Improvements in breech-loading mana
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
Improvements in breech-loading
mana
I, CHARLES FRANCOTTE, of 65, Mont St. Martin, Liège, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Gunmaker, 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 certain devices for connecting and disconnecting the lock
mechanism of breech-loading firearms having pivotting breech-blocks, to and from the
breech-box containing such mechanism, the said devices enabling the mechanism to
be put in place and locked therein, or unlocked and removed therefrom, without the
aid of any tool whatever.
The accompanying sheet of drawings illustrates my invention as applied to what.
are known as Martini-Francotte guns.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively side and front elevations of a Martini-Francotte-
breech-box with one form of my locking device applied thereto,
Figure 3 is a side elevation similar to Figure 1 but partly in longitudinal section
and with part of the right hand side of the box broken away to show part of the
trigger guard plate therein, and
Figure 4 is a detail view of the locking spindle,
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively side and front elevations of a Martini-Francotte-
breech-box with another form of my locking.device applied thereto,
Figure 7 being a side elevation of the lock mechanism removed from the breech-
box,
Figure 8 a side elevation similar to Figure 5 but partly in longitudinal section, and
with part of the right hand side of the box broken away to show part of the trigger-
guard plate therein, and
Figures 9 and 10 are detail views of the corresponding locking spindle.
In both arrangements the trigger-guard plate A, on which the lock mechanism is.
mounted (see Figure 7) is secured at its rear end in the box B by the stud C taking
into a hole in the rear end of the said box, as is usual in the Martini- Francotte gun;
but the front end of the trigger-guard plate is secured, in the case of Figures 1, 2, 3.
and 4, by what I call a double-acting locking device and in the case. of
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 by what I call a triple-acting locking device.
Referring in the first place to Figures 1 to 4, D is a spindle which passes through
and turns in holes formed in the front part and near the bottom of the sides of the
box B. This spindle is provided with a thumb-piece or handle E standing outside the
box B, normally in the position shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 2; and is retained in
the holes in the sides of the box by means of a screw the point of which enters the
groove G in the spindle D, leaving the latter free to turn to a certain extent in the holes
in the box sides but preventing it from being drawn out therefrom.
The front part of the trigger-guard plate A is recessed at H (Figure 2) leaving two
These cheeks I have segmental notches
side cheeks I standing up, one at each side.
J formed in them corresponding to the spindle D, and each forming a kind of hook.
The spindle D is cylindrical where it passes through, and bears in the holes in the
sides of the box B, but is segmental in section at the parts which pass through and

page_text: bear in the notches J in the cheeks I as shown at Figure 4*, which is a section taken
on the line 1-1 of Figure 4.
When the trigger-guard plate A, with the lock mechanism mounted on it, is in
its normal position in the box B, and the spindle D stands in the position shown
in Figure 3 with the thumb-piece or handle E in the position shown in full lines
Figures 1 and 2, the trigger-guard-plate is secured in the box B because the hooked
parts of the cheeks I forming the upper sides of the notches J cannot pass the
curved part of the spindle D, seeing that the said trigger-guard plate has to swivel
round the stud C before its front end can be drawn down out of the box. When
however the spindle D is turned round by moving the thumb-piece or handle E into
the position shown in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2, so as to bring the cut
away part or flat side of the spindle D facing the part I¹ of the cheek I, as shown in
Figure 3, the front end of the trigger-guard plate A can be drawn down out of the
box, and then the whole of the said plate, and the mechanism on it, can be drawn
forward so as to disengage the stud C from the hole in the rear end of the box.
Then when the trigger-guard plate and inechanism are replaced in the box they are
locked in position by turning the spindle D back into the position shown in
Figure 3 with the thumb-piece or handle E in the position shown in full lines in
Figures 1 and 2.
The spindle D is held in the locked position by means of a spring K fixed in a
recess in the end of one of the side walls of the box B, and bearing at its free end
against the bottom of a notch L formed in the spindle D.
I call this locking device double-acting because there are two parts I¹ of the
trigger-guard plate that co-operate with the spindle D to effect the locking of the
trigger-guard plate in place.
Referring in the next place to Figures 5 to 10 the arrangements are quite the
same as have been described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, and the corresponding
parts are marked with the same letters of reference; but instead of there being only
two notched locking cheeks I on the trigger-guard plate a third notched cheek or
hook M is introduced at the front end of the trigger-guard plate, and the spindle D
is correspondingly cut away to enable the projecting part of that cheek or hook to
pass free of it when the said spindle is turned into the unlocked position. Figure 9
is a view of the locking spindle as seen from one side, and Figure 10 a view of the
same as seen from the opposite side, and Figures 9ª, 9B and 9° are respectively cross
sections of same taken on the lines 2-2, 3-3, and 4-4 of Figure 9, the locking spindle
being supposed to be standing in the locked position. The sections 9 and 9 show
the parts of the spindle cut away to allow the parts I of the side cheeks I of the
trigger-guard plate to pass the spindle and the section 9B shows the part cut away
to allow the locking cheek or hook M to pass the spindle when the latter is standing
in the unlocked position as shown in Figure 7*.
The spindle D is held in the locked position by means of springs K K¹ fixed in
recesses in the ends of the side walls of the box B and bearing at their free ends
against the spindle much as in the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 4.
I call this method of locking triple-acting because there are three parts I¹ I'
. and M of the trigger-guard plate that co-operate with the spindle D to effect the
locking of the trigger-guard plate in the breech-box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In breech-loading fire-arms the device for securing the lock mechanism in
place in the breech-box, and for releasing the same therefrom, which consists of a
rotatable locking spindle passing through the sides of the breech-box, and engaging
in notches or books formed in cheeks on the trigger-guard plate, the said locking
spindle being formed with segmentally shaped parts for locking the trigger-guard
plate, carrying the lock mechanism, in place in the breech-box when such spindle is
turned into the locking.position and with cut away parts for releasing the said trigger-

page_text: guard plate from the breech-box when such spindle is turned into the unlocking
position, substantially as described.
Second. Devices for securing the lock mechanism of a breech loading fire-arm in
place in the breech-box, and for releasing the same therefrom, constructed and
5 operating, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of January 1898.
C. FRANCOTTE.
Per W. H. Beck,
Agent, 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C.