IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Gordon at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
December 1868.
I, CHARLES GORDON, of Goswell Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Distiller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improved combinations and arrange-
ments of mechanism in the construction of breech-loading fire-arms in
which central-fire ammunition is employed.
The mechanism herein-after described may be inserted in and carried
by a "shoe" attached to the rear end of the barrel (a portion of which
has been previously removed), or the "shoe" may be dispensed with and
a portion of the rear end of the barrel removed for the admission of the
mechanism. The breech block or closer is hollow, and has two parallel
vertical faces respectively coinciding with the rear end of the barrel and
the face of the breech plate or tang. The breech block is attached to a

page_text: longitudinal bar or spindle, which is placed at the side of the breech
chamber and mounted in suitable lugs or projections attached to or
formed on the rear end of the barrel and the breech tang, and in which
it is free to rotate when the breech block or closer is elevated or depressed.
On the side opposite to the before-mentioned bar or spindle (which may
be termed the "hinge spindle") is a circular bar mounted in suitable
lugs or bearings attached to or formed on the breech block, and in which
it is capable of rotating. This bar may be termed the "cocking bar,"
and on the exterior thereof is formed a V-shaped groove and also a longi-
tudinal groove connecting the arms of the latter for the reception of the
stud or pin on the "discharging block" hercin-after mentioned. The
"cocking bar" is actuated by means of a lever or projection attached
thereto. In the interior of the breech block is placed the discharging
and percussing mechanism. A block is placed in the forward end of the
breech block chamber, and carries a discharging pin capable of working
through an aperture formed in the centre of the forward face of the
breech block and coinciding with the centre of the cartridge head. The
upper surface of the said block, which may be called the "discharging
block," is provided with two notches or bents for the reception of the
sear tooth when the action is placed at half and full cock. A stud
or pin is also attached to the side of the " discharging block," and
works through a slot formed in the side of the breech block into the
grooves on the "cocking bar." The hinder end of the "discharging
block" is recessed to admit the end of the spiral spring herein-after
mentioned. At the rear end of the breech block chamber is placed. a
bolt, over which is passed a spiral spring and having on the rear end
thereof a recess for the reception of the trigger pin, as herein-after
mentioned. The sear consists of a bent piece of metal placed within the
breech block chamber over the before-mentioned mechanism, and mounted
on a transverse pin upon which it works as upon a pivot. The forward
end of the sear is furnished with a tooth capable of taking into the half
and full cock bents in the "discharging block." The rear end of the
sear is provided with a bevilled face which enters into a hollow formed in
the head of the spring bolt for its reception.
The mode of actuating the mechanism is as follows:-The "cocking
bar" being in its normal position, that is to say, with the lever depressed
and the sear tooth in the half beut of the "discharging block," the
mechanism is prepared for dischange by elevating the lever and rotating

page_text: the "cocking bar," thus causing the stud or pin attached to the
"discharging block" to traverse the V-shaped groove, and carrying the
block backwards, thus compressing the spiral spring and at the same
time causing the sear tooth to take into the full-cock bent; by this
action the bevilled face of the rear end of the sear is brought within the
operation of the trigger pin, and upon pressing the head of the latter the
forward end thereof depresses the bevilled face of the sear and disengages
the tooth from the bent, when the spring being released from pressure
forces the "discharging block" forward, and the pin carried by the latter
passes through the aperture in the forward end of the breech block, and
striking the cartridge head causes ignition. The trigger pin is a bar
which works through the breech plate or tang, having at the rear end
thereof a suitable head for the purpose of receiving pressure, and which
may be protected by a suitable guard. The forward end of the trigger
pin is cleft or divided for the admission of the rear end of the scar, and
entering the recess in the head of the spring bolt forms a locking bolt to
the breech block.
The arrangement which is preferred for extracting the expended
cartridge case is as follows:-A small barrel or tube is placed over the
rotating bar or spindle to which the breech block is fixed, such barrel or
tube being free to move thereon, and having formed therein an oblique or
inclined plane groove which works on a stud or pin fixed on the spindle.
The barrel or tube is furnished with a projection which acts as the
cartridge extractor. Upon the breech chamber being opened, the pro-
jection forming the cartridge extractor is, by the partial revolution of
the bar or spindle, and the consequent movement of the barrel or tube by
means of the groove thercon working on the before-mentioned stud or
pin, removed to the rear of that part of the barrel which receives the
cartridge. The cartridge is placed in the chamber and moved forwards
into the barrel, the rim of the cartridge head being pressed upon the
extractor, which is carried forward by the closing of the breech block.
Discharge having taking place the breech block is turned back, and the
barrel or tube to which the extractor is fixed is thereby actuated and the
cartridge case withdrawn. The mechanism is covered by a plate on the
upper part of the breech block. Instead of arranging the mechanism in
the interior of the breech block, as before described, it may be enclosed in
a tube placed therein, such modifications only being made as will suit
the altered requirements.

page_text: In cases in which it is desired to apply the before-mentioned arrange-
ments to fire-arms already furnished with brcech blocks possessing direct
acting striking pistons the whole of the mechanism may be placed behind
the breech plate or tang, a suitable hollow for that purpose being formed
in the stock. In such cases the striking arrangements before described
actuate the discharging pistons contained in the breech block, and the
half and full cocking may be effected by means of an ordinary trigger
whilst the discharge is produced by the action of a trigger pin sub-
stantially as before mentioned, such modifications only being made as
are necessary to suit the altered requirements.