IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Clark at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th March 1867.
-A communication from abroad by Joseph Auguste César Brun, Gun
Maker, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
J, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
1.
This Invention of improvements in fire-arnis relates principally to sporting
guns. This description of gun may be divided into two distinct classes, viz.,
1st, those in which the cartridge is exploded by a pin; and, 2ndly, those in
which the explosion is effected at the centre of the cartridge. Each of these
descriptions of fire-arms can only be used with the cartridge adapted for it,
and the object of the present Invention is to obviate this by adapting the gun
to cartridges of both kinds, viz., those acted on by a central striker or by a
pin in connection with the hammer, so that in this manner either kind of
cartridge may be used. For this purpose I dispose a percussion striker in the
solid part of the breech in rear of the barrel, which takes effect by the falling
of the hammer; this striker moves horizontally in a line with the barrel instead
of being inclined as usual.
The second part of the Invention relates to an improved cartridge extractor,
which is very simple in its action, and is operated by the drop motion of the
barrel; this cartridge extractor is formed of a sliding piece, one end being
bent at a right angle on the drop motion of the barrel taking place; this

page_text: return piece comes in contact with an inclined plane in the metal of the breech
below the barrels, which causes it to move to a sufficient extent to withdraw
the end of the cartridge from the barrel.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, which show a
double fowling piece with the improvements applied.
Figure 1 is a part sectional elevation with the horizontal striker in position;
Figure 2 is a similar view with the barrel tilted upon its pivot in order to
show more clearly the cartridge extractor; Figure 3 is an under side view of
the barrels and cartridge extractors; Figure 4 is a view of the breech end of
the barrels; and Figure 5 a detached view of the striker and parts for
operating the same. The same letters serve for all the Figures.
a, a, barrels pivotted at 6; c, cartridge extractor fitted on the under side of
the barrels, and having slots to permit of its sliding movement. The end d
of the extractor is bent at a right angle, and on the barrel being tilted comes
in contact with the inclined plane f, causing it to slide a short distance in order
to withdraw the end of the cartridge case from the barrel; g, breech lump, in
which is fitted the striker h, having a double incline i, on which acts the
. inclined end of the pin k. The hammer in striking this pin k acts on the
striker h, and when the hammer is cocked a spring 1 presses the striker back
again and raises the pin k. If pin cartridges are used, and it is not desired
that the central striker should act, it is only necessary to remove the pin k,
when said striker will be prevented from acting; the pin k being removed is
replaced by another of the same diameter but of less length and without
any inclined end.