improvements in Breech Loading Fire Arms.
Year: 1887

page_text: improvements in Breech Loading Fire Arms.
We, HUGO BISCHOFF of Corneliusstrasse 5 Berlin, Prussia in the Empire of
Germany, Doctor of Philosophy and ARMAND MIEG of Quaistrasse 2 Leipsic Saxony
in the Empire of Germany, Officer 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 :-
The invention hereinafter described relates to improvements in breech loading fire
arms and especially to improvements in the false breech, the barrel and a new
repeating mechanism.
The invention is shewn in the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the fire arm.
Fig. 1 shows the barrel seen from below.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section on x-y of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2ª is a vertical section on
line - of Fig. 1.
The Figures 3 to 9 shew details of the false breech mechanism and the figures 10
to 18 represent the magazine and the inner construction of the same.
The striking pin a is connected with the false breech s by means of a nut b which
is inserted into the false breech and provided with two tappets (see figures 1, 4
and 5) sunk into the front sides of the false breech and thus preventing the nut from
rotating. The false breech s is coupled with the striking pin a by means of a handle c,
the inner front surface of which lies on the front side of the false breech s, formning
thus an immovable connection between the striking pin a and the false breech s.
The handle is in this case of an annular shape, but it may also have any other
suitable form.
To avoid any accidents in the case of a miss-fire, the handle has for its purpose to
cock the false breech without opening the breech bolt. To do this the false breech s
is simply withdrawn by means of the said handle so that it is not necessary to open
the breech bolt. The catch is connected with the handle c and it consists of a double
armed lever de which at fis carried between two projections of the false breech s.
The arm e of the lever is provided with a cam e', which fits into a corresponding
recess of the breech bolt V. The arm d is formed as a handle lying on c. In the
drawing the catch is shewn in the disengaged position.
The position, in which the stop contrivance is engaged is shewn in dotted lines.
The cam e' catches into the recesse and thereby prevents the false breech and striking
pin from jerking forward, while at the same time when the breech bolt is in the
forward or closed position, the cam e¹ keeps the bottom projection s¹ of the false
breech s slightly away from the trigger sear so that this is relieved of strain until
he cam el is disengaged from e. The opening of the breech bolt, when the false
breech is cocked, is prevented at the same time by the cam e' entering the recess e³.

page_text: The locking is effected in a very simple way by raising the handle d, while the dis-
engaging is obtained by pressing down the said handle. A small trigger pin f
secured to the lever arm and catching into the handle e serves to stop the lever de.
The closing nib on the left side, which, in opening and withdrawing the breech
bolt V, is directed downward. (see Figs. 1. and. 9.) is, contrary to the hitherto used
form, dovetailed and enters a correspondingly shaped groove of the closing socket
(see fig. 9) in order to prevent any rocking movement of the breech bolt in the
closing socket and to facilitate the working of the false breech.
The repeating inechanism is constructed as follows:-
In front of the trigger guard at the under side of the stock or of the barrel is the
cartridge magazine M, in which the cartridges are arranged in an oblique position,
having their pointed ends turned upward and ranged in a curve running upwards up
to the place where the cartridge is delivered into the barrel. A spring of an oblong
form, which is rounded off at the corners and bent inwards at the middle (see fig. 1
and 2), forces the cartridges by the agency of the pusher i towards the cartridge
chamber. We have chosen this form of the spring in order to reduce as much as
possible the friction between the spring and the walls of the magazine.
connections between the spring hand the pusher.i is rendered moveable by means of
the plate, which on one side receives the pressure of the spring and on the other
side is connected by a pin with the pusher i. The pin slides in a slot of the
pusher so that the latter may move in the magazine without any difficulty.
The
As shewn in Fig. the magazine is narrower at its upper part in order to guide,
on the one hand, the cartridge surely on its fore thinner end, and on the other hand
the spring h.
The contrivance for introducing the cartridges separately into the chamber consists
of the arrangement of two double claws which are put in action by means of a stud p
secured to a closing head piece P. The double claws m m are fixed to movable
spindles n n to which are secured the levers oo which when in motion rotate the
shafts nn and consequently move the claws m m. The levers o o are disposed with
respect to the closing head piece P in such a manner, that the latter in opening the
breech bolt passes with its stud p between the levers and, by this, owing to the
shape of the stud 2, separates the top ends of the levers o o from each other and moves
the claws m m.
After the stud p has passed through between the levers oo the latter
are brought back into their former position. The figures 13, 14 and 15, explain the
working of the claws.
Assuming the uppermost cartridge No. 1 to be in the chamber from which it is
introduced by the breech holt into the barrel, the cartridge No. 2 is then placed
between the claws m m and held by the upper parts of the latter (see fig. 13). After
having discharged the rifle the breech bolt is withdrawn and by this the above
mentioned stud p moves the upper ends of the levers o and consequently also
separates the upper parts of the claws from each other. The cartridge No. 2 is
pushed upwards by the subsequent cartridges and thus arrives into the chamber.
During this operation the cartridge No. 3 is caught by the lower arms of the
claws and prevented from being further pushed forward so as to arrive on the further
movement of the claws entirely between the latter, and be held by the upper arms,
until the breech bolt is opened again.
The motion of the claws thus causes the cartridges to enter the chamber con-
secutively. In order to stop the repeating mechanism turn buckles or any other
devices are applied, pressing the lower parts of the levers o o together (see Fig. 16) so
as to maintain the claws in their position, shewn in Fig. 14. In this position of the
levers o o the stud p of the closing head piece P has no effect upon the levers, and the
repeating mechanism is therefore disengaged. The claws m m are of a peculiar
'construction which is shewn in the figures 17 and 18, each claw consists of the claw
proper m' loose on the shaft n and of an arm m² fixed to the shaft. The two parts m¹
and m² are connected together in one direction by a spring t, in the other direction
by inserting m² into mil. The claw m may turn therefore in one direction indepen-
dently of the shaft n and has to overcome only the pressure of the spring t.

page_text: This construction is necessary in order to allow of the magazine being filled.
The loading of the magazine, namely, takes place through the chamber X when
the breech bolt V is opened; for this purpose the cartridges are pressed between the
claws m m which in consequence of the above described construction yield and let the
cartridges pass into the magazine.
Even when the repeating device is disengaged, which position of the claws is shewn
in fig. 14, it will be possible to fill the magazine as the lower parts of the claws can
be bent backwards owing to the arrangement of the spring t and by this give way to
the cartridges to be introduced.
The improvements in the barrel of our new portable fire arm consist in surrounding
the same with a steel tube B in such a manner that a free space is left along the whole
length of the barrel between the barrel A and the steel tube as shewn in Fig. 1. The
steel tube B is screwed to the fore end of the closing socket and by this means a
solid connection is formed at this point between the barrel and the surrounding steel
tube.
The mouth of the barrel is loose in a casing g¹ which is soldered in or fixed by
any other means to the fore end of the tube B. The sight of the fire arm is adapted
to the tube B at vand the corresponding place of the tube is supported by a ring h
adapted to the inside of the tube and surrounding the barrel. This ring is provided
with recesses as shewn in fig. 2ª so as to establish a communication between the
annular hollow spaces at both sides of the ring h¹.
On the lower side the tube B is provided with a certain number of openings kiki kl
which are covered by caps PPP.
The arrangement of the tube B has for its purpose:
a) to prevent any soldering on the barrel.
to prevent any flexure of the barrel produced by external causes.
c) to avoid all the inconveniences resulting from the connection of the wooden
stock with the metal furniture; such inconveniences are, for instance, the curving of
the barrel heated by firing, which curving results from the greater difficulty of the
barrel to extend in the longitudinal direction; the intercepting and interrupting of
the natural oscillations of the barrel in the firing and finally the curving of the
barrel produced by the warping of the wooden stock when this has become wet.
d) preventing or at least reducing the danger, to which the person is exposed in
case the barrel should burst by accident.
e) avoiding the undulation of the hot air surrounding the barrel and heated by
the same, which undulation renders the aiming extremely difficult.
The openings arranged on the lower side of the tube B have for their
purpose to lead away the heated air and to cause the air to circulate; the caps
serve to prevent the rain from penetrating through the said openings. In lieu of the
caps any other suitable contrivance may also be applied. It is obvious that, when
necessary, any number of rings may be employed to support the tube B. The
casing may also be provided with recesses like the ring in order to produce a betier
circulation of air. It is very essential in this construction that the tube B is
connected to the barrel A. only at one end. If both the ends of the tube (i.e. the
mouth of the tube also) be screwed to the barrel, or secured to the same by any other
means the barrel A would be curved in its middle part already after having discharged
a small number of shots owing to the greater and quicker extension of the barrel A
in comparison with the tube B, which is not heated at all or only to a small extent.
The last mentioned circumstance renders this construction particularly fit for magazine
rifles, the barrels of which become heated already after a short use to such an extent,
that the rifle man cannot touch it with the naked hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
clain is
1. The connection of the striking pin a with the false breech s by means of a nut b
screwed to the end of the pin a and lodged from behind into the false breechs, the

page_text: said nut being prevented from rotating in the false breech by two lateral tappets b¹¹
catching into recesses arranged in the false breech.
2. The coupling of the false breechs with the striking pin a by means of the handle C,
the inner surface of which lies against the end surface of the false breech and forms
by this means an immovable connection between the false breech and the pin a.
3. The locking contrivance consisting of a double armed lever de adapted to the
lock and movable on the shaft f; one arm d of the said lever being formed as a handle
while the end of the other arme forms a cam which fits into a recess e² of the breech
bolt V so that by turning the lever de the came¹ can be pressed into a recess e²
whereby the locking effect is produced while at the same time the opening of the breech
bolt is prevented.
4. The arrangement of the handle c, which may have an annular or other similar
form, for the purpose of cocking the false breech without opening the breech bolt.
5. The dove tail shape of the closing nib g on the left side and the corresponding
form of the groove arranged in the closing socket in order to prevent any vibratory
movement of the breech block on opening.
6. The arrangement in front of the trigger guard of the magazine containing the
cartridges, which are arranged in an oblique position having their pointed end turned
upwards and which are pushed forward by a spring by the agency of a pusher i,
which is connected in a movable manner with the spring h.
7. The spring having an oblong form, which is rounded at its corners and
re-entering at its middle part for the purpose of reducing as much as possible the friction
between the spring and the magazine M.
8. The device for introducing the cartridges from the magazine into the chamber,
consisting of the combination of the levers o o with the shafts n n and the claws mm,
this mechanism being put in action in the herein described manner by the stud p
adapted to the closing lieadpiece P.
9. The device for stopping the repeating mechanism consisting of the arrangement
of turn buckles or other similar mechanism, which press the lower parts of the levers o o
towards each other and thereby put the stud p out of action.
10. The peculiar construction of the claws m m consisting of the parts m¹ and m²
and the spring for the purpose of introducing the cartridges into the magazine
whether the repeating mechanism be disengaged or not.
11. In combination with a barrel A the use of a surrounding tube B so as to form
an annular hollow space between the barrel and the tube.
12. The arrangement of the tube B mentioned in the preceding claim, in such a
manner that the rear end of the same is screwed together with the barrel or secured
to it by any other means, while the fore-end of the tube is not connected with the
barrel which can freely slide in a longitudinal direction in a lining thereof.
13. In the barrel arranged as referred to in claim 11, the arrangement of the aiming
contrivance upon the tube B, while inside the tube B a supporting ring is arranged
at the place where the aiming contrivance is applied.
14. The arrangement in the tube B of openings
for the purpose of producing
against the entrance of rain,
a circulation of air, the said openings being protected
dust and the like by means of caps or any other suitable contrivances.
1. J
Lanahon 1007
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.