Improvements in Magazine and Repeating Small Arms.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1892—Accepted, 25th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Magazine and Repeating Small Arms. : 1
I JOHN HENRY TOPHAM of 46* Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
I construct the shoe of the piece with an internal rapid screw thread in which the
bolt works by a corresponding male thread the thread in both cases is cut away in
sections so as to allow the bolt to be slided in to almost its full length without
rotation and then sent home by a partial revolution the bolt is prevented from
turning until in proper position by leaving a portion of the front end without thread
so that it cannot rotate until slided in to the proper distance where a corresponding
part of the internal thread of the shoe is cut away to permit it to turn.
The other end of the bolt is squared or otherwise suitably formed so as to permit
a suitable handle or projection to slide to and fro upon it for a limited distance, by
means of which it can be rotated, this handle or sliding piece is furnished with
suitable projections or indentations which fit or take into corresponding indentations
or projections in the shoe thus preventing when home any revolution of the bolt
when the piece is fired.
To insure their being home when the piece is locked for firing a spring or other
suitable arrangement is provided to force them into position at the right moment.
With light charges the handle or sliding piece can readily be withdrawn but in a
gun for heavy charges I use an additional sliding picce to which is pivoted a
suitable handle which is furnished with a suitable cam arrangement for forcing back
the other.sliding piece and to give additional power for rotating the bolt.
The sliding piece is furnished with a projecting portion through which passes the
end of the striker in such a manner as to prevent the gun being fired until the bolt.
is locked by the sliding piece. I preferably fire the gun by means of a spiral spring
contained in the bolt and cocked in the ordinary manner. The bolt is also furnished
with a suitable extractor.
The magazine is of the form of a segment of a circle may be single or double and
is attached to a portion of the stock which is hinged so as to open from the side of
the rifle. Within the magazine are pivoted one or more lifters with suitable springs
for lifting the same and formed in such a manner that when the magazine is opened
upon the hinged part of the stock they take or press against a suitable projection
which depresses them to the bottom of the magazine where they are locked by
suitable catches so formed that one of them is pressed off by a suitable projection
on the closing of the magazine and allows its lifter to rise, which having fed up all
the cartridges contained in its compartment then presses off the catch of the next
lifter, and so on the number of compartments being limited only by convenience of
bulk. By suitably lifting the releasing projection the magazine may be used or not
as required.
The shoe of the rifle is suitably formed to retain the cartridges as they are.fed
up to the bolt of the rifle.
The cartridges may be placed in the magazine singly, loose, or in packets of
either paper or metal.
I also continue the trigger guard so as to pass over and protect the projecting
part of the magazine.
Dated this 25th day of February 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Magazine and Repeating Small Arms.
I, JOHN HENRY TOPHAM, of 46A Market Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The shoe of the piece is constructed with an internal screw thread of a rapid
pitch, in which the bolt works by means of corresponding male thread, the thread in
both cases being cut away in section so as to admit of the bolt being slided in to
almost its full length into the shoe and then sent home by a partial revolution, the
bolt.is prevented from turning by leaving the length of two or more threads at its
front end without thread so that it cannot rotate until it is slided into its proper
position for turning, where a corresponding part of the internal thread of the shoe
is cut away to permit it to turn. The other end of the bolt is suitably formed so as
to permit a suitable sliding piece upon which the handle is fitted or attached to
slide to and fro upon it for a limited distance, and rotate the bolt by means of a
screw slot in which a suitable pin or projection upon the bolt runs. This handle or
sliding piece is furnished with suitable projections or indentations, which fit into
corresponding indentations and projections in the shoe thus preventing (when the
sliding piece is home) any revolution of the bolt when the piece fired. To
ensure their being home when the bolt is locked for firing a spring or other
suitable arrangement may be provided to force them into, or hold them in position.
The sliding piece is furnished with a projecting portion through which passes the
end of the striker in such a manner as to prevent the striker from firing the
cartridge until the bolt is locked by the sliding piece. I preferably fire the gun by
means of a spiral-spring-contained-in-the-bolt-and-cocked in the-ordinary manner..
The bolt is also furnished with a suitable extractor.
The magazine is of the form of a segment of a circle may be single or double
and is attached to a portion of the stock which is hinged so as to open from the side
of the piece. :
Within the magazine are pivoted one or more lifters with suitable springs for
lifting the same, and formed in such a manner that when the magazine is opened
for filling upon the hinged part of the stock, a projection takes or presses against
them, pressing them down to the bottom of the magazine where they are locked
(if more than one) by suitable catches. Upon the closing of the magazine one
lifter is released and rises until the whole of the cartridges contained in its com-
partment are fed up, and then presses off the catch of the next lifter, allowing it to
rise, and so on, the number of compartments being limited only by convenience of
bulk.
By suitably fitting the releasing projection the magazine may be used or not as
required..
The shoe of the piece is suitably formed to retain the cartridges as they are fed
up to the bolt of the rifle.
Referring to the drawings sent herewith:
Fig. 1 is a side view of the shoe and magazine of the piece, Fig. 2 a longitudinal
section of the same, Fig. 3 a plan of the same, showing the magazine open for
filling, and Fig. 4 a cross section of same.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7, plan, and views of outside and inside of magazine plate, with
the stock removed.
The gun shown is fitted with a double magazine.
The bolt 6 is withdrawn by pulling back the sliding piece a by means of its
handle a 2, the bolt is thus rotated by means of the screw pin 62 which slides in
the screw slot a 3 and then drawn back by the same pin 62 when it has reached
the end of the slot a 3, the projecting tongue or piece c steadying the, sliding

page_text: piece a and preventing its rotation with the bolt. It is closed by the reverse
action, the bolt being locked when rotated into position by the slot a 3 being
provided with a recess or clongation a 4 into which the screw pin b 2 passes when
the sliding piece a is pushed home. The bolt is prevented from rotating while
being pushed liome, until in proper position, by the solid part of its thread 63 which
cannot turn until it reaches the front of the shoe m 3 where the thread is cut away
to permit of its rotation.
The magazine is opened for filling by pressing down the handle d which presses
the lifters e down by means of the cam f, sliding plate 9 and projecting pin 92 which
presses against the lower ends e 2 of the lifters, at the same time withdrawing the
tongue 2 of the cam which fastens or bolts the magazine.
The cam then, by means of the cam slot f1. and the pivoted lever / slides the
plate i a sufficient distance to push the magazine open upon the hinge k by means
of the slot 2 in the plate i and the pin 2 in the magazine guard k. The cartridges
can now be easily dropped into the two compartments of the magazine which is
closed by reversing the action of the handle d which first closes the magazine, then
bolts the same firmly to the stock by means of the tongue f2 on the cam f, and
then releases one of the lifters e, which is lifted by its spring p and presses the
highest cartridge against the projecting portion 12 of the central plate of the
magazine and the shoulder m 2 of the shoe m whence it is pushed forward until
it has entered the firing chamber in the usual manner by the bolt b, the
shoulders m 2 guiding the cartridge in the right direction.
By leaving the handle d in the position shown by the dotted lines d2 the
magazine can be held in reserve and the gun used as a single loader, the magazine
being instantly brought into action by raising the handle d into its highest
position.
When the whole of the cartridges in the first compartment have been fed up, the
lower end e 2 of the first lifter e presses against the pivoted catch n releasing the
second lifter e which then feeds up its cartridges.
Upon cach lifter e I pivot a tilter o the purpose of which is to raise the bullet
end of the cartridges to a proper level for entering the firing chamber, which is
accomplished by the pressure upon the back end of the tilter depressing it and thus
raising the other end of the cartridges, which resume their previous position upon
the pressure being withdrawn, thus packing closely in the magazine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. The combined apparatus, substantially as described and shown hereinbefore
and in the accompanying drawings, for the purpose set forth.
2nd. The combination with a rotating bolt of a sliding piece for rotating, with-
drawing and, if necessary, locking the same, substantially as described and shown
herein before and in the accompanying drawings for the purpose set forth.
3rd. A magazine directly beneath the shoe of a gun, opening sideways upon a
hinge for filling, and the means for automatically depressing the lifters and opening
the same, substantially as described and shown hereinbefore and in the accompanying
drawings for the purpose set forth.
4th. The means of automatically releasing the lifters of a magazine with two or
more compartments as required, substantially as described and shown herein before
and in the accompanying drawings, for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 24th day of November 1892.
JOHN HENRY TOPHAM,
46A, Market Street, Manchester.