IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Sven Rydbeck at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th February
1866.
I, SVEN RYDBECK, of the Scandinavian Hotel, 1, Circus, Minories, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
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This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-arms.
At the breech end of the barrel is formed a chamber, which is open at the top
(or it may be at one side), and through this opening the cartridge is introduced
and pushed forward into the bore. The cartridge carries it own priming,
and is so arranged as to be fired by a needle entering the centre of its base or
sliding
rear end. The barrel is closed behind the cartridge by means of a.
bolt, which at its fore end is by preference made slightly conical; it fits a
corresponding seat at the front of the open chamber, and the bolt passes back
through the chamber and out at the rear end thereof. The bolt is able to
slide freely in the direction of the length of the barrel, and it is drawn back
so as to leave the chamber open when it is required to introduce a cartridge
into the barrel; afterwards it is pushed forward to close the breech behind
the cartridge, and it is secured by means of a spring catch working in a
transverse slot in the back of the open chamber. The sliding bolt is worked
by means of a hand lever jointed to its rear end; this lever, when turned up
by means of an incline, presses down the spring and withdraws the catch; the
same incline also, by pressing against the back of the chamber, starts the cone

page_text: at the front of the sliding bolt from its seat. When the breech is closed the
lever turns down towards the front, and its end forms a cover to the opening
in the chamber. In the front of the sliding bolt is a small perforation, through
which the point of a needle can be protruded; the needle slides in a cavity
formed in the bolt, and a coiled spring tends constantly to press it back and to
withdraw its point into the sliding bolt. In order to project the needle forward
to fire the cartridge another stronger spiral spring is employed; it is contained
in a spring box under the open chamber, and this spring tends constantly to
project forward a slotted bar, which, however, is retained until it is desired to
fire the piece by means of a sear; when by means of the trigger the sear is
withdrawn, the slotted bar moves a curved lever which is jointed at one end
underneath the fore end of the open chamber, and at the other end it projects
up through the slot in the slotted bar, and also through a slot into the bottom
of the chamber, and there when the lever is thrown forward (on the slotted
bar being liberated on pulling the trigger) it enters a groove in the sliding
bolt, strikes against the rear end of the needle, and throws it forward, and in
so doing explodes the cartridge. The trigger is fitted in such manner that it
cannot be drawn back sufficiently far to free the slotted bar and fire the piece
unless the spring catch is in its place so as securely to hold the sliding bolt;
this spring catch also is slightly inclined, so that in entering its notch it forces
the sliding bolt forwards a short distance, thus ensuring a gas-tight joint.
The slotted bar is formed with a thumb-piece or projection upon it, by which
it is drawn back in cocking the piece; it has also two notches formed in it,
the half-cock bent and the full bent. In place of securing the sliding bolt
by means of a spring catch the following means may be resorted to:-
A cylindrical hole is bored transversely through the back or rear end of the
chamber when the sliding bolt is in its place, and a transverse groove is thus
formed in the bolt. Into this hole a cylindrical plug is fitted; it has a lever
handle, by which it can be rotated, and there is a transverse hole in the plug,
so that in one position it allows the sliding bolt to move, but otherwise it locks
it securely. The end of the lever on the plug forms a lid to the open chamber.
A groove may be formed in the sliding bolt to receive the end of a locking
pin to limit the motion of the sliding bolt, and prevent it turning or being
drawn entirely out in loading.