IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen, of 89, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by Joseph Duval,
of Saint Joannh
Canada
W
оспеси,
папсогу папе, III the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by Joseph Duval,
of Saint Joseph, Canada.
Sealed the 22nd May 1874, and dated the 1st January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Jensen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st January 1874.
I, PETER JENSEN, of 89, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," (a communication to me from abroad by
Joseph Duyal, of Saint Joseph, Canada) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists,―
First. Of a fire-arm wherein the hammer, cock, or other appliance
for operating the needle striking the cartridge and igniting it, are
entirely contained within the shell of the lock, which is thereby pro-
tected from all ordinary danger of damage.

page_text: Supposing the fire-arm to be in its discharged position by placing
the thumb in the lower loop of the locking and unlocking lever, it
is sharply depressed, causing its forked ends to simultaneously act on
the projections on the breech block, causing it to descend at the same
time to draw back the tumbler and needle, in doing which the breech
block sharply strikes the extensions of the extractor and throws out
the spent cartridge case. The hand is then removed from lever to
insert new cartridge, and the pressure being taken from the lever a
spring forces the tumbler, lever, and other parts into the proper position
to guide in the new cartridge; this position is however only a yielding
position, for by pressing down the breech block by force applied to
its forward extremity the parts may be again caused to assume the
position they occupied before the hand was removed from lever. This
yielding of the forward end of the breech block allows the cartridge
to be put in place while, when it is so situated, the position of the
breech blocks prevents it from falling out, the breech block having
been slightly depressed after the cartridge has entered the barrel, and
while getting it fairly home. The hand lever is closed up by the
hand being placed on the arm to grasp it for firing, engaging its
extremity in a catch, and throws forward the other end, thereby raising
the breech block and closing the breech; on pulling the trigger the
notch on tumbler is released and the needle is shot forward into the
central fire of the cartridge and explodes it.
To clean the arm it is only necessary to rotate the lower frame by
first withdrawing its securing pin and swinging it downward, when
all the parts attached thereto will be exposed to view, and in case.
there is any danger of the arm falling into the hands of the enemy
by removing the same pin and concealing it as well as the spring the
arm can be rendered temporarily completely useless; or by removing
one of the pivots considerable difficulty would be experienced to render
the arm serviceable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Jensen in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
JENSEN, of 89, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Peter Jensen, Her special licence
that I, the said Peter Jensen, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Peter Jensen, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS," (a communication to me from abroad by Joseph Duval, of Saint
Joseph, Canada,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Peter Jensen, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Jensen, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention refers to improvements in breech-loading rifles, as
hereafter described, and consists,-
First. In providing an arm in which the hammer, cock, or other
appliance for operating the needle, striking the cartridge, and igniting

page_text: it is entirely contained within the shell of the lock, and is thereby
protected from all ordinary danger of damage.
Second. In working the needle by means of a V spring instead of a
spiral spring, the former being less liable to get out of order, and more
easily removed and replaced in this case than the latter.
Third. The greater simplicity of construction, the one V spring serving
the purpose both of the needle spring and the cock spring.
Fourth. The exploded cartridge having been thrown out and a new
one introduced the breech block rises automatically sufficient to keep
the new cartridge in place.
Fifth. The provision of a safety bolt placed underneath a shoulder
of the trigger, preventing the same being operated.
Sixth. The providing of an arm in such a form that when obliged to
retreat, abandoning arms, the lock may be readily detached, thereby
rendering the arm useless in the hands of the enemy.
Seventh. The providing of an arm arranged so that by the removal
of one screw the lock will swing out of the shell and can be readily
cleaned.
Eighth. In various other improvements herein-after described.
Reference being had to the annexed Drawings in which similar letters
of reference indicate like parts.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of this improved arm; Figure 2,
central sectional elevation of Fig. 1 in the position assumed when the
cartridge is thrown out; Figure 3, part section and part elevation
shewing the position of parts when ready for loading; Figure 4,
sectional elevation shewing the position of parts when ready for
firing.
Figures 5 to 33 inclusive shew details of the various parts, as will be
herein-after more particularly referred to.
a is the barrel of any ordinary construction either screwed into the
shell or made in one with it, the latter of which I prefer; c is
the stock to which the shell is secured preferably by a bolt d, or
in any ordinary and suitable manner; e is the breech block shewn

page_text: in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and in detail in 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, where Fig. 5 is a
sectional elevation; Fig. 6, a plan of top side; Fig. 7, a plan of
under side; Fig. 8, a view of front end; Fig. 9, a view of rear end.
This is pivotted to the shell as shewn in the Drawings at f, where
two small pivots enter passing through the shell into corresponding 5
recesses g; h is a recess cut into its upper side for the sight; i are
two projections formed on its lower side, and k are recesses intervening
between each of these projections and the body of the block in which
work the ends of the lever m, shewn in detail in Figs. 21 and 22;
n is a recess cut in the under side of the breech block e of the con- 1
figuration shewn particularly in Figs. 5 and 7, forming the groove
in which the needle o, shewn in detail in Figs. 10 and 11, moves back
and forth.
Figs. 18 and 19 shew respectively in detail top and bottom views
of the opening p in the shell 6 in which the works are situated; 1
q is a recess cut in the shell so that when the breech block is in
the position shewn in Fig. 4 it forms a continuation of the groove h
before described. This (q) is shewn in end elevation in Fig. 20.
r is a frame, for the details of which see Fig. 14, shewing a side
elevation, and Fig. 15, a top plan. This is pivotted to the shell 62
at s at the front end, and at the rear end secured by a pint passing
completely through; u is a pivot passing through one side of r, and
entering into the other; upon this the lever m works, as also the
tumbler v; this latter is shewn in detail in Figs. 12 and 13; w are
projections formed within the shell to strengthen it at the point where 2
the pivot x passes and attaches to it the trigger y, shewn more par-
ticularly in Figs. 16 and 17. This works in the opening z.
a¹ is a
recess for receiving the large end of the spring 6³, shewn in Fig. 23;
c¹ is a groove which receives one end of the V spring d¹.
Figs. 12 and 13 shew respectively side and front views of the tumbler; a
this is also shewn in position with other parts in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.
e are projections on either side; these may be formed in one piece
with v, or by drilling a hole and driving a pin firmly therein; f is a
slot extending into its upper end forming the same into a double eye.
which receives the end of the needle o, g¹ being the pivot attaching it a
thereto; ¹ is the notch upon it for the end of the trigger y to catch
upon, while is the part upon which one of the ends of the V spring d
acts.

page_text: Figs. 10 and 11 shew respectively side elevation and bottom plan or
the needle o; this requires no further verbal description.
Figs. 16 and 17 shew respectively side and front views of the
trigger y; this is in its extension below the frame r, as shewn in
Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4; k is a recess for receiving the small end of the
spring 6' (for this see Fig. 23); is the end that acts upon the notch h¹
of the tumbler.
Figs. 21 and 22 represent side and front views of the forked ends i
of the lever m; m² are recesses to receive the projections e¹ of the
tumbler v, shewn in Fig. 13. The other end of the lever is so clearly
shewn in the general Figures as to require no further descriptions except
to say that a spring catch m¹ is provided for it to engage with, as shewn
in Fig. 1.
In the trigger guard o¹ is formed a recess to receive the spring
bolt shewn in side elevation in Fig. 24, and plan in Fig. 25. q¹is'
a pivot passing through the shell b; on this the extractor 71 rotates
(working in recesses & shewn in Figs. 4 and 19); this is shewn in
Figs. 2, 3, and 4, and in detail front and side views in Figs. 27 and 28;
the projections & are for catching the rim of the cartridge, while t
are extensions upon which the breech block acts in descending. The
V spring d¹ is clearly shewn in Figs. 2 and 4, and in detail in Fig. 26.
Here it is represented with the end inserted in the groove c¹ (Figs.
14 and 15) of considerably greater width than the end acting upon ¿¹
(Fig. 12); this end is made sufficiently narrow at or near its extremity
to enter into the space beneath the forks 1, 1, (Fig. 21,) in which space
also the tumbler (Figs. 12 and 13) is situated.
"
"
Fig. 29 shews the breech and part of the stock arranged in a
somewhat different manner. d is a steel or iron tube screwed into
a nut in the breech part to give solidity and strength to this part of the
rifle if the butt end of same is used as a club. The tube d at the same
time forms a receptacle for a short ramrod for cleaning the gun
from the breech end. Fig. 30 is a separate view of d; u, Fig. 33,
is the pivot passing through both sides of r, square at the end to
take an outer cock or hammer v¹ which is attached thereto by means
of a screw, and continued square to take the lever m, Fig. 32, and
slightly larger at the end passing through the other side of the frame r

page_text: where a countersunk hole is prepared for it; the pin ¹ is round in the
centre for the tumbler to work freely on it.
Fig. 31 is a separate view of the outer hammer v¹ attached to frame »
by a screw in the pin u¹. This hammer is used instead of the long
arm of the lever m to extract the exploded cartridge and bring the gun
to full cock; it also serves to indicate when the gun is at full cock.
Fig. 32 is similar to the lever described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4,
but without the long tail arm. The ends and recesses m² are retained
to engage in the breech block and tumbler respectively.
The operation is as follows:-The various parts herein-before described 1
being arranged in their respective positions, and presuming that the
arm is in the position shewn in Fig. 1, in which it will be after
discharge by placing the thumb in the lower loop of the lever m,
it is sharply depressed causing its forked ends 7 to simultaneously
act on the projections i of the breech block causing it to descend 1
to the position shewn in Fig. 2, and also to draw back the tumbler v
and needle o, in doing which the breech block strikes sharply the
extensions ¹ of the extractor, causing it to assume the position shewn
in Fig. 2, and thus throw out the exploded cartridge. The hand is
then removed from the lever m to insert a new cartridge. As soon 2
as the pressure is taken away from the lever the spring d¹ forces
the tumbler, lever, and other parts to the position shewn in Fig. 3,
the forked ends slightly raising the breech block to the proper
position to guide in the new cartridge. This position is however only
a yielding one, for by pressing down the breech block by force applied a
to its forward extremity the parts may be again caused to assume the
position shewn in Fig. 2 without touching the lever m. This yielding
of the forward end of the breech block allows the cartridge to be put
in place, while, when it is so situated, the position of the breech block,
as shewn in Fig. 3, prevents it from falling out, the breech block having 3
been slightly depressed after the cartridge is entered in the barrel, and
while getting it fairly home.
Here it will be remarked that the notch h¹ remains in the position
as shewn in Fig. 3, i.e., resting on the end 7 of the trigger y, but in
Fig. 2 raised a little above it. The lever m is now closed up by the
hand being placed on the arm to grasp it for firing, engaging its
extremity with the catch n¹ and throws forward the ends 2, thereby