Improvements in Breech Loading Small Arms.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1892-Accepted, 10th Sept., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by DERRICK SUMMER WEST, of Boston, Massa-
chusetts, United States of America.]
Improvements in Breech Loading Small Arms.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 a breech loading magazine gun the object of the
invention being to provide a simple, safe, and rapidly operating breech mechanism.
The invention is shown embodied in a gun having a magazine located beneath the
barrel as is usual in magazine guns, said barrel and magazine connecting with a
breech frame piece having a chamber, hereinafter called the receiver, which
communicates with both the barrel and magazine, and into which the cartridges are
delivered one at a time from the magazine preparatory to being introduced into
the barrel, for firing.
The said receiving chamber contains the breech block which closes the breech at
the rear of the cartridge and is operated to open the breech for the removal of the
cartridge-shell and introduction of the next cartridge, and the receiver also contains
a carrier for transferring the cartridge that enters the receiver from the magazine
into position to enter the barrel, said cartridge then being pressed into the barrel
by the action of the breech block in coming up to close the breech.
The invention is not, however, limited to a construction in which the magazine
extends along beneath the barrel as the more important features of the invention
are applicable to guns of other construction, having for example, detachable inter-
changeable magazines, a leading feature of the invention residing in the construction
and mode of operation of the breech block.
The said breech block is composed of two parts jointed together and so arranged
that they can be interposed end to end in line with one another between the rear
end of the barrel and an abutment formed in the breech frame piece at the rear end
of the receiver and in line with the barrel thus securely closing the breech of
the gun.
When the gun is to be opened for the removal of the shell of the exploded
cartridge, and introduction of a new cartridge, the rear part of the breech bolt is
inclined out of line with the fore part, and its rear end thus removed from the
abutinent at the end of the receiver, so that it can be slid back past the said abut-
ment thereby retracting the fore part of the breech block from the rear end of the
barrel.
The fore part of the breech block works in a longitudinal guide formed in a
receiver, the said part moving backward and forward in line with the axis of the
gun barrel, while the rear part of the breech block has its forward end carried
with and guided by its pivotal connection with the sliding fore part and has its rear
end arranged to work in suitable guides formed in the framework of the gun, and
is connected with an operating handle shown in this instance as having a sliding
movement on the under side of the grip portion of the gun stock.
The hand piece works in a guide-way formed in a tang or extension of the breech
frame piece of the gun which tang is embedded in a suitable groove in the wood
portion of the gun stock, and the sliding hand piece is connected by a link with the
rear portion of the breech block, said link together with the rear portion of the
breech block constituting a toggle joint connection between the hand piece and
the fore part of the breech block.
The hand piece is pulled or moved to the rear, down the grip of the stock to

page_text: open the barrel preparatory to the introduction of the cartridge, and when moved
forward the breech block pushes the cartridge in advance of it under the barrel and
finally comes to the closed position with the two parts of said breech block in line
end to end between the breech of the barrel and the abutment at the end of the
receiver, and when in this position, the breech mechanism is locked so that the hand
piece cannot be accidentally moved to the rear and the breech block started from
its closed position in the act of firing and said locking device may be a hand
operated catch or detent, released by the hand of the operator, but is preferably
automatic in its operation being combined with the firing mechanism in such manner
that it is released by the action of the hammer coming forward to explode the
cartridge, the release thus being effected substantially at the instant that the
discharge takes place, and in as much as the pull on the trigger by which
the hammer is released is in line with the movement of the hand piece by which
the breech mechanism is operated, the automatic release permits the breech
mechanism to start instantly on its movement to reload the gun, the result being
that the reloading action is to a large extent automatic and may be performed with
extreme rapidity.
In the organization of the parts the hammer and sear work in a tang or portion
of the breech frame piece which extends down the upper side of the grip portion of
the stock, while the remainder of the breech mechanism is all connected with an
under frame piece that mortises into the breech frame piece of the gun and also
extends along the underside of the grip portion of the stock, such arrangement
affording great facility in the assembling of the gun and taking it apart for
cleaning, etc.
The fore part of the breech block is provided with an extractor and ejector by
which the exploded shell is first extracted from the barrel into the receiver, and is
then ejected or thrown out from the receiver in the rearward movement of the
breech block for opening the gun barrel preparatory to reloading and in the said
opening movement a cartridge is forced by the magazine spring into the receiver
above the carrier and below the shell that is being extracted and ejected, and at
the end of the rearward movement of the breech bolt after the shell is ejected the
carrier is engaged and operated by the said breech bolt in such manner as to lift
the forward end of the cartridge that has been introduced from the magazine above
the said carrier into line with the barrel so that the breech block at its next
forward movement will introduce the said cartridge into the barrel.
In the backward movement of the breech block preparatory to reloading, the
said breech block engages the hammer and moves it to full cock position at which
it is held by the sear.
The hand piece carries a locking device which is a pivoted bolt that is thrown
into engagement with a shoulder in the under frame as the hand piece reaches its
extreme forward position in which the breech of the gun is closed; and the trigger,
which travels with the hand piece, is brought into engagement with the sear so
that the hammer can be released by pulling the trigger, and the hammer at the
end of its forward movement disengages the said lock as before stated.
These parts are so organized that the trigger cannot be pulled except when the
breech is closed and the breech mechanism locked in closed position.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation on a reduced scale, of the breech mechanism of the gun
embodying this invention,
Fig. 2 a sectional elevation showing the breech frame piece in central longitudinal
section and the remainder of the breech mechanism and frame in side elevation with
the parts in the position occupied when the breech is open preparatory to the
introduction of the cartridge.
Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the breech mechanism with the parts
in the position occupied when the breech is closed and the gun ready to fire,
Fig. 4 a longitudinal horizontal section of the receiver chamber and fore part of
the breech block, illustrating the shell ejector mechanism,
Figs. 5, 6, and 7 transverse sections at the lines,,, of Fig. 3,

page_text: Fig. 8 a front end elevation of the breech block,
Fig. 9 a front elevation of the end of the carrier, and
Fig. 10 a sectional detail on line 10, Fig. 3.
The barrel a and magazine b may be of substantially the usual construction
being connected with the breech frame piece c which has a rearward extension or
tang that extends down the upper part of the grip of the stock being mortised or
sunk into the stock as indicated in dotted lines Fig. 1.
The said breech frame piece is hollow and affords a cartridge receiving chamber
at the rear of the barrel and magazine in which receiver the cartridge is transferred
from the magazine to the barrel.
The said receiver also contains a portion of the breech mechanism, and has at its
rear end an abutment c³ between which and the breech of the gun barrel the
breech block is introduced when the gun is ready for firing as shown in Fig. 3.
of
The top and side walls of the said breech frame piece are completely closed and
continuous as shown, except that one of the said side walls, preferably the left hand
one, is provided with an opening c², c, as best shown in Fig. 1, the portion
which is closed by a removable plate co secured in position by screws c' while the
portion contains a sliding cover c that works in longitudinal guides at the front
of the removable plate the said cover c being provided with an inwardly
projecting stud centering a slot or notch 10, see Figs. 2 & 6 in the fore part d of
the breech block so that the said cover c8 is moved forward and backward with the
breech block leaving the receiver accessible through the opening when the
breech block is retracted so that the cartridge shell which is extracted from
the barrel may be ejected through said opening, upon the withdrawal of the breech
block, by the ejecting mechanism which will be hereinafter described.
A single cartridge may be introduced in the said opening c to load the gun if
desired, instead of taking a cartridge from the magazine.
The under portion of the breech frame piece c is itself open, but receives tightly
within it a portion of the under frame piece e upon which the greater part of the
breech mechanism is assembled. The fore end of the said frame piece e (the outline
of which is indicated by dotted lines Fig. 1) is fastened in said frame piece c by a
screw while the rear end of said frame piece e is mortised into the under part of
the grip of the stock as shown in Fig. 1, and is connected by a screw e³ see dotted
lines Fig. 1, passing through the wood of the stock.
The fore end of the frame piece e is provided with wings et that enter a suitable
mortise in the frame piece c and between which is pivoted the rear end of the
carrier the pivotal connection being by a tube or bushing f' through which the
f
fastening screw e passes.
Thus when the screw e' is withdrawn for the purpose of separating the frame
picce e from the frame piece c the carrier remains pivotally connected with the said
frame piece e as will be understood from Figs. 2 and 5.
The hub or pivotal portion f³ of said carrier is provided with notches acted upon
by a spring fas shown in Fig. 3, tending to hold it in one of the two positions
shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it being in the position shown in Fig. 3, when the gun is
closed so that a cartridge will be pressed out of the magazine by the usual magazine
spring above the said carrier as soon as the breech block is withdrawn, said breech
block having a downward projection d² which retains the cartridges in the magazine
while the breech is closed as shown in Fig. 3.
The said carrier has above its pivot f' wings f' between which the breech block
works, the said wings being engaged by shoulders d³ on the breech block d as the
latter arrives at its rearward position see Fig. 2, and thus causing the carrier to be
thrown up into the position shown in Fig. 2, thus lifting the fore end of the
cartridge (that has entered above it from the magazine as before stated) into line
with the breech of the gun so as to be inserted therein by the breech block d at its
next forward movement as will be readily understood from Fig. 2.
The carrier is provided with a retaining projection f which is the end of the
spring that projects from the underside of the forward end of the carrier as shown

page_text: in Figs. 2 and 9, and thus prevents the cartridges from coming out from the
magazine when the carrier is in elevated position as shown in Fig. 2.
The said spring, however, yields when the cartridges are pressed forward
beneath it from the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 2, in the operation of
loading the magazine. The said spring is seated in a longitudinal bore which
opens into the upper face of the transferrer constituting for the most part a groove
to receive the shank of the spring and also opens at the lower part at the front end
to permit the spring to act, but leaving a bridge above the yielding end of the
spring as, shown in Figs. 3 and 9 which prevents overstraining of the spring.
The lower forward part of the receiver chamber: near the magazine is made
wider than necessary to receive the cartridge within it, as best shown in Fig. 6,
and the carrier is provided with lateral projecting ribs see Fig. 6, which fill the
said space and which engage with inclined shoulders 80, best shown in Figs. 3
and 6, when the carrier is in its elevated position, said shoulders positively
limiting the upward movement of the carrier.
Such widening of the lower part of the receiver adjacent to the rear end of the
magazine greatly facilitates the introduction of the cartridges into the magazine,
as it affords ample room for the thumb of the operator to follow the cartridge from
the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 2, until its rear end passes the retaining
projection and is thus retained in the magazine until removed therefrom in the
operation of loading.
The side walls of the receiver are provided with guide grooves g the lower edges
of which are just in line with the upper edges of the wings eat the fore end of the
trame piece e when in working position as shown in Fig. 3, and 5, and the breech
block is provided with longitudinal ribs d which work in said guide grooves a so
that the said block moves in a rectilinear path in the receiver the top wall of
which may be provided with a longitudinal groove y² to receive a corresponding
longitudinal rib d on the block d.
As the fore part of the piece e constitutes a part of the under wall of the guide
groove as shown, the said ribs d' of the breech block d are practically disengaged
from the grooves g of the receiver when the said block is in its rearmost position
as shown in Fig. 2, so that it can be withdrawn with the frame piece e through the
mortise or opening in the under part of the frame piece c. In other words, with
the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, the frame piece e together with the
transferrer, breech block d, and the hand piece and devices to be hereinafter
described, connecting it with the breech block, may all be removed together from
the frame piece c by merely withdrawing the screwsƒ³ and e³.
The fore part of the breech block that operates in the guides g as before
stated, is held rigidly against the breech of the barrel, by the rear part of said
breech block, which is pivotally connected at 2 with the fore part d and is
provided with a seat at its rear end to engage the abutment at the rear end
of the receiver, the said fore and rear parts of the block d, h, in this position being
in rigid contact with one another, and with the said abutment constituting a rigid
metal support to close the rear end of the barrel and receive the recoil pressure of
the cartridge.
The rear end of the rear portion of the breech block is pivotally connected
'with a link which is itself pivotally connected at with the operating handle for
the breech mechanism, shown as a hand piece k which works in a longitudinal
guide in the under frame piece e of the breech mechanism.
The said hand piece is provided, with a suitably shaped loop k to receive the
fingers of the hand of the operator who can thus easily move the said. hand piece
forward and back in its guide e the said forward movement pushing the link i and
breech block d, h, before it and finally bringing the two portions of the breech
block in line with one another and in rigid contact froin the breech of the barrel
to the abutment as shown in Fig. 3, in which position the link i stands nearly
vertically from the hand piece k to the breech block thus holding the latter
securely up against the abutment which with the adjacent end of the breech

page_text: block is slightly inclined to the axis of the barrel to facilitate the dropping of the
rear end of the breech block h when the breech is to be opened, the inclination.
however, being insufficient to permit the breech block to yield under direct
rearward pressure applied at the forward end of the portion of the said breech
block.
The pivot that joins the link and the breech block projects slightly from
the sides of the said breech block so as to engage with a guide groove e see
Figs. 3 and 7, formed partially in the breech frame piece c and partially in the
under frame piece e and serving to properly guide the rear end of the breech
block in its movement towards and from the abutment the said guide first
causing the rear end of the breech block to drop substantially vertically from the
position at the front of the seat to a point below the seat (when the hand piece k
is moved to the rearward to open the breech) and then guiding the rear end of the
breech block substantially in line with and below the rearward extension c³ of the
frame piece to the position shown in Fig. 2.
The said hand piece k also carries the trigger m by which the gun is fired, the
said trigger being pivoted at m² in the hand piece and having an upwardly
extending portion m³ that engages the sear that controls the hammer as will be
hereinafter described.
In order to insure the firm holding of the breech block during the discharge, the
hand piece is locked in its forward position Fig. 3, by a locking device n shown
as a lock or bolt that works in a recess in the hand piece and bears against the
upper wall of the guide e for the hand piece as the latter travels in said guide.
The lock n is carried by a thin plate n² which works in the upper part m³ of the
trigger which is forked to receive the said plate as shown in Fig. 7.
Near the forward end of the guide e is a shoulder e over which the locking
bolt passes as the hand piece arrives at its forward position with the breech
completely closed, the said bolt engaging with the said shoulder as shown in Fig. 3,
and thus preventing rearward movement of the hand piece and opening of the
breech until the said bolt n is pressed down into line with the groove e.
The lock carrying plate n² is pivoted at m² on the same pivot as the trigger,
said trigger and lock being capable of independent movement on the said pivot and
having a spring n³ interposed between them so as to tend to throw the upper
part m³ of the trigger downward (that is, to throw the trigger itself forward) and
tending to throw the lock n upward so that the said lock bears against the upper
wall of the guide e as it travels therein and is thrown up past the shoulder e as
soon as it arrives in line therewith, its upward movement being arrested by the
shoulder e and thus leaving the spring n³ acting to hold the trigger forward and
downward.
A portion m³ of the trigger stands under the bolt n and thus prevents the trigger
from being pulled as long as the bolt n remains in the guide groove but when the
said bolt is thrown up over the shoulder e' to lock the hand piece and breech
mechanism, it permits a sufficient movement of the trigger to operate the sear and
release the hammer. Thus the locking device n locks the trigger so that it cannot
be pulled and the gun fired until the breech mechanism is completely closed, and
said locking device then locks the breech mechanism, but unlocks or releases the
trigger.
A downward pressure on the upper end of the plate n' (which is within the
forked upper end of the trigger as before stated) will, however, disengage the lock
and release the hand piece so that the breech may be opened and the gun
reloaded.
The parts thus far described co-operate with the hammer o which is substantially
a round bolt, best shown in Fig. 2, working in a longitudinal bore in the tang c³ of
the breech frame piece, the main spring o* being interposed between the rear end
of said, bolt and a rear support shown as a screw 3 turning into the rear end of the
bore in the piece far enough to permit the fastening screw e³ to pass through the
said frame piece at the rear of the said screw o³.

page_text: The forward end of the hammer is of reduced diameter as shown at o' to pass
through an opening in the rear abutment e³ of the receiver to act upon the firing
pin composed of two sections p, p, working in suitable bores in the two sections d, h
of the breech block so that when the breech block is closed the sections of the
firing pin are in line and in contact from the point at the front of the hammer
opening in the rear abutment, to the primer of the cartridge, so that the blow of
the forward end of of the hammer will explode the cartridge in the usual manner.
The portion p of the firing pin has its longitudinal movement limited as usual
by a transverse pin see Fig. 3 crossing a notch in the side of the firing pin, and
the portion p² of the firing pin has a vertical notch cut in its side as shown in
Figs. 4 and 6, and in dotted lines Fig. 3, which is engaged by a finger h³ formed
in the rear portion of the breech block so that the dropping of said rear portion
of the breech block on its pivot in the act of opening the gun positively retracts
the fore part 2 of the firing pin and prevents the possibility of premature
explosion of the cartridge in the act of closing the breech as might occur if the
firing pin were not positively retracted and happened to stick in the forward
position in which it was left after firing the last cartridge.
The fore end of the hammer has pivotally connected with it at o' a projecting
finger of that extends through a longitudinal slot in the under part of the rear
extension 2 of the breech rame piece in position to be engaged by the upper rear
corner of the rear portion ³ of the breech block as it is drawn back from the
closed to open position, the line of movement of the corner of the breech block
being very slightly divergent from that of the hammer so that after a rearward
movement sufficient to cock the hammer the corner of the breech block slips off
from the projection of and may then move further to the rear without producing
further effect on the hammer.
The said hammer is provided with a full cock notch o' which is engaged by the
sear pivoted at and acted upon by a spring that tends to throw its end into
engagement with the notch of the hammer, which may also be provided as shown
with an undercut half cock notch o if it is desired to leave the hammer at half
cock, and the said hammer is also provided with a handle o' working on top of the
frame piece c² and having a tongue which passes through the longitudinal slot in
the said frame piece and is mortised into the hammer and fastened by a pin o¹0, so
that the hammer can be controlled by hand if desired for cocking or letting it
down in the usual manner.
The said finger piece extends along the frame piece far enough to cover the slot
in the frame piece in all positions of the hammer.
The tang of the breech frame piece is provided with a transverse bore best
shown in Fig. 3, through which the pivot pin of of the cocking finger and the
fastening pin o, for the mortise of the cocking handle o' may be driven into place
or driven out in the operation of assembling or taking apart the gun, it being
necessary in assembling the gun to first introduce the hammer in its bore and then
to introduce the cocking finger and tongue of the cocking handle through their
proper slots in the frame piece, and fasten them to the hammer by driving in
the pins.
In the act of opening the breech the hammer is moved to full cock by the
engagement of the breech block and finger as before described, and is caught
and held there by the sear engaged with the notch o' and the finger o® is loosely
connected with the hammer by the pivot o' so that it can turn forward slightly so
as not to bear on the breech block when it is moved forward to close the gun, the
said breech block in the cocking operation carrying the hammer a little further back
than necessary to bring the notch o' over the sear in order to insure certainty of
engagement by the sear.
When the breech mechanism is locked by the locking device n in closed position
ready for firing the gun, the rear end m³ of the trigger is immediately under the
sear as shown in Fig. 3, so that pulling the trigger disengages the hammer and
causes the gun to be fired in the usual manner.

page_text: The trigger engaging end of the sear is forked like the trigger and has mounted
within it upon the same pivot and capable of independent movement thereon, a
lock releasing device the lower end of which lies directly over the upper end
of the lock plate ² see Figs. 3 and 7, when the breech is closed, while the
upper end of said releasing device t enters a groove in the under part of the
hammer the rear end of which groove is curved down forming a cam as shown
at 2 Fig. 2, so that just as the hammer arrives at the extreme forward position
in the act of firing the gun, the said cam t presses the releasing device down-
ward against the locking plate n' depressing the latter and the locking bolt n
off from the locking shoulder e so that the hand piece k may be moved to
the rear.
As the hammer is permitted to strike by the operation of pulling the trigger
and the explosion is almost instantaneous after the pull of the trigger, the unlocking
of the hand piece k takes place almost simultaneously with the explosion, and as
the operator is pulling to the rearward on the trigger the hand piece will imme-
diately move back so that the operator by a slight additional exertion will quickly
draw it wholly to the rear and open the breech of the gun preparatory to reloading
by the return forward movement of the hand piece.
Such release, however, although following the discharge at an almost inappre-
ciable interval of time is never quick enough to permit the removal of the breech
block to make it ineffective to withstand the shock of the explosion, although there
appears to be some gas pressure exerted on the cartridge shell after the unlocking
takes place, which contributes to the rearward movement of the breech block
produced by the operator, and thus makes the act of opening the breech pre-
paratory to reloading to a large extent automatic, and far more rapid than with
breech mechanism that is operated by a swinging lever, in which the movement for
opening the gun is in the opposite direction to the pull of the trigger and thus
requires distinctly different muscular action of the operator instead of what is
merely a prolongation of the action by which the gun is discharged, as is the case
with the present gun.
Instead of or in addition to the automatically operated lock n and its releasing
device t, a hand released lock may be used as indicated in dotted lines Figs. 2
and 3, consisting of a trigger-shaped piece t pivoted at t in the loop portion k² of
the hand piece and having at the rear of the pivot an arm to provided with lateral
projecting fingers t which normally work in the guide groove e for the hand piece
and at the end of the forward movement of the hand piece are thrown down
by a spring in front of shoulders, formed in the under rib of the guide
groove thus locking the hand piece against rearward movement as shown in
Fig. 3.
When desired to open the breech mechanism or reload the gun the natural back-
ward pull of the operator in the loop k of the hand piece will act on the locking
trigger and raise the projections from in front of the shoulders into line with
the guide grooves to when the hand piece can be moved to the rearward unless
otherwise locked.
The automatic locking device before described is however, all that is needed to
properly control the locking of the gun and it will usually be preferable to omit the
hand operated locking device.
The shell extracting and ejecting mechanism is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
It consists of a bolt u working in the forward end of the fore part d of the
breech block, and pressed forward by a stout spring u² (Fig. 3). The fore
part p² of the firing pin works through the lower part of this bolt, the front
end of which is thus of sufficient size to engage with a considerable portion of
the rear end of the cartridge, see Fig. 8, and is pressed back flush with the
front end of the breech block by the reaction of the cartridge when the breech
block is forced up to closed position, the front end of the breech block being
recessed slightly as shown to receive the rim of the cartridge within it. (See
Fig. 3.)

page_text: At the side of the breech block adjacent to the opening c in the side of the
frame is placed the extractor u shown as a fork-shaped spring (see Fig. 4), one
branch of which passes into a longitudinal opening from the rear of the block d
while the other branch extends along the side of the block which may be slightly
.grooved to receive it and is provided with a shoulder that engages the forward
end of the block to hold the ejector in place therein, and with second shoulder u
at the rear of the bevelled end u which second shoulder engages with the rim of
the cartridge when the breech block is closed, the inclined end springing the ejector
outward to cause its shoulder u to pass over the rim of the cartridge as the breech
block comes to closed position.
When the breech block is drawn back the shoulder us hooking over the rim of
the cartridge shell extracts it from the barrel in the usual manner, and it also con-
stitutes a fulcrum about which the shell may turn under the action of the spring
bolt ejector u the spring pressure of which tends to turn the cartridge shell from
the full to the dotted line position Fig. 4, and it is so turned the instant the fore
end of the cartridge shell in its movement of extraction clears the rear end of the
barrel, the spring thus giving the shell a sudden movement from the full towards
the dotted lines position by which it is thrown out from the opening c* which is
then uncovered by the slide c³.
In order to assist the ejector action in case the cartridge should stick, the side of
the receiver opposite to the opening is provided with a projection u which in
the rearward movement of the block d would (if the spring bolt failed to act)
engage with the head of the cartridge shell at the side opposite to the part engaged
by the extractor and thus tend to turn the cartridge in the same direction that
the ejector spring tends to turn it as before described, and as the opening move-
ment of the breech is usually a quick one, the shell will be thrown out with absolute
certainty.
The operation of the gun may be briefly described as following, assuming that
the magazine is full, and a shot to have been already fired.
The hammer is in the forward position and the lock n is therefore depressed by
the device t and the hand piece unlocked. The operator then pulls the hand piece
to the rear to its full extent, bringing the parts to the position shown in Fig. 2,
(dotted lines Fig. 1) in which movement the extractor and ejector removes and
throws out the shell of the cartridge last fired, and the magazine spring presses a
new cartridge out from the magazine, the head of the said cartridge bearing
against and following the projection d' at the front end of the breech block until
just as the latter arrives at the rear position its shoulders engage the wings f
of the carrier lifting its forward end and thus bringing the cartridge which has
been pressed from the magazine out above it into position with its forward end in
line with the barrel.
In this movement the rear end of the rear part of the breech bolt has brought
the hammer to full cock by acting on the finger oº. Then the operator moves the
hand piece forward, the projection d2 and front end of the breech block forcing
the cartridge ahead of it into the gun barrel and both parts of the breech block
being finally brought into line with one another and against the abutment c³, and
the hand piece being locked in this position by the lock n. In this closing move-
ment the link i acting on the wings f³ turns the carrier back to its lowermost or
normal position and the projection d' then holds the column of cartridges in the
magazine until the next operation. In the final part of the forward movement of
the breech block the spring ejector bolt u is pressed back flush with the breech
block, and the extractor shoulder u carried over the edge of the rim of the
cartridge. The gun is then fired by pulling the trigger and the series of operations
just described repeated when desired to fire the gun again, said operations requiring
only a single backward and forward movement of the hand of the operator, which
can be made with great rapidity.
The herein described construction of the frame and mechanism therein is very
safe as all the moving parts of the breech mechanism are enclosed in a substantially

page_text: solid walled chamber having only the opening for the ejection of the shells which
opening is on the side away from the person firing the gun, so that if there should
be an accidental explosion of a cartridge in the receiver or any failure in the
breech mechanism to operate properly, such explosion could not injure the user of
the gun as none of the moving parts could get out of the frame except through the
side opening.
The arrangement by which all the operating parts of the breech mechanism
except the hammer may be connected in operative position and assembled on the
under frame piece e while out of the gun, is very convenient as by the simple removal
of the two fastening screws e², e³, the entire mechanism may be withdrawn without
separation and rendered accessible for the purpose of cleaning, etc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a breech loading fire arm a barrel and receiver, an abutment in the
receiver to the rear of and in line with the barrel, and a breech-block resting,
when in closed position, with one end against the abutment in the receiver, and the
other closing the breech of the barrel, said breech block being divided transversely
into fore and rear sections hinged together, and means for withdrawing both sections
of the breech block rearwardly from the barrel, substantially as described.
2. In a breech loading fire arm a barrel, and receiver, an abutment in the
receiver to the rear of and in line with the barrel, and a breech-block resting,
when in closed position, with one end against the abutment in the receiver, and the
other closing the breech of the barrel, said breech-block being divided transversely
into fore and rear sections hinged together, a firing pin extending through, and
divided into sections corresponding to the breech-block, and a hammer operating
at the rear of said abutment which has an opening for engagement of the hammer
and firing pin, substantially as described.
3. In a breech loading fire arm a barrel and receiver, an abutment in the receiver
in line with and to the rear of the barrel, a breech block normally resting with one
end closing the breech of the barrel, and the other against said abutment, said
breech-block being transversely divided into front and rear sections hinged to each
other, a sliding handle on the under side of the receiver, and a link connecting said
handle to the rear of the breech block, substantially as described.
4. In a breech loading fire arm, a barrel and receiver having a straight guideway in
its inner faces extending from the breech of the barrel to a point near an abutment
in the receiver, in line with the barrel, and a guideway extending vertically down-
ward for a short distance, near the rear end of the receiver, and thence obliquely
downward and rearward, a breech block normally resting with one eud closing the
breech of the barrel and the other against the abutment, said breech block being
divided into fore and rear sections hinged to each other the said fore section working
in the said straight guide way in the receiver, and the rear section having its rear
end guided by the other guide way, and means for operating the breech block in
said guide ways substantially as shown and described.
5. The combination of the main frame piece constituting a receiver connected
with the breech of the barrel and provided with an abutment at its rear end, of the
under frame piece and two part jointed breech block and means for operating the
same connected with said under frame piece, as described; whereby said under
frame piece and the breech block and its operating mechanism may be removed
without separation from the main breech frame piece substantially as described.
6. The combination of the main breech frame piece constituting a receiver com-
municating with the barrel and magazine, and provided with an abutment at the
rear of said receiver in line with the barrel with the under frame piece and
transferer pivotally connected therewith, and the breech block and its actuating
mechanism connected with the said under frame piece for removal without
B

page_text: separation of its parts from said main breech frame piece, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
7. In a breech loading fire arm, the barrel and receiver connected therewith
having an abutment at its rear end in line with the barrel, and a two part breech
block having its front and rear sections hinged together and adapted to be
interposed in line with one another between the breech of the barrel and said abut-
inent, combined with operating means for withdrawing the said breech block from
the breech of the gun and for moving it into position between the breech and the
abutment, a lock for holding the said operating means with the breech block in
closed position, a firing hammer, and releasing device for said lock operated by said
hammer, substantially as described.
8. The combination of the main frame piece connected with the breech of the
barrel and provided with an abutment at the rear thereof, with the two part jointed
breech block and sliding hand piece connected therewith, the trigger pivoted in
said sliding hand piece, and lock cooperating with the said trigger and hand piece
as described; to lock the trigger except when the breech is closed, and to lock
the hand piece and release the trigger when the breech is closed, substantially as
described.
9. The combination of the main breech frame piece connected with the breech
of the barrel, and provided with an abutment at the rear thereof; the breech block
and actuating hand piece connected therewith; the trigger connected with the said
hand piece and lock cooperating with said hand piece as described; to lock the
breech block in closed position, and the releasing device for said lock operated by
the hammer, substantially as described.
10. The combination of the hammer with the sear having a forked trigger
engaging end; the breech block and mechanism for operating the same, the trigger
and lock connected with said breech block operating mechanism, said trigger having
a forked sear engaging end, and the releasing device for said lock working in
the forked engaging end of the sear, and operated by the hammer, substantially as
described.
11. The combination of the breech block with the extractor consisting of a forked
spring having one branch of the fork in a longitudinal bore in the breech block
and the other branch of the fork extending along the side of the breech block and
projecting beyond the forward end thereof and provided with a shoulder and
incline at its forward end to engage with the rim of the cartridge shell, substantially
as described.
12. The combination of the breech block d with the extractor for engaging the
rim of the shell and the spring pressed ejector bolt in the forward end of said
breech block provided with a central passage for the firing pin, substantially as
- described.
13. The combination of the magazine and barrel with the pivoted transferer f
and the yielding retaining projection f* under its forward end constituting a stop
to prevent escape of cartridges from the magazine when the transferer is in
position to guide the cartridge above it into the gun barrel said retaining
projection yielding to permit cartridges to be introduced into the magazine,.
substantially as described.
14. The breech frame piece constituting a receiver, and the barrel and magazine
communicating therewith, said frame piece being open at its under side, combined
with the pivoted carrier having laterally projecting ribs along the lower edges
of its side the said receiver having its lower portion widened to receive said ribs
and being provided with shoulders to engage said ribs and limit the pivotal
upward movement of the carrier, substantially as described.
15. The breech frame piece constituting a receiver closed at the top and provided
with an abutment at its rear end and having one of its side walls provided with
an opening, combined with a sliding cover for said opening, and a breech block
longitudinally movable in said receiver and engaged with said sliding cover the

page_text: top, side, and rear walls of said receiver being otherwise closed and continuous,
substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of July 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.