IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING GUNS
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Fortune Lewis Bailey at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th February 1877.
FORTUNE LEWIS BAILEY, of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America, now
of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
GUNS."
My Invention relates to breech-loading guns of the class commonly termed
machine guns, and in which the loading, discharging, and other operations are
effected by mechanism at the breech of the gun actuated by the turning of a crank.
or handle.
The main object of the said Invention is the production of a convenient and
efficient field piece, which while as easy of transport or removal as an ordinary field
piece, shall be capable of very rapid firing, and of quick and accurate adjustment to
direct the fire to any desired point.
The said Invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the
parts of the breech mechanism, whereby I obtain great strength or solidity and
security at the breech, combined with facility of manipulation and rapidity of loading,
firing, and extracting.
. My improved breech mechanism is constructed and operates as follows, that is
to say-The gun has a strong frame of wrought iron or other suitable material;:
a breech block is fitted to slide endwise in suitable guideways at the rear of and
in line with the barrel, which is secured in and projects forward from the frame.
The endwise sliding movements of this block are communicated to it through the
medium of a toothed pinion, which is fixed on the crank or handle shaft and gears
with a rack formed on the said block. This pinion by a peculiarity of construction
also serves to operate a vertically sliding block, which has teeth geared with the
said pinion, and which serves the double purpose of locking the breech block when
closed, and also of releasing the trigger and discharging the gun. This peculiarity
of construction of the said pinion consists in forming upon two different portions of
its periphery teeth of different length. The short teeth operate the longitudinal
breech block and pass the vertically sliding block without moving the same, the long
teeth operate the said vertically sliding block, but do not turn far enough to come
in gear with the said breech block. By this construction of the said pinion I avoid
the necessity of using separate pinions for operating the longitudinal and vertical

page_text: blocks, but if desirable I may use two separate pinions instead of a single one, con-
structed as described. Below the said longitudinally sliding breech block, and
immediately at the rear of the barrel I arrange a transversely sliding plate, which
receives the cartridges from a hopper placed above and at one side of the breech,
and brings them in line with the barrel immediately before the breech block moves
forward to close the breech. This transversely sliding plate or cartridge receiver
is operated through the medium of a lever from a cam or stud on the crank axle
placed at the side of the said pinion. This lever has a long and short arm, and its
fulcrum is so arranged at the side of the frame that the said lever moves in a hori-
zontal path. Its short arm is arranged to be struck by the said cam or stud at the
proper moment, and its long arm is connected with the said sliding cartridge receiver,
and moves the same into line with the barrel for loading, and away from the same
after the discharge.
The aforesaid longitudinally sliding breech block carries the firing or striking pin
or striker, which is driven forward by a spiral spring, and by whose percussion the
cartridges in the barrel are discharged. This firing pin extends longitudinally
through the said block, and near its rear end it has a hook or tooth arranged to be
caught by the trigger. The latter is a lever preferably fulcrummed in a longitudinal
rib or bar on the top or cover of the breech frame, and that serves as a guide for
the breech block. This trigger has a hook or tooth arranged to catch the tooth on
the firing pin when the breech block is forced forward to close the breech, and
thereby retracts the said firing pin and holds it ready for firing. The free end of
the said trigger extends backward into a position to be struck and raised by a stud
or point projecting up froin the top of the aforesaid vertically sliding block, when
the latter is raised, and thereby releases the firing pin and effects the discharge of
the gun.
The extractor is a small hooked piece secured to the front end of the breech
block, and formed and arranged to take hold of the rim or flange of the cartridge,.
and draw the same out of the barrel when the breech block is withdrawn.
When the aforesaid cartridge receiver is moved out of line with the barrel there
is a clear space at the rear of the latter through which the empty shells fall as they
are retracted.
By properly manipulating the aforesaid crank or handle the operations of moving
the cartridge receiver in line with the barrel advancing the breech block to close
the breech, locking the breech block by raising the said vertical block, firing the gun,
withdrawing the breech block, and extracting or retracting the empty cartridge
shell, may be effected with great rapidity, and a continuous discharge may be
maintained as long as the hopper is supplied with cartridges.
In the above description I have more particularly referred to a gun with a single
fixed barrel, but I wish it understood that my Invention is applicable to a machine
gun with two or more barrels either fixed or moveable.
My improved gun is mounted on trunnions and provided with adjusting
mechanism of any suitable construction.