IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINE GUNS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tranter, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun and Pistol Maker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINE GUNS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tranter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd January 1881.
WILLIAM TRANTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun and Pistol
Maker. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINE GUNS."
<<
My Invention consists of the construction and combinations or arrangements
herein after described of the parts of such machine guns as consist of several
barrels arranged side by side, the chambers at the rear of the barrels being
furnished with appliances for closing, loading, and discharging the gun, and for
extracting and ejecting the exploded cartridge cases.
In constructing a machine gun according to my Invention, I mount the barrels
and their breech chambers, together with the closing, loading, and discharging
mechanism, upon a horizontal frame. This frame is capable of a side or horizontal
motion upon an under support, the latter turning in and being supported by a
pedestal on a base plate or foundation. This under support permits the rough
horizontal adjustment of the barrels, and the upper frame, by means of a worm and
tangent wheel, permits of a fine or exact horizontal adjustment of the barrels.
By means of a screw worked by a hand wheel at the rear of the upper frame the
pivotted barrels may be adjusted vertically.
The breech ends of the barrels are opened and closed by sliding tubular bolts
having guide ribs and containing the strikers and coiled springs for urging forward
the strikers. Each striker is furnished with a guide rib for working in a longi-
tudinal slot in the sliding bolt, the said guide ribs in conjunction with the sliding
trigger herein after described serving to hold the strikers in their cocked positions.
The sliding bolts are connected together at their rear ends by a notched coupling
bar, capable of being fastened to and unfastened from the lock mechanism, herein.
after described, so that the whole of the sliding bolts are moved simultaneously for
opening and closing the breeches and for cocking the strikers.

page_text: The lock mechanism situated at the rear of the machine gun consists of a
horizontal sliding plate working in grooves in the sides of the pivotted and
rotating frame described, a lip or projection at the front and underside of the said
plate engaging with notches in the sliding bolts. By means of this slide or sliding
plate the bolts are worked for opening and closing the breeches, and the cocking of
the strikers is effected by cranked levers on the top of the slide, the said cranked
levers working in inclined grooves on the sides of the frame.
The said slide carries on its underside a sliding trigger by which the several
strikers are held in their cocked positions and released at the proper times. The
said sliding trigger consists of a bar having on its under face a number of oblong
studs equal to the number of the strikers for engaging in notches in the said
strikers. Each of the said studs is of a different length from the adjacent one, the
studs being shortest at one end of the bar, and gradually increasing in length from
that end to the opposite end, so that when the trigger is moved in the direction of
its length the several strikers are released in succession.
At the front of the slide of the lock is another strong sliding bar, which acts as
a block for fixing the several bolts in their closed positions prior to the discharge
of the gun. This bar may move horizontally or vertically, and its position may be
varied. The slide of the lock is moved to open and close the breeches and cock
the strikers, and the sliding trigger and blocking bar operated upon in the
following manner:-On a fixed fross bar is an axis turned by a hand lever. This
axis carries a quadrant shaped arm or cam, a stud on the underside of which takes
in a slot in the slide. When the hand lever is moved in one or other direction it
carries the slide towards or moves it from the barrels. As the slide is moved
backwards all the closing bolts are withdrawn, and the breeches are opened, the
strikers at the same time being cocked and held in their cocked positions by the
sliding trigger snapping by the action of a spring into the notches of the said
strikers.
As the slide is moved forward after the cartridges have been fed to the breech
chambers the bolts are carried with it, leaving the strikers in their cocked positions,
the forward motion of the bolts pushing the cartridges into the barrels and closing
the breeches. By continuing the motion of the hand lever in the direction proper
for closing the breeches, the arm or cam described first acts upon a shoulder on
the blocking bar, and the latter fixes the several bolts in their closing positions,
and the said arm or cam afterwards acts upon a stud on the sliding trigger so as to
withdraw the said trigger and effect the successive discharge of the barrels of the
gun. After the discharge the reverse motion of the hand lever causes the arm or
cam to unlock the blocking bar, and the slide to make its backward movement,
thereby withdrawing the bolts and cocking the strikers. On the withdrawal of
the bolts, extractors on them extract the empty cartridge cases, and bring them
opposite openings in the bottoms of the breech chambers, through which openings
they fall, their ejection being assisted by a rocking bar carrying ejecting pins, the
said rocking bar being operated from the hand lever on the fixed cross bar
described when the slide has been moved sufficiently back to extract the empty
cartridge cases from the barrels.
The cartridges are fed to the breech chambers by means of a divided hopper,
each compartment of the hopper containing a column of cartridges. The hopper
contains a sliding false bottom having openings in it corresponding to the compart-
ments of the hopper. By means of the sliding false bottom a set of cartridges from
the hopper are moved into the chambers at the proper time. This false bottom is
moved by a lever working on the side of the frame, and actuated by a rise formed
on the quadrant shaped cam which works a slide connected with the said side
lever.
The hopper is filled by means of portable feeding boxes placed upon the open
top of the hopper, the withdrawal of a slide at the bottom of the feeding box
permitting the cartridges in it to fall into the compartments of the hopper.
The carriage I use may be furnished with a pair of travelling wheels and a single

page_text: middle travelling wheel requiring three men to use it; or it may be furnished
with four travelling wheels requiring four men to use it. When four travelling
wheels are used the two front wheels are connected with the back wheels by means
of a central axis and a jointed clip, which will enable the front wheels to guide in
any direction, a lever being placed at the front or back for that purpose. This
lever may be made to work in several ways. Five wheels may be coupled together
when the strength of five men is required.
The back bone of the single travelling wheel has two saddles, so that the carriage
may be moved in either direction by using one or other of the two saddles; and
the cranks and the driving gear, as well as the seats of the single pair or double
pair of travelling wheels, are supported on the fixed axle or axles of the said wheels
by clips which permit them to be reversed for moving the carriage in the direction
required.
The driving wheels may be driven by a perforated steel band in place of a chain.
I do not limit myself to the use of the carriage described, as my improved machine
gun may be used and transported in other ways.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Tranter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th July
1881.
WILLIAM TRANTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun and Pistol
Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINE GUNS."
My Invention consists of the construction and combinations or arrangements
hereinafter described of the parts of such machine guns as consist of several barrels
arranged side by side, the chambers at the rear of the barrels being furnished with
appliances for closing, loading, and discharging the gun, and for extracting and
ejecting the exploded cartridge cases.
In constructing a machine gun according to my Invention, I mount the barrels
and their breech chambers, together with the closing, loading, and discharging
mechanism, upon a horizontal frame. This frame is capable of a side or horizontal
motion upon an under support, the latter turning in and being supported by
a pedestal on a base plate or foundation. This under support permits the rough
horizontal adjustment of the barrels, and the upper frame, by means of a worm
and tangent wheel, permits of a fine or exact horizontal adjustment of the barrels.
By means of a screw worked by a hand wheel at the rear of the upper frame the
pivotted barrels may be adjusted vertically.
The breech ends of the barrels are opened and closed by sliding tubular bolts
having guide ribs and containing the strikers and coiled springs for urging forward
the strikers. Each striker is furnished with a guide rib for working in a longi-
tudinal slot in the sliding bolt, the said guide ribs in conjunction with the sliding
trigger herein after described serving to hold the strikers in their cocked positions.
The sliding bolts are connected together at their rear ends, so that the whole of the
sliding bolts are moved simultaneously for opening and closing the breeches and
for cocking the strikers.
The lock mechanism situated at the rear of the machine gun consists of a
compound horizontal sliding plate working in grooves in the sides of the pivotted
and rotating frame described. By means of this slide or sliding plate the bolts
are worked for opening and closing the breeches, and the strikers cocked. The
said slide carries on its underside a sliding trigger by which the several strikers
are held in their cocked positions and released at the proper times. The said
sliding trigger consists of a bar, having on its under face a number of oblong studs
equal to the number of the strikers for engaging in notches in the said strikers.
Each of the said studs is of a different length from the adjacent one, the studs
being shortest at one end of the bar, and gradually increasing in length from that
end to the opposite end, so that when the trigger is moved in the direction of its
length.the several strikers are released in succession.
At the front of the slide of the lock is another strong sliding bar, which acts as
a block for fixing the several bolts in their closed positions prior to the discharge
of the gun. This bar may move horizontally or vertically, and its position may
be varied. The slide of the lock is moved to open and close the breeches and cock,
the strikers, and the sliding trigger and blocking bar operated upon in the following
This axis
manner: On a fixed cross bar is an axis turned by a hand lever.
carries a quadrant shaped arm or cam, studs on the underside of which take into
slots in the slide. When the hand lever is moved in one or other direction it
carries the slide towards or moves it from the barrels. As the slide is moved
backwards, all the closing bolts are withdrawn and the breeches are opened, the
strikers at the same time being cocked and held in their cocked positions by the

page_text: sliding trigger snapping by the action of a spring into the notches of the said
strikers. As the slide is moved forward after the cartridges have been fed to the
breech chambers the bolts are carried with it, leaving the strikers in their cocked
positions, the forward motion of the bolts pushing the cartridges into the barrels
and closing the breeches. By the motion of the hand lever in the proper direction,
the arm or cam described acts upon the blocking bar, and the latter fixes the
several bolts in their closing positions; and the said arm or cam also acts upon a
stud on the sliding trigger so as to withdraw the said trigger and effect the
successive discharge of the barrels of the gun. The reverse motion of the hand
lever causes the arm or cam to unlock the blocking bar, and the slide to make its
backward movement, thereby withdrawing the bolts and cocking the strikers. On
the withdrawal of the bolts, extractors on them extract the empty cartridge cases
and bring them over openings in the bottoms of the breech chambers through
which openings they fall, their ejection being assisted by a rocking bar carrying..
ejecting pins, the said rocking bar being operated from the hand lever on the fixed
cross bar described when the slide has been moved sufficiently back to extract the
empty cartridge cases from the barrels.
The cartridges are fed into the breech chambers by means of a divided hopper,
each compartment of the hopper containing a column of cartridges. The hopper
contains a sliding false bottom having openings in it corresponding to the com-
partments of the hopper. By means of the sliding false bottom a set of cartridges
from the hopper is moved into the chambers at the proper time.
This false bottom is moved by a lever working on the side of the frame, and
actuated by a rise formed on the quadrant shaped cam which works a slide
connected with the said side lever.
The carriage I use may be furnished with a pair of travelling wheels, and a single
middle travelling wheel requiring three men to use it; or it may be furnished with
four travelling wheels requiring four men to use it. When four travelling wheels
are used the two front wheels are connected with the back wheels by means of a
central axis and a jointed clip, which will enable the front wheels to guide in any
direction, a lever being placed at the front or back for that purpose. This lever
may be made to work in several ways. Five wheels may be coupled together
when the strength of five men is required.
The back bone of the single travelling wheel has two saddles, so that the
carriage may be moved in either direction by using one or other of the two saddles;
and the cranks and the driving gear as well as the seats of the single pair or
double pair of travelling wheels are supported on the fixed axle or axles of the said
wheels by clips, which permit them to be reversed for moving the carriage in the
direction required.
The driving wheels may be driven by a perforated steel band in place of a chain.
I do not limit myself to the use of the carriage described, as my improved machine
gun may be used and transported in other ways.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 14 represent elevations taken at opposite sides of a machine gun
constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 represents a longitudinal vertical
section of the same; Figure 3 represents an end elevation partly in vertical section
of the same, and Figure 4 represents a plan of the same. The other Figures
represent portions and details of the machine gun as hereinafter particularly
explained.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a, a, are the several barrels of the gun arranged side by side, the said barrels
and their appliances being carried by the horizontal frame b turning upon the
trunnions c, c, the said frame being capable of a side or horizontal adjustment as
well as a vertical adjustment.
The bearings of the trunnions c, c, are carried by the upper plate 62, on the under-

page_text: side of which is a vertical shaft or long pivot 63 which turns in the fixed pedestal 64.
The said shaft or pivot bs is fixed and released by the clamping or binding screw 65.
By this arrangement a rapid spreading or horizontal adjustment of the frame b
upon the pivot 63 through a large angle may be effected.
The fine adjustment of the frame b is effected by the worm 66 worked by the
axis and hand wheel 67, the said worm be gearing with the tangent wheel or sector 68.
The tangent wheel or sector 68 is carried by the underplate c³, which is connected
with the vertical shaft or pivot b³ turning in the pedestal b*.
The vertical adjustment of the frame b is effected by the rising and falling
screw d jointed to the rear end of the said frame b. The said screw is, raised
and lowered by turning the hand wheel d², the said screw working in a screw box
in a boss on the hanging frame d³, d³, forming part of the fixed frame of the
machine.
e, e, are the sliding bolts or plungers by which the breech ends of the barrels a, a,
are opened and closed. The said bolts e, e, are furnished with hollow ribs in which
the ribs of the strikers f. f, work. The said bolts or plungers e, e, are connected
together so as to move simultaneously for opening and closing the breeches, by
being secured to a sliding frame g at the rear of the machine, the said frame g
working between the guides h, h, on the inner sides of the hind part of the pivotted
frame b. The rear end of the bolts e, e, project through the end piece of the
frame g, and are fixed to the said frame by means of dovetailed slides (see
Figure 4) passed over the necks of the said bolts.
The lock mechanism is constructed as follows:-Above the sliding frame g to
which the bolts e, e, are connected, the plate i herein after called the lock plate, is
screwed or otherwise fixed. The lock plate i and frame g consequently move
together. Working upon the lock plate i and having an independent sliding motion,
is a second plate hereinafter called the cocking slide, for simultaneously cocking
the whole of the strikers f, f, in the bolts e, c, when the latter are withdrawn to
open the gun. This cocking slide has at its front end a flange or projection /²
which extends through its whole length; this flange or projection moves under
the bottom of the lock plate i. When a backward motion is given to the cocking
slide k, its flange k³ comes against shoulders f2, on the front ends of the ribs on
the strikers ff, and carries the said strikers with it, the coiled springs of the said
strikers being compressed for cocking the gun. On the return or forward motion of
the cocking slide its flange k² retires from the cocked strikers which have been
retained by the sliding trigger herein after described. The lock plate i and cocking
slide travel together but with different speeds for the purpose herein after
explained; m is the sliding trigger crossing and working underneath the lock
plate by which it is carried. The said sliding trigger m consists of a bar having
on its underface a number of oblong studs equal to the number of the strikers for
engaging with notches or bents in the said strikers. Each of the said studs is of
a different length from the adjacent one, the studs being shortest at one end and
gradually increasing in length from that end to the opposite end, so that when the
trigger is moved in the direction of its length the strikers are released in succession.
The sliding trigger m in conjunction with the sliding frame g carrying the
bolts e, e, lock plate i, and cocking slide k is represented in cross section in
Figures 5 and 6. The sliding trigger is represented separately in plan of under-
side in Figure 7. In Figure 5 the sliding trigger m is represented engaged with
the notches or bents in the ribs of the strikers f so as to hold the strikers fin their
cocked positions, and in Figure 6 the sliding trigger is represented in its withdrawn
position after the several strikers have been liberated and the gun fired; Figure 8
represents a longitudinal section, cross section, and part in plan of the sliding
trigger and lock plate, and the spring mechanism for giving the snapping or
forward movement to the sliding trigger. The snapping action of the sliding
trigger is effected by the arm or lever m² on the lock plate i bearing against a stud
on the sliding trigger m, the said arm m² being actuated by the barrel or involute
spring represented in the said Figure 8. On the upper face of the sliding

page_text: trigger m is a pin m³, which is acted upon by the cam mechanism hereinafter
described to withdraw its oblong studs from the ribs of the strikers to discharge
the said strikers. The backward and forward movements of the sliding frame g
and lock plate i and the cocking slide k for opening and closing the breeches and
for cocking the strikers, and the cross movement of the sliding trigger m for
releasing the strikers are effected in the following manner. The bolts are also.
locked by the following mechanism :—
Turning in the fixed cross bar n is an axis carrying the quadrant shaped arm or
cam plate p moved by the hand lever p². On the underside of the cam plate p is a
stud p³, and near the said stud ps and having a greater radius is a rib or projection p
The stud p³ works in a slot p5 in the lock plate i, and the rib p¹ works in a slot p
in the upper cocking slide k. A plan of upper side of the two plates i, k, and cam
mechanism is represented in Figure 12, and the said two plates are represented
in cross section in Figure 13. Figure 13 represents the cam mechanism
detached.
At the front of and underneath the lock plate i is a strong sliding cross bar or .
block q, shown separately in plan in Figure 9 and side elevations in Figures 10
and 11, which bar q slides in the fixed framing of the gun.
The said bar g has
studs on its underside which take into notches in the ribs of the bolts for fixing the
said bolts in their advanced positions prior to the discharge of the gun. The acting
studs of the block or bar q are wedge shaped, and the notches in the ribs of the
bolts are slightly inclined for producing a wedging or tightening action when the
block.or bar is driven home for fastening the bolts. A cross sliding motion is given
to the bar or block q for locking and unlocking it by the extreme end of the cam
plate p taking into a recess or cut away part in the locking catch q² jointed to the
said bar or block q. This catch q² serves both to move the block or bar q and also
to lock the said bar after it has locked the several bolts of the gun. It is locked in
its shot position by the shoulder q³ on the longer arm of the catch engaging with
the fixed frame of the gun (see Figure 10), and is released by the depression of the
said longer arm of the catch by the action of the cam platep on the reverse motion
of the said cam plate p.
I will now describe the feeding of the cartridges into the breech chambers of the
barrels and the transfer of the said cartridges to the discharge chambers. Above the
breech chambers of the barrels is a divided hopper r, a portion of which is shown
separately in cross section in Figure 14: A column of cartridges is contained in
each compartment of the hopper, as seen in Figure 2. The hopper r has at its base
a sliding bottom or feeding slide 2 having openings in it corresponding to the com-
partments of the hopper. By means of this feeding slide a set of cartridges from
the hopper is moved over the breech chambers after the said chambers have been
opened and the empty cartridges withdrawn and ejected. When the feeding slide 2.2
is in one position its openings are opposite the solid bed of the frame b, and the set
of cartridges in the said feeding slide rest upon the said bed, as represented in
Figure 14. When the feeding slide is moved in the direction of the arrow upon it
it carries the set of cartridges over the breech chambers, into which they fall. The
cartridges in the breech chambers are pushed by the advancing bolts into the
discharge chambers of the barrels, the flanges of the cartridges being engaged with
extractors (one of which is marked e² in Figures 15 and 15 ) on the front ends of
the said bolts.
The construction of the extractors will be best seen by referring to Figure 15*,
where the hooks of the extractor are marked e², e², and the springs pressing upon
them are marked e³, es. The front end of the bolt e is provided with inclined
undercut shoulders, and the hooks of the extractor are provided with corresponding
shaped shoulders. The said hooks of the extractor are capable of a slight longi-
tudinal motion on the bolt e, so that when the extractor seizes the cartridge case its
hooked ends are capable of expanding, but when extracting the cartridge case the
said hooked ends of the extractor are incapable of yielding by their inclined shoulders

page_text: abutting against the inclined undercut shoulders on the bolt e, as will be understood
by an examination of Figure 15ª.
The breech chambers are so constructed that while they retain the cartridges fed
into them by the slide 72 the spent cartridges can be ejected from the said chambers
by passing through openings in their undersides. The reciprocating motion of the
feeding slide 2 is effected by a cam p¹ on the axis of the cam plate p acting
against a loop or clip on the end of a sliding rod p¹¹, and the latter acting upon
the lever p¹² jointed to one end of the said feeding slide, as best seen in Figure 4.
When necessary to remove the hopper from the machine gun it is disengaged from
the frame b by means of the sliding bolt worked by the handle represented.
The hopper r is filled by means of portable feeding boxes placed upon the open
top of the hopper, the withdrawal of a slide at the bottom of the feeding box
permitting the cartridges in it to fall into the compartments of the hopper.
The empty cartridge cases are disengaged from the spring extractors on the bolts
and ejected through the openings described in the bottoms of the breech chambers
by means of an ejector constructed in the manner represented in the separate view,
Figure 16. This ejector consists of a rocking frame or bar 1 having a cross piece
carrying curved ejecting pins or rods 2. The downward or ejecting movement of
the frame 1 and its pins or rods 2 is effected by the hand lever på after it has moved
through a semicircle from the position represented in Figure 4 striking against a bell
crank lever 3 connected by the link 4 with the rocking frame 1. The said pins or
rods 2 in their descent strike the flanged ends of the empty cartridge cases so as to
disengage them from the spring extractors and eject them through the openings in
the bottoms of the breech chambers. The ejecting frame 1 takes its normal position
by the back movement of the hand lever p².
The action of the parts is as follows:-
When the parts are in the respective positions represented in Figures 1, 2, and 4,
the gun is ready for discharge, that is to say, the breech chambers have been
closed by the sliding bolts e, e, and the said bolts locked, the sliding strikers have
been cocked and held in their cocked positions, and the cartridges have been carried
forward into the discharge chambers of the barrels. In order to fire the gun the
hand lever p² is moved in the direction of the arrow near the said hand lever. On
the boss end of the cam plate or arm p is a rise or cam p³, which, on the motion of
the hand lever p², presses against the stud m³ on the sliding trigger m and
withdraws the said sliding trigger so as to effect the successive discharge of the
barrels of the gun. After the gun has been discharged the reverse movement of
the hand lever p² withdraws the locking bar or block q through the action of the
cam plate p, and thereby unfastens the several bolts. After the bolts have been
unlocked the pin p³ on the cam plate p draws back the lock plate i and frame g,
and with them the bolts e, e. At the same time the cocking slide k is withdrawn
by the rib or projection p on the said cam plate, the said cocking slide travelling
at a somewhat greater speed than the lock plate i and parts connected with it.
By this back accelerated motion of the cocking slide k it is made to withdraw the
strikers and bring their notches or bents opposite the cross sliding trigger m.
When the strikers have reached the positions described the sliding trigger m is
urged forward by its spring and arm m² and its studs made to engage with the
notches in the said strikers and hold them in the cocked positions ready for
discharge, the lock plate i and cocking slide k retiring in the manner herein after
described. When the hand lever p² has been moved through about a semi-circle
from the position represented in Figure 4 it strikes against the bell crank lever 3
(Figure 16), and through the link 4 operates the rocking frame 1, and causes the
curved pins or rods 2 to descend and eject the empty cartridge cases (which have
been extracted from the discharge chambers by the back motion of the bolts and
their extractors) through the bottom openings in the breech chambers. Immediately
after the empty cartridge cases have been ejected from the breech chambers the
cam 10, which has been operating during the motion of the band lever p² upon
the loop of the bar p¹, and through the said bar and lever 212 upon the feeding

page_text: slide, brings the openings in the said slide over the breech chambers, and the
cartridges in the said slide fall from it into the said chambers, as before described.
The hand lever p² is now returned to the position represented in Figure 4. In its
return motion it effects the following operations :-The feeding slide of the hopper
is returned to the position represented in Figure 14, so as to bring its openings
under the compartments in the hopper for receiving a fresh set of cartridges from
the said hopper. The hand lever in its further back movement causes the cam
mechanism to advance the bolts to close the breeches, leaving the strikers in their
cocked positions ready for discharge, the advance motion of the bolts pushing the
cartridges into the discharge chambers, as seen in Figure 2. The hand lever in its
further back movement, just before it reaches the position represented in Figure 4,
effects the shooting of the bar or block q, so as to lock the several bolts in their
advanced positions through the action of the extreme end of the cam plate p upon
the said bar or block, as before described. The gun is now ready for discharge,
which is effected by moving the hand lever p² in the direction of the arrow,
Figure 4, as before explained.
The carriage for this gun, the steering part of which is represented in Figure 17,
I prefer to make with four wheels for four men to move it about with the gun.
The four men would be able to move the gun from one place to another a distance
of fifty miles or more in one day, and two of the men may use a small arm, each
carrying the same ammunition as the gun, while the other two men are employed
working the gun. For enabling this to be accomplished the front wheels are
connected with the back wheels by means of a wood bar attached to the middle of
the axle of the two hind wheels by two upright pins attached to the axle. A spiral
spring is placed on each of the pins pressing upwards the connecting wood bar,
which has plate on the top through which the upright pins pass. The upright pins
have a nut on the top which prevents the wood bar rising too high. A socket is
fastened on the top of the said wood bar a few inches from the axle for carrying
the gun. The front wheels are connected to the other end of the wood bar by
means of a socket a which is fixed in the wood bar, and made to fix on an upright
pin 6 forming part of the movement for the front wheels. The movement for the
front wheels is made to enable the front wheels to move in any direction. For this
purpose a swivel movement is attached to the middle of the front axle c by a piecė
formed with two upright lugs, the piece b² being formed with two lugs to clip, and
having a bolt passing through both to connect them together. The front end of
the piece b has teeth formed on it, and is actuated by the pinion formed in the
spindle of the steering wheel d; the front wheels can be disconnected from the back
wheels by lifting the sockets attached to the wood bar off the upright pin b.
Stretcher bars are attached to both axles for carrying a treadle crank to work
each wheel; the treadle cranks may be connected with the driving wheels in various
ways, but each driving wheel is worked by a separate crank. Handles are fixed to
the axles for each man to hold by. The steering wheel serves for a handle for the
two front men for one hand each.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
of "Improvements in Machine Guns,"
First. The arrangements or combinations of parts herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for effecting the horizontal or side
adjustment of the frame carrying the series of barrels, together with the appliances
for closing, opening, cocking, and discharging the said barrels, and for extracting
and ejecting the exploded cartridge cases.
Secondly. The construction and combination of parts described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings for opening and closing the breech chambers and
cocking the strikers.
Thirdly. The construction and combination of parts described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings for causing the sliding trigger to hold the strikers in
their cocked positions, and to release them for the discharge of the gun, whether

page_text: the said sliding trigger and appliances connected therewith be used for releasing
the several strikers in succession or simultaneously.
· Fourthly. The construction and combination of parts described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings for locking the several bolts in their advanced or
closing positions.
Fifthly. The arrangement or combination of parts described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings for ejecting the empty cartridge cases from the breech
chambers of the gun.
Sixthly. The arrangement or combination of parts described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings for feeding the sets of cartridges into the breech
chambers ready to be carried by the advance motion of the bolts into the discharge
chambers of the gun.
Seventhly. The construction and arrangement of the parts of extractors herein
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Eighthly. The general combination of the parts claimed in the preceding claims
into a machine gun, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Lastly. The arrangement or combination of parts for steering the carriages of
machine guns herein before described in Figure 17 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tranter, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
WILLIAM TRANTER. (L.S.)