MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Robert at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th May
1867.
I, CHARLES ROBERT, of 31, Rue Souverain Pont, Liege, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-arms.
The barrel of the fire-arm is at its breech fixed into the front end of a body
of a trough-like form, open at the top to allow room for the introduction of
the cartridge in loading and for pushing it forward into the barrel.. The
trough-like space in the barrel is closed after the cartridge has been introduced
by a block jointed at its fore end to the top of the body. The block has a
central hole formed through it from end to end, and contains a needle or
striker for exploding the cartridge by a blow on the centre of its base. The
block also has on its under side a strong hook or projection which descends
through a slot cut in the bottom of the trough form part of the body, and it is
locked by a sliding bolt working in guides on the under side of the body.
This bolt receives its motion from a lever, which when the block is locked in
position fits close underneath the trigger guard; the lever works on a hori-
zontal axis at its forward end, and has teeth upon it around the axis, and
when the hinder end of the lever is thrust downwards and forwards as in
unlocking the block, or when the contrary movement is made in locking the
block the teeth gear with rack teeth formed on the bolt. To lock the block

page_text: the bolt enters into the hook upon it, and in unlocking the bolt is withdrawn,
whilst at the same time another part in connection with the bolt comes
against the back of the hook, and by pressing against it partly raises the
block, so that the hand may readily get hold of it to turn it back. On the
joint of the block there is a spring acting like the spring of a pocket knife and
tending to bring the block to one or other of its extreme positions. The blow
to fire the cartridge is struck by an internal hammer mounted on a spring
arm, which when released throws the hammer head forward, so as to cause it to
impinge upon the instrument or striker within the block, and this striking the
base of the cartridge fires it. The striker passes through a cavity containing
grease, and is so kept lubricated. The spring arm of the hammer is forced
back to prepare it to strike the blow by the action of the lever which locks
and unlocks the breech block when the lever is moved so as to unlock the
breech block; a projection upon it comes against the spring arm of the
hammer, and forces it back until it is caught and retained by a detent at
the end of a short lever, and when the trigger is drawn back to fire the
charge it moves the short lever on its centre and so sets the hammer free, and
the tension of its spring arm causes it to fly forward and strike the blow
which fires the charge.
In order to prevent the arm from being discharged accidentally I employ a
bolt or rod, by turning which the trigger can be prevented from releasing the
catch or detent that holds back the striker; one end of this rod screws into
the body of the piece, and the opposite end projects out from the right-hand
side of the arm and carries a ring by which the bolt can be turned.. When
the bolt is out of action a recess in the bolt allows the catch or detent to turn
on its centre, but by turning the bolt by the ring at its end the catch or
detent may be locked and prevented from releasing the striker.
The cartridge I. employ forms no part of this Invention, it is formed by
rolling paper on a mandril, so as to form a tube into which the ball is
secured at one end, the powder is then introduced, and the end of the
tube is folded over a disc of cardboard with a percussion cap in the centre
being introduced and caused to rest firmly on the base of the powder, a
wad of paper is pasted over, and it is greased to render it impervious to
moisture.