IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1876

page_text: 18
LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-ARMS." A. communication from abroad by La Société Industrielle Suisse,
of Neuhausen, near Schaffhausen, in the Republic of Switzerland.
Sealed the 14th October 1870, and dated the 28th April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th April 1876.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS." A communication from abroad by
La Société Industrielle Suisse, of Neuhausen, near Schaffhausen, in the Republic of
Switzerland.
This Invention relates more particularly to that description of fire-arm, in respect
of which Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date the 30th December 1872,
No. 3955, and it consists of various improvements applicable to this system of gun
as herein-after described.
In carrying out this Invention the fixed breech piece and the strap extending
therefrom of the single action gun are formed in one piece in lieu of in two pieces
as heretofore, whereby increased solidity is imparted to the gun, and greater facility
is afforded for the to-and-fro working of the obturator or sliding bolt. In order to
prevent the obturator from leaving the fixed breech piece, the latter is provided
with a moveable vertical. rod, the head of which passes through the body of the
breech piece so as to form a stop bearing against a projection formed on the
extremity of the obturator. This stop rod is acted on by a spiral or other, suitable
spring which bears against the inner portion of the trigger guard plate, and tends
to press the rod constantly upwards under the obturator. This stop arrangement
has the effect of facilitating the dismounting of the obturator or moveable breech,
because in order to take this latter out of the gun it suffices to pull the vertical rod
by means of an external knob or button in which it terminates, which operation
may be performed by the left hand while the right hand removes the obturator.
In the new system of closing adopted according to this Invention, and which
is applicable both to single action guns and repeating fire-arms, the mechanism
Price 677

page_text: destined to open and close the breech consists of a boss formed in one with the
actuating lever and acting by inclined planes, with which it is provided, upon
inclined surfaces or projections, which form part of the fixed breech piece. These
projections, which are formed on the interior of the breech piece, correspond on their
acting faces with the acting faces of the boss, and the two series slide one over the
other in such a inanner that in pushing the boss into the breech and causing it to
turn by means of the actuating lever in order to close the breech the action
resembles that of a screw or a nut, and causes the obturator to advance against the
cartridge; in a similar manner when opening the breech the obturator is pushed
back by the effect of the inclined planes on the boss, and the projections on the
breech piece and this backward motion causes the displacement of the cartridge
case from the interior of the breech. and facilitates its extraction.
The detent which it is proposed to employ is somewhat analogous to that
adopted in the guns on what are known as the Dreyse, Manser, or Chassepôt
system.
Another improvement relates to the arrangement of the trigger guard and breech
piece, and consists in the adaptation of a screw passing through the trigger guard
plate and which is screwed into a projection formed upon the breech piece in such
a manner as to leave the trigger guard plate and the breech piece united when the
large screw or headed rod employed has been withdrawn for the purpose of cleaning
the inside of the barrel. In order to enable this cleaning operation to be effected,
the rod last mentioned is drawn out half way only in such a manner as to disengage.
from the obturator the upper part of the bent lever, which serves for the repeating
fire-arm, and which frees the passage of the obturator; the screwed rod terminates
in a milled head so as to facilitate its manipulation.
It should be observed that the sole function of this screwed rod is to hold
together the plate with the bent lever and the trigger guard, this screw traverses
both these pieces and is screwed into the body of the breech piece.
In constructing repeating fire-arms, a plug is employed, which is intended to
retain and cover the spiral spring of the magazine of cartridges, a key rod is formed
in one, with the external plate provided with a button to facilitate the removal of
the spring from the magazine. This spring is fixed at one end to the key rod, and
at the opposite end to the plug proper.
The dismounting may be effected by unscrewing the ramrod, then turning the
plate with the button one quarter round, so as to bring two wings or projections
which it carries opposite openings provided for the purpose in the upper band of
the gun; at this moment the spring ejects the cover rod and the plug may then be
drawn out in order to fill the cartridge magazine.
The back sight which it is proposed to employ is composed of six pieces, namely,
two segmental bases, a pivotted distance plate (herein-after more fully described), a
spring, the slide, and two connecting screws.
The base is formed with a dovetailed projection, in order to facilitate its connec-
tion with and disconnection from the barrel, and the plate is jointed or hinged at
the centre of the base and receives the spring, which is provided with a double fork
for the purpose of engaging in notches arranged in the segment of a circle, and
which terminate the graduations on the base in order to impart to the plate a
stability which is not affected by the recoil; the edges of this plate are turned over
to form grooves for the slide, which it is frequently found advantageous to use.
This novel arrangement of sight enables the soldier to adjust the distance plate
without inspecting it, whereby he is enabled to reserve the whole of. his attention
for the enemy.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
October 1876.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS." A communication from abroad by
La Société Industrielle Suisse, of Neuhausen, near Schaffhausen, in the Republic
of Switzerland.
The said Invention relates more particularly to that description of gun in respect
of which Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date 30th December 1872,
No. 3955, and it consists of various improvements applicable to this system of gun,
as herein-after described, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, and 17 illustrate improvements in the breech mechanism.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 relate to improvements in the cartridge magazine of repeating
guns; and Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 show an improved back sight for fire-
arms.
In carrying out this Invention the fixed breech piece or false breech a and the
frame or strap b extending therefrom of a single acting gun are formed in one piece,
as shewn, in lieu of in two pieces, whereby increased solidity is imparted to the
gun and greater facility is afforded for the to-and-fro working of the sliding bolt
or obturator c. In order to prevent the bolt or obturator from leaving the fixed
breech piece a the latter is fitted with a moveable vertical rod d, the head d¹ of
which passes through the body of the breech piece so as to form a stop bearing
against a projection e provided on the extremity of the sliding bolt or obturator c.
The stop rod d is acted upon by a spiral spring c¹ (or a blade spring or a spring of
other suitable description, which constantly tends to cause the rod to rise under
the sliding bolt or obturator, such spring having its point of support upon the
internal portion of the trigger guard plate f. By this arrangement of stop the
operation of dismounting the sliding bolt or obturator c is facilitated, as in order to
take the latter out of the gun it simply required to pull the vertical rod by the
aid of an external knob or button d² in which it terininates, which action may be
perforined with the left hand while the right hand removes the sliding bolt or
obturator. The projection e provided on the end of the sliding bolt or obturator,
as well as the head of the rod d, are made of great strength, and the spring c¹ is
sufficiently powerful to prevent any danger of accident to this portion of the gun
or any liability of the least disturbance in the working of the gun however roughly
it may be handled.
The Invention also relates to an improved arrangement for closing or securing
the breech. According to this part of the Invention the mechanism destined to
open and close the gun consists of a boss g (shewn clearly in Figure 5) formed in
one with the actuating lever g¹, and acting by inclines with which it is provided
upon the inclined surfaces of pins or projections h, formed in one with the fixed
breech piece a. The projections h inside the breech piece correspond on their
frictional surfaces with the rubbing surfaces on the boss, thus the inclined surface i
of the boss and the surface j of the breech piece correspond with and slide one over
the other, so that in pushing the boss into the breech piece a and causing it to turn
by operating the actuating lever g¹ in order to close the breech the action resembles
that of a screw and nut, and the sliding bolt or obturator is caused to advance
against the cartridge. In a similar manner, when it is required to open the breech,
the sliding bolt or obturator is pushed back by the action of the inclined planes on
the boss and the projections on the breech piece, and this backward movement
causes the displacement of the cartridge case from the interior of the breech so as to
facilitate its extraction.
Figures 16 and 17 illustrate a modification of the arrangement last described, in
which the action of the inclined frictional surfaces of the boss gand the breech

page_text: piece or false breech a is simply replaced by the action of a flat threaded screw
formed in the interior of the boss g, which works upon the sliding bolt or obturator c
at, after the manner of a nut. The operation is similar to that of the preceding
arrangement; the movement of the lever g¹ from the left to the right causes the
boss or nut g to turn and the sliding bolt obturator c to advance towards the
barrel and press the cartridge against the end of its chamber, whilst, on the contrary,
when the lever g¹ is turned from right to left the sliding bolt or obturator moves
away from the breech and liberates the cartridge case after the shot has been fired
in order to facilitate its extraction.
It will be understood that in this modification the boss g is simply provided at i
with cylindrical or conical projections in lieu of with inclined or lielical surfaces as
in the preceding arrangement.
The detent, which is by preference employed in carrying out this Invention,
is somewhat analogous to that adopted in the guns on what are known as the
Dreyse, Manser, and Chassepôt systems. As therefore it possesses no novel features
it is unnecessary to describe it; an inspection of the Drawing will, moreover, suffice
to enable its action to be understood.
Another improvement relates to the arrangement of the trigger guard plate fin
connection with the breech piece a, and consists in the employment of a screw
(Figure 6) which passes through the trigger guard plate f and screws into a pro-
jection m formed upon the breech piece a in such a manner as to leave the trigger
guard and the breech piece united when the large screw or headed rod n is with-
drawn for the purpose of cleaning the interior of the barrel. When it is required
to perform this operation the rod n is drawn out half way only so as to disengage
from the sliding bolt or obturator c the upper part of the bent lever described in
the Specification to the said former Letters Patent, and which serves for the repi-
tition and frees the passage of the sliding bolt or obturator. The screwed rod is
furnished with a milled head n¹, so as to obviate the necessity for employing a
screwdriver.
It should be observed that the screwed rod n is provided solely for the purpose
of holding the plate fl of the bent lever and the trigger guard plate f together, the
screw passing through the two plates and being screwed into the breech piece a, as
shewn.
Referring to the arrangement of repeating or magazine fire-arms, illustrated in
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10, a plug is provided for the purpose of retaining and
covering the spiral spring o of the cartridge chamber, and a key rod p is employed
formed in one with a plate q, which has an external button q¹ in order to facilitate
the removal of the spring o from the magazine, the spring being secured at one end
to the key rod p, and at the opposite end to the plug r.
The dismounting may be effected by first unscrewing the ramroads and then
turning the plate q by the aid of the button q¹ one quarter round, so as to bring
the two wings or projections t which it carries opposite openings provided for the.
purpose in the upper band u of the gun, when the spring o will eject the cover
rod p and the plug may be drawn out in order to fill the cartridge magazine.
Another part of the Invention, which is illustrated in Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, and
15, relates to the back sights of fire-arms. According to this Invention the back
sight is composed of six pieces, namely, the base or frame v, the distance plate x,
the spring y, the slide, and the two screws w, w. The frame v is formed with a
dovetailed projection in order to facilitate its connection with and disconnection
from the barrel a¹, and the plate x is jointed or hinged at the centre 1 of the.
frame v, and carries a spring y, which is bifurcated, as shewn at y¹, y', for the
purpose of engaging in notches formed on the two sides of the frame v, and which
terminate the graduations marked thereon, by inmeans of which arrangement there
is imparted to the plate a a stability which is not affected by the recoil; the edges
of the plate x are turned over so as to form grooves for the 'slides, which it is
frequently found advantageous to use.
This novel arrangement of sight admits of the soldier adjusting the distance

page_text: plate without inspecting it closely, whereby he is enabled to reserve the whole of
his attention for the enemy.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is-
First. The general combination and arrangement of parts in a breech-loading
fire-arin, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly. The arrangement of spring stop for the sliding bolt or obturator, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
Thirdly. The mode or means of closing or securing the sliding bolt or obturator,
applicable both to single action fire-arms and to repeating fire-arms, substantially
as herein-before described.
་
Fourthly. The application to repeating fire-arms of a plug with an external plate,
whereby access may be readily obtained to the interior of the cartridge magazine,
substantially as herein-before described.
Fifthly. A back sight, the graduations of which are toothed or serrated for the
reception of the extremities of a bifurcated spring, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Specifi-
cation set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of October One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)