IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING ORDNANCE
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thorsten Nordenfelt of 53 Parliament Street in the City
of Westminster for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING
ORDNANCE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thorsten Nordenfelt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th May 1882.
THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING ORDNANCE"
These improvements relate to guns such as are described in the Specification of a
former Patent granted to me No 4523 in the year. 1880. As in the said
Specification the breech of the gun is closed by a breech block which is mounted
upon an axis. There is also a wedge upon the back of the said breech block
which locks it in its place. The axis receives motion by means of a lever handle
and by a slotted arm it actuates both the breech block and the wedge.
In opening the breech the axis by its rotation first causes the wedge to be
withdrawn and then carries both it and the breech block round until the open
breech is exposed for the reception of the cartridge. The firing pin for exploding
the priming of the cartridge and which is contained in a recess in the breech block
I provide with wings or projections at its rear end. I also provide inclines within
the wedge to act against the wings or projections and to draw back the firing pin
at the time when the wedge is moved in unlocking the breech block. The firing
pin when thus pushed back is caught and retained by a trigger like lever jointed
to the breech block.
The rear end of the trigger lever is contained in a recess in the wedge and the
form of this recess is such as to compell the trigger lever to lay hold of the firing
pin at the proper time, so that it is unnecessary to provide the trigger lever with a
spring.
The trigger lever may have a lanyard attached to it and then after the breech
has been closed, the pull upon the lanyard will free the firing pin and allow it to
be thrown forward by its spring, or the firing may be automatic in which case the
main handle is allowed a further movement after the breech is closed and locked

page_text: by the wedge and in this further movement the slotted lever upon the axis comes
against the trigger lever and causes the release of the firing pin. The spring of
the firing pin is a blade attached at one end to the breech block and at the other
pressing against the back of the firing pin.
When automatic firing is not desired the movement of the handle is limited by
means of a stop.
In some cases I attach the firing pin to the spring and arrange it slightly to
rebound after striking. The firing pin has as before wings or projections but the
inclines within the wedge are differently formed so that in the unlocking operation
they do not draw the firing pin back, but on the contrary press it slightly forward
until at the end of the motion the wings or projections pass off the inclines. On
the return of the wedge, in locking the breech block, the wings or projections
traverse the other or hinder side of the inclines; with the result that the firing pin
is drawn back. At the instant the breech block becomes securely locked the wings
or projections pass off the inclines, the firing pin is thrown forward by its spring
and the gun is fired. If automatic firing is not desired the firing pin is prevented
going forward by a stop or pin placed in its path.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thorsten Nordenfelt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1882.
THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster
" IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING ORDNANCE
"
These improvements relate to guns such as are described in the Specification of
a former Patent granted to me No 4523 in the year 1880. As in the said
Specification the breech of the gun is closed by a breech block which is mounted
upon an axis. There is also a wedge upon the back of the said breech block
which locks it in its place. The axis receives motion by means of a lever handle
and by a slotted arm it actuates both the bleech block and the wedge. In
opening the breech the axis by its rotation first causes the wedge to be withdrawn
and then carries both it and the breech block round until the open breech is
exposed for the reception of the cartridge. The firing pin for exploding the
priming of the cartridge and which is contained in a recess in the breech block I
provide with wings or projections at its rear end. I also provide inclines within
the wedge to act against the wings or projections and to draw back the firing pin
at the time when the wedge is moved in unlocking the breech block. The firing
pin when thus pushed back is caught and retained by a trigger like lever jointed
to the breech block. The rear end of the trigger lever is contained in a recess in
the wedge and the form of this recess is such as to compel the trigger lever to lay
hold of the firing pin at the proper time, so that it is unnecessary to provide the
trigger lever with a spring.

page_text: The trigger lever may have a lanyard attached to it and then after the breech
has been closed, the pull upon the lanyard will free the firing pin and allow it to
be thrown forward by its spring. Or the firing may be automatic in which case
the main handle is allowed a further movement after the breech is closed and
locked by the wedge and in this further movement the slotted lever upon the.axis
comes against the trigger lever and causes the release of the firing pin. The
spring of the firing pin is a blade attached at one end to the breech block and at
the other pressing against the back of the firing pin.
1
When automatic firing is not desired the movement of the handle is limited by
means of a stop.
:
These improvements are illustrated by Figures 1 to 7 of the annexed Drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the breech end of the gun.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the breech block and wedge, the parts being in
the positions they occupy after firing.
Figure 3 shews the same parts in the position they occupy when the wedge has
been drawn down and the breech block is about to fall away, leaving the breechi
of the gun open for the insertion of the cartridge.
Figure 4 is an horizontal section on the line A, B, in Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a front view of the parts represented in Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a rear elevation of the breech block.
Figures 7 represent the extractor and parts in connection therewith
A is the breech block
B is the axis on which the breech block is able to turn.
C is the wedge upon the back of the breech block.
D is the lever handle, fixed on the axis B.
E is the slotted arm fixed on the axis B, the pin C² fixed in the wedge passes
through the slot.
F is the firing pin, F¹ are the wings upon it on which the inclines C², on the
wedge act as the wedge is drawn down.
G is a spring attached to the breech block and pressing the firing pin forward.
H is the trigger lever it is pivotted at H', to the breech block and engages with
the projection F upon the firing pin. H is a projection upon H with which the
wedge when it its lowest position comes in contact to ensure the end of the
trigger lever being placed in the path of the projection on the firing pin.
H³, is another projection on the trigger lever which is struck by the slotted
arm E when the handle D is moved forward to the full extent to cause the
liberation of the firing pin.
I is the ordinary extractor, which by acting against the flange of the cartridge
case causes it to be ejected from the gun after firing.
K, is an arm upon the axis K¹, of the extractor, to operate the extractor this
arın is struck by another arm D¹ on the lever handle D. The form of these parts
is such that the movement of the extractor is at first slow and powerful and
afterwards rapid, so that the cartridge case may be thrown smartly out of the gun.
L is a stop or button, in the position in which it is represented in the Drawing
it does not interfere with the movement of the lever but it can be turned partly
round and secured in such a position as to prevent the handle being drawn fully
back and then the firing ceases to be automatic; but after each loading the gun
may be fired by pulling the lanyard.
In some cases I attach the firing pin to the spring and arrange it slightly to
rebound after striking. The firing pin has as before wings or projections but the
inclines within the wedge are differently formed so that in the unlocking operation
they do not draw the firing pin back but on the contrary press it slightly forward
until at the end of the motion the wings or projections pass off the inclines. On
the return of the wedge in locking the breech block, the wings or projections
traverse the other or hinder side of the inclines with the result that the firing pin
is drawn back. At the instant the breech block becomes securely locked the
wings or projections pass off the inclines, the firing pin is thrown forward by its

page_text: automatic ring is not desired
the ring pin is
prevented going forward by a stop or pin placed in its path.
This construction is illustrated by the Figures 8. 9 and 10.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal and vertical section.
Figure 9 is a transverse vertical section and
Figure 10 is an horizontal section
A is the breech block
B is the axis,
C is the wedge.
Eis the slotted an
F is the firing pin and F¹ are the wings.
G is the spring, which now is of a piece with or attached to the firing pin.
C*, C*, are the double inclines upon the wedge which as the wedge descends
press the firing pin slightly forward; they free it when the wedge is in its highest
position and the firing pin then moves back so far that as the wedge rises the
wings are acted upon by the backs of the inclines. Thus the firing pin is drawn
back ready to strike the blow upon the priming of the cartridge, which it does
when the wedge reaches its highest position, the wings then escaping beneath the
inclines.
M is a stop which can at pleasure be projected forward into the path of the
firing pin so as to prevent it striking its blow when automatic firing is not desired.
N is a rod provided for operating the stop M, it has inclines upon it engaging
with corresponding inclines upon the stop as the Drawing indicates.
What I claim as my improvements is the arrangement of the firing mechanism
of my breech loading gun substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Thorsten Nordenfelt have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fourteenth day of November in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
F is the firing pin and F¹ are the wings.
G is the spring, which now is of a piece with or attached to the firing pin.
C*, C, are the double inclines upon the wedge which as the wedge descends
press the firing pin slightly forward; they free it when the wedge is in its highest
position and the firing pin then moves back so far that as the wedge rises the
wings are acted upon by the backs of the inclines. Thus the firing pin is drawn
back ready to strike the blow upon the priming of the cartridge, which it does
when the wedge reaches its highest position, the wings then escaping beneath the
inclines.
M is a stop which can at pleasure be projected forward into the path of the
firing pin so as to prevent it striking its blow when automatic firing is not desired.
N is a rod provided for operating the stop M, it has inclines upon it engaging
with corresponding inclines upon the stop as the Drawing indicates.
What I claim as my improvements is the arrangement of the firing mechanism
of my breech loading gun substantially as described.
;
In witness whereof I the said Thorsten Nordenfelt have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fourteenth day of November in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
THURSTEN NURDENFELT (L.S.)