Improvements in Automatic Guns.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Guns.
We, KYNOCH LIMITED and EDWARD WILLIAM ANDERSON, Engineers, all of
Lion Works, Witton, in the City of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to automatic guns operated by recoil, and its object
is to produce a simpler gun than has been hitherto invented, with fewer parts
and more direct actions which allow the power of the recoil to be so utilized as
to have a larger margin available to overcome accidental or additional frictional
losses.
Our invention comprises, improvements in cartridge feed arrangements, i.e.
the mechanism by which the cartridges are withdrawn from the belt, intro-
duced into the gun and subsequently discharged; a new method of effecting the
reaction stroke of the bolt by means of a second cam on the crank shaft, the
first cam operating during the recoil stroke and the second as stated on the
reaction or spring stroke, a new method of permitting a more rapid movement
of the recoil spring pin at the beginning of the culasse recoil stroke by means
of a small bell crank lever, a new arrangement of slotted lever on the feed block
by which the feed is effected during the first part of the stroke of the culasse so
that as the cartridge clips approach the cartridge it will be already stationary and
in place for them to grasp it, a new device for securing the pins of the lock
action so that they can be readily drawn out and replaced without requiring
driving in tightly or riveting over, and the general arrangement of the gun
and its parts in combination.
The action of a gun constructed in accordance with one modification of our
invention is as follows:-
The cartridges are fed by the belt into a position immediately over a closed top
of the front end of the culasse. When the lock bolt comes forward, a spring
clip carried by a projection at the back end slips over the head of a cartridge
(already fed into position by the feed gear) and engages it, so that on the recoil
of the lock the cartridge is withdrawn from the belt. As the bolt approaches the
back limit of its stroke, a roller on the projecting bracket strikes the tail end
of a lever pivoted to a bracket fixed in the casing and raises it, thereby depressing
the front end which has on it a palm so placed as to come down upon the top
of the cartridge and depress it also. At the same time it will knock the cart-
ridge down out of the spring clip and it will fall on to the grooved top of the
bolt. At the next forward stroke the projecting bracket comes against the
head of the cartridge and forces it under the cover of the front portion of the
culasse. Here it rests partly upon a projecting ledge of the culasse and partly
on the bolt, being pressed down by a suitable spring. This ledge has a step on
it, and at the end of the stroke the cartridge head passes beyond this step a
little, and is pressed down into it by the spring. At the next back stroke there-
fore this step prevents the cartridge from returning, and the bolt is drawn out

page_text: without it. When this happens the cartridge remains unsupported on the one
side until the spring, by depressing it still further, causes it to rest against the
further side of the culasse as well as on the ledge.
The top edge of the front of the bolt or firing plate is made square, not
bevelled at all, so that on the next succeeding forward stroke, the cartridge,
having been thus depressed below the level of the bolt top, is caught by it and
pushed on. Close to the breech of the barrel is a bevelled guide piece which
directs the bullet end of the cartridge, so that, when pushed on, the bullet end
is depressed by the guide till it enters the chamber of the barrel. The ledge
already. described is only short, so that after a short part of the stroke has been
made the cartridge is freed from it and may drop down or be forced down into
the space now existing in front of the bolt, between it and the chamber. The cart-
ridge is thus, when the stroke is finished, fed into the chamber of the barrel.
The guide piece mentioned is pivoted, so that as the bolt comes forward it is auto-
matically raised a little when it has performed its function, and makes way for
the bolt end to pass up to the barrel breech. In the meantime the lock has
been cocked, and, the firing lever being pressed, at the moment the cartridge is
home, the trigger bar catches the trigger and releases the tumbler. The ham-
mer is however still held by the safety gear, which is itself immediately released
by the connecting rod coming into the locked position, that is when it and the
crank have just passed the point when they are in line with one another and
the crank is up against its stop. At this moment therefore the cartridge is
fired, the culasse recoils and by means of a cam rotates the crank and withdraws
the bolt. The extractor on the bolt then catches the head of the empty cart-
ridge but the attachment is such that a little play is allowed so that the
extractor slips, allowing the bolt to get up a little momentum before the actual
pull comes on the cartridge. At the same time the motion of the extractor has
caused a dovetailed projection on it near the hook to engage a corresponding
recess in the bolt, and thus it automatically becomes locked and cannot spring
out away from the cartridge. A second extractor is provided on the other side
to assist the first, it works in a groove of the culasse so that it needs no dove-
tailed grip, but it has the free longitudinal play in the same manner as the first
one.
The cartridge is thus drawn out from the chamber and as the next one to
follow is still held up on the ledge it does not interfere with the empty one at
all. As the bolt nears the end of the recoil stroke, the groove in which the
second extractor works suddenly deepens and the extractor (having a slight out-
ward spring given to it) falls back into the deepened recess, thus releasing one
side of the cartridge. A peg in the bottom of the culasse, which projects up
into a groove in the bolt, now begins to emerge from the groove and catches
the side of the cartridge head near the auxillary extractor giving it, from the
quickness of the motion a sharp blow and thereby throwing it round sideways
and out of the casing, through an opening in the culasse and casing provided
for the purpose.
A spring peg is provided, which, when the auxillary extractor falls back,
comes forward and prevents the cartridge following it and at the same time
assists in ejecting it.
In a similar arrangement of cartridge feed the ejection is accomplished down-
wards instead of at the side. This involves more mechanism but the extractors
are simplified.
One construction of the gun whose action is hereinbefore described is as
follows:-
The chief parts of the gun are as follow:
The casing, the culasse and barrel, the lock, the crank movement, the belt
feed block, and the cooling arrangements.
The casing consists of a deep trough about two inches wide and six inches
deep made of gun metal or malleable iron, or it may be built up of plates. It

page_text: is open at the top and back end. The front end has a guide bushed with brass
for the barrel to reciprocate in, and the two sides have longitudinal groove cut
through them at the back end for the culasse bearings to work in. The back
end is closed by a vertical plate sliding down grooves in the two sides and the
top is closed by a hinged cover which is secured by two spring catches and
which serves also to keep the end plate in position. To open up the casing
therefore it is only necessary to press open the catches, lift up and turn back the
top cover, and take out the end plate.
The barrel casing is screwed on to the front end of the main casing.
The back sliding plate carries the firing lever and two vertical handles for
manipulating the gun as well as a safety catch for preventing accidental firing.
The casing has on it the necessary trunnions for supporting the gun in its
mounting, and the bracket for the elevating screw, also a groove in which the
sight bracket is placed.
The culasse and barrel. The barrel is of an ordinary type, but is provided
with a square breech end having vertical grooves in the sides fitting corresponding
projections in a square cavity in the end of the culasse. There is no bottom to
this cavity so the barrel can be slipped up into it and afterwards secured by a
taper pin driven in tight and if necessary slightly riveted over or secured by a
spring catch. Thus no screw is used and a barrel can be easily changed.
The culasse is of forged steel and consists of two sides joined by cross pieces
near the barrel end. The sides are near one another at the barrel end, being only
about 06 of an inch apart for 303 of an inch bore and widen out insteps
towards the back to give clearance for the other mechanism. The top portion
of the front end is closed by a cover. The back ends of the two sides have
square holes in them to take the crank shaft bearing blocks, and there are pro-
jecting lugs underneath to take the pin for the attachment of the main recoil
spring.
The lock consists of an approximately square section bolt which slides in
the culasse groove. At about the middle it has a steel transverse pin to take
the fork end of the connecting rod. At the back rises a bracket carrying a pair
of spring clips for catching the cartridge heads; and a roller for operating a lever
pivoted on a block secured to the outer casing the use of which will be explained
hereafter.
From the underside at the back project downwards two leaves having between
them secured by suitable pivots the tumbler lever the firing sear or trigger and
the lock spring. The bolt itself has a longitudinal hole in which is the firing
pin, and at the back end a larger hole containing the hammer acting on the
firing pin, into slots in which, the tumbler lever and the firing spring engage
There is also a safety sear pivoted on this portion of the lock which engages
the hammer likewise, and is only disengaged by the connecting rod when it
has risen into the locked or safe position.
The crank movement consists of a crank shaft pivoted in bearings already
alluded to in the description of the culasse which bearings likewise project out-
wardly so that they slide in the longitudinal grooves of the outer casing. The
shaft is of such a length that it projects outwardly at each side of the casing,
terminating in a hexagon end. The crank is connected by means of a forked
connecting rod with the lock bolt.
The hexagon ends of the shaft have cams fixed on them which, as the culasse
moves, strike against fixed inclined pieces on the casing and so cause the crank
shaft to rotate. When the culasse recoils the cam on one side acts, and rotates
the shaft, so throwing back the firing bolt in the groove of the culasse, and
when the spring reacts upon the culasse and returns it the other cam is brought
into play and returns the bolt to the firing position.
The tumbler lever of the lock is at the same time operated upon by the angling
of the connecting rod, and on the recoil stroke is thus moved so that the lock
becomes once more cocked.

page_text: On one side a handle is also fixed for operating the gun by hand and for
preparing it for firing. This handle moves with the shaft during the firing, and
is provided with a buffer spring at one extreme of its motion and a rebound
catch at the other.
The belt feed block, consists of a brass casting which when the cover is raised,
can be dropped into grooves in the outer casing and secured by the replacing of
the cover. The belt, made of two strips of flexible webbing with transverse
connections at short intervals forming a series of cells into which the cartridges
are thrust, is fed through this block by means of pawls operated by a rocking
lever which derives its motion from a peg on the culasse. The shape of the lever
is such that the belt is fed forward during the first half of the forward stroke of
the culasse and remains stationary during the second half of the stroke. This
is effected in a simple manner by a pin on the sliding pawl plate which engages
in a groove of peculiar shape in the lever end.
The cooling arrangement may be either the usual one with a water jacket or
the corrugated casing and barrel for atmospheric cooling.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street Manchester, Agents.
improvements in Automatic Guns.
We, KYNOCH LIMITED and EDWARD WILLIAM ANDERSON, Engineers, all of
Lion Works, Witton, in the City of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained. in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is firstly, to provide an automatic or machine gun
of few and simple parts of the type in which the projectiles are discharged in
rapid sequence from a single barrel; the operations of loading, firing and eject-
ing being performed preferably by suitable mechanisms acquiring motion through
the agency of the energy of recoil of the barrel and adjacent parts.
The second object of the invention is to provide a machine or automatic gun,
the mechanism of which may be quickly removed without the aid of special tools
for inspection or cleaning.
In carrying the invention into effect we provide a rifled barrel of suitable
weight to give the desired velocity and energy of recoil and mounted to slide
in an axial direction through bushes or guides carried upon the main frame of
the gun.
The barrel is water jacketted or provided with radiator collars to
prevent over-heating. To the rear or breech end of the barrel we attach securely
a culasse or frame which carries on suitable guides the bolt and firing mechanism.
consisting of tumbler, striker, mainspring and sear. The bolt is arranged to
slide within the culasse in the direction of the axis of the barrel. The rear end
of the culasse carries an axle or pin which is provided with a crank and two cam
levers which engage fixed cams on the body of the gun to operate the bolt.
The cartridges to be fired are inserted in a bandolier or belt and such belt is then
fed into the gun through an opening. The bandolier is fed forward, as the
cartridges are automatically withdrawn therefrom, by a lever operated by the
reciprocation of the culasse.
Spring clips mounted upon the bolt clip the base

page_text: of each cartridge in turn and on the backward movement of the bolt the cart-
ridge is withdrawn from the bandolier. On the completion of the backward
stroke of the bolt a lever carried on the culasse pushes the cartridge vertically
downwards into a pocket formed by the bolt and frame in a position above the
axis of the barrel. At the next forward stroke of the bolt the cartridge is
pushed into and carried upon the culasse by a projection and there remains to
be pushed into the breech of the barrel by a suitably arranged spring pawl on
the next forward stroke of the bolt. At each backward movement of the bolt
an extractor withdraws the fired cartridge shell from the breech and ejects it'
through an opening formed in the main frame. A spring attached to the
culasse serves to return it to its forward position after each recoil. To fire the
gun a lever is pressed which causes the sear to be withdrawn from the bent in
The tumbler, and on the backward stroke of the bolt a link connecting the bolt
to the crank above described serves to re-cock the tumbler and on the completion
of the next forward stroke of the bolt the sear is again operated automatically,
the whole of the operations of loading, firing and extracting continuing so long
as the safely lever is depressed. Safety catches are provided to prevent accidental
firing and provision is also made for operating the mechanism by hand. In
order that the mechanism may be easily examined or taken apart we provide
the main frame or case with a hinged lid or cover secured in its closed position
by a spring catch. The rear end of the main frame or case is arranged to slide
vertically in guides formed in the sides of the main frame and is secured in
position by the locking of the catch which secures the hinged cover. The cart-
ridge feed mechanism is arranged on a frame. which may be removed on opening
the hinged cover. To allow of the removal of the culasse and bolt. slots are
provided in the main case extending in a backward direction and covered by
sliding doors or shutters which may be withdrawn after removing the rear end
of the main case. By this means the whole mechanism is secured in position by
one spring catch which however is not in any way strained by the operat on
of firing the gun.
The accompanying drawings illustrate à gun constructed according to one
modification of our invention.
Figure 1 is an elevation in section on the centre line of the main case and
enclosed mechanism for automatic firing, the parts being shown in the position
ready to commence firing.
Figure 1 is a detail view of the spring pawl.
Figure 2 is a similar section to Figure 1 but with parts of the mechanism
removed for clearness and the remaining parts shown in the position assumed
immediately after firing.
Figure 3 shows the mechanism in the position when the recoil of the barrel
and culasse has progressed but is not complete.
Figure 4 shows the mechanism when the recoil is complete and the bolt fully
back ready for the return stroke.
Figure 5 is a plan of the main case with the cover removed and showing the
cartridge feed mechanism.
Figures 6 and 7 are elevation and plan of the removable guide of the cart-
ridge feed mechanism.
Figures 89 and 10 are details of the cartridge feed mechanism.
Figure 10 shows an alternative feed mechanism.
Figure 11 is a detail view of the spring clips carried upon the bolt and arranged
to withdraw the cartridge from the bandolier.
Figure 12 shows the extractor for withdrawing the spent cases from the breech
of the barrel.
Figure 13 shows the cam lever and parts for returning the bolt.
Figure 14 shows the axle carried by the culasse.
Figures 15 and 16 show detail views of the culasse.
Figure 17 is an elevation of the main frame or case.

page_text: Figure 18 shows the method of ejecting the spent case.
Figure 19 shows the safey catch which engages the firing pin.
C
For the purpose of description we will assume the mechanism to be in the
position for firing to commence on the depression of the firing lever and that
the cartridges are already in position in the gun. This position of the mechanism
is shown in Figure 1. The cartridges are held in a bandolier a and are fed into
the
above the culasse b. Clips e mounted upon the block d (shown in detail
gun
in Figure 1) carried upon the bolt e engage the base of the cartridge f. The
bolt is carried in the culasse band is guided by ribs, as g, and surfaces, as h.
The
The bolt e carries a tumbler i, sear k, main spring and striker pin m.
culasse is securely attached to the barrel which slides axially through bushes
The rear end of the culasse bis
or guides as o, carried by the main case p.
guided in slots, as g, and carries the axle r. The axle (Figure 14) carries two cam
levers s, t, and crank arms having a connecting rod or link attached to the
bolt e.
A spring serves to keep the culasse b and barrel » in a forward position.
A lever, carried upon the endy of the main frame p, when depressed operates
the sliding rod thus pulling the sear out of bent and allowing the tumbler i
to fall and the striker pin m to be driven forward by the spring to fire. the
cartridge within the breech of the barrel 'n.
S
is fairly
The position of the mechanism at the instant of firing is shown in Figure 2.
For the sake of clearness the culasse and cartridge feed mechanism are omitted
in this figure.
At the instant of movement of the bullet within the barrel on
firing recoil commences. The barrel n together with the culasse and bolt e
move bodily backwards in the main case being guided in the supports, T.
The cartridge 13 is prevented from being carried backwards with the bolt e
by the spring clips 35. During this movement several operations are performed.
After a slight movement the clips engage the head of the cartridge f and
withdraw it from the bandolier a. At the same time the cam lever carried
on the axle r, comes into contact with the fixed stop (Figure 1) on the main
frame thus causing rotation of the axle r. Owing to the shape of the cam
lever
3 the
and fixed stop
rotation of
axle
the
rapid and through the agency of the crank arm and link the bolt e is
withdrawn from contact with the breech of the.barrel n, and slides within the
culasse b. The extractor 4 (Figure 12) carried on the bolt e thus engages the
rim of the spent case 1 and extracts it from the breech as shown in Figure 3.
The extractor 4 is so arranged that when the bolt is in contact with the breech
of the barrel the extractor hook is clear of the rim of the cartridge 1 so as to
The revolu-
allow the bolt to acquire momentum before extraction commences.
tion of the axle r and consequent depression of the link causes the projection 5
to engage the toe of the tumbler i and recock the firing mechanism as shown in
Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3 the culasse and barrel are almost fully
recoiled whilst the bolt e is withdrawn about two-thirds of its full stroke in the
culasse b. The completion of the stroke of the bolt e is performed by the
spring 6 on the fixed stop 3. When the recoil of the culasse 6 and stroke of
the bolt e are complete the mechanism is in the position shown in Figure 4.
In passing from the position shown in Figure to that shown in Figure 4 two
important changes have occurred. The cartridge f has been forced downwards
by the lever 7 carried on the culasse b and rests on top of the bolt e, its base being
in contact with the block d. The lever 7 is operated by the roller 8 carried on
the block striking its rear cam like end 9. The spent case 1 has been ejected
through the opening 10 formed in the main frame (Figure 17) the ejection
being performed by the fixed stop 11 engaging the base of the cartridge while
the extractor 4 continues to move backwards thus giving to the case a rotary
motion as indicated by Figure 18.
During the backward stroke of the bolt e the spring pawl 12 has passed under
the cartridge 13 carried in the culasse 6 by the projection 14 (Figures 15, 16),
and as shown in Figure 4 has risen up behind the cartridge 13. The pressure

page_text: of the cartridge.f on the tail of the spring pawl 12 assists this movement. The
mechanism is now ready to be returned to the position shown in Figure 1 by
the tension of the spring c. On the forward movement of the culasse b and
harrel the cam lever (Figure 17) strikes the fixed stop 15 on the main
frame and causes rotation of the axle to return the bolt e in a forward
direction. On the forward movement of the bolt e in the culasse b the spring
pawl 12 engages the base of the cartridge 13 causing it to pass downwards and
enter the breech of the barrel by reason of the nose of the bullet sliding down
the incline 17 formed within the culasse b. The rim of the cartridge 13 falls
behind the hook of the extractor 4. The cartridge f occupies the position
recently vacated by the cartridge 13. At the same time the lever 7 is raised by
the forward movement of the block carried upon the bolt e and the spring
clips c engage the base of the next cartridge in the bandolier which has been
fed forward in a manner to be described. A stop 100 prevents the lever rising
too high. The forward motion of the culasse and bolt e being complete the
mechanism is in the position shown in Figure 1 and if the firing lever is still
depressed the sear will come into contact with the sliding rod and the opera-
tions of firing, extraction, re-cocking, ejection and re-loading will be continued.
The mechanism is so arranged that the crank pin on the crank arm is slightly
above the centre line and by this means the bolt e is prevented from blowing open
at the instant of firing.
The cartridge feed mechanism is shown in plan at Figure 5 and consists of a
bell crank lever 18 attached to the guide 19 (Figures 6 and 7). One end of the
lever 18 operates the slide 20 (Figure 10) causing it to reciprocate in grooves 21
formed within the guide 19. The slide 20 is provided with pawls 22 which
serve to feed the bandoliera forward at each stroke of the slide 20. The lever 18
is onerated by a projection 23 carried upon the culasse at each forward stroke
of the culasse. The bandolier a carrying the cartridges is fed one place forward
to bring the next cartridge into line with the clins e during the early part of
the forward stroke of the culasse and remains stationary during the latter part
of the stroke when the clips e engage the cartridge. This is provided for by
the shape of the end of the lever 18 which engages the projection 23. The pro-
jection 23 is provided with a notch 24 to pass the projection 25 on the lever 18
at the required time. The action is as follows: Assuming the mechanism in
the position as shown in Figure 5 on the recoil stroke of the culasse b the pro-
jection 23 is carried along and strikes the lever 18 causing it to swing round and
move the slide 20, the pawls 22 passing over the next cartridge
in the bandolier It and falling into the depression between two
cartridges, રી pawl prevents the bandolier being carried backwards
at these stages. On the return stroke of the culasse the projection 23 engages
the projection 25 causing the arm 18 to swing round and carry the slide 20
forward, the pawls 22 feeding the bandolier a forward. After a certain move-
ment the projection 25 will swing out of the path of the projection 23 thus allow-
ing the projection 23 to continue its motion. the projection 25 passing through
the slot 24. A spring 26 is provided to keep the lever 18 in its extreme position.
In place of the lever 18 and projection 23 we also employ the modified lever
shewn in Figure 10 having a suitably shaped slot 38 engaging a stud 40 upon
the slide 20, the end 39 of the lever is always in contact with a proiection 41.
on the culasse and has motion at all times with the culasse. Owing to the
shape of the slot 38 the slide 20 is operated while the stud 40 is in the radial
portion, and when the culasse has moved the necessary distance, the stud 40
passes into the circumferential part of the slot 38 and the slide 20 is consequently
stationary..
To
Safety catches are provided to prevent accidental discharge of the gun.
prevent the depression of the lever a spring catch 27 is provided which engages
the end of the lever as shewn in Figure 1 so that before the lever a can be
depressed the spring catch 27 must be raised. On the release of the lever

page_text: the spring catch resumes its position as shewn in Figure 1. A safety catch 28
(Figure 19) is also provided on the bolt e to prevent premature discharge of the
firing mechanism. As shewn in Figure 4 the spring catch 28 engages the striker
pin m,
and prevents the said striker pin being operated by the spring 1 before
the mechanism is in the position shewn in Figure 1. On the mechanism passing
from the position shewn in Figure 4 to that shewn in Figure 1 the projection 5
on the link raises the spring catch 28 out of engagement with the striker pin m.
To prevent the rotation of the axle r, when the gun is in position shewn in
Figure 1, we provide a lever arm 36, (Figs. 13 and 17) upon the axle and a
spring catch 37 engaging therewith. The backward movement of the axle r
when moved by the culasse frees the lever 36 from the spring
catch 87 and leaves the axle
ין
free to revolve. A handle 38 may
be fixed to the lever 36 for operating the mechanism by hand
to get the cartridges in to the required positions as shewn in Figure 1.
In this case the spring catch 37 is depressed and the handle 38 operated to work
the bolt e backwards and forwards. By this means the cartridges are fed from
the bandolier through the gun without the risk of being fired so long as the
lever is not depressed. The cartridges are caused to occupy the positions shewn
in Figure and automatic firing may be then brought about by depressing the
lever a
In order that the mechanism may be easily examined or taken apart we pro-
vide the main frame or case with a hinged lid or cover 29 secured in its closed
position by a spring catch 30. The rear end y of the main frame or case is
arranged to slide vertically in guides formed in the sides of the main frame and
is secured in position by the hinged cover when in its closed position. The
rear end y carries the firing lever and spring catch 27 also a handle as 31.
The cartridge feed mechanism is arranged on a frame 19 which is guided by
grooves in the main frame, and may be removed when the hinged cover 29
is open.
To allow of the removal of the culasse and bolt e slots 32 are provided
in the main frame extending in a backward direction and covered by sliding
doors or shutters 33 which may be withdrawn after removing the rear end y
of the main frame. By this means the whole mechanism is secured in position
by one spring catch, which, however, is not in any way strained by the operation
of firing. The culasse may be separated from the barrel by slacking the
holt 34.
The method of introducing cartridges in stages herein before described may also
be applied to automatic guns or machine guns operated without recoil.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we glaim is:-
-
1. In an automatic gun the method of introducing the cartridges to the
barrel chamber in stages comprising the following steps: withdrawing the cart-
ridge from the belt by the backward movement of the bolt forcing the cart-
ridge to an intermediate level by a lever or pressing device operated by the
bolt placing the cartridge in a pocket in the same or nearly the same plane as
left by the pressing device clear of the extracted cartridge; and forcing the
cartridge from its intermediate position into the chamber by the forward move-
ment of the bolt, substantially as herein before described.
2. In an automatic gun, in combination with a culasse and barrel arranged
to recoil on firing the gun, and a bolt sliding within the culasse, and withdrawn
by the action of an axle having a cam lever; a cam-lever and fixed stop for
returning the bolt on the forward stroke of the culasse, substantially as described
and as illustrated.
3. In an automatic gun, in combination with an axle carried by the culasse,
and arranged to return the bolt by the action of a fixed stop and cam lever; a

page_text: spring catch, as 37, to prevent the rotation of the axle when the mechanism is
in the firing position, substantially as described and as illustrated.
4. In an automatic gun, in combination with a bolt carrying clips, as c,
arranged to withdraw the cartridges from a bandolier; a lever, as 7, operated by
the bolt to press down the cartridge, substantially as described and as illustrated.
5. In an automatic gun, in combination with a culasse and bolt; a ledge or
ledges, as 14, for supporting a cartridge, within the culasse, an incline, as 17,
to direct the cartridge into the breach; and a spring pawl, as 12, carried on the
bolt and arranged to push the cartridge forward into the breach, substantially
as described and as illustrated.
6. In an automatic gun, in combination with cartridge feeding mechanism;
a lever, as 18, having a projection as 25; and a projection, as 23, carried upon the
culasse and having a slot, as 24, substantially as and for the purposes described
and as illustrated.
7. In an automatic gun, in combination with cartridge feeding mechanism;
a lever having a slot, as 39, partly radial, and partly circumferential; a pro-
jection, as 41, carried upon the culasse, and engaging the lever, substantially as
and for the purposes described, and as illustrated.
Dated this 3rd day of April 1900.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street Manchester, Agents.