IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Frederick Redfern, of the General Patent Office,
4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
A com-
munication from abroad by Bernard Fasoldt and Edmund Savage, both of
Albany, State of New York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 12th June 1877, and dated the 18th April 1877.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Frederick Redfern at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1877.
GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, 4, South Street,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS." A communication from abroad by Bernard Fasoldt and
Edmund Savage, both of Albany, State of New York, in the United States of
America.
Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of the breech and lockwork of a gun
embracing the improvements herein described; in Figure 1 the positions of the
several parts of the lock work are those which they assume when the gun is
discharged; in Figure 2, they are shown as when the hammer is fixed in the full-
cock notch.
Figure 3 shows the construction of the breech piece and its adjuncts when
constituting an automatic device for cocking the hammer and dropping the breech
piece by the impact of the discharge.
Figure 4 is a transverse section at the line x, x, showing the open breech of the
gun; and Figure 5 is a plan view of the sliding bar for operating the retractor.
This Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms, in which cartridges having
metallic or other suitable shells or cases are used, and it consists,-
Firstly. In a breech piece having a mortise formed therein in which the hammer
works, and which is hinged to the framework, as herein shown and described; these
parts being so constructed and arranged that the raising and depressing of the
breech piece is effected automatically by means of the hammer, and in such manner
that when the hammer is drawn back as in the act of cocking, the breech piece is
רי

page_text: depressed so as to uncover the open breech of the gun to allow the insertion of the
cartridge therein, and when the hammer is forced forward by the action of the
mainspring the breech piece is raised, the co-operation of these parts being 80
adjusted that the explosion of the cartridge cannot occur until the breech piece is
raised into position to cover the breech of the barrel.
Secondly. In automatically cocking the hammer and depressing the breech piece
in the manner herein described by means of the impact of the discharge of the
cartridge.
Thirdly. In the automatic device herein described for expelling the shells of the
discharged cartridges from the breech of the gun.
As shewn in the Drawing, A is the breech of the gun; B, the framework for con-
taining the lock work and for connecting the barrel to the stock; as shown, one of
its side plates is removed for the purpose of exhibiting more clearly the arrangement
and construction of the enclosed parts; C, the breech piece hinged to the frame-
work B by the pin c¹ or by any equivalent means; it is provided with a mortise in
which the hammer works, and it has dependant from one or both of its side bars
near its hinged end a hook c which forms an open slot beneath the side bar;
a firing pin is arranged to slide in a chamber formed in the head of the breech
piece to range in line with the centre line of the bore of the gun; a coiled spring
interposed between the end of the chamber, and the shoulder of the firing pin forces
it out so as to receive the blow of the hammer; D, the hammer of the lock working
in the mortise of the breech piece C, and pivotted to the framework B by the pin d¹
projecting from one of its sides, and fixed thereto is a catch piece d³ for the purpose
herein-after set forth; a cam pin d³ which projects from one or both sides of the
hammer engages in the slot formed by the hook of the breech piece, and is
arranged in such manner that when the hammer is thrown forward, as shown in
Figure 1, it will force the breech piece into position to cover the breech of the gun
before an explosion of the cartridge can occur; when the hammer is drawn back
into a cocked position the cam pin acting upon the hook c depresses the breech
piece, so as to leave the breech of the gun uncovered, as shown in Figure 2. The
hammer is provided with the usual notches for receiving the point of the trigger
by which it is retained in any required position. The mainspring E of the lock
exerts its pressure against a shoulder formed at the posterior edge of the hammer.
The trigger F is pivotted to the framework by the pin f¹, and is provided with a
shoulder upon which the spring G bears in such manner that the forward point
of the trigger will be forced into the notches of the hammer when they are brought
into their proper positions for that purpose; H is the sliding bar for operating the
retractor; it is provided with a stem h¹ which passes through an opening in the
car b' of the framework, so as to guide the forward end of the sliding bar; a nut h³
or other fastening is fixed upon the stem for preventing the rearward movement of
the sliding bar from being carried too far; surrounding the stem a coiled spring h³
is interposed between the ear 6¹ and an arm h* of the sliding bar for the purpose of
forcibly moving the sliding bar rearward. At its forward end the sliding bar is
provided with a mortised head, in which a spring latch h slides; the spring latch
is attached to the cam piece h° which is secured to the sliding bar by the spring h
near its posterior end; the sliding bar has a shoulder 8 against which the catch
piece of the hammer engages as herein-after described; I is the retractor bar
which passes through an opening formed between the barrel of the gun and the
framework B; at its forward end it is provided with a head with which the
spring latch h engages, and at its opposite end with a booked end finished to
conform to the shape of the open breech of the barrel; this hooked end engages
with the projecting rim of the cartridge shell for the purpose of expelling the shell
in the manner herein-after set forth; J is a coiled spring secured at one end to the
barrel of the gun, and at the other end to the retractor bar for the purpose of
returning it (the retractor bar) to its normal position; K is a retaining spring fixed
to the breech of the gun; it is provided with a head K¹ which presses against the

page_text: rim of the cartridge, and prevents it from slipping out of the open breech when the
muzzle of the gun is elevated.
The loading and firing of the gun and the expulsion of the shell of the spent
cartridge is effected in the following manner-The hammer D is drawn back to
the "full-cock" notch, as shewn in Fig. 2, whereby the breech piece C is depressed
so as to leave the breech of the gun open for the reception of the cartridge which
should have its fulminate at the centre of its base; after the cartridge is inserted the
hammer is released from the control of the trigger F, and is tilted forward by the
mainspring E; the cam pin d' raises the breech piece C into the position shewn in
Fig. 1, so as to close the breech of the gun before the hammer drives the firing
pin into the base of the cartridge to effect its explosion; when the haminer attains
the position shown in Fig. 1, the rear end of the sliding bar H is forced upward
by the action of the spring h³, so that its shoulder h³ is brought in front of the point
of the catch piece d² of the hammer, which when the hammer is drawn back (as in
cocking) forces the sliding bar forward, thereby compressing the spring h³ before tho
termination of the forward movement of the sliding bar; the spring latch h³ is
forced upward by the spring h7 into the position shown in Fig. 2, where it
engages with the head i¹ of the retractor bar I; by the continual backward move-
ment of the hammer (to a point a trifle beyond the full-cock position), the point c
of the breech piece by pressing downward on the sliding bar forces the shoulder s
below the point of the catch piece d, thereby releasing the sliding bar from the
control of the catch piece, and permitting the spring to force the sliding bar
backward, which movement carries back the rectractor bar I with sufficient force to
expel the cartridge shell from the breech of the gun; as the sliding bar moves
backward the inclined face of the cam piece he comes in contact with the stud b
(which is secured in the framework B), whereby the spring latch is drawn down
so as to release the retractor bar I, which is then moved back to its place by the
spring J leaving the breech in condition for the insertion of a new cartridge.
In the modification of this Invention shown in Fig. 3 the breech piece C
differs from that shown in the other Figures by having a chamber formed in its
head, which chamber coincides with the bore of the barrel of the gun; into this
chamber a plunger L is fitted to slide freely. A strong coiled spring is interposed
between the end of the chamber and the plunger for the purpose of forcing the
plunger to the forward end of the chamber, beyond which point it is prevented
from moving by the screw stud 12; a bar is formed on the plunger, which passes
rearward through an opening formed in the head of the breech piece beneath the
chamber. The forward point of the firing pin c³ passes through the hend of the
plunger L, and the rear end of it projects sufficiently through the head of the breech
piece to receive the stroke of the hammer for the purpose of exploding the fulminate
of the cartridge. A bent spring M is substituted for the hook C, shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, for the purpose of permitting the hammer to be forced back while
the breech piece is in its raised position, the spring yielding for that purpose from
the position indicated by the dotted lines to that shown by the full lines. The
trigger N is provided with tail pieces n¹, which engage with the cross pin o¹ of
the pawl O so as to depress the pawl by the force of the trigger spring P. A light
supplementary spring Q bears against the under side of the cross pin o¹ for the
purpose of raising the point of the pawl when it is released from the influence of
of the trigger spring P.
When constructed as shown in Fig. 3 the operation of the parts is as follows:-
At the instant the explosion occurs the force of the discharge reacting against the
base of the shell of the cartridge forces back the plunger L, the bar 18 of which
strikes against the forward edge of the hammer with sufficient force to tilt the
hammer backward into the position shown in Fig. 3.
As this action occurs
instantaneously with the explosion, sufficient time is not given for the removal of
the pressure of the finger from the trigger, therefore some provision is required for
catching and retaining the hammer when it is thrown backward. This is effecte.

page_text: by means of the pawl O, which when the trigger is drawn back is released from
the influence of the spring P, and is raised by the spring Q so that its point will
engage in a notch cut in the bottom of the hammer, whereby it retains the hammer
in the position shown. As soon as the trigger is released from the pressure of the
finger the spring P causes it to turn on its pivot, its tail piece forces the pawl out
of its notch in the hammer, and at the same instant the forward point of the trigger
engages in the full-cock notch, and thereby retains the hammer in that position.
In forcing back the plunger L the shell of the spent cartridge is driven back
partially into the chamber of the breech piece, thereby preventing the breech piece
from being depressed so long as the explosive force of the powder is reacting upon
the shell of the cartridge; by this means absolute security is provided against
accident by the cartridge being discharged rearward. When the spent shell is
relieved from the force of the explosion the spring forces the plunger L forward
so as to restore the shell in the breech of the gun, whereupon the spring M forces
the breech piece into its depressed position.
It will readily be seen that the device for retracting the spent cartridges herein-
before described can be used in combination with the self-cocking device, thereby
greatly reducing the number of motions required for loading and firing, and
enhancing the effectiveness of the gun by increasing the number of discharges in a
given time.
I claim as the Invention,-
Firstly. The hinged breech piece C provided with a mortise, as herein described,
in combination with a hammer D, having its pivotal centre fixed to the frame-
work B, as and for the purpose specified.
Secondly. The breech piece C pivoted to the framework B, as herein set forth,
in combination with the hammer D, having a cam pin 3 for raising the breech
piece automatically when the hammer is thrown forward by the mainspring E, in
the manner and for the purpose herein specified.
Thirdly. The combination with a breech-loading fire-arm of the automatic
retractor herein described, consisting of the sliding bar H, spring h³, spring
latch h³, retractor bar I, and spring J, as and for the purpose herein specified.
Fourthly. The hammer D provided with a catch piece d³ as a means of imparting
to the sliding bar H its forward movement, substantially as and for the purpose
herein specified.
Fifthly. The combination of the hammer D and breech piece C for disengaging
the sliding bar H from the catch piece d², substantially in the manner herein
specified.
Sixthly. The combination of the sliding bar H having a spring latch h³ with the
retractor bar I, as and for the purpose herein specified.
Seventhly. The breech piece C provided with one or more hooks c², in com-
bination with the hammer D, having a cam pin d³ for depressing the breech piece,
in the manner herein specified.
Eighthly. The breech piece C provided with a chamber, as herein described,
in combination with the plunger L and spring , as and for the purpose herein
specified.
Ninthly. The combination of the breach piece C provided with a chamber, as
berein described, with the plunger L having a bar 13, as and for the purpose herein
specified.
Tenthly. The combination of the plunger L provided with a bar 13 with the
hammer D, when arranged to co-operate in the manner and for the purpose herein
specified.
Eleventhly. The hammer D in combination with the trigger F and pawl O, as
and for the purpose herein specified.
Twelfthly. The combination with the breech piece C provided with a chamber, as
herein described, plunger L, having à bar connected thereto, and spring M, of the
hammer D having a cam pin ³, when co-operating in the manner herein set

page_text: forth, to effect the cocking of the hammer and the depression of the breech
piece.
Thirteenthly. The combination of the plunger L and firing pin c³with the
lammer D, as and for the purpose herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Frederick Redfern, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
A T
זומנחת
G. F. REDFERN. (L.B.)