IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MAGAZINE OR REPEATING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MAGAZINE OR REPEATING
FIRE-ARMS to be as follows:-
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37
This Invention relates to magazine or repeating fire-arms.
The said Invention comprises a magazine which embraces or surrounds the gun
on three sides thereof. The portions of the magazine on the right hand side of,
and underneath, the gun forming the space for the store of cartridges and that on
the left hand side of the gun the space in which the cartridges are raised one by
one up to the entrance into the barrel-chamber by a lever and hinged bar, each of
which carries a small support at its end. When up, these supports cross in front
of the opening into the magazine and prevent the cartridges from entering the left
hand side thereof until they are again in place.
The said Invention moreover comprises a cartridge-elevator or cradle and a lever
for operating the same. The said lever is connected with the cradle by a pivot
placed near its centre and is so arranged that, when one end of the lever is acted on
by the bolt, it will raise the cradle into position and at the same time so place the
other end of the said lever that, when the bolt reaches this end of the said lever, it
will depress the same and replace the lever in its former position. The cradle is
so arranged that a trough and side pieces affixed to the shoe will hold the cartridge,
when raised by the cradle, and prevent its being thrown upwards out of the gun
or above the axis of the barrel-chamber, but will place it with its axis in a direction
inclined to the axis of the said chamber and below the prolongation of the said
axis, so that, when the cartridge is pushed forward by the bolt, the bullet will
enter the said chamber, and, by reason of the conformation of the said trough and
side pieces, will proceed until it touches the upper portion of the chamber, the
head of the cartridge, following the curved incline at the bottom of the cradle, will

page_text: then be raised and further facilitate the entry of the said cartridge into the
chamber, the base of the said cartridge being now clear of the side pieces, and the
whole cartridge will freely enter the chamber.
The lock is made without the usual underneath trigger, and a trigger consisting
of a bent or curved and forked piece of metal is used, which trigger is acted upon
by a suitable spring. A piece of hardened steel is secured to the body of the
trigger by a screw and forms the sear. The bents or notches are formed in the
back of the hammer instead of as usual. The trigger spring keeps the trigger in
place by bearing on a projection thereon, and the whole turns on a pivot.
The trigger is forked as above stated and embraces the hammer, the sear lying
under the solid part of the trigger, to which it is secured as above stated by a
screw. The trigger is formed with a projection which extends through the tail-
piece of the shoe, with which it is level, and which is acted upon in the manner
hereinafter described to fire the gun.
The elevating apparatus is arranged on the same plate as the lock and consists
mainly of two portions, vizt :—/
-A bent lever and a cradle. The said lever is
pivotted to the shoe and is connected with the cradle by a pivot on which the
cradle is loose. A spring stud keeps the lever in position, when either up or
down, until it is acted upon by the bolt. The cradle is prevented from rising
above its proper position by a stop at each end. A stop-piece is provided to
prevent more than one cartridge from entering the gun at a time and a corre-
sponding opening is made in the cradle. With this arrangement, a cartridge enters
the gun by the side and falls into the cradle. When the bolt is withdrawn, a
projection strikes the rear end of the said lever and throws up the cradle into position
for the cartridge to be pushed forward by the bolt, the cartridge being pushed
against the underside of two fixed pieces, portions of which form the ejectors for
throwing the empty cartridge shells out of the gun. The cartridge is forced
forward by the bolt until its base reaches a certain point, and it is well within the
chamber and clear of the side pieces; at this point the bolt strikes the lever at its
forward extremity and forces it into its lower position.
Instead of employing a side lever as described in the Specification of former
Letters Patent dated 20th December 1883, N° 5823, I use a lever which forms a
continuation of the bolt, to which it is hinged, and which at the same time serves
as a cover to the rear end of the shoe. This lever is actuated by a knob or handle
at the right hand side of its rear end, which knob or handle projects from the side
of the gun-On the inside of this lever is fixed a flat spring, and at the end of the
said spring is a flattened circular piece of metal which fills a hole in the rear end
of the lever above the projection on the trigger. On the under side of this circular
piece is a stud which, when the gun is closed, rests upon, or is in close proximity
to, the projection on the trigger, but, when the gun is open, cannot act upon the
said projection. By pressing on the circular piece above described, the stud forces
down the end of the trigger and fires the gun.
When it is
Attached to the lever above mentioned at the extremities of the axle which
unites it to the bolt, I place two flat plates of steel, one on each side of the shoe,
and I provide on the shoe itself two small inclined planes on which the lower ends
of these plates bear. When, therefore, the lever is raised to open the gun, these
plates acting on the said inclined planes lift the step of the bolt from the step of
the shoe and disengage the bolt, so that it may easily be drawn back.
pushed forward into place, its forward end acts on the rear ends of two levers
similar to those described in the said former Specification, and forces the step of
the bolt down in front of the step of the shoe and so closes and secures the gun.
A small spring catch is provided to prevent the accidental opening of the gun.
I place on each side of the bolt a side plate which slides in a groove or slot in the
shoe ;
the forward ends of such side plate being secured to the bolt at its forward
end by a pivot or by other suitable means, and the rear end of each plate having
an opening to admit the end of one of the said two lovers.

page_text: The magazine, instead of being placed either vertically above or below the
opening of the gun by which the cartridges are fed into the cradle, extends
partially around the gun, as above stated, and the cartridges, which arrive by
gravity at a position below the feed orifice, are raised one by one by means of a
lever actuated by a slide which is set in motion by the bolt, the said bolt being
provided with a stud for this purpose. Thus, when the gun is closed and the
cradle down, the slide of the magazine is in its forward position and the lever in
connection with it is up, that is to say, in the act of transferring a cartridge from
the magazine to the cradle, the said cartridge, when in its upper position, being
forced to leave the magazine and enter the gun by a spring or springs attached to
the magazine and bearing against the opening of the magazine, which corresponds
with the opening of the gun.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Magazine or Repeating
Fire-arms.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the county of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication from George Vincent Fosbery, V.C. of Liège, in
the Kingdom of Belgium), and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to magazine or repeating fire-arms and comprises various
improvements hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section of part of a magazine rifle of
the kind or class described in the specification of former Letters Patent dated
20th December, 1883, N° 5823, with my present improvements applied thereto,
showing the parts in the positions which they occupy immediately after the firing
of the gun.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal central section of part of the said rifle,
showing the parts in the positions which they occupy when the breech-block is
drawn back.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of part of a magazine rifle with a detachable
magazine and cartridge elevator applied thereto, showing the parts in the positions
which they occupy when the breechi is closed.
Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line ¹, x, Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 2, 2, Figure 5, showing
the parts in the positions which they occupy when a cartridge has been raised by
the elevator.
Figure 7 is a plan of part of a "Lee" gun with my present improvements
applied thereto.
Figure 8 is a plan.
Figure 9 a rear elevation and,
Figure 10 a side elevation, showing the magazine and elevating mechanisin
detucked.
Figure 11 is a side elevation of the same partly in vertical section.
Figure 12 is an elevation of the left hand side of the magazine, and
Figure 13 is a transverse section thereof on the line 3, 3, Figure 10.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the shoe or body, B the barrel and C the stock of the gun. D is the breechi
block or bolt.
lever a.
In Figures 1 to 3, a is a lever pivotted at a¹ to the shoe or body A. b is a
cartridge holder or cradle, which is pivotted upon a pin or bolt fixed in the
This lever and cradle constitute the cartridge-elevator. The short arm
of this lever extends upward as shown, so that, in the rearward movement of the
breech block or bolt D, the shoulder D¹ thereof will strike the said short arm
of the lever a and thereby raise the cralle b. The long arm of the lever a is so
Figure 11 is a side elevation of the same partly in vertical section.
Figure 12 is an elevation of the left hand side of the magazine, and
Figure 13 is a transverse section thereof on the line ³, a³, Figure 10.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the shoe or body, B the barrel and C the stock of the gun. D is the breech
block or bolt.
In Figures 1 to 3, a is a lever pivotted at a¹ to the shoe or body A.
b is a
cartridge holder or cradle, which is pivotted upon a pin or bolt fixed in the
lever a.
This lever and cradle constitute the cartridge-elevator. The short arm
of this lever extends upward as shown, so that, in the rearward movement of the
breech block or bolt D, the shoulder D¹ thereof will strike the said short arm
of the lever a and thereby raise the cralle b. The long arm of the lever a is so

page_text: I
shaped that, when the cradle is thus raised, the end a* of the said arm will project
upward into the path of the breech block or bolt, which, in its forward movement,
will strike the said arm and depress the same, thereby replacing the elevator in
position to receive another cartridge. The cradle b is made trough-shaped, and
inclined pieces or projections c are formed or fixed on the inner sides of the shoe or
body of the gun. These pieces or projections hold the cartridge, when raised by
the cradle, and prevent its being thrown upwards out of the gun, or above the
axis of the chamber thereof. The cartridge, when thus raised, lies with its axis
inclined or at an angle to the axis of the said chamber, as shewn in Figure 3.
Therefore, when the cartridge is pushed forward by the breech-block, the bullet
will enter the said chamber, and, by reason of the conformation of the trough or
cradle and the side pieces c, will proceed in an inclined path until it touches the
upper part of the chamber; the head or flange of the cartridge will then be clear
of the side pieces c, so that, in the continued forward movement of the breech-
block, the head of the cartridge will rise and thus facilitate the insertion of the
cartridge into the chamber.
A pin or stud d is fitted to slide in a hole in the shoe A and is acted upon by a
spiral spring also fitted in the said hole, which spring tends to push the said pin
outwards. When the cradle b is in its highest position, the said pin enters a recess
or cavity in the short arm of the lever a and retains the cradle in this position
until the lever a is again moved by the breech-block. The cradle bis prevented
from rising above its proper position by stops e, el fixed or formed on the shoe or
body A.
A stop-piece is provided to prevent the entrance of more than one
cartridge at a time into the gun, and a slot or opening is made in the cradle to
permit the said stop to project partly across the cradle when the latter is in
position to receive a cartridge.
The operation of my improved cartridge-elevator is as follows, that is to say :-
The cartridges from the magazine g enter the gun one by one through the side
opening and roll by gravity onto the cradle b. When the breech-block is drawn
back, its shoulder or projection D' strikes the short arm of the lever a and moves
the cradle up into the position shewn in Figure 3. The breech-block, in its next
forward movement, thrusts the cartridge carried by the cradle b into the barrel,
and, acting upon the long arm of the lever a, moves the cradle b into position to
receive a fresh cartridge from the magazine, as shewn in Figure 1. The side
pieces c are made with projections c¹ for the purpose of ejecting the empty
cartridge-shells, which, as they are drawn back with the breech-block, strike the
said projections and are thereby thrown or ejected from the gun.
By constructing the cartridge-elevator as above set forth, I provide for imparting
a positive movement to the cartridges which roll from the gravity magazine, to
bring them into position to be thrust into the barrel.
The trigger consists of a bent or curved piece i of metal, which is pivotted at it
to lugs formed on the shoe or body A, and which is forked so that the bammer j
will work through the same. A spring is secured to the shoe or body A and
bears upon a projection on the trigger i. A piece of hardened steel is secured
to the trigger and is adapted to engage with the bent or notch j¹ in the hammer j
and thus serve as a sear. The trigger is, moreover, provided with a projection i³,
which is acted upon in the manner hereinafter described to fire the gun.
Instead of employing a side lever as described in the said former specification,
I use a lever which is hinged or pivotted at to the breech-block and extends
rearwardly therefrom. This lever is so constructed and arranged that it serves as
a cover for the rear part of the shoe or body A. The said lever is provide with a
knob or handle at the right hand side of its rear end, which knob or handle is
shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, and which projects beyond the side of the gun.
On the underside of this lever is fixed a flat spring m, to the free end of which is
attached a flat metal disc or push-knob m¹. This disc or push-knob fills a hole in
the lever above the projection on the trigger. On the underside of this disc or
push-knob is a stud or projection m², which, when the breech is closed, rests upon,

page_text: or is in close proximity to, the projection on the trigger, but which, when the
breech is open, cannot act upon the said projection. By pressing on the disc or
push-knob m', the stud m³ is caused to turn the trigger i on its pivot ¹ and
thereby release the hammer and fire the gun.
To the sides of the lever I attach two flat plates of steel, one on each side
of the shoe A, and I provide upon the shoe two curved or inclined surfaces A', on
which bear the lower ends of the plates 13. Therefore, when the lever is raised
preparatory to opening the breech, the said plates, acting on the curved or inclined
surfaces A', lift the breech-block and disengage its shoulder D² from the shoulder A
of the shoe A, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1; the breech-block is then
drawn back by means of the lever, the plates 3 sliding upon the horizontal
surfaces A³ on the shoe A. When the breech-block is pushed forward to close the
breech the forward end of the lever acts on the rear ends of two levers similar to
those described in the said former Specification, and forces the breech-block down
so that its shoulder D³ engages with the shoulder A2 of the shoe and thus secures
the said block against displacement by the explosion in the barrel. A small spring
catch is provided to prevent the accidental opening of the gun.
I place on each side of the breech-block a side plate which slides in a groove or
slot in the sboe, the forward ends of such side plates being secured to the breach-
block at its forward end by a pivot or by other suitable means, and the rear end
of each plate having an opening to admit the end of one of the said two levers.
In the modification of my invention shewn in Figures 4 to 6, instead of
arranging the magazine so that the cartridges will be fed by gravity through an
opening in the side of the gun, I make the magazine to extend partially around
the gun as shewn in Figure 5. In this case, the cartridges roll by gravity into a
position below the orifice in the side of the gun and are raised one by one by means
of a cartridge-elevator as hereinafter described.
This cartridge-elevator consists of two levers a, a² made with curved ends to
adapt them for properly supporting a cartridge in any position to which they may
be moved in the operation of the gun. The lever a is actuated by the breech-
mechanism as hereinafter described, and actuates the lever a² through the medium
of a pin or stud a³ fixed in the lever a and working in a slot a in the lever a².
The short arm of the lever a is connected, by means of a pivotted bar or lever n,
with a slide o, which is attached to the side of the magazine g by screws o¹ passing
through slots o in the said slide. p is a slide which is attached to the shoe or
body A by means of screws p¹ passing through slots p³ in the said slide. The
breech-block is provided with a stud or projection D³ which, in the to-and-fro
movement of the breech-block, acts alternately upon the shoulders på p of the
slide P and thus imparts reciprocating motion to the said slide in a line parallel
with the axis of the barrel. A pin or stud 25 is provided upon the slide p, which
pin or stud projects through a slot in the shoe or body A and enters a notch or
slot 03 in the slide o. Therefore, in the to-and-fro movement of the breech-
block, reciprocating motion will be imparted to the slide o, which will thus be
caused to operate the levers a, a' of the elevator. By these means the said levers
will, when the breech-block is pushed forward to close the breech, be moved down,
so that a fresh cartridge will fall by gravity from the magazine upon the elevator,
and, when the breech-block is drawn back, the said levers will be moved up to
raise the said cartridge into position to be thrust into the barrel. The slide o, in
its backward movement, passes over the upper end of the lever n, as shewn in
Figure 6, thus locking the levers a, a² in the position which they occupy when the
cartridge is fully raised. In the forward movement of the said slide, the said
levers are released, but not until the base of the cartridge has passed the end of
the lever a when it is no longer necessary to retain the said levers in their highest
position.
In Figures 4 and 5, the levers are shewn down, in which position a cartridge will
roll onto them from the magazine g. The elevating mechanism is in this position
when the gun is closed and during the firing. The said mechanism is so arranged

page_text: that, when the breech-block is drawn back and the empty cartridge-shell is ejected,
a fresh cartridge will be brought into position in line with the barrel.
q is a spring which is attached to the magazine g in such a position that, each
cartridge, as it is raised by the elevator, will be acted upon by the said spring and
thereby pushed through the opening h¹ in the side of the gun. The said cartridge
will then roll into a trough or support 7, in or upon which it will rest until it is
thrust into the barrel by the breech-block in its forward movement.
By the above described arrangement of the levers a, a, I provide for keeping
the cartridges parallel, or nearly parallel, with the axis of the barrel while they are
being raised, so that, when raised, they will be in position to be pushed through the
opening by the spring q.
8 is a bent lever, which is pivotted at s¹ to the magazine g and is so shaped that,
when the levers a, a are down, the lever a or will press against the lower
extremity of the lever s and thus hold the same in the position shown in Figure 5,
but the moment the levers a, a² commence to rise, the lever 8 will be released.
When a cartridge is raised by the elevator, the said lever 8 is forced outward at
the top by the said cartridge. By this arrangement, I obviate any liability to the
accidental throwing upward of a cartridge resting on the elevator and the rolling
beneath the same of the succeeding cartridge in the magazine, and the consequent
obstruction of the mechanism.
It will be seen that, in the modification of my invention illustrated in Figures 4,
5 and 6, the magazine carries or supports the elevating mechanism and can be
readily attached to, or detached from, the gun.
This detachable magazine is an important feature of my invention, and is
applicable to the Berdan and other bolt-guns. In Figures 7 to 13, I have shown
a slightly modified form of this magazine and elevating mechanism applied to a
"Lee" gun, in which the cartridge-elevator is arranged centrally, and raises the
cartridges directly into position to be thrust into the barrel. The spring q is, in this
case, dispensed with. The construction and arrangement of the various parts of
the magazine and elevating mechanism are otherwise substantially the same as
above described with reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings. The
magazine is provided with a spring book or catch t to prevent the escape of the
cartridges therefrom.
In some instances, I prefer to make the magazine telescopic, that is to say, so
that one part will slide into another, and so that, when shut down, it shall not
extend above the level of the gun at any part. I either make this magazine closed
at the top, and with an opening in the side or end of the upper or sliding portion,
through which the cartridges may be inserted, or I make it with a hinged cover,
on the underside of which is formed a T-shaped groove for the heads of the
cartridges, and which when raised forms, together with the lower part of the
magazine, a continuous flanged way or chute down which the cartridges will slide
by gravity until they reach the elevator.
This peculiar form of elevator is adopted to allow as much rise as possible for the
cartridges in order to get as many as possible into the gravity magazine without
extending the latter sufficiently far above the top of the gun to be inconvenient
or unsightly.
In applying the detachable magazine to a gun of the kind described in my said
former specification the elevator may be centrally placed as in the "Lee" gun, and
only one slide is necessary, which can be actuated by a stud on the side of the
breech-block, which stud comes in contact alternately with studs on the ends of
the said slide.
If desired, I so arrange the levers a, a that they will be operated directly by
the breech-block instead of through the medium of a slide or slides.
The magazine may, if desired, be built into the gun, the wall of the gun forming
the inner side of the magazine, and the outer side being formed by a plate; in this
case, the levers are actuated from the inside,

page_text: When the gravity part of the magazine is to be capable of containing say eight
cartridges, the upper portion, instead of being telescopic, is sometimes formed by
a cover having sides, which cover is hinged at one end and which, when raised,
will contain the bases of eight cartridges, the other end containing the bullets
without being lengthened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
:-
First The improved cartridge-elevator consisting of the cradle or holder
attached to a lever pivotted to the shoe or body of the gun and arranged to be
operated by the breech block or bolt in its to-and-fro movement, substantially as,
and for the purpose, set forth.
Second The combination, with the lever a and the cradle or holder b arranged
to be operated by the breech block or bolt in its to-and-fro movement, of the
projections c on the shoe or body of the gun, substantially as, and for the purposes,
set forth.
Third: The combination of parts comprising the lever coupled to the breech-
block and provided with the side arms or plates, and the curved or inclined
surfaces on the shoe or body of the gun, substantially as, and for the purposes, set
forth.
Fourth-The combination, with the lever l, of the spring m, the disc or push-
knob m¹ and the trigger i having the sear * attached thereto, all substantially as,
and for the purposes, set forth.
Fifth A cartridge-elevator consisting of cross levers connected substantially
as above described and arranged to be operated by the breech block or bolt either
directly or through the medium of a slide or slides, for the purpose specified.
Sixth-The combination, with a detachable magazine, of a cartridge-elevator
consisting of cross levers pivotted to the said magazine and arranged to be operated
by the breech block or bolt either directly or through the medium of a slide or
slides, for the purpose specified.
Seventh-The provision of means (substantially as set forth) whereby the said
cross levers will be locked or retained in position to support the cartridge while it
is being partially inserted in the barrel.
:-
Eighth The combination, with the detachable magazine and cartridge-elevator,
of the bent or curved lever s, substantially as described with reference to Figures 4
to 6 of the drawings for the purpose specified.
-
Ninth The modification of my invention which consists in making the
magazine telescopic or providing the same with one or more hinged covers or
hutes, so that it can be extended or contracted at will, substantially as set forth.
Tenth The improved magazine or repeating rifle consisting of the parts con-
structed and combined substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 3
of the drawings and operating as above specified.
Eleventh The improved detachable magazine provided with the cartridge-
elevating mechanism, substantially as described with reference to Figures 4, 5
and 6, or to Figures 7 to 13 of the drawings for the purpose specified.
Dated this 20th day of May 1886
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.