Improvements in Automatic Fire-arms.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 17th Sept.,
1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Fire-arms.
We, JEAN BAPTISTE CLAIR, BENOIT CLAIR, and VICTOR CLAIR, Senior, all of
Saint Etienne (Loire), in the Republic of France, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The present invention relates to improvements in fire arms of the kind or class
described in the Specification of prior Patent No. 13,165 of May 27th 1897.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown by way of example, the adaptation
of these improvements to a gun with central magazine with loader, but it will be
understood that we may apply these improvements to other types of portable
repeating fire arms.
In the said drawing.
Figure is a longitudinal section of a gun having a central magazine, the
breech being closed.
Figure 2 is a plan of the automatic re-loading mechanism.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line A B of Figure 1 showing the barrel
and the automatic reloading cylinder, and
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the gun showing the breech in its open
position.
The application to fire arms, of the improvements forming the subject of the
present invention necessitates the following modifications, the nature of which
will be hereinafter described.
The cartridge feeder described in the said former Patent is entirely dispensed
with we provide instead thereof a central magazine, 1, which feeds the cartridges
directly by the bolt 2, without acting on the mechanism.
The magazine instead of being arranged in the butt or stock of the fire arm is
situated in the central and lower part thereof. This magazine may however be
also one of the various kinds of central magazines containing the cartridges
arranged in a loader, or even a magazine with an independent loader.
The loader 1 is held by an external spring hook 3, locked to the magazine con-
taining the loader; this piece can however be dispensed with and be replaced by
a spring fixed to the front part of the magazine, if the above-mentioned arrange-
ments are adopted.
The trigger 4 (Figures 1 and 4) is of a particular and special form to avoid the
simultaneous exit of all the cartridges contained in the magazine, by the con-
tinued pressure of the finger on the trigger. For this purpose the tumbler 5 is
pivoted, and, after having yielded to the pressure of the trigger 4, is released by
the inclined plane formed by the heel 6 of the trigger. This new arrangement
forms an important part of our invention.

page_text: The spring 7-8 of the trigger 4 has a double object, it serves on the one hand
by means of its longer arm 7 to act on the hook 3 which holds the magazine 1, and
on the other hand by its shorter arm 8 it moves the trigger into position for firing.
The catch 9 is arranged in such a way to lock by excentric action the tumbler 5
of the percussion cock, the said catch being arranged at the rear end of the
breech bolt case 10, enclosing the bolt 2, and operated by an upward movement.
In the said former Patent No. 1316597, the raising of the cartridges was effected
by the vertical movement of a feeder. In the improved mechanism forming the
subject of the present application, the bolt 2, after the discharge, recoils and
extracts the empty cartridge case; under the impulse of the spring of the central
magazine the next cartridge is raised to the height of the bolt 2 which, in its
forward movement, pushes the new cartridge into the breech chamber. The
bolt does not work directly on the feeder or on the cartridge itself in its recoil
movement. In the forward movement the bolt acts upon the cartridge, which is
raised by the action of the spring of the magazine to the height of the breech
chamber.
a
The extractor is arranged at the side, instead of at the upper part; its shape
and the action thereof are almost identical with that described in the above
mentioned prior patent. The extractor may be different, if, instead of employing
a bolt with a block or wedge, we adopt the form of bolt with a head having
helicoidal movement. In this case the extractor can be fixed, or can turn with
the movable head. The said extractor may likewise be fixed if a bolt closing
movement is adopted in cases in which the bolt is arranged to have a turning
motion.
The stock 11 of the gun may be made in one, two or more pieces and may be
adapted to cover the whole of the working mechanism, and also the upper part
of the gun. The arrangement of this stock may allow the whole forward part of
the weapon to be covered up to or nearly to the muzzle.
At the part 12 of the gun where the gas enters the cylinder we may use either
one or two holes, 13 and 14 or if desired a greater number may be employed, the
object of the said holes being to enable the gas to better operate upon the motive
piston 15.
In the present arrangement, the rod 16 acts directly on the bolt 2, and the
mechanism which in the said former patent operated the feeder, is dispensed
with this is an advantageous simplification resulting from the change in the
system of ejection and in the magazine adopted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A firearm of the kind claimed in the Specification of prior Patent No. 131657
in which a central magazine supplies the cartridges directly by means of the
bolt 2, without acting upon the mechanism.
2. A fire arm of the kind referred to in the First Claim, in which the magazine
arranged in the central and lower part, contains a loader held by a hook with
external spring.
3. A fire arm of the kind referred to in the First Claim, in which the tumbler is
pivoted, and, after having yielded to the pressure of the trigger is released by
the inclined plane formed by the heel of this latter.
4. A fire arm of the kind referred to in the First Claim, in which the catch is
arranged in such a way as to lock, by excentric action, the tumbler and the per-
cussion cock.
5. A fire arm of the kind above, referred to, in which the bolt in its forward
movement pushes the cartridge which has been raised to the height of the cart-
ridge chamber by the spring of the magazine into the cartridge chamber.
6. A fire arm of the kind above referred to, in which the extractor is placed on
the side of the bolt.

page_text: 7. A fire arm of the kind above referred to, in which the stock, made in one,
two or more parts is adapted to cover the whole of the motive mechanism and also
the upper part of the gun.
8. A fire arm of the kind above referred to, in which the gas is admitted to the
cylinder through two or more holes.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.