IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."- A
communication from abroad by Valentine Fogerty, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
Scaled the 29th December 1868, and dated the 15th October 1868.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 15th October 1868, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, South-
ampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REPEATING BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to.

page_text: grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and liave made solemn Declaration that
it has been communicated to me from abroad by Valentine Fogerty, of
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, forming
a part of this Specification :-
These improvements relate to breech-loading fire-arms which carry
magazines for holding fixed ammunition and are provided with mecha-
nism for automatically feeding each cartridge in succession from the
magazine into the barrel into position for firing. The said improvements
have particular reference to the construction and arrangement of the
cartridge-feeding mechanism.
In most magazine arms in which the cartridges are contained within a
magazine located within the stock the cartridges are fed forward by a
spring located behind the series, though in some arms they are fed
forward by the reciprocation of a ratchet bar, and in others they are
placed upon an endless belt which carries them forward. In all these
modes of construction (except where a spring presses forward the
cartridges) the feeding mechanism is at all times within or adjacent to
the magazine, and the said magazine is charged through the butt end of
the stock.
The present Invention differs from them in that the magazine is
charged through the breech frame, and also in that the feed bar is made
detachable from the magazine and is moved entirely away therefrom
when the magazine is to be charged, leaving the cartridges free to slide
down the magazine from the breech frame. The said Invention also
relates to the construction and arrangement of the hammer mechanism
for exploding the cartridge within the barrel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
A is a side elevation of an arm embodying my improvements; B is a
vertical section through the magazine tube; C is a cross section on the
linc x, x, of the sectional side view G; D is a cross section on the
line, E and F are respectively side and edge views of the cartridge

page_text: slide or bar; and H is a transverse section near the rear of the barrel.
B, C, D, G, and H, are drawn to an enlarged scale.
The stock of the gun is indicated by a; b is the barrel; and c the
metal breech frame connecting the barrel and stock. The magazine or
cartridge-holding tube d is located in the stock and opens at its upper
end into the frame c. The magazine is preferably located centrally
within the stock or between the two sides thereof, and it is wholly closed
at its bottom end, but is open along its whole length on one side, or has
a slit e, in and through which and another slit g in the stock at the
side of the barrel slides the cartridge-feeding bar or rod f. The said
rod is entirely withdrawn from the magazine when the arm is to be
charged with cartridges, and has nothing to do with loading, being slid
down into the slit at the side of the magazine after the charging is.
effected, and being then employed as the instrumentality for feeding the
series of cartridges up towards and into the breech frame, whence each
in succession is transferred into the breech of the gun to be fired.
This cartridge rod is a long thin narrow flexible piece of metal provided
with a series of edge teeth h (which correspond in distance apart from
tooth to tooth to the length of cach cartridge) and a corresponding series
of top teeth i. As the slide is pushed back into the butt it yields out-
warly to permit the edge teeth to pass by the cartridge flanges, and
when pushed home cach tooth projects into the magazine tube just
behind a cartridge flange, so that if the slide is then drawn forward
it carries with it all the cartridges in the magazine.
The groove
adjacent to the magazine tube is made in continuation of the groove
adjacent to the barrel, and as these two grooves lie at an angle
corresponding (or approximately so) to the angle of the butt and barrel
the slide is made flexible so that it may readily slide in and through
both grooves at one and the same time. The metal breech frame is
mortised through as seen at B, C, D, and the upper end of the magazine
tube opens directly into or from the rear part of the mortise, as seen
at B. In the upper part of the mortise slides longitudinally a breech
block k, which is a long block of metal having side tongues l, which fit
into grooves or ways in the side of the mortise. This block carries a
bolt j, which runs lengthwise through the block and has at its outer end
an arm n, upon which is hung the hammer o. The bolt is made capable
of a quarter rotation in the block, and when the block is pressed forward
against the barrel a shouldered piece or button p at the front of the

page_text: block comes into line with or opposite a chambered recess 9 opening
laterally from the mortise, so that by turning the bolt the piece p shuts
over into the recess q, and thus locks the breech block firmly against the
barrel. When the breech block is drawn back it opens the rear end of
the mortise, so as to leave an open space into which the cartridges may
be dropped and from which they can slide freely into the magazine. It
is in this way that the magazine is charged in contradistinction to
opening the magazine at the end of the butt, and inserting the cartridges
at the butt. The magazine being entirely smooth and free from obstruc-
tions the cartridges are dropped one by one into the mortise (the floor
of which is a continuation of the floor of the magazine) and thence they
slide down the tube until the magazine is filled. Then the cartridge
slide or bar is moved rearwards down the stock and its teeth fall behind
the cartridge flanges in position to feed them forward at each forward
movement of the breech block. At one side of the breech block a
pawl is hung, this pawl swinging vertically and loosely on a pin 8.
When the cartridge slide is pushed home (after the magazine has been
charged) the tooth of this pawl drops behind and engages with the rear
tooth of the cartridge slide. As the breech block is next thrown
forward this pawl draws forward the cartridge slide, and with such slide
all the cartridges into which its teeth h engage. At the next rear move-
ment of the breech block the feed bar remains stationary with the
cartridges at the side of it, but the pawl is carried back and engages
with the next tooth i; the next forward movement of the breech block
again carrics the cartridges forward. At each of these forward move-
ments the front cartridge (with which the slide is engaged) is carried
into the breech frame, and the front part of the cartridge slide passes
forward into its groove at the side of the barrel. The operation of
feeding the cartridges from the magazine will thus be clearly seen and
understood.
The next part of the mechanism to be described is that for transferring
each forward cartridge from the magazine into the barrel. When the
breech block is closed against the barrel there lies at the bottom, and
at one side of the mortise in line with the bottom of the magazine, a
finger into which the last forward' movement of the pawl and
cartridge slide thrust from the magazine the front cartridge. This
finger is hung and swings on a pin u and is connected by a link v to
the end of a tilting lever w, as seen at G and H, G showing a side view
of the breech frame and I a cross section through the link c. The

page_text: lever is hung and rocks on a fulcrum x, and on each side of the
fulcrum is a stud y and, the upper end of which projects through the
side of the breech frame into a groove a and into the path of move-
ment of a dog 6 on the side of the brecch block, the said dog sliding in
the groove a as the breech block reciprocates in the breech frame.
When the cartridge is slid into the finger (the latter being in the
position shown at C) the front end of the lever is swung down and the
lever and finger are held in position by a spring tooth c³ projecting
into a notch at the rear end of the lever, as shown at G. In this
position of the parts the study projects up into the groove a², as secri
at G, which shows the side of the groove and studs. As the breech
block is next drawn back the dog 6 strikes the stud y and presses it
down, thereby tilting the lever and carrying the finger with the cartridge
therein up into line with the barrel, and as the rear end of the lever
is depressed the spring tooth c is pressed back and out from the notch
and slips forward into another notch e, thus holding the finger in
position in line with the barrel. If the arm has been previously fired,
the rear movement of the breech block also draws. out from the barrel
the empty cartridge shell and ejects it from the arm as follows:-Under
the lower surface of the breech block or of the button p is fixed the
shank of a spring latch f, and as the breech block closes against the
barrel the hook of this latch (which projects beyond the end of the
breech block) slides under and springs up in front of the flange of the
cartridge driven in by the breech block. As the breech block after
firing the arm is drawn back this latch hook pulls upon the flange of
the exploded cartridge shell, and withdraws it from the barrel, and the
position of the dog b² relatively to the study is such that the said dog
does not strike the lever stud until the breech block has gone far enough
back to remove the exploded shell, so that as the finger is thrown up it
or the new cartridge which it holds strikes under the cartridge shell and
throws it from the opened breech frame. The upward movement of the
finger brings the new, cartridge into line with the barrel, and the said
finger is held in its position by the presence: of the spring tooth cin
the notch c². As the breech block is next thrown forward it strikes the
cartridge head and drives the cartridge before it.
of the cartridge has properly entered the barrel the dog & strikes the
front stud 2, and thereby throws down the front end of the lever, which
movement of the lever throws the cartridge holding finger down again.
into line with the magazine, in position for receiving the next cartridge
When the front end

page_text: which is carried by the continued forward movement of the breech
block from the magazine on to the finger, as before described. As the
breech block closes against the barrel it drives the cartridge forward,
and the barrel being thus loaded the bolt j is turned and the breech is
thereby locked in position, as before described. To hold the cartridge
securely when the finger rises the said finger is made with a hinged
jaw which has a tail piece h² to which the link is jointed, as seen
at H. When the finger is thrown down the link v is drawn under the
said finger and spreads open the same. A spring bears against this
tail piece, and as the cartridge finger rises the spring closes the jaw g²
upon the cartridge, and clasps it securely or in such manner that it
cannot be thrown from the finger by the upward movement of the same.
The cartridge is exploded by a pin which passes centrally through
the bolt j, this pin being driven forward by the hammer o. This
hammer is hung directly on the arm n, and with such arm forms the
handle for moving the breech block to and fro and for turning the bolt
to lock and unlock the breech block. When in an upright position it is
thrown away from the percussion pink or "half cocked" by a tooth F,
but when thrown round to lock the breech this tooth slips into a notch
m2, and thus lets the hammer in against the pin, so that when the
hammer is cocked its release will cause it to drive the pin forward
against the cartridge head, and to explode the cartridge. As before
stated the cartridges are inserted into the magazine tube through the
breech frame, during which insertion the cartridge slide is withdrawn
from the tube or from its slot at the side of the tube, the slide being
pressed back that its teeth may engage with and feed forward the
cartridges after the magazine is thus charged. This arrangement may
be modified however by the employment of a coiled spring in
connection with the slide, instead of the teeth upon the slide, the
said spring being in the rear of the cartridges and connected to the
slide, and acting by its expansion to feed the cartridges forward at cach
forward movement of the spring, and the magazine being prepared for
charging by forcing back the spring by means of the slide so that the
cartridges may be dropped in through the breech frame. Or the slide
may be made free from the cartridge feeding teeth and with only one
projection near its rear end, this projection feeding the whole line of
cartridges, each of which abuts against the one in rear of it. The slide
may also be made with joints, but the construction shown is preferable.
The slide may also be made to feed down the cartridges by reciprocating

page_text: it, or may be so arranged that the magazine can be filled when the slide is
at its side, the slide being forced back into its groove as the cartridges
enter the magazine, and springing out into engagement with them when
the magazine is loaded.
My improved arm may be used as a single loader when no cartridges
are in the magazine by simply dropping the cartridge upon the finger
without tipping the arm to permit the cartridge to slide into the
magazine, or a stop may be inserted to prevent the descent of the
cartridge into the magazine. The said arm may also be used as a single
loader when the magazine is charged by leaving the feed bar in its
groove at the side of the barrel, or by pressing it down into the slot at
the side of the magazine so far that the pawl will reciprocate without
engaging with the upper tooth of the slide. In magazine arms carrying
cartridges in line, each resting against the one in advance or in rear of
it, the cartridges are liable to be exploded in bringing the butt of the
arm to the ground as in "order arms." To obviate this difficulty I place
between the butt plate and the stock a rubber cushion n³, against which
the percussive force of the blow is expended when the butt strikes the
ground. The arm being held vertically, violent contact or pressure
against any cartridge head is thus prevented.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim, the
combination with a sliding breech block of a magazine tube opening
into the breech frame in such manner that it may be charged or filled
with cartridges through the top of such frame, substantially as described.
Also combining with the magazine charged through the breech frame
a feeding slide or bar, which is removed in charging the magazine tube
and is slid by and engages with the cartridges (so that it can feed them
forward) after the magazine is charged, substantially as described.
Also in combination with the cartridge containing magazine a feeding
device located at the side of the magazine and working through a slot
in the magazine, substantially as described.
Also constructing the feeding slide or bar with teeth h for engaging
with the cartridges and with teeth i acted upon by a feed pawl connected
with the reciprocating breech block, substantially as described.
Also in combination with the sliding breech block the bolt j having
an arm n at its outer end, to which arm the hammer o is hung, and

page_text: by turning which arm or the hammer the bolt locks the breech against
the barrel, the hammer preferably acting against a pin extending
through the bolt to explode the cartridge, all substantially as set forth.
Also the rubber or clastic cushion 22 interposed between the butt
plate and stock, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
THO. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.