IMPROVEMENTS IN BREACH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Aston, of Hythe, in the County of Kent, for the
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN BREACH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Aston at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th February 1876.
"<
JAMES ASTON, of Hythe, in the County of Kent. IMPROVEMENTS IN BREACH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
My Invention consists in improvements on my breach-loading arrangements
described in the Specification of my Patent of the 17th July 1871, No. 1866.
I dispense with the side lever, and in its place I use a movable trigger guard,
and in place of a separate claw lever and swivel the trigger guard and the claw
lever form one piece, so that the lever when closed meets a projection from the
trigger plate, and forms a complete trigger guard. When this trigger guard is used
as a lever, by its action it causes the sliding block to move up or down, and by the
downward motion of this lever it will lower the sliding block, and also presses
against the extracter and ejects the cartridge case. I place a short spring on the
end of the lever for the striker to fall on after firing, which will cause it to
rebound sufficiently to bring the point of striker clear of the hole in the sliding
block. The trigger guard towards the butt end is fitted with a catch to prevent
the lever opening after being closed until required. The trigger plate has a pro-
jection for the lever to rest on, and a hole in it for the catch, so that when closed
this projection and lever form a trigger guard. That part of the striker which
passes through the hole of the sliding block I make of a separate piece; the part
that passes through the head of the striker for striking the cartridge has a slit cut,
and is made to open slightly outwards; the outer end that pass through the head
of the striker have each a ridge or projection. In order to put this in the split parts
are pressed or closed, and when pressed through the perforation in the striker up to
a shoulder made in the separate piece the split parts will expand so as to prevent
this separate part coming out until required.
By my improved arrangement the lever striker and extracter are fitted in one
pin or bolt.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Aston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th July 1876.
JAMES ASTON, of Hythe, in the County of Kent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
This Invention refers to the construction of the action of fire-arms, whereby the
arrangement is greatly simplified, and a reduction effected in the number of parts
and cost of production, and is in fact an improvement on the Invention secured by
my Patent of 1871, No. 1866, as modified by à Disclaimer and Memorandum of
Alteration filed the 8th day of April 1876.
The claw lever for raising and lowering the breech block is centred upon the
ordinary stud, and is operated from beneath by a curved handle or lever, which
also forms the principal part of the trigger guard. The striker or hammer is pro-
vided with a tail, which is arranged to come into contact with a spring on the
trigger guard, so as to soften the percussive action, and lessen the risk of breakage.
An extractor is also provided to act in concert with the said mechanisin and extract
the exploded cartridge while the breech block is being lowered by the action of the
claw lever and moveable trigger guard, the said claw lever, hammer, and extractor
being all centred upon a common stud.
'
11
And in order that my said Invention may be properly, understood: I will now
proceed to describe the same with reference the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved breech-loading action shown applied
to a gun stock Figure 2 is a sectional plan of part of the same, while Figure 3
illustrates the position of the parts of the action when' the breech block has been
lowered for the introduction of a fresh cartridge into the barrel A. The interior of
the breech block B is fashioned so as to allow of the stroke of the hammer C, and
each of its sides (where it is embraced by the double claw lever D) is .recessed so
as to presenta shoulder against which the upper part of the double claw lever D
bears, and acts so as to raise the breech block. To provide for its depression by the
same means projecting studs E are arranged on each side, so as to be acted upon
by the double claw lever on its downward stroke.
To steady, the breech block in its movements two small projections or snugs a
are provided at the back, and arranged to slide in a recess or slot formed for their
reception. The front part of the block has a hole through which the needle bon
the hammer C passes to impinge on the cartridge. Several detail views of the
breech block are shown at Figure 5. of the Drawings.
The combined double claw lever and trigger guard D (the construction of which
will be better understood by reference to the detailed views at Figure 4) is centred
upon the stud F. The upper part or claw lever proper is forked, so as to embrace
the breech block, and the curved trigger guard portion is provided with a sneck. G
upheld by a spring, and arranged so that when the guard is closed, that is to say,
when in the psiotion shown at Figure 1, the sneck G will take into a recess in a
horn or projection H formed on the trigger plate J; and which abuts upon the
guard. The combined claw lever and trigger guard D.is thus locked in..position;
and can only be released by pressing upon the speck G, so as to lift its toe out of
the recess in the projection H. A flat spring dis secured between the arms of the
claw lever, and, a projection or toe is formed, upon the hammer C opposito .to, the
said flat spring, so that when the firing action takes place the percussive action of
the hammer is softened by the said toe coming into contact with the spring,
whereby breakage is avoided. In certain cases the spring & may be further utilized
to cause the action to rebound to half cock.
+
The hammer C (detail views of which are shown at Figure 7, is also centred
upon the stud F, and I propose to make the needle or striker point beasily
removable by splitting the shank, which passes through the hammer head, and
making the hole tapered, so that when the split shank is compressed and passed
through the hammer head it expands and fills the enlarged part of the hole, and is

page_text: thus prevented from coming out. The shank may be made round, square, triangular,
or polygonal, but I prefer that it should be oval.
A modification is shown in Figure 7a; the split shanks are provided at each side
with a projection, so that when the shanks are compressed and passed through the
hammer head the shanks expand, and the projections catch on the back part of the
hammer head; these projections are to be pressed together when it is desired to
remove the striker point. The hammer is actuated by a flat spring J, and it is
retained at full or half cock by means of the trigger K in the ordinary manner.
The extractor L, the duty of which is to eject the spent cartridge from the barrel,
is of the form most clearly shown at Figure 8. It is also centred upon the main
stud F, and is actuated by the same movement which depresses the breech block
and cocks the hammer, for in swinging round the moveable trigger guard into the
position shown at Figure 3 the tail of the spring d comes into contact with the
extractor, and throws it into the position shewn at Figure 3, thereby jerking out
the exploded cartridge, and leaving the barrel ready to receive a fresh case. The
extractor is replaced in the position shown at Figure 1 by the action of closing
the trigger guard D. The trigger K, which is of the ordinary construction, and
which is shown more fully at Figure 6, is centred on the trigger plate I by the
pin or stud e, and is kept up against the bottom of the hammer C by a flat
spring o.
The mode of operation is as follows:-Supposing the fire-arm, as shown at
Figure 1, to be loaded, then by pulling the trigger K the hammer C is released, and
thrown by the pressure of the flat spring J into the position indicated by dotted
lines. The needle point b, by smiting on the end of the cartridge, causes it to
explode and expel the projectile. To reload the sneck G is depressed, and the
trigger guard D thrown into the position shown at Figure 3, by which movement
three operations are performed, that is to say, the breech block B is lowered, the
hammer C is re-cocked, and the extractor L caused to expel the spent cartridge, all
in the manner herein-before described and shown. A fresh cartridge having been
introduced into the barrel A. the trigger guard is replaced in the position shown at
Figure 1, and the piece is again ready for use.
Having now particularly described my said Invention, and the mode of carrying
the same into practical effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not claim as
the present Invention the several parts and actions which have been explained and
described in the Specification of the said Invention of 1871, No. 1866; but what
I claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
First. The employment of a forked claw lever for raising and lowering the breech
block actuated from and forming part of a moveable trigger guard, substantially as
herein-before described and shown.
"
Second. The moveable trigger guard formed in one with the forked claw lever,
and provided with a sneck for holding it in its closed position, also the employ-
ment of a spring in conjunction therewith, which spring performs the double duty
of deadening the percussive shock of the hammer and actuating the extractor, as
herein-before described and shown.
Third. The mode of securing the needle or striker point in the hammer, substan-
tially as herein-before described and shewn.
Fourth. Centring the claw lever, trigger guard, hammer, and extractor upon a
common pivot or centre, all substantially as herein-before described and shown.
In witness whereof, J, the said James Aston, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Sth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.
JAMES ASTON.
(L.S.)