Improvements in Magazine Rifles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1898-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Magazine Rifles.
I, JOHN FORMBY, of Formby Hall, Formby, Lancashire, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to that class of automatic or semi-automatic quick loading
and firing magazine rifles in which the pressure of the powder gas is used to
compress a spring or springs the reaction of which operates the mechanism, and
has for its object to provide a rifle having a true falling-block breech-action
efficiently combined with a magazine of the bolt-action type and which, while
the magazine is fully charged and ready for use, can be loaded at will either singly
by hand (as in non-magazine rifles), or direct from the magazine, without any
alteration or special adaptation of parts. The former is desirable when very
rapid repetition of firing is not required, but when rapid firing is required, then
the magazine can at once be called into action; a further object is to provide a
rifle in which it is at once plainly visible on inspection and even at a short
distance whether the user is loading from the magazine or not, and also whether
the magazine is open or closed; also, to provide means for rendering it impossible,
during practice with loaded magazines, or after such practice is over, for the rifle
by accident or carelessness to be left loaded. This latter has hitherto been a
serious defect in rifles of this type, such as the Lee-Metford, and has been, and
is of course always liable to be, a prolific source of accidents. In my improved rifle
the falling-block breech-action is quite separate from and independent of the
magazine, and, after firing, the breech is left open and empty. The breech-
opening and cartridge-ejecting mechanisms are automatic in their actions and
no power is required of the user to operate same, but should such automatic
mechanisms temporarily fail from any cause, and also when commencing to
fire, the breech-block and action can be readily worked by hand mechanismi in
no way liable to derangement.
By my invention in fact many of the acknowledged weak points of quick loading
magazine-rifles, as hitherto constructed, are met and overcome, while the improved
mechanism is at any rate not more complex or expensive to make and is less
liable to break-down in use, and easily separated, cleaned, and assembled.
I will now fully describe my invention, referring in so doing to the accompany-
ing drawings in which like reference letters and numerals refer to the same parts
in. all of the figures.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of so much of my improved rifle as is necessary
to show clearly the several mechanisms, and in the figure the parts are shown
in the positions taken after the rifle has been fired, and the bullet is travelling
between the gas port and the muzzle.
Fig. 2 shows the change of positions of parts when the breech-block is down
and the rifle ready for loading.
Fio 3 is a section on line X Figure 1.

page_text: Fig. 5 is a section on line Z-Z Figure 2, showing the gas-port and bridle in
the positions taken when the breech-block is down.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of the rear end of the breech-block showing the sear-plate
and firing finger.
Fig. 7 is an elevation of the front end of the breech-block showing spring
controlled catches (illustrated as arranged on the outside for clearness) and the
handle of the releasing striker, the use of which is hereinafter explained.
In my improved rifle there is a long casing 1 extending from the trigger
guard 2 forward under the barrel 3 for a distance sufficient to enable it to con-
veniently enclose the magazine 4 and the automatic actions 5, and on the fore
end of this is fixed a wooden hand-grip block 6 with manual action hereinafter
fully explained. In successively describing the several parts of my invention it
will be convenient to set forth together both the construction and the operation
thereof, so that the various changes of positions of the mechanisms can be more
readily followed.
COCKING AND BREECH MECHANISMS.
The breech-block is depressed by the action of powerful main-springs previously
compressed by the powder gas through the medium of twin levers. Assuming
then that the rifle has just been fired and the bullet is still in the barrel, the
powder gas under great pressure enters the small cylinder A through the port a
and forces down the piston therein. To the piston a¹ is attached a bridle a²
sliding freely in side guides a³ in the cylinder stays or enlargements at. To this
bridle are connected by pivot pins or slot engagements (due provision being made
for the radial motion) the forward ends of a pair of strong twin levers B longi-
tudinally disposed and centred at 6 on a transverse pin. Beneath these levers are
set powerful double main-springs of suitable kind . By the gas pressure acting
on the piston a through bridle a² the front ends of these levers B are depressed
and such depression serves to compress the main-springs 61, the other ends of
the levers B are thus raised and then engage, force inwards, and pass over a pair
of spring-pressed stop-catches 62 62 pivotted at into the forward end of the
breech-block C either internally or externally thereof. In the figures these
catches are arranged for the sake of clearness externally pivotted on the block C.
When the bullet leaves the barrel the gas pressure ceases, and then by the instant
return action of the then released main-springs the breech-block C is at once
forced down to the position shown in Fig. 2. The block in descending engages
the tail part of the extractor D which is pivotted at d and provided with an
extracting and ejecting head constructed and disposed in a recess in the barrel
breech in the usual way, and this forcing down of the tail works the extractor
and ejects the empty shell. Pivotted at c¹ between lugs on the base of the
block C is a strong curved lever c of a configuration such as is illustrated, the upper
part of this lever passes up through a recess in the block C and its lower
end is formed and set to slide in a guide e, and to it is pivotted a rod R which
works through the fixed guides and is provided with a spiral spring r¹. To
this rod R is fixed a thumb-piece T which projects downwards and works through
a slot cut in the wooden grip-block 6. for the purpose of opening the breech
at any required time, and also in the first instance before regular firing com-
mences. A hole is formed in longitudinal direction through the cylinder
stavs lineable with the end of the rod R: as the block C descends the lower
end of the curved lever c is forced to slide forward pushing before it the rod R
which passes through the said hole, the bridle a being then clear, and by the
same movement the spring is compressed; the simultaneous rearward move-
ment of the upper part 3 of the curved lever c serves to cock the striker S in the
following way. The striker $ is provided with a piston s working in a cylindrical
hole in the breech-block C against the force of a spiral springs behind
the pistons is pivotted a hook s normally held up by a light spring such as s³,
and through the base of the said cylindrical hole c is made a catch-hole into

page_text: which the said hook så passes, being then forced down against its spring s³, but
when the hook has cleared the catch the upward pressure of its spring causes
the hook to engage in the hole es, its rearward end then projecting for some dis-
tance through the hole and beyond the rear face of the block C, for a purpose
hereinafter explained. The whole of the mechanism being thus locked in the
position shown in Fig. 2, the rifle is cocked and ready for loading.
LOADING MECHANISM.
This operation may be performed either singly by hand, or from the magazine 4,
which may be of the ordinary Lee-Metford or of any other pattern or kind
suitable to a bolt-action.
The loading mechanism consists of a loader arm L of such a form as is shown,
and fixed to a slider running in guides on the right hand side of the casing.
The slide is worked by a hand piece 72 pivotted to it between the lugs 73. To
retain the hand piece 12 snugly out of the way when turned down and out of
action, its head is formed to engage and be held between two catches or lumps 1,
and then it forms a'
"
cut-off to the magazine 4.
The
H is the knob for releasing the depressed breech-block C after loading, this
knob H is fixed upon a slider h running in guides h¹ having at its forward end
within the casing a striker h² which when the parts are in the position of Fig. 2.
engages a pin bt on one of the catches 62 of the breech-block, above described
To load from the magazine the hand piece 72 is first turned up square with the
casing and then drawn back until it touches, but does not draw back, the sliding
knob H which is provided with a suitable retaining spring such as h
forward end of the loader L then lies just in the rear of the base of the uppermost
cartridge 7, Fig. 2, in the magazine, and engages therewith. By pushing forward
the sliding hand piece the loader L is also moved forward until the cartridge 7
is forced home in the chamber of the barrel and then the handle and loader are
returned full back, so engaging and retracting the knob H, the forward striker
of which then retracts the catch 2 disengaging the breech-block C from the ends
of the twin levers B. The previously compressed rod spring now comes into
action and through the rod R and cocking lever forces up the block C to
position ready for firing as in Fig. 1 at the same time closing the extractor D
and driving the cartridge fully home, and the rifle is cocked and ready for firing.
FIRING MECHANISM.
The trigger M and its lever m are mounted on a pin m¹ forming a jointed bell-
crank, and the lever m is connected by a link m² to the lever m³. The latter is
fitted with a return spring m so arranged that when the trigger is drawn back
for firing in the usual way the lever m is depressed, pulling down with it the
link m² and the lever m³.
¦
The sear consists of a vertically arranged flat plate P sliding in guides pon
the rear face of the breech-block C. From the scar projects laterally a finger pl
Fig. 6, which when the breech-block C is in firing position Fig. 1 comes close up
under the spring return trigger lever m³, and the position of the sear-plate is
maintained by the action of the spring p².
The sear-plate P has a vertical slot 3 which lies normally in a position slightly
higher than that which the rear hook 2 of the striker S takes when in the cocked
position above fully explained and shown in Fig. 2, so that the said hook s² is
not prevented from engaging in the requisite manner with the back of the hole c
in the breech-block C and projecting through same as above set forth. When
however the sear-plate P is drawn down by the levers m m³ and link m², on
pulling of the trigger M the hook 2 is pushed off its catch and then the striker
springs being suddenly released, the cartridge is fired by the striker S. The
above described sequence of cocking and loading operations is then reperformed
and the rifle may again be fired. During these subsequent operations the empty
cartridge case is automatically ejected as already explained and in order to ensure

page_text: that such case is thrown clear of the firer's face, the head or upper surface 15
of the loader L in the cartridge groove (if open topped) may be inclined upwards
as shown, and also its lower rear part 16 is bevelled or rounded off in such manner
as to obviate any liability of its catching upon the rim of the next cartridge 7.
during the retractive motion of the said loader above described. After firing the
rifle remains open and empty; for magazine loading after the first shot the
loader L engages and pushes the cartridge in the magazine into the barrel and is
then drawn back sharply to its full extent thus closing the breech-block and
engaging with the next cartridge in the magazine with single loading by hand
it is necessary for the user to draw back the knob H with his right hand as same
is being returned to the small of the butt, i.e. to say, the position of the right
hand while firing.
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. A magazine rifle of the type referred to constructed and arranged as or
substantially as hereinabove specified and illustrated, in which the breech action
is separate from and independent of the magazine, and which can be loaded singly
by hand, or from the magazine, either of the two operations being plainly visible
by inspection, and which cannot be accidentally left loaded.
2. In a magazine rifle the combination with a falling-block breech-action such
as above referred to of a magazine of the "bolt-action" type, arranged or adapted
to operate substantially in the manner herein set forth."
3. In a magazine rifle the arrangement of breech operating mechanisms in
which, by the pressure of powder gas in the barrel acting on levers main springs
are compressed and then on cessation of said gas pressure they are released and
their store of power used to depress the breech-block, operate its extractor, cock
the striker and place the rifle in condition for loading either singly by hand or
from a magazine, all substantially as above described and illustrated in the
drawings.
4. In a magazine rifle the arrangement of loading mechanism which consists
of a loader carrying a manual operating piece forming a "cut-off" to the magazine,
a sliding knob and connections for releasing the breech-block after loading, and
means for returning the latter to firing position, all substantially as above
described and illustrated in the drawings.
5. In a magazine rifle, the arrangement of firing mechanism in which the pull
upon the trigger acts through a system of levers and links to pull down the sear-
plate, thereby releasing a catch and firing the rifle, all substantially in the manner
described and illustrated in the drawings.
6. The improved magazine rifle having mechanisms for the several purposes
herein set forth, combined together and adapted to operate, at the times in the
manner and for the respective purposes herein fully explained, and described in
reference to the drawings annexed.