IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING REPEATING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bethel Burton, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York,
United States of America, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH
LOADING REPEATING FIRE-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bethel Burton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th October 1880.
BETHEL BURTON, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of
America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING REPEATING FIRE-ARMS."
"
Letters Patent, No. 884, were granted to me March 11th, 1874, for breech-loading
repeating fire arms. The present is an improvement upon the same, and a reference
is hereby made to said Letters Patent for a more full description of the parts that
are not herein fully described.
In the Specification of my said Patent a lever extractor is set forth for drawing
out the cartridge case, and the same is operated by a cam on the piston rod. One
part of my improvements relates to a spring tail to the extractor lever, whereby
it is made to catch over and grasp the cartridge, ready to withdraw the same
whether the firing pin is projected or not, and when the firing pin is thrown
forward to explode the cartridge the cam passes beneath the lever portion of the
extractor so as to hold the same firmly.
As an additional means of security for preventing the breech lock being turned
until it arrives at its proper place in the receiver, I provide a groove in the breech
lock which straddles a spline upon the tail stock, and prevents the breech lock
being turned until the groove passes beyond the spline.
It is important that the trigger be held so that the firing pin cannot be
disengaged until the breech lock is revolved to its place and the sectional screws
properly interlocked. To accomplish this object I make use of a notch in the
upper end of the sear or trigger bolt, and provide a cylindrical forward end for the
breech lock which passes into the said notch as the bolt is pressed forward, and
there is a notch in this cylinder in such a position that when the breech has been
turned to its place the said notch will coincide with the trigger bolt, and allow of

page_text: the latter being drawn down in firing the piece, but until the breech lock is turned
to the proper place the trigger cannot be drawn down. I provide a locking bolt on
the receiver, as described in the Specification of my former Patent, which retains
the bolt in the safety position so that the arm cannot be accidentally discharged.
In the said Patent there is a magazine beneath the barrel, into which the
cartridges are placed, and they are raised successively and pressed forward into
the barrel, so that the said arm is adapted to rapid firing. It is sometimes
necessary to hold this magazine in reserve, so I apply a cut off for that purpose.
It is also sometimes necessary to introduce an additional supply of ammunition
into the gun. I therefore apply to the breech receiver a secondary magazine, the
same being adapted to receive the cartridges side by side and to pass them
successively into the breech in front of the sliding bolt. This secondary magazine,
may be used alone, or it may be used with the magazine beneath the barrel.
I employ a cut off to each magazine, so that the cartridges can be kept from
passing out of either one of the magazines into the breech of the gun, or one
magazine may be cut off while the other is feeding.
The secondary magazine is formed of a box at one side of the breech receiver of
a size to receive two or more cartridges side by side; said magazine is provided
with a hinged cover, and a spring or catch to hold the same either open or shut,
and when open the horizontal cartridges are passed vertically down into the said
magazine and they lie side by side, and one above the other; the lowest of the
cartridges in the magazine passes laterally into the breech in front of the sliding
bolt, and by it the cartridge is pressed forward into the barrel; the other cartridges
rise above the lowest ones, and said cartridges are within the secondary magazine,
and I remark that if the cartridges are carried in a case of sheet metal or other
suitable material of the form of the interior of the magazine, the cover at one end
of that case may be removed, and the end of the case may be inserted into the top
of the secondary magazine, and the cartridges will feed down from said case into
the secondary magazine by gravity alone.
In my aforesaid Patent there is a bolt, and its helical spring at the junction of
the handle and the breech that enters a notch in the rear end of the sliding breech
bolt; the said helical spring is liable to be injured or lost. I therefore bore a hole
longitudinally of the handle and insert a screw with a spring tail to operate the
said bolt.
The cartridge case is cylindrical, but there is a groove or depression around the
same near the back end into which the extractor catches; this prevents the flanges
of the cartridges coming into contact with each other when occupying a vertical
position in the secondary magazine, and allows all the cartridges to lie parallel to
each other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Bethel Burton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th March
1881.
BETHEL BURTON, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of
America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING REPEATING FIRE ARMS."
Letters Patent, No. 884, were granted to me March 11th, 1874, in Great Britain,
for breech loading repeating fire arms. The present is an improvement upon the
same, and a reference is hereby made to said Letters Patent for a more full
description of the parts that are not herein fully described.
In ny said Patent a lever extractor is set forth for drawing out the cartridge
case, and the same is operated by a cam on the piston rod. One part of my
improvement relates to a spring tail to the extractor lever, whereby it is made to
catch over and grasp the cartridge, ready to withdraw the same whether the
firing pin is projected or not, and when the firing pin is thrown forward to explode
the cartridge the cam passes beneath the lever portion of the extractor so as to
hold the same firmly.
In the Drawing,-
Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the fire arm.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the secondary magazine and receiver.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the said secondary magazine.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the front part of this breech bolt, and
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the breech lock of the bolt.
The bolt F slides in the breech receiver A, and it provided with a breech
lock M having a sectional screw on the exterior taking into the sectional screw
within the receiver A, and there is a piston m' within the bolt F and breech, and
a helical expansive spring acting to project the piston and firing pin J when the
piston is liberated from the trigger sear 7. The lever extractor K is pivoted at 3.
These parts are similar to those in the aforesaid Patent, except that the rear end
of the extractor K is extended as a spring tail 6 that enters a recess in the bolt,
and hence the spring is always operative in causing the extractor to catch the
flange or groove around the rear end of the cartridge case, and said lever is blocked,
so that it will not yield by the cam 7 upon the firing pin running under the back
end of the lever K when said firing pin is projected, thus holding the extractor
firmly after the arm as been fired as before, but allowing the extractor to act by
the spring when the arm has not been fired. As an additional means of security
for preventing the breech lock being turned until it arrives at its proper place in
the receiver, I provide a groove at 10 in the breech lock M which straddles the
spline 11 upon the tail stock, and prevents the breech lock being turned until the
groove passes beyond the spline 11. The pin 21 enters a slot 22 in the part M of
the bolt F, and limits the turning movement of M. It is important that the
trigger be held so that the firing pin cannot be disengaged until the breech lock is
revolved to its place, and the sectional screws properly interlocked. To accomplish
this object, I make use of a notch in the upper end of the sear or trigger bolt 7,
and provide a cylindrical forward end 8 for the breech lock M, which passes into
the said notch as the bolt is pressed forward, and there is a notch in this cylinder,
as shown at 9, Fig. 5, in such a position that when the breech has been turned to
its place the said notch will coincide with the trigger bolt and allow of the latter
being drawn down in firing the piece, but until the breech lock M is turned to the
proper place the trigger cannot be drawn down; I provide a locking bolt on the
receiver, as described in my former Patent, which retains the bolt in the safety
position, so that the arm cannot be accidently discharged.

page_text: In the said Patent there is a magazine beneath the barrel into which the
cartridges are placed, and they are raised successively and pressed forward into the
barrel, so that the said arm is adapted to rapid firing. It is sometimes necessary
to hold this magazine in reserve, so I apply a cut off for that purpose. It is also
sometimes necessary to introduce an additional supply of ammunition into the
gun; I therefore apply to the breech receiver a secondary magazine, the same
being adapted to receive the cartridges side by side, and to pass them successively
into the breech in front of the sliding bolt. This secondary magazine is represented
in Figs. 6 and 7. It may be used alone or it may be used with the magazine
beneath the barrel, as in Figs. 1 and 2.
I employ a cut off to each magazine, so that the cartridges can be kept from
passing out of either one of the magazines into the breech of the gun, or one
magazine may be cut off while the other is feeding.
At the rear of the magazine c there is a cut off 18, that by preference is formed
of a round pin inserted transversely through the inetal at the rear end of the
magazine, and one side of this pin is partially removed so as to correspond to the
interior of the magazine, and when the said cut off is in this position the cartridges
can pass freely into or out of the magazine, but when the cut off is partially
revolved, the cylindrical part of the pin prevents the escape of cartridges from the
magazine. A small crank arm at the end of this cut off pin is employed to turn
such pin and cause it to act as a cut off.
The secondary magazine d is formed of a box at one side of the breech receiver A
of a size to receive two or more cartridges side by side; said magazine is provided
with a hinged cover d' and a spring or catch to hold the same either open or
shut, and when open the horizontal cartridges are passed vertically down into the
said magazine, and they lie side by side, and one above the other; the lowest of
the cartridges in the magazine passes laterally into the breech in the front of the
sliding bolt, and by it the cartridge is pressed forward into the barrel; the other
cartridges rise above the lowest ones, and said cartridges are within the secondary
magazine, and I remark that if the cartridges are carried in a case of sheet metal,
or other suitable material of the form of the interior of the magazine, the cover at
one end of that case may be removed, and the end of the case may be inserted into
the top of the secondary magazine in the position shown by dotted lines at d³,
Fig. 2, and the cartridges will feed down from said case into the secondary
magazine by gravity alone.
When the secondary magazine is used in a gun provided with the magazine c it
is necessary to employ the carrier 2, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to receive the
cartridge either from the magazine c or from the secondary magazine d, and this
carrier is operated by the bolt F acting against the bent lever i, as in aforesaid
Patent.
When the magazine d is used in a gun in which there is no magazine c, as in
Figs. 6 and 7, this carrier i is not absolutely necessary, but the receiver A is made
with an inclined bottom for the reception of the cartridge as it falls from the
magazine d, and said incline also forms a guide for the cartridge as it is forced
upward and forward into the barrel by the bolt F.
The cut off for the secondary magazine is made of a sliding plate or pin e¹ passing
down between the magazine and the breech receiver A.; such cut off is by preference
operated by a lever e
In my aforesaid Patent there is a bolt, and its helical spring at the junction of
the handle and the breech, that enters a notch at 13 in the rear end of the sliding
breech bolt F; the said helical spring is liable to be injured or lost, I therefore bore
a hole longitudinally of the handle, and insert a screw ', with a spring tail h³ to
operate the said bolt 4.
The ejector is operated by its rear end coming into contact with and being
arrested by the lever ', Fig. 1, or by the bolt 1, Fig. 7, as the breech bolt is
withdrawn, the bolt and cartridge continuing the backward movement after the
ejector has been stopped, thereby the cartridge is thrown out by coming against

page_text: the ejector. The ejector pin i is formed with a shoulder to prevent it being driven
through the hole in the bolt by the force of the explosion, and said ejector is
limited in its forward movement by the pin ¹ entering a recess formned in the
underside of said ejector.
•
The cartridge case is cylindrical, but there is a groove or depression around the
same near the back end, into which the extractor 2 catches; this prevents the
flanges of the cartridges coming into contact with each other when occupying a
vertical position in the secondary magazine, and allows all the cartridges to lie
parallel to each other.
I clain as my Invention,-
First. The lever extractor K formed with a spring tail, substantially as set
forth.
Second. In a magazine gun the combination with the longitudinally reciprocating
breech bolt of a secondary magazine for holding the cartridges side by side, and
from which the cartridges pass to the breech laterally, as set forth.
Third. In a repeating gun a magazine beneath the barrel, and a secondary
magazine at the side of the breech receiver and cut off mechanism connected with
cach magazine, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The spline 11 on the tail stock of the receiver A, in combination with
the breech lock A, having in it the groove 10, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The ejector pin i made with a shoulder to prevent it being forced out of
its hole and recessed upon the under side, in combination with the pin, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes specified.
Sixth. The notched sear or trigger bolt, in combination with the cylindrical front
part of the breech lock, having a notch therein, substantially as set forth, to prevent
the scar being withdrawn until the breech is turned to place, as set forth.
Seventh. The combination with the secondary magazine of a cartridge case or
holder inserted into the upper end of the magazine, as set forth.
Eighth. The combination with the breech bolt and breech lock of a spring
within the handle of the breech lock, and a bolt at the base of said handle to
connect with the breech bolt, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bethel Burton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, A.D. 1880.
35 Witnesses,
WILLIAM G. MOTT, 140, Nassau St., N.Y.
CHAS, H. SMITII
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BETHEL BURTON. (L.S.)