IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of Chandos Chambers,
Adelphi, in the City of Westminster, Patent Agent, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A.com-
munication from abroad by Friedrich Von Martini, of Frauenfeld,
Switzerland.
Sealed the 19th August '1870, and dated the 1st March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st March 1870.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the
City of Westminster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," (a
communication to me from abroad by Friedrich Von Martini, of Frauen-
feld, Switzerland,): to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed to simplify the construction of the breech-
loading action of fire-arms, in which the breech end of the barrel is
closed by a falling block. It may be applied in cases where a flat

page_text: "2
spring is preferred to a spiral spring in fire-arms of the kind now well
known as the "Martini rifle, and described in the Specification of
Letters Patent, No. 2305, granted on the 22nd day of July, 1868, to
Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, for an Invention communicated to him by
the said Friedrich Von Martini.
°
By this Invention the spiral spring at present employed for actuating
the discharging mechanism in the Martini rifle may be dispensed with,
and the separate functions of the same and other springs heretofore
usually employed in fire-arms of the kind above referred to are fulfilled
by a single flat bent spring. This flat bent spring is placed in the
lock frame behind a direct acting or other hammer, the upper part or
bend of the spring partly supports the rear part of the falling breech
block, a recess in the block resting on the bend of the spring. The
-lower parts of the spring are used for actuating the tumbler or hammer
to discharge the arm and also as a trigger or scar spring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Lloyd Wisc in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the City of West-
minster, Patent Agent, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Lloyd Wise Her special licence that I, the said
William Lloyd Wise, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Lloyd Wise, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree 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 BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS," (a communication to me from abroad by Friedrich Von

page_text: Martini, of Frauenfeld, Switzerland, upon the condition, amongst others,
that I, the said William Lloyd Wise, my executors and administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and scals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Lloyd Wise, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, and the Drawings therein referred to
(that is to say) :-
This Invention is designed to simplify the construction of the breech-
loading action of fire-arms in which the breech end of the barrel is closed
by a falling block. It may be applied in cases where a flat spring is
preferred to a spiral spring in fire-arms of the kind now well known as
the Martini rifle and described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 2305, granted on the 22nd day of July, 1868, to Clinton Edgcumbe
Brooman, for an Invention communicated to him by the said Friedrich
Von Martini.
.
By this Invention the spiral spring at present employed for actuating
the discharging mechanism in the Martini rifle may be dispensed with
and the separate functions of the same and other springs heretofore
usually employed in fire-arms of the kind above referred to are fulfilled
by a single flat bent spring. This flat bent spring is placed in the
lock frame behind a direct acting or other hammer, the upper part or
bend of the spring partly supports the rear part of the falling breech-
block, a recess in the block resting on the bend of the spring. The
lower parts of the spring are used for actuating the tumbler or hammer
to discharge the arm and also. as. a trigger or sear spring.
Such being the nature of the said Invention I will proceed to describe
by reference to the accompanying Drawings in what manner the same
is to be performed. These Drawings shew this Invention applied to.
the breech mechanism of the Martini rifle which is constructed in all
other respects according to the Specification of the former Patent herein-
before referred to, and for convenience is principally marked with the
same letters of reference.

page_text: Fig: 1 being a side elevation shewing the lock frame, trigger guard
lever and indicator; Fig 2, a corresponding view of the lock frame and
trigger plate; Fig. 3, a side elevation partly in section shewing the
breech mechanism with the breech closed; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section
in a line with the axis of the barrel shewing the parts in the same
position; Fig. 5 a similar section shewing the position of the parts.
when the breech is open; Fig 6, a transverse section through the line
A, B, Figs. 3 and 4; Fig. 7, a corresponding section through the line C,,
D, of Figs. 3 and 4; Fig. 8, a plan of the trigger plate partly in section,
and Fig. 9 a detached view of the flat bent spring...
The arm illustrated is arranged for central-firing, but the Invention
is equally applicable to arms constructed for rim-firing.
A is the lock frame; B, the barrel; S the screw by which the butt.
end of the stock C is (by preference) secured to the lock frame; D, the
breech block which is formed with a circular projection D¹ made to fit
accurately within a corresponding recess formed in the lock frame A. as
shewn, dispensing with the hinge pin used in the Martini rifle as. here-
tofore constructed, the breech block being supported by the bent spring
as herein-after described. The breech block D contains the firing
mechanism which is the same (excepting as to position) for rim-fire and
for central-fire, and consists of the exploding pin H, flat bent spring J,
and tumbler lever L. The tumbler lever L at its upper end bears.
against the end of the exploding pin H in the position of the parts:
which obtains when the arm has been discharged. The lower part or
fulcrum of the tumbler lever is fitted on to a square shaped portion of
the pin-g-which-therefore-moves-with-the-tumbler. The_pin_g_works
freely in bearing holes formed for it in the lugs or ears of the
trigger plate O. This plate closes the lower side of the lock frame A
and its foremost end is held in position by the lugs or cars o which fit
into corresponding recesses formed in the sides of the lock frame to
receive them, and a projection g' on the lock frame takes into a corres-
ponding recess in the pin g to prevent it from dropping out of its place.
At the rear end of the lock frame there is a small screw or button o¹
which when in the position shewn in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 holds up the rear
end of the trigger plate (or a spring catch may be used for that purpose
in lieu of the button o¹). It will be evident that this arrangement
enables the trigger plate with the breech mechanism attached to it to be
readily withdrawn for examination, and replaced and securely fixed in

page_text: position by simply turning the screw or button without the employment
of a screwdriver or other tool. The exploding pin H is prevented from
leaving its bearing in the front part of the breech block by a couple of
small screws k (one of which is shewn in Figs. 5 and 6) which are
tapped into the sides of the breech block D. The ends of these small
screws form stops or abutments which fit into longitudinal recesses or
slots in the sides of the exploding pin H at its rear end, thus limiting
its backward movement. The tumbler lever L has a projecting part
provided with a ratchet tooth for the purpose of receiving the upper end
of the trigger lever M which is pressed therein when. in suitable position
by the lower end J' of the spring J. The upper part or bend of this
spring holds the breech block D in its proper place thus dispensing
with the hinge pin and partly supporting the rear part of the said
breech block, a recess in the block resting on the bend of the spring
as shewn, and the bend of the spring is placed so as to give an
upward tendency to the breech block, thereby assisting to firmly close.
the breech end of the barrel when the gun is fired, and the end J*
of the spring is used for actuating the tumbler L to discharge the arm,
for which purpose this end of the spring takes into a notch or recess
formed in the rear part of the tumbler as shewn. The tumbler L is
provided with a face of metal " which forms an abutment for a corre-
sponding face on the hand lever E which lever serves also as a trigger
guard. The hand lever E works freely upon the fulcrum pin g and
consists of a long arm (curved as shewn in Fig. 1) to which the hand is
5 applied and two short arms E¹, E", each formed with a small projection e.
The projection e of cach arm takes into a cam recess formed in its own
side of the breech block D. The form of the two recesses is the same,.
and is shewn at D¹ in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. They are of irregular shapo
and so formed that the breech block is lowered, raised and retained or
blocked by the hand lever E in the proper positions for loading and firing
the piece. At N, Figs. 1 and 6, is shewn the external indicator which is
made in one piece with the fulcrum pin g at the right hand side of tho
lock frame A, so as to follow the movements of the tumbler L, thereby
invariably indicating its exact position. This indicating pin may be
5 made as shewn dotted in Figs. 1 and 6, so as to serve for cocking and
uncocking the tumbler L independently of the hand lever E by being
operated like the cock of an ordinary side lock. In this case when it is
desired to effect the position of half-cock an additional ratchet tooth for
that purpose will have to be provided in the tumbler L below the full-

page_text: cock tooth already described. G, G, are the extractor levers for expelling
the cartridge case, they work freely upon the pin g one at each side of
the forked lever E, and at their upper ends are provided with projecting
parts G¹ which bear against the fore side of the rim of the cartridge
case. These extractor levers G are provided with faces of metal G",
which form abutments for corresponding faces on the hand lever E.
The faces on the hand lever E do not come in contact with the abut-
ments G until the fore part of the breech block D has been caused to
descend so as to completely open the breech end of the barrel, where-
upon the continued depression or forward movement of the hand lever E
brings its metal faces against the abutments G" of the extractor levers,.
thereby suddenly expelling the cartridge case. This continued move-
ment of the hand lever causes the breech block to descend below the
point requisite for inserting the cartridge into the barrel, but as soon as
the hand of the operator is withdrawn from the hand lever the block is
by the peculiar action of the flat bent spring J caused to assume the
proper position for guiding the cartridge into the barrel. In order to
facilitate the expulsion the extractors are cut or slit at G from the holes.
to the peripheries of their bosses, thus forming in themselves powerful
springs and dispensing with the use of separate extractor springs.
The operation of the improved breech-loading mechanism is as
follows-Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 it will be seen that the mechanismı
is in that position which obtains when the gun has been discharged.
To open the breech for a fresh cartridge the hand lever E is depressed,
thus causing the upper end of the tumbler lever L to move in the
direction of the rear end of the arm, and to carry the upper end J² of the
spring with it until the ratchet tooth of the projecting part receives
the upper end of the trigger lever M, as shown in Figure 5. Simul-
taneously with this withdrawal of the firing mechanism from the position
shewn in Fig. 4 to that shewn in Fig. 5, the breech block is caused to
descend by the forked ends E', E", of the hand lever E acting in the
cam recesses D" shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The parts are now in
position for the insertion of the cartridge. The piece having been
loaded the lever E is then to be returned to its position against the under
part of the stock, which operation will cause the block D to be moved
upward into the position for firing, leaving the tumbler lever and upper
end J of the spring still held back by the projecting part of the
tumbler lever. After the lever E has been returned to the position in

page_text: which it is shewn in Figure 2, then on the trigger being pulled so as to
release the tumbler lever L and spring the exploding pin H will be
forced forward by the action of the spring J and tumbler lever until it
strikes the cartridge so as to explode it.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I do not
claim any of the several parts above described or referred to when taken
separately or used otherwise than in combination with a flat bent spring,
and I declare my improvements to consist in and that I claim, con-
structing breech-loading fire-arms so that a single flat bent spring shall
perform the three separate functions. of holding the breech block in its
proper place and position, of actuating the tumbler or hammer for
discharging the arm, and of a trigger or sear spring as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.