IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING AND REPEATING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Vincent Fosbery V C. of Albury, Guildford, in
the County of Surrey, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
AND REPEATING FIRE-ARMS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Vincent Fosbery
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th December 1883.
GEORGE VINCENT FOSBERY, V.C. of Albury, Guildford, in the County of Surrey,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING AND REPEATING FIRE-ARMS
33
My Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms. It is chiefly designed to
improve the construction of arms of the class usually known as repeating or
magazine guns, so that the operations of loading and firing the same and extracting
the empty cartridge cases therefrom may be performed with greater rapidity than is
practicable with these fire arms as heretofore constructed, and also to enable the
person using the weapon to fire several successive shots without disturbing his aim
or obstructing his view of the object fired at. This result cannot be obtained with
ordinary breech-loading fire-arms in which a sliding bolt requires to be turned a
half or a quarter of a revolution in order to lock it in position.
An important feature of my said Invention is the employment of a lever arranged
at one side of the breech, in combination with suitable mechanism, in such a manner
that, by a simple movement of the said lever, the breech-block can be unlocked and
withdrawn from the barrel, the hammer cocked, and the cartridge extracted from
the barrel, and by a reverse movement of the said lever a fresh cartridge can be
inserted in the barrel, and the breech-block again pushed forward to close the
breech and locked in this position.
In carrying my said Invention into practice I provide a breech-block which
slides upon a suitable support formed in the breech-shoe, and the rear end of which,
when it is at the forward end of its movement, can descend so that a shoulder.
formed thereon will become engaged with a corresponding shoulder or stop in the
breech-shoe.
The lever at the side of the gun is pivotted to the rear end of the said breech-
block, and is formed with a peculiarly shaped slot adapted to engage with a pin

page_text: fixed in the side of the breech-shoe. This slot is curved so that one part thereof
forms a right angle with the other part, or nearly so. By making the slot in this
manner, when the lever has been moved forward sufficiently to close the breech, and
the breech-block is depressed, a further movement of the said lever will lock it
and thus prevent any accidental upward movement of the rear end of the breech-
block. Two small levers are arranged one upon each side of the breech-block so
that they are capable of turning upon the same pivot as the aforesaid side lever.
These levers are formed with projections at their ends, which projections move in
slots or grooves formed in the breech-shoe and thus guide the breech-block in its
to-and-fro movement.
The two small levers above described are firmly connected, or they may be
formed of one piece of metal. They are provided with a short arm which projects
downwards at the rear end of the breech-block and is arranged to engage with a
fixed collar or projection upon the firing pin. By these means, when the rear end
of the breech-block is raised and the said levers turn upon the said pivot, the firing
pin is moved a short distance back in the breech-block and is held in this position
relatively to the breech-block until the latter is again depressed into its proper
place. The firing pin is thus prevented from acting upon the cartridge until the
breech-block is in position to close the breech-end of the barrel, and no accidental
discharge of the fire-arm can occur. Instead of employing a lever on each side of
the breech-block I can use a lever on one side thereof, if desired.
The hammer is so arranged that the breech-block in its rearward movement will
cock the same.
I prefer to place the said hammer in a slot in the centre of the
breech-shoe, and to make it of such shape that, after the gun has been discharged
and the breech block is raised at its rear end and moved backward, the aforesaid
shoulder of the breech-block will come against the upper end of the hammer and
will force the same backward until the sear engages therewith.
But instead of employing a hammer actuated by the ordinary spring I may
employ a firing pin with a spiral spring as used in the ordinary bolt guns; in which
case the piece substituted for the hammer acting in combination with the trigger
would serve as a detent.
The cartridge extractor is arranged in a groove in the upper part of the breech-
block. To facilitate the starting of the empty cartridge cases from the barrel, a
sliding plate or cover is provided, which is preferably made with a longitudinal
dovetail rib or projection fitting into the said groove above the extractor. This
groove is also made dovetail, so that the said plate or cover is free to slide therein
but cannot be lifted therefrom. The side lever is made with a short arm which
projects upwards and which when the said lever is moved sufficiently to raise the
breech-block, comes in contact with the rear end of the said plate or cover. The
said plate or cover then acts as a fulcrum so that, by continuing the rearward
movement of the side lever, the pivot moves a short distance backward and with
it the breech-block and extractor. By these means great force can be exerted for
starting the empty cases from the barrel. The extractor moves backward with the
breech-block and extracts the empty case.
A shoulder or projection is formed on the underside of the forward end of the
breech-block. This projection is arranged to come against the stop or shoulder in
the breech and prevent the accidental removal of the breech-block from the latter.
A longitudinal aperture is made in this projection and a pin or rod is fitted therein
in such a manner that, when the breech-block is moved backward, the said pin
will come in contact with the shoulder or stop in the breech before the termination
of the rearward movement of the breech-block. The pin is thus pushed forward
relatively to the breech-block, and acting in combination with the hook of the
extractor throws the cartridge case out of the breech. I may, however, use any
other suitable form of cartridge ejector. It is obvious that I may modify the
construction of the various parts above described, still retaining the side lever t
having a to-and-fro movement in a direction parallel, or nearly so, with the axis of
the barrel.

page_text: I sometimes form an aperture in one side of the breech-shoe for the introduction
of the cartridges and a suitable carrier is provided for raising the cartridges to the
level of the barrel. In some cases I fix upon the breech-shoe a cup or casing
for bolding one or more cartridges in such a manner that when one cartridge has
been inserted in the barrel another will roll through the said aperture ready to be
lifted into position for insertion in the barrel. I make this casing with two lids
hinged to each end of the said casing so that they can be turned down, one over
the other, to close the casing, but when at right angles to the axis of the gun they
form guides and supports for a magazine capable of holding say six, eight, or ten
cartridges. The said lids may be made with apertures which coincide with each
other and through which cartridges can be introduced when the said lids are in the
closed position. By this arrangement, if the gun is used without a magazine it can
still contain two or three charges.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Vincent Fosbery in the Patent Office on the 20th June
1884.
GEORGE VINCENT FOSBERY, V.C. of Albury, Guildford, in the County of Surrey,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING AND REPEATING FIRE-ARMS
"
My invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms. Its chief object is to improve
the construction of arms of the class usually known as repeating or magazine
guns so that the operations of loading and firing the same and extracting the
empty cartridge-cases therefrom may be performed with greater rapidity than is
practicable with such fire-arms as heretofore constructed; it is also designed to enable
the person using the weapon to fire several successive shots without disturbing his aim
or obstructing his view of the object fired at. This result cannot be obtained with
ordinary breech-loading fire-arms in which a sliding bolt requires to be turned
through a half or a quarter of a revolution in order to lock it in position.
An important feature of my said invention is the employment of a lever,
pivotted to the breech-block and arranged at one side of the breech, in combination
with suitable mechanism so that, by a simple movement of the said lever, the
breech-block can be unlocked and withdrawn from the barrel, the hammer cocked,
and the empty cartridge-case extracted and ejected, and, by the reverse movement
of the said lever, the breech-block can be pushed forward to insert a fresh cartridge
in the barrel and to close the breech, and can be locked in this position.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a right hand side elevation of part of my improved gun, with the
breech closed.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same with the breech-block removed.
Figure 3 is a right hand side elevation of the same with a magazine fitted
thereto, showing the breech-block in its rearmost position, and illustrating the
manner in which the cartridge-cases are ejected.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal central section showing the parts in the positions
which they occupy after the gun has been fired.
Figure 5 is a left hand side elevation of the breech-block and parts connected
therewith.
Figure 6 is a transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 4, looking towards the
muzzle of the gun and showing the magazine in place.
Figure 7 is a transverse section on the line y, y, Figure 4, looking towards the
muzzle of the gun.
Figure 8 is a side elevation, showing a cartridge-elevator hereinafter described,
and
Figure 9 is a horizontal section through the shoe or body of the gun shewing
the said elevator in plan
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the breech-shoe or body of the gun, B the barrel and C the stock. D is the
breech-block, which is arranged to slide in the grooves a in the breech-shoe A. and
which rests upon the shoulders or supports a¹, or it may be supported by the
forward end of the cover hereinafter described resting on the breech-shoe. The
rear end of the breech-block D is made with a shoulder d which, when the said
breech-block has been moved forward to close the breech, will descend and engage
with a shoulder or stop a² on the breech-shoe, as shown in Figure 4. The explosion
of a cartridge will, therefore, act upon the stock C in a line parallel with the axis
of the barrel or nearly so.
E is the side lever which is pivotted to the rear end of the breech-block D and
is formed with a peculiarly shaped slot e to engage with a pin or projection a³ on
the side of the breech-shoe. This slot is curved, as shown in Figure 5, so that, when
the said lever has been moved forward sufficiently to close the breech and the breech-

page_text: block is depressed, a further forward movement of the said lever will lock it and
thus prevent any accidental upward movement of the rear end of the breech-block.
Instead of forming a projection on the breech-shoe and making a slot in the lever
as above described, I may, if desired, form a projection on the lever to enter a slot
in the breech-shoe for the purpose specified. The lever E is provided with a pin
or stud e* which fits into a recess or cavity in the said lever and is acted upon by
a spiral spring placed therein. This pin or stud slides in a groove a* in the breech-
shoe A, when the said lever is operated to open or close the breech, and engages in
a recess or cavity a¹* in the side of the breech-shoe, when the breech is closed.
F, F are two small bent levers arranged one upon each side of the breech-block
so that they are capable of turning upon the pivot e'. These levers are formed
with projections fat the ends of their long arms, which projections are capable of
sliding in the slots or grooves a formed in the breech-shoe, to guide the breech-
block in its to-and-fro movement, and prevent its being lifted from the breech. The
levers F may, if desired, be firmly connected, or they may be formed of one piece of
metal, but in the gun shown they are made independent of each other. The short
arm of each lever F projects downwards at the rear end of the breech-block D, as
shown at f' in Figures 3 and 5, and is arranged to enter a slot or recess g in the
head of the firing pin G which passes through the breech-block but is not acted
upon by a spring. By these means, when the rear end of the breech-block is
raised, the said levers F turn upon the pin or pivot e¹ which is firmly fixed in the
side lever E, and the firing pin G is moved a short distance back in the breech-
block and is held in this position relatively to the breech-block until the latter is
again depressed. The firing pin is thus prevented from acting upon a cartridge
until the breech-block is in position to close the breech-end of the barrel and no
accidental discharge of the fire-arm can occur. Instead of employing the levers F
on each side of the breech-block, I can use only one of these levers, if desired.
The hammer H is so arranged that the breech-block D, in its rearward move-
ment, will cock the same. I prefer to place the said hammer in a slot a³ in the
centre of the breech-shoe A as shown, and to make it of such shape that, after the
gun has been discharged and the breech-block D is raised at its rear end and moved
backward, the shoulder d of the breech-block will come against the upper end of
the hammer Hand will force the same backward until the sear I engages therewith.
This sear is formed in one piece with the trigger. The said hammer may, if desired,
be placed at half cock, and will, moreover, be left in this position if the rearward
movement of the breech-block should fail to fully cock it, thus avoiding liability to
accidental discharge of the arm. But instead of employing a hammer actuated by
the ordinary spring, I may employ a firing pin with a spiral spring as used in the
ordinary bolt-guns; in which case I substitute for the hammer a suitable piece,
which, acting in combination with a trigger, serves as a detent.
The cartridge-extractor J is arranged in a groove d' in the upper part of the
breech-block. To facilitate the starting of the empty cartridge-cases from the
barrel, a sliding plate or cover K is provided, which is preferably made with
longitudinal dovetail ribs or projections k fitting into the groove d' above the
extractor J. This groove d' is also made dovetail, so that the said plate or cover
is free to slide therein but cannot be lifted therefrom.
The breech-block D is cut away at its underside to permit it to slide over the
shoulder a², and a shoulder or projection d³ is left on its underside at the forward
end, which projection is arranged to come against the stop or shoulder a² of the
breech-shoe A and prevent the accidental withdrawal of the breech-block from the
latter.
The lever E is made with a short arm e² which projects upward, and which, when
the said lever is moved sufficiently to raise the breech-block D, comes in contact
with the rear end of the plate or cover K. This plate or cover then bears against
the part as of the breech-shoe and acts as a fulcrum, so that, by continuing the
rearward movement of the lever E, the pivot e' moves a short distance backward
and with it the breech-block and extractor. By these means great force can be
:
. J
:

page_text: exerted for starting the empty cases from the barrel.
After a cartridge-case
has been thus started, the continued rearward movement of the lever E causes
the extractor J to move backward with the breech-block D and extract the
said case.
To provide for the ejection of the empty cartridge-cases, two pins or projections a
are formed on the interior of the breech-shoe A, and the breech-block D is made
with slots d³, so that, when a cartridge-case is drawn back by the breech-block, the
said slots will pass over the said pins or projections and the latter will then come
in contact simultaneously with the lower portion of the flange of the said cartridge
at a short distance below its centre. This movement being so timed that the
contact of the said pins or projections with the cartridge immediately precedes the
raising of a fresh cartridge by the elevator hereinafter described.
I may, however, use any other suitable form of cartridge-ejector.
L is an aperture in one side of the breech-shoe A for the introduction of the
cartridges into the gun, and M is a longitudinally pivotted elevator, actuated by
the to-and-fro movement of the breech-block, for raising the cartridges as they are
fed from the magazine, to the level of the barrel. The cartridges can, however, if
desired be dropped in through the opening at the top of the breech-shoe when the
breech-block is drawn back.
This elevator is made in the form of a trough, which is pivotted at m to the
lock-plate A¹ so that it can be raised or depressed as hereinafter described. The
said elevator has a cam or an inclined or curved edge m², upon which the
projection d on the breech-block will act during the last part of the rearward
inovement of the breech-block so as to raise the said elevator. It is also provided
with a spiral cam or inclined edge m upon which the projection d' will act during
part of the forward movement of the breech-block so as to depress the said elevator.
This spiral cam or inclined edge also serves to raise the cartridge to the level of the
barrel, the shoulder of the said cartridge and then its flange or rim riding up the
said edge, as the cartridge is pushed forward into the barrel by the breech-block.
A spring m³ is fixed to the lock-plate A¹ and bears against the elevator M. This
spring is curved inward at its upper end, so that it will prevent a cartridge from
being thrown upward when the said elevator is raised. The said spring also serves
to support the said elevator until the same is again depressed by the contact of the
stud or projection d' with the cam m¹.
N is a cup or casing which I fix upon the breech-shoe A for holding one or more
cartridges. This casing communicates with the elevator M through the aperture L
and is so arranged that, when a cartridge has been inserted in the barrel and the
elevator is depressed, a fresh cartridge will roll from the casing N through the
aperture L onto the elevator ready to be lifted into position for insertion in the
barrel. I make the casing N with two lids n, n¹ hinged at opposite ends of
the said casing so that they can be turned down one over the other to close the
said casing, but when open they form guides and supports for a magazine P
capable of holding say six, eight or ten cartridges, which magazine may be made of
tin or other suitable material. The said lids may, if desired, be made with
apertures which coincide with each other and through which a cartridge can be
introduced when the said lids are in the closed position. By this arrangement,
if the gun is used without a magazine it can still contain three or more charges.
I provide the magazine P with means for holding or retaining the cartridges
therein when the magazine is not fitted to the gun, but permitting them to fall
into the cup or casing N when the said magazine is inserted into its place between
the lids or guides n, n¹. For this purpose I sometimes arrange pieces p of wire
curved at their lower extremities and bent at a right angle at their upper
extremities. The curved ends p¹ hold the cartridges in the magazine until the
bent ends p² come against the ends of the lids n, n and draw the pieces of wire
upward until their curved ends bear upon the exterior of the magazine as shown.
The cartridges are then free to fall into the cup or casing N.
Instead of employing the magazine P, the cartridges may, if desired, be

page_text: introduced through a cartridge box or guide inserted between the parts n, n¹ and
provided with a spring latch which permits the insertion of a cartridge but
prevents it from being thrown out of the said box.
To dismount my improved fire-arm, it is only necessary to turn back the
screw K¹ in the sliding plate or cover K sufficiently to enable it to pass over the
shoulder d5 on the breech-block. The said plate or cover can then be moved out
of the grooved (which extends only a short distance from each end of the breech-
block) and can be lifted off and the breech-block removed from the shoe or body
of the gun.
It is obvious that I may modify the construction of the various parts above
described still retaining the side lever having a to-and-fro movement in a direction
parallel to the axis of the barrel or nearly so.
Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I claim :-
First. A breech-loading or repeating fire-arm wherein a side lever operating as
above described is pivotted to the breech-block for the purposes of opening, closing
and locking the breech and effecting the operations of feeding, loading, cocking,
extracting and ejecting, or any of these operations, by the to-and-fro movement
of the breech-block.
Second. The combination, with the said breech-block and side lever, of the
sliding plate or cover which serves as a fulcrum for the said lever, substantially as,
and for the purpose, set forth.
Third. The employment of the lever or levers F pivotted to the breech-block
and each provided with a projection capable of sliding in a groove in the breech-
shoe, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourth. The construction and arrangement of the said lever or levers, the firing
pin and other parts substantially as described to prevent the accidental discharge
of a cartridge before the breech is closed.
Fifth. The construction of the side lever E and breech-shoe A with the pin or
projection and the peculiarly shaped slot to guide the said lever in its movement
and to lock the same when the breech is closed, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The cup or casing N provided with the hinged lids n, n', with or without
the openings for the insertion of cartridges, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. In my improved repeating fire-arm, the combination, with the cup or
casing N (with or without the magazine P) of the cartridge-elevator consisting of
a trough pivotted longitudinally in the breech-shoe and arranged to be operated by
a stud or projection on the breech-block acting in combination with cams or
inclined or spiral edges or faces on the said trough, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. In a breech-loading or repeating fire-arm, the double ejector consisting
of two pins or projections situated in a plane at right angles to the axis of the
barrel and arranged to act simultaneously on the base of the cartridge at opposite
sides thereof, substantially as set forth.
Ninth. The improved breech-loading or repeating fire-arm consisting of the
parts constructed and combined substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying drawings and operating as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said George Vincent Fosbery have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Seventeenth day of June in the year of Our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.