IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING FIRE-ARMS."
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Robert Johnson, of Red Lion Square
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REPEATING FIRE-ARMS.""
Sealed the 17th October 1868, and dated the. 24th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Robert Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners. of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th April 1868..
I, JOHN ROBERT JOHNSON,. of Red Lion Square, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention. for;
'IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows :―.
My Invention consists of certain improvements in the construction of
those repeating fire-arms in which the cartridges embodying the bullets!
charge, and priming are contained in a tubular magazine placed parallel'
to and immediately beneath the barrel. A block or carriage slides.
vertically in the metal frame of the gun, and conveys the cartridges;

page_text: from the magazine to the end of the barrel. A breech pin or piston
pushes the cartridge from the carriage into the barrel and then closes,
the breech sustaining the end of the cartridge during the shock of the
explosion. On withdrawing the piston a hook on its end brings out the
empty shell of the discharged cartridge, and at the same time the other
end of the piston or breech pin pushes back the hammer, cocking the
gun. The block then riscs, strikes the shell of the cartridge just
withdrawn and ejects it, bringing a second cartridge opposite the
barrel to be inserted within it by the advance of the breech pin, as
before.
In constructing arms of this description it has been usual to effect
the various motions just described by means of two toggle joints of a
complicated form and expensive construction in connection with a lever
beneath the trigger guard or forming part of it. When these motions
are completed the two arms of the toggle joints are in nearly a straight
line abutting at one end upon a recess formed in the stock or metal
frame of the gun attached thereto and at the other upon a piece forming
a projection upon the breech pin, the force of the discharge being
sustained upon the various parts of such toggle joints.
This mode of construction has been found insufficient to bear the
shock of the explosion when heavy charges of powder are used.
Now the object of my Invention is to effect the motions above
described by simpler and less expensive mechanism, and to cause the
breech pin to bear directly upon the stock of the gun at one end while
elosing the breech at the other, so that the force of the shock may be
received and borne by the direct thrust of the rod or bolt from the
breech pin upon the stock and not through the indirect intervention of
the arms or levers of the toggle joints, which I entirely 'dispense with.
To effect this I form the breech pin of two parts, the first, that in
contact with the barrel, has a simple to-and-fro motion; the second,
attached to the former by a socket and pin, in addition to this motion
has a circular motion of about one-fourth of a turn. A handle pro-
jecting from this at right angles enables the hand to effect these motions
directly and without a lever. Two studs project from the end of this
piece, and when the required circular motion is given to it by the lever
these abut upon a steel plate let into the stock and wedge up the breech
pin upon the flanch of the cartridge, thus closing perfectly the breech

page_text: of the barrel by direct contact between the stock and the barrel through
the breech pin. Both pieces of the breech pin are perforated so as to
allow the passage of the needle which fires the cartridge, and this can
be either a simple central pin when for central-fire cartridges or may
terminate with a forked head when the percussion powder is in the rim
of the cartridge.. The vertical motion of the carriage block is given
by a bell-crank lever; the upward motion of this lever. is given by a
stud on the breech pin, striking the shorter. arm of the lever at the
proper moment.. Its action may be aided by a spring placed beneath
the longer arm, in which case a catch retains the lever when the spring
is forced down, and this catch is released by the stud aforesaid. The
downward motion of the lever is given by one of the studs which
support the breech pin during the discharge acting upon a wedge fixed
upon the smaller arm of the bell crank.
The magazine may be charged. in. any of the known ways of effecting
that object,, or by a slight modification of the carriage block the
magazine may be charged through the bottom of the groove in which
this slides; or by a slight modification to the upper part of the carriage
block the arm may be charged directly like an ordinary Breech-loader
when the breecli pin is withdrawn and the shell has been ejected.
The new arm is used in the following. manner:-Assuming it to be
charged the trigger is pulled when the hammer falls upon the head of
the needle and explodes the cartridge. The handle of the breech pin
now in a horizontal position is seized,. the thumb pressing a spring,
which releasing a stud. allows the bolt to be unlocked by bringing the
handle to a vertical position by means of about a quarter of a turn.
In effecting this the handle moving upon an edge of the frame gives
a very slight longitudinal backward motion to the whole of the breech
pin, which thus slightly withdraws the shell of the cartridge to tho
extent of this motion; the studs abutting upon the salient parts of the
wedges on the steel plate fixed on the stock are thus released, and the
pin can then be drawn back bringing with it the shell: of: the spent
cartridge and at the same time cocking the gun. The stud upon the
pin then strikes the catch, releasing the bell-crank. lever, which then
rises suddenly, being acted upon not only by. the spring under the:
longer arm but by the stud upon the shorter: The bell crank causes
the carriage block to rise, ejecting the shell and bringing a fresh
cartridge opposite the end of the barrel.. The breech pin is then thrust.

page_text: forward, pushing the cartridge into its place in the barrel. The handle
is then brought horizontal by a quarter turn or thereabouts, the studs
upon the pin come in contact with the wedges upon the steel plate on
the frame or stock, forcing the breech pin firmly upon the cartridge,
and at the same time acting upon the wedge fixed on the shorter arm
of the bell crank, which is forced down, carrying with it the carriage
block. The gun is then ready to be again discharged.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Fatent,
filed by the said John Robert Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th October 1868.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBERT JOHNSON, of Red Lion Square, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in
the thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Robert Johnson, Her
special licence that I, the said John Robert Johnson; executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,. the said John Robert
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agrée with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Robert Johnson, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan of parts of a gun constructed according to my
Invention, the parts being in the position they would assume when
the gun is ready to be fired; Figure 2 is a horizontal section through
the line M, N, Figure 13; Figure 3 is a vertical 'longitudinal section
of the gun, the bolt having cocked the gun and withdrawn the shell
of the cartridge and being in the act of pushing forward a second
cartridge into the barrel; Figure 4 is a similar section of the gun when
about to discharge the 'cartridge, the trigger having been pulled and
the hammer having fallen upon the needle; Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
and 10 are transverse sections of the gun taken through the respective
lines A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K, L, of Figure '4; Figures 11
and 12 are two longitudinal elevations partly in section of a modification
of the extractor and of the mode of mounting it; Figure 13 is a
longitudinal elevation of the stock and frame; and Figure 14 a front
elevation of the parts shewn at Figure 13. In the various Figures
of the Drawings.similar letters indicate like parts.
A. is the frame or metal part of the stock; a, b, indicates the bolt
or breech pin; c, the handle fixed to 6 by which the bolt is moved.
In order to prevent the part a from participating in the rotary
movement of 6 which locks the gun, it carries below it a tongue a',
which moves in the slot a³ made in the cross piece a³ of the frame A.
a is joined to b by the two pins v, v, Figure 4, so that they are held
firmly together and yet allow of the quarter turn of the latter. These
pins are half in one piece and half in the other but are fixed to a, and
run in a circular slot or groove formed round b. The piece 6 carries
near its end two studs or lugs d, d. When the handle gives the
quarter turn to b these lugs come in contact with two inclined planes
formed upon the face of the steel plate e which is firmly fitted to
the frame or metal stock A. The effect of these lugs is to bring the

page_text: bolt firmly against the end of the cartridge when the quarter turn
of the handle is made and not until then, and on the reverse action
being made the inclined slot or opening p formed in the frame for
the reception of the handle c.comes into play upon c and consequently
upon the bolt and the extractor at its front. end, so that the shell of
cartridge is withdrawn for a distance equal to the minute degree of
inclination of these planes by the action of the quarter turn of the
handle. To prevent the bolt when in contact with the cartridge from
being withdrawn accidentally I adapt to the handle c a spring catch
and lever c¹, c². The catch enters into a notch c' formed in the frame,
Figure 13, and effectually locks the bolt so that the handle cannot be
moved till the thumb presses on the rounded end of the lever c and
releases the catch from its notched recess. The under surface of the
notch or the upper part of the catch is bevilled so that it locks the bolt
automatically. The parts a and b are pierced from end to end to
allow of the passage of the needle or spindle f. This terminates
in a central point or punch when a central-fire cartridge is used and
in a fork when the detonating powder is in the rim of the cartridge.
The front part of a carries an extractor k, k, as is well understood.
Three forms of such extractor are shewn in the Drawings, one in
Figures 3 and 4 and the other two by Figures 11 and 12 respectively.
Their construction is clearly shown by the Drawings.
In order to prevent the loss of gas during the discharge and the
inconvenience which results therefrom it is important that the front
part of the extractor be well fitted to its recess within the end of the
barrel. To prevent the needle acting upon the cartridge by an accidental
discharge of the hammer before the breech pin be locked a stud r
projects from the end of b, which prevents the forward motion of f
until the part 6 has received its quarter turn. On this being given
the stud comes opposite a recess & formed in the end of f, which
can then pass freely forward without interruption from the stud r.
On the reverse action being given the needle f is withdrawn by the
stud acting upon the sloping edge of the recess 8. The bolt itself
is prevented from being driven forward by the handle c coming in
contact with the cover A¹ of the frame A, which prevents the forward
motion of a, b, until the handle c has entered into the sloping recess
in the side of the frame shewn in Figure 13. g is the block or carriage
which conducts the cartridges / from the magazine i.
The form,

page_text: construction, and action of g is clearly shown by the Drawings. Its
motions are given by a bell-cranked lever j having its joint at j.
This is moved by a stud upon 6 coming in contact with its
smaller arm when the bolt is withdrawn. This lifts the block to the
position shewn at Figure 3. The rapidity of this action, upon which the
successful ejection of the shell of the cartridge depends, may be
increased by placing a spring under the lever j). In this case a
spring catch m must be attached to the lever j so that it may be
retained in its place notwithstanding the upward action of the spring,
and until the stud on the return of the bolt striking the upper
part of m as well as j releases the catch m from the pin which holds m
and allows of the action of the spring upon j as well as that of the
hand through the stud upon the other arm of j, the catch is held
in action by the spring m³ and has its joint at m¹ in a recess or upon
the side of the lever j. The downward motion of the lever and the
compression of the spring are given by one of the lugs d, d, coming
in contact with a projection upon the short arm of the lever j, when
the quarter turn is given to 6 by the handle c, by which the lugs d, d;
assume the horizontal position, as shewn in Figure 6. The form of
this projection is that of an inclined plane and is shewn by Figures
3, 4, and 6.
The following is a description of the action of the various parts of the
gun-Let us suppose the arm to be charged as in Figure 4. The
trigger n is pulled and the hammer o released, this strikes the end of
the needle and discharges the cartridge. To withdraw the cartridge
and re-charge the arm the handle c is seized with the thumb and fore-
finger, the thumb being upon c', this releases the catch c 2, and the
handle can now be made to receive a quarter turn and can be brought
to a vertical position. While this is being done the handle slides in the
inclined slot p, Figure 13, and the bolt a, b, makes a very slight
movement backwards, which is sufficient to overcome the adhesion of
the shell of the cartridge to the barrel. The stud r, upon b, acting upon
the edge of the recess & upon the needle f withdraws the latter. The
lugs d, d, having by this movement been brought to the vertical position
can now pass through the openings a, d, in the frame and steel plate
so that the bolt can be now readily withdrawn, the extractor k at one
end of the bolt bringing out the shell, whilst the other projecting end
of the needle f drives back the hammer o to cock the gun. When

page_text: this has very nearly been effected the stud 2, upon b, coming in contact
with the lever of the spring catch m 3 releases this and presses it
upon j. The released spring acting upon ; simultaneously with the
hand through the stud causes the longer arm of the latter to rise with
force, throwing out the empty shell with a sharp jerk and bringing
another cartridge opposite the barrel. The bolt a, b, is now thrust
forward to carry the cartridge into the gun, leaving the hammer o to be
held back by the sear and trigger and the lever j by the action of its
spring. If the hammer were now released the needle could not move
forward on account of the stud r upon b, nor could the front end of a
strike the cartridge with force because the handle c bears upon the
cover A' of A, at A³. It is not until the handle has received its quarter
turn and has been brought to the horizontal position that these are set
free to act upon the cartridge. o is released by the handle centering
the inclined slot p, and the stud r by being brought opposite the recess &
off. The inclination of both these, that is, that of the slot p in the
frame, and of the recess 8 in the needle, need not exceed of an inch
respectively if properly adjusted. The quarter turn of the handle while
thus giving the finishing motion to the bolt and releasing the needle at
the same time brings down the lever j and compresses the spring by
the action of the lugs & upon the inclined projection of the lever j at
the end of its shorter arm.
Having thus shewn the construction of the new arm which is the
object of this Invention, and having described its mode of action, I
would further observe that although described as a magazine gun it may
be used as an ordinary breech-loader if charged at the side, as shewn in
the Drawings and as is well understood, or it may be used simultaneously
as both, as a new charge may be inserted after each discharge although
the magazine remain full. The gun may also be charged by an opening
in the bottom of the frame, provided that the longer arm of the lever j
be replaced by two arms working close to the sides of the frame A and
acting upon the block or carriage 9 on each side of it, leaving
a free opening for the insertion of the carriage between them.
This construction renders the gun somewhat more sightly and of less
weight.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode
in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise details herein shown and

page_text: described, so long as the peculiar character of my Invention be retained;
substantially as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Robert Johnson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
JOHN ROB. JOHNSON. (L.S.)
Witness,
FRED. HARRIS,
Patent Agent,
35, Southampton Buildings.