Improvements in the Breech-mechanism of Automatic and similar Breech-loading Fire Arms
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1897- Accepted, 30th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"Improvements in the Breech-mechanism of Automatic and similar
Breech-loading Fire Arms."
I, HUGH WILLIAM GABBETT-FAIRFAX, of 107 Lambeth Palace Road, London,
S.E., Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates more especially to the class of fire arms in which the
barrel recoils and in which the breech-block is locked to and unlocked from the
said barrel by a rotary movement imparted to a locking head on the said breech-
block as the latter reciprocates.
According to my invention I provide improved means for effecting the rotary
movement of the said locking head. These means consist of a spring controlled
drum mounted fast on an axle carried by the breech-block and adapted to gear
with the spindle carrying the aforesaid rotary head. The said axle also carries
a toothed pinion which is provided with a pawl and ratchet or a clutch or other
suitable means whereby the toothed pinion when turned in one direction is caused
to revolve with the said drum but revolves independently thereof when
turned in the opposite direction. I arrange a stationary rack in the path of the
aforesaid toothed pinion so that as the barrel and breech-block recoil together,
the said pinion will come into engagement with the rack and be revolved thereby.
The clutch with which the aforesaid pinion is provided, as above stated, allows
the said pinion to revolve idly during this recoil movement, but when the barrel
and breech-block advance together under the action of springs, as is well under-
stood, the said pinion is revolved in the reverse direction by the rack, and there-
fore revolves the drum and the spindle carrying the locking head, in a direction to
unlock the breech-block from the barrel during the advance movement of the
latter. Simultaneously with the completion of this unlocking, the breech-block
may engage with a suitable catch which restrains its movement until the barrel
has regained its firing position and fully opened the breech. The rotation of the
aforesaid drum in unlocking the breech-block causes the spring within the drum
to be wound up. Suitable means are provided for retaining the drum-spring in
tension until the block is permitted to advance and close the breech by the action
of springs which operate when the aforesaid catch is removed from the path of
the breech-block. This removal of the catch may be effected by the movement
of a rod which is actuated as the barrel regains its firing position.
Dated this 30th day of September 1896

page_text: "Improvements in the Breech-mechanism of Automatic and similar
Breech-loading Fire Arms."
I, HUGH WILLIAM GABBETT-FAIRFAX, of 107 Lambeth Palace Road, London,
S.E., 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 relates more especially to the class of fire arms in which the
barrel recoils and in which the breech block is locked to and unlocked from the
said barrel by a rotary movement imparted to a locking head on the said breech-
block as the latter reciprocates.
According to my invention I provide improved means for effecting the rotary
movement of the said locking head. These means preferably consist of a spring-
controlled drum mounted on an axle carried by the breech-block and adapted to
gear with a spindle carrying the aforesaid rotary head. The said axle also carries
a toothed wheel or pinion which is provided with a pawl and ratchet or a clutch
or other suitable means whereby the toothed wheel or pinion, when turned in one
direction, is caused to revolve with the said drum, but revolves independently
thereof when turned in the opposite direction. I arrange a stationary rack in the
path of the aforesaid toothed wheel or pinion so that as the barrel and breech-
block recoil together, the said toothed wheel will come into engagement with the
rack and be revolved thereby. The pawl and ratchet or similar device with which
the aforesaid toothed wheel is provided, as above stated, allows the said wheel to
revolve idly during this recoil movement, but when the barrel and breech-block
advance together under the action of springs, as is well understood, the said wheel
is revolved in the reverse direction by the rack, and therefore revolves the drum
and the spindle carrying the locking head, in a direction to unlock the breech-
block from the barrel during the advance movement of the latter. Simultaneously
with the completion of this unlocking, the breech-block engages with a suitable
catch which restrains its movement until the barrel has regained its firing position
and fully opened the breech. The rotation of the aforesaid drum in the unlock-
ing of the breech-block causes the drum spring to be energized. Suitable means
such as a pawl and ratchet are provided for retaining the drum-spring in its
energized condition until the block is permitted to advance and close the breech,
the said pawl being so arranged that it will be disengaged from the ratchet by
striking against a stop on the breech end of the barrel when the breech-block
completely closes the breech.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to more fully describe the same by aid of the accompanying
drawings, which illustrate the application of my improvements to a firearm of
the kind described in the Complete specification of my application for Patent
No. 17,672 dated the 10th August 1896, such fire arm having its breech block
adapted to recoil with the barrel and to return with the same for a certain distance,
and then to be arrested and held until the barrel has completed, its return
movement.
In these drawings:-
Figure 1 is a side view partly in section shewing the parts in the position they
occupy when the barrel has almost resumed its firing position.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the breech block on a larger scale and
Figure 3 is a transverse section' on the line of Figure 2.
Figures 4 to 7 show sectional plan views of the barrel and breech block in

page_text: several of the positions they assume during the working of the gun; Figure 4
representing the barrel and breech block fully recoiled; Figure 5 the barrel and
breech block advancing together and about to be disconnected; Figure 6 the
breech block disconnected from the barrel and the latter nearly fully advanced;
and Figure 7 the barrel and breech block both in their advanced or firing position.
A is the barrel and A¹ the spiral spring by which said barrel is caused to assume
its firing position after each discharge and B is the breech block, these parts being
similar in construction to the corresponding parts described and illustrated in
the Specification of my prior patent No. 18686 of the year 1895.
The locking head 61 of the said breech block is carried by the rotary cylindrical
piece or spindle b whose rotary movement causes the locking and unlocking of
the breech block as explained in the Specification of my aforesaid Patent No. 18686
of 1895. c is the spring controlled drum which is nounted on an axle c¹ carried
by the breech block and is provided with bevel teeth adapted to engage with a
bevel toothed segment be mounted on the said spindle 6 of the locking head. dis
the toothed wheel or pinion by which the winding up or energizing of the spring
is effected and e is the stationary rack with which the said toothed wheel is
adapted to engage. The said toothed wheel is mounted loosely on the axle c¹ and
its movements in one direction only are transmitted to the spring drum by a pair
of spring pawls f which engage with a ratchet wheel f in rigid connection with
the spring drum, the arrangement being such that the spring is only wound up
or energized when the wheel d turns in a left hand direction as indicated by the
arrow Figure 2.
g is a second ratchet wheel secured to the spring drum and engaged by a
pawl g' acted on by a spring 92. This ratchet wheel serves to retain the spring in!
its wound up or energized position. 3 is a stop having an inclined upper edge
up which the end of the pawl g¹ rides, at the end of the forward movement of the
breech block in closing the breech, thus disengaging the point or tooth of the
pawl from the ratchet wheel and allowing the spring drum to re-act and rotate
the locking head of the breech block in the opposite direction to that in which it was
previously turned. h is a catch by which the forward movement of the breech
block is arrested until the barrel has resumed its firing position, this catch being
operated by the movement of the bar has a stop on the barrel strikes against a
projection on said bar has described in the said prior specification of patent
No. 18686 of 1895.
As the barrel and breech block recoil together the wheel d will come into
engagement with the rack e and be revolved thereby in a right-handed direction.
The pawls f will therefore slip over the teeth of the ratchet wheel f without
turning the said wheel.
After the completion of the recoil, the barrel and breech block advance together,
under the action of suitable springs as described in the last mentioned prior
specification. In this movement the wheel d is revolved in a left handed direc-
tion by the rack and the pawls f' drive the ratchet wheel f and partially rotate
the spring drum c, which latter through the medium of the segment 62 and
spindle 6 turns the locking head in a direction to unlock the breech block from
the barrel. At the moment this unlocking occurs the parts are approximately
in the position shown in Figure 5.
Simultaneously with the completion of the unlocking, the breech block is
engaged by the catch h and restrained from further forward movement until the
barrel in regaining its firing position (Figure 7) causes the catch h to release the
breech block and permit it to move forward under the action of the springs with
which it is provided for this purpose as is well understood. The partial rotation
of the spring drum c in unlocking the breech has previously caused the winding
up of the spring within the drum, the said spring being retained in tension by
the pawl until the breech block has been allowed to advance and close the
breech as shown in Figure 7. The parts are so arranged that at the moment of
closing the breech, the incline g³ raises the forward end of the pawl g', and so

page_text: causes the said pawl to release the ratchet wheel g, thus permitting the spring
drum to turn the locking head and so lock the breech block to the barrel.
I do not confine myself to the application of my invention to breech mechanism
in which the breech block is unlocked during the advance of the barrel, as it is
obvious that by slightly modifying the parts, the invention can be readily applied
to breech mechanism in which the unlocking of the breech block occurs during
the recoil of the barrel. Moreover instead of a rack and pinion for operating the
spring-drum I may employ other suitable means, such for example as a pin on
the spring-drum working in a cam groove formed in the casing of the weapon.
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 fire-arm having the rotary locking head of its breech block geared with a
spring-controlled drum which is operated in one direction by the longitudinal
movements of the barrel and breech block and in the reverse direction by the
re-action of its spring for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with the aforesaid spring-controlled drum of a rack and
pinion or similar device for operating it during the longitudinal movements of the
barrel and breech-block and of a disengaging device for permitting the spring to
re-act at the proper time substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
3. My improved breech mechanism for automatic and similar fire arms con-
structed and operating substantially as hereimbefore described with reference to
the accompanying drawings and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 30th day of Jane 1897
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.