a portion of the shell, the hopper shown in this connection being that of conimon form which is designed to receive the ordinary drum'feed used with guns of this class. I

I claim as my inventionl l. In combination with the frame of a machine gun, a revolving shaft bearing an armature a group' of barrels and aV inortisedV cylinder holding reciprocating locks, a casing inclosing a field magnet adjacent to the armature, and a cylindrical cam in the path of the locks, substantially as specified.

2.' In combination with the frame of a inachine gun, a revolving shaft bearing an armature a group of barrels and a mortised cylinder holding reciprocatinglocks, a casing supporting a cylindrical cam in the path of the locks, and a casing detachably 1secured Ato 'the formerA casing and inclosin-g a field magnet adjacent to the armature, substantially as specified. I

3. In combination with the frame'of a ina'- -chine gum-a revolving shaft bearinga group of barrels'and a mortised cylinder. holding reciprocating. locks, a sectional hingedcasi-n'g supporting a cylindrical cam in the path of the locks, a hopper hinged to the frame adjacent to the breech of the barrels, and means for revolving the shatt, substantially as specified.

4. In combination with the frame of a machine gur, a revolving shaft bearing a group of `barrels and a' Amortised cylinder holding reciprocating locks, a sectional hinged casing supporting a cylindrical-cani in the path of the locks, a sectional hinged diaphragm at therear of said casing, a hopper hinged to the frame adjacent to the breech of the barrels, and means for revolving the shaft, substantially as specified.

5. In combination with the frame of a machine gun, a revolving shaft bearing a mortised cylinder holding reciprocating locks, and disks ,holding a group of barrels, the rear one of saidfisks being yformed of a portion with circular penforations and a portion of harder metal lhaiving mortisesadjacent tothe circular perfoiations,'baire1s with lugs projecting from their-rear ends into said morti'ses, a casing supporting a cylindrical' cam in the'path vot`the locks,'and means for revolving the shaft, substantially asl specified.

RICHARD J. GATLING.

Witnesses;

H. R. WILLIAMS, CLARENCE E. BUCKLAND.

ITO

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