CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Edmund Green, of 13, Blandford Street, Port-
man Square, and Robert Green, of Milton Lodge, Ladbrooke Terrace, Notting
Hill, both in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Scaled the 15th May 1877, and dated the 3rd February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Edmund Green
and Robert Green at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd
February 1877.
CHARLES EDMUND GREEN, of 13, Blandford Street, Portman Square, and
ROBERT GREEN, of Milton Lodge, Ladbrooke Terrace, Notting Hill, both in the
County of Middlesex. *" CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS.
33
This Invention consists of further improvements in the Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to the said Charles Edmund Green and John Green,
dated 9th January 1871, No. 49, and in the Invention centained in the application
for Letters Patent, No. 1794, and dated 28th April, 1876.
In the original construction of our breech action there was a possibility of the
cartridge being exploded by the lever being turned to its proper place after having
been attempted to be fired before the said lever was properly turned home.
Now, our further improvements consist,―
Firstly. We cut in the back of the plunger wherein the hammer passes to strike
the needle a double instead of a single slot, the extra slot being cut down to a level
with the striking pin and forming a dead block, so that after attempting to dis-
charge the rifle without being properly locked home, it may be turned home with-
out the slightest risk or possibility of igniting the cartridge, and to further facilitate
this we make the front or striking part of the hammer partly wedge-shaped.
Secondly. We alter the present stop pin for the plunger (which now works with
a screw) to work as a sliding bolt, and which we work either by means of a flat
spring or a spiral spring, as we may find most convenient and advantageous, for
facilitating the quick removal of the plunger.

page_text: The advantages of these further improvements consist in simplifying the general
arrangement of the various parts of the rifle, while at the same time they give
strength, safety, and durability to the gun.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Charles Edmund Green and Robert Green in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd August 1877.
CHARLES EDMUND GREEN, of 13, Blandford Street, Portman Square, and
ROBERT GREEN, of Milton Lodge, Ladbrooke Terrace, Notting Hill, both in the
County of Middlesex. "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS.
"
This Invention consists of further improvements in the Invention for which
Letters Patent were. granted to the said Charles Edmund Green and John Green,
dated 9th January, 1871, No. 49, and in the Invention contained in the application
for Letters Patent, No. 1794, and dated 28th April, 1876.
In the original construction of our breech action there was a possibility of the
cartridge being exploded by the bolt lever or handle being turned to its proper
place after an attempt had been made to fire the gun before the said lever was pro-
perly turned home.
Now, our further improvements are as follows:-
We cut in the back of the plunger wherein the hammer passes to strike the
needle a double or compound instead of a single or simple slot, the extra slot being
cut down to a level with the striking pin and forming a dead block, so that after
attempting to discharge the rifle without the bolt being properly locked home
the bolt may be turned home without the slightest risk or possibility of igniting
the cartridge, and further, to facilitate this we make the front or striking part
of the hammer partly wedge-shaped.
Also, we use for the purpose of preventing the plunger from being with-
drawn a sliding belt, which we work either by means of a flat spring or a spiral
spring, as we may find most convenient and advantageous, for facilitating the quick
removal of the plunger.
The advantages of these further improvements consist in simplifying the general
arrangement of the various parts. of the rifle, while at the same time they give
strength, safety, and durability to the gun; they also enable the hammer of the
lock to be moved back to half-cock, or to full-cock, by the act of unlocking the
bolt.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood we will proceed
more fully to describe the same, reference being had to the annexed Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, and wherein the same letters of reference
indicate similar parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal and vertical section of a part of the barrel of a rifle
with the breech closing apparatus constructed according to our improvements.
Figure 2 is a view of the rear end portion of the bolt to which the projection
covering the hammer is attached, and shows the under side plan of the double slot
in the latter.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the projection covering the hammer, and
shows a side view of the double slot or cavity, and the ledge or ridge in the same,
which forms a dead block to the hammer.
Figure 4 is a side view of the above mentioned projection for the purpose of
showing the extent to which the side is cut away.
Figure 5 is a transverse section of the projection covering the hammer, taken
through the double slot or cavity, and shows the width of the recess of the double
slot and its position transversely and relatively to the projection piece.

page_text: Figure 6 is a plan of the combined hammer and tumbler, and shows the width
and bevel form of the fore part of the hammer; Figure 7 is a front view of the
same; Figure 8 is a side elevation of the above.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal view of the stop piece when constructed to work by a
screw.
a is the breech end of the barrel with a chamber open at the top formed in it;
b is the plug piece in one with the cover c which covers over the chamber before
mentioned; is the bolt which has the projection e on its rear end;
the projection
extends beyond the end of the chamber and fits closely on the strap or shoe piece d',.
and completely covers the lock (to be hereafter described) which is beneath it from
all damago. from wet or dirt. The bolt d is bored longitudinally in a line with the
axis of the barrel from the fore end to the slot or cavity e¹ in the projecting pieco c.
The striking pin fextends the whole length of the bore, the front portion being
elongated to pass through the plug piece b into the barrel of the rifle in the usual
manner. The striking pin is in the arrangement shown at Figure 1 restored to its
former position after it has been projected forward by the spiral spring f¹. The
striking pin f projects into the slot or cavity e¹; this slot or cavity allows the
hammer g, or the striking portion of the tumbler, to pass into the cavity or
slot el (in the projection e) and strike the tail of the striking pin f when the rifle
is fired.
.
When the hammer g is within the cavity e¹ it secures the bolt & in its place, and
until the lock is placed at half-cock for the purpose of reloading, the bolt & cannot
be released. The half-cocking of the hammer g is performed by a lover h fixed on
a square spindle i, the latter passing through a similar sized hole in the axle g³ of
the tumbler gl, and secured in its place by the head of a screw entering a groove in
the end of a spindle i.
The hammer g is shown in Figure 1 fully cocked; this hammer and tumbler
combined is carried by the bearings ; on the under plate j¹, which also carries the
mainspring, key, and bridle. The trigger plate thus forms as well the lock plate,
and the mainspring acts as a scarspring.
The under plate is made the whole length of the shoe, adding greatly to tho
strength of the arm, and is held by screws at cach end into the shoe.
The stop k for the bolt, as shown in Figure 1, is actuated by a spiral spring k¹,
which being compressed between the trigger plate and the collar on the stop,
keeps the point of the bolt firmly shot into the groove d', but allows the bolts to be
quickly and readily withdrawn by drawing out the stop k to the extent that the
spiral spring k² can be compressed, which brings down the point of the stop below
the level of the bottom of the chamber, and thus permits the bolt to be entirely re-
moved therefrom.
Figure 9 is an alternative form of stop; in this case the spring is dispensed with,
and its office is performed by a screw cut on the enlarged body of the stop, a fixed
collar being placed on the screw in a position to prevent the bolt being unneces-
sarily withdrawn, but permitting sufficient movement for the two extreme positions
taken by the stop..
In carrying out our present improvements we cut away a considerable portion of
one side of the slot or cavity e¹ in the projection e, not entirely the whole surface
of that side, but to a certain depth, as shown at e², so as to leave a part level with
the striking pin f, thereby forming a ledge or ridge e³ constituting a dead block, so
that after attempting to discharge the rifle without the bolt being properly locked
the bolt may be turned home without the slighest risk or possibility of igniting the
cartridge, as in the event of the hammer g being freed and falling and striking, the
blow is received by the ledge or ridge e³, and is thus arrested and prevented from
coming immediately in contact with the tail end of the striker f.
It is found advantageous to make the face of the ledge or ridge forming the dead
block inclined, as shown at es, and also to make the striking edge of the hammer of
a wedge form, as shown at g³, so that in the event of the bolt being turned to com-
pletely close the breech at a time when the hammer is resting on the ledge, the

page_text: •
hammer shall slide off the edge quietly and so avoid any danger of giving a blow to
the striker.
:
If the fire-arm is desired to be self-cocking, that is, if the hammer is to be brought
back to "half-cock" or to "full-cock" by the mere act of unlocking the bolt and
drawing it back, we make the end of the extra slot inclined, as shewn in the under 5
side view of a bolt at Figure 10, so that when the bolt is turned to unlock it the
incline may act upon the inclined edge of the hammer and cause the hammer to
turn back, the bolt being cut away on the outer side of the extra slot, as shown, so
as not to come against the side of the hammer. When the bolt has been turned
sufficiently to unlock it, it is in the position shown at Figure 11, and is drawn back 1
as usual to open the breech end of the barrel; as it moves back it forces down the
hammer either to half-cock, or to full-cock, as may be desired; we, however, prefer
that it should only set the hammer to half-cock, and that when the gun is to be
fired that the hammer should be brought to full-cock by the outside lever h.
•
At Figure 11 is also shown the manner in which we arrange to draw back the 1
striking pin by the act of turning the bolt to open the breech. The foreward end
of the stem of the striker is formed with an incline or screw thread which works
against a pin y projecting from the interior of the forward end of the sliding plug b.
The stein of the striker has also a small longitudinal slot formed in it for a screw
pin carried by the bolt to enter so as to compel the striker to turn with the 2
bolt. When the bolt is turned to open the breech the incline x on the stem of the
striker bears against the pin y, and is so forced backwards and kept in this back-
wark position until the breech is again closed; the striker is then again free to be
driven forwards by the hammer.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of 2
our said further improvements, we would observe that we do not claim any of the
parts separate and apart from each other, but what we do claim and desire to be
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The combination of parts arranged substantially as shown in Figure 1,
forming our improved breech-loading mechanism.
Secondly. The use of the slot, cavity, or chamber e², e², together with the ledge
or ridge e³, substantially as shown on Drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and as
herein-before described.
Thirdly. The combined arrangement substantially as herein described for putting
back the hammer to half or full-cock at the time of opening the breech.
Fourthly. The combined arrangement for withdrawing the striking pin by the
turning of the locking bolt, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the snid Charles Edmund Green, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
3
3
C. E. GREEN. (LS)