IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIBE-ABMS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Palmer, of Sparkbrook, near Bir-
mingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker, for the
FOLDING BIDEARMO
"
Sealed the 12th April 1876, and dated the 3rd November 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Palmer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd November 1875.
I, JOHN HENRY PALMER, of Sparkbrook, near Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIBE-ABMS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to a new or improved system of breech
mechanism or breech-loading action which is applicable both to military
and sporting guns, and embraces new methods of closing the breech
in firing, and in extracting the cartridge case after the explosion has
taken place.

page_text: The breech mechanism or action consists of the following parts,
namely, the body, breech piece or block, the hammer, sear and
trigger, the trigger guard, striker and extractor, with the addition
of the main and sear flat spring, and reciprocating spiral striker
onring
First. The direct action of the block upon the hammer by means of a
cam movement, thus dispensing with an intermediate piece.
Second. The direct action of the block upon the extractor by means
of a cam movement.
Third. Placing the axis pin of the block on a vertical line drawn
through the centre of the barrell and below the barrell, thus forming a
great support to the rear of body in sustaining recoil.
Fourth. The construction of the body, leaving sufficient strength of
metal above the barrell to sustain recoil, thus maintaining an even 1
trajectory, the position of the tang or body being on the line of fire, thus
assisting in sustaining recoil.
Fifth. Placing the base of hammer when in firing position on a hori-
zontal line, the weight of the mainspring resting upon the sear nose
with a vertical pressure, and in making the sear nose on a radius
from its own axis, thus preventing any tendency to slipp off until released
by the trigger.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Palmer in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY PALMER, of Sparkbrook, near Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Maker, send greeting.
2
of 3
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-

page_text: ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Palmer, Her special licence that
I, the said John Henry Palmer, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Palmer, my executors,
administrators, 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 John
Henry Palmer, 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 John Henry Palmer, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement (that is to say) :—
My Invention relates to a new or improved system of breech
mechanism or breech-loading action which is applicable both to military
and sporting guns, and embraces new methods of closing the breech,
in firing, and in extracting the cartridge case after the explosion has
taken place.
The breech mechanism or action consists of the following parts,
namely, the body, brcech piece or block, the hammer, sear, and
trigger, the trigger guard, striker, and extractor, with the addition of
the main and sear flat spring, and reciprocating spiral striker spring.
The new feature of my Invention consists of,-
First. The direct action of the block upon the hammer by means of a
cam movement, thus dispensing with an intermediate piece.
Second. The direct action of the block upon the extractor by means
of a cam movement.
Third. Placing the axis pin of the block on a vertical line drawn

page_text: through the centre of the barrel and below the barrel, thus forming a
great support to the rear of the body in sustaining recoil.
Fourth. The construction of the body, leaving sufficient strength of
metal above the barrel to sustain recoil, thus maintaining an even
trajectory, the position of the tang or body being on the line of fire,
thus assisting in sustaining recoil.
Fifth. Placing the base of the hammer when in firing position on a
horizontal line, the weight of the mainspring resting upon the sear nose
with a vertical pressure, and in making the scar nose on a radius from
its own axis, thus preventing any tendency to slip off until released
by the trigger.
That
my Invention may
be fully understood I have annexed Drawings
hereto which I now proceed to describe.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section at the centre line of the barrel, and
Fig. 2 is a transverse section at the line A, B, in Fig. 1. The other
Figures show parts in detail and will be referred to in due course.
Similar letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts in the
several Figures.
a is the breach block, see also Fig. 3, having a thumb piece b by
which it is turned upon the centre pin c. The said pin c is parallel a
with and underneath the barrel d. The breech block a is carefully
fitted between the fore and rear faces of a transverse slot in the
body e, and is thereby rigidly supported against the effects of the
explosion.
In Fig. 2 the breech block is shewn in its closed position, and the a
firing pin is now opposite the centre of the cartridge cap. When the
thumb piece b, Fig. 2, is moved to the right the hole 7 coincides with
the breech end of the barrel, and the cartridge case can through the
said hole g be introduced or extracted. The hammer h (see also Fig. 5)
turns upon the pin i, and is propelled in the direction of the arrow in
Fig. 1 by means of the mainspring k. After firing a cam-shaped pro-
jection formed upon the hammer h (see also Fig. 5) is acted upon by
an inclined or cam-shaped surface m sunk into the rear face of the
breech block (a) (see Fig. 3) in such a manner that the act of opening
the breech block in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 also cocks the 3

page_text: hammer, and this in a direct manner and without the intervention of
any intermediate piece. This arrangement constitutes the first new
feature of my Invention.
Secondly. With reference to the direct action of the breech block upon
the extractor I form upon the breech block a a cam-shaped n (see
also Fig. 3), I hinge the extractor (see also Fig. 4) upon a piu p
situated transversely to the axis of the barrel, and I form a tail r
to the extractor o, which tail is forced forward by the said cam-shaped
edge during the opening motion of the said breech block a. By this
means the upper ends of the extractor is forced rearwards, and the
cartridge case is thereby withdrawn.
?'
Thirdly. With reference to the situation of the pin of the breechi
block on a vertical line with and below the axis of the barrel. It will
be clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2 that the pin c is so situated below
the barrel & that the said pin c forms a strong connection between the
forward part t and the rear part u of the body, and thus becomes a great
support to the rear part u in sustaining recoil.
Fourthly. I leave parts v, v, of the body (see Fig. 1 and 2) of
sufficient strength of metal above the barrel to sustain recoil, and in
Fig. 1 is shown the tang to situated on the line of fire, thus assisting in
sustaining recoil.
Fifthly. I place the base x of the hammer when in firing position
(as in Fig. 1) on a horizontal line, and I cause the strain of the main-
spring to be taken by the sear nose g at the angle shown in Fig. 1.
Further, I form the sear nose 9 concentrically with its own axis z,
thus preventing any tendency to slip off until released by the trigger a'.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be carried into effect, I desire it to be understood
that without limiting myself to the precise details herein-before con-
tained (as these may be to some extent varied or modified without
departing from the nature of my said Invention), I desire it to be
understood that I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent,―
First. The direct action of the breech block upon the hammer, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and as illustrated in the accom-

page_text: Second. The direct action of the breech block upon the extractor,
substantially as herein-before described and as illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings.
Third. Hinging the breech block upon a pin situated below the
barrel, and having its axis parrallel to that of the barrel, substantially
as herein-before described and as illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. Providing parts of the body above the barrel and in the rear
thereof, substantially as herein-before described and as illustrated in tho
accompanying Drawings.
Fifth. Forming the base of the hammer so that it shall lie in a hori-
zontal position when ready for firing, and forming the nose of the scar
concentrically with its axis, substantially as hercin-before described and
as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Palmer, have hore-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
JOHN HENRY PALMER. (L.S.)
Witness,
T. EMERY DAVIES,
Clerk to Mr. G. R. Holland,
Birmingham.