Improvements in Small-arms.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Small-arms.
I LOUIS MARIE RENÉ DAUDETEAU of Vannes in the Republic of France Engineer
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 a repeating and quick firing fire arm or small arm con-
structed with a magazine under the breech and a removeable cartridge holder as
hereinafter described. The term "quick firing" is hereinafter employed to denote an
accelerated fire obtained by bringing certain mechanism into operation as hereinafter
explained.
This fire arm is more particularly characterised by the following arrangements
namely The mode of constructing the breech box and trigger guard plate. Special
means for connecting these parts with the stock or wood part of which encloses the
barrel. Working slide or lever for protecting and moving the breech bolt or
cylinder and for the "quick" or accelerated and automatic fire.
Moveable breech
bolt with diagonal or inclined supports for ensuring the closure. Striking
mechanism repetition and quick fire keys or levers. Cartridge magazine arranged
under the breech where it takes the form of a removeable cartridge holder. Means
employed for hooking on and throwing out or ejecting the cartridge holder and for
elevating the cartridges.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters and numerals of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing illustrates in lateral elevation a repeating
and quick firing gun according to this invention with a magazine under the breech
and a moveable cartridge holder, the breech being closed.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the breech open.
Figure 3 represents the fire arm in plan.
Figure 4 represents in longitudinal section the breech box or breech action and
trigger guard plate with the striking mechanism and removeable cartridge holder or
magazine.
Figure 5 illustrates in elevation the breech box and trigger guard plate separate
from the stock.
Figure 6 represents a transverse section on the line 1-2 Figure 4.
Figure 7 represents the cylinder or breech bolt and firing pin in several different
views.
The removeable cartridge holder is similarly illustrated in different views in
Figure 8.
The gun thus illustrated in the complete form and in its details is composed of the
following essential parts, namely, a breech action comprising the breech bolt, the
working slide or lever, the safety bolt, the quick firing lever and other accessories and
a trigger guard plate carrying the hammer action or striking mechanism, the
repeating key or lever the removeable cartridge holder the ejector of this holder and
the cartridge elevator all as hereinafter more fully described in succession.
Breech box The breech box A is connected (Figures 4 and 5) with the stock or
wood and with the trigger guard by screws V and and with the barrel by a
screw A. It is further provided at the rear with a heel or angle A2 which bears
against the wood and at its lower part presents two openings one being forwards for
the introduction of the removeable holder and the ascent of the cartridges and the
other being at the rear for the play of the hammer. These two openings are
separated by a bridge or partition f.

page_text: The barrel at the part nearest to the breech is encased in wood E Figures 1, 2 and 3
retained at one end by the circular flange or rib e' on the breech box and at the other
end by a strap so that the barrel can be grasped when shooting without danger of
burning the hands.
In the interior of the breech box there is provided on the left side a longitudinal
groove a (Figures 2, 4, 5 and 6) for the action of the left hand stud c on the moveable
breech or bolt, this groove terminates forwards in a stop or support a' acting on this
stud and a stud c' arranged diagonally bears against the back face or support a² of the
notch or recess (Figures 2, 3 and 5) after the rotation of the moveable breech bolt so
as to ensure an effectual closing action.
A vent o is formed on the right hand side of the breech box (Figures 1, 2 and 5)
for the escape of gases which may have entered the breech action in consequence of
the accidental breakage of a cartridge case. This vent when the breech is closed
communicates with a corresponding vent o' (Figure 7) formed in the cupped end of
the moveable breech cylinder or bolt. With the same object a small notch o² is
formed in the rear of the left band wall of the breech box (Figures 2, 3 and 5).
The moveable breech or bolt is formed by a cylinder C provided with two studs c
and c', one being placed on the left hand side and the other on the right hand side of
the bolt, a stop cand a propelling knob or projection d.
a dovetail
This cylinder or bolt is further provided with an extractor e fixed by
and with a striker or firing pin t (Figure 4) extending from one end of the cylinder
to the other and which cannot be drawn out except by first taking the bolt itself out
of the box.
The point of the firing pin projects at the centre of the hollow or cup c² formed in
the end of the bolt and its head T is provided with two projections t¹ and ² the
former (1) serving to guide the striker by working in a groove in a projection m²
in the cover plate M² hereinafter described when the other projection (2) is pushed
out of the left hand groove a in the breech box on the breech bolt being drawn back
by the action of the hand lever.
The posterior portion of the cylinder is provided with a notch 3 into which the
projection on the head of the firing pin enters when the cylinder has made a
complete rotation that is to say when the closing is effectually performed. The
notch and the projection t are formed with inclines which act on one another
when the breech is opened so as to cause the striking pin to move backwards
relatively to the bolt or cylinder and to place it in position for striking the cartridge
when acted on by the hammer as hereinafter described.
The working lever is connected to the cylinder C so as to move it by the knob d
being arranged on the right hand side of the gun. It is composed of a metal bar M
(Figures 1, 2, 3 and 6) sliding on lateral under cut tongues on the breech box.
This lever is provided with a handle M which is grasped with the right hand
and is connected with a cover plate M' curved in the form of a tile which covers
the bolt. and protects it from dust and rain.
This cover plate M2 is provided with a small rib m (Figure 6) engaging with
an external left hand groove a³ (Figure 3) in the breech box and serving to prevent
the lever from turning over at the same time leaving it free to move or reciprocate
horizontally or back and forth.
Underneath the cover plate at the forward end there is formed a helical groove or
cavity m (Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4) in which engages the knob or projection d on the
bolt in such a manner as to cause the bolt to move under the action of the slide or
band lever and convert the rectilinear movement of the latter into a rotary motion
of the former when the studs and c¹ come opposite to their respective stops or
supports a' and a².
The helical groove nil is formed with a small-horizontal-extension which-enables the
lever if necessary to continue its movement after the breech is closed this supple-
imentary movement being utilized in quick firing for causing the striking mechanism
to act automatically.
At the back part of the cover plate there is an internal projection m² having two

page_text: functions, firstly, by means of the groove herein before referred to, it guides the
projection t¹ on the head T of the striking pin, and secondly by the action of its
extremity it commences to cock the hammer B before the bolt or cylinder is carried
back in opening the breech.
The bar M is provided at the front end with a stop screw (Figures 1, 2, and 3)
the point or end of which slides in the longitudinal groove formed between the two
tongues and strikes against the head of the spring stop U (Figure 5) in the backward
movement. This screw must be unscrewed in taking the action to pieces but in
putting the parts together the head of the spring U is depressed or yields when the
bar M is pushed forwards in order to engage it with the tongues.
A notch in the rear part of the bar (Figures 1, 2 and 6) prevents the sear G
from rising until the breech is perfectly closed. This notch is followed by a pro-
jection maith an inclined surface which elevates the said sear in rapid firing. The
anterior extremity of the bar M comes in contact with the quick firing key which
limits its forward motion.
.
The quick firing key is formed by a lever L placed on the right side of the arm and
pivoted on the breech box. It is capable of assuming two different positions one
backward on a stop 1 and the other forward on a stop 2. When in the former position
it limits the movement of the bar M in closing the breech but in the latter position it
presents the part ¹ which is eccentric or depressed to the said bar and thus enables
the latter to perform the supplementary movement which enables it to act auto-
matically through its projection m³ upon the striking mechanism as hereinafter
described.
The safety bolt U₁ Figures 1, 3, 4 and 6 is placed at the rear end and left hand side
of the breech box and rocks on an axis parallel to the axis of the barrel. When
thrown outwards (Figures 3 and 6) the breech bolt is actuated without difficulty but
when it is thrown inwards it interposes itself (Figure 1) between the hammer B and
the extremity of the covering plate M2 so that the hammer is rendered inoperative
and at the same time it is impossible to open the breech. This latter position is to be
retained except when the firearm is to be discharged. A flat or blade spring u¹
(Figures 3 and 9) retains this bolt in either position by acting on flat surfaces on its
central part and by means of a projection u² forming part of the spring and protruding
in the interior of the breech box (Fig. 9) serves at the same time to eject or flip out
the cartridge cases drawn back by the extractor e. This ejector u renders it necessary
to provide a groove in the cylinder C Figure 7.
The trigger guard plate is provided at the rear portion with the striking mechanism
and in front carries the moveable holder acting as a cartridge magazine. It is
secured as aforesaid by means of the screws V and v and is composed of the guard
proper and a lower closing or moveable plate P¹ which may extend for the whole or
for a portion only of the length as hereinafter explained.
The striking mechanism comprises a hammer B (Figures 4, 5 and 6) actuated
by a main spring R and retained by the sear nose G acted on by a spring.
This sear nose cannot be actuated by the trigger D until the external arm 2 on
the sear proper G is able to enter the notch in the bar M.
The moment when this entry can take place corresponds exactly with the
closing of the breech so that it is impossible to fire the gun before the breech is
absolutely and completely closed.
The sear nose Gindependent of the sear G which oscillates on a pin or centre x
(Figure 5) is moved by a projection g' on the sear G so as to disengage it from
the notch in the boss of the hammer and this movement is produced either by
the action of the trigger D when firing shot by shot by hand in the ordinary
manner, or, when the gun is adjusted for quick automatic or repeating firing, by
the projection m³ on the bar M which acts upon the arm g2 when allowed to move
the extra distance as herein before explained.
One of the peculiarities of the hammer B is that it is arranged relatively to
the spring R in such a manner that in the cocked position it tends to fall back
in place of tending to spring forwards. Consequently the bolt C after completely

page_text: cocking the hammer can be pushed forwards without difficulty and the gun cannot
go off until the action of the sear G has placed the bammer in a position in
which the spring R can act upon it to throw it forward and this action of the
sear cannot take place until the sear is moved that is to say until the breech has
been perfectly closed.
For this purpose the sear G is provided with a third arm g³ which in the first
part of its movement presses up the hammer and slightly raising it places it first
in the dead point or neutral position in which it has no tendency to move in
either direction and then moving it still further places it in a position in which
the spring R is able to throw it forward sharply and cause it to strike the firing
pin. It is to be observed that in the first period of its movement the sear
disengages the sear nose from its notch this sear nose being provided simply for
safety and may even be dispensed with if desired.
The first part of the movement is rendered perceptible to the finger in firing
by hand by means of a small recess into which the nose d of the trigger D falls.
The marksman then knows that from this moment it requires only a minimum of
effort to fire the gun and great precision in aiming results.
The cartridge magazine is merely a case or holder 3 of thin or steel plate
metal (Figure 8) containing the cartridges five in number for example and
being of regular shape can be introduced into its recess from either end (Figures 4
and 5).
This case or holder is provided with lateral grooves 6 to facilitate the move-
ment of the rims of the cartridges and with slightly overhanging edges 7 pre-
venting the cartridges from slipping out perpendicularly, it is open at the top and
bottom and in front for the passage of the elevator hereinafter described. The
rear end is solid or closed and bent out at w with openings for engaging with a
hook 5.
on the
This magazine hook is formed by a lever carried by an eccentric. pin on the
axis of the repeating key or lever p situated on the right hand side of the gun
(Figures 1, 2, and 5) and terminates in a hook which under the action of a
spring 71
engages with the opening in the corresponding elevation w
holder.
When the repeating key p is put back (Figures 1 and 5) the hook 5 is drawn
down and the upper cartridge in the holder (Figure 4) is not within the field of
action of the bolt; this is the position for loading by hand but when on the
contrary the repetition key p is put forward (Figure 2) the hook 5 is raised and the
holder being at the same time pushed up by the action of the. cartridge elevator
the top cartridge is placed in front of the bolt which in its forward movement pushes
this cartridge into the breech opening. Under these conditions the gun acts as a
repeating gun and it will be seen that the gun can be set for repetition in any position
of the moveable breech or bolt.
The fire when loading by hand and by the repeating action is more or less rapid
according
as the release of the hammer B is produced by the bar M or by the
trigger D.
The hook is also capable of being rocked backwards, so as to disengage the holder.
This action is produced by a special lever or key q arranged on the left side of the
gun (Figures 4 and 5) connected to an arm or cam 8 which acts on the lever carrying
the hook 5 so as to disengage the latter from the holder which can then be ejected by
a spring 9 arranged in the bottom of the recess on the closing plate P' of the trigger
guard.
The ejection of the holder can be effected in two different ways firstly by the action
of the ejecting spring 9 which is compressed by the act of putting the holder in
position and flies up suddenly when the hook is released as hereinbefore explained.
In this case the magazine. or holder vis-thrown out-or-protruded-at-the-upper part-of
the breech where it can be either taken in the hand and kept for reuse or be allowed
to fall to the ground. Secondly-the holder can be ejected through the bottom of the
recess or chamber in the trigger guard plate" which is open at the rear portion under

page_text: the holder so that when the last cartridge has passed into the breech the holder being
deprived of support falls to the ground by its own weight without necessitating the
action of the lever or key g which can consequently be dispensed with.
The cartridge clevator consists of a lever 10 Figures 4 and 5 oscillating on a centre 12
and jointed at its free end to a light plate 11 directly supporting or pressing against
the underside of the bottom cartridge in the holder. Between the lever 10 and the
hinged plate 11 there is provided a blade spring 13 which acts upon the latter and is
formed with an extension 13ª which bears against a fixed support 15 formed by a pin,
or an incline or a roller for example. The extension 13 of the spring is subjected to
an initial compression sufficient to keep the lever in its elevated position and the
part 13 is in the like manner adjusted to tend to maintain the plate 11 in a position
enabling it to present the last cartridge on a level with the breech opening (Figure 5,
dotted lines).
When the holder is placed in position in the recess provided for its reception the
hinged plate 11 is lowered on to the lever 10 and the latter is pushed down to the
bottom of the recess. The spring 13 is then in a state of tension suitable for enabling
it to elevate the cartridges which by the action of the elevator entering the box or
holder are pushed up as fast as they are consumed.
The top cartridge is always retained by the projecting edges 7 and when the
repeating key or lever is put in the forward position that is to say when the holder is
elevated the base of this cartridge is presented to the action of the bolt which in closing
the breech pushes the cartridge before it into the barrel the entrance of the ball being
facilitated by an incline or chamfer 14.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that I claim as my
invention the repeating and quick firing gun with magazine under the breech and
removeable holder as hereinbefore described and in particular:
1. In repeating and other firearms the arrangement of the cylinder or breech bolt C
of the moveable breech with diagonal or inclined studs or projections c cl in combina-
tion with the groove a and the supports a and a' in the breech box. for the purpose of
ensuring the closing of the breech substantially as herein before described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In repeating and other fire arms the arrangement of the cylinder or breech bolt C
with diagonal or inclined supports and projection d in combination with a bar M serving
to displace and rotate the bolt as explained the said bar being provided with a cover
plate M² for protecting the moveable breech bolt, a stop screw u and a safety piece or
projection m² serving to cock the hammer B and direct or guide the striking pin tin
the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein before described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
3. In repeating and other firearms the arrangement of the striking mechanism con-
sisting of a hammer B, a sear G, a sear nose Gand a trigger D the said mechanism
acting in combination with the bar M so as not to act until after the breech has been
perfectly closed and all its constituent parts being arranged in such a manner as to
reduce the resistance to a minimumn and enable the marksman to know the exact
moment at which the hammer is released substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. In repeating firearins the arrangement of the removeable loader or cartridge
holder 3 made of tempered sheet steel of regular form or shape enabling it to be
placed or introduced under the breech in any direction provided that the balls are
forwards the said holder being adjusted and introduced under the breech bolt substan-
tially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
5. In combination with the removable cartridge holder the arrangement of the
hook 5 connected to the repeating key p and acting to retain the cartridge holder in
position at the same time producing the vertical motion of the said holder in the
manner and for the purpose indicated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
6. In combination with the removeable cartridge holder 3 and the hook 5 the

page_text: arrangement of the key g and of the ejecting spring 9 for ejecting the cartridge holder
in the manner and for the purpose indicated with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
7. In combination with the removeable cartridge holder 3 the arrangement of the
elevator consisting of a lever 10 a hinged plate 11 and a spring 13 13A for elevating
the cartridges the said elevator acting in the manner and for the purpose indicated with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. In combination with the removeable cartridge holder 3 the opening formed in
the bottom plate P' of the trigger guard plate P for enabling the said holder to drop
out freely when the last cartridge has been fired substantially as herein before described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
9. In repeating and other firearms the wood covering or casing E covering the
upper side of the barrel from the breech box to the ring strap the said casing being
secured by the rib or flange e¹ and by the strap and serving to protect the hands from
the heat of the barrel substantially as bereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
10. The general arrangement of the repeating and quick firing firearm comprising
all the arrangements hereinbefore described and claimed and constituting a type with
a magazine under the breech bolt and with a removeable cartridge holder as illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
1
1
T
1000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.