IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF 'RECEIVERS' FOR BREECH BLOCKS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF 'RECEIVERS' FOR
BREECH BLOCKS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.”. -A communication
from abroad by the Providence Tool Company, of Providence, Rhode
Island. United States of America.
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Scaled the 21st November 1873, and dated the 4th October 1873.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 4th October 1873, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, George
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
$
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENT IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF RECEIVERS' FOR BREECH BLOCKS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same,
and have made solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to
me from abroad by "The Providence Tool Company," of Providence,
Rhode Island, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement:-
-
This Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of the
"receivers" of breech blocks for breech-loading fire-arms, whereby an
important economy in the manufacture of the same is effected.
In the accompanying Drawing Figures 1 to 8 inclusive exhibit the
receiver in its several progressive stages from the first operation to the
completed "receiver."
Figures 9 and 10 represent tools of peculiar construction used in the
said manufacture.
The "receiver" or the "body," as it is sometimes termed, of a breech-
loading fire-arm is a block of metal with a rectangular mortise cut
through it in which is placed the movable breech block, and which also
forms the link of connection between the stock and the barrel.
Heretofore it has been the practice to cut the mortise in the "receiver"
by drilling a number of contiguous holes through the block of metal of
which the said "receiver "is to be made, then to punch out the metal
remaining between the holes, to convert the openings into an irregular
sided mortise, and finally by a series of cutter broaches forced through
the block one after another to shape and dress the opening into a
finished mortise. By this process the whole mass of metal which
occupied the space of a mortise, and weighing upon the average two
pounds, is wasted in the form of chips and shavings. Moreover the
keeping in order of the drills and large number of broaching tools.
required, and the time consumed in the necessary manipulation of the
same, are attended with.a very considerable expense.
The objects of this Invention are the reduction to a nominal amount
of the waste in stock and the cheapening cenerally of the most of

page_text: · A. block of steel or suitable iron is taken whose weight may be but
very little less than four ounces in excess of the weight of the receiver
when finished, and heated in a suitable furnace to the proper degree to
enable a blunt beveled face punch to be driven through it. The said
block is then to be placed between gauges on the bed of a punching
machine, and a rectangular opening is made through it by a punch of
the form shewn in Figure 9.
The edge of the punch is beveled as seen at a, the effect of which
form of construction is to displace the metal sidewise from the said
punch after the manner of the action of a wedge, so that when the
punch has gone through the block, only about one and one half ounces
in weight of metal will be separated from the mass as waste. The block
after this operation is in the form shewn in Figure 1, its sides bulging.
outward from an excess of metal as seen at b.
The operation of heating the block is now to be repeated; then the
opening c is to be stretched by the insertion of a tool in character like
the punch first, used, having beveled corners, and which removes none of
the metal, but elongates and widens the mortise. The result is shewn
in Figure 2. The operations of heating the block and stretching the
mortise with tools of the character substantially as shewn in Figures 9
and 10 are to be repeated until the block is brought to the shape shewn
in Figure 6, the outer surfaces of the side walls of the block being also
at each operation, or as often as may be necessary, subjected to pressure
between swaging dies, while the punch is within the mortise. The block
being then reheated has a proper shaper inserted to preserve the form of
the mortise, and the outside configuration required to adapt the block to
the stock and to, the barrel is given to it by means of dies of suitable
form. The result of all the operations above described is a receiver as
seen in Figure 8, and which can be accurately finished on the outside
by the usual milling tools, and in the mortise with a broaching tool with.
only that trifling loss of stock incident to the removal of the superficial
scale. The shape and size of the receiver, including the mortise
therein, will be almost exact upon the completion of the forging
operations.
The preceding operations have been described with reference to the

page_text: will be in progress of construction at the same time, and will pass con-
secutively through the different stages.
The best results are obtained by subjecting the block which is to form
the "receiver" to seven successive drawing and swaging operations as
described, to bring the mortise from the shape shewn in Figure 1, to the
shape and size shewn in Figure 7, but this Invention is not limited to
any particular number of such operations.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that the herein
described improvements in the manufacture of mortised "receivers " for
breech-loading fire-arms from solid blocks of metal involves the following:
operations.
First. Making an opening through the block by means of a wedge-
shaped punch, and displacing the metal sidewise thereby.
Secondly. Enlarging the opening thus made and reducing the side
walls of the intended mortise by the use of a succession of stretching :
tools applied internally, and swaging tools applied externally, and finally
giving the proper shape to the exterior of the "receiver" by means of
dies, while the shape of the mortise is preserved by a block inserted
therein.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me !
by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I
wish it understood that I claim, the improvements in the manufacture of
"receivers" for the breech blocks of breech-loading fire-arms, as herein
above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Georgo Haseltine, have hercunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
Hy. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)
.