IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Hobby Pond, Secretary of Sharp's Rifle Com-
pany, Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States of America, now of 8, South-
ampton Buildings, London, England, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.'
Sealed the 22nd June 1877, and dated the 4th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Hobby Pond at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th January 1877.
CHARLES HOBBY. POND, Secretary of "Sharp's Rifle Company," Bridgeport,
Connecticut, United States of America, now of 8, Southampton Buildings,
London, England. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
My Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms provided with a breech block
which has a vertically sliding movement for opening and closing the breech, and
which carries the firing pin, spring, and sear bolt.
It also relates to a method of cocking the arm by the joint operation of stationary
cams formed upon the breech frame and projections from the firing pin.
It also relates to the arrangement of a safety check slide behind and in line with
the trigger.
The said breech block slides downward to open and upward to close the breech.
These operations are effected by moving the trigger guard, which is hinged to the
breech block by a connecting link, and to the breech frame by a pin.
Within a cavity of the breech block is the firing pin surrounded by a coiled spring
which drives the firing pin, and is supported or kept in position by a plug or
stopper and presses against an enlargement of the firing pin. The said firing pin
moves in the plane of the axis of the barrel. A cross pin which I pass through the
enlarged part of the firing pin projects on both sides beyond the breech block and
slides backward and forward with the firing pin in horizontal slots cut through the
breech block on both sides. Attached to the inner part on both sides of the breech
frame are stationary cams. These cams may be a part of the breech frame, or may
be attached thereto as found most convenient. The said cross pin bears against the
cams at both of its ends, and as the breech block falls downward this pin slides
down on the cams, thus retracting the firing pin in the breech block, compressing
...מ

page_text: the spiral spring, and cocking or making ready the arm for firing. The shape of
the cams is such that when the cross pin of the firing pin has passed the projection
of the cams during the cocking movement, the sear bolt will then take the entire
pressure of the mainspring and allow the breech block to move freely to eject the
empty shell, the momentum being imparted to it by the spring.
The projections of the said cams will push back the firing pin, as the block moves
upward, if by accident it should have been released while the breech was entirely
open.
At the rear portion of the firing pin and on its under side is a notch, within which
the upwardly turned end of the sear bolt catches. The sear bolt is in the shape of
a bell crank pivoted to the breech block, and falls with it. The lower portion of
the sear has in it a groove extending vertically on both sides from its lower
extremity almost to its point of suspension.
A sliding piece slides in a piece of metal attached to or forming part of the breech
frame. The end of this piece embraces the downwardly projecting portion of the
said sear bolt, and as the finger acts on the trigger, pushing the said sliding piece
forward, the motion is communicated to the said downwardly projecting portion of
the sear bolt, pushing the lower portion forward, consequently depressing the
horizontal portion of the said sear bolt and freeing its upwardly projecting end
from contact with the notch in the firing pin. The latter is then free and is driven
forward by the spring striking the cartridge with the portion of the firing pin and
thus discharging the cartridge within the barrel. As the sear bolt moves with the
breech block, when the breech is opened the connection between the sliding piece
and the downwardly projecting portion of the sear bolt permits the sliding of the
latter within the embracing portion of the said sliding piece. A spring attached to
the sear bolt presses against a pin or a portion of the breech block and keeps the
sear bolt pressed with its said lower portion backward, and with its horizontal
portion ready at all times to lock in the aforesaid notch in the firing pin.
When the operation of fully opening and closing the breech is performed the arm
will be ready for the discharge, no half-cock or notch being provided to hold the
"half-
firing pin in the midway position or in the position known ordinarily as
cocked."
To guard against the premature discharge of the arm when carried at full cock I
provide a safety check slide, consisting of a sliding button roughened on the lower
side, and arranged to slide backward and forward directly behind the trigger. The
forward end of the said button is formed to fit into a notch in the back of the
trigger. Thus when the arm is cocked and ready for its discharge the button may
readily be pushed forward by the finger catching in the notch formed in the back of
the trigger, thus making it impossible to operate the trigger, the sliding piece, and
the sear bolt, till the button is moved backward and out of connection with the
trigger. The position given to the said button secures it against accidental displace-
ment when it is pushed forward into the safety or locked position. A spring
presses upon a portion of the trigger guard, and when the said trigger guard is
thrown down acts upon it during the last part of its movement with considerable
velocity. The object of this arrangement is to give to the extractor a sufficiently
violent blow to completely expel the cartridge.
The breech block is provided with two ribs which impinge against the shoulders
of the breech frame, and serve as guides for the breech block and resist the shock
due to the explosion of the cartridge.
I sometimes give the breech block an angular or oblique motion, which aids in
pushing the cartridge home in the chamber of the barrel.
In the construction of my breech block a plug is screwed into its rear end, and by
removing the same the spiral spring can be taken out; to guard against the
accidental unscrewing of this plug until the sear bolt is removed, I arrange the
upwardly turned end of the said sear bolt to operate within a slot or opening cut in
the hollow screwed portion of the plug.
In the arm constructed according to this Invention a clear view may be had

page_text: Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a fire-arm constructed according to
this Invention with the breech open and the firing pin drawn back; Figure 2 is a
plan or top view of the said arm with the breech open.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section with the breech block removed, show-
ing the inside of part of the breech frame and one of the cams for cocking the said
arm; Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal central section of the said arm with the
breech closed; Figure 5 is a horizontal section through the upper part of the breech
block and adjacent parts; Figure 6 is a side view of the said arm with the breech
closed.
Figure 7 is a side view of the breech block removed from the arm.
Figure 8 is a top view of a piece which carries the trigger.
Figures 9 and 10 illustrate a modification of my Invention, herein-after
described.
The breech block A slides downward to open and upward to close the breech.
These operations are effected by moving the trigger guard T, which is hinged to the
breech block by the connecting link t, and to the breech frame by a pin p.
Within the cavity of the breech block A is the firing pin B surrounded by the
coiled spring b which drives the firing pin, and is supported or kept in position by
the plug or stopper h at one end, and at the other end presses against the enlarge-
ment of the firing pin at B'. The said firing pin moves in the plane of the axis of
the barrel C; c is the transverse pin which I pass through the enlarged part B¹ of
the firing pin B; this transverse pin projects on both sides beyond the breech block A',
and is free to slide backward and forward in the horizontal slot d cut through the
breech block on both sides, and so participate in the movement of the firing pin.
Attached to the inner part on both sides of the breech frame are the stationary cams
of the shape or configuration shown at D. These cams may be a part of the breech
frame F, or may be attached thereto, as found most convenient. The transverse
pin c bears against the cams D at both ends, and as the breech block falls the pin c
slides down on the cams, thus retracting the firing pin B in the breech block A, com-
pressing the spiral spring b, and making ready for firing or cocking the arm.
shape of the cams D is such that when the cross pin c of the firing pin B has passed
the projections of the cams shown at e, Figure 3, during the cocking movement, the
sear bolt will then take the entire pressure of the mainspring and allow the breech
The

page_text: block A to move freely to eject the empty shell, the momentum being imparted to
it by the spring L.
The projections e of the cams D will push back the firing pin as the block A
moves upward, if by accident it had been released while the breech was fully
open.
At the rear portion of the firing pin B and on its under side is a notch a,
within which the upwardly turned end of the sear bolt catches. The sear bolt f
has the shape of a bell crank; it is pivotted to the breech block at g, and falls with
it. The lower portion f¹ of the sear has in it a groove extending vertically on both
sides from its lower extremity to its point of suspension g.
A sliding piece i is fixed to slide in a metal piece E attached to or forming part
of the breech frame F. The end of this piece embraces the downwardly projecting
portion f¹ of the sear bolt f, and as the finger acts on the trigger, pushing the
sliding piece i forward, the motion is communicated to the part 1 of the sear bolt,
pushing the lower end forward, and consequently depressing the horizontal portion
. of the said sear bolt and freeing its upwardly projecting end from contact with the
notch a in the firing pin; the latter then being free is driven forward by the spring b,
and its end k strikes the cartridge, thus exploding the latter within the barrel C.
As the sear bolt moves with the breech block when the breech is opened the con-
nection between the piece i and the portion f¹ of the sear bolt permits the sliding
of the latter within the embracing portion of the piece 2. A spring ; attached to
the sear bolt f¹, as shewn, presses against a pin or other appropriate portion of the
breech block and keeps the sear bolt pressed with its lower portion f¹ backward,
and with its horizontal portion ready at all times to lock in the notch a in the
firing pin B.
When the operation of fully opening and closing the breech is performed the arm
will be in readiness to be discharged, no half-cock or notch being provided to hold
the firing pin in a middle position or in the position known ordinarily as "half-
cocked."
To guard against the premature discharge of the arm when carried at full-cock I
provide a safety check, consisting of a sliding button H arranged to slide back ward
and forward directly behind the trigger O, the forward end of the button H being
formed to allow it to fit into a notch o in the back of the trigger O. Thus when the
arm is cocked and ready to be discharged the button H may readily be pushed
forward by the finger and will catch in the notch formed in the back of the trigger,
thus making it impossible to operate the trigger O, the sliding piece i, or the sear
bolt f, until the button H is moved backward and out of connection with the
trigger. The position given to the button H secures it against accidental displace-
ment when it is pushed forward into the safety or locked position. L is a spring
which presses upon a portion of the trigger guard T, and which when the trigger
guard is thrown down gives it during the last part of its movement considerable
velocity. The object of this contrivance is to give to the extractor M a sufficiently
violent blow to completely expel the cartridge. The extractor is similar to the
one ordinarily used in the well known "Sharp's" rifle, and needs no further
description.
The breech block A is provided with two ribs, as seen at m, which impinge
against shoulders n of the breech frame, and which serve as guides for the breech
block A and to support the same against the shock due to the explosion of the
cartridge.
I sometimes modify my Invention by arranging the breech block to have an
angular or oblique motion, which aids in pushing the cartridge home in the charge
chamber of the barrel.
In the construction of the breech block A the plug h is screwed into the rear end;
by removing this plug the spiral spring can be taken out; to guard against the
accidental unscrewing of this plug before the sear bolt is removed I allow the up-
wardly turned end of the said bolt f to operate within a slot or opening in the
hollow screwed portion of the plug.

page_text: In an arm constructed according to my Invention a clear view may be had
through the barrel when the breech is thrown down, and a rod may be pushed
through from the breech to the nozzle in clearing the barrel.
In Figures 9 and 10 I have shewn a modification of my Invention, which
consists chiefly in what I term the automatic arrangement of the safety check H.
A lever r is pivoted at r¹, and is so formed and arranged that its lower arm bears
against a projection 8 on the safety check, while the upper arm of the said lever pro-
jects into the space in which the vertically moving breech block descends, as shewn
in Figure 9. The said breech block in its downward movement engages with the
upper arm of the lever and pushes it back, the lower arm of the said lever moving
in the opposite direction presses against the projections of the said safety check
and forces the latter into the notch of the trigger as shewn in Figure 10. When
the breech block is brought up again to close the breech the said safety check may
be withdrawn, as in the arm first above described.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of performing.
the same, I wish it understood that I am aware that the employment in a fire-arm
of a vertically moving breech block is not new, and I do not therefore claim this
block as my Invention except in combination with other parts of the mechanisın
as herein-after set forth, that is to say, I claim―
First. The combination of parts comprising the transverse pin c of the firing pin
and the cams operating to cock the fire-arm, as above described.
Second. The combination of parts comprising the said transverse pin, the cams
for cocking the arm, and the breech block moving upward and downward, as above
described.
Third. A sear bolt with two arms arranged and operating in combination with a
firing pin and a trigger attached to the breech frame of the fire-arm, as above set
forth.
Fourth. The safety check arranged to move forward and backward into and out
of contact with a notch in the trigger, as above described and for the purpose set
forth.
Fifth. The modification of my Invention, consisting in the automatic arrange-
ments of the said safety check as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 of the Drawings
and as above described.
Sixth. In a breech loading fire-arm the combination of parts comprising the
breech block, the screw plug, and sear bolt, when the sear bolt is arranged to lock
the screw plug, as above described.
Seventh. In a breech-loading fire arm, the mechanism illustrated in Figures 1
to 8, or in Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying Drawings, and consisting of the
parts constructed, combined, and operating, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Hobby Pond, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
CUT LDT TO
החוזז
LES HOBBY POND. (L.S.)
CHARLE