IMPROVE- MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Haschke, of Watling Street, in the City
of London, Commission Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from
abroad by Hubert Comblain and Leon Lambin, both of Liège,
Belgium.
Sealed the 20th August 1869, and dated the 27th March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Haschke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th March 1869.-
I, HENRY HASCHKE, of Watling Street, in the City of London,
Commission Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing breech-loading fire-arms, in
which there is a direct percussion by the striker or hammer, and which
are entirely operated by means of a trigger guard lever, which acts on
the extractor, and at the same time cocks the gun.

page_text: The Invention will be understood by the annexed Drawings of an arm
constructed according thereto, and by the following description :-Fig. 1
represents the fixed breech box or piece provided with the mechanism,
showing in dotted lines the position of the extractor, and the parts M
and N of the trigger guard lever which cause it to act; also the part L
which serves to cock the gun. Fig. 2 shows the breech box without the
trigger guard; Fig. 3, the under side of the same; Fig. 4, a side view of
the trigger guard lever; Fig. 5, the under side of the same; Fig. 6, a
side view of the obturator; Fig. 6, a front view of the head of the same;
Fig. 7, a side view; and Fig 8, a face view of the extractor; Fig. 9, the
extractor spring; Fig. 10, the striker or hammer with a catenary
(chainette); Fig. 10, a front view of the head of the same; Fig. 11, the
main spring; Fig. 12. the trigger and scar; Fig. 13, a screw with ring
attached (seen at A, Fig. 1); Fig. 14, a side view of the detached picco
carrying the tail or tang for the trigger guard; and Fig. 15, a front
view of the head of this detached piece.
A is the head of the scrow (with its ring) which forms the pivot of
the trigger guard; B is the head of the screw which forms the pivot of
the extractor; C, the trigger; D, the projecting part of the obturator;
E, the trigger guard acting as a lever, and moving all the mechanism;
F, a button or projection forming a lock to the trigger guard; X, the
barrel; Z, a passage for the introduction of the cartridge; O, a screw
helping to fix the butt; I, the hole for the screw which holds the
obturator and the striker to the trigger guard lever; L, part of the
trigger guard serving to cock the striker, and prevent it acting before
the arm is quite closed; M, part of the trigger guard causing the extractor
to act by the movement of the lever; N, projecting part of the spring of
the extractor giving a sharp blow to the same when it is released by the
movement of the trigger guard given at the part M; P, head of the
transverse screw which attaches the tail of the guard to the breech box;
G, hole through which the head of the striker strikes the cartridge;
II, piece to cover the striker in order to protect the shooter from accident
in case the priming should burst; J, hole of the screw which holds the
trigger; and K, groove in which the striker, the main spring, and the
trigger sear are placed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Haschko in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, IÏENRY
HASCHKE, of Watling Street, in the City of London, Commission
Merchant, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Haschke, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Haschke, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Haschke, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with; and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully-might make; use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, tho
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS" (communicated to me from abroad by Hubert
Comblain and Leon Lambin, both of Liège, Belgium), upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Haschke, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Haschke, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in constructing breech-loading fire-arms in
which there is a direct percussion by the. striker or hammer, and which
are entirely operated by means of a trigger guard lever, which acts on
the extractor, and at the same time cocks the gun..

page_text: The Invention will be fully understood by the annexed Drawings
of an arm constructed according thereto, and by the following descrip-
tion: Figure 1 represents the fixed breech box provided with the
mechanism showing in dotted lines the position of the extractor R,
and the parts M and N which cause the extractor to act; also the
part L which serves to cock the gun. Figure 2 shows the breech box
without the trigger guard; Figure 3, the under side of the same;
Figure 4, a side view of the trigger guard lever; Figure 5, the under
side of the same; Figure 6, a side view of the obturator; Figure (°, a
front view of the head of the same; Figure 7, a side view; and Figure 8,
a face view of the extractor; Figure 9, thic extractor spring; Figure 10,
the striker or hammer, which also forms a tumbler, and has a piece
(chainette) Q; Figure 10%, a front view of the head of the striker;
Figure 11, the main spring; Figure 12, the trigger and scar half con-
cealed in the obturator, and resting almost against the main spring;
Figure 13, a screw or bolt with ring attached (seen at A, Figure 1);
Figure 14, a side view of the detached piece carrying the tail or tang for
the trigger guard; and Figure 15, a front view of the head of this

page_text: the striker, in order to protect the shooter from accident in case the
priming should burst; J, hole of the screw which holds the trigger, and
K, groove in which the striker, the main spring, and the trigger sear are
placed.
The mechanism for closing the breech consists chiefly of the obturating
block, Figures 6 and 6, which is lowered and raised at will in the
breech box, Figures 1, 2, and 3, by means of the trigger guard lever E.
On lowering this guard-lever the obturating block descends, and thereby
opens an entrance to the charge chamber for the insertion of a cartridge,
and on raising the guard lever the obturating block rises and closes the
chamber. At the same time that the guard lever E is lowered the
extractor R, Figures 1, 7, and 8, is moved by the striking of the spring N
or of the part M of the guard lever, and the empty cartridge case is thus
thrown out. The obturating block not only effects the closing of the
chamber, but also constitutes a movable breech, as it contains in the
groove or slot K all the percussive mechanism, the number of pieces:
composing which is reduced to the minimum, viz., the striker or hammer
with picce Q, Figure 10, the main spring, Figure 11, and the trigger C,
Figure 12. On lowering the guard lever E, the main spring is set, and
the hammer is cocked by the part L of the lever, the mechanism being
locked by pressing the trigger on the main spring, the head of the
striker passes through the opening G in the obturating block, and strikes
directly upon the centre of the cartridge.
The several movements necessary for charging the piece are the
following: First, lower the trigger guard lever; by this movement
the chamber is opened, the spent cartridge is thrown out, and tho
hammer is cocked. Second, insert the fresh cartridge. Third, return
the trigger guard lever to place; by this movement the mechanism is
locked, the obturation is effected, and the gun is ready for firing. There
are thus altogether only three movements before firing.
To put the hammer in a position of safety, that is to say, to prevent
the gun being fired accidentally when loaded, the movement is very
simple. The trigger guard lever is lowered slowly so as not to give a
sudden movement to the parts, in order that the charged cartridge which
is in the chamber may not be extracted. Then the trigger is pulled to
move forward the hammer, and on returning the guard lover to position
the gun remains loaded, but so that it cannot be fired. To return the
gun to full cock, the cartridge still remaining in its chamber, the guard

page_text: lever is lowered slowly, and thereby resets the hammer. By the move-
ment of putting the hammer in the safety position, the gun is not half-
cocked, as is the case with most firc-arms, but entirely uncocked, and
consequently there is not any chance of its going off. The hammer is
covered by the cap or hood II, at the upper part of which an
opening is formed, so that the shooter can see if the gun is cocked
or not.
And having now described the nature of tho said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declaro that I claim, all
substantially as herein-before described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
First. The particular form and arrangement of the joint or connection
of the movable breech or obturator and the operating lever.,
Second. The particular form of the striker or hammer constituting a
tumbler, and of the piece Q, which connects it to the main spring.
.
or
Third. The particular arrangement of the movable brecch
obturator, which, within small dimensions, contains all the percussive
mechanism, comprising the main spring, the hammer, and the trigger
scar.
Fourth. The particular form of the trigger scar half concealed within
the projecting part of the obturator, and resting almost against the main
spring.
Fifth. The particular form of the trigger guard lever to which the
movable obturator is jointed, and the prolongation of which above its
pivot serves to operate upon the extractor by pushing it towards the 2
outlet at the breech.
Sixth. Tho particular form of semicircular extractor movable on a
pivot fixed to the breech box of flat form, and receiving its impulse from
behind, so that it is always compelled to act regularly.
Seventh. The particular arrangement of cap or hood covering the 3
hammer, and allowing the shooter to sec if the pieco bo cocked or
not.
Eighth. The securing of the trigger guard lever with all tho
mechanism by the screw or bolt A alone, so that by simply removing
this screw or bolt the trigger guard lever and mechanism can be taken 3
out.

page_text: Ninth. The general arrangement or combination of parts forming a
breech-loading fire-arm.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Haschke, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
J. C. MEWBURN.
Patent Agent,
172, Fleet Street,
.London.
H. HASOHKE. (L.8.)