Iм- PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1869

page_text: द्वार
LETTERS PATENT to Edward Ginder, of Aston-juxta-Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Gun Maker, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 1st January 1870, and dated the 26th July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Ginder at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th July 1869.
I, EDWARD GINDER, of Aston-juxta-Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms in which the breech
is opened for charging and closed for discharging by means of a block
turning in a vertical plane upon a joint situated at the rear end of the
shoe or body of the gun, the block descending to open the breech and
ascending to close it.

page_text: My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of
guns of the kind referred to in the following manner :-I joint the said
block to the said shoe or body in a line or nearly so with the axis of the
barrel, and in order to prevent the accidental rising of the block above
the position at which it effectually closes the breech I form a lip or
projection on the under side of its fore end, which lip when the block
is raised comes against the under side of the barrel and prevents its
ascent beyond the proper point. The raising and lowering of the block
and the cocking of the gun are effected by means of a lever on the
under side of the lock and trigger plate. The said lever may form the
trigger guard, and when raised is held in position by a snap fastening.
The upper end of the said lever is divided or forked, the said forked end
of the lever engaging in a recess on the under side of the closing block.
When the said lever is depressed it depresses the block, and when the
said lever is raised it raises and supports the said block. The tumbler
and hammer of the lock turn upon the same centre as the lever described,
the said tumbler and hammer being situated between the arms of the
forked upper end of the said lever. The said tumbler is provided with
half and full-cock bents with which the sear of the trigger engages. The
said tumbler and hammer are acted upon by a mainspring of the ordinary
kind..
The action of the parts of the gun is as follows:-On the depression
of the said lever the fore end of the closing block is lowered and the
breech of the barrel is opened. By the descending motion of the said
lever the hammer is thrown back and the sear of the trigger engages
with the tumbler and the hammer is cocked. After introducing the
cartridge into the open breech end of the barrel the said lever is raised.
The closing block is thereby brought into and supported in the position
in which it closes the breech of the gun, and the said gun is now ready
for discharge. By pressing the finger upon the trigger its sear is
liberated from the bent in the tumbler and the hammer falling by the
action of the mainspring drives forward the striker in the closing block
and discharges the gun. The said striker consists of a pin or rod, the
return motion of which is effected by a coiled spring. The extraction
of the empty cartridge case after discharge is effected by an extractor
operated by the closing block as it descends to open the breech. The
hammer may be brought to half-cock by only partially depressing the

page_text: lever, and after the gun has been brought to full-cock it may if required
be brought to half-cock by depressing the lever to its full extent and
then pressing the finger upon the trigger.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Ginder in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
GINDER, of Aston-juxta-Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Edward Ginder, Her special licence that
I, the said Edward Ginder, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Edward Ginder, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Ginder, 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 Edward Ginder, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms, in which the breech

page_text: is opened for charging and closed for discharging by means of a block
turning in a vertical plane upon a joint situated at the rear end of the
shoe or body of the gun, the block descending to open the breech and
ascending to close it.
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of
guns of the kind referred to in the following manner :-I joint the said
block to the said shoe or body in a line or nearly so with the axis of
the barrel, and in order to prevent the accidental rising of the block
above the position at which it effectually closes the breech a lip may
be formed on the under side of its fore end, which lip when the block
is raised comes against the under side of the barrel and prevents its
ascent beyond the proper point. The raising and lowering of the block
and the cocking of the gun are effected by means of a lever on the
under side of the lock and trigger plate. The said lever may form the
trigger guard, and when raised is held in position by a snap fastening.
The upper end of the said lever is divided or forked, the 'said forked
end of the lever engaging in a recess on the under side of the closing
block. When the said lever is depressed it depresses the block, and
when the said lever is raised it raises and supports the said block. The
tumbler and hammer of the lock turn upon the same centre as the
lever described, the said tumbler and hammer being situated between
the arms of the forked upper end of the said lever. The said tumbler
is provided with half and full cock bents, with which the sear of the
trigger engages. The said tumbler and hammer are acted upon by a
mainspring of the ordinary kind.
The action of the parts of the gun is as follows:-On the depression
of the said lever the fore end of the closing block is lowered and the
breech of the barrel is opened. By the descending motion of the said
lever the hammer is thrown back and the sear of the trigger engages
with the tumbler and the hammer is cocked. After introducing the
cartridge into the open breech end of the barrel the said lever is raised.
The closing block is thereby brought into and supported in the
position in which it closes the breech of the gun, and the said gun is
now ready for discharge. By pressing the finger upon the trigger its
sear is liberated from the bent in the tumbler, and the hammer falling
by the action of the mainspring drives forward the striker in the closing
block and discharges the gun. The said striker consists of arpin or

page_text: rod, the return motion of which is effected by a coiled spring. Tho
extraction of the empty cartridge case after discharge is effected by an
extractor operated by the closing block as it descends to open the breech.
The hammer may be brought to half-cock by only partially depressing
the lever, and after the gun has been brought to full cock it may, if
required, be brought to half-cock by depressing the lever to its full
extent, and then pressing the finger on the trigger.
rod, the return motion of which is effected by a coiled spring. Tho
extraction of the empty cartridge case after discharge is effected by an
extractor operated by the closing block as it descends to open the breech.
The hammer may be brought to half-cock by only partially depressing
the lever, and after the gun has been brought to full cock it may, if
required, be brought to half-cock by depressing the lever to its full
extent, and then pressing the finger on the trigger.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, and Figures 2 and 3 in longitu-
dinal vertical section the breech end of a breech-loading gun, the parts
of which are constructed and arranged according to my Invention. In
Figures 1 and 2 the parts of the gun are represented in the positions
which they respectively occupy when the gun is ready to be discharged,
and in Figure 3 the parts are represented in the positions which they
respectively occupy when the closing block has been depressed for.
opening and recharging the gun.
Figure represents in side elevation and plan of upper side the
breech end of the gun without the stock, the closing block and lever
being removed. The other Figures represent parts of the gun, as herein-
after explained. The same letters indicate the same parts in the several
Figures of the Drawings.
a is the shoe or body of the gun, and 6 is the barrel. The said shoo
or body consists of a rectangular frame open at top and bottom (see
Figure 4). c is the closing block jointed at c to the rear of the shoe a..
The fore end of the block c has a rising and falling motion in the breech
shoe a. The block c is shown separately in side elevation, plan, and
cross section in Figure 5. Underneath the said block c and situated in
the fork thereof is a strong spring c³, which assists in raising and
lowering the said block in the shoe, and supports it while the end of the
lever g, g³, is passing from x to z. The said spring also keeps the said
block in its open position, as herein-after described. The spring c³ is
shown separately in Figure 7. It is fixed in the block by its forked end,
the opposite and free end on the motion of the block travelling upon the
:

page_text: supporting pin c. In the fore end of the said block c is the striker d,
working obliquely therein. The advance of the said striker to discharge
the cartridge e is effected by the hainmer herein-after described, and its
return motion is effected by the coiled spring f. The sliding of the
striker in the block c is limited by the slot and pin represented. The
raising and lowering of the block c and the supporting of the block c in
its raised position is effected by the lever g, g', turning on the centre h
of the lock and trigger plate i. The said lever, when its lower arm g* is
raised in the manner represented in Figures 1 and 2, completes the
trigger guard k, a spring snap fastening on the said trigger guard
holding the lever in its place. A complete independent trigger guard
may be used. The lower end of the arm g² of the lever in this case lies
against the fixed trigger guard. A side and front elevation and plan of
the lever g, g, are represented in Figure 6. The upper arm g of the said
lever is forked or divided, the upper end or top being joined by a cross
bar g. The upper end of the lever g works in a recess c³ in the under
side of the block c. When the lever 9, 93, is turned on its centre h, in
the manner represented in Figure 3, the upper arm g of the said lever
bears against the left-hand side of the recess of the said block and
depresses the said block. By the descent of the block c the free end of
the spring travels over the pin c into the position represented in
Figure 3, and tends to hold down the block. When the lever g, g², is
lifted into the position represented in Figures 1 and 2 the upper arm g
of the lever works in the recess c and lifts the block c, and by bearing
against the part c' of the said block supports it firmly in the breech shoe
and accurately closes the breech. As the block c is raised the free end
of the spring travels over the pin c* into the position represented in
Figure 2, and assists in raising the block and holding it in its raised
position. m is the hammer of the lock turning on the same centre h
as the lever g, g; n is the tumbler made in one piece with the said
hammer, and provided with half cock and full cock bents. The hammer
and tumbler m, n, are situated between the fork of the upper arm g of
the lever g, g³, and the said hammer, when the block c is depressed, lies
in the fork of the said block c. 8 is the extractor (shown separately in
Figure 8). The said extractor consists of a lever turning on the centre t.
The upper part of the extractor is forked, and carries the hooks 8, 8,
against which the rim of the cartridge e bears in the manner represented
in Figure 2. When the closing block c is depressed so as to open the

page_text: a sharp blow. The upper or extracting end of the extractor is thereby
made to move rapidly and with great force from the barrel b, and extract
and eject the empty cartridge case from the said barrel b. The arms of
the forked part of the extractor are situated on either side the block c,
so that the extractor can move when the block is in either its raised or
depressed position.
The action of the gun is as follows:-When the parts of the gun are
in the respective positions represented in Figures 1 and 2 the gun is
ready for discharge, the closing block c being effectually supported in its
place by the upper forked arm of the lever, and the hammer m being
in its cocked position. By pressing the finger upon the trigger » its
sear 9 is liberated from the full-cock bent of the tumbler n, and the
hammer m falling by the action of the mainspring p drives forward the
striker d in the closing block c and discharges the gun. In order to
reload the gun after discharge the lower arm g' of the lever is lifted from
the half trigger guard k in the manner illustrated in Figure 3.. The
upper forked or divided arm g of the lever thereby descends, and bearing
upon the left-hand side of the recess c³ in the closing block c lowers the
fore end of the said block, the said block turning on the joint c². The
breech end of the barrel b is thereby opened, and there is a clear space
for the introduction of a fresh cartridge into the said barrel, as illustrated
in Figure 3. By the descending motion of the lever g to open the
breech the cross bar g³ of the upper arm g of the lever bears upon and
throws back the hammer m, and causes its sear q to engage with the full-
cock bent of the tumbler, and thereby cock the hammer, as illustrated
in Figure 3. The descending motion of the block c to open the breech
causes it to act upon the heel 3 of the extractor & in the manner herein-
before described, and extract and eject the empty cartridge case from
the barrel. Thus by one motion of the lever g, g²; the breech is opened,
the hammer cocked, and the empty cartridge case extracted and removed
from the barrel, the parts assuming the respective positions represented
in Figure 3. After introducing a fresh cartridge into the open breech
end of the barrel (Figure 3) the curved lower arm g' of the lever is
lifted and made to snap on to the fixed part of the trigger guard k. The
upper arm g of the lever is thereby raised, leaving behind it the cocked
hammer m. The upper arm g of the lever in its rising motion works in

page_text: the recess cof the block c, and raises the said block and closes the
breech. On the first motion of the rising block to close the breech
the spring is lengthened, and assuming the position represented in
Figure 2 now assists in raising the block and holding it firmly in its
place. The hammer m may be brought to half-cock by only partially
depressing the lever, and after the gun has been brought to full-cock it
may, if required, be brought to half-cock by depressing the lever to its
full extent, and then pressing the finger upon the trigger and allowing
the sear of the said trigger to fall into the half-cock bent. In order to
indicate when the gun is loaded I use a small spring rod or indicator t
working through the tail pin of the breech shoe. The said indicator is
supported by the arm u of the lever u, 2, the other arm u, being
operated upon by the hammer m. When the hammer m is cocked the
lever u, u, raises the indicator 2, and causes its outer end to project
from the gun.
On the discharge of the gun the projecting end of the
indicator is withdrawn by the action of the spring v, and thereby
indicates that the gun has been discharged. The lever u, u², is by the
descent of the indicator turned on its centre ready to be operated upon
by the hammer when the latter is cocked. A stop us on the lever limits
its motion (see Figure 4).
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim, as my Invention of improvements in breech-
loading fire-arms, in which the breech is opened for charging and closed
for discharging by means of a block turning in a vertical plane upon a
joint at the rear end of the shoe or body of the gun,-
Firstly. Raising and lowering the block c, and effectually supporting
the said block in position for closing the breech of the barrel by means
of the lever g, g², g³, constructed and operating upon the block sub-
stantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly Making the homman
the

page_text: operation of the said lever to open the breech, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Ginder, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
EDWARD GINDER. (L.S.)