Improvements in Means for Adapting Small-arms for use as Machine Guns.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Means for Adapting Small-arms for use as
Machine Guns.
I, ROBERTO PRADO, of No. 7, Hollywood Road, South Kensington, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide means whereby a number of ordinary
rifles may be used as a machine gun, and the invention relates to that class of
breech loading rifle, in which the bolt has an axial motion (by means of a handle
at the side) to unlock before it is drawn back, and to lock after it is driven forward.
In carrying out my invention, I employ a frame provided with a crank axle,
a handle, connecting rods, and means for securing the rifles in the frame, of a
construction substantially the same as that described in the specification of my
Patent dated 2nd March 1896, No. 4643, which relates to rifles in which the bolt
proper has a straight pull and push, and no axial motion.
To the connecting rod is attached a plate which slides in guides, and is connected
to the bolt handle by a suitable device, which, by means of a pin working in a
groove, or in any other convenient manner, will be caused to rock, and so move
the handle up or down at the proper time.
As the plate moves backwards it will strike against a stop, and thus draw back
the bolt after it has been rotated, the rotation of the bolt during the forward move-
ment being prevented by a feather on the bolt, or in any other convenient manner,
until the bolt is home, when it will be free to rotate, in order to lock into the
breech by the action of the pin and groove.
The main frame may be mounted on a universal joint, so that it may be moved
in any direction, as may be required, for any purpose.
The feeding of cartridges may be effected in the manner described in my former
patent, but I prefer to employ the following device, with which may be used an
ordinary bandolier, or a band or strip of leather or other material, of any length,
provided with clips, after the manner of a bandolier.
This strip may be provided with a series of eyelets into which take pins on a
barrel suitably carried in a frame attached to the main frame, and operated by
a pawl and ratchet arrangement from the crank shaft, or, it may be, moved inter-
mittently in any other convenient manner.
A ramp will be provided to guide the strip up to the roller, and stripping
fingers will also be provided to come under the cartridge, and lift it out of the
clip, so that it may fall into the path of the bolt, as will be well understood.
Dated this 8th day of July 1898.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Means for Adapting Small-arms for use as
Machine Guns.
I, ROBERTO PRADO, of No. 7, Hollywood Road, South Kensington, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer, 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide means whereby a number of ordinary
breech-loading rifles may be used as a machine gun, and the invention relates
to that class of breech-loading rifle in which the bolt receives an axial motion to
unlock, before it is drawn back, and to lock, after it is driven forward.
In carrying out this invention, the arms of precision are secured in a frame
substantially in the manner described in the specification of my Patent dated
2nd March 1896, No. 4643, which patent relates to the use of rifles in which the
bolt proper has a straight pull and push, and no axial motion.
This frame may be mounted on wheels, as before, or on a tripod, or in any
other convenient manner, and it may be provided with suitable mechanical means
for giving it direction as well as elevation. Sights will also be provided as before,
and the moving parts will be operated by cranks worked by a handle.
The present invention consists in the arrangement of parts for effecting the
above named object in a simple and convenient manner, and in certain details of
construction, which will be fully described.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus,―
Fig. 2 being a side elevation.
A is the rectangular frame, which in the present instance is shewn as adapted
to carry two rifles only, that being considered the most convenient number. This
frame may be mounted on wheels, or on a tripod, as shewn in Fig. 2, suitable
means being provided to give direction as well as elevation.
B represents the butt end of a stock, which fits against a plate or shoe A',
depending from the frame A.
The fore end B¹ fits into a recess made in the front bar of the frame A to receive
it, and it is secured therein by a bar hinged to the frame, and secured by a catch;
or any other convenient means for securing the rifle so as to permit of ready
removal and replacement may be employed."
It may, however, be here remarked that apart from the fact that the rifle has
to be perfectly secured in the frame, the details of the locking devices may be
considerably varied.
C represents the bolt of the rifle, and C¹the bolt handle, and, for present
purposes, it is assumed that the axial motion is given to the bolt by cams or
inclined faces provided in the breech mechanism of the rifle, as in the Lec-Metford
rifle.
D are guides secured to the side bars and centre bar of the frame A, and E are
plates which slide in the guides.
These plates are moved backwards and forwards by the cranks F through the
connecting rods F1, the said cranks being mounted on axles suitably carried by
the frame, and provided with bevel wheels G, G¹. These wheels are driven by the
bevel wheel H mounted on the shaft J, which has its bearings in the frame, and
is worked by the handle J,

page_text: On each plate E is a boss E¹, which is hollowed out to receive the rounded knob
of a connecting rod K, at the other end of which is a strap K' for gripping onto
the knob of the bolt handle C¹.
This rod K has thus a universal movement in the boss E¹.
Upon each plate E, is an adjustable stop E2, which, as the plate arrives at the
end of its forward stroke, strikes against a finger at one end of a lever L, and
rocks the lever, thus causing a second finger at the other end of the lever to press
the trigger, against which the finger rests, and so fire the rifle.
The rifles may be provided with magazines, the cartridges from which will rise
into the breech, and the cases will be ejected, both in the usual way.
I prefer, however, to provide on the apparatus a magazine or hopper, the
general features of which are similar to those in my former patent above referred
to; thus M is a frame extending across the frame A, and secured thereto. This
frame M is composed of top and bottom plates, between which works a slide N.
In the bottom plate is a slot immediately over the breech in the arm, so that the
cartridge will drop through into the breech, and in the top plate is also a slot to
allow a cartridge to drop through from the column or hopper O, formed in one
with, and standing up from, the top plate. This slot is placed to one side of that
in the bottom plate, so that the cartridge will first drop onto a solid part of the
bottom plate. The slide N is also slotted to receive the cartridge, which drops
into the slot, and rests temporarily on the bottom plate, as above mentioned. By
the lateral movement of the slide N, the cartridge is pushed until it drops
through the slot in the bottom plate into the breech of the rifle, which is open
to receive it.
The slide N for each rifle is operated by a connecting rod P', having a fork at
one end which fits over an excentric Q on the shaft J, the excentrics being
properly timed according to requirements.
In the drawings, the arrangement of the parts is such that one rifle will be fired
after the other, or what is known as independent firing, but the parts may be
arranged to fire both rifles together, or what is known as volley firing."
66
For this purpose, a forked piece or block R, is drawn out, and the bevel
wheel H, which is connected to the shaft J by a feather, is pushed back, so that
the bevel wheels G, G¹ can be turned independently of one another, until the
plates Ecoincide with one another. The bevel wheel H is then pushed again
into gear with the wheels G, G', and the piece R is replaced in position.
On turning the handles J, the plates E will then move simultaneously in the
same direction.
The magazine cams or excentrics Q will also be moved, to coincide, instead of
being opposed, as shown, and thus the cartridge slides will feed simultaneously,
instead of alternately. For this purpose, one of the cams may be fast on the
shaft and the other loose, the loose cam being secured by a locking pin S to the
fast cam in either position, or in any other convenient manner.
When a barrel becomes heated the rifle is removed, and a fresh one put in
its place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The means as herein shown and described, for adapting a number of breech-
loading rifles of the type having axially moving bolts, for use as a machine gun,
as set forth.
2. The means as herein shown and described, whereby a number of rifles adapted
for use as a machine gun, and arranged to fire alternately, may be arranged to
fire simultaneously, for the purpose set forth.
3. The general arrangement of mechanism for operating the bolts of a number
of rifles mounted in a single frame, and adapted for use as a machine gun.
4. The general arrangement of mechanism for operating the feed of cartridges

page_text: to a number of rifles mounted in a single frame, and adapted for use as a machine
gun, the feeding to take place either alternately or simultaneously, as and for the
purpose set forth.
1000