IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECHLOADING FIRE-ARMS to be as follows:-
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 15th Jan., 1889
I GOTTHILF HEINRICH SCHNEE of 39 Goethe Strasse Munich, in the Kingdom of
Bavaria, Retired Captain of the Prussian Army do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECHLOADING FIRE-ARMS to be as follows:-
"
In the construction of my new repeating mechanism I endeavour to avoid certain
faults in the old repeating fire-arms: It should above all be possible to load the
magazine at once by a single movement of the hand with a large number of cartridges,
taken from the pouch. It should besides that be possible to apply the mechanism to
any calibre and to any length of cartridge and also to double-barrels.
To attain, the end which was sought by me, I first constructed a magazine for the
reception of the cartridges.
a. This magazine has the form of a cylinder, a little longer, than the cartridges.
The diameter of the cylinder depends upon the number of cartridges, contained in
it. The magazine has been put between the trigger and the breech-end of the barrel.
The magazine is formed of two parts. The inner, rotating part is called by me
the "wing-piece;" the outer part, which is enveloping the interior entirely, has been
named the "mantle." The form of the wing-piece and its use could be better
understood, when we compare it to the revolving cylinder of a revolver,
containing the chambers for the cartridges. If we should cut in longitudinal
lines the outside walls of the cartridge-chamber of the revolving cylinder of a
revolver, or that in turning, the cartridges could drop out of the cuts, it would
demonstrate the inner part of my cartridge imagazine, which I have named the
wing-piece.
It was necessary to entirely envelop this wing piece by the mantle, or all the
cartridges, with the exception of the uppermost one, would fall out of it. With
the help of the enveloping mantle, the cartridges, lying between the wings of the
wing piece, could be continually turned round. But it is not desirable, that such
should be the case. They are destined to be loaded in the barrel chamber and to
fall out, when they have been fired. Therefore the mantle has at its right side

page_text: the "ejector-lid," which with its upper edge turns round an horizontal axis, lying on
the mantle surface and which opens to the outside every time, when one of the wings
of the wing-piece touches the inside projections of the lid.
"
To finish the description of the magazine, I mention here the "quickloading" lid.
The "quickloading lid" is at the left side of the mantle. It turns with its under-
edge round an axis lying on the surface of the mantle. When opened by hand, the
quick-loading lid forms a reservoir for the reception of cartridges. These cartridges
put therein, fall by their own weight into the compartments between the wings of the
revolving wing-piece and are brought by it to the position for loading into the
chamber of the barrel. Here is to be seen the difference between the revolving
cylinder of a revolver and that revolving similar piece of my cartridge magazine,
called by me the wing-piece: While the revolving cylinder of the revolver has to do
three main-things to keep cartridges in store, to transport them and thirdly to
withstand their explosion, my wing-piece has not to suffer the latter. The chief
business of the wing-piece is, to transport the cartridges and to bring them in the
position for falling out and for loading.
b. After the before mentioned magazine had been constructed, it was necessary to
find means, to push the cartridge, (kept in store by the wing-piece), out of the
uppermost compartment of the wing-piece, into the barrel-chamber and to extract
the empty shell from there. It was found, that a cylindrical piece of steel of a greater
length, than the cartridge and of the diameter of the cartridge rim, perforated for the
striker and carrying the extractor and moving simply backward and forward in the
interior of the shoe of the breech, was the best means. This cylinder is called by me
the "loading-bolt," because it loads and unloads the cartridges. This loading-bolt
resembles the breech-piece or cylinder of the guns, belonging to the bolt principle,
but it has not to do all the functions of the so called breech-piece.-While for instanco
in the Mauser gun the cylinder or breech-piece closes the gun, after it has been
turned to the right, or in the Mannlicher gun, by pushing the cylinder simply forward,
the loading-bolt of my gun cannot, do the closing of the breech alone. For closing
the breech safely, I put therefore behind the loading-bolt, when it has pushed a
cartridge into the barrel-chamber, a vertically sliding breech-block, which takes up
the recoil of the powder-gases transferred to the sliding-breech-block by the loading
bolt.
While commonly the sliding breech-block slides downwards and upwards
behind the bottom of the cartridge as in the Sharp- and Westley Richards sliding
block rifles, and others, my "recoil-bolt" or sliding-block slides upwards and down-
wards behind the loading-bolt, which latter has been interpolated between the bottom
of the cartridge and the sliding breech-block.
c. Looking at the paragraphs in a &b in this description, it will be seen, that it
is necessary to find some means to make the wing-piece of the magazine rotate to
fulfill its task; to make the sliding breech-block move upward and downward and to
make the loading-bolt move forward and backward.
All this work and more should be done by depressing a lever a short distance and
by bringing it to position again. I also desired further, that the distance, travelled
by the shooter's hand, in moving this gun-lever, should be shorter, than the cartridge
alone. I applied therefore racks and toothed wheels in the following manner: I put a
rack with a sufficient number of teeth into the under-side of the loading-bolt.
I furnished the sliding breech-block or recoil-bolt with two racks, called by me
<< legs "at its right and left side. These legs had to be as far distant from each other,
that the loading-bolt could slip easily backward between them.
I applied toothed wheels or rather say sections of toothed wheels, which catch with
their teeth in the teeth of the racks of the loading-bolt and of the recoil-bolt.
The axle-trees going through these toothed wheels carry at convenient places
toothed wheels of a smaller diameter, than the above mentioned ones, and also
cranks to be operated by the parts of the gun lever to be described hereafter and called
by me the "front-" and the "back-arm."
The lever carries, besides others, two parts standing upright on it and
called by me the front- and the-back-arm. They are sectors of circles of different

page_text: radii according to their distance from the levers pivot. The lever is pivoted to
the body of the action beneath the barrel and before the cartridge-magazine.
The back-arm and the front-arm, are racks which catch with their teeth in the
teeth of the wheel-sections mentioned above, as being on the same axle trees with
the toothed wheels, catching in the racks of the loading bolt and the sliding-
breech-block..
By depressing the lever, the sliding breech-block is compelled to rise and the
loading-holt is, after this, drawn backward as far, that it disappears totally from
the interior of the wing-piece, extracting meanwhile the empty cartridge case.
It is now necessary to eject this cartridge-shell and to bring a new cartridge
into the right position for pushing it into the barrel-chamber by the loading-bolt.
To effect this, it is only necessary to make the, wing-piece rotate one compartment
further to that side, where the ejector lid is attached. A similar construction was.
therefore here necessary as is applied with revolvers to turn the cylinder
containing the cartridge chambers. But as I would have the wing-piece turning
during the time that the lever is being depressed, I had to apply, instead of the
usually, applied construction, a hook, called by me the "drum-turner," which
takes from above grip of one tooth of the ratchet at the backward end of that
part, which is called by me the wing-piece.
But the drum-turner has not only the task of turning the wing-piece. Its
second important task is to fix it in that position, where the loading-bolt-
(drawn back, as described above)-could enter it or rather say, could enter the
uppermost compartment of the wing-piece and push the cartridge, lying therein,
into the barrel-chamber. The drum-turner carries therefore below its hook a
bolt-shaped piece, sliding up and down along its shaft. A spiral spring pushes
it continually upwards. With this piece, called by me the " glide-bolt," the drum
turner takes grip from underneath of one tooth of the ratchet at the end of the wing-
piece and pushes both into the right position.
The drum-turner can do this only, when the lever of the gun is brought home.
This is the first act of the lever pressed upwards.
The second act of the upward moving lever. is done by the front-arm, which with
the help of the intermediate toothed wheels and rack pushes the loading-bolt as far
forward, that it-keeps the cartridge in its right position for being fired in the
barrel-chamber.
The third and last act of the upward moving lever is done by the back-arm, which,
with the help of the intermediate toothed wheels and racks makes the sliding breech-
block or recoil-bolt slide downward and fix itself firmly in the body of the action
behind the loading-bolt.
The lever forms also the trigger guard and extends under the gun stock.
d. I apply for firing the cartridge in the barrel-chamber the old reliable flat spring
and a hammer striking a blow to the head of the already mentioned striker.
When the gun is closed and loaded, the cartridge is in the barrel-chamber. Behind
the bottom of the cartridge we see the loading-bolt: Behind the loading-bolt, which
is carrying the striker and extractor, we see the sliding breech-block firmly.embedded
in the shoe of the breech.
The sliding breech-block has a vertical slit for the striker. The latter projects a
little over the hindmost surface of the sliding breech-block, which rides on the striker.―
The lock is arranged in such a way, that the hammer hits this projecting head of the
striker.
.
When the lever is depressed, the loading-bolt and the striker slip a considerable
distance backward. I found it necessary, that the loading-bolt and striker should find
no obstruction on their backward-way. None of them should-as it happens in the
old Winchester repeater-meet the hammer.
With revolvers 1 arrange therefore the whole lock on the lever and remove thus,
while depressing the lever, the hammer in right time. With shoulder-guns I arrange
the look on a lock-plate and remove the hammer in right time by cocking it.
1 put on the same axis with the hammer, but outside of the lock-plate, a disk, called

page_text: 27
the "cocking-piece" with one arm projecting backward. I pivoted a "cocking lever
to an axis fastened to the outside of the fore-part of the lock-plate. This cocking lever
has a "cocking-peg" standing always above the arm of the cocking-piece. Pressing
the cocking-peg of the cocking lever downwards, makes the arm of the cocking-piece
move downwards, makes this piece consequently turn the axis of the hammer and
cocks therefore the latter. The angle, described by the cocking-peg round its own
axis in the fore-part of the lock-plate is thrice as small, as the angle described by the
hammer and by the cocking-piece round their common axis. By lengthening the
cocking-lever backwards beyond the cocking-peg as far as it is thought convenient,
the force required for cocking the lock is diminished more and more.
The cocking of the hammer could be done by pressing the "thumb-piece" at the
hindmost end of the cocking-lever downwards with the right thumb or by connecting
the cocking-lever with the gun-lever by a chain.
I apply
a back-actioned lock, but make the main-spring strike out in a downward
direction, deviating thus from the common; because the action of the hammer requires
it. The spring is connected by a swivel with a tumbler. But this tumbler does not
carry, as usually, the notches or bents for the scear. These notches for the scear are
cut into a particular part, which is also resting on the axis of the hammer.
e. To be able to connect double barrels, lying one over the other, with the repeating
mechanism in such a way, that one of them could be brought alternately before the
striker, to fire quickly either a shot with the rifled or with the smooth barrel, I
opened that part of the body of the action, which in military rifles contained the
female screw for the barrel-end and, which is commonly called the "head of the shoe
of the breech," at both sides and made in the remaining upper- and under-branch
incisions for the corresponding projections of the barrels: The barrels are brought
in safe connection with the body of the action by putting the shallow pivot-hole of
their breech-end over the corresponding pivot-peg of the shoe of the breech and
turning them with their projections into the corresponding incisions. Some arrange-
ment must be made, to prevent their unintentional turning.
Dated this day, Thursday, the Twelfth day of April 1888, at Munich, Kingdom of
Bavaria

page_text: Improvements in Breechloading Fire Arms.
I GOTTHILF HEINRICH SCHNEE of 39 Göthe Strasse, Munich in the Kingdom of
Bavaria, Retired Captain of the Prussian Army do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement.:-
My Invention relates chiefly to such repeating guns, which have a magazine of the
shape of a drum between the trigger and the barrel and, the objects of my Inven-
tion are
To have a repeating gun, which could be used as a single loader, as a common and
as an improved repeater. As improved repeater. it should be possible to fill the
magazine at once during firing with a single, quick and common movement of the
shooters hand with a handful of cartridges.
It should be possible to apply the mechanism for every calibre and, for every length
of cartridge.
Inside of certain limits the varying length of the cartridges should only require slight
alterations of the respective parts.
The force for opening and closing the gun should be small.
The way, travelled by the shooters hand should be short, even shorter than the
cartridge alone.
The hand should not travel the least distance without doing work.
The mechanism should allow double barrels for a combined rifle and shot gun.
The barrels should be detachable very easily.
The lock should be built on a lock-plate.
The position of the cartridge magazine should not alter the "hang" of the gun,
there are many or few cartridges in it.
The opening of the gun should be performed by depressing a lever.
The opening and closing of the gun should make no noise.
All the parts of the mechanism should be well protected against rain and dust.
The cocking of the lock should not require the opening of the gun.
It should be possible to load the gun in every position even upside down.
if
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in
which :-
Fig. 1. is a side view of a shoulder gun with my repeating mechanism ; under lever
depressed hammer cocked.
Fig. 2 is the same in a vertical, longitudinal section, on line 0-0₁ of Fig. 7, showing
the mechanism.
Fig. 3. is a cross section through the middle of the magazine, on the line y 3₁ of
Fig. 1., showing especially the "quick-loading-lid" and the "ejector-lid" and the
interior rotating part, the "wing-piece."

page_text: Fig. 5..is a cross section through the "sliding breech-block" on the line a
of fig. 1.
showing, especially the position of this breech block and of the cylindrical "" loading
bolt" to each other when the gun is opened.
Fig. 6. is a cross section on the line z z₁ of Fig. 1. and shows the mechanism for
turning and fixing the interior movable part of the magazine, the " wing-piece."
Fig. 7 shows the plan of the repeating-mechanism, of the lock etc. in a horizontal,
longitudinal section on line ww, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 8 and 9 show details of the gun-lock of Fig. 7.. Fig. 8 shows the mainspring
connected by a swivel with the first tumbler T. Fig. 9. shows the second tumbler Q
with the notches or bents for the scear P..
Fig. 10.. shows the lock of Fig. 7. in a larger scale.
Fig. 11 shows in a longitudinal vertical section the construction of the head of the
body of the action for the reception of a pair of double barrels, lying one over the
other.
Fig. 12. shows the breech end of the double barrels fitting in the head of the breech-
g'in
shoe of Fig. 11.
Fig. 13. shows in a side view the application of my repeating mechanism and of
my other improvements to a one-handed gun or a revolver; underlever opened,
hammer cocked.
The side walls of the under lever are shown in the drawing as partly broken away,
to show the cocking mechanism of the one handed gun.
"
Fig. 14. shows side views of the hammer, of the outside cocking lever" and of
the interior " cocking rod" of the one handed gun, illustrated in the preceding
Figure.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and Figures.
To attain these above mentioned objects and the end which was sought by me I first
constructed a magazine for the reception of the cartridges-This magazine (F-F) has
the form of a cylinder a little longer, than the cartridges.
"
The diameter of the cylinder depends upon the number of cartridges contained in it.
The magazine has been put between the trigger and the breech-end of the barrel-The
magazine which I call the "cartridge-drum is formed of two parts----The inner
rotating (F' 3 F 4) part is called by me the "wing-piece; "the outer part; which is
enveloping the interior entirely, has been named the "mantle ". (F, F 1 F 2).
25
The form of the wing-piece and its use could be better understood, when we compare
it to the revolving cylinder of a revolver, containing the chambers for the cartridges
If we should cut in longitudinal lines the outside walls of the cartridge chambers of
the revolving cylinder of a revolver, so that, in turning, the cartridges would drop out
of the cuts, it would demonstrate the inner part of my cartridge magazine, which I
have named the wing-piece (F 3 F 4).
It was necessary to entirely envelop this wing piece by the mantle For all the
cartridges, with the exception of the uppermost one, would. fall out of it. With the
help of the enveloping mantle, which consists of a cylindrical part F and two "end-
plates," (Fv, Fh) the cartridges, lying. between the wings(4) of the wing-piece,
would be continually turned round. But it is not desirable, that such should be the
case. They are destined to be loaded in the barrel-chamber and to fall out, when they
have been fired.
Therefore the mantle F has at its right side the "ejector-lid "F 1., which with its
upper edge turns round a horizontal axis, lying on the mantle surface and, which opens
to the outside every time, when one of the wings of the wing-piece, touches the inside
projections 1. of the lid. A spring closes the ejector-lid automatically.
"
To finish the description. of the magazine 1 mention here the quick-loading"
lid F 2.
!
The quick-loading lid F 2 is at the left side of the mantle F. It turns with its
under edge round an axis, lying on the surface of the mantle. When opened by hand
the quick-loading lid forms a reservoir for the reception of cartridges. These

page_text: cartridges; put therein, fall by their own weight into the compartiments between the
wings of the revolving wing-piece and are brought by it to the position for loading
into the chamber of the barrel.
Here is to be seen the difference between the revolving cylinder of the revolver and
that revolving similar piece of my cartridge magazine called by me the wing-piece.
While the revolving cylinder of the revolver has to do three main things to keep the
cartridges in store, to transport them and thirdly to withstand their explosion, my
wing-piece has not to suffer the-latter.
:
The chief business of the wing-piece is to transport the cartridges and to bring them
in the position for falling out and for loading.
As the wing pièce has not to withstand the explosion of the powder gases, it could
be fastened otherwise, as the cylinder of the revolver is generally fastened. To avoid
the outer frame of the revolver, I connect the fore part V 3 and the back part V of the
breech-shoe by a kind of inner frame V 1 V 2 cut out of the solid steel of the body of
the action. To attach the wing-piece in such a way that it revolves freely around.
this under-branch V 2 of the breech-shoe Y, I cut the body F 3 of the wing-piece by
two longitudinal cuts into two halves; attach to each end of each half body at the inside
one half ring and screw, after having brought the under-branch V 2 between them, the
half bodies to the projecting parts of the half-rings. The two hindmost half-rings
carry the two halves of the ratchet F 5.
The cartridge is brought by the wing-piece into the loading position before the
loading bolt W, and the barrel-chamber by a lateral opening or slit (between V 1 and
V2) of the breech-shoe. By the same slit the empty fired shell is also transported to the
ejector-lid F1.
The body of the action V has therefore a horizontal cut and not as usually a
vertical one.
After the before mentioned magazine or "cartridge drum" or "loading-drum" has
been constructed, it is necessary to find means to push the cartridge kept in store by
the wing-piece out of the uppermost compartment of the wing-piece into the barrel-
chamber and to extract the empty shell from there.
It is found that a cylindrical piece of steel W, of a greater length than the
cartridges and of the diameter of the cartridge rim, perforated for the striker W 2; and
carrying the extractor W3 and moving simply forward and backward in the interior
of the breech-shoe V, was the best means. This cylinder W is called by me the
loading bolt," because it loads and unloads the cartridges. This loading bolt resembles
the breech-piece or cylinder of the guns, belonging to the bolt-principle; but it has
not to do all the functions of the so called breech piece. While for instance in the
"Mauser" gun, the cylinder or breech-piece closes the gun after it has been turned to
the right, or in the "Mannlicher" gun by pushing the cylinder simply forward, the
loading-bolt of my gun cannot do the closing of the breech alone.
For closing the breech safely, I put therefore behind the loading-bolt W, when it has
pushed a cartridge into the barrel-chamber, a vertically sliding breech block, which
takes up the recoil of the powder gases, transferred to the sliding breech-block K by
the loading bolt W.
While commonly the sliding breech-block slides downwards and upwards behind the
bottom of the cartridge, as in the "Sharp's" sliding-block rifle and others, iny "recoil
bolt' or sliding block slides upwards and downwards behind the loading bolt W,
which latter has been interpolated between the bottom of the cartridge and the sliding
breech-block.
Looking at the first part of this description it will be seen that it is necessary to find
some means to make first the wing-piece of the magazine rotate to fulfil its task;
secondly to make the sliding breech-block move upward and downward and thirdly to
make the loading-bolt move forward and backward:
All this work and more should be done by depressing, an under lever a very short
distance and by bringing it home to position again.
I also desire, that the distance; travelled by the shooters hand in moving the gun-
lever, shall be shorter than the cartridge alone.

page_text: I apply therefore racks and toothed wheels in the following manner-I put a
rack W, with a sufficient number of teeth into the under side of the loading bolt W. I
furnish the sliding breech-block K or "recoil bolt" with two racks K, K₁, called by
me "legs" at its right and left side.
These legs have to be as far distant from each other, that the loading bolt W
slip easily backward between them.
can
I apply toothed wheels or rather say sectors of toothed wheels (, B, which catch
with their teeth in the teeth of the racks of the loading bolt W and of the recoil
bolt R.
•
The axle-trees going through these toothed wheels CB carry at convenient places
outside the "lock box" X, toothed wheels D E of a smaller diameter, than the above
mentioned ones and also cranks E 1, to be operated by the parts of the gun lever U to
be described here after and called by me the front and the back-arm.
The box X of the drawing I call "lock box" because the gun-lock of the shoulder-
gun is attached to one side of it and because all the toothed wheels forming a kind of
lock-work are fastened in its inside and to its outside. The box containing all these
parts is, as a whole put in position and kept in its right place by screwing it to the
body of the action V and also by the rod V 4, called by me the "bottom rod."
"
"
The lever U carries besides others two parts standing upright on it and called by me
the front" and the "back arm U 2, U3. They are sectors of circles of different
radii according to their distance from the levers pivot.
The lever U is pivoted to the body of the action V 3 beneath the barrels and before
the cartridge magazine. The back-arm U 3 and the front-arm U 2 are racks which
catch with their teeth in the teeth of the wheel sections D E mentioned above, as
being on the same axle trees with the toothed wheels B C, catching in the racks of the
loading bolt W and the sliding breech-block K. Increasing or decreasing the length
of the cartridge requires only increasing or decreasing the number of teeth in the racks
and toothed wheels mentioned above.
By depressing the lever U, as far as the pin y allows it, the sliding breech block K is
compelled to rise as far as the pin n permits it and the loading bolt W is after this drawn
backward as far as the pin E allows it and as far that it disappears totally from the
interior of the uppermost compartment of the wing-piece, extracting meanwhile the
empty cartridge case and leaving it quietly lying in the compartment, for being
transported further by the wing piece.
It is now necessary to eject this cartridge-shell and to bring a new cartridge into the
right position for pushing it into the barrel-chamber by the loading-bolt.
To effect this, it is only necessary to make the wing-piece F 3 F 4 rotate one com-
partment further to that side, where the ejector lid F 1 is attached. A similar
construction is therefore here necessary as it is applied with revolvers to turn the
cylinder containing the cartridge-chambers; But as I would have the wing-piece
turned while the lever U is depressed, I apply instead of the usually applied construc-
tion, a hook, called by me the "drum turner" U 1, which takes from above grip (U 5)
of one tooth of the ratchet F 5 at the backward end of that part; which is called by me
the wing-piece.
But the drum turner has not only the task of turning the wing-piece; its second
important task is, to fix it in that position, where the loading-bolt W (drawn back as
described above), could, enter it or rather say could enter the uppermost compartment
of the wing-piece and push the cartridge, lying therein, into the barrel-chamber.
The drum turner U 1. carries therefore, below its hook U 5 a bolt-shaped piece U,
sliding up and down along its shaft. A spiral spring U. 1. pushes it continually
upwards. With this piece U, called by me, the "glide bolt," the drum-turner takes
grip from underneath of one tooth of the ratchet F 5, at the end of the wing-piece and
pushes both into the right position The drum turner U 1. can do this only, when the
lever U of the gun is brought home.
This is the first act of the lever pressed upwards.
The second act of the upward moving lever U is done by the front arm U 2, which
with one of its two projections (a a) touches the crank E₁ and which with the help of

page_text: the intermediate toothed wheels EC and the rack W₁ pushes the loading bolt Was
far forward, that it enters a little into the barrel and that it keeps there the cartridge
in its right position for being fired in the barrel chamber.
The third and last act of the upward moving lever U is done by the back-arm U 3,
which with the help of the intermediate toothed wheels D B and racks K, K 1, makes
the sliding breech block K or "recoil bolt" slide downward and fix itself firmly in the
body of the action V behind the loading-bolt W.
The lever U forms also the trigger-guard and extends under the gun stock.
The lever U carries with its head U4 the auxiliary extractor W3 a. The same is
turning with its lower end in the pivot hole of the levers head U 4. When the
lever is depressed, it pushes the lower end of the auxiliary extractor W 3 a
forward.
C
The auxiliary extractor W 3a pivoting round the pivot-pin, going through its
middle part; moves with its upper end backward and loosens by this short movement
the cartridge-shell, generally sticking fast, after being fired, in the barrel chamber.
By this arrangement the loading bolt W is also during its backward movement,
obliged to move only the weight of the cartridge or that of the empty cartridge shell
alone and not more.
apply for firing the cartridge in the barrel chamber the old reliable flat spring
and a hammer striking a blow to the head of the already mentioned striker W 2.
When the gun is closed and loaded, the cartridge is in the barrel-chamber. Behind
the bottom of the cartridge we see the loading bolt, W. Behind the loading-bolt,
which is carrying the striker W 2 and the extractor W, we see the sliding breech-
block K firmly embedded in the breech-shoe V.
The sliding breech-block K has a vertical slit for the striker W 2. The latter
projects a little over the hindmost surface of the sliding breech-block, which rides on
the striker. The lock is arranged in such a way, that the hammer hits this projecting
head of the striker W 2.
It is necessary, that the loading-bolt Wand striker W2 should find no obstruction
on their backward. way. None of them should, as it happens in the old
"Winchester repeater,-meet the hammer. With revolvers I arrange therefore
the whole lock on the lever U and thus, while depressing the lever Û remove the
hammer H in right time.
With shoulder-guns I arrange the lock on a lock plate and remove the hammer H
in right time by cocking it.
::
I put in a shoulder gun-lock on the same axis J, as the hammer H but outside of
the lock plate a disk A, called the "cocking-piece," with one armi A1 projecting"
backward. I pivot a cocking lever G to an axis S, fastened to the outside of the fore
part of the lock plate. This cocking lever has a cocking peg" G 2 standing always
above the arm A1. of the cocking-piece. Pressing the cocking peg G2 of the,
cocking lever downwards, makes the arm of the cocking piece A 1. move downwards;
makes this piece A consequently turn the axis J of the hammer H and cocks therefore
the latter. The angle described by the cocking peg G2 round its own axis, S in the
fore part of the lock-plate, is thrice as small as the angle described by the hammer H.
and by the cocking-piece A round their common axis J. By lengthening the cocking
lever G backwards beyond the cocking peg G 2 as far as it is thought convenient, the
force, required for cocking the lock, is diminished more and more. The cocking of
the hammer H could be done by pressing the "thumb piece "G1 at the hindmost end
of the cocking-lever downwards with the right thumb or by connecting the cocking-
lever G with the gun-lever U by a chain. The cocking lever G is automatically
turned upward again by a spiral-spring coiled round the axis S. I apply a back-
actioned lock, but make the mainspring MS, strike out in a downward direction,
deviating thus from the common, because the action of the hammer required this.
The spring is connected by a swivel with a tumbler, but this tumbler T does not
carry, as usually, the notches or bents for the scear. These notches for the scear are
cut into a particular part, a second tumbler Q; which tumbler is also carried on the
axis of the hammer H.

page_text: ::
In a pistol, or revolver, which is generally handled with one hand only it was
necessary to support this one hand in opening the pistol by spiral springs at each end
of the lever U. The same cause made it necessary to use another cocking arrange-
ment of the hammer, as in the lock of the shoulder gun. I pivoted therefore the
cocking rod H 1. with its fore-end in the pivot-hole of the head of the breech-
shoe V 3, while the lever was pivoted in the pivot-hole e. The lever U and the
cocking-rod H are thus made radii of two excentric circles. These two circles (made
by certain corresponding points of the two radii); converge, when the lever is
depressed they diverge with the opposite movement of the lever U, or said otherwise,
when the pistol or gun is closed.
21
::
The converging of these two circles-of which one is described by the backmost end
of the cocking rod H., gliding forward and backward in the cocking slit" of the
hammer H, and of which the other is described by the axis of the hammer H, being
lodged in the lever U-is employed to cock the hammer H, as the drawing clearly
shows it. When the lever U is brought home to position, the end of the cocking
rodH, retires by and by into the foremost end of the cocking slit" of the.
"cocked hammer H. This position of the hindmost end of the cocking rod H,
allows to discharge the "cocked hammer without hindrance, when the pistol has
been safely closed. The gradual retiring of the hindmost end of the cocking rod H,
into the foremost end of the "cocking slit of the hammer H. serves as a safety
against a premature discharge of the cocked hammer. The hammer H is held in the
position cocked by some of the usually applied arrangements. This pistol can be
cocked in three different ways, firstly in the newly invented manner by opening the
gun lever U, secondly and thirdly in the usual manner by pulling the trigger L
backwards and by cocking the hammer directly with the thumb, which is done here-
a little deviating from the common-by the outside lying "cocking lever" G.
::
A spring catch W 6, worked when necessary by the trigger-fingers back, forms the
means to open and close the pistol easily.
To be able to connect double barrels, lying one over the other and being, even, of a
different calibre with the repeating mechanism in such a way, that one of them could
be brought alternately before the striker, to fire quickly either a shot with the rifled
or with the smooth barrel, I open that part of the body of the action, which in
military rifles contains the female screw for the barrel and which is commonly called
the head of the breèch-shoe V 3 at both sides and make in the remaining upper and
under branch incisions for the corresponding projections M M of the barrels. The
barrels are brought in safe connection with the body of the action V 3, by putting the
shallow pivot-hole M. 1 of their breech end over the corresponding pivot peg N of
the breech-shoe and turning them with their projections M into the corresponding
incisions. Annular grooves M, M, had to be cut in the hindmost surface of the breech
end of the barrels for the extractor head W 3. Some arrangement must be made, for
instance the bolt N 1. to prevent the unintentional turning of the barrels.
The manipulation of the gun is as follows:
The gun must first be filled with cartridges.
The wing-
The gun is opened for that purpose by depressing the lever U.
piece F3 F4 can now be turned freely by one finger, after the finger has lifted the
ejector lid F 1.
The wing-piece is filled with handfulls of cartridges by the quick-loading lid, or by
single cartridges by the ejector lid; meanwhile the wing piece is turned by one finger.
After this has been done, the lever U is brought home; the gun is now ready for
firing, one cartridge being in the barrel.
The manipulation to discharge the lock is as usual. The action of the lock-parts
needs no explanation.
If the firing of the gun shall be continued, without taking the gun. from the
shoulder and if the cocking lever G is not connected with the lever U, it is necessary,
to move the thumb-lying on the left and upper surface of the "hand of the
stock in the direction of the trigger finger, (the latter being still in the trigger
guard).

page_text: This movement of the thumb closes the hand and cocks at the samo time the lock
by means of the cocking lever G. The trigger finger (remaining alway in the guard)
continues the movement-inaugurated by the thumb-and depresses the lever U a
distance, which is as short as of the length of the cartridge.
The rotating wing-piece brings one empty shell to the ejector lid, where it falls out
and brings at the same time a new cartridge before the loading bolt W and the barrel
chamber.
The lever U is brought home by the 3. 4. 5. fingers of the right hand, when this
hand goes upwards to take hold again of the "hand" of the stock.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I.
claim is:
In a breech loading repeating gun with a drum shaped magazine and an under-
lever the following improvements in connection with each other:
1. The combination of the sliding breech-block principle with the cylindrical bolt-
principle the interpolation of the cylindrical loading bolt W, provided with a
rack W, between the sliding breech-block K and the breech end of the barrel.
2. The mechanism, that changes the upward and downward going movement of
the gun lever U into the forward and backward going movement of the cylindrical
loading-bolt W, which mechanism consists of the rack U2 the toothed wheels CE, the
crank E1, in their connection with the under lever U and the cylindrical breech
piece W.
3. The upward rising and downward going movement of the sliding breech-block-K,
provided with one or two racks K₁ K₁, which movements are produced by means of
the toothed wheels B D, in connection with the back arm of the under lever U, the
rack U 3, by which means the sliding breech block K opens or closes in right time
the breech of the gun.
4. The application of the auxiliary extractor W 3 a pivoted in C to the head U 4
of the gun lever U and set in motion by the same, for helping the common
extractor W3, resting on the loading-bolt W, to fulfill its task.
5.-The mechanism for turning the wing-piece F3 F4 of the magazine by means
of the gun lever, that is by the drum turner U 1; and the mechanism for fixing the
wing piece in right time in the right position by the gun lever, that is to say by
the glide-bolt W with its spring W 1, in connection with the piece W 2.
6. The application and particular attachment of the ejector lid F 1, turning round
an axis lying on the surface of the mantle F. The automatical opening of the lid F 1,
for allowing the cartridge-shells to fall out, produced by the wings F4. of the wing-
piece pressing downwards the inner projections 1. of the lid F 1. in contrast with the
ejecting-mechanisms of other similar fire-arms.
7. The application and particular attachment of the quick-loading lid F 2, turning
round an axis lying on the surface of the mantle F, by which construction the gun
can be loaded by handfulls of unarranged cartridges so that out of this mass of
unarranged cartridges, the wing-piece is enabled to scoop them for permanent
uninterrupted firing, in contrast to the loading of the respective magazines of fire-
arms by single cartridges or by a number of cartridges arranged in a certain and
distinct order.
8. The mechanism for cocking the lock of the shoulder gun, consisting of the
cocking lever G turning round its own axis S in connection with the cocking-piece A,
which piece being outside of the lock-plate, rests on the axis J of the hammer H; by
the combination of which parts the very large angle, described by the hammer during
its cocking, is very considerably reduced and yet the hand is enabled to overpower
with small effort the force of the main spring M S.
9. The arrangement of the parts of the lock in contrast to the locks built on lock
plates of similar fire-arms consisting of the application of the back lying, but downward
striking main spring MS, further consisting of the application of two tumblers T

page_text: and Q, of which the first T is used for connecting the main spring with the axis of the
hammer as usually, and the second Q is employed to have the notches for the scear
cut in.
10. The construction of the head V8 of the body of the action for the reception
of a pair of double barrels, which construction allows, that by a simple change, for
instance a rifle or a shot-gun barrel could (even, of different calibres) be used with
the same repeating mechanism.
11. The deviation form the above characterised repeating mechanism, for applying
it to one handed guns or pistols, consisting of building the lock upon the gun-lever U,
with which it is moving up and down, when the gun is closed or opened; the
mechanism for cocking the hammer consisting of the cocking rod H₁-and the
application of spiral springs at the ends of the gun lever U, to support the hand in
opening the gun.
All substantially as described above.
: