Improvements in Magazine Small-arms.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug.,
1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ROBERT MAYO CATLIN, of Tuscarora, in the
State of Nevada, United States of America, Civil and Mining Engineer.]
Improvements in Magazine Small-arms.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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:-
This invention relates to that general class of firearms known as magazine or
repeating guns, but the invention relates particularly to a gun of this class in
which the energy developed by the recoil of the gun when it is fired, is stored up,
and utilized in extracting the empty cartridge shell, introducing a new cartridge
into the barrel, and cocking the haminer for the next discharge.
In order to aid in a more ready understanding of the detailed description of the
constriction and operation of the gun, which will be hereinafter given, a brief
preliminary description of its organization will first be given.
The general organization of the gun is much the same as that of the well-known
Winchester. The barrel is mortised vertically at its breech, so as to permit the
cartridge to be introduced from beneath, and the empty shell to be ejected at the
top. The magazine is located beneath the barrel, and is provided at its rear end
with a carrier which serves to transfer the cartridges one by one from the magazine
into proper position to be introduced into the barrel, and at the same time eject the
empty shell resulting from the last discharge. The barrel of the gun, however,
instead of being rigidly attached to the stock, is made capable of a limited longi-
tudinal movement with relation to the stock, it being guided in its movement by
guides or thimbles which surround the barrel and are secured to the magazine, which
latter is secured rigidly to the stock.
Located at the rear end of the barrel is a powerful spring, which, when the gun
is fired, receives and is compressed by the force of the recoil. The expansion of
this spring, which takes place immediately after the force of the recoil is expended,
restores the barrel to its original position, and in so doing operates through suitable
connections to withdraw the breech bolt or block, to open the breech, extract
the empty shell from the barrel, cock the hammer for the next discharge, and
introduce a fresh cartridge into the barrel.
The gun is also provided with a hand lever located beneath the stock in the
usual position, by which the gun can, when desired, be loaded and the hammer
cocked in the ordinary manner. The trigger mechanism is also so constructed that
the gunner can, when he desires, allow the hammer to operate automatically to
fire the cartridge immediately after it has been introduced into the barrel by the
recoil-operated mechanism, and thus the several cartridges contained in the
magazine may be automatically introduced into the barrel, and fired in succession,
without any manipulation of the gun upon the part of the gunner. The organization
thus briefly outlined will now be described more in detail, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a gun embodying the present invention,
the
parts being shown in the position they occupy when the gun is loaded, but with
the hammer resting upon the firing pin.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken through the barrel.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing the parts in the position they occupy after

page_text: of the recoil, has expanded, and operated to retract the breech bolt and extract
the empty shell, and after the carrier has raised a fresh cartridge into position
to be introduced into the barrel by the forward movement of the breech bolt.
:
Fig. 5 is a cross section taken upon the line 5 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a cross section taken upon the line 6 of the same figure.
Fig. 7 is a cross section taken upon the line 7 of the same figure.
Fig. 8 is an
enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 4, showing the trigger mechanism
in a different position.
Referring to said drawings, it is to be understood that the barrel A of the gun
is free to move longitudinally for a limited distance independent of the stock and
the other parts. The barrel is held in position, and guided in its movements by
rings or thimbles 20, which surround the barrel, and are rigidly connected to the
magazine B, which is located beneath the barrel. The guides 20 are provided
with spring extensions 2, which press against the barrel to prevent it from having
any lateral movement in the guides. The barrel is provided at its rear end with
a breech piece C, which forms, in effect, a part of the barrel, and which enters a
cylindrical guide D located at the rear end of the. barrel, and rigidly secured to
the metal frame-work E, which contains the lock mechanism, and forms a part of
the stock. The forward movement of the barrel and its breech piece C, is limited
by the rear guide 20, and the rearward movement of the barrel and breech piece
is limited by a shoulder 3 formed upon the guide D, which engages with the
corresponding shoulder formed upon the breech piece. The barrel is normally held
in its forward position by means of a powerful spring G, which is arranged within
the tubular guide D, and abuts against the rear end of the breech piece of the
barrel. The rear end of the guide is closed by a screw plug 21, by which the
tension of the spring G can be adjusted with great nicety. The breech piece C,
which forms the continuation of the barrel, is mortised vertically as indicated at 22,
so as to receive the cartridge a from beneath, and allow the empty shell to be
ejected upward through the mortise in the manner common in this general class of
firearms. The mortise 22 in the breech piece registers with a similar vertical
mortise 23 formed in the stock, and with which communicates the rear end of the
magazine B, which is located beneath the barrel in the usual position. The
magazine is provided with the usual means for receiving its supply of cartridges a,
and with the usual spring-pressed follower 24 for moving the cartridges rearward
into the mortise 23, and into position to be moved upward into register with the
bore of the barrel.
Located within the tubular breech piece C which forms the rearward extension
of the barrel, is a reciprocating breech bolt or block H, which is arranged to move
forward through the mortise 22, with its forward end in position to close the rear
end of the barrel and hold the cartridge therein. The breech bolt H is normally
maintained in its forward position by means of a spring I arranged between a
shoulder on the breech bolt and the rear end of the breech piece C. The breech
bolt is provided with a rearward extension 25, which passes through an opening
in the rear end of the breech piece, and through an opening in the plug 21,
and is in position, when the breech bolt is retracted, to engage with the hammer,
and rock it to the rearward into position of full cock, the hammer being preferably
provided upon its upper side with a small bowl 4, to reduce the friction between
the hammer and the extension 25, as the latter passes above the former, as shown
in Figs. 4 and 8. The breech bolt and its extension 25 are perforated longi-
tudinally to receive the firing pin 26, which terminates in a small head located in
a recess in the end of the extension 25, and arranged to receive the blow of the
hammer. The firing pin is provided with the usual light spring 5, for normally
holding it slightly retracted from the cap in the end of the cartridge.
Located within the mortise 23, is a carrier 27, which is of suitable form to
receive a cartridge, and is normally maintained in position to permit the rear
cartridge contained in the magazine, to be pressed rearward into the carrier by the
spring follower. This carrier is adapted to move vertically in the mortises 23
L

page_text: and 22, so as to carry the cartridge contained in it from the position in which it is
received from the magazine (see Fig. 3) to a position in register with the bore of
the barrel (see Fig. 4). For this purpose, the carrier is carried upon two arms 28,
which are pivoted to the frame E, as indicated at 29. Located beneath the
arms 28 is a spring 30, the tendency of which is to raise the arms and the carrier 27
into position to carry the cartridge contained in the carrier upward into register
with the bore of the barrel. The carrier is normally maintained in its depressed
position by means of side flanges 19 (see Fig. 6), which bear against the under side
of the breech bolt H.
The breech bolt H is locked in its forward position so as to form a solid abutment
for the rear end of the cartridge, when the same is exploded, by means of a latch 31,
which is pivoted to the breech piece C of the barrel, as indicated at 18, and the
forward end of which enters a recess 6 formed in the underside of the breech bolt,
so as to hold the latter rigidly in its forward position. The latch 31 is provided
with a bifurcated rearward extension having a pin 7, which is acted upon by a
spring 32, to normally hold the latch in position to enter the recess 6. The
pin 7 is also acted upon by the incline 8 of a block 33, which forms a tripping
device, which is so arranged, that as the barrel and its breech piece C near
the limit of their rearward movement, as will be hereinafter explained, the pin 7
will ride up the incline 8, and thereby rock the latch 31, so as to trip it, and
disengage it from the recess 6, and release the breech bolt. The purpose of
this will be made clear when the operation of the gun is explained. The latch 31,
as will be observed, is weighted in front of its pivot 18, so that the tendency of the
latch is to disengage itself from the recess 6, and the spring 32 is so formed, as will
also be observed, that it does not act to rock the latch into position to enter the
recess 6, except when the barrel which carries the latch is at or near the forward
limit of its movement. The purpose of this will also appear when the operation of
the gun is described.
The breech bolt H is provided, near its rear end, with two laterally projecting
studs 9 (see Fig. 2), which pass through slots in the sides of the breech piece C,
and enter slotted openings in a pair of levers 34, which are fulcrummed upon a
bolt 35, passing through the frame E. The levers 34 are provided, between the
studs 9 and their fulcrum 35, with forward projections, which are connected by a
bolt 36 which passes through slotted openings in the bifurcated lower end of
a lever 37, which is fulcrummed upon the frame E, as indicated at 38, with its upper.
end normally in position to be engaged by the forward end of the latch 31, when
the latter is rocked downward by the incline 8, as will be hereinafter explained.
The principal functions of the parts which have thus far been described, are to
utilize the force of the recoil due to the discharge of the gun, to reload and cock
the same for the next discharge. It is, however, as will readily be seen, necessary
that the gun should be loaded before this automatic reloading can take place. It
is therefore necessary to provide means by which. the gun can, when necessary, be
loaded by hand. I will therefore, before describing the operation of the gun in
automatically reloading and cocking by means of the recoil, describe the construc-
tion and operation of the devices by which the gun is loaded in the first instance,
and also the trigger mechanism.
The block 33 is made capable of vertical movement, and is provided at its lower
end with a stud 39, which is engaged by a cam 10, which is pivoted upon the
bolt 35, and is provided with a rearwardly extending lever K, which forms the
trigger guard in substantially the same manner as in the well known Winchester.
The cam 10 is also provided with two laterally projecting shoulders 17, which are
arranged to engage with the levers 34, so as to rock the latter rearward, as will be
presently explained, there being, however, sufficient lost motion between the
shoulders 17, and the levers 34, to permit the block 33 to be raised to rock the
latch 31, and disengage it from the recess 6, before the shoulders 17 will engage
with the levers, and commence to move the breech bolt rearward.
The hammer L is of substantially the usual form, it being fulcrummed; .as

page_text: indicated at 40, and provided with a spring 41, causing it to strike against the
firing pin with sufficient force. The hammer is maintained in its cocked position
by means of a sear 42, which is pivoted at 11, and is provided with a spring 43,
the tendency of which is to throw it into engagement with the usual notches upon
the hammer. The trigger 44 is pivoted as indicated at 12, and is provided with a
spring 45, by which it is normally rocked to its forward position. Pivoted
upon the trigger is a bell crank lever 13, one arm of which is bifurcated, and
straddles the scar and hammer, with its ends projecting beneath a stud 14, which
passes through the hammer. The lever 13 is provided with a spring 15, the
tendency of which is to rock the lever into position, to maintain the arms of its
bifurcated end in engagement with the stud 14. The sear 42 is provided with a
shoulder 16, which is so positioned with relation to the lever 13, that when the hammer
is in its cocked position, the crotch of said lever will be in position to engage
with the sear above the shoulder, while when the hammer is in its uncocked
position, the crotch of the lever 13 will be in position to pass beneath the
shoulder 16.
The remaining features in the construction and organisation of the gun will be
described in connection with the explanation of its operation, which is as
follows:-
The magazine having been supplied with cartridges, the rear cartridge in the
line will be forced out of the rear end of the magazine into the carrier 27, where it
will rest between the flanges 19, as indicated in Figures 1 and 3. Assuming now
that no cartridge is in the barrel of the gun, the manner of loading is as follows:-
The lever K will be swung from the position shewn by full lines in Figure 4, to
the position shewn by dotted lines in said figure. During the first part of the
movement of the lever, the cam 10 will act upon the stud 39, and raise the block 33
against the pin 7, so as to rock the latch 31 against the tension of the spring 32,
and out of engagement with the recess 6, thereby releasing the breech bolt H so
that it may be moved rearward against the tension of the spring I. After this
takes place, the continued movement of the lever K will bring the shoulders 17 into
engagement with the lovers 34, thereby rocking said levers from the position shewn
in Figure 3, to the position shewn in Fig. 4. As the levers 34 are thus rocked to
the rearward, they act upon the studs 9, and move the breech bolt to the rear-
ward into the position shewn in Figure 4, thereby compressing the spring. The
spring being much more powerful than the spring I, the barrel will not be moved
rearwardly. As the breech bolt is thus moved to the rearward, its extension 25
acts upon the hammer L, and cocks it, in which position it is retained by the
sear 42, as also indicated in Figure 4.
It will be understood that the hammer is partially cocked by the rearward
movement of the breech bolt with the barrel in the recoil movement, the further
retraction of the breech bolt by the spring G completing the movement of the
hammer, by bringing it to the position of full-cock. From an examination of
Figures 3 and 4, it will be apparent that the hammer, if desired, may be cocked
wholly by the recoil movement, the arc through which the hammer moves varying
but slightly from half cock to full cock. If the sine of the arc of full cock be
made equal to the distance the barrel moves in the recoil, it is evident that the
recoil will full cock the hammer.
As soon as the breech bolt H has been retracted, as just described, so as to be
withdrawn from its position above the flanges 19 of the carrier, the spring 30 acts
to raise the carrier, and the cartridge contained therein, from the position shewn
in Figure 3, to the position shewn in Figure 4, thereby bringing the cartridge
directly in front of the breech bolt, and in register with the bore of the barrel.
As the cartridge is thus raised, the flange upon its rear end passes within the
hooks 46 formed upon the sides of the front end of the breech bolt, as indicated
in Figures 2 and 4. These hooks form the extractor for the empty shell, but it is
to be understood that the extractor may be of different form, if preferred. As
soon as the breech bolt has been retracted, with the results just mentioned, the

page_text: bolt forward, so as to enter the fresh cartridge into the barrel, and lower the
carrier to its normal position, as before explained. The gun is now in condition
for a second discharge, by simply pressing the trigger, and so the operation may
continue to be repeated until the entire magazine is exhausted, the only operation
necessary on the part of the gunner being to press the trigger at the proper
times.
From what has been said, it will readily be seen that the reloading of the gun
and recocking of the hammer follow very quickly upon the discharge. For this
reason, it might happen, if means were not provided for preventing it, that the
gunner should continue the pressure upon the trigger, so long after the discharge,
as to prevent the sear from engaging with the notch on the hammer, to retain
it in its cocked position, and thus a premature second discharge might. take
place.
To prevent this, the sear is provided with the shoulder 16, and the hammer with
the pin 14, to engage with the end of the lever 13. As soon as the crotch of the
lever 13 is pressed against the sear above the shoulder 16, to release the hammer,
and as the hammer descends, the pin 14 engages with the forked end of the lever 13,
and works said lever downward to such a position, as indicated in Figure 3, as to
allow the shoulder 16 to pass above the fork, and thus leave the scar free to engage
with the notches of the hammer, when the latter is cocked by the retraction of the
breech bolt, as before explained, and this will be the case, even though the gunner
continue to press the trigger slightly.
There may be cases when it will be desirable to remove the sear permanently
out of engagement with the hammer, so as to allow the hammer to descend auto-
matically immediately upon the forward movement of the breech bolt, and thus
explode the cartridge without waiting for the gunner to press the trigger. When
this is desired, the gunner will draw the trigger back as far as possible, and hold it
in that position, which will allow the crotch of the lever 13 to pass beneath the
shoulder 16 of the sear, and act against the sear at that point, to rock the sear
away from the hammer, as indicated in Figure 8. By drawing the trigger to, and
holding it in this position, the hammer will not be arrested in its cocked position,
but will descend immediately upon the forward movement of the breech bolt, and
its inertia will be sufficient when it is arrested by the arrival of the bolt at the limit
of its forward movement, to drive the firing pin forward with sufficient force to
explode the cartridge, and by this means the gun will be successively loaded and
fired until the entire magazine is exhausted, without any action on the part of the
gunner further than the continued holding of the trigger in the position shewn in
Figure 8.
The form of breech bolt or block may be varied without departing substantially
from the invention, and the form and arrangement of the connections for trans-
mitting the power of the spring G to the breech bolt or block, may also be varied
without departing from the invention.
To
It will frequently be desirable to remove the cartridge from the gun barrel, so as
to leave the gun in an unloaded condition, when it is not required for use.
enable this to be most readily accomplished, without emptying the entire magazine,
the magazine is provided, just at its rear end, and at the point of its junction with
the carrier 27, with a spring-pressed latch 48, the upper end of which is arranged
to be moved into position behind the rearmost cartridge in the magazine, so as to
prevent said cartridge from passing into the carrier, as indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 7. When, therefore, it is desired to remove the cartridge from the barrel,
the latch 48 is moved to, and held in this position, and the lever K is operated so
as to withdraw the cartridge from the barrel, and allow the cartridge contained in
the carrier to be raised into position in front of the breech bolt. As the carrier is
raised, the cartridge withdrawn from the barrel will be ejected through the top of
the mortise 22.
Upon the reverse movement of the lever K, the cartridge contained in the carrier

page_text: lever K will be restored to its normal position, and as this takes place, the spring!
will expand, and move the breech bolt forward, so as to drive the cartridge forward
out of the carrier, and introduce it into the barrel, as indicated in Fig. 1. As
the breech bolt is thus moved forward, and after it has moved sufficiently far
to carry the rear end of the cartridge and the head of the bolt beyond the
flanges 19 of the carrier, the studs 9 engage with inclines 47 formed upon the
upper edges of the arms 28, and depress said arms against the tension of
the spring 30, so as to restore the carrier to its normal position, and permit the
next cartridge in the magazine to be forced rearward onto the carrier. It will be
observed, that as the breech bolt is moved forward to drive the cartridge into the
barrel, it passes through the carrier, and below the flanges 19, but said flanges
being made of spring metal, will spread sufficiently to readily pass over the breech
bolt, as the carrier is restored to its depressed position by the studs 9. As the
breech bolt reaches the limit of its forward movement, and when it has fully
entered the cartridge into the bore of the barrel, the spring 32. acting upon the
stud 7, will rock the latch 31. and cause it to enter the recess 6, so as to lock the
breech bolt in position. The gun is now loaded, and in condition for firing.
To fire the gun, pressure is applied to the trigger, so as to move the lever 13
rearward, and cause its crotch to engage with the sear 42 above the shoulder 16,
thereby rocking the sear upon its pivot 11, so as to release the hammer, and allow
it to strike against the firing pin, and explode the cartridge.
As soon as the explosion takes place, the force of the expanding gases will
cause the barrel and the breech piece C connected thereto, to recoil against the
tension of the spring G, thereby compressing said spring. The extent of the
rearward movement of the barrel during the recoil, will depend on the strength of
the spring G, and the size of the charge, but the two will in practice be preferably
so adjusted that the rearward movement of the barrel will be about half an inch.
As the barrel and its breech piece are moved rearward by the force of the recoil,
the stud 7 of the latch 31 travels on the straight upper edge of the block 33,
thereby allowing the latch to remain in the recess 6, and lock the breech bolt
rigidly in its position, to prevent the rearward movement of the cartridge shell in
the barrel, and this continues until the limit of the rearward movement of the
barrel has been nearly reached, when the stud 7 engages with the incline 8 of the
block 33, thereby tripping the latch, so as to release the breech bolt, and at
the same time carry the forward end of the latch into a position to engage with
the upper end of the lever 37, when the latch moves forward, as will be presently
explained. At the time this takes place, the barrel has reached the limit of its
rearward movement, and the full effect of the powder has been exerted upon the
ball. As soon as the full force of the recoil has been expended in compressing the
spring G, the spring will expand to its normal condition, and in thus expanding,
will move the barrel and its breech piece C forward, and restore them to their
normal position. As the barrel is thus moved forward, the latch 31 will
engage
with the upper end of the lever 37, and rock it upon its fulcrum, so as to move the
lever 34 rearward to the position shewn in Figure 4, and this will operate, as
already explained, to retract the breech bolt against the spring I, and cock the
hammer. As the breech bolt is retracted, its hooks 46, being in engagement with
the flange of the empty cartridge shell, will extract it from the barrel, and as the
breech bolt reaches the limit of its rearward movement, the spring 30 will raise
the carrier, and bring a fresh cartridge into position in front of the breech bolt, as
before explained.
As the carrier is raised, the flanges 19 will engage with the empty shell, and
drive it out from between the hooks 46, and expel it from the top of the mortise 22.
Just as the barrel arrives at the limit of its forward movement, the pin 7 will
engage with the forward end of the spring 32, and rock the latch 31 upward, so as
to disengage it from the upper end of the lever 37, thereby releasing said lever.
As soon as this takes place, the spring I will expand, thereby moving the breech

page_text: will pass into the barrel, and by then repeating the operation, this second cartridge
can be removed, leaving the gun uncharged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring put
under tension by the recoil of the barrel, and a breech bolt operated to open the
breech by the return movement of the spring, substantially as described.
2. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring put
under tension by the recoil of the barrel, and a breech bolt and extractor operated
by the return movement of the spring, to open the breech and extract the empty
shell, substantially as described.
3. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring put
under tension by the recoil of the barrel, a breech bolt operated by the return
movement of the spring to open the breech, a firing pin, and a hammer cocked by
the return movement of the spring, substantially as described.
4. The combination with a longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring put
under tension by the recoil of the barrel, a breech bolt and extractor operated by
the return movement of the spring to open the breech and extract the empty shell,
a firing pin, and a hammer cocked by the return movement of the spring, sub-
stantially as described.
5. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring put
under tension by the recoil of the barrel, a breech bolt operated by the return
movement of the spring to open the breech, a magazine, and a spring-actuated
carrier for transferring the cartridges from the magazine to the barrel, when the
breech is open, substantially as described.
6. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring put
under tension by the recoil of the barrel, a breech bolt and extractor operated by
the return movement of the spring, to open the breech and extract the empty shell,
a magazine, and a spring-actuated carrier for transferring the cartridges from the
magazine to the barrel, when the breech is open, substantially as described.
7. The combination with the barrel, of a spring put under tension by the recoil,
a breech bolt operated by the return movement of the spring to open the breech,
and a hand lever connected to said breech bolt for operating the latter independently
of its automatic action, substantially as described.
8. The combination with the barrel, of a spring put under tension by the recoil,
a breech bolt operated by the return movement of the spring to open the breech,
and another spring put under tension by the opening of the breech, and re-acting
upon the breech bolt, to close the breech, when the force of the breech opening
spring is expended, substantially as described.
9. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring put
under tension by the recoil of the barrel, a breech bolt operated by the return
movement of the spring to open the breech, a latch for locking the breech bolt in
position to close the breech, and a tripping device for operating the latch to
release the bolt at or near the limit of the recoil movement, substantially as
described.
10. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring put
under tension by the recoil of the barrel, a breech bolt operated by the return
movement of the spring to open the breech, a latch for locking the breech bolt in
position to close the breech, a tripping device for operating the latch to release the
bolt at or near the limit of the recoil movement, and a hand lever and connections
for operating the bolt and latch independently of their automatic action, substantially
as described.
11. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring put
under tension by the recoil of the barrel, and re-acting to return the barrel to its

page_text: normal position, and a breech bolt connected to the barrel and operated by its
return movement to open the breech, substantially as described.
12. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring
put under tension by the recoil of the barrel, and re-acting to return the barrel to
its normal position, and a hammer cocked by said return movement of the spring,
substantially as described.
13. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring
put under tension by the recoil of the barrel, and a hammer partially cocked by
the recoil movement of the barrel, and brought to full cock by the return movement
of the spring, substantially as described.
14. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel and its breech bolt,
of a compound lever connected to and operating the breech bolt, to open the breech,
means for returning the barrel to its normal position after recoil, and a latch
carried by the barrel, and engaging and actualing the lever for the retraction
of the breech bolt, as the barrel returns to its normal position, substantially as
described.
15. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, of a spring
put under tension by the recoil of the barrel, a breech bolt, a lever having a long
arm connected to said breech bolt, and a short arm acted upon by the spring in its
return movement, whereby the breech bolt is operated to open. the breech,
substantially as described.
16. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel and its breech bolt,
of a compound lever connected to and operating the breech bolt to open the breech,
means for returning the barrel to its normal position after recoil, a latch carried by
the barrel and locking the breech bolt to the barrel during the recoil movement,
and a tripping device moving said latch into position to release the breech bolt,
and to engage and operate the lever as the barrel returns to its normal position,
substantially as described.
17. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel and its breech bolt,
of latch 31 carried by said barrel, a lever mechanism operated by said latch in the
forward movement of the barrel for the retraction of the breech bolt, and a
tripping device throwing the latch out of engagement with the lever mechanism,
when the breech bolt has fully retracted, substantially as described.
18. The combination with the longitudinally movable barrel, its breech piece and
breech bolt, of the spring G placed at the rear of the breech piece and surrounding
the breech bolt, connections between the spring G and the breech bolt, whereby
the return movement of the spring retracts the breech bolt, and a spring I
inside the breech piece put under tension by the retraction of the breech bolt,
and operating to return the breech bolt to its normal position, when the force
of spring G is expended, substantially as described.
19. The combination with the hammer and its recoil-operated cocking mechanism,
of a sear for holding the hammer in its cocked position, a trigger carrying a
pivotted lever arranged to engage with said sear to release the hammer,
and a stud upon the hammer arranged to engage with said lever and rock
the same to release the sear when the hammer falls, substantially as described.
20. The combination with the breech bolt H, of a spring pressed carrier 27,
through which the breech bolt passes in closing the breech, and means for
depressing the carrier after the breech bolt has passed through it, said carrier
being provided with one or more spring flanges yielding to allow the carrier to be
depressed, and holding the carrier in its depressed position as the breech bolt is
retracted, substantially as described.
21. The combination with the breech bolt H, of a spring-pressed carrier 27,
through which the breech bolt passes in closing the breech, pivotted arms 28
supporting said carrier and provided with cam surfaces engaged by the breech
bolt in its forward movement, whereby the carrier is depressed against the tension
of its spring, said carrier being provided with one or more spring flanges yielding

page_text: to allow the carrier to be depressed, and holding the carrier in its depressed
position as the breech bolt is retracted, substantially as described.
22. The carrier 27 composed of a rigid tube of sufficient size to admit the
cartridge, and having the spring flanges 19 on each side forming a slot normally of
less width than the bore of the tube, substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of June 1891.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.