Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 7th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 13th May, 1887,
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in the breech mechanism of
ordnance.
In a transverse opening at the breech end of the barrel 1 provide a breech block.
This breech block is moved by means of a hand lever and an arm or arms on a
sleeve upon the axis of the hand lever which engage with the block as herein after
described.
The movement imparted to the block is opening the breech is at first rectilinear and
then rotary about the axis. These movements are sufficient in linear distance and in
are to leave the bore of the gun open for the reception of another cartridge.
During the rectilinear movement the breech block is guided by ribs which usually
are inclined at a small angle to the face at the rear end of the barrel. As in opening
the breech the block moves along these guide ribs it recedes slightly from the face.
The breech block has lips upon it one on either side and these during the earlier
part of the breech opening operation, come to overlap the flange of the cartridge case
lying in the barrel.
The cartridge case is drawn back a short distance only whilst the motion of the
breech block is rectlinear but it is rapidly forced to the rear by the lips on the breech
block whilst the rotary motion of the block about the axis is in progress.
The motion given to the breech block by the lever handle being sufficiently rapid
the cartridge case can be thrown out completely clear of the barrel which is then left
ready to receive another cartridge.
Sometimes I extract the cartridge case by means of a separate lever extractor
moveable around the axis; the movement which I give to the breech block in
opening the breech is then as follows:-first as already mentioned the block receives
a rectilinear motion towards the axis of the hand lever, and then it receives a rotary
motion about this axis but in the present case this rotary motion does not completo
the travel of the block but it again after the rotary motion receives a further rectilinear

page_text: movement. During this final motion the breech block operates against the extractor
lever and imparts to it a movement at first slow and powerful and finally rapid, thus
the cartridge case is loosened from the barrel and then thrown out to the rear.
The hand lever imparts motion to the breech block in the following manner :-the
axis of the hand lever has upon it a sleeve and an arm or arms are provided on the
sleeve within the breech opening; usually I provide two hook like arms one on either
side of the breech block and they are received into recesses in the block. These parts
are so formed that the arms first carry the block down along the rectilinear guides
and then when it gets free from these guides the hook like arms set fast in the
recesses and in the further movement carry the breech block on along a curved
path around the axis. Sometimes in place of these hook like arms and corresponding
recesses I employ arms with rollers at their ends which traverse cam like grooves in
the sides of the breech block. When the breech block is made to actuate a separate
extractor lever then the block at the end of its circular movement passes clear of a
stop and is so permitted to resume its notion inwards towards the axis; the arms and
recesses are so formed as to cause this motion to be imparted.
An arın on the sleeve surrounding the axis of the hand lever also imparts motion to
the firing pin or hammer for firing the cartridges; this firing pin is contained within
the breech block and during the first rectilinear part of the movement of the breech
block in opening the breech the firing pin is forced back against the resistance of a
spring.
The cocking arm acts against a projection on the firing pin and these parts are
inclined so that the thrust upon the projection tends to rotate the firing pin. When
the firing pin has been pushed back sufficiently far it turns partly round, the projec
tion upon it then meeting with a recess in the breech block which it is able to enter.
The projection thus escapes from the arm and the arm passes it as the motion of
the hand lever continues.
When the hand lever returns in closing the breech the arm leaves the projection of
the hammer in the recess and there it remains until the hand lever is on the point of
completing its forward stroke when another incline on the arm catches another incline
on the firing pin and turning it permits it to escape when its spring drives it forward
against the priming of the cartridge and the shot is fired. Or when it is desired the
firing pin may be released by a trigger so applied as to turn it and enable it to escape.
Or the firing pin in place of being rotated by the arm which forces it back may be
caught by a trigger lever and so retained until the trigger is pulled to release it.
Where a compound breech block is employed consisting of a part moveable around
the axis of the hand lever and a wedge inserted and withdrawn behind this part by
the action of the hand. lever I provide an extractor lever on the axis of the hand lever
and cause the wedge to move it in the last part of its travel when opening the breech.
This it does by suitably inclined or cam parts so fashioned as to give to the extractor
first a slow and powerful movement and then a rapid movement to eject the cartridge
case.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Breech Mechanism of Ordnance.
I, THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster
Civil Engineer, 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 :—
This invention has for its object improvements in the breech mechanism of
ordnance.
In a transverse opening at the breech end of the barrel I provide a breech block.
This breech block is moved by means of a hand lever and an arm or arms on a sleeve
upon the axis of the hand lever which engage with the block as herein after
described.
The movement imparted to the block in opening the breech is at first rectilinear
and then rotary about the axis. These movements are sufficient in linear distance and
in are to leave the bore of the gun open for the reception of another cartridge.
During the rectilinear movement the breech block is guided by ribs which usually
are inclined at a small angle to the face at the rear end of the barrel. As in opening
the breech the block moves along these guide ribs it recedes slightly from the face.
The hand lever imparts motion to the breech block in the following manner :-the
axis of the hand lever has upon it a sleeve and an arm or arms are provided on the
sleeve within the breech opening; usually I provide two hook like arins one on either
side of the breech block and they are received into recesses in the block. These parts
are so formed that the arms first carry the block down along the rectilinear guides and
then when it gets free from these guides the hook like arms set fast in the recesses
and in the further movement carry the breech block on along a curved path around
the axis.
To extract the cartridge case at the time when the breech is opened the breech block
may itself be made to effect the extraction or a separate lever extractor may be used
as herein after described.
An arm on the sleeve surrounding the axis of the hand lever also imparts motion to
the firing pin or hammer for firing the cartridges; this firing pin is contained within
the breech block and during the first part of the movement of the hand lever in
opening the breech the firing pin is forced back against the resistance of a spring.
The cocking arm acts against a projection on the firing pin and these parts are
inclined so that the thrust upon the projection tends to rotate the firing pin. When
the firing pin has been pushed back sufficiently far it turns partly round, the projec-
tion upon it then meeting with a recess in the breech block which it is able to enter.
Sometimes I add a special lug in the block which acts with inclined surfaces against
others on the firing pin and helps to turn it partly round when it meets with the
rocess.
The projection thus escapes from the arm and the arm passes it as the motion of the
hand lever continues.

page_text: When the hand lever returns in closing the breech the arm leaves the projection of
the hammer in the recess and thero it remains until the hand lever is on the point of
completing its forward stroke when another incline on the arm catches another incline
on the firing pin and turning it permits it to escape when its spring drives it forward
against the priming of the cartridge and the shot is fired. Or when it is desired the
firing pin may be released by a trigger so applied as to turn it and enable it to
escape. The cocking arm I form in such a manner that it prevents the hammer from
turning so that the projection from the hammer cannot escape from the recess in the
block before the breech is closed.
The drawings hereunto annexed shew various views of breech mechanism con-
structed as above described.
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 shew an arrangement of mechanism in which a lever extractor
is used and Figures 5 and 6 the arrangement when the breech block itself forms the
extractor.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section through the centre of the breech block shewing the
cocking and firing mechanism.
Figure 2 is a plan view with the breech open.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section showing the mechanism for giving movement to
the breech block and,
Figure 4 is a back end elevation of the mechanism.
In these figures A is a transverse opening at the breech end of the barrel. B is the
breech block which is received into the opening. Projecting inwards from the top
and bottom of the opening are ribs A¹ these enter corresponding grooves B¹ in tho
top and bottom of the breech block at the time when the breech is closed. The rear
end of the breech block also rests against the solid abutment A' which closes the
rear end of the transverse opening except that it has a slot A formed through it
through which the cartridges are passed endwise into the barrel when the breech is
opened. C is the axis of the lever handle used for opening and closing the breech.
DD are two hook like arms projecting from it-these are received into recesses B²
formed to receive them in the top and bottom sides of the breech block. When the
breech is closed and the lever handle is turned in a direction to open the breech the
ends of the hooks D bearing against the parts of the recesses B* with which they are
in contact press the block B endwise and give to it a rectilinear movement until the
point B of the rear end of the breech block has been carried past the point A¹ of
the abutment A². The curved portion B of the front face of the breech block then
comes against the axis C and the block is thereby provented from moving further in
a straight line but is free to turn around the axis as will be seen by the drawings
figures 1, 2 and 3, and it is so caused to turn around the axis by the ends of the
hooks D still continuing to bear against the recesses B2 in the block. The turning
movement of the breech block is arrested as soon as the breech is open by a projec-
tion B' on the block then coming against the front face of the abutment A³.
E are the extractor levers lying in recesses one at the top and the other at the
bottom of the breech block. These are free to turn on a pin F which passes through
the block. During the rectilinear movement of the block the levers E are carried
along with it and their lips El come behind the rim of the cartridge case-but when
the block begins to turn round the axis C the ends of the lips E' which are nearest to
this axis form fulcrums upon which the levers are rocked and the cartridge case is
thereby withdrawn a short distance slowly and with great power. Towards the end
of the turning motion of the block the levers are brought against the axis C and this
then forms a fulcrum around which the extractor levers turn and as the length of the
lever arms between the cartridge case and the fulcrum on which the levers rock is
thereby considerably increased the case is then rapidly ejected.
The extractor levers are prevented from turning too far by stops A".
G is the firing pin or hammer pressed forwards by a spring H. G' is a projection
from the firing pin by which the firing pin is forced back partly during the move-
ment of the hand lever before the breech begins to move and partly during the first
part of the rectilinear movement of the breech. The projection is at this time thrust

page_text: backwards by the cocking arm I which projects from the sleeve on the axis C. The
end of the arm is inclined and when the projection has been thrust back by it far
enough to bring the projection opposite to a recess at one side of it in the block-the
projection is turned into this recess by the incline on the end of the arm-and it may
be also by an incline on the striker then coming against an incline on a fixed pin K.
When the projection is turned into the recess the cocking arm can move past it and
so does not impede the turning of the axis C by the lover handle.
The projection G' remains in the recess until the gun is to be fired-it is then
pushed out from the recess by the inclined end of the lever trigger arm L-the other
arm of this lever may be acted upon by a trigger or by a lanyard or otherwise as
desired.
To ensure that the gun shall not be fired unless the breech is properly closed a
projection I¹ on the cocking arm is made to come in the way of a projection L' on the
trigger lever and to prevent this lever from being turned in a direction to come into
contact with the projection G₁ to turn it out from the recess in which it is retained
until the breech has been closed and the projection I' on the cocking arm conse-
quently moved away from the projection L' on the trigger lever. The gun is then
free to be fired by pulling the trigger.
In the arrangement shewn at Figures 5 and 6 the construction is substantially the
same except that the breech block B is itself formed with extractor fins E' which come
behind the flange of the cartridge case when the breech has completed the rectilinear
portion of its movement when the breech is being opened-and then when the breech
block commences to turn around the axis C the extractor fins E¹ withdraw the
cartridge case. If the motion given to the breech block by the lever handle is
sufficiently rapid the cartridge case can be thrown out completely clear of the barrel
which is then left free ready to receive another cartridge. In place of the breech
blocks of the breech closing mechanisms herein described being made to move in a
horizontal plane as herein before described they might if preferred be made to work
in a vertical plane.
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 :-
1. Closing the breech of ordnance by a breech block which to open the breech has
first to have a rectilinear movement imparted to it approximately at right angles to
the barrel and afterwards a rotary movement around an axis also at right angles to
the barrel substantially as described.
2. Giving these movements to the breech block by an arm or arms extending from
the axis to which a rocking movement can be imparted by a lever arm or handle
substantially as described.
3. Making a breech block which has these movements imparted to it to serve also
as an extractor and ejector of a cartridge case substantially as described.
4. The breech mechanism substantially as described and illustrated at Figures 1, 2,
3, and 4.
ง
5. The breech mechanism substantially as described and illustrated at Figures 5
and 6.
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011 T
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