Improvements in Small-arms.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
שCVIII
Improvements in Small-arms.
I SAMUEL NEAL MCLEAN of 221 Washington Street, Washington in the
County of Washington State of Iowa, United States of America Physician,
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 :-
My invention relates to improvement in fire-arms of the small-arms variety,
employing any of one or more forms of primary actuating means, and automatic
breech-actuating mechanism, loading mechanism and firing-mechanism.
A primary object of my improvement, regarded in its entirety, or as adapted for
the performance of its succession of main functions, is to provide a mechanical
construction of the parts which shall render the weapon capable of extraordinarily
rapid action in firing from a magazine cartridge-feed; aud it may here be stated
that to accomplish that end, I have devised the structural plan of causing all the
parts of the mechanism, as it were, to be swung from and about a common center
and actuate all the parts, in regular order to load and fire the weapon by a single
actuating movement; or, in other words, it has been my purpose to avoid any
antagonistic motions in the parts, as these tend to retard the action. So that
actually the faster my improved weapon is worked, the more readily and smoothly
the parts respond to the operation.
Other objects of my improvement may be stated as follows:-
:-
1. To provide novel and highly efficacious means for actuating the loading, firing,
extracting and magazine mechanisms of a breech-loading fire-arm by a single
gripping movement of the hand exerted on a grip-lever as the primary actuating
means.
2. To produce and control the automatic movements of the various parts mainly
by cam-guides engaging bearings on the parts, and some of which are stationary
while others are movable in their relation to the bearings.
3. To provide on the weapon a cartridge-magazine adapted to carry its supply of
cartridges in file; and into which its entire charge of cartridges may be introduced
at once, or by one operation, being, to that end, adapted to open laterally of the
barrel on which it is preferably fastened.
4. To provide a cartridge-carrier having a compound up-and-down and
back-and-forth motion with relation to the barrel and magazine and adapted to
take a cartridge from the magazine and transfer it to the barrel.
Various parts of my improved fire-arm are novel each in itself in the sense of
involving a construction adapting it to perform its function or functions in a manner
peculiar and especially advantageous; and these, or any of them may, without
departure from my invention, be associated with parts of a gun of different
construction in other respects from mine.
The construction of my improved weapon, as an entirety, may, in a general way,
however, be described as follows:
A stock or handle, to which the barrel is attached, contains a chamber provided
with an opening through which the cartridges are introduced from a magazine, an
opening to the rear end of the barrel, an opening for the action of a hand-grip lever,
forming a primary actuating medium, and a discharge-opening for the shells of spent
cartridges. Thus the stock or handle is composed of an immovable body to admit
and permit the action of a spring-controlled movable part (the grip-lever), the
preferred shape of which is that of conforming, more or less, to the hand in gripping,
and which is operative, by compression, to actuate all of the operating parts of the
weapon. These parts comprise a reciprocating breech-piece containing the

page_text: spring-controlled firing-pin and provided with a shell-extractor, the oreeen-piece
having a hinged connection with the grip-lever, engaged by the latter through the
medium of a cam-guide and movable in a stationary cam-guide; a cartridge-magazine
preferably located beneath the barrel and constructed to carry the cartridges in file
at a suitable angle and to feed them in succession into the stock-chamber; and a
cartridge-carrier provided with an automatically opening and closing receiver and
controlled by a cam-guide arrangement to traverse a compound, or undulatory
course, involving a reciprocal movement with relation to the adjacent ends of the
barrel and magazine and a rotary or tumbling or tilting motion with relation to the
same, whereby the carrier is lowered and tipped to present its receiver to a cartridge
from the magazine and raised to present the cartridge in aligning position with
relation to the barrel, into which, all under the compression-action on the primary
actuating means, the cartridge is inserted by the advance of the breech-piece, and
then fired by the action of the firing-pin. The release of pressure on the grip-lever
causes its controlling spring to actuate it to withdraw the breech-piece and
extract and throw out the shell, and the carrier to bring a fresh cartridge into
position for loading.
In addition to the foregoing I also provide a regular trigger-device as a
supplemental primary actuating means for firing the weapon, but which may be
locked against operativeness; and a thumb-piece controlling the sear-device and
in convenient position to facilitate rapid firing without impairing the steadiness of
the aim.
Following is a description of the detail-construction of my improved fire-arm with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a broken longitudinal view of the gun with the right-hand wall
removed to display the internal mechanism;
Figure 2 a broken view in elevation of the forward portion of the barrel with the
magazine-index attachment;
Figure 3 a section taken at the line 3-3 on Figure 2 and viewed in the direction
of the arrow;
Figure 4 a section taken at the line 4-4 on Figure 1 and viewed in the
direction of the arrow;
Figure 5 a cross-section of the cartridge-carrier with the receiver in opened
condition ;
Figure 6 a similar view of the same with the receiver in closed condition ;
Figure 7, a longitudinal section of the cartridge-carrier ;
Figure 8 is a view like that presented in Figure 1, but showing the parts in
position for firing:
Figure 9 is an end view of the magazine, showing it open and in position on the
barrel;
Figure 10 is a section taken at the line 10-10 on Figure 9 and viewed in the
direction of the arrow
Figure 11 is a view in elevation of the carrier-lever ;
Figure 12 is a perspective view of the grip-lever;
Figures 13 and 14 are, respectively, a longitudinal and a cross sectional view of
the spring-catch for engaging the magazine-rack.
G is the grip-lever pivoted to the guard of the trigger N and controlled by au
adequately stiff spring 1 to protrude through the bore of the stock A in a suitable
guard X. It is connected with the reciprocating breech-piece J by a link-
connection L hinged at one end to the bore of the breech-piece and carrying near its
opposite end a laterally projecting stud P engaging a cam-guide shown in the form
of a curved slot M in the nose-end of the grip-lever. The stud also. enters at its
opposite ends parallel stationary cam-guides provided in the stock-walls or
stock-plates and shown as upwardly curved grooves (only one of which is
illustrated, owing to the nature of the view presented by Figure 1) extending in a
slightly upward direction toward their forward ends, at which they turn abruptly
upward in front of a shoulder S, fixedly provided on the stock-wall.

page_text: On the forward end of the breech-piece is a shell-extractor 3 in the form or a
hinged catch extending into lateral cam-guides or gooves 4, having a general
direction in line with the bore of the barrel B, but extending to a point a little
farther than the length of a cartridge V from the breech. These grooves curve at
their rear ends toward the bore of the barrel sufficiently to cause the extractor, in
advancing, to engage the flange of the cartridge after the hooked extremity of the
extractor has passed it, and to maintain this engagement till the shell is
completely extracted, when it is thrown out by the upward movement of the carrier,
hereinafter described.
In the breech-piece is confined the spring-actuated firing-pin K, which engages,
at a noteh d, a sear or set 18 pivotally supported in the stock-chamber to project at
one end into the path. of the forward movement of the firing-pin, and at its opposite
end to be engaged by a striker 16 on the grip-lever, and which, by compression of
the grip-lever, disengages the sear from the firing-pin notch after a cartridge has
been shoved into the bore of the barrel by the breech-piece in the initial part of its
advance, the cam-guides M being long enough to allow a slight movement of the
grip-lever after the locking of the breech has been effected.
C is the cartridge-magazine, preferably located beneath the barrel and
constructed to carry the cartridges V in file. It contains a spring-actuated
cartridge-follower D for introducing the cartridges into the stock-chamber, as they
are required. The file of cartridges may occupy any desired angle in the magazine,
and be either in more or less upright or horizontal position, though I show them in
the drawing as being carried at an angle of about 45 degrees in upright-inclined
position. If desired the magazine may be arranged to occupy either a parallel or
transverse position with relation to the barrel. Attached to the follower D is a
cartridge-rack E constructed to maintain the regular order of the cartridges as
they are introduced in succession into the stock-chamber; and the rack as shown in
At
dotted lines is formed in two longitudinal sections hinged together end to end.
intervals apart corresponding with those between the cartridge-seats in the rack
and their number, are provided in the bottom of the rack notches a to be engaged
by a spring-catch 8 located in the path of the downward movement of the
cartridge-carrier I, hereinafter described, which disengages the catch from the
rack and allows it to advance a step and in each step feed a cartridge into
the stock-chamber and present it therein to the receiver of the carrier with its
flange-end bearing against a spring-stop 29, also in the path of, and disengaged by,
the carrier in its descent.
The magazine opens laterally for loading it, one side, preferably the left, being
fixedly attached to the barrel and stock, and the other side hinged (or adapted to
slide longitudinally) so that it may be conveniently opened on the side of the
weapon for loading it with cartridges, of which an entire supply may be introduced
at one operation, by emptying a box into the magazine; when the side is closed
and locked by engagement with a catch 20 Figs. 9 and 10.
When retracted, for the purpose of loading the magazine, the follower D
compresses the coiled spring 21 in the tube 22, which is fixedly attached to the
under side of the barrel toward its forward end, and contains a longitudinal slot 24
in which slides a button 23 connected with the follower to indicate on a scale on
the tube the number of cartridges in the magazine at any time.
The cartridge-carrier I is shown as a generally rectangular oblong body fitting
between the walls of the stock-chamber toward its forward end; the dimensions of
the carrier being determined by the size of the cartridge with which it is intended
to be used. On one (the left) side of the carrier near its upper and rear coruer is
a laterally projecting pin 26, which extends into an adjacent stationary cum-guide
or groove 5 in the side-wall of the stock-chamber, to control the movement of the
rear ead of the carrier; and on the same side of the litter, near its forward and
upper corner, is a laterally projecting pin 27 Fig. 7 which extends into an adjacent
cam-guide or groove 6, and controls the movement of the forward end of the
carrier. It will be noticed that the cam-guides 5 and 6 extend upward from their

page_text: forward ends, and should cause the cartridge-carrier-gripper-arms to be moved into
line with the barrel B.
H is a carrier-lever, which should be pivoted to the stock at the same point as
the grip-lever G. In its forward end it is provided with a peculiarly shaped cam-
guide, shown as a slot 7, and engages with the grip-lever, by a stud 14 on its side,
at a curved slot 15 in the back portion of the carrier-lever, whereby the grip-lever
has a limited movement, independent of the carrier-lever H, to cause the breech-
piece to insert a cartridge to a slight extent into the bore of the barrel before the
carrier-lever is caused to engage the carrier I by the pin 28 Figs. 1, 7 and 8
thereon located on its right-hand side near its upper and forward corner.
On the opposite sides of the carrier I are hinged gripper-arms T normally held
yieldingly together, in the relative positions illustrated in Figure 6, by a spring 31,
and which should conform, at their outer ends, to the shape in cross-section of a
cartridge. Between these arms T, on the top of the carrier, is a reciprocable
wedge 30 (which may, however, be a cam) for controlling the gripping and
releasing functions on the cartridge of the arms T, thus affording the cartridge-
receiver. The wedge is movable between the inner sides of the receiver-arms
where they converge toward the center; and the movements of the wedge are
automatically produced in those of the cartridge-carrier I, as hereinafter described.
The operation is as follows:
The grip-lever G, by its compression in the hand and release, actuates the entire
operating mechanism as follows:
The operating parts are in their normal relative positions of rest when the grip-
lever is in the downward or forward position, represented by Figure 1, to which it
is forced by the resilient action of its controlling spring 1. Then the breech-
piece J is fully withdrawn, with its locking-pin P in the lower rear ends of the
stationary cam-guides O, and in the lower forward end of the grip-lever cam-slot M.
By compressing the grip-lever, the pin P is driven forward through the cam-
guides until it reaches their curved ends, into which it is lifted by the action of
the cam-slot M, thereby lifting the rear end of the hinged breech-locking bar L
against the frout end of the shoulder S.
During this motion of the grip-lever in advancing the breech-piece, the firing-
pin K is stopped by its notch d engaging the sear, to cause the further advance of
the breech-block to set the spring 2. Moreover, the pin 14 engages the carrier-
lever H and turns it on its fulcrum to actuate the carrier I to perform its compound
reciprocating and rotary or undulatory motion by swinging the cam-slot 7 forward
and downward on or against the pin 28 causing the pin 27 to be drawn out of the
vertical part of the groove 6, and guidance of the rear end by the pin 26 in the
stationary cam-guide 5, and of its forward end by the pin 27 in the stationary cam-
guide 6.
Thus the carrier (the cam-guides 5 and 6 of which may, however, be
carried in their general direction to give any desired variation in the movement of
the carrier) turns to a position of inclination, presenting the receiver-side to the
foremost of the cartridges V in the magazine, which is caused to spring into the
open arms T of the cartridge-receiver by the carrier I encountering the spring-
holder 29, to press it out of the way and release the cartridge at its upper end, and
also encountering the catch 8 to depress it out of one of the notches a in the rack E
and thus permit the latter to be advanced by the recoil of the spring 21 against the
follower D. The wedge or cam 30 retains the arms T apart by sliding between
them until the wedge passes beyond the inclined surfaces of the inner sides of the
arms, when, as the wedge is beyond the inclined surfaces of the arms, the latter
cannot close. By the time the cartridge enters between the receiver-arms T, their
controlling wedge 30 encounters an edge, affording a stop of the adjacent side in its
path of a cartridge-seat 25 in the rack. This stop, by the continued downward
movement of the carrier, forces the wedge in the direction to permit the spring 31
to close the gripper-arms about the cartridge.
Meantime, the continued compression of the grip-lever after it has locked the
breech-piece against the barrel, as described, and advanced. the extractor 3 with

page_text: relation to the flange of a cartridge in the bore, causes the stud 16 to encounter the
sear 18, and trip it to remove it from the firing-pin notch d, thereby permitting the
recoil of the spring 2 to act and cause the firing-pin K to explode the cartridge.
This position of the parts, just before the actual release of K, is represented in
Figure 8.
By then releasing the grip-lever, its spring 1 returns it to the normal position, in
reaching which it effects unlocking and withdrawal of the breech-piece, bringing
the locking-pin P into the lower and rear ends of the stationary cam-guides O and
into the forward and lower end of the cam-guide M; thereby also causing the
extractor 3 to pull the shell of the spent cartridge partway out of the bore of the
barrel. And the ensuing engagement of the grip-lever pin 14 with the slot 15 in
the carrier-lever H draws the carrier I into its upper position with a fresh
cartridge in its receiver, and with the pins 26 and 27 thus brought into the upper
rear ends of the cam-guides 5 and 6, and the pin 28 into the upper and forward end
of the cam-slot 7, the cartridge is presented in alignment with the bore of the
barrel B. In this position of the carrier, the movable wedge 30 is in the path of
the forward movement of the breech-piece, ready, when the grip-lever G is again
compressed, to be engaged by the breech-piece and driven forward to spread the
arms T apart for releasing the cartridge and permitting it to be guided into the
barrel.
In addition to the set or sear 18, I provide a somewhat similar sear 17 to be
engaged by a trigger N; and this sear has a thumb-piece extension 19 projecting
backward into convenient position to be pressed by the thumb of the operator. On
the fulcrum of the trigger N is a locking-dog 12 to engage the grip-lever G by
means of a catch 13 thereon and retain it in locked position in the loaded condition
of the gun, represented by Figure 8. This locking dog also engages with the
trigger N, so that when the latter is partially actuated it disengages the sear 17
from the notch d of the firing-pin to permit the weapon to discharge; and when
the trigger is fully retracted a nose-piece c thereon engages the locking-dog 12 and
releases the grip-lever, to permit the force of its controlling spring 1 to throw the
operating parts into the loading position or position of rest represented by Figure 1,
the trigger thus releasing both the loading and firing mechanisms.
When rapid firing is desired, the trigger N and sear 17 are retained out of
engagement with the firing-pin and grip-lever by an adjustable lock 10, which,
when turned to bear against the trigger, forces it inward far enough to maintain
the sear 17 out of the path of the notch d and leaves the weapon free to be
discharged by operating the grip-lever G and sear 18.
While I have referred to a breech-piece as an element distinct from the hand-
grip lever, it would be within the spirit of my invention so to organize the
mechanism as to render the breech-piece an integral part of the grip-lever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
1. In a breech-loading fire-arm, locking mechanism for the breech-piece connected
with a primary actuating means and having a stationary and a movable cam-guide
for controlling the reciprocation and locking of the breech-piece, substantially as
described.
2. In a breech-loading fire-arm, a grip-lever connected with the reciprocating
breech-piece to actuate it, a stationary cam-guide engaging the connecting medium
and a cam-guide on the grip-lever engaging the same, said cam-guides controlling
the reciprocating and locking of the breech-piece, substantially as described.
3. In a breech-loading fire-arm, firing mechanism comprising a reciprocable
breech-piece carrying a spring-actuated firing-pin, a grip lever operatively
connected with the breech-piece, and a sear for engaging the firing-pin and
disengaged by said grip-lever, substantially as described.
4. A breech-loading fire-arm having a primary-actuating grip-lever operatively

page_text: connected, to the exclusion of an intermediate operating lever, with the breech-
piece, substantially as described.
5. In a breech-loading fire-arm, a grip-lever, a reciprocable breech-piece carrying
the firing-pin, a sear for engaging the firing-pin, a trigger engaging the sear, and a
dog to lock and release the grip-lever, and the trigger being operative to release
both the grip-lever and firing mechanism, substantially as described.
6. In a breech-loading fire-arm, a grip-lever, a locking dog and trigger, and
primary actuating means releasable by operating the trigger, substantially as
described.
7. The extractor comprising gripping-means on only one side of the breech-piece
and controlled in its gripping movement by a cam-guide inclining at a suitable
point in its length toward the bore of the barrel, substantially as described.
8. In a breech-loading fire-arm, a cartridge-carrier having a compound
reciprocating and rotary motion with relation to the magazine and barrel,
substantially as described.
9. In a breech-loading fire-arm, a reciprocable breech-piece carrying the firing-
pin, a sear for the firing-pin, a cartridge-carrier having the compound reciprocating
and rotary motion with relation to the magazine and barrel, and a grip-lever
connected with the breech-piece and carrier to operate them, substantially as
described.
10. In a breech-loading fire-arm, a cartridge-carrier movable in stationary cam-
guides, and a carrier-lever having a cam-slot engaging the carrier, whereby
operating the lever imparts a compound reciprocating and rotary motion to the
cartridge-carrier with relation to the magazine and barrel, substantially as
described.
11. A cartridge-carrier having a receiver comprising relatively separable and
contractible gripper-arms and a wedge or cam for controlling the gripping action
of the arms, substantially as described.
12. In a breech-loading fire-arm, a reciprocable breech-piece carrying the firing-
pin, a sear for the firing-pin, a cartridge carrier having a compound reciprocating
and rotary motion with relation to the magazine and barrel, a carrier-lever having
a cam-slot engaging the carrier, a grip-lever connected with the breech-piece and
carrier-lever to operate them, and a receiver on the cartridge-carrier automatically
actuated to open at the barrel and close at the magazine, substantially as
described.
13. A cartridge-magazine for a breech-loading fire-arm, adapted to carry its
cartridges in file, substantially as described.
14. A cartridge-magazine for a breech-loading fire-arm, adapted to carry its
cartridges in file and to be filled by a single operation, substantially as described.
15. A cartridge-magazine adapted to carry its cartridges in file and provided
with a scale and index to indicate the number of its contained cartridges,
substantially as described.
16. A cartridge-magazine containing a spring-controlled follower and a longi-
tudinal rack provided with a series of seats for the ends of a file of cartridges to
maintain the cartridges in regular order, substantially as described.
17. A cartridge-magazine adapted to be fastened on a breech-loading fire-arm,
and feed thereto, in succession, cartridges contained in file in the magazine, said
magazine opening at one side to permit the insertion of the entire load of cartridges
at one operation, substantially as described.
18. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination with the stock-chamber and
carrier, of a magazine containing a spring-controlled rack adapted to hold the
supply of cartridges in file, and locking means for the rack, disengaged by the
actions of the carrier to release the rack to feed the cartridges successively thereto,
substantially as described.
19. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination with the stock-chamber and
carrier, of a magazine containing a spring-controlled rack adapted to hold the
supply of cartridges in file, a holder 29 in the path of the carrier, and locking

page_text: means for the rack, disengaged by the actions of the carrier to release the rack to.
feed the cartridges successively thereto, substantially as described.
20. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of a reciprocable breech-piece
carrying the firing-pin, a sear for the firing-pin, a cartridge-carrier having a
compound reciprocating and rotary motion with relation to the barrel and magazine,
an expansible and contractible receiver on the carrier, a grip-lever connected with
the breech-piece and cartridge-carrier to operate them, and a magazine having a
spring-controlled cartridge-rack provided with locking-means disengaged by the
carrier in its motion, to feed the cartridges successively into the stock-chamber,
substantially as described.
21. In a breech-loading fire-arm having a grip-lever as its primary actuating
means for loading and firing the weapon, a supplemental trigger provided with.
locking means for maintaining it out of action, substantially as described.
22. In a breech-loading fire-arm having a grip-lever as its primary actuating
means for loading and firing the weapon, a carrier-lever having a pin and slot.
connection with the grip lever to permit limited movement. of the latter
independently of the carrier-lever, substantially as described.
23. In a breech-loading fire-arm having a reciprocable breech-block carrying a
firing-pin, and a sear for the firing-pin, a thumb-piece 19 connected with the sear,.
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
24. In a breech-loading fire-arm having a reciprocable breech-block carrying a.
firing-pin and a sear for the firing-pin, a thumb-piece 19 connected with the sear,
and a grip-lever having a stud into the path of which the sear extends, substantially
as described.
25. A breech-loading fire-arm comprising, in combination with the barrel and
the stock containing a chamber, a spring-controlled grip-lever G carrying studs 16.
and 14, and provided with a cam-slot M, a breech-piece carrying the firing-pin and
an extractor and having a hinged link connected by a pin with said cam-slot and
entering a stationary can-guide O, sears 17 and 18 for the firing-pin and a thumb-
piece 19 on the sear 17, a trigger N provided with a locking dog 12 and an
adjustable lock 10 a carrier-lever H having a slot 15 for the stud 14 and adapted
to be engaged with said locking dog and provided with a cam-slot 7 a cartridge-
carrier I engaging and controlled by said cam-slot and stationary cam-guides 5.
and 6 and provided with a cartridge receiver and a magazine operative to feed
cartridges to the carrier the whole being constructed and arranged to operate.
substantially as described.
26. In a fire-arm a grip-lever connected to the breech-closing firing and loading
mechanisms to move all the parts from and about a common centre and actuate-
them to perform in consecutive regular order the several functions of the weapon.
by a single reciprocal movement of the parts substantially as described.
3
СМ 1004
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.