Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Pierre Samain, of No. 2, Allée des Lices, Blois,
in the Republic of France, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Pierre Samain, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the
Drawing hereto annexed, and forming part of this Specification, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-

page_text: The hammer, Figure 1, is constructed of an adjustable breech or bolt
C of a needle E, having a hollow stem of a large spiral spring G lodging
in this rod of a piece or back support F, connected to the bolt by a
number of teeth d, and a trigger L operating a finger X.
The teeth d connecting the support F to the bolt C are received in
circular grooves made on a part of the circumference of the bolt as seen.
in Figure 6. By turning the bolt one-fourth of a revolution the teeth d
will be kept engaged in this bolt. To liberate the support F the teeth
are brought opposite the part where the partitions of the grooves are
cut away as seen in Figures 6 and 2. When the support is released the
needle and the spring may be removed. The piece F is provided with a
pivot M corresponding with the centre of the bolt. The hollow stem of
the needle is provided in front with the needle or striker H properly so
called, and at back with an enlargement and small tongue q, Figure 4,
lodging in a recess in the support F; this tongue serves to prevent the
needle from turning. Near the small tongue q is a cam n, the helical
surface of which corresponds with the surface m of the bolt Figure 3.
The gun is cocked by the action of the surface m on the cam n of the
needle by raising the handle of the bolt Figures 2 and 3. The spring G
presses on the pivot M and forces the needle to advance in a continuous
manner. The adjustable head D is provided with the cartridge extractor
K and driver R; it does not move round with the bolt and is connected
to it by means of a circular projection 8, Figure 26, on a semi-circum-
ference, and catching into the front of the bolt. When the handle of
the bolt is vertical the whole of the part & is engaged in the bolt, when
the handle is horizontal it is only half engaged. The trigger L is lodged
in the butt end of the breech box B and is jointed to the finger X, and
operated by the spring ; fixed on the breech box, Figure 1. The lever Y
jointed at one end to the spring J and at the other to the trigger X acts
as a stop in conjunction with the enlargement u by entering one of the
cavities e¹ or e³, of the bolt Figures 1 and 6.
To place the hammer in the stop notch, the bolt may be placed in the
intermediate position, Figure 6, or its handle may be horizontal; the
cavities e¹ and e³, will then be presented respectively in front of the pro-
jection u which will pass into them; if the trigger L be reversed, the bolt
will be held firmly in position, and the extremity of the spring J

page_text: trigger from getting out of its
The finger X acts on the driver
entering the notch z will prevent the
position as shown at Figures 1 and 6.
R and serves as a stop to the hammer. This hammer may be entirely
taken out of the breech box without the use of any tool, and replaced
with the same facility.
The needle E and the bolt may be made dependent on one another by
means of a spur q, Figure 24, which slides into a groove made in the
interior of the bolt. In this case the gun is cocked by means of the
helical surface m on the needle rod, Figures 21, 24, and 25, and pressing
on a cam 6 which forms part of the support F, Figures 11, 13, and 22. 1
By this arrangement, as in the last, the hammer may be placed at full or
partial cock; in the latter case the cocking is completed by pushing the
bolt forward, and the finger stops the needle in its passage.
Instead of the stop notch shewn in Figures 1 and 6 I can apply to
my improved construction of guns another arrangement, Figures 8 and
19. The finger X here forms one with the spring J. A second spring
.V presses on the first by means of the catch p, and is provided at its
extremity with a tooth f which falls into the notch z of the trigger as
shewn in dotted lines, Figure 8, when the trigger has been reversed. In
this case the nose y of the trigger enters one of the recesses c¹ or e³,
Figure 19, of the needle, corresponding respectively with the intermediate
and horizontal positions of the handle of the bolt. The cartridge
extractor K, Figure 8, is constructed of a curved spring lodging in the
bolt; the longer part of the spring has at its extremity an extracting
hook, and the shorter part has a flange x² placed in a corresponding
cavity in the bolt. To take it to pieces it is only required to act on the
projection of the short arm, so as to liberate the flange and draw out
the cartridge extractor with the hook.
To drive out the cartridge case I employ the driver R, Figures 8 and
20, consisting of an iron piece passing in and out of a cavity in the head
of the needle. When the driver R is pulled back it strikes against the
finger X which causes it to project forward and throw out the case. By
this means the back play of the hammer is limited.
Another form of driver, the action of which is analogous. is shown at

page_text: If desired another arrangement may be used in conjunction with the
stop or safety notches, Figures 1 and 8, and which is shewn at Figures
14, 15, 16, and 17, which consists of a disk U with a cylindrical nave or
boss and provided with a small axis of a crank arm T on the piece U,
a screw K connecting these parts and a spring f¹ formed with a steel
washer punched into a conical form. The axis may take into a longi-
tudinal groove Z made in the bolt, Figure 9. In Figure 15 the axis is
entirely outside the groove, and the hammer may be removed from the
breech case. By lowering the crank arm T towards the left, the axis is
O caused to enter the groove Z and serves to stop or limit the play of the
hammer by butting against the extremity of this groove. By lowering
it towards the right the axis is caused to engage in the circular groove d,
Figure 9, and produces the stop notch.
Having thus described my Invention and the manner of carrying
5 same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details herein laid down, but what I claim is,―
Firstly. The general construction and arrangement of a hammer for
breech-loading fire-arms, by which the same may be taken out and
replaced without the aid of a tool, as herein-before described and
0 represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The combination of a needle or striker with a hollow stem
turning or not with the bolt of a spiral spring lodged in such needle or
striker, and of a piece serving as a support and connected to the bolt by
means of teeth and circular grooves, as herein-beforo described and
5 represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 11, 12, 13, 21, 22, and 24, of the
accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The adjustable needle head, as herein-before described and
represented in Figures 1 and 26 of the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: herein-before described and represented in Figures 8 and 19 of the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Samain, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-three.