IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Olof Nilson, of Red Wing, Minnesota, United
States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 20th January 1871, and dated the 28th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Olof Nilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
September 1870.
I, OLOF NILSON, of Red Wing, Minnesota, United States of America,
but now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and
arrangement of devices whereby I produce an efficient and durable
breech-loading arm whose parts are few in number and simple in their
construction and operation.
The breech piece or block slides at a right angle to the axis of the
barrel and is operated by means of a guard lever; it is raised to close

page_text: the breech and lowered to open it. The said block is perforated obliquely
in an upwardly forward direction to receive the firing pin, which is kept
from falling out at the rear of the block by a set screw or by a small
pivotted arm. A sliding extractor is fitted below the end of the barrel.
The forward end of the lever extends upward in such a manner that
when the breech piece is drawn down the said forward end of the lever
will force back the extractor. I prefer to place on the end of the lever
a spring to render the action of the extractor more effective. The under
portion of the rear end of the extractor is bevelled or inclined backward
and formed with a shoulder to catch under the rear of the cartridge, and
the top forward corner of the breech piece or block is bevelled to fit this
part of the extractor, so that the said block will force the extractor and
cartridge forward when raised. The lower portion of the breech piece is
cleft or divided to receive a lug on the guard lever by which it is
operated. In drawing the slide down this lug works against a pin
which is inserted through the divided sides of the breech piece; at the
same time the extreme end of this lug engages with the hammer and
carries it downward with the breech piece until it is caught by the sear
which is placed at the bottom of the lock, and has a spring attached to
the lock plate. The said hammer has a rear arm, which is semicircular
in form, and toothed or notched to operate as a tumbler. The hammer
is operated by a mainspring secured to the upper tang of the lock plate.
A curved portion of the hammer projects above the lock plate, and the
arm may be cocked by pressing on this part of the hammer. When
liberated from the sear by means of the trigger the mainspring forces
the rear part of the hammer down, thereby causing the forward portion
to fly upward and strike the head of the firing pin. A stout spring
having a shoulder is placed in the forward part of the lock to press upon
the side of the lever, thereby producing friction except when the end
of the said lever is up against the guard plate or down in its lowest
position. The arm having been discharged the lever is drawn down,
thereby drawing back the firing pin, opening the rear of the chamber,
throwing out the shell of the cartridge, and setting or cocking the
hammer. A fresh cartridge having been inserted the lever is pulled up,
returning the breech piece to its place across the aperture of the barrel,
and the arm is ready to be again discharged.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Olof Nilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OLOF
NILSON, of Red Wing, Minnesota, United States of America, now of
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in
the thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Olof Nilson, Her special
licence that I, the said Olof Nilson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Olof Nilson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Olof Nilson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly.
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Olof Nilson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and. ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and
arrangement of devices whereby I produce an efficient and durable breech-
loading fire-arm whose parts are few in number and simple in their
construction and operation.
The breech piece or block slides at right angles or nearly so to the
axis of the barrel and is operated by means of a guard lever; it is
raised to close the breech and lowered to open it. The said block is

page_text: perforated obliquely in an upward forward direction to receive the
firing pin which is kept from falling out at the rear of the block by a
set screw or a small pivotted arm. A sliding extractor is fitted below
the end of the barrel. The forward end of the lever extends upwards in
such a manner that when the breech piece or block is drawn down the
said forward end of the lever will force back the extractor. I prefer to
place on the end of the lever a spring to render the action of the
extractor more effective. The under portion of the rear end of the
extractor is bevilled or inclined backwards and formed with a shoulder
to catch under the rim of the cartridge, and the top forward corner of
the breech piece or block is bevilled to fit this part of the extractor, so
that the said block will force the extractor and cartridge forward when
raised. The lower portion of the breech piece or block is cleft or divided
to receive a lug on the guard lever by which it is operated. In drawing
the slide down this lug works against a pin or arm in the divided sides
of the breech piece; at the same time the extreme end of this lug
engages with the hammer and carries it downward with the breech
piece until it is caught by the sear which is placed at the bottom of
the lock and has a spring attached to the lock plate. The said hammer
has a rear arm which is semicircular in form, and toothed or notched to
operate as a tumbler. The hammer is operated by a mainspring secured
to the upper tang of the lock plate. A curved portion of the hammer
projects above the lock plate, and the fire-arm may be cocked by pressing
on this part of the hammer. When liberated from the sear by means
of the trigger the mainspring forces the rear part of the hammer down,
thereby causing the forward portion to fly upwards and strike the rear
end of the firing pin. A stout spring having a shoulder is placed in the
forward part of the lock to press upon the side of the lever, thereby
producing friction except when the end of the said lever is up against
the guard plate or down in its lowest position. The fire-arm having been
discharged the lever is drawn down thereby drawing back the firing pin,
opening the rear of the chamber, throwing out the shell of the cartridge,
and setting or cocking the hammer. A fresh cartridge having been
inserted the lever is pulled up returning the breech piece to its place
across the aperture of the barrel, and the fire-arm is ready to be again
discharged.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner
in which the same is to be performed.

page_text: Figure 1 represents in side elevation; and Figure 2 in longitudinal
vertical section the breech end of a breech-loading gun constructed
according to my Invention, the breech being closed, and the gun ready
for discharge; Figure 3 represents in longitudinal vertical section and
Figure 4 in plan the breech of the said gun open. Figure 5 is a cross
section of the same taken on the line A, A, of Figure 1, and Figures 6, 7, 8,
and 9 represent parts of the same as herein-after explained.
The same
letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawings.
a is the barrel, and 6 the breech chamber. The part of the said
breech chamber is open at top and bottom, and in the said open part b³
the breech piece or block c slides at right angles or nearly so to the
axis of the barrel a. The breech piece or block c is shown separately
in front and side elevation in Figure 6. When the breech block c is
raised in the chamber 6, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, its upper part
is made to bear against and close the open breech end of the barrel a,
and when the said block is depressed in the chamber 6, as illustrated
in Figures 3 and 4, the upper part of the said block is withdrawn from
the breech end of the barrel and the said barrel is opened. The breech
block c is raised and lowered in the chamber 6 by the operation of the
guard lever d, d³, the said lever turning on the centre d³. The lower
part of the breech block c is divided or forked, and in the said forked
part the lug d' of the guard lever d, d³, works and also a portion of the
said lever. Within the fork of the block c is an arm e having a limited
motion on the centre e³. Upon the upper face of this arme the lug a
of the guard lever bears to depress the breech block c, the face of the
said lug bearing against the solid upper part of the block cat c² to raise
the said block. In the solid upper part of the block c is an oblique
opening in which the striker or striking pin g works. The motion
of the striker g in its slotf is limited by the cross pin h working in
the slot in the said striker. On the rear end of the striker g is a
tail piece upon which on the descent of the block c the arm e bears
to withdraw the front end of the striker into the said block c; k is the
hammer of the lock turning on the centre k*; and ³ is the tumbler of
the hammer provided with the usual half and full cock bents; \ is the
mainspring of the hammer; m is the sear, and n the trigger. In the
tang of the lock plate or prolonged part of the body b is an opening b³
through which the head of the discharged hammer k protrudes as

page_text: indicated in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. The hammer k is so
arranged with respect to the sliding closing block c that the comb
part of the said hammer projects into the fork of the said block c, and
when the said hammer is discharged the said comb part * acting against
the tail end or piece g² of the striker g drives forward the striker and
discharges the gun. The said hammer k is cocked on the descent of
the block c by the tail piece g² of the striker g bearing upon the comb k
of the said hammer; p is the cartridge case extractor working in the
channel q below the breech end of the barrel. The hook or rear part p
of the extractor is provided with the usual depression to receive the rim
of the cartride case q³. The extractor p, p³, is worked by the forward
end d of the guard lever d, d², acting through the strong spring - upon
the rear end of the extractor p. The under portion of the rear end p
of the extractor is bevilled, and the top forward edge of the closing
block is also bevilled, as represented, so that when the said black is raised
to close the breech the bevilled part of the block acting against the
bevilled end of the extractor pushes the said extractor into its place at
the breech end of the barrel and allows the block to fit closely against
the breech end of the barrel.
In order to fix the guard lever d, d³, in its raised position and to
prevent its accidental depression I adopt the arrangement of parts
represented in Figures 7, 8, and 9 of the Drawings, Figure 7 representing
an end elevation of the body 6 of the gun detached. Figure 8 a longi-
tudinal section of the same, and Figure 9 a side elevation of a portion of
the guard lever. I place on the inner side of the body b in which the
forward end d² of the guard lever works a strong flat spring or friction
plates having at its free end a bevilled shoulder or projection 83, and on
that side of the lever d, d³, which is presented to the said spring & I
make a depression d³ (see Figure 9). When the guard lever is in its
raised position against the guard plate, as represented in Figures 1 and 2,
the shoulder or projection 8 on the spring & drops into the said
depression d³ in the side of the lever and no pressure is exerted by the
said spring on the lever. On depressing the lever d, d, to open the
breech of the gun the projection &³ has to be forced out of the depression
d³, and during the greater part of the motion of the lever the spring or
friction plates, 8², bears on the side of the lever. The friction thus
exerted upon the lever by the friction plate 8, 83, causes the lever to be
held firmly in its place. When the lever is at its lowest position the
said lever passes from the stud of the spring or friction plate.

page_text: The action of the gun is as follows:-When the gun has been discharged
the parts assume the respective positions represented in Figures 1 and 2,
the hammer occupying the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2.
In order to reload the gun the guard lever d, d², is pulled down in the
manner represented in Figure 3. The first action of the lever causes.
its lug d¹ to bear upon the arm e and the latter by acting on the tail
piece g² of the striker g withdraws the said striker into the block c. The
continued motion of the lever d, d², depresses the sliding block c and
opens the breech, at the same time the tail piece g² of the striker 9 by
bearing upon the comb * of the hammer k depresses the said comb
and cocks the hammer, the sear m by engaging with the full cock
bent of the tumbler holds the hammer in its cocked position as
represented in Figure 3. When the breech block c has nearly reached
its lowest position so as to present its bevilled front part to the bevilled
rear end p³ of the extractor p the spring at the forward end d of the
lever acts upon the extreme front end of the extractor and pushing it
back into the position represented in Figures 3 and 4 extracts or starts
the empty case q³ of the cartridge from the barrel. After introducing
a fresh cartridge into the open breech end of the barrel a the guard
lever d, d², is raised under the lock or guard plate. By this movement
of the lever the spring is withdrawn from the tail end of the extractor
and the breech block c is raised in the chamber 63 by the upper face
of the lug &* bearing against the under side c² of the solid upper part
of the block c. As the breech block rises its bevilled part pushes
before it the extractor holding the fresh cartridge into its place at the
open end of the barrel. The breech of the barrel is thereby closed,
the hammer being left in its cocked position, and the gun is ready for
discharge. By pulling the trigger n the hammer k is released and its
comb end k² rising strikes the tail end g³ of the extractor g (which
occupies the position represented in Figure 3) and driving home the
said striker the latter ignites the cartridge and discharges the gun.
The hammer k may be brought to half-cock by hand by depressing the
projecting head of the said hammer as represented in Figure 2, where
the hammer is represented at half-cock, or by lengthening the head of
the hammer the said hammer may be fully cocked by hand.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,

page_text: as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in breech-
loading fire-arms,
Firstly. The combination of the sliding breech piece or block, firing
pin or striker, hammer, and guard lever for opening and closing the
breech of the gun, cocking the hammer, and discharging the gun, the
said parts being constructed and operating substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. Extracting the empty case of the cartridge from the barrel
by the action of the forward end of the guard lever upon the extractor
on opening the breech, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. Bevilling the upper forward part of the breech piece or block
and the rear end of the cartridge extractor for the purpose and substan-
tially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Lastly. The combination with the guard lever of a friction bar or
plate, for the purpose and substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Olof Nilson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
OLOF NILSON. (L.S.)