IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADing Mechanism for Single and MULTI-BARRELED FIRE-ARMS.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Godfrey Anthony Ermen, of Eccles, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADing Mechanism for Single and MULTI-BARRELED FIRE-ARMS.
"
BREECH-LOADING Mechanism for Single aND MULTI-BARRELED FIRE-ARMS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Godfrey Anthony
Ermen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd August 1875.
I, GODFREY ANTHONY ERMEN, of Eccles, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING MECHANISH FOR SINGLE AND MULTI-BARRELED FIRE-ARMS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improvoments upon the Invention
for which former Letters Patent were granted to me on the 8th day of
July 1871, No. 1790.
The first improvements refer to the breech block marked d in Fig. 4
of the
nout of the
of the Patant whe

page_text: Also, the striking and firing part of the hammer is not made in ono
piece with the hammer, as before, but is a separate piece hinged to or
fastened to the hammer.
Also, the hammer at its circumferential end has two projections about
one-fourth of the diameter asunder, one being the bit g in the former
Specification These two projections work in the slot of the casing of
the breech block.
Also, the tugger is removed from its former position within the bow
and is placed behind it, there to act concentric with the hammer, and
in the before-mentioned slot and between the two before-mentioned
projections
The third improvements refer to the swivel or resisting picco 7, and
consist in fastening a piece to it at its centre about at right angles to it.
This clongation hangs downwards to terminate in the bow, and takes tho
position which the trigger held before.
The fourth improvement is that of reducing the swivel piece in length
by cutting off the part which is now held up by the little spring, and by
making that part circular and to work in a perfectly concave recess
parallel with its axis.
The last improvement is the attaching to the above-named clongation
a spiral or other spring that will bring it to and hold it in the required
position to both lock the breech block and release it after firing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Godfrey Anthony Ermen in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 1st February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GODFREY
ANTHONY ERMEN, of Eccles, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her, heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Godfrey Anthony Ermen,

page_text: Ier special licence that I, the said Godfrey Anthony Ermen, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Godfrey Anthony Ermen, my executors, administrators, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for 'IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING MECHANISM FOR
SINGLE AND MULTI-BARRELED FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Godfrey Anthony Ermon, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, 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 Godfrey Anthony Ermen, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say) --
--
These improvements relate to the Invention for which former Letters
Patent were granted to me on the 8th day of July 1871, Number 1700,
and they consist in various improvements in the arrangement and
construction of the parts forming the locks of breech-loading fire-arms,
that is, the parts for opening and closing the cartridge chamber, for
discharging or exploding the cartridge, and for withdrawing the cartridge
case from the cartridge chamber.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters maiked
thereon.
Fig 1 is a longitudinal section of a breech-loading rifle constructed
according to my improvements, Fig. 2 is a plan, and Fig 3 a transverse
section of the same, Fig 4 is a detached view of the breech block
forming part of the same; and Fig. 5 is the hammer
a is the barrel, and the chamber, which is bored out taper, and of a
greater diameter than the barrel to contain the ordinary central-fire

page_text: cartridge. The end of the chamber is screwed into the boss c¹ of the
breech plate c, which is secured to the stock of the fire-arm. d is the
breech block, which is hinged to a fulcrum pin passing through both
sides of the breech plate c The upper part of the breech block closcs
up against the head of the cartridge, and through it is a slot to allow
the hammer to strike the end of the cartridge. The breech block is
made with a slotted circumferential partial casing d', the ends of which,
marked d³, when required act against the head of the cartridge to loosen
it from the cartridge chamber, and with two segmental slots &², into
which enters the cross head of the shank of the spring
•
The ends of
the cross head swivel in holes in the ends of the set screws d'. The
hammer party which strikes the end of the cartridge is hinged to the
inner block g', fitting within the breech block d, and oscillating on the
same fulcrum pin. The hammer is acted upon by the coiled spring 2.
To the hammer block 9' is forged the catch n, which throws out the
empty cartridge casc after it has been partially drawn out by the circum-
ferential slotted partial casing d' above referred to. The hammer
block g¹ is also provided with the catch g³ to take into the catch ³ pro-
jecting from the shank of the recoil plate l. The object of the catch 1³
is to prevent the hammer rising until the recoil plate is in the proper
position for resisting the recoil of the breech piece & when the cartridge
explodes, as described in the Specification of the Patent above referred
to. The spring acts on the recoil plate to draw it into the horizontal
position, as shown by dotted lines, to allow the empty cartridge case to
be thrown out and a full cartridge to be replaced The trigger is also
loose on the same fulcrum pin as the breech block & and hammer
block g¹, and it works in a slot in the hammer block, which slot extends
from the point g* to the catch n
The mode of operation is as follows, and the Drawings shew the parts
in the positions they occupy when the fire-arm is at full-cock, at which
time the centre of the hammer, the centre of the cross head, and the
outer centre of the spring 2 arc in one line.-As soon as the trigger, is
acted upon the hammer block g¹ is turned by it so far as to move the
outer centre of the spring out of line with the other centres, thus
forming an obtuse angle, and acting in the same manner as the crank of
a steam engine in passing the dead centre, thereby causing the hammer g
to swivel round and strike the end of the cartridge After the cartridge
is exploded the recoil piece is raised into the position shewn by

page_text: diagonal dotted lines to liberate the breech block, which is then swung
round on its centre pin, as shewn by dotted lines. By this means the
hammer is brought back into its original position with the three centres
in one line, and after having passed that line the spring acts in the
contrary direction to that in which it acted for exploding the cartridge.
The ends &³ of the parts d' then act on the head of the cartridge, and
draw it out for about three-eighths of an inch, whilst the catch n of the
hammer block g' is forced against the head of the loosened cartridge
and throws it out. The parts are then in position for the introduction of
another cartridge, and as soon as the breech block has been brought
back to its original position another discharge can take place. The
trigger is made to work rather stiflly between the parts d', so that
when the breech block is closed and the trigger is pushed forward into
the position shewn in dotted lines the hammer cannot be brought
into action, and thus the fie-aim is perfectly safe and cannot be
discharged.
When holding the trigger in the position above named, and gently
releasing it whilst pushing with one finger the hammer block g', the
hammer will be gradually moved towards the cartridge, and thereby sets
the
spring at rest.
In order to set the spring at full cock again the trigger is again
brought into the position shewn in dotted lines and then brought back
into the position for firing.
Figs. 6, 7, and 8, represent three views of a rifle constructed according
to a modification of my Invention. In this case the parts marked a, b,
c, c¹, 1, 1, 1', and ', are made in the manner before described in reference
to Figs 1, 2, and 3. The brecchi plate c is in this instance provided with
holes to receive the central studs o, on which the breech block d swivels,
the studs o support the pins of the discs o' on which the hammer
block swivels The hammer block is shown detached in Fig. 9, and
the disc o in Fig. 10.
The hammer block g' is provided with a flat spring p, which answers
the same purpose as the spring 2, in Fig 1, this flat spring is con-
structed as slicwn detached in Fig 11, or as shewn in Fig 12, or as
shewn in Fig. 15, in this latter case the spring is contained within
a rigid frame jointed together at p', and by the toggle links p³, or a
coiled spring in a case, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, may be used. The

page_text: hammer block g¹ is hollow to admit the springs p, which in Figs 11, 12,
and 15, work in a stato of tension, and in Fig 13 in a state of com-
pression, as in Fig. 1; in this latter case the force of the spring can
be varied by screwing up the two parts passing through the spring.
The outer end of the spring is suspended by a pin p' passing through
the outer circumference of the hammer block, and the other ends are
connected by togglo links p², which are acted upon by the pin p³ passing
through the studs o, and through the segmental slots o² in the discs o¹.
In this arrangement the pin 2 is beyond the centre of the hammer
block g', whereas in Fig. 1 it is in the opposite position; in onc caso it
is like the crank pin of a steam ongine on the top centre, and in tho
other case like the crank pin on the bottom centre. The trigger; is
provided with a slotted segmental plate working between the breech-
block casing and the outer circumference of the hammer block, the
segmental plate is slotted to pass on cach side of the catch as far as
required, and as shown in dotted lines.
The action of all the parts is the same as that described in reference
to Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
I wish to remark here that although the Drawings represent my
improvements as applied to a single barrel fire-arm they are equally
applicable to multi-barrelled firc-arms.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim,—
First The general combinations and arrangements of the parts shewn
and described for opening and closing the cartridge chamber, for dis-
charging or exploding the cartridge, and for withdrawing the cartridge
case, both for single and multi-barreled fire-arms.
Secondly Connecting the striking part of the hammer to the hammer
block by a swivel Joint, as shown and doscribed, or in any other con-
venient manner, so long as it is not solid as heretofore.
Thirdly. The improved springs shewn and described in reference to
Figs 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, for actuating the hammer block.
Fourthly Placing the spring and the points acted upon within the
hammer block, thereby bringing the centre of the hammer, the centre
of the cross head, and the outer centre of the spring in one linc, as
shewn and described in reference to Figs. 1 and 6.

page_text: And, Fifthly. The mode of extracting the cartridge case by loosening
and partly withdrawing it by one instrument and throwing it out by
the hammer block, and without the use of any intermediate mechanism,
as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Godfrey Anthony Ermen, have
hereto set my hand and seal, thus Twenty-eighth day of January
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six
GODFREY ANTHONY ERMEN. (L.S.)