MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Ulrich Zimmermann at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th April 1866.-A communication from abroad by Johann Jacob
Peter, of Stuttgart, Würtemberg.
I, JOHN ULRICH ZIMMERMANN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms in which the
breech end of the barrel is opened for the introduction of the charge and
closed for firing by the sliding of the barrel in the line of its axis, the
open breech end of the barrel being held firmly against the break-off
during firing, and made to slide away from the break-off for the purpose
of exposing the open breech end of the barrel for the introduction of the
charge.
The said Invention consists of the arrangement of mechanism herein-after
described for the purpose of firmly holding the open breech end of the barrel
against the face of the break-off during discharge, and rapidly liberating it
for the purpose of permitting of the sliding of the barrel for the introduction

page_text: of the charge. The said mechanism also raises the hammer to half-cock
while liberating the barrel.
The said Invention consists further of the cartridge extractor herein-after
described. The said mechanism is constructed as follows:-On the under
side of the barrel and at the breech end is a strong rib, the said rib
terminating at a short distance from the breech end. The end of the said
rib is nearly at right angles to the axis of the barrel. To the body of the
gun, and in the same plane as the said rib, a lever is jointed, the jointed
end of the said lever being towards the muzzle of the barrel and its free end
towards the break-off. When the breech end of the barrel is against
the break-off the free end of the said lever may be raised and presented to
the shoulder of the rib described. When the lever is in this position the
barrel cannot slide away from the break-off. The ends of the rib and lever
respectively are slightly inclined, so so that the pressing up of the said lever
produces a wedging action between its end and the end of the rib, and presses
the barrel tightly against the break-off. The raising and lowering of the
lever is effected by the trigger guard, which is jointed to the under side of
the gun, and is capable of being raised and lowered. The fore end of the
trigger guard engages with a hooked termination on the end of the lever,
and by raising and lowering the trigger guard the lever may be raised and
lowered. In order to fix the barrel for firing the trigger guard is raised
so as to lie upon the under side of the gun, in which position it is tem-
porarily fixed by a spring fastening. In order to liberate the barrel for
the introduction of the charge the trigger guard is depressed, when the
barrel may be made to slide from the break-off. The barrel is guided
in its sliding motion by a slotted rib, in which a bolt engages, the said
bolt limiting as well as guiding the motion of the barrel. The barrel is
also guided in its sliding motion by ribs on either side of the barrel which
take into and slide in undercut grooves in the body of the gun. The trigger
guard on being depressed acts upon a projection connected with the hammer
and raises the said hammer to half-cock.
The cartridge extractor consists of a small bar sliding freely in a case
or guide on the side of the barrel. The inner end of the said bar is
turned inwards at right angles, the turned in end fitting in a recess in the
breech end of the barrel. The extreme end of the said bar is curved to
the same curvature as the barrel. When the cartridge is introduced into
the barrel its rim bears against the end of the said bar. On sliding the barrel
after discharge the outer end of the said bar comes in contact with a

page_text: fixed stop on the body of the gun, and the said bar is thereby made to slide
in its case and to start or partially withdraw the case of the exploded
cartridge.
The said Invention is applicable to double as well as single guns, and
to guns fired by a needle or striker, or by the ordinary percussion cap and
nipple.