IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING FIRE ARMS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult, of 323, High Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING
FIRE ARMS." A communication from abroad by Herbert Richardson
Houghton, of New York City, and County and State of New York, in the
United States of North America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th October 1880.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING FIRE ARMS." A communication from
abroad by Herbert Richardson Houghton, of New York City, and County and
State of New York, in the United States of North America.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear portion of the barrel, the firing and
the cartridge retracting mechanism, said barrel and the nearest stock cheek being
broken away to show the operative parts, and said parts being in position for firing
said cartridge; Figure 2 is a like view of the same with the swinging breech block
turned backward so as to uncover the rear open end of the barrel; Figure 3 is a
perspective view of the swinging breech block and locking piece separate from each
other; Fig. 4 is a like view of the hammer; Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective viewa
respectively of the sear and the extractor; and Figs. 7 and 8 are central
longitudinal sections upon a vertical line, and show respectively the relative
positions of parts seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The design of this Invention is to increase
the efficiency and safety of breech loading fire arms, and to this end
It consists in the various parts separately and combined substantially as and for
the
purpose hereinafter specified. In the annexed Drawing A represents the stock,
and B the barrel of a gun constructed and combined in the usual manner, the ends
of said barrel being open, and the rear end of its bore b provided with a recess or
enlargement b¹ for the reception of the flange c, of a cartridge shell C. Pivoted at
its lower end within the stock A is a breech block D, which is capable of being
turned forward and upward against the rear end of the barrel B, so as to close
the opening b in the same, and of being turned rearward and downward for the
purpose of uncovering said opening and enabling a cartridge C to be inserted.

page_text: within and removed from the same. When turned upward and forward against
the barrel B, the breech block D is locked in place by means of a piece E, which is
pivoted at one end to or upon the upper end at the rear side of said breech block,
and extending from thence rearward fills the opening left in the stock A for the
movements of the former, the rear end of said locking piece being in engagement
with said stock at the rear end of said opening. In order that said parts may be
readily operated a lug e projects upward from the front end of said locking piece E,
in position to be engaged by the hand of the operator.
To uncover the rear end of the barrel B the operator grasps the lug c, and
pressing the same rearward, turns the rear end of the locking piece downward out
of engagement with the stock A, after which a continuation of such rearward
pressure causes said locking piece and the breech block D to move in the same
direction and to assume the positions shown by the full lines of Figs. and 8.
When the breech block D is closed the locking piece E is held upward in
engagement with the stock A, by means of a spring e' placed between said parts
near or in their pivotal connection. The hammer F is pivoted upon the same
bearing as the breech block D, and preferably within a recess & formed in the
lower end of the latter. Said hammer is provided with a firing pin f, which
projects forward from its upper end, and when said hammer is at its forward limit
of motion passes through an opening d¹ in said breech block, and impinges upon
the rear end of the cartridge C. The hammer F is thrown forward by means of a
flat spring G, which at its front end is secured upon the lower side of the barrel B
or other fixed support, and at its rear end is connected by means of a bridle H
with a lug f' that projects forward from the pivotal end of said hammer. Being
entirely unclosed by the stock A, and breech block D, and locking piece E, the
hammer F is not accessible from without, and is turned backward or "cocked" by
the rearward and downward movements of said breech block and locking piece.
As the rear end of the latter is moved downward out of engagement with said
stock, its lower side bears against the upper rear corner of said hammer and moves
the latter backward a short distance before said breech block is started, but
afterward said parts move together, 'and at the rearward limit of their motion,
occupy the relative positions shown by the full lines of Fig. 8. In consequence of
the construction described the firing pin f can never be caused to impinge upon the
cartridge C until the locking piece E is in the position shown by the full lines of
Fig. 7, and the breech block D is closed and locked over the rear end of the barrel B,
so that said cartridge can never be exploded while in said barrel, and before all
possibility of injury from back firing has been prevented. The hammer F is locked
in place when drawn backward by means of a pawli that is attached to or forms
part of and extends forward from a sear I, which scar is pivoted at one end to one
of the cheek pieces A' of the stock A, and extending rear-ward has its rear end in
position for engagement with a trigger K of usual form. A notch f* provided in
the lower rounded end of said hammer receives said pawl, while by means of a
spring attached to the upper side of said sear and engaging with a fixed bearing,
said pawl is held with a yielding pressure upon the end of said hammer. As thus
arranged the rearward movement of the breech block to uncover the barrel and permit
of the insertion therein of a cartridge, retracts the hammer which is locked in such
position, and after said breech block has been closed may be released by pressure
upon the trigger, so as to cause the firing pin to impinge upon and explode said
cartridge. The cartridge shell C is withdrawn from the barrel B by means of an
extractor L, shown in Fig. 6, which is pivoted at its lower end upon the pivotal
bearing of the brocch block D and hammer F, and at its upper end fits into and
fills a rocess b³ that is provided within the rear end at the lower side of said barrel.
When in place within the recess, said extractor fills out and restores the original
lines of the rear ends of said barrel and its axial opening band recess b². The
lower end of the extractor L is connected with the breech block D in such manner
as to cause the latter to engage with said end, and move the upper end of said
extractor rearward just before said breech block reaches the rear limit of its motion,

page_text: in consequence of which; the cartridge shell C is engaged by said extractor, and
moved rearward out of the barrel B after the rear end of the latter has been fully
uncovered. Upon returning said breech block to place, said extractor is restored
to its normal position.
In order that the operative parts may be locked in position when desired so as
to prevent the opening of the breech block or the springing of the hammer, a
bar M is placed within a vertical groove a in the right hand check piece A' and
pivoted therein near its lower end, so as to be capable of being swung in a vertical
plane upon said pivotal bearing by means of a stud m that extends laterally
outward through an opening in said check piece. The upper end of the stop bar M
is at or near the rear end of the locking piece E, and when moved forward to its limit
of motion in such direction engages with and locks the latter in place, and prevents
the same from being moved downward so as to unlock the breech block D. The
lower end of the stop bar M is provided with a tit m', which when said arm is
placed mid-way between the limits of its movemout, engages with a corresponding
tit upon the sear I, and prevents the same from being raised by the trigger K
so as to release the hammer F, by which arrangement the latter is locked in place
and cannot be accidentally sprung.
Having now described my Invention and the manner in which the same. may be
carried into practical effect, what I claim and desire to secure Letters Patent for,
is,—
1st. In a breech loading gun having a pivoted locking bar for securing in place
the breech block, a hammer adapted to be partially retracted by the disengagement
of said locking bar before said breech block is unseated, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
2nd. A breech loading gun in which are combined a pivoted breech block, a
pivoted locking piece, a hammer retracted by the alternate inovements of said
parts, and means whereby said hammer may be secured in and released from such
retracted position, substantially as and for the purpose shown.
3rd. The combination of the breech block and extractor with the barrel and
stock of the gun, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4th. In combination with the locking piece, the stop bar arranged to engage with
and lock in position said locking bar, substantially as and for the purpose shown
and described.
5th. In combination with the sear the locking bar adapted to engage with and
arrest the movement of the same, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6th. The combination of the locking piece, sear, and stop bar, substantially as
and for the purpose shown.
7th. The combination of the breech block, locking piece, hammer, sear, trigger,
and extractor with each other, the stock and the barrel, substantially as and for
the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Julius Boult, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand night hundred and eighty
ALFRED J. BOULT. (L.S.)