A MAGAZINE-REPEATING AND BREECH-LOADING RIFLE
Year: 1865

page_text: of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America,
for the Invention of "A MAGAZINE-REPEATING AND BREECH-LOADING RIFLE."
-A communication from Joshua Gray, residing at Medford, in the
County of Middlesex, and State aforesaid.
Sealed the 26th May 1865, and dated the 25th February 1865.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Edward Henry Eldredge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 25th February 1865, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
HENRY ELDREDGE, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State of Massa-
chusetts, of the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "A MAGAZINE-REPEATING
AND BREECH-LOADING RIFLE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and have made solemn Declaration that the same is a communi-
cation to me from Joshua Gray, a person resident at Medford, in the County
of Middlesex, and State aforesaid.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE that I, the said Edward Henry Eldredge, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification under my hand and seal fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings forming a part of this Specification,
in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the moveable parts in the position in
which they are when the rifle is ready to be fired (the receiver being cut away on
one side, for the purpose of inspection); Fig. 2 is a similar view representing the
breech pin and its appendages drawn back for the reception of the charge, as
far as required when the rifle is used as a breech-loader; & Fig. 3 is a similar
view representing the breech pin and its appendages drawn back as far as
required, when the rifle is used as a repeater or self-loader, to receive a charge
from the magazine; Fig. 4 is an inside plan of that part of the receiver which
is removed in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; Fig. 5 is a top view of the receiver; Fig. 6
is a plan of the inside of the receiver opposite the side represented in Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 is a detached view of the breech pin showing the percussion slide;
Fig. 8 is a longitudinal central section of the magazine; Fig. 9 is a transverse
section in the line x, x, of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a transverse section in the line
w, w, of Fig. 8; Fig. 11 is a diminished side elevation of the rifle complete.
Like parts are indicated by the same letters in all the Drawings.
The nature of my Invention consists,-
1st, in the employment of a stop at the end of the magazine, or entering
the same, for the purpose of retaining cartridges in the magazine when it is
desirable to use the rifle as a breech-loader, or to retract a charge, whereby my
fire-arm is rendered capable of being used at pleasure either as a repeater or
a breech-loader, and instantly changed from the one to the other, as occasion.
may require.
2nd, in the employment of a rack (F) below the cogged sector (D) pivoted
to the breech pin or carrier block (B), by means of which the latter is driven
to and from the barrel and magazine.
'
3rd, in moving the cartridge carrier from the magazine to the barrel, and
vice versa, by passing it through a longitudinal slot in the breech pin and sliding
the latter over it.
4th, in so constructing the end of the cartridge lifter as to cover or stop
the port of the magazine when the rifle is used as a breech-loader.
5th, in the employment of a slot (L) in the receiver at right angles to the
barrel to form a guide for the said cover or end (K) of the cartridge
carrier.
6th, in the combination of a cartridge extractor (M) with an arm (N)

page_text: provided with a knob (e) for the purpose of withdrawing the metallic casc
of the cartridge after the rifle has been discharged by the backward move-
ment of the breech pin.
7th, in the use of a cam (R) in combination with a hooked lever (S) or its
equivalent for the purpose of withdrawing the cartridge case without uncover-
ing the magazine when it is required to use the rifle as a breech-loader, and
not as a repeater.
:
8th, in the employment of a pin (H) in the receiver in combination with a
groove (I) in the breech pin for the purpose of guiding the breech pin and
stopping the same, as it is turned downward when used as a self-loader.
9th, in the employment of a breech pin or carrier block (B), which is made
to slide the length of a cartridge in a line nearly parallel with the barrel and
also in a line nearly at right angles to the barrel, being guided by means of
pins and slots.
10th, in the employment of a sector pinion (D) attached to the guard lever
to operate in combination with a rack (F) for the purpose of moving the
carrier block to and from the barrel and magazine.
11th, in the employment of a cartridge guide (G) and spring (A') in com-
bination with a reciprocating carrier block (B).
12th, in making a side opening (w) for the introduction of cartridges in the
outer tube of the magazine, so that the inner tube which contains the spring
and follower may never have to be removed, and can be prevented by means
of a stop pin or catch from ever working out.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my Invention I will
now describe the construction and operation of the same.
A is the receiver mortised, as shown in the Drawings, to receive the breech
pin and its appendages; B is a flat-sided breech pin or carrier block of steel
or other suitable metal, about three-quarters of an inch in thickness at its
thickest parts, and shaped as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 7; C is the guard
lever; and D is a sector pinion either made in one piece with the guard-lever
or attached thereto by means of screws; E is a pin fast in the breech pin and
projecting above it so as to enter a central hole in said sector, and form a
fulcrum for the guard lever and sector to turn on, the breech pin being cut
away to receive said sector so that its outer side shall be flush with the surface
of the same; F is a curved vibrating rack (shaped as shown in the Drawings),
one end of which is attached to the receiver by means of the pivot a, the other
being free to move from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that of Figs. 2 and 3;
this rack may however be stationary (the pin b, Fig. 1, being removed), I
prefer however to have it vibrate, as in the latter case it may be covered by the

page_text: receiver as in Fig. 1, instead of being always out of it in the position shown in
Figs. 2 and 3; into the cogs of this rack F fit those of the sector D. X is
a side continuation of the rack F about of an inch thick, which slides in a
recess in one side of the receiver, the upper edge of said continuation being
provided with a flanch which rests upon the bottom of the recess and prevents
the rack from ever going too low; P is a groove in the receiver about one-
eighth of an inch wide and deep, the shape and relative position of which are
clearly shown in Fig. 4; the purpose of this groove P is to receive the pin q
projecting from the breech pin, by means of which the front of the latter is
guided. I is a groove in the breech pin to receive the pin H projecting from
the side of the receiver, said pin answering as a fulcrum on which the breech
pin turns downward, as represented in Fig. 3, and also as a guide in its longi-
tudinal movement; J is the cartridge lifter consisting of a bar of flat iron or
other suitable metal, about one-eighth of an inch thick, passing freely through
a longitudinal slot in the centre of the breech pin, as represented by the dotted
lines in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Hinged to the end of the cartridge lifter J at fis
a flat plate of metal K, wide enough to cover the port of the magazine T, one
side of said plate projecting about one-eighth of an inch beyond the side of the
breech pin and sliding freely in the groove L (see Fig. 2) in the receiver, by
means of which the said plate is always kept close to the port of the barrel U
or magazine T, whatever may be the position of the breech pin.
When the rifle is used as a breech-loader and not a repeater, the breech
pin is drawn back only as far as represented in Fig. 2; in which case the plate
K operates as a cover or stop to the port of the magazine T; but if the rifle
is used as a repeater or self-loader, then the breech pin is thrown a little
further back, which causes it to pitch downward and carry the top of the plate
K below the bottom of the magazine port, so that a cartridge may be forced
from the magazine in the usual manner upon the said carrier J, to be raised
thereby to the barrel U, and forced into it as the breech pin approaches the
position shown in Fig. 1. G is the cartridge guide which turns freely on the
pivot B', being forced downward by means of the straight spring A', and raised
by the breech pin. When the rifle is used as a self-loader, the cartridge being
under this guide is kept in proper position, and prevented from coming out of
the receiver; and when the rifle is used as a breech-loader, the cartridge slides
on top of the guide directly into the barrel, being in the position shown in
Fig. 2. M is a vibrating blade of metal entering a slot one side of the barrel,
and confined at its lower end by a pivot, the design of said blade being to
extract the metallic case of the cartridge left in the barrel after a discharge;
this blade M is drawn out, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3, by means of the

page_text: arm N, one end of which is attached thereto by a socket joint, and the opposite
end provided with a projection e, which projection (when the breech pin is
drawn back, as in Figs. 2 and 3) strikes against the cam R as explained here-
after. The blade M is thrown back, as in Fig. 1, by the front of the breech
pin. The cam R, consisting of a plate of suitable metal, shaped and arranged
as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, turns freely on the centre E in a recess in the
side of the breech pin. S is a flat lever arranged, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and
3, in a recess in the guard lever C, and turning freely on the pivot g. The
outer end of this lever extends beyond the guard lever, so as to be readily moved,
when required, by the thumb or fingers. The inner end is provided with a hook
which (when moved into the position represented in Fig. 2) will, as the guard
lever is brought down, catch on to the hook h on the edge of the cam R, which
will throw the opposite edge of the cam back from the magazine and barrel,
so that the knob e on the arm N will strike against it sooner than it otherwise
would, and thus the extractor M will be drawn out as shown in Fig. 2, and
the plate K will be prevented from passing below the port of the magazine T
as is required when the rifle is to be used as a breech-loader. When used as
a repeater the breech pin must be thrown still further back, and the lever S
should be so moved that its hooked end will not catch on to the hook h of
the cam R, so that thus the knob c will not strike against the cam R°until
the brecch pin is moved back the required distance, turning on the pin II in
the slot I.
From the above description it is obvious that my rifle may be used either
as a repeater or a breech-loader, or instantly changed from one to the other,
as occasion may require.
I have described thus far only one method of applying a stop to the maga-
zine for the purpose of retaining cartridges therein for the object specified
above; it is obvious, however, that a great many equivalent devices may be
employed. is, the percussion slide which plays in a groove in one side of the
breech pin B, as represented in Fig. 7. The magazine consists of two tubes,
an outer tube T and an inner tube T', the latter fitted into the former so as to
slide with freedom in it. t is a cap fastened to the end of the inner tube; and
6' is a spring catch for holding the inner tube in the outer one, in the position
shown in Fig. 11; Y is a stop pin fast in the outer tube, and sliding freely in a
longitudinal slot in the inner tube for the purpose of stopping the inner tube,
and preventing it from ever sliding out of the outer one and being lost; m is
the follower which plays with freedom in the inner tube, being prevented from
leaving the same by means of the pin n, which slides in a longitudinal slot in
said inner tube; V is a spiral spring for forcing down the cartridges, one end

page_text: of which rests against the follower m, and the other against the muzzle end of
the inner tube; w is an opening in the side of the outer tube large enough to
admit a cartridge which can obviously be done when the inner tube is drawn
out so far as to bring the follower m beyond the muzzle end of said opening.
This opening w may be so shaped as to admit a cartridge only in the
proper position, and thus prevent the possibility of clogging the
nation
gun in
I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,--
First, retaining cartridges in the magazine when it is required to use the
rifle as a breech-loader, or to extract a cartridge, by means of a stop applied to
the magazine.
Second, the rack F. arranged below the sector D for the purpose described.
Third, moving the cartridge carrier from the magazine to the barrel, and
vice versa, by passing it through a longitudinal slot in the breech pin and
sliding the latter over it.
Fourth, so constructing the end of the cartridge lifter as to cover the port
of the magazine when the rifle is used as a breech-loader.
Fifth, the slot L to guide the cover or end K of the cartridge carrier.
Sixth, the cartridge extractor M in combination with the arm N provided
with the knob e or its equivalent, as described.
Seventh, the cam R in combination with the hooked lever S or their equiva-
lents for the purpose of withdrawing the cartridge case without uncovering the
magazine when it is required to use the rifle as a breech-loader.
Eighth, the guide pin H in combination with the groove I for the purpose
of guiding and stopping the breech pin as described.
Ninth, the employment of a breech pin or carrier block B, which is made
to slide the length of a cartridge in a line nearly parallel with the barrel, and
also in a line nearly at right angles to the barrel, being guided by means of
pins and slots substantially as described.
Tenth, the employment of a sector pinion D, attached to the guard lever, to
operate in combination with a rack F, for the purpose of moving the carrier
block or breeeh pin, to and from the barrel and magazine.
Eleventh, the cartridge guide G and spring A' in combination with a
reciprocating carrier block, substantially as described.
Twelfth, the side opening w in the outer tube of the magazine, substantially
as and for the purpose described.

page_text: Thirteenth, confining the sliding tube T' in the magazine by means of a pin
and catch, substantially as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Second day of February, A.D. 1865.
EDWARD HENRY ELDREDGE. (L.S.)