Improvements relating to the Loading and Firing of Repeating Rifles and other Fire-arms, and to Mechanism therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Loading and Firing of Repeating
Rifles and other Fire-arms, and to Mechanism therefor.
I, WILHELM THEODOR UNGE, of Valhallavagen, 37, Stockholm, N., in the
Kingdom of Sweden, Captain, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the loading and firing of guns in which the gun itself
performs the whole or part of the operation.
According to my said invention I dispense with the use of hand labour in loading
and firing, and I do not as is sometimes done utilize the power derived from the
force of the recoil, but in lieu thereof I use the air which is compressed in the
barrel in front of the projectile when the gun is fired, or 1 utilize the expansion
of the gases generated in the barrel behind the projectile. The compressed air or
gas is caused to act upon a piston or the like which is employed either for
compressing a spring or for compressing air or the like, the expansion of which is
afterwards used for operating the mechanism and for storing up the required amount
of energy for the further operation of the said piston or for directly opening a
breech-loading mechanism the said energy being afterwards used for locking loading
and eventually firing the gun. The compressed air or the expanding gas can be
conducted through pipes or channels and caused to act upon a mechanism located
in any suitable position upon the barrel of the gun. If desired however the said
gases may be conducted to any suitable position outside or away from the gun.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, the several figures of the
drawings being hereinafter referred to.
In Figure 1A is the barrel of a gun, B the projectile introduced into the breech
chamber, C a metal hoop fixed at the mouth and provided below the barrel with
a projection or shoulder D, which latter may also be attached to the barrel. In
this shoulder there is a channel F communicating partly with one or more holes E
around the wall of the barrel and also through a channel in the projection or
shoulder with a cylinder G fixed to the said shoulder D. The said cylinder is
provided with a piston H, the rod I of which passes through the one end of the
said cylinder and is provided on its outer end with a head K constituting a support
for the one end of a spiral spring L which is coiled upon the cylinder, the other end
of the said spring being fixed on the cylinder at the point where it is secured to the
shoulder.
On the side of the shoulder opposite to that on which the cylinder is fixed
is secured a valve-box M containing a metal sliding piece O adapted to be displaced
by means of a screw N and provided with a metal valve P which by means of the
screw can be caused to cover more or less of the inlet opening between the channel F
and the cylinder G.
When the gun has been fired, the projectile compresses the air in front of itself
in the barrel and this pressure is conducted through the holes E and the channel F
to the cylinder G, thus moving the piston in the said cylinder and extending the
spring. When the projectile has passed the holes E the gas will escape partly
through the muzzle and partly through the holes E into the cylinder, so that the
pressure upon the piston is still further increased and the spring extended. When
the pressure in the barrel and upon the piston has ceased the extended spring will
react and will bring back the piston to its former position and owing to the piston
and the breech mechanism having been automatically coupled together at the
retracted position of the piston by any suitable device, the said breech mechanism

page_text: will be opened during the returning motion of the piston. During the last mentioned
motion of the said piston another spring not shown located in or at the side of the
mechanism is compressed, which spring in its turn closes the mechanism opened in
the manner aforesaid.
The flexible valve P is intended to prevent the compressed air or the gas that
has come into the cylinder from escaping too rapidly and is made adjustable in
order that the escape may be regulated at will so that the breech mechanism
actuated by the first mentioned spring may not move more rapidly than desirable.
In case the power obtained by the compressed air or the expanding gas should
not be sufficient to perform the work required for the operation of the mechanism,
part of the power which the gas in the barrel exerts upon the projectile in order to
expel it should be used. This can be effected by arranging the holes E and the
metallic hoop with the cylinder, nearer to the breech chamber according to the
amount of power required. In this case the gas acting upon the projectile after it
has passed the holes E will flow into the cylinder G during a longer time thus
increasing the pressure upon the piston. The gas may of course be allowed to pass
out at any point of the barrel, for instance immediately in front of the cylinder G,
only the area of the communicating opening must be adapted to suit the maximum
pressure of the gas taken out.
In lieu of employing a spring L by the action of which part of the pressure
acting upon the piston is stored up, the piston may be caused to compress the air in
the cylinder on the other side of the said piston, which side of the cylinder must
then be closed. Likewise the cylinder may be located on the opposite side of the
shoulder D, when the gas is likewise let into the cylinder at the opposite side of the
piston. This arrangement is shown in Figure 2 in which the piston H in the return
stroke moves in the same direction as the breech-piece when adapted to a bolt gun
when opening the breech chamber. The holes E are here located nearer the said
breech-chamber by which the gas acting upon the projectile will also for a longer
time act upon the piston in the cylinder. Figure 2 also shows a device which has
for its object to equalize the motion of the returning piston H. This device consists
in forming a separate chamber at the end of the cylinder G for containing the air
to be compressed and connecting the said chamber with the cylinder by a passage
or channel which is covered by a flap Q provided with one or more small holes.
When the piston, owing to the pressure of the gas, is pushed forward in the cylinder
the air is compressed in the front of the said cylinder and also in the chamber, the
said flap valve opening to allow the air to pass into the said chamber.
When
however the piston has reached the limit of its stroke, the compressed air will
react upon the flap-valve and close the same, thus only allowing communication
between the chamber and the cylinder through the small hole so that the equalizing
of the pressure in both compartments is delayed and the motion of the piston
consequently retarded.
The cylinder may be arranged in any suitable position relatively to the barrel
and if it is desired that the gas should not act directly upon the piston, the cylinder
may be filled with a liquid and may communicate with a gas proof vessel, into
which the gas is conducted.
Figure 3 shows an example in which the cylinder is located in a prolongation of
the barrel and connected thereto by means of a pipe R.
Figure 4 represents the cylinder arranged perpendicularly to the direction of the
barrel and the piston acting upon a breech piece movable perpendicularly to the
barrel. The dotted lines show an arrangement for use when liquid is to be
employed. A vessel is connected by a pipe with the barrel and by another pipe
with the cylinder. A piston may be arranged within the said vessel in order to
protect the liquid against the gas. This arrangement shows the parts in the position
they occupy when the projectile is leaving the muzzle of the gun.
The spring which is united with the breech mechanism and which is intended to
effect the closing of the same is not shown in the figures of the drawings.
The cylinder with its piston may be replaced by a closed chamber with elastic

page_text: walls, into which chamber the gas is conducted through a pipe. By the pressure of
the gas the walls are bulged outward and in this way a rod fixed to one of the said
walls will have motion imparted thereto. Figure 5 shows an example of such an
arrangement in which G is the closed chamber made of sheets of metal or other
suitable material. To one of the walls is fixed a rod I which at the expansion or
contraction of the closed chamber has imparted to it an alternate motion, and thus
actuates the breech mechanism of the gun. For causing the flexible chamber to
return to its original size after it has been expanded a spiral spring T is provided
which bears against the said chamber so that the spiral spring is compressed by the
expansion of the chamber but reacts when the pressure on the same ceases.
An alternate motion of a piston in a cylinder may also be obtained by enclosing
an elastic receptacle G in a tight vessel U with which a cylinder and piston H
communicates, as shown in Figure 6. When the gas passes through the pipe R
into the elastic chamber the said chamber expands and if the vessel U is filled with
liquid or air, it will escape from the said vessel into the cylinder and displace the
piston H and its rod. The air on the opposite side of the piston H is then
compressed and part of the power is thus stored up in order to move the piston back
In this case also
as soon as the gas pressure in the expansible chamber decreases.
a spring may evidently be used instead of air for the storing up of the power. These
last arrangements are best suited for barrels of a greater calibre.
In multibarrelled guns the loading and firing mechanism of each barrel is
operated by means of a gas cylinder or an elastic chamber but the air or gas for
driving the mechanism is not taken from the barrel to which the loading
mechanism belongs but from the barrel next to it by which the advantage is gained
that on the one hand the mechanism of a barrel may be directly opened by the gas
pressure while the barrel at the side thereof is fired and that on the other hand the
mechanisms may be disposed in a series. Figure 7 shows such an arrangement, with
only 3 pipes. The gas cylinders G G G which may be constructed as above
indicated are here shown arranged behind the barrels. From the barrel A. the gas is
conducted through the pipe R into the cylinder G' when this cylinder actuates the
breech mechanism of the barrel A' which breech mechanism for example may be
broadly the same as is shown in Figure 8, but with suitable modification as a
machine or multibarrelled gun. When this barrel is fired, which may be effected
automatically, the gas acts through the pipe R' upon the cylinder G" which
actuates the loading mechanism of the barrel A" and when this barrel is fired, the
gas is led through the pipe R into the cylinder G actuating the loading
mechanism of the barrel A.
If then every barrel is provided with a cartridge-magazine all the cartridges may
in this way be automatically fired, if the firing mechanism is automatic, provided
the first shot of one barrel is fired by hand, no matter which barrel this may be.
The barrels may evidently be placed in a horizontal plane or above each other or
in a circle so as to form a cylinder or arranged in any other way, as they will in
each case be connected with each other in the same way. Loading and firing
mechanism in connection with the above described arrangement, particularly
loading mechanisms with a straight pull, are suitable for guns with smaller
calibres.
Figures 8 and 9 represent a fire-arm, the mechanism of which is so arranged that
its loading and firing may be effected by means of gas pressure from the barrel as
above described. In Figure 8 the mechanism is represented closed and in
Figure 9 open. Figures 10 to 16 are sections at the section lines indicated on the
drawing.
As before mentioned for the loading and firing mechanisms in question, a locking
mechanism with a rectilinear motion will be most suitable therefore the locking
mechanism shown on the drawing belongs to the so-called bolt system with a
straight backward pull of the breech bolt that is to say without any turning of the
said bolt.
a is the barrel screwed fast in the usual manner into the breech, provided with

page_text: a bottom 1, which at the back is provided with holes in order that neighbouring
parts may have room to move. The breech contains the breech bolt consisting of
the hollow cylindrical piece c with the end piece c¹ screwed therein and a telescopic
piece provided with the operating handle e. The cylindrical piece e contains the
main spring for operating the striking pin g. The telescopic piece d is adapted
to receive the head of the striking pin which head can move to and fro in the
piston or telescopic piece d and is at its lower portion provided with a notch ¹
into which a pawl i fixed to the front cylindrical piece of the breech may engage
when the head is drawn back, the main spring being thereby held compressed.
Below the cylindrical piece of the breech bolt is a lever or catch m pivoted to the
bolt o fixed in the breech b, and which when the mechanism is closed engages by
means of its rear extremity into the end of the breech bolt (Figure 8) so that the
latter may be guided by means of the ends of the sides c2 so as to bear against the
said rear extremity of the catch m.
Against the inner side of the other arm n of the lever the sides 3 of the
cylinder c bears endwise. At the one side c³ the pawl i is fixed. The telescopic
piece d of the breech bolt is provided below with a catch p by means of which the
piece d in its backward motion strikes the arm m and thus forces the latter
downwards.
In the positions shown in Figures 8 and 9 the arm m bears against the stop
piece p', which constitutes a support for the cylinder at the time of firing.
Co-operating with the trigger a' is a lever s at the opposite end of which is fixed
the hook which engages with a hook connected with the pawl i the said
hook being pushed upwards by the spiral spring ².
t is a spring box containing a coiled spring around which box is wound a ribbon u
of metal or other suitable material the opposite end of which is fixed to the
breech bolt d. When this ribbon is pulled out by the backward motion of the
breech-bolt and the cylinder, the spring box is turned and the spring put under
tension so that the said spring tends to return the mechanism to its former
position.
Below the barrel is arranged the gas cylinder with the piston x and piston
rod v', which at its rear beveled end is provided with a notch 2. When the
piston in the cylinder is at rest, that is to say in the position shown in Figure 9,
the piston rod rests against the key-shaped conductor fixed in the stock of the
gun. The barrel of the gun is connected with the cylinder by means of a
channel a through which, during the firing of the gun the gas can pass into the
said cylinder.
From the front side of the striking pin body a projection d² extends downwards
and is shown in side elevation in the drawing for the sake of clearness. This
projection d² is engaged by the notch 2 of the piston rod in its backward
motion.
The fire arm is moreover provided with a cartridge magazine, arranged in a
manner already known and the lock mechanism can be surrounded by a plate a³
indicated in Figure 9 by dotted lines.
The operation of the gun is as follows
Previously to firing, the piston is in the position shown in Figure 9. When the
gun is fired the air and gas pass into the cylinder driving the piston forward, the air
valve opens and allows the air to pass into the forward end of the cylinder, the
notch of the piston rod now reaches the projection d2 which projection engages
with the notch by reason of the slightly depressed piston rod springing upwards
owing to its elasticity. When the gas pressure ceases the compressed air, which
must now pass through the smaller opening of the air valve forces the piston and
piston rod backwards and with it the breech-bolt. The breech-bolt then leaves the
arm m free and the said arm is then engaged by the projection p so that the former
is pressed downwards. By this turning of the catch m its other arm n is pressed
against the end of the part 2 projecting from the cylindrical part c so that the
said part which now is not held by the arm m begins to move back a little.

page_text: Between the inclined plane c² and the arm there is however a little space so as to
allow the lever or catch a certain amount of play before its arm n comes in contact
with the part 2.
The said retrograding motion of the cylinder or cylindrical part of the bolt is
completed by the projection d2 having reached the end of the opening which is
made for the same in the front wall of the said cylinder. The piston and the
cylinder now follow one another until they reach the extreme position, Figure 9.
The main spring is now compressed by the piston and the cylinder having moved
relatively to each other. The hook i has also engaged into the recess h₁ pressed
upwards by the bottom b¹ upon which the hook i slides.
It should be here observed that the above described backward motion follows
instantaneously upon the firing so that the pressure upon the trigger from firing the
preceding shot is still continued so that the hook q is in its lower position as shown
in Figure 9 and will not therefore prevent the backward motion of the mechanism
just mentioned. Moreover the hook 7 does not move up so high that the
mechanism (the fore part of the hook i) cannot pass over the same even if it
occupies its upper position.
The
At the same time that is to say the turning point of the mechanism the empty
cartridge extracted in the usual manner is thrown out and a fresh cartridge is
conducted in front of the bore. Further, the end of the piston rod slides towards
the conductor ¹ so as to force the piston rod downwards and in this way the
shoulder d is disconnected therefrom, during the time that pressure is exerted on
the trigger. By means of the pulling ribbon or string u the mechanism is again
moved forward by the compressed spring contained in the spring box, by which a
new cartridge is introduced and the mechanism locked. In the meanwhile the
piston continues to advance towards the gas opening d' as indicated by the dotted
lines at Figure 9. Below the telescopic part d is a groove into which the
point of the hook i can enter but not the wider part of the hook ".
forward ends of that part of the breech-bolt d in which the said groove is formed
with an oblique plane ³ pressing against the hook i¹, so that this tends to move
downwards, which however is prevented by the bottom b' until the hook reaches
23
the beveled end 12 of the said bottom. In consequence of the plane pressing
against the hook and that this hook cannot be forced down the telescopic portion of
the breech-bolt pushes the cylindrical part before it. When, however the hook i
reaches the end of the bottom it is by the action of plane e³ brought into a
depressed position. Whenever the trigger is released the hook will move upward
and engage into the hook the former being capable of turning on its pivot.
Just as the hook slides down the plane 2, the telescopic part d slides into the
cylindrical part without being prevented by the hook . The striking pin head h
is at this moment retained by the rear end of the hook i, which still partly
remains in the recess h¹ so that the spring remains compressed.
9
The mechanism now occupies the position shown in Figure 8, excepting that the
spring is compressed. The gun is now ready for firing, which is effected by pulling
the trigger a¹ so that the hook i is pulled down by the hook 7. It should however
be observed that the hooks i¹ and q slide one into another even though the pressure
on the trigger has ceased before the mechanism has been closed, as the hook ¹ then
slides directly into the raised hook q over which the mechanism can always slide.
The operation is then repeated in the manner described, as the piston with rod
remains in a position a little more to the rear than that shown in Figure 9.
If the firing is to take place by hand, that is to say the gas mechanism is to be
shut off, the conductor x is turned 180°, by which the piston is allowed to retrograde
so much that the channel d' is closed by the piston a. The piston moves back so
far that the key-shaped piece, when turned, engages with the notch v² on the piston
rod. The spring band u is also disconnected from the breech bolt. Therefore
the attachment between the band and the breech-bolt should be so arranged that
the said band may be easily disconnected.
Figure 17 shows an example of an arrangement of revolving fire-arm in which

page_text: the revolving of the breech-piece and the cocking of the hammer are automatically
performed.
A³ is the breech-piece pivoted on a trunnion B¹, through which moves the piston
rod C', connected to the piston moving in the gas cylinder D'. The end of the
piston rod rests against the hammer E, on the lower part of which the feeding
hook F is pivoted by means of the bolt G³. Below the barrel is arranged the
socket H into which the gas cylinder is fixed and through which the channel I¹ is
formed which communicates with the bore of the barrel. A pin K¹ is fixed to the
piston rod, and can move in a slot along the gas cylinder. At L' this slot is wider and
is formed in a direction at right angles to the axis of the cylinder whereby the
pin K¹ and consequently the piston may be locked in such a position that the said
piston covers the gas opening 1. By turning the piston, the end of the piston rod
can by means of a nipple M entering into recess in the hammer E' or in some other
convenient manner, be locked to the said hammer. N¹ is a pawl resembling the
pawl F pivoted in the breech-piece and having for its object to prevent the back-
ward motion of the breech-piece, when the hammer is striking downwards and
pulling the ratchet F' downward. O' is a sear pivoted on a bolt and provided with
a recess into which the tooth of the hammer engages when the fire-arm is cocked.
The lower part is provided with a tooth, against which rests the arm R³ fixed to the
trigger. The arm R³ is prolonged in front to form a spring which rests against
the fixed pin S. The back end of the arm R³ rests against the inclined plane T'
whereby on pulling back the trigger the arm R³ can be compelled to release the
sear as soon as it has moved so far as to disconnect the hammer. When firing,
the piston forces the hammer backwards, by which means the breech-piece is turned
so as to bring a fresh cartridge in front of the barrel and to fix the hammer in its
position. When the trigger is then released it advances so far, that the arm R³
engages into the tooth of the sear O', after which a fresh shot may be fired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what Í
claim is:-
:―
First. In fire arms the arrangement for automatically loading and firing the gun,
consisting of a cylinder provided with a piston, the former communicating with the
barrel of the gun and the latter being connected by a rod with the breech or
revolving mechanism of the same and actuated in the one direction directly or
indirectly by the air or gas pressure or both, generated in the barrel at the time of
firing and in the other direction by air compressed by the piston, by a compressed
spiral spring, a raised weight or the like, with the object of causing the opening
of the breech mechanism, the loading of the gun, closing of the breech mechanism,
the compression of the main spring and the firing of the gun or part of these
operations.
Second. The modification consisting in substituting for the above mentioned
gas cylinder an elastic bag, or receptacle which by means of the gas or air pressure
either dilates or is compressed thus compressing a spring or such like, which, when
the pressure ceases, causes the mechanism connected thereto to be operated in
opposite direction and which elastic receptacle and spring effect the proper motions
of the mechanism.
Third. The modification consisting in substituting for the gas cylinder an elastic
receptacle communicating with the barrel and located in a compartment filled with
liquid, air or gas, from which compartment projects a cylinder with piston the latter
being connected by a rod with the breech mechanism, in order that the piston may
move in one direction by means of the pressure of the liquid or the air during the
expansion of the receptacle and in the opposite direction by means of compressed
air, a spring or the like located at the opposite side of the piston with relation to
the liquid.
Fourth. The herein described modification consisting that in lieu of the piston
of a cylinder or elastic receptacle communicating with the barrel of the gun,

page_text: being connected with the proper breech or revolver-mechanism of the gun, this
mechanism is connected with the breech or revolver-mechanism of another gun at
its side in order that, when one barrel is fired another may be loaded and then fired
in order to act in its turn upon the next barrel.
Fifth. A breech-loading and firing mechanism for fire-arms arranged with relation
to the disposition indicated in Claim 1 in as much as on the firing pin head of the
breech mechanism there is provided an arm or projection d2 adapted to engage a
notch on the piston rod of the cylinder located beneath the barrel and com-
municating with the said barrel and that behind the said mechanism, is arranged a
spring box provided with a band or string the end of which is fixed to the breech bolt
or to a spiral spring fixed to the former in order that the breech mechanism may be
moved out by the piston and then drawn back by the spring in the spring box or
eventually by the compressed spiral spring.
Sixth. In the mechanism indicated in Claim 5 an arrangement for retaining the
striking pin in its cocked position and disconnecting it when the firing is to take
place consisting of a pawl i attached to the breech bolt and engaging in a notch h
in the striking pin head located in the telescopic part of the bolt and drawn back
together with the latter and which pawl is provided with a hook ¹ directed down-
wards and into which may engage another hook on the lever q pivoted to one end
of a lever s pressed upwards by a spiral spring the other end of the said
lever resting against the trigger in order that firing may take place when the
trigger is pulled.
9
Seventh. In the mechanism indicated in Claim 5 an arrangement for locking the
cylinder, consisting of a U-shaped hook m n located under the breech bolt and
pivoted on a bolt o fixed to the wall of the breech box and the longer bent arm of
which rests backwards against a stop p' connected with the breech and the front
bent part of which rests against a projection c² connected with the breech bolt in
order that the thrust or recoil when firing may be received by the bolt and eventually
by the stop piece p the bent of the said longer arm m being bent backward so as to
enter into a corresponding recess in the breech-bolt d in order that the lever when
firing may be prevented from turning downwards, while the shorter arm n of the
lever ascends in front of the fore plane c³ of the breech bolt.
Eighth. In combination with the arrangement indicated in Claim 7 a beveled
projection p fixed to the breech bolt which projection in the return movement of
the breech bolt depresses the arm m of the disconnected U-shaped lever in order
that the other arm n of the said lever may, by resting against the projection c³ so as
to displace the cylinder.
Ninth. In the mechanism indicated in Claim 5 an arrangement for disconnecting
the piston rod from the projection or arm d² of the cylinder consisting of a pivoted
pin or rod located at the end of the path of the piston rod v' against which pin or
rod the beveled end of the piston rod provided with a notch v² during the last part
of its retrograding motion slides, in order that the rod may during this motion be
moved aside so that the notch 2 releases the arm d² and thereby the mechanism by
the force stored up returns the same to its former position.
Tenth. The arrangement of the pin or rod a¹ mentioned in Claim 9 consisting of
a key-shaped bolt provided with a projection and so located in the breech, that when
the breech bolt has stopped after its retrograding motion the projection may on
turning the said pin engage with notch of the piston rod, in order that the rod
with piston may after half a revolution of the said pin be pulled back so far, that
the piston covers the inlet opening d' of the gas cylinder v the automatic loading
or firing mechanism being thus brought out of action.
Cantambar 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.