Improvements in Repeating Fire-arms.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Repeating Fire-arms.
We, OSCAR ADALBERT LANGE, of Muhlberg on the Elbe, in the Kingdom of
Prussia and Empire of Germany, Gunsmith, and LEOPOLD FRIEDRICH BORN, of
Fleischer-Markt, Leipsick, in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Repeating fire-arms as hitherto constructed have various defects. The manipu-
lation is too complicated, since rotary as well as rectilinear motions are required
in the operation of the gun and the number of handles or levers necessary to
effect these movements is inconvenient.
Moreover, the mechanism heretofore employed comprises an exceedingly large
number of parts so that miss fires not infrequently occur.
Further in the form of repeating fire arm as hitherto made the springing out
of the empty cartridge cases when the gun has been discharged is annoying and
the separation of the parts of the gun is by no means readily effected.
These defects are remedied by the improved fire-arm forming the subject of the
present invention, which also offers a series of advantages from other points of
view, such as the ready manner in which the lock may be rendered safe the ease
with which the different parts may be dismounted without the aid of tools or
special appliances. Moreover the speed of firing with the improved fire-arm is
greater than is the case with fire-arms hitherto constructed whilst the number
of handles or levers is less.
Whilst formerly the magazine was placed beneath the lock, so that the cart-
ridges were obliged to travel from the cartridge holder downwards into the
magazine and then upwards again into the chamber for which double journey
special spring mechanism is required, the cartridge in the present case falls by
its own weight from the cartridge holder into the chamber, where it is fired, the
empty case merely dropping out beneath when the shot has been discharged. It
may therefore be said to be fired on its way through the gun.
In the bolt chamber is fitted the sliding bolt, the locking of which is effected
by means of the four pins or studs which engage behind the flat faces of
the conical projecting parts of the said bolt and may be released by means of the
two levers which are constantly acted upon by springs, in order to enable the
bolt to be withdrawn. To effect this two fingers of the left hand (that supporting
the gun) are placed upon the discs at the ends of the said levers thereby causing
the levers to turn around their pivots and their pins or studs to be withdrawn
from engagement with the bolt. If now the sliding bolt which must invariably
be cocked first of all, is drawn back it carries the spent cartridge along with it
by means of an extractor, and as the case no longer rests upon the gun it will
fall out of the gun and make room for the next cartridge.
The hollow body portion of the bolt serves for the reception of the firing pin
actuated by a spiral spring arranged between a flange on the firing pin and a screw
cap in the end of. the said hollow portion. The forward portion of the firing

page_text: pin terminates in the well known percussion or firing pin proper and the said
pin has its rear end screwed into the cocking portion of the bolt to which is fixed
the bolt operating lever, the said bolt being prevented from twisting on being
drawn out by means of the guide. The cocking portion of the bolt is provided
with a nose or projection adapted to engage with the sear to which is pivoted
a tumbler operated as hereinafter described.
The action of the gun will be readily understood from the foregoing descrip-
tion of its principal parts. In explaining it we will describe the separate sub-
sidiary details which form essential parts of the gun. Assuming then that the
gun has been discharged, the bolt being held by the locking pins. The bolt is
now released by pressure of the fingers upon the discs of the levers carrying these
pins and then drawn back. On drawing back the bolt operating lever which
can be effected without moving the gun, the firing pin is cocked. The rearward
motion is limited by a catch. A pressure of the fingers upon this catch is sufficient
to permit of the complete withdrawal of the bolt for cleaning purposes.
This backward movement of the bolt should be rapidly effected in order that the
next cartridge may drop into the chamber. Both the extension and the back-
ward motion of the bolt is effected by rectilinear motion without rotation. Owing
to this from the time of placing the cartridge holder upon the gun until the last
shot is fired there is no necessity to change the position of the gun. A special
device ensures that only one cartridge shall fall into the chamber at a time, the
next being firmly held in the magazine. For this purpose there is provided upon
the magazine a small block acted upon by a spring, which block holds the second
cartridge in the magazine until the pressure of the spring is released. This takes
place when the bolt has been fully pushed in by the engagement of a catch secured
to the said bolt with the spring actuated lever of the block in such a manner
as to release it. In addition to this, by the drawing back and subsequent for-
ward movement of the bolt the cartridge is pushed forward, the locking pins
move inward under the action of the springs and the gun is ready for firing, the
tumbler of the trigger mechanism having in this movement entered an opening
in the bent lever so that in order to fire the gun it is only necessary to actuate
the trigger.
The gun may be rendered safe in the following special but simple manner.
A small plate bent at a right angle is arranged in front of the trigger.. This
plate can be turned around a fixed stud or pivot. In order to render the gun
safe the plate is turned inwards in front of the trigger so that the trigger will
lean towards the shoulder formed in the horizontal part of the plate. When
. a shot is to be fired the plate is turned outwards thereby allowing free movement
of the trigger.
The lock may be dismounted in the most simple manner. The bolt is with-
drawn when in its released position. It can then readily be unscrewed by hand
without the aid of any tool, and the small number of parts greatly facilitates this.
Dated this 1st day of September 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Repeating Fire-arms.
We, OSCAR ADALBERT LANGE, of Muhlberg on the Elbe, in the Kingdom of
Prussia, in the Empire of Germany, Gunsmith and LEOPOLD FRIEDRICH BORN, of

page_text: Fleischermarkt, Leipzig, in the Kingdom of Saxony, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
Repeating fire-arms as hitherto constructed have various defects. The manipu-
lation is too complicated, since rotary as well as rectilinear motions are required
in the operation of the gun and the number of handles or levers necessary to
effect these movements is inconvenient.
Moreover, the mechanism heretofore employed comprises an exceedingly large
number of parts so that miss fires not infrequently occur.
Further in the form of repeating fire-armis as hitherto made the springing out
of the empty cartridge cases when the gun has been discharged is annoying and
the separation of the parts of the gun lock is by no means readily effected.
These defects are remedied by the improved fire-arm forming the subject of the
present invention, which also offers a series of advantages from other points of
view, such as the ready manner in which the lock may be put safe, and the ease
with which the different parts may be dismounted without the aid of tools or
special appliances. Moreover the speed of firing with the improved fire-arm is
greater than is the case with fire-arms hitherto constructed whilst the number of
handles or levers is less.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the gun shewing the lock in its
cocked position.
Figure 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section 'shewing the gun ready to fire.
Figure 3 is a side elevation.
Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a view of the bolt removed.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 8 represents the cartridge retaining catch.
Figure 9 is a section of the bolt on the line 9-9 of Figure 1.
Figure 10 shews a portion of the trigger mechanism.
Figure 11 represents the safety catch and
Figure 12 shews a portion of the bolt.
Whilst formerly the magazine was placed beneath the lock, so that the cart-
ridges were obliged to travel from the cartridge holder downwards into the
magazine and then upwards again into the chamber for which double journey
special spring mechanism is required, the cartridge in the present case falls by
its own weight from the cartridge holder into the chamber, where it is fired, the
empty case merely dropping out beneath when the shot has been discharged. It
may therefore be said to be fired on its way through the gun.
In Figure 1 the cartridge in the magazine (one only being shewn) is lettered a¹,
that in the chamber A is designated by a² and the cartridge case falling through
by the letter a³. In the bolt chamber A is fitted the sliding bolt B. The closing
of which is effected by means of the four pins or studs c¹ cc, which engage
behind the flat faces of the conical projecting parts d d 3d of the said bolt and
may be released by means of the two levers e e¹ which are constantly acted upon
by springs, in order to enable the bolt to be withdrawn. To effect this two fingers
of the left hand (that supporting the gun) are placed upon the discs. f f at the
ends of the said levers thereby causing the levers to turn around their_pivots
and their pins or studs to be withdrawn from engagement with the bolt. If now
the sliding bolt which must invariably be cocked first of all, is drawn back, it
carries the spent cartridge along with it by means of the extractor g, and as the
case no longer rests upon the gun it will fall out of the gun and make room for
the next cartridge.
The bolt B is shown in Figures 1 and 2 in its extended and in Figure 7 in its

page_text: The
released position. The hollow body portion h of the bolt B serves for the recep-
tion of the firing pin actuated by a spiral spring' m arranged between a flange
on the firing pin and a screw cap i in the end of said hollow portion h.
forward portion of the firing pin proper and the said pin has its rear end screwed
into the cocking portion k of the bolt B to which is fixed the bolt operating lever C,
the said bolt being prevented from twisting on being drawn out by means of the
guide o (Figures 9 and 12). The cocking portion of the bolt B is provided
with a nose or projection r adapted to engage with the sear 2 to which is pivoted
a tumbler operated as hereinafter described.
The action of the gun will be readily understood from the foregoing description
of its principal parts. In explaining it the separate subsidiary details which form
essential parts of the gun will be described. Assuming then that the gun has
been discharged, the bolt B being held by the locking pins c¹ c² c3 c4. The bolt is
now released by pressure of the fingers upon the discs f fl of the levers carrying
these pins and then drawn back. On drawing back the bolt operating lever C,
which can be effected without moving the gun, the firing pin is cocked. The
rearward motion is limited by the catch, y, z. A pressure of the fingers upon
this catch is sufficient to permit of the complete withdrawal of the bolt for clean-
ing purposes.
This backward movement of the bolt should be rapidly effected in order that the
next cartridge may drop into the chamber. Both the extension and the backward
motion of the bolt is effected by rectilinear motion without rotation. Owing
to this, from the time of placing the cartridge holder upon the gun until the last
shot is fired there is no necessity to change the position of the gun. A special
device ensures that only one cartridge shall fall into the chamber at a time, the
next being firmly held in the magazine. For this purpose there is provided
upon the magazine 1) (Figure 4) a small block S acted upon by al
spring, which block holds the second cartridge in the magazine until the
pressure of the spring is released. This takes place when the bolt 1 has fully
pushed in by the engagement of a catch Figures 4 and 5 secured to the said
bolt with the spring actuated lever of the blocks in such a manner as to release it.
In addition to this, by the drawing back and subsequent forward movement of the
bolt the cartridge is pushed forward, the pins c¹ c² c3 c move inward under the
action of springs and the gun is ready for firing, the tumbler g of the trigger
mechanism having in this movement entered the opening in the bent lever u (see
Figures 5 and 10) so that in order to fire the gun it is only necessary to actuate the
trigger v.
A
The gun may be rendered safe in the following special but simple manner.
small plate W (Figures 1 and 11) bent at a right angle is arranged in front of
the trigger. This plate can be turned round a fixed stud or pivot. In order
to render the gun safe the plate is turned inwards in front of the trigger just as
shown on Fig. 1, so that the trigger will lean towards the shoulder formed in
the horizontal part (Fig. 11) of the plate; when a shot is to be fired the plate is
turned outwards at a right angle or so thereby giving the trigger free.
The lock may be dismounted in the most simple manner. The bolt is with-
drawn when in its released position. It can then readily be unscrewed by hand
without the aid of any tool, and the small number of parts greatly facilitates this.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;-
1. In a quick-acting fire arm a lock-chamber the outlet of which is at the
bottom and the inlet at the top of the chamber, the outlet opening being shorter
than the inlet by a length equal to the length of the projectile, so that after
firing the empty case of the cartridge can freely drop down, substantially as
<described.
2. In quick acting fire-arms the securing of the lock by a set of independent

page_text: studs falling in behind the flat faces of the conical projecting parts of the lock,
and being released by means of two levers acted upon by springs, allowing_a
rectilinear motion of the lock and independent locking of its mechanism, sub-
stantially as described.
3. In quick acting fire arms of the kind as set down by Claim One a device con-
sisting of a small block acted upon by a spring, said block holding the second
cartridge in the magazine until the pressure of the spring is released, substantially
as described.
4. In a quick acting fire-arm of the kind of Claim One the trigger mechanism,
consisting of a nose fixed on the lock and a bent lever fixed on the trigger and
engaging with said nose, essentially as described.
5. For a quick acting fire-arm a slide stop consisting of a plate to be turned
against the trigger, substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.