IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE FIRE ARMS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Trabue, of Louisville, Kentucky, United States
of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE FIRE ARMS."
Scaled the 12th March 1880, and dated the 22nd December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Trabuo at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd December 1879.
WILLIAM TRABUE, of Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE FIRE ARMS."
"
The said Invention relates to that class of fire-arms known as magazine bolt
guns," and it has for its chief objects the simplicity and efficiency of the devices
which bring the successive cartridges from the magazine into position to be
exploded, and also of the devices by which the shell is extracted.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I make the bolt tubular, and provido
it with a bolt head; to this head I attach a combined lever and extracting hook.
The said lever and hook are placed within a corresponding recess and mortise, the
lover being pivoted between the centre and circumference of the said bolt head
upon the side diametrically opposite to the point which draws the shell. The said
lever is provided with an aperture corresponding with the centre of the bolt head
for the passage of the firing pin. The rear of the bolt head is provided with an
extension tube which projects into the front end of the bolt, where it is held in
position by means of a lug projecting into a lateral groove in said bolt. This
groove extends about one half the distance around the inner circumference of the
bore of said bolt. There is a longitudinal groove which connects with the said
lateral groove, the longitudinal groove being for the purpose of permitting a con-
nection to be formed between the bolt and its head.
The object of the lateral groove is to allow the bolt to rotate or rock while the
head remains idle, but moveable therewith when said bolt is moved in a longi-
tudinal direction. The bolt head is kept from rotating by means of a lug, which
lug projects into a longitudinal groove within the frame. The length of this groove
equals the movement of said bolt head.
The bore of the extension tube in the rear of the bolt head extends to and unites
with the aforesaid mortise for the purpose of receiving a retracting tube provided

page_text: with a head which has a V shaped recess formed therein. One of the purposes for
which the retracting tube is employed is to press against the aforesaid combined
lever and extraction hook, and ensure its contact with the cartridge cases prior to
their explosion, but said hook is not dependent upon said tube for its contact with
said cases while they are being extracted from the chambers of the barrel, for the
hold of the hook on said cartridge will equal the resistance offered by reason of the
pivotal point around which the hook rotates being placed to one side of the draft
of said hook, and at a distance in the rear thereof. When however the shells are
drawn from the chamber of the barrel into an open chamber, this resistance ceases,
and said shells would partially drop from the book, were it not for the pressure
transmitted from the main spring through the said retracting tube to said hook,
whereby the shells are kept in contact with the sides of the frame until the flange
of the shells recede into a recess formed in said frame at the end of the backward
movement of the bolt head, thus causing the open end of the shell to fly out of a
narrow opening, whilst the base thereof is ejected through the aforesaid open
chamber or large opening.
The firing pin is provided with a V shaped projection formed on the head, which
fits into a V shaped recess formed in the head of the aforesaid reciprocating and
non rotating retracting tube.
The head of the firing pin and that of the retracting tube are brought together
prior to the act of firing, but the firing pin is immediately retracted when the bolt
is rotated from its firing position.
A hammer is connected to the firing pin which is provided with a polygonal
reciprocating bearing fitting into a corresponding aperture in the rear end of the
bolt, said bearing and aperture being for the purpose of causing the firing pin to
rotate with the bolt. The underside of the bolt is made flat to a distance
corresponding with the movement of said bolt A shoulder is formed on the bolt
which strikes against a stop when the bolt is withdrawn, about one fourth of the
underside of the hammer is cut away for the purpose of permitting said hammer to
rotate with the bolt.
A spring is permitted to be depressed by the bolt head, but when said bolt head
is sufficiently retracted the end of said spring will spring upward on a line or a
plane between the aforesaid large or wide and narrow openings, and within the
alignment of the bore of the barrel. The object of the spring is to prevent the
cartridges from being thrown out of due alignment with the bore of the gun by
preventing the cartridges entering the enlarged opening, thus keeping them adjacent
to the narrow opening until forced into the chamber of its barrel by the action of
the bolt.
The frame is recessed, the object being to prevent an undue movement of the
spring of the inclined cartridge guide; when the aforesaid lug engages with the
flanges of the cartridge, said lug is brought in contact with said flange in its
retrograde movement, and in conjunction with a shoulder formed on the inclined
cartridge guide causes the points of the cartridges to be elevated to the cavity or
recess in the frame. In the meantime the elevating cartridge is underrun by the
succeeding cartridge which is being propelled from the magazine by a spring.
When the elevated cartridge is to be forced into the chamber of the barrel, the
bolt is drawn back until the lug is disengaged from the flange of the cartridge case,
after which the continued action of the magazine spring will force the under
running cartridge up the inclined guide until its flange strikes a shoulder; during
this action the base of the elevated cartridge is brought in contact with the stop
spring, and dropped into alignment, or nearly so, with the base of the gun, into
which it is forced by the reverse action of the bolt.
I provide a combined trigger guard and inclined cartridge guide which is
preferably made in one piece, but said guard and guide can be made in parts and
accomplish the same object. The object of the inclined guide is to bring the base
of the cartridge to a point beneath the bolt head, so that when said bolt head is

page_text: drawn back the lug will come in contact with the flange of said cartridges. In
order to disengage the lug from said flange when the point of the cartridge is
elevated to the frame, the inclined guide yields to the pressure transmitted from
the bolt head and lug through the cartridge flange, until the depression of said
guide is sufficient to admit of the passage of the lug over said flange.
Screws connect the combined trigger guard and guide to the frame. There is
an aperture in the top of the frame through which the cartridges are introduced
when the magazine is to be filled, said aperture communicates or is cut into the
aforesaid narrow aperture.
An unyielding guide may be employed in combination with a yielding lug
properly adjusted within the bolt head or a spring, or its equivalent may be
adjusted within the top of the frame.
The bolt may be reciprocated by means of the well known devices of finger lever
and links, and for some purposes this construction may be preferable.

page_text: shells are kept in contact with the side of the frame until the flange of the shells
recedes into a recess formed in said frame at the end of the backward movements
of the bolt head, thus causing the open end of the shell to fly out of the narrow
opening P, whilst the base thereof is ejected through the large opening P¹.
The firing pin e is provided with a V projection formed on the head t which fits
into the V recess formed in the head of the reciprocating and non-rotating retracting
tube v. The parts t and s are brought together prior to the act of firing, but the
firing pin is immediately retracted when the bolt H₁ is rotated from its firing
position, as shown in Figure 2. H is a hammer connected to the firing pin e, which
is provided with a polygonal reciprocating bearing fitting into a corresponding
aperture g in the rear end of the bolt H', said bearing and aperture being for the
purpose of causing the firing pin to rotate with the bolt; the underside of bolt H'
is made flat to a distance corresponding with the movement of said bolt. A
shoulder c is formed on the bolt which strikes against the stop f¹ when the bolt is
withdrawn; about one fourth of the under side of the hammer is cut away for the
purpose of permitting said hammer to rotate with the bolt H¹.
The spring I, Figure 2, is shewn depressed by the bolt head =, but when said
bolt bead is sufficiently retracted, the end of said spring will spring upward on a
line or a plane between the wide and narrow openings P' and P, and within the
alignment of the bore of the barrel B. The object of the spring is to prevent the
cartridge from being thrown out of due alignment with the bore of the gun, by
preventing the cartridges entering the enlarged opening P¹, thus keeping them
adjacent to the narrow opening P until forced into the chamber of the barrel B by
the action of the bolt H
The frame F is recessed at h, as shewn in Figure 2, the object being to prevent
an undue movement of the spring of the inclined cartridge guide w.
When lug i
engages with the flange of the cartridge said lug is brought in contact with said
flange in its retrograde movement, and in conjunction with shoulder r formed on
guide to causes the points of the cartridges to be elevated to the cavity h. In the
meantime the elevating cartridge is underrun by the succeeding cartridge which is
being propelled from the magazine E by spring K.
When the elevated cartridge is to be forced into the chamber of the barrel the
bolt H' is drawn back until lug i is disengaged from the flange of the cartridgo
case, after which the continued action of the magazine spring will force the under
running cartridge up the inclined guide until its flange strikes the shoulder r.
During this action the base of the elevated cartridge is brought in contact with
spring I and dropped into alignment, or nearly so, with the bore of the gun, into
which it is forced by the reverso action of the bolt.
G and Grepresent a combined trigger guard and inclined cartridge guide, which
is preferably made in one piece, but said guard and guide may be made in parts
and accomplish the same object.
The object of the inclined guide w is to bring the base of the cartridge to a point
beneath bolt heads, so that when said bolt head is drawn back the lug i will come
in contact with the flange of said cartridge. In order to disengage the lug from
anid Hange when the point of the cartridge is elevated to the frame at h, the inclined
guide yields to the pressure transmitted from the bolt head and lug through the
cartridge flange until the depression of said guide is sufficient to admit of the
passage of the lug over said flange.
The screws f, m, and j connect the combined trigger guard and guide G and G¹
to the frame F. N represents the trigger, and y the trigger spring. a is an aperture
in the top of the frame through which the cartridges are introduced when the
magazine is to bo filled; said aperture communicates or is cut into the side
aperture P.
An unyielding guide w may be employed in combination with a yielding lug
properly adjusted within the bolt head s, or a spring or its equivalent may be
thin the ton of the frame

page_text: The bolt H may be reciprocated by means of the well known devices of finger
lever and links, and for some purposes this construction may be preferable.
Having thus fully described said improvements, and shewn the most advantageous
way known to me of carrying the same into practice, I claim as my Invention,―
First. The inclined cartridge guide w, substantially as herein described, for the
purpose specified.
Second. The lug i on the bolt head z in combination with the shoulder r on said
inclined cartridge guide, substantially as herein described, for the purpose specified.
Third. The spring I, substantially as herein described, for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The frame F recessed at h in combination with the shoulder r, lug i, and
bolt heads, substantially as herein described, for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The pressure tube v, firing pin e, and main-spring 6 in combination with
the lever and extracting book and bolt head z, substantially as herein described, for
the purpose specified.
2
Sixth. The bolt head and its extension tube provided with a lug a¹ in combi-
nation with bolt H provided with a longitudinal groove, substantially as herein
doscribed, for the purpose specified.
Seventh. The aperture a in combination with the inclined cartridge guide w and
magazine E, substantially as herein described, for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Trabue, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.