IMPROVEMENTS BREECH-LOADING Civil Engineer and Patent Solicitor. FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Carl Kesseler at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 13th November 1880. A communication
from Otto Hecht, of Tribohm, in the German Empire.
CARL KESSELER, of 63, Mohrenstrasse, Berlin, W., in the Empire of Germany,
IN
"IMPROVEMENTS
BREECH-LOADING
Civil Engineer and Patent Solicitor.
FIRE-ARMS."
Empire.
A communication from Otto Hecht, of Tribohm, in the German
In manipulating central fire and breech loading arms, and especially fowling
pieces or sporting guns as hitherto, a greater or less expenditure of time is required
as for each charge several operations or movements are necessary, and further, the
frequent opening and closing of the breech-block soon cause the same to become
loose, and thus the closure is rendered defective.
Now in this construction of central fire breech loading arms, hereinafter described,
all theso disadvantages are obviated.
This arm or gun consists,-
1st. Of a middle piece with an interior cartridge extractor, a trigger plate, and
triggers.
2nd. Of the barrels and exterior cartridge extractor, hook, eye, and wedge or
cotter.
3rd. Of the breech-block or closing piece, with the firing pins, springs, and lock,
and,
4th. Of the stock and its locks.
The middle piece is as it were an extension of the wooden stock or butt; it is
rounded at its lower side, curved or tapered towards the front, and is there
furnished with an aperture or hole to receive an eye formed upon the barrels, and
by means of which the said barrels are firmly secured thereto by a wedge.
The upper surface of the middle piece is flat, and has at its rearsido a vertical
plate or wall in which two recesses are provided for the firing pins. The said
middlepiece also terminates in a tail-picce by which it is connected with the stock
or butt end of the gun.
In the flat surface of the middle piece above referred to there is also a recess for
the reception of a lockbolt, and an aperture which receives a hook on or between
the barrels; a slot is also provided to serve as a vertical guide for a cartridge
extractor, hereinafter described.

page_text: Upon the right hand side the middle piece has a cylindrical recess of the length
of a breech block to receive a cylindrical projection of the same. On the same side
there is a slot for guiding the inner part of the cartridge extractor. At the rear
end of the breech and at its lower side is inserted the trigger plate and its triggers,
and such plate is secured by a screw to the middlepiece.
The part of the cartridge extractor which works in the slots of the middlepiece
has at its rear end a projection, upon which a mechanism acts to bring it into
operation, as will be hereinafter described.
The double barrel is secured to the middlepieco by a hook, eye, and wedge, as
aforesaid, and between the rear end of the barrels is a recess corresponding to the
exterior cartridge extractor. Between the barrels are also two orifices, one above
the other for guiding pins upon the exterior cartridge extractor in the direction of
the muzzle and parallel with the barrels.
The exterior cartridge extractor above mentioned fits into an aperture in the
interior cartridge extractor, and a suitable guard plate prevents fragments of
exploded cartridges entering the slot.
The breech-block, the top of which exactly corresponds to a cross section of the
rear end of the barrels, closes the orifices or apertures at the rear thereof.
At the right hand lower side the said breech block is provided with a cylindrical
projection which is bored throughout its length as well as the parts of the breech
adjoining it in front and rear, so that by the insertion into these hollow portions of
a bolt whose front part is scrow threaded, a hinge is formed which permits the
breech block to be opened to the extent of 180°, that is to say, permits of the
opening and closing of the barrels.
A locking device consisting of a bolt, a spring, and a pin, is placed at the left
hand side of the breech block. When the block is turned to the left the lock
bolt is caused by the force of the spring to pass underneath a recess in the
middle piece and the barrels are closed. For opening the same the bolt has to be
withdrawn, so that the breech block can then be turned towards the right.
The percussion device, comprising firing pins, a coiled spring, and a screw nut, is
placed in an inclined or slightly diagonal position so as to avoid weakening the breech
block.
In the cylindrical projection of the breech block an inclined slot is provided in
which the projections of the interior cartridge extractor, herein before referred to,
slides or works, by which means the movement of the inner, and thereby that of
the outer cartridge extractor are effected, and the cartridge is withdrawn. A
portion of this slot is at a right angle to the axis of the barrels, and only the above
mentioned portion is inclined, so that the cartridge extractor will be operated only
when the rear of the barrels is no longer covered by the breech block.
To prevent fouling of the slot in the middlepiece it is enclosed by a thin
metal cap fitted into a narrow slit in the breech block, the ends of said cap
being firmly secured to the middlepiece, and the cap bent to suit the cylindrical
projection, so that the semi rotation of the breech block and the motion of the
cartridge extractor are in no wise interfered with thereby.
For firing the arm the ordinary hammers may be used. When the firing springs
are struck by these hammers the coiled springs surrounding the former are
compressed, so that the firing pins rebound automatically when the hammers are
raised.
For opening the arm a single operation is required; it is taken into the left
hand, the breech block is grasped by the right, the thumb pressed upon the locking
device on the left hand side of the breech block, and the right hand then moved
to the right, and the breech block is thus thrown back upon the right hand side
and the opening is effected.
The so called needle-lock may be employed as a lock for this arm by modifying
the same for the purpose, and by using firing pins instead of needles. In this case
however the alindrical proiection of the brooch bleak in which the Jack in

page_text: mounted must be placed more towards the right, so as to provide room for the
nipple seats which are attached directly to the breech block; in this case also the
triggers are mounted in the middle piece, which in this construction will have to
be somewhat broader than in the preceding one.
If the arm is to be rifled, either the breech block is made of a suitablo length for
a rifled or smooth intermediate piece, or the barrels may be removed, which can be
casily done.