Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 20th Sept., 1887.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, M.1.M.E.
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 magazine fire arms, and pertains to improvements in the
mechanism which operates the breech-block and breech-pin thereof, and improved
means for regulating the movement of the cartridge-carrier block whereby the supply
of cartridges from the magazine is cut off, and the arm can be used as a single breech-
loader while the magazine remains charged, all as hereinafter fully described, and
pointed out in the claims.
In the drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of
the frame-portion of a magazine fire-arm having the side of the frame partly broken
away
and the side-plate removed, having applied thereto parts of the devices embodying
the improvements, as fully described below. Figure 2 is a plan view of the inner
side of the side-plate of the frame of the arm, having the improvements applied thereto.
Figures 3, 6 and 7, illustrate detail parts hereinafter fully described. Figure 4 is
an edge view of the plate and parts shown in Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a plan view
of a portion of the outside of said side-plate. Figures 8 and 9, are side elevations of
the frame-part of the fire-arm embodying the improvements, the side-plate to which
the carrier-block regulating devices are attached, being removed and a portion of the
side of the frame being broken away to show the position of the mechanism therein,
the latter being shown in different operative positions in said two figures.
In the drawing, 2 is the frame of the arm, and 3 and 4 respectively, parts
of the barrel and stock adjoining the frame, and 16 is the hammer pivoted at x in
the frame.
In the arm herein shown, 7 is the guard-lever pivoted in the frame of the arm, and

page_text: has the post or projection 17 thereon to which is pivoted the latch 18. One end of
said latch extends over the end of a spring-operated pin, 19, in the lever 7, whereby
the opposite end of said latch is held in engagement with the lower end of a lever 20,
in which is a notch as shown, to receive the end of said latch.
Said lever 20 is pivoted on the same screw v, as is the guard-lever, and its pivoted
end occupies a position in practice, in a slot in the end of lever 7. A pinion 21 is
connected by a yoke 22 with said lever 20, and engages with a rack 23, fixed in
the frame of the arm, and with a rack on the under side of the breech-pin D,
whereby the latter, by the movement of lever 7 is given an end wise reciprocating
motion.
A brace 24, is pivoted by one end in the frame 2, preferably on the screw,
which is the hammer-pivot, and its opposite end is adapted to engage with a notch 25,
in the rear edge of the breech-block when one end of the breech-pin is against the
end of the barrel, or against a cartridge in the latter.
The said brace 24 is pivotally connected with the guard-lever 7, by two links 27,
(only one of which is shown in the drawing) one on each side of the breech-
block 26.
The point of connection of said links 27, with the guard-lever 7, is on an arm 20,
projecting from said lever opposite its pivot-point, as shown.
The breech-pin D has an engagement with the breech-block 26, by means of a rack
on the end of the breech-pin, as shown in Figure 1, so that when the breech-pin, by
the movement of the guard-lever, is moved back and forth the block 26, is given a
reciprocating rotary motion. The movement of the parts are so timed when the
latch 18 retains its engagement with the end of the lever 20, that the breech-pin, the
breech-block, and the brace 24 are brought to the relative positions shown in Figure 8,
when, by swinging lever 7, the breech of the arm is nearly closed, and the swinging
motion of the guard-lever being continued whereby it is finally brought up against
the under side of the arm, the end of the projection 17, on the guard-lever is brought
against the adjoining corner and front edge of the breech-block, and is thereby
caused to assist in the forcible rotary motion of said block, and said projection acts,
in conjunction with the breech-pin, to swing the breech-block and assists in forcing
said pin towards the rear end of the barrel, or against the head of a cartridge placed
therein, thereby carrying the latter to its proper position in the barrel, and jointly
with the brace 24, which is at the same time swung against the rear edge of the
breech-block and has its end engaged with the notch 25 therein, holding the breech-
block against the force of the firing charge of the arın. The above cam-action of the
projection 17, against the breech-block serves an important purpose when the cart-
ridge by chance fits very closely in the gun.
Figure 9 illustrates the relative positions of the above described parts of the breech-
mechanism of this arm when the latch 18 has become accidentally disengaged from
the arm 20, as heretofore set forth.
The projection 17, in this arm is made of such length and the movements of the
breech-pin and breech-block are so timed, that in case the latch 18 becomes disengaged
the motion of the breech-block will cease while it is over the end of the
projection 17 on the guard-lever, thereby stopping said lever at that point in its
swinging movement and rendering it impossible that any further strain can be put
upon the links 27.
By swinging lever 7 downward slightly, the end of latch 18 becomes engaged in
the notch in lever 20, and then by moving the guard-lever upward again, the parts.
will assume the positions shown in Figure 8, whereby they properly co-act to close
the breech of the barrel.
The construction and operation of the improvements for regulating the move-
ment of the carrier-block whereby the arm is converted into a single loader, are as
follows:
In a slot formed transversely through frame 2 directly back of the end of the
barrel and magazine, is located the carrier-block 5, which receives the cartridges from
the magazine one by one and lifts them to a line with the bore of the barrel, and

page_text: brings them before the end of the breech-pin D, by which they are carried into the
barrel. In Figure 1, a cartridge is indicated by dotted lines in the carrier-block, 5,
in the position in which it lies when received from the magazine. The said carrier-
block acts also to lift an empty cartridge-shell to the upper side of the frame after it
has been drawn out of the barrel by the ordinary extractor attached to said breech-
pin, so that said shell is thrown from the arm.
The carrier-block 5 is given its upward and downward movement in the rear of the
end of the magazine and of the end of the barrel by the carrier-block lever 6, which is
pivoted by one end at in the frame, its opposite end entering a recess in said
block, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, and said lever is actuated by
engagement with the end of the guard-lever 7, which is also pivotally attached to the
frame at v.
When said carrier-block lever 6 is free to be moved upward to the full extent
required to lift the carrier-block sufficiently to carry a cartridge, shown in dotted
lines in the block in Figure 1, up to a line with the bore of the barrel 3, said lever
is swung upward to a greater extent than is shown in Figure 1, wherein is shown,
in transverse section, the end of a lever stop-pin 12, having a spring 13, coiled around
it against it which spring the side of the carrier-lever bears. That part of said stop-
pin shown in Figure 1 is the part thereof which projects from the inner side of the
side plate 8, (see Figures 2 and 4) when said plate is in position on the frame 2, of
the arm when it covers the opening in the latter in which are located the parts shown
in Figure 1. The said stop-pin, together with said spring 13, which is attached
thereto, is shown in enlarged view in Figure 6, and in Figures 2 and 4 respectively,
the inner end of said pin, and the outer end of the knob attached thereto are
shown.
The side-plate parts shown in Figure 2, occupy a fixed position when secured on
the frame of the arm and the said stop-pin is so secured in said side-plate that it is
capable of being moved towards and from said carrier-block lever 6, so that in one
position it will stand as shown in Figure 1, and obstruct the swinging movement of the
carrier-block lever to such an extent as to prevent the carrier-block from being lifted
.quite away from the line of cartridges in the magazine of the gun, thereby retaining
the cartridges therein, and when moved to another position, as below described, it
leaves the carrier-block lever free to swing to its fullest extent, whereby a cartridge is,
at each operation of the guard-lever 7 transported from the magazine up to a line
behind the barrel which permits of its being inserted in the latter."
The said stop-pin 12, is connected to the side-plate 8, as follows:
Said plate has a recess a, formed in its inner side of the form indicated by dotted
lines in Figure 2, in which recess is pivotally secured by a pin at o, a thin shield plate
of metal 9, having a perforation z, said plate being shown in side elevation in Figure 3.
Over said shield-plate 9, and against the inner side of the side-plate 8 is secured a
inetallic plate 10, thereby forming a chamber containing said shield-plate in which the
latter is free to have a vibratory motion on its pivot, as below described.
The side-plate 8 has a curved slot e made through it, as shown in Figure 5, and
through the plate 10, on the inner side of plate 8 is likewise formed a curved slot f
corresponding in form and position to the said slot e, and the borders of the slot f, in
plate 10, have a depression formed therein indicated by n, in Figure 2. The stop-
pin 12 has a collar c, and when the shank d of the stop-pin is passed through the said
plates 8 and 10, and at the same time through the perforations z in the shield-plate 9,
the collar c on the pin enters the depression around the border of said slot f, and the
end of the shank d projects beyond the outer surface of the side-plate 8, and is screw-
threaded to provide for screwing the metallic knob 14 onto it, and said knob is secured
on the shank of the stop-pin by the screw 15, which enters the shank thereof, and its
head is countersunk in said knob.
Said stop-pin having been attached in the plates 8 and 10, as described, has so much
of its length as extends beyond the collar c, thereon and to which is attached the
spring 13, extending inwardly beyond the inner face of the plate 10, and reaching
over the upper side of the carrier-block lever 6, substantially as shown in Figure 1.

page_text: The said spring 13, has one end thereof secured in a slot in the side of the pin 12,
and the opposite end of said spring is curved around the pin, as shown in Figures 1
and 2, and standing somewhat away from the side of the pin against which the carrier-
block lever may strike when its vibratory movement is arrested thereby without any
perceptible shock when it strikes the spring. By reason of the above-described
manner of connecting the stop-pin 12 with the plates 8 and 10, and with the shield-
plate 9, said stop-pin is capable of a sliding movement in said plates from one end of
the slot e (see Figure 5) to the other, the position which the pin occupies in the lower
end of said slot in said Figure represents its position relative to the lever 6 shown in
Figure 1, and when the pin is moved to the upper end of the slot e, its inner end is
carried quite away from the path of movement of said lever and does not interfere
with its motion, but when brought to the lower end of slot e it serves as a stop to said
lever, as above described.
By reference to Figures 2 and 5, it is seen that the plate 9 covers the opening
through the slotted parts of the plates 8 and 10, and prevents any dust or other thing
from entering through said slot into the interior of the frame of the arm, said shield
plate swinging on its pivot with the motion of the stop-pin and closing said opening
in whichever position the stop-pin may be. The knob 14 is screwed against the
plate 8, tight enough to bind the stop-pin to the plates through which it passes,
whereby it becomes frictionally held at the upper end of the slot e, when moved to
that position.
a
The operation of the above described improvements is as follows when the stop-
pin 12 is at the lower end of slot e in the side-plate 8 to adjust the arm to be used as
single loader, while the magazine is charged, it being understood that under these
conditions one cartridge remains in the carrier-block (see dotted lines in Figure 1)
behind the line of those in the magazine, and is alternately lifted up and dropped
down with the carrier-block, the head of the cartridge in the magazine next to the
carrier-block being first held against the end of that in said block, and then against
the end of the block itself below the end of the cartridge therein.
The guard-lever 7 has sufficient freedom of movement from the under side of the
arm to the position shown in Figure 1, to draw back the breech-pin D from the barrel
and allow a cartridge to be inserted by hand, without swinging it far enough to start
lever 6, and the carrier block, but in rapid manipulation of the arm as a single loader,
the possible movement of said lever and block by a fnrther movement of said lever 7,
whereby a second cartridge would be brought up from the magazine behind the one
already in the barrel, must be surely guarded against and the said stop-pin prevents
such a result by obstructing the movement of the carrier-lever 6, beyond a certain
point.
The arm having been fired while the guard-lever is held against the under side of
the arm, said lever is then swung forward again to draw back the breech-pin D, and
extract the shell of the cartridge, and said shell is deposited on the top of the carrier-
block (the latter being at its lowest position when the arm is discharged) and the
complete movement of the guard-lever within the limits of the movement of the
carrier-block lever as determined by the position of the stop-pin as aforesaid, causes
said block to rise only slightly whereby the said shell therein is caused to be thrown
from the arm, and when the guard-lever is again swung backward the carrier-block
drops again to its lowest position.
By swinging or sliding the stop-pin to the upper end of the said slot in the side-
plate 8 it is carried way from the carrier-block lever 6 leaving the latter entirely free
to be vibrated normally by the guard-lever whereby the barrel is, as above described,
supplied with cartridges from the magazine.
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 correspondents, I declare that what I claim is
--
1. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the pivoted breech-block 26, capable of a rotary
movement derived from the vibratory movement of the guard-lever, combined with

page_text: said guard-lever having a detachable connection with the breech-block actuating
mechanism, substantiallyfas described, and having thereon the projection 17, capable of
engagement with the breech-block whereby the movement of said lever is arrested,
substantially as set forth.
2. The pivoted breech-block 26, capable of a rotary movement derived from the
vibratory movement of the guard-lever, combined with said lever having thereon the
projection 17, capable of engagement with one edge of the breech-block during, and
at the end of its rotary movement against the breech-pin, substantially as set forth.
3. Means for limiting the movement of the cartridge carrier block in a repeating
fire-arm consisting of a stop-pin substantially as described, attached to the frame
thereof, and capable of being engaged with the carrier-block actuating mechanism,
substantially as set forth.
4. The side-plate of the frame of the arm, having a slot therethrough substantially
as described, combined with a stop-pin passing through said slot and movable therein
having one end extending opposite the side of the carrier-block lever, and a spring
substantially as described, secured to said end of the pin, substantially as set forth.
5. The side-plate of the frame of the arm having a recess as a, in its inner side, a
shield-plate as 9, pivoted in said recess, a lining plate as 10 secured on said inner side
of said side-plate over said shield-plate, a curved slot formed through said side, and
lining plates combined with a stop-pin, as 12, passing through said curved slot and
engaging with said pivoted shield-plate, capable of movement from end to end of said
slot, substantially as set forth.
6. The side and lining plates 8 and 10, having curved slots therethrough of corre
sponding form and position, that of the lining-plate having a depression as n, around
its border, combined with the stop-pin 12, passing through said slots and having a
collar thereon engaging in said depression, a knob secured to the outer end of said
stop-pin, and a spring as 13, secured to and coiled around the inner end of said pin,
substantially as set forth.
7. In combination, the frame of the arm having a rack 23 thereon, the guard-
lever 7, the spring-actuated latch 18 pivoted thereon, the notched lever 20, the
pinion 21, connected by a yoke 22, with the lever 20 the breech-pin D, having a rack-
engagement with said pinion, the breech-block 26, the brace 24, and the links 27,
pivotally connected with said brace and guard-lever, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 4th day of August 1887.