Year: 1888

page_text: We, SILVESTER KRNKA, and KARL KRNKA, of Michle, near Prague, Bohemia,
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to that class of magazine fire arms, in which a breech bolt, adapted
to be reciprocated end wise for opening and closing the breech, is combined with a
magazine, located underneath the said breech-bolt and feeding the cartridges up.
sidewise through a slot in the receiver.
The invention has for its purpose to give more strength to the breech bolt, to
simplify the means for guiding the cartridges from the magazine into the chamber
of the barrel, to provide facilities for taking the weapon to pieces without the aid
of any tool, and to provide skeleton cartridge boxes enabling the magazine to be
loaded or to have its contents completed whilst either connected to or separated
from the weapon.
Again, the invention has for its purpose to enable the user rapidly to replace,
whilst engaged in quick firing, his exhausted magazine by a full one, to which end
he is fitted out with two or more magazines so carried in pouches, attached to the
belt, that on the receiver having simply been placed upon the top of the magazine,
this latter can be withdrawn from its pouch with the rifle, which then can be
immediately raised into the firing or aiming position.
Furthermore, the invention has for its object to provide means for apprising the
user of the fact of the magazine being exhausted, this being obtained by a projecting
lug fixed to the rear end of the cartridge carrier, and protruding from the magazine
as soon as the last cartridge has been fired, thereby preventing the breech bolt from
being pushed forward.
In the annexed drawings
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a rifle constructed according to the inven-
tion, the breech being closed and the magazine suspended from the receiver.

page_text: Figure 3 is a cross section on line æ¹ a figure 1.
Figure 4 is a sectional side elevation of the rifle, the breech being open and the
magazine just undergoing loading with cartridges.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the closed breech action.
Figure 6 is a top side view of the breech bolt.
Figure 7 is a sectional side elevation of the breech bolt, the lock being cocked.
Figure 8 shows a detail of the firing pin.
Figure 9 illustrates the manner in which an empty cartridge case is ejected.
Figure 10 shows an empty cartridge box.
Figure 11 shows the device for stopping the breech bolt when the magazine is
exhausted.
Figure 12 is a top side view of the magazine.
Figure 13 shows a detail of the receiver.
Figure 14 is a perspective view of a belt having two magazine pouches and an
ordinary cartridge pouch attached to it.
The magazine rifle shown by the drawings in half its natural size is of the
8 millimetre bore, and as its general construction is the same as described in the
specification of our Letters Patent No. 6800, dated 9th May 1887, the same
letters of reference as in the said patent specification, are used for the sake of easy
comparison.
The straight pull mechanism A, a, a, b, is of the same construction as described
in the said patent, with the difference, however, that the rear end 6 of the breech
bolt is made cylindrical instead of having the shape of a polygonal screw.
In order to give the breech bolt B greater strength and thus to obtain a more
secure closure of the breech, the front end of the said bolt is provided with two
ribs 62 (see figure 6), and as the ejector stud, formerly arranged within the receiver
or breech-casing, is dispensed with, the longitudinal groove for this stud in the
breech bolt is no longer necessary. The office of an ejector is done by an arm, g*,
figure 7, projecting from the catch or stud 9 and being located in the longitudinal
slot 3 of the breech bolt, into which projects the catch or stud g, the said arun g*
protruding, when the breech. is wholly open, through a narrow extension of the
slot a sufficient amount beyond the front end of the breech bolt, so that the
empty cartridge case, extracted and held by the cartridge extractor f, is ejected in
consequence of its impinging against the arm gt.
For the purpose of enabling the breech bolt more securely to seize the flange or
rim of the uppermost of the cartridges of the magazine, the said bolt has its front
end provided with a downward extending projection *, figure 11, which penetrates
between the elastic cheeks h¹ h¹ of the magazine.
In consequence of the breech bolt ribs being arranged nearer the front end of the
bolt, and for the purpose of allowing the magazine to be loaded in the manner here-
inafter described, while being connected to the rifle, the shape of the receiver or
breech-casing E is somewhat altered, as best shown in figure 5.
The lug of the breech bolt screw is enlarged, and the closed rear end of the
screw contains a guide bore for the firing pin D.
A better support for the cartridge when placed in position, the weapon being used
as a hand breech loader or single loader, is afforded by making the spring flaps JJ,
figure 13, so long as to extend over the whole length of the lower opening of the
receiver E. These flaps J J are made integral with a spring j forming an inclined
surface, along which the cartridges are pushed by the breech bolt from the
magazine or from the position in which they are placed by hand above the magazine
into the chamber of the barrel. This spring is somewhat depressed when the
breech bolt passes over it, and the hollow beneath the said spring serves as a
depository for the grease, into which the projectiles or cartridges have been dipped,
and which is partly scraped off in the act of loading. The spring flaps J J are held
in the receiver E by studs j', j, j (stud j¹ not being visible in figure 13) engaging

page_text: in corresponding holes. When the spring flaps J J are pressed together, the lateral
studs, are withdrawn from their holes in the lateral sides of the receiver, and
the flaps may so be removed from the receiver.
In order to enable the rifle to be rapidly taken to pieces without the aid of any
tool, the following arrangements are made:-The breech screw g, figures 1 and 5,
is provided with a movable ring or stirrup q¹ which serves as a handle, and is
folded down toward the receiver E on the breech screw having been screwed home,
or a fixed cross handle will serve the same purpose. When the breech screw is
removed, the spring trigger guard I, which is likewise held by this screw, can be
unhooked at the same time as the trigger spring g', by swinging it forward towards
the lower aperture of the receiver; afterwards, the butt or stock is withdrawn.
Here, it may be mentioned, that the displacements of the front end of the
spring trigger guard I which are necessary when a magazine is inserted or ejected,
are limited in the forward direction by a pin i¹, figure 1, working in grooves, and
in the rearward direction by a shoulder of the receiver.
To remove the trigger G, the same is first somewhat drawn back and afterwards
swung downward and forward, whereby the slots 92, 93 are caused to slide down from
the trigger pivot and the jointing pin of the catch or stud 9; this latter can here-
after be drawn out from below.
For taking the percussion lock to pieces, the breech bolt is first withdrawn from
the receiver, and the handle socket a pushed backward to the rear end of the slot 61;
next the breech bolt screw C is unscrewed, when the handle socket a, coiled spring d¹,
firing pin D and bar F can be separated from the breech bolt.
A particular feature of the rifle lies in the arrangement, that even when the
trigger G is pulled back so far as to touch the trigger guard 1, the catch or stud
will not be lowered in such a measure as to allow the breech bolt to be withdrawn out
of the receiver, this being only made possible by partly unscrewing the breech
screw 9 and afterwards lowering the trigger guard I, when the catch or stud
be drawn out of the longitudinal slot of the breech bolt.
of this
purpose
arrangement is, to completely safeguard the user against accidental separation of the
breech bolt, when he is rapidly handling the breech action.
The
g can
In the weapon illustrated by the drawings, the magazine is of such a size as to
hold 20 cartridges of small diameter, and along the rear edge of its lateral side, the
said magazine is provided with a numbered scale, on which the cartridge carrier h³
of the magazine spring indicates the number of cartridges yet in store.
As clearly shown in Figures 11 and 12, the rear end of the uppermost convolution
of the magazine spring h, which feeds up the cartridges or the rear end of the
cartridge carrier hs, which may be secured to the said spring and then immediately
supports the cartridges, is provided with an upright projection h. Thus, after the
last cartridge of the magazine has been fired, the user pulls back the breach bolt,
the projection rises into the path of the breech bolt and prevents the same from
being thrust forward again, thereby informing the user that the magazine is
exhausted.
For loading or replenishing the magazine H, while being separated from or
connected with the rifle as shown in figures 2 and 4, skeleton cartridge boxes P,
Fig. 10, are provided, which have deep recesses p in their lateral sides. The lower
edge of these skeleton cartridge boxes P, which form the general packing of the
cartridges, are bent inwards as spring tongues p¹ to prevent these latter from falling
out. When the magazine is to be loaded or replenished, the lower aperture of the
box P is placed upon the mouth of the magazine H and by pressing with the fingers
upon the portion of the topmost cartridge inside the recess p, the cartridges are
caused to pass into the magazine. The spring tongues p¹ of the lower edge of the
skeleton cartridge box, and the elastic cheeks h¹h of the mouth of the magazine
When the magazine is
recede sufficiently as to allow the cartridges to pass.
connected to the rifle, the skeleton cartridge box P, the contents of which are to be
transferred into the magazine, is inserted into a loading aperture formed in the top

page_text: side of the receiver E. In order to admit in this case of an easy transfer of the
cartridges, the lateral sides of the receiver or breech-casing E are recessed in a
similar manner as the skeleton cartridge boxes, as shown at p¹ at Fig. 10.
By the method just described of filling the magazine by means of skeleton
cartridge boxes, the magazines need only be loaded at the time of their use, this
enabling the magazines to be stored in an empty condition and consequently without
loss of elastic strength to their springs h.
Fig. 14 illustrates a suitable manner of arranging on a belt several magazine
pouches and one or more ordinary cartridge pouches, forming the outfit of a man
with ammunition. The pouches H¹ containing the magazines H are to be carried on the
front portion of the belt in such a position that, when the flap of the pouch is open,
the rifle can be directly placed, with the lower aperture of the receiver, over a
magazine as indicated by dots, and that, afterwards, the magazine can be drawn out
of the pouch by lifting the weapon, which may be immediately brought again into
the firing position. As it is necessary, that the exhausted magazines, which are
ejected for replacement by full ones, should not be lost, but kept for re-loading by
means of skeleton cartridge boxes taken from the pouch I., the magazines are
attached to their respective pouches by means of cords or chains r sufficiently long
to enable the weapon to be easily brought from the position shown in Fig. 14 into
the position of firing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1st. In a magazine bolt-gun, spring flaps J J extending along the inner surfaces
of the lateral sides of the receiver and destined for ejecting the magazine and closing
the the lower aperture of the receiver, these spring flaps being made in one piece
with a centre extending spring j, which forms an inclined connecting surface
between the mouth of the magazine and the chamber of the barrel, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
2nd. In a bolt-gun, a catch or stud 9 provided with a forward extending
cartridge ejector arm 9, this arm being located within the slot 3 of the breech
bolt, into which projects the catch or stud, and on the breech being opened, the
said arm projecting beyond the front end of the breech bolt through a narrow
extension of the slot 63, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. In a bolt-gun, a trigger having open ended slots g² and g³ for its connection
with its pivot pin and with the catch or stud, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
4th. In a bolt-gun, a breech screw q connecting the receiver to the butt end of the
stock and to the rear end of the spring trigger guard, and having a handle q¹ in
the shape of a folding stirrup or cross handle, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
5th. In a magazine bolt-gun, an upright projection formed at the rear end of the
uppermost convolution of the magazine spring, or at the rear end of the cartridge
carrier secured to the said uppermost convolution, the said projection protruding,
after the last cartridge of the magazine has been fired, into the part of the breech-
bolt, and preventing thereby the breech-bolt from being pushed forwards, substan-
tially as and for the purpose described.
6th. In combination with a magazine bolt-gun, having recesses formed in the
lateral sides of its receiver, skeleton cartridge boxes P, partly closed at their top and
having a deep recess p in their middle portion and inward bent spring tongues pl
on their lower edge, by which the cartridges are withheld in the boxes; these skeleton
cartridge boxes being intended for insertion into the upper loading aperture of the
receiver and to have their contents transferred into the magazine by finger pressure
applied inside the recess p to the uppermost cartridge, substantially as and for the
purpose described.

page_text: 7th. In combination with a magazine bolt-gun, magazine pouches H¹, attached to
the belt, and having the magazine H sufficiently projecting from their top aperture,
when their flap is open, as to adminit of the rifle being, with the lower opening of its
receiver, placed over the top of the magazine, which is then drawn out of the pouch
by lifting the rifle; the magazines being connected to their respective pouches by
cords or chains r, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 26th day of November 1000.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.