IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING RIFLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of the invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING RIFLES to be
as follows: -
This invention relates to improvements in the moving parts of the closing
mechanism of breech loaders and consists in a combination of the lever principle
and a double eccentric motion with two axles which are movable one round the
other. One of these axles effects at the same time the closing of the mechanism;
in consequence of the reciprocal rotation of the two axles one round the other.
The lever rotates or withdraws first the locking bolt and then moves the breech
block backwards and downwards or upwards and forwards as the case may be and
then locks it again.
By its double eccentric motion this system differs essentially from the simple
eccentric Peabody, Martini-Henry, and other arrangements of breech loading rifles
in which the breech block is simply moved up and down round a fixed axle, and in
the two axles movable one round the other this system differs as essentially from
the Spencer, Larsen and similar systems in the double eccentric motion whereof one
of the axles remains always fixed in its bearing.
Besides these principal characteristics I may mention as further distinguishing
marks of this construction of rifle the arrangement of the main spring, the hammer,
the trigger and sear, and of the safety bolt.
The arrangement of these parts is as follows-
The breech box forming the connection between the barrel and the fore end with
the butt consists of oblong metal pieces to the front of which the barrel is screwed
and between which the breech block with the other principal parts of the mechanism
works. The breech box is further provided at its rear end with two grooves to
receive the rear end of the breech block.
The breech block is pierced transversely to receive an axle of two diameters
secured to the lever and said axle when turned in one direction will lock the block
in position but when turned in the other direction will be capable of sliding in a
groove or slot provided for it and withdraw and lower the breech block. which as
it descends will strike against and work the extractor. The leverage to draw back
the axle is obtained from a pin fixed in the lock plate against which the lower end
of the lever strikes, or the pin may be secured to the lever and work in a slot or
groove in the side plate. In this arrangement the pin will form the locking bolt to
lock the breech block in position,

page_text: The main spring which it is preferred should be circular, is made in one piece with
the sear spring and is secured by a screw to the trigger plate. To the same plate
is not only pivotted the trigger but the hammer and the extractor. The trigger is
formed in one piece with the sear which is in the form of a hook to catch behind
the hammer and retain it. The trigger guard is either made in one picce with the
trigger plate or is secured thereto so that by removing this plate the whole of the
hammer mechanism may be removed at the same time.
A safety bolt which consists of a lever secured to an axle having its bearings in
the lock plates and being partly cut away, is provided.
When the lever is depressed so as to bring the full portion of the axle above the
sear spring the trigger will be prevented from rising and the hammer will thus be
locked.
The whole mechanism of this system excluding the ordinary parts necessary for
all rifles, but including the pins especially necessary to this construction contains
only seven parts and the rifle with all the pieces necessary to a fire arm is composed
of only thirty parts which can all be made by machinery so that these rifles can
be manufactured at a very low cost compared with other systems.
The advantages offered by this system are great strength and simplicity of parts
and cheapness; and in consequence of the simplicity of the parts it is easy to keep
the mechanism in a perfectly clean state, as it can be dismounted and put together
with rapidity without any difficulty and without requiring special tools. It is
also easy to make the rifle perfectly useless by taking out in a few moments the
most essential parts of the mechanism; while the lever principal adopted, presents
powerful means for closing and opening the mechanism in case the parts become
rusty and soiled, which advantage is missed in all the new constructions provided
with the sliding movement or with the simple up and down movement of the
breech block.
I
improvements in Dreech-loading KiMUS.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 3
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in the moving parts of the closing
mechanism of breech loaders, and consists in a combination of the lever principle
and a double excentric motion with two axles, which are movable one round the

page_text: Fig. 7 18 a side view, and
Fig. 9 a back view, of the breech box A² in the modified form.
Figs 10, 10 and 10b are side, front, and back views of the breech block B². .
Fig. 11, 11 and 11 are outside, inside, and edge views of the lever L².
The following Figures are similar in the two models.
Fig. 12 and 12 are side and upper views of the upper tang P.
Figs. 13 and 13 are side and upper views of the trigger plate K.
Fig. 14, 14 and 14° are side, back, and front views of the hammer D.
Fig. 15 and 15 are side and front views of the trigger guard B.
Fig. 16 and 16ª are side and back views of the extractor E.
Fig. 17, 17 and 17 are outside, inside, and edge views of the lever M, with the
axis h of the closing device.
Figs. 18 and 18" are side and plan views of the trigger and sear G.
Figs. 19 and 19ª are side and plan views of the main spring F.
The two forms of rifle I will refer to as model I° and model Ib, and they are more
particularly referred to in Figs. 6 and 9, Sheet II.
The arrangement of the parts is as follows:-
The breech boxes A¹ and A2 (see Figs. 6 and 9 before mentioned) forming the
connection between the barrel C and the fore end I and the butt or stock O,
consists of oblong metal pieces, to the front of which the barrel is secured in any
convenient manner, and between which the breech-blocks B¹ and B are lodged
with the other principal parts of the mechanism, that is to say, the cock and the
hammer D, the main spring F; the extractor E, the lower stay K, the trigger and
sear G, and the axle h of the safety bolt M.
i
The breech box is further provided at its rear end, and internally, with two
grooves b to receive the trunnions a at the rear end of the breech block. Closely
below the grooves is rivetted the tang P, which is secured to the trigger plate K

page_text: by means of a screw bolt S.-The trigger plate, in combination with the screw
bolt S, gives also a steady support to the rifle stock O, whilst the trigger plate K
itself is maintained in the breech block at the front end by a rivetted bolt f, and
at the rear end by the screw g.-For putting the mechanism in movement, the
breech box A¹ (Fig. 6) has an axle bearing with a groove n m for the lever
axle T, which is cut through the right side wall and into the left side wall to a
depth of 3 millimètres.-It is furthermore provided at the right exterior side wall
with an axle bearing U, said axle forming the second of the double excentric
system. The breech box A³ Fig. 9 has also in the right side wall an axle
bearing n with a groove n m for the shorter lever axle V, Figs 11*, & 11b and a
second axle bearing o with the slot o p for the second or longer lever axle W, cut
into the left side wall to a depth of 3 millimètres.
The breech blocks B1 and B2, secured from recoil in the model Ia by the lever
axle T, and in the model Ib by the lever axle W (Figs. 1 and 3), are formed at
their rear end with the trunnions a, which enter the grooves b, and at their front
ends with the cylindrical projection k, which enters the barrel.-The two blocks B¹
and B2 are formed with a recess in which the hammer works, a conical opening
being made in the front part of the block for the striker of the hammer.-The
main spring F is a well known, proved contrivance, which is preferred to the new
spiral spring, principally destined for receiving the shock; the spring F is of a
circular shape, which makes it very strong and durable. It is made in one piece
with the sear spring, and secured to the trigger plate by a screw d.-The trigger G is
formed with a hook which catches behind the look on the back of the hammer, see
Fig. 14, and retains it. The trigger guard H, with the screw pin x for the strap
holder, unless it is made in one piece with the trigger plate K, is maintained at the
rear end by means of a screw bolt g, and at the front end by the screw d.
The lever L of the model I (Figa 8, 8ª and 8b) has on the inner side an axle T
and a groove o p for the axle U, and that of the model Ib (Fig. 11, 11a and 11b) a
longer axle W and a shorter one V. When the mechanism is closed the lever of
the model 1b is retained by an elastic spring v fixed to the side wall of the breech-
box, which spring may also form a part of the safety bolt.
The safety bolt M, when turned into the position M¹ indicated in dotted lines
(Fig. 5) allows the lever and breech block quickly to be taken out. In closing the
mechanism, M returns by itself into its former position. When the lever M is
depressed into the position M2, so as to bring the full portion of the axle h above
the sear spring, the action of the trigger will be prevented, and thus the hammer
will, so to speak, be locked in the cocked position, as all movement of the trigger
being stopped, the hammer cannot escape therefrom.
The mechanism works in the following manner :-In its closed position (Figs 1
and 3), the breech block is lodged, as described above, with the trunnions a in the
grooves b, and with the cylindrical projection in the barrel closely behind the
cartridge, whilst in the middle it is supported according to the model by the axles T
or V. The breech block of the model 1° (Fig. 1) is perfectly secured from recoil by
the lever axle T catching into the side walls of the breech box, and that of the
model 1 (Fig. 3) by the lever axle W catching also into the side walls of the breech
box. When the mechanism is to be opened, the lever is turned rapidly and
energetically by means of the knob L K into the position L¹ indicated in dotted
lines in Fig. 5. During this movement, the lever is first turned round the axles T
or V, whilst in the model Ia the groove o p of the lever works along the axle V.-
In the model Ib, the lever axle W is moving from o to p, and the axles V or W take
up the further turning of the lever.-By means of the axles T or V, the breech
block sliding in the grooves b is conducted backwards, and with its front part
downwards, and the mechanism is thus opened (see Figs 2 and 4), and at the same
time the extractor is put in action and the hammer cocked.-All this movement
and the closing of the mechanism can be executed so easily and quickly, that 18 to
20 shots may be fired off in a minute, without any difficulty, from the shoulder.
The cartridge, after having been introduced, is pushed into its place by the force of

page_text: the lever, even should the breech end of the barrel be foul, or the cartridge itself
be somewhat crushed. For dismounting the whole mechanism, it will be necessary
to take out the screws S and g. For examining and cleaning the barrel, it is
sufficient to lower the breech block, as in this position the cartridge channel Z in
the top of the breech block comes into line with the barrel, and an examination
and cleaning thereof can be easily done.
The whole mechanism of this systen, excluding the ordinary parts necessary for
all rifles, but including the pins especially necessary to this construction, contains
only seven parts, and the rifle with all the pieces necessary to a fire arın is
composed of only thirty parts, which can all be made by machinery and be inter-
changeable, so that these rifles can be manufactured at a low cost compared with
other systerns, while the solidity and strength of all the parts of this mechanism is
so extraordinary that even in causing intentionally an explosion of the cartridge
directed backwards, only the butt was pulled out, but no one part of the mechanism
was injured.
The advantages offered by this system are great strength and simplicity of parts
and cheapness, and in consequence of the simplicity of the parts, it is easy to keep
the mechanism in a perfectly clean state, as it can be dismounted and put together
with rapidity without any difficulty and without requiring special tools. It is also
easy to make the rifle perfectly useless by taking out, in a few moments, the most
essential parts of the mechanism, while on the other hand the lever principle
adopted presents powerful means for closing and opening the mechanism in case
any of the parts become rusty and soiled, which advantage is missed in all the new
constructions provided with the sliding movement, or with the simple up and down
movement of the breech block, whereby, as taught by experience, many important
inconveniences are caused.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my Foreign Correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
1st The mode or modes herein shown and described of mounting and operating
the breech block of breech loading rifles.
2nd In a breech loading rifle, the combination with the trigger plate K, of the
hammer and main spring, the trigger and sear, and the extractor, substantially as.
shown and described, whereby the stripping and assembling of the gun is readily
effected.
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