IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Gordon, of Goswell Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Distiller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Gordon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Decla-
ration, on the 10th August 1870, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
GORDON, of Goswell Road, in the County of Middlesex, Distiller, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," and have petitioned Her.
Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her
Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration
that I am the true and first Inventor thereof.
:

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Gordon, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal, fully
describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the annexed Drawings and to the figures and
letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
"
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction
of that class of breech-loading fire-arms known as "bolt" guns, and in
which needles for penetrating soft cartridges, as in the "Chassepot
and other needle systems are employed, a portion of the same being also
applicable to cases in which pistons for percussing the caps of metallic
central-fire cartridges are used.
The arrangements employed in the chief modification embraced by
my said Invention may be first described:-The breech bolt is hollow,
and contains the discharging bolt which carries the needle or percussing
piston with its actuating spiral spring, and also the sear by which the
discharging bolt is retained in position for firing until it is released, as
herein-after mentioned. The breech bolt is placed in the interior of a
tube or "shield," having a slot in the side or top or bottom thereof for
the admission of a pin or stud fixed to the breech bolt, and by which the
latter is connected with the shield. The rear end of the breech bolt
shield is formed with a ring which serves as a trigger guard, and also as
a means of actuating the bolt. The ring or guard may be slotted down
the centre thereof to form a sight guide. The sear is placed in the
upper portion of the breech bolt, to which it is pivoted near its forward
end, such forward end being furnished on its under side with a tooth,
and having also a projecting tooth near its hinder extremity, the latter
serving as a surface of resistance against which the spiral spring by which
the discharging bolt is actuated is compressed so as to retain the sear
in its normal position prior to discharge. A stud or pin is fixed on one
side of the exterior of the breech bolt near the front end thereof, and
works through a slot in the corresponding portion of the breech bolt
shield, or the same arrangemant may be placed at the top or bottom of
the breech action. When the breech bolt shield is withdrawn pre-
paratory to loading the backward motion is continued, causing the stud
or pin to traverse the slot, thereby drawing back the breech bolt and
compressing the spring, and bringing the forward end of the dis-
charging bolt behind the front tooth of the sear. At the lower portion'
.

page_text: of the rear end of the breech chamber is placed a locking plate or recoil
shield, which is capable of working upwards and downwards through
the same, and of entering a recess provided in the breech bolt for its
reception. On the lower side of the locking plate or recoil shield is fixed
a screw pin, on which is placed a spiral spring to force the locking plate
or recoil shield into the aperture formed for its reception in the breech-
bolt when the latter is pushed home prior to discharge. On the screw
pin and below the spiral spring is placed one end of a bent or crank-like
lever, the same being pivoted below the breech chamber, and the other
arm of the lever being bent upwards at right angles and coming beneath
the ring or trigger guard when the breech bolt is in a position for firing.
The trigger consists of a bar which is placed within the ring or trigger.
guard, and having a pin attached at right angles thereto, capable of,
passing through an aperture in the lower portion of the ring or guard,
and of acting upon or depressing the hinder arm of the crank-like lever..
The forward end of the trigger bar is capable of working up and down in
an aperture formed in the forward portion of the ring or trigger guard,
and of operating and depressing the rear extremity of the scar. The
breech being closed, and it being desired to prepare for firing, the breech
bolt shield, together with the breech bolt, is drawn backwards by means
of the ring or trigger guard until the spiral spring is sufficiently com--
pressed, and the before-mentioned tooth on the forward end of the scar
drops over and in front of the projection on the forward end of the
discharging bolt, the gun being thereby cocked and in readiness for
discharge. In order to discharge the fire-arm the trigger bar is depressed
by the thumb until it presses upon the tail end of the sear, thus elevating
the forward end thereof and liberating the discharging bolt, which is
carried forward by the action of the spiral spring, and causes the needle
or piston with which the breech bolt is furnished to penetrate or percuss
the cartridge. In depressing the trigger bar, the pin attached to the
lower part thereof acts upon the crank lever before mentioned, and
raises the locking plate or recoil shield, thus affording a surface for the
reception of the recoil, which takes place upon discharge; and at the
same time securely locking the breech bolt and mechanism.
By means of a simple modifi

page_text: Another portion of this Invention consists in an improved arrangement
for ejecting the empty metallic-headed cartridge cases when such are
employed. A straight spring is fixed by means of a screw to the
forward end of the side or bottom of the exterior of the breech chamber,
and on the hinder end of such spring is formed a bevil-faced tooth,
which is capable of working through an aperture provided in the breech
chamber for that purpose. The extractor tooth, which is pivoted to the
breech bolt, drops behind the rim of the metallic-headed cartridge,
which latter upon the bolt being withdrawn after discharge is thus
extracted from the barrel, as well known and understood. The bevilled
face of the tooth on the ejector spring allows 'the bolt to depress the
same through the aperture in the breech chamber until the forward end
of the bolt has passed, when the tooth rises by the action of the spring
and ejects the cartridge case. It is manifest that this arrangement of
ejecting the expended cartridge cases may be adapted to some descrip-.
tions of bolt guns not constructed in other respects in accordance with
my said Invention. Instead of employing an extractor such as those
generally adopted, it may consist of a slotted plate having a tooth at the
forward end, and capable of working longitudinally in a dovetailed
groove or slot formed in the forward end of the breech shield.
A further portion of this Invention consists in an improved arrange-
ment for ensuring gas tightness in cases in which conical headed bolts
are employed. A conical cup formed of steel and having a slit in one
side thereof (by which a certain degree of elasticity is obtained) is
placed in the rear end of the barrel for the reception of the conical
headed bolt at the moment of discharge, and by the juxtaposition of
the two conical surfaces all escape of gas resulting from the discharge
is prevented.
Instead of employing the ring or trigger guard as before mentioned
a vertical finger piece may be used for actuating the breech bolt, in
which case the finger piece should have a slot down the centre to serve
as a sight guide. In those cases however in which the ring or trigger
guard is used, the left hand side of the lower part of the chamber in
which the breech bolt works should be constructed so as to be higher
than the right hand side. By this arrangement, although the trigger
bar can be readily depressed by the action of the thumb when placed
thereon for the purpose of firing, accidental discharge, when the fingers

page_text: are passed through the ring for the purpose of drawing back the breech
mechanism, is prevented, by their downward action being stopped by
the elevated side of the chamber in which the breech bolt works, the
edge of which should extend above the trigger bar.
:
By simple modifications, such as will be well understood by persons
conversant with the construction of fire-arms, ordinary pull triggers
may be adapted to arms constructed in other respects in accordance
with this Invention, and without deviating from the principles thereof..
It may be observed that the breech mechanism embraced by this
Invention may be employed in the conversion of bolt guns originally
constructed on other systems.
The annexed Drawings may now be referred to, from which the nature
of the said Invention will be more clearly understood, the same letters
of reference indicating similar parts in the different Figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the breech mechanism of a fire-.
arm constructed as firstly herein-before described. In this Figure the
mechanism is represented as in a position for firing; Figure 2 shews
the position of the mechanism at the commencement of cocking;
Figures 3 and 11, and 12, show the breech shield and bolt detached.
In these Figures A is the barrel; B, the breech bolt; b, the discharging
bolt; C, the breech shield; c, the spiral spring by which the discharging
bolt is actuated; D is the locking plate, and E the crank lever for
operating the same; d is the sear; F is the trigger bar, and fƒ the pin
thereon for operating the crank lever; G is the ring or trigger guard.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, and 7, represent partly in section, and in plan,
and elevation, the modification before-mentioned, in which the locking
plate is placed in the front of the breech mechanism: In these Figures D
is the locking plate; I is the lever for actuating the same; F, the trigger
bar with its pin f; H is the vertical finger piece for drawing back the
It will be observed that
breech bolt; e is the slot in the breech shield.
the rear end of the lever is provided with a tooth or projection, which,
when the trigger bar is not depressed, enters the aperture through
which the trigger pin passes, thus serving the purpose of a locking
bolt.
Figure 8 shews the before-described arrangement for ejecting the

page_text: :
bolt; C, the cartridge case; D, the ejector spring with the tooth & thereon;
b is the extractor.
Figures 9 and 10 shew a conical-headed bolt J with the conical-
shaped cup K for securing gas tightness as before mentioned.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and therefore
claim as constituting my said Invention are,--
-
First. The use and arrangements of the locking plate and its accom-
'panying mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described and set forth, or any meré modifications thereof.
And secondly. The combination and arrangement of parts and
mechanism in the construction of breech-loading fire-arms, substantially
as and for the purposes herein-before described, or any mere modifications
thereof.
In witness whereof, I,. the said Charles Gordon, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy:
Witness,
R. S. MORDAUNT VAUGHAN,
54, Chancery Lane.
CHARLES GORDON. (L.S.)