Improvements in or connected with Lock and Trigger Mechanism for Breech-loading Guns.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Lock and Trigger Mechanism for
Breech-loading Guns.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried Krupp, of Essen,
in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers) to be as follows: —
In modern breech-loaders the lock is mostly cocked by the motion of the
lever-handle, which effects the opening of the breech, or by the motion of the
breech-block itself. Consequently the lock will always be cocked when the gun
is loaded so that accidents might easily happen, if securing the gun is omitted,
or if after the gun has been secured a breakage of the sear or the like should
pccur. In the case of the lock forming the subject of the present invention such
accidents are completely obviated, because it is always uncocked even when the
gun is loaded and is not cocked until the trigger is drawn back for the purpose
of firing. This new lock moreover has the particular advantage of requiring no
further springs besides the main spring.
The improved lock and trigger mechanism is described in conjunction with a
horizontal wedge breech closure.
The striker is cocked by means of a double-armed cocking lever pivotting
on a pin, and which lever with one arm, takes into a slot provided in the striker
spindle. The other arm of the cocking lever is acted upon by the trigger or rather
a cam connected therewith. The trigger is pivotted on a stud and is provided
with a ledge or shoulder which, in the position of rest of the trigger, shuts off,
towards the outside, the slot in the breech-block into which the trigger and the
cocking lever are inserted. A perforated or annular stud on the trigger is
fitted concentrically on the stud, and serves as a pivot for the cocking cam. The
cam engages by means of a small stud or pin thereon into a slot arranged in the
trigger concentrically to the axis of rotation of the cam, and which limits the
rotation of the cam in relation to the trigger. The toe of the cocking cam acts
on the arm of the cocking lever.
While in the state of rest, the pressure of the main spring, in conjunction with
the cocking lever, acts on the trigger so as to cause it to bear with a certain
amount of pressure against the outer surface of the breech-wedge. On the other
hand, this position of the trigger apparatus prevents the striker, while the lock
is at rest, from advancing too far forward, and consequently the point of the
striker will be within the breech-block and therefore cannot touch the detonating
screw of the cartridge.

page_text: If now, by means of the firing cord fixed into the trigger eye, a pull is given
to the trigger, the latter will revolve on the stud, and as the pin of the cocking
cam is bearing against that end of the slot which is situated away from the line
of motion of the trigger, the latter will carry the cam with it. Thereby the toe
of the cam is made to bear against the hook-like arm of the cocking lever and
forces it away in a forward direction. Consequently the arm of the cocking
lever is moved backwards, forcing the striker back, whereby the main spring is
compressed, and the striker is thus cocked.
In the further course of rotation of the trigger, the cam glides off the arm of
the cocking lever so that the main spring is free to throw the striker forward,
thus firing the gun, and the trigger will just be touching the back part of the
slot in the breech wedge.
The striker, moving forward, will carry with it the arm of the cocking lever,
thus causing the other arm to move backward, causing the cam to revolve on its
pivot until the pin comes to bear against the hindmost end of the slot.
The various parts of the lock will now occupy the positions to which they
have been brought by the shot having been fired. In this instance the point of
the striker projects somewhat beyond the front surface of the breech wedge and
owing to the pressure of the main spring, the trigger is forced against the back part
of the slot in the breech block, just in the same way as, when in a position at rest,
it was pressed against the outer surface of the breech-wedge.
As will be readily seen, the cam might be dispensed with, and the toe rigidly
connected with the trigger. But in this case the motion otherwise imparted by
the striker when precipitated forward, to the cam, would be transmitted to the
trigger, the latter would therefore have to be given a longer travel, and seeing
that the bulk of the trigger is considerably greater than that of the
cam, the main
spring, in order to ensure certain ignition, would have to be selected stronger than
hitherto. Consequently the interposition of the cam involves considerable
advantages.
When, after the gun has been fired, the locking screw is turned in order to
unlock and open the breech a surface provided on the stop of the locking
handle, acting after the manner of an eccentric, will force the trigger back
into its initial position. In this process the course of events, as to
pulling back and advancing of the striker is repeated in a similar
manner as described above, except that the advancing of the striker takes
place quite gradually, as the cocking cam after having passed over the end
of the cocking lever, is at first placed almost at right angles to the contact sur-
face of the lever arm and it is only towards the end of the motion of the trigger
that it is brought in such a position towards this contact surface, that the main
spring, by means of the cocking lever, can exert a rotary action on the cam and
the trigger. Consequently the striker is not capable of projecting the cam and
the trigger, through the medium of the cocking lever, precipitately into the posi-
tion of rest, but is compelled to follow, in its own advance, the motion of the
trigger and cam produced by the turning of the locking screw. It is only at the
last moment of its forward motion that, as already observed, it can exert a rotary
action upon the cam and force it, together with the trigger, into the initial
position. In this position of the parts the striker point is again located within
the breech wedge so that the latter can be opened without any risk of the striker
point (which was previously protruding into an impression or indentation made
by it in the percussion screw), being broken off.
Dal 111
T
1000
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Lock and Trigger Mechanism for
Breech-loading Guns.
I, AUGUST REICHWALD, of 9, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Steel,
Iron, Metal and Mineral Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Fried Krupp, of Essen,
in the Empire of Germany, Cast Steel Manufacturers), and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
In modern breech loaders, the lock is mostly cocked by the motion of the
lever-handle which effects the opening of the breech, or by the motion of the
breech-block itself. Consequently the lock will always be cocked when the gun
is loaded, so that accidents might easily happen if securing the gun is omitted
or if after the gun has been secured a breakage of the sear or the like should
occur. In the case of the lock forming the subject of the present invention such
accidents are completely obviated because it is always uncocked even when the
gun is loaded and is not cocked until the trigger is drawn back for the purpose
of firing. This new lock moreover has the particular advantage of requiring no
further springs besides the main spring.
In the annexed drawing the new lock is shewn in conjunction with a horizontal
wedge breech closure.
Fig. 1 shews a side view with the lock uncocked; Fig. 2 a horizontal section
through Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 shew a side view and a horizontal section through
the centre of the breech closure after the shot has been fired; Fig. 5 shews the
lock at the moment when it is completely cocked and the striker is on the point
of being projected forward; Figs. to 8 shew details of the apparatus.
The striker is cocked by means of a double-armed cocking lever B pivotting
on the pin 6 (Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6) and which with its arm takes into a slot provided
in the striker spindle. The other arm f of the cocking lever is acted upon by
the trigger A or rather the cam C connected therewith. The trigger A (Figs. 1
to 5 and 8) is pivotted on a stud d and is provided with a ledge or shoulder i which
in the position of rest (Fig. 2) of the trigger, shuts off, towards the outside, the
slot in the breech block into which the trigger and the cocking lever B are
inserted. A perforated or annular stud a on the trigger is fitted concentrically
on the stud and serves as a pivot for the cocking cam C (Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 7).
The cam engages by means of a small stud or pin c thereon into a slot m arranged
in the trigger concentrically to the axis of rotation of the cam, and which limits
the rotation of the cam in relation to the trigger. The toe e of the cocking cam
acts on the arm f of the cocking lever B.
While in the state of rest, the various parts of the lock are in the position
shewn in Fig. 2. Under these circumstances the pressure of the main spring, io
conjunction with the cocking lever B, acts on the trigger A so as to cause it to
bear with a certain amount of pressure against the outer surface of the breech-
wedge. On the other hand, this position of the trigger apparatus prevents the
striker, while the lock is at rest, from advancing forward beyond the position
indicated in Fig. 2, and consequently the point of the striker will be within the
breech block and therefore cannot touch the detonating screw of the cartridge.
If now, by means of the firing cord fitted into the trigger eye k, a pull is
given to the trigger, the latter will revolve on the stud d, and as the pin c of
the cocking cam C is bearing against that end of the slot m, which is situated

page_text: away from the line of motion of the trigger, the latter will carry the cam with
it. Thereby the toe e of the cam is made to bear against the hook-like arm f
of the cocking lever B and forces it away in a forward direction. Consequently
the arm of the cocking lever is moved backward, forcing the striker back,
whereby the main spring is compressed, and the striker is thus cocked.
In the further course of rotation of the trigger, the cam C glides off the
arm of the cocking lever (see Fig. 5) so that the main spring is free to throw
the striker forward, thus firing the gun, and the trigger will just be touching
the back-part of the slot in the breech wedge.
The striker, moving forward, will carry with it the arm 7 of the cocking lever B,
thus causing the arm f to move backward, causing the cam C to revolve on its
pivot until the pin c comes to bear against the hindmost end of the slot m.
The various parts of the lock will now occupy the position shewn in Fig. 4.
In this instance the point of the striker projects somewhat beyond the front
surface of the breech-wedge, and owing to the pressure of the main spring, the
trigger is now forced against the back part of the slot in the breech block, just
in the same way as, when in a position at rest, it was pressed against the outer
surface of the breech-wedge.
As will be readily seen the cam C might be dispensed with, and the toe e
rigidly connected with the trigger A. But in this case the motion otherwise
imparted by the striker, when precipitated forward, to the cam C, would be
transmitted to the trigger, the latter would therefore have to be given a longer
travel, and seeing that the bulk of the trigger is considerably greater than that
of the cam, the main spring, in order to ensure certain ignition, would have to
be selected stronger than hitherto. Consequently the interposition of the cam
involves considerable advantages.
When, after the gun has been fired, the locking screw D is turned in order
to unlock and open the breech, a surface g provided on the stop h of the locking
handle (Figs. 1, 3, 4), acting after the manner of an eccentric will force the trigger
back into its initial position. In this process, the course of events, as to pulling
back and advancing of the striker, is repeated in a similar manner as described
above, except that the advancing of the striker takes place quite gradually, as the
cocking cam after having passed over the end of the cocking lever, is at first
placed almost at right angles to the contact surface of the lever arm f and it is
only towards the end of the motion of the trigger that it is brought in such a
position towards this contact surface, that the main spring, by means of the
cocking lever B, can exert a rotary action on the cam and the trigger. Con-
sequently the striker is not capable of projecting the cam and the trigger, through
the medium of the cocking lever, precipitately into the position of rest, but is
compelled to follow, in its own advance, the motion of the trigger and cam pro-
duced by the turning of the locking screw. It is only at the last moment of its
forward motion that, as already observed, it can exert a rotary action upon the
cam and force it, together with the trigger, into the initial position (Fig. 2). In
this position of the parts the striker point is again located within the breech
wedge so that the latter can be opened without any risk of the striker point
(which was previously protruding into an impression or indentation made by
it in the percussion screw) being broken off.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A percussion lock for breech-loading guns, characterized by a trigger A
which, by means of a toe e rigidly attached to it, in the first place causes a double
armed lever B which bears against the striker, to revolve so that the striker is
cocked, the trigger thereupon gliding off with its toe e, from the cocking lever B,
so that the striker is precipitated forward by the pressure of the main spring.
2. A form of construction of the lock characterized under Claim 1, in which
the cocking toe e is not arranged on the trigger A itself but on a cam C which is

page_text: free to revolve within a limited compass, so that the cocking lever B when made
to turn by the striker precipitated forward, will only cause a motion of the can
instead of the whole trigger arrangement.
3. A form of construction of the lock characterized in Claims 1 and 2, in
which the toe e of the trigger A is shaped so that the cocking lever B in both of
the terminal positions of the trigger, is bearing against the toe e, thus on the
one hand limiting the advance of the striker, and on the other hand transferring
the pressure of the main spring to the trigger, thereby rendering a special trigger
spring superfluous.
4. In conjunction with the lock characterized in Claims 1, 2 and 3 respectively,
a locking handle D having the stop or flange "gh," shaped after the manner
of a curvilinear eccentric disc against which the trigger will bear after the gun
has been fired, so that on the locking handle being turned for the purpose of
opening the breech the trigger is brought back to its initial position.
Dated this 17th day of March 1899.
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.