Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 5th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
We, THE EISENWERKE GAGGENAU ACTIENGESELLSCHAFT, of Gaggenau,
Baden, Germany, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in self-loading fire-arms in which the
reloading and recocking are effected by the recoil under the pressure of the powder
gases, of the breech closing bolt which is not locked but is retained in the closed
position merely by the pressure of a spring recoiling so quickly as not to allow the
gases to escape at the breech before the bullet has quitted the barrel.
As the pressure of the powder gases acts equally in both directions, and as by
the law of inertia the velocity varies inversely as the weight, it is only necessary
that the weight of the breech bolt should be a given multiple of that of the bullet
in order that up to the time when the latter quits the barrel the breech bolt shall
only have moved back such a little way that the escape of gases at the breech will
be prevented by the sides of the cartridge case being pressed against the sides of
its chamber. The complete recoil of the breech bolt recocks the hammer and
compresses the spring whereby the breech bolt is. immediately returned to the
closed position. During this recoil the spent cartridge case is ejected and another
cartridge introduced which is carried by the breech bolt on its forward movement
into the chamber of the barrel.
The construction of the fire-arm is as follows:-The breech shoe or casing in
which the breech bolt slides within certain limits, and to which the barrel and
magazine are attached, is cut away at the right and underside in order that the
spent cartridge case may be'ejected and another introduced, either singly or from
the magazine from which they are successively raised by a spring-actuated lever,
so that at each forward movement of the breech bolt a cartridge is pushed into the
chamber of the barrel. Through the breech bolt passes the striker, axially for
central fire or otherwise for rim fire cartridges. The striker is not acted on by
any spring but is free to slide through the breech bolt to an extent limited by a
cross pin which engages in a notch in the striker. and prevents it falling out.
sliding motion of the breech bolt is limited by a crosshead or stop which is retained
in a cross slot in the bolt merely by the striker passing through it, its two ends
projecting from opposite sides of the breech bolt and limiting the recoil of the bolt
by meeting the ends of slots in the breech shoe or casing in which the said pro-
jecting ends slide. In the one end is a notch which slides upon a bar fixed in the
The

page_text: slot and having a shoulder which enters a longitudinal groove in the breech bolt so
as to project in the path of the spent cartridge case which when it recoils along
with the breech bolt strikes by its base against the said shoulder whereby the
spent cartridge case is caused to be ejected.
The cross pin which limits the motion of the striking pin is a screw provided
with a spring arm or wing for turning it which arm or wing snaps into a notch in
the side of the breech shoe in order to securely retain the screw in position. This
screw pin also serves to connect the rear end of the breech bolt with the upwardly
bent return end of a bar lying alongside the body and extending forward to a point
beneath the barrel where it terminates in a lug or head which passes through a
slot into the case of the spring by which the breech bolt is returned to the closed
position. The screw cross pin thus serves a double purpose and by removing it
the breech bolt is disconnected from the sliding side bar, and the striking pin may
be withdrawn from the breech bolt.
In order that the side bar may remain in position when the breech bolt is
disconnected and removed, its upwardly turned rear end is provided with a nib
which enters a notch in the rear end of the breech shoe whilst the lug at the front
end of the side bar on which the breech closing spring acts, is connected with the
bar by a narrow neck which passes through a longitudinal slot in the side of the
spring tube or casing in which the head of the lug slides and wherein it is acted on
by the breech closing spring, the bar being thus retained in position at both ends.
The forward part of this side bar is roughened to afford a grip for the fingers in
holding the breech bolt in its rearwardly drawn position for single loading or other
purpose.
The lock of the weapon differs from an ordinary lock in respect of the trigger
mechanism, which is so modified as to enable the sear to re-engage in the notch of
the tumbler when the hammer is recocked after firing, notwithstanding that the
trigger is still, pressed by the finger, this provision being necessitated by the fact
that the action is so rapid that the recocking is effected before the pressure of the
finger can be removed from the trigger. The trigger is accordingly made to act on
the sear through the medium of a toe-piece pivoted to the trigger which after
acting on the sear to disengage it from the notch of the tumbler slips past the tail
of the sear and so allows the latter to engage again in the notch of the tumbler when
the hammer is recocked notwithstanding that the trigger still remains pulled. When
the trigger is released and comes forward it brings with it the toe-piece which is
returned by a spring into posit on to act on the sear.
In small pocket fire arms in order that the trigger may be in a more convenient
position for the, hand it is transferred to a position in front of the magazine below
the breech closing. spring tube under the barrel and acts on the sear through the
medium of a sliding rod terminating in a pivoted latch acted on by a spring which
in the normal position engages with the sear but after disengaging it from the
notch of the tumbler slides past. the tail end of the sear leaving the latter free to
engage again in, the tumbler notch when the recocking takes place. The rod is
moved forward when the trigger is released. by a limb of the sear spring and the
latch is returned by its spring to position of engagement with the sear when the
weapon is again ready for firing. The trigger acts on the front end of the rod
without being connected to it, so that the trigger may be folded up into a recess
beneath the breech closing spring casing for convenience in carrying the weapon in
the pocket.
This improved fire arm is distinguished from other known self loading fire arms
by its great simplicity of construction. In this connection it is to be observed that
no extractor is provided for withdrawing the spent cartridge case from the
chamber of the barrel. In order that the energy stored up in the cartridge case
shall be sufficient to overcome the adhesion of the cartridge case to the sides of the
chamber and cause the spent cartridge case to accompany the breech bolt in its
recoil and be thrown out by striking against the ejector as above mentioned,
the cartridge case is made of conical form and the chamber in the barrel is

page_text: correspondingly coned. The degree of conicity which is found suitable is such that
the sides of the cartridge make an angle of about five degrees.
Dated this 5th day of July 1894.
THE EISENWERKE GAGGENAU ACTIENGESEllschaft,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
We, THE EISENWERKE GAGGENAU ACTIENGESELLSCHAFT, of Gaggenau,
Baden, Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in self-loading fire-arms in which the
reloading and recocking are effected by the recoil, under the pressure of the powder
gases, of the sliding breech bolt which opposes to the rearward pressure of the.
powder gases its own inertia and the pressure of a spring by which the bolt is
returned to the closed position. This spring yields to the force of the explosion
and allows the breech bolt to recoil without, however, permitting the escape of the
gases at the breech before the bullet has quitted the barrel.
The pressure of the powder gases acts equally in both directions, and as by the
law of inertia the velocity imparted by a given force varies inversely as the mass
or weight of the body, it is only necessary that the weight of the breech bolt
should be a given multiple of that of the bullet in order that up to the time when
the latter quits the barrel the breech bolt shall have recoiled to but such a short
distance that the escape of the gases shall be prevented by the sides of the
cartridge case being pressed against the sides of its chamber. The recoil notion
of the breech bolt recocks the hammer and compresses the spring whereby the
breech bolt is immediately returned to the closed position, the spent cartridge case
being ejected during the recoil movement and another cartridge brought into
position to be carried forward by the breech bolt on its return movement, into the
chamber of the barrel.
The construction of the fire-arm is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
forming part of this Specification, and will be described with reference thereto.
Figure 1 represents a pistol constructed according to the improvements, in side
elevation, partly in longitudinal section, and the cover plate of the lock mechanism
and magazine being removed, and the breech bolt being in the forward or closed
position. Figure 2 is a similar view, partly in longitudinal section, to shew the
sliding breech bolt, the part in which it slides, and the striker pin, the bolt being
represented in the completely recoiled position and the magazine cover plate
opened.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section in a horizontal plane of the breech bolt and
shoe. Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sections of same, on lines 4-4, 5-5, Figure 3,
respectively.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the sliding side bar through which the sliding
bolt is acted on by its spring.
Figure 7 illustrates a modification for pocket pistols.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The breech bolt A slides in the breech shoe or casing C to which the barrel B
and magazine D are attached, the motion in the rearward direction being limited
by a crosshead E whose ends project at opposite sides of the breech bolt and work
in longitudinal apertures F, F1, in the sides of the casing C. The aperture Fat
the right hand side of the casing serves also for the ejection of the spent cartridge

page_text: case and the introduction of another cartridge when the arm is used as a single
loader, another aperture G in the bottom of the casing communicating with the
magazine D from which the cartridges are raised by a spring actuated lover H 80
that at each forward movement of the bolt A a cartridge is pushed into the
chamber of the barrel. I is the striker pin passing longitudinally through
the breech bolt, axially for central fire or otherwise for rim fire cartridges. The
striker pin is free to slide through the breech bolt to an extent limited by a
cross pin J which engages in a notch i near the butt end of the striker and prevents
it falling out. The crosshead E by which the recoil motion of the bolt A is
limited, is seated in a cross slot in the bolt A and is there retained merely by the
striker I passing through it. The one end of this crosshead E has a notch e to
give passage to a bar K fixed longitudinally in the aperture F¹, said bar having a
shoulder which projects, as shewn in Figure 3, into a longitudinal groove a in the
side of the breech bolt and therefore in the path of the spent cartridge case when
it accompanies the breech bolt in its recoil movement, so that the ejection of the
spent case through the aperture F will be caused by the base of the case striking
against the shoulder k. .The cross-pin J is screwed into the breech bolt and is
provided with a spring arm ; for turning it by, which snaps into a notch in the
side of the bar L through which the breech bolt A is acted on by its spring M.
The screw pin J serves not only to retain the striker pin I but also to connect the
rear end of the breech bolt A with the upwardly projecting return end 7 of the
bar L, so that by removing the pin J the breech bolt is disconnected from the bar L.
and the striking pin may be removed from the breech bolt. The bar L extends
alongside the body C. of the arm to a point beneath the barrel B where it
terminates in a lug or head m which passes through a slot m' into the barrel or
casing containing the spring M which is compressed by the recoil of the breech
bolt and serves to return the latter to its closed position. To retain the bar L in
position, its end is provided with a nib which enters a notch in the rear end of
the casing
whilst the lug m being wider than the slot m' is retained in the spring
casing so that the bar L is held at both ends. The forward part L' of this bar is
roughened to afford a grip for the fingers when the breech bolt is held in its
retracted position whilst single loading.
The lock of the weapon is shewn in Figure 1, the cover plate being removed for
the purpose. It differs from an ordinary lock in respect of the trigger mechanism
which is so modified as to enable the sear N to re-engage in the notch o of the
tumbler when the hammer is recocked after firing, notwithstanding that the
trigger P is still pressed by the finger after being pulled, this provision being
necessitated by the fact that in a self-loading firearm the recocking is effected
before the pressure of the finger can be removed from the trigger to allow the sear
to re-engage with the notch of the tumbler. The trigger is accordingly made to
act on the sear through the medium of a toe-piece Q pivoted to the trigger at y
and held in position to act on the tail end of the sear by a spring q' which, after the
toe-piece Q has acted on the sear, disengaged it from the notch o of the tumbler,
and so allowed the hammer R to strike the pin I, yields to allow the toe-piece to
slip past the tail end of the sear and so allows the sear to be pressed by its spring n
into re-engagement with the notch o of the tumbler when the hammer is recocked,
notwithstanding that the trigger is still pulled back. When the trigger is relieved
of pressure by the finger it is moved forward by the spring g' acting through the
pressure of the rounded upper face of the toe Q against the boss of the sear as an
abutment.
The cartridges contained in the magazine are pressed upwards by the lever H
which is pivoted about the axis d of the magazine cover D¹ and has a cam-like
boss which is pressed upon by the end of a push-rod actuated by a spring h³.
In order to load the magazine, the lever is drawn down, as shewn in Figure 2, by
a stud on the cover D¹ meeting a shoulder of the lever which is raised when the
cover is closed, by the bottom flange d of the latter, until the push rod acts on
the cam with sufficient leverage to give the upward pressure required.

page_text: On the
In small pocket pistols, the trigger may be more conveniently placed for the
hand, as shewn in Figure 7, by being transferred to a position in front of the
magazine and acting on the sear through the medium of a sliding rod S terminating
in a pivoted latch's acted on by a spring. The latch after disengaging the sear
from the tumbler notch slides past the tail end of the sear (as shown in Figure 7^),
leaving the latter free to resume its normal position as shown in Figure 7B in order
to re-engage with the tumbler notch when the recocking takes place.
removal of the finger from the trigger, the rod S is moved forward by a limb of
the sear spring and the latch is allowed by its spring joint to slip past and
re-engage with the sear (see Figure 7°) when the weapon is again ready for firing..
The trigger is not connected to the rod S so that it may be folded up into a recess
beneath the casing of the spring M for convenience of carrying the weapon in the
pocket.
This improved fire-arm is distinguished from other self-loading fire-arms.
heretofore patented, by its great simplicity of construction, and by the fact that no.
extractor is required or used for withdrawing the spent cartridge case from the
barrel, the cartridge therefore being rimless the action being as follows:-Upon
the discharge of the weapon, the pressure of the powder gases acts in the
forward direction on the projectile and in the backward direction on the base of
the cartridge case and through it on the breech bolt A. The recoil of the latter
is, however, so slow, the inertia of the breech bolt being many times greater than
that of the projectile and being supplemented by the stress of the spring M and of
the main spring Z, that the projectile has quitted the barrel long before the recoil
has been sufficient to permit any escape of gases at the breech, the sides of the
cartridge case being pressed against the sides of its chamber by the powder gases..
The spent cartridge case recoiling along with the breech bolt, without, however,
being withdrawn by any extractor, meets the shoulder k and is thereby ejected
whilst the hammer is recocked by the breech bolt acting on it in its recoil. Before
the breech bolt is again moved forward by its spring M a fresh cartridge is raised
from the magazine by the lever H and is pushed into the barrel by the forward
motion of the breech bolt.
In order that the adhesion of the spent cartridge case to the sides of the chamber-
in the barrel shall be overcome so that the case shall accompany the breech bolt in
its recoil without the use of an extractor and be ejected, as above described, the-
sides of the cartridge case and of the chamber in the barrel are coned, as shewn,
the degree of conicity found suitable being such that the sides make an angle of
about two-and-a-half degrees to the axis.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what.
we claim is-
1. The herein described self-loading fire-arm constructed and operating-
substantially as specified.
2. The herein described self-loading fire-arm whereof the breech-closing
mechanism comprises the sliding breech bolt provided with a crosshead to limit its
recoil, a forwardly located spring to bring the bolt automatically forward, and an
outer sliding bar connected to the breech bolt and acted on by the said spring, the
recoil of the breech bolt and parts connected therewith being, by their own inertia,.
rendered so slow that the projectile will have left the barrel before the gases can
escape at the breech, so that during the complete recoil the spent cartridge case-
will have been ejected, the hammer recocked, and the weapon reloaded.
3. In the fire-arm herein specified the following improvements :-
(a) The crosshead or stop fitted loose in a slot in the breech bolt and therein.
retained by the firing pin traversing it ;
(6) The sliding bar connected to the breech bolt, as described, through which
the spring acts on the breech bolt ;

page_text: (c) The spring toe-piece jointed to the trigger and through which the latter
acts on the sear so as to allow the sear to fall again into the notch or bent.
of the tumbler whilst the trigger is still pressed;
(d) The screw pin provided with spring lever arm whereby the breech bolt,
the sliding side bar, and the striker pin, are retained in operative con-
nection.
4. A fire-arm constructed in accordance with claiming clauses 1, 2 and 3 and
wherein the trigger is located in a forward position and acts on the sear through a
jointed toe-piece.
Dated this 5th day of Anmil 1805
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.