Year: 1886

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
abroad by Henry Marcus Quackenbush of Herkimer, County of Ilion, State of
New York, United States of America, Gun Manufacturer) 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 breech loading fire arms, and the invention consists in
certain details of construction, as hereinafter more fully set forth.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, with a portion broken away.
Figure 2 is a top plan view, with a portion shown in section.
Figure 3 is a rear end view, showing the breech open, and
Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, showing a modification.
Figure 5 is a view of the extractor detached.
Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the extractor and its mode of operation.
The object of this invention is to produce a gun for using metallic cartridges,
that can be made very cheaply and that is not liable to get out of order and which
shall be so very simple in its construction that anyone can readily take apart
and put it together whenever required for any purpose, and that shall be absolutely
safe.
To accomplish these results, the frame or receiver A is made of a single piece of
metal, which may be of cast metal of any suitable kind, and preferably of sub-
stantially the form shown in the drawings.
To this frame A a barrel B is secured, by means of a bolt or stud k, welded or
otherwise secured to the under side of the barrel, as shown in dotted lines in
Figure 1, and which projects down through a hole in the frame, where it is secured
by a thumb nut. The top of the frame where the barrel rests on it is grooved out
longitudinally to correspond with the exterior surface of the barrel; and if desired,
additional fastenings in the form of lugs or pins may be used either on the barrel
or the frame, and made to fit into corresponding recesses in the other part; but in
practice this is found unnecessary, in case the gun be made to use the smaller sized
cartridges such as are ordinarily used in shooting galleries.
At the proper point a recess or hole is made in the frame A, in which is pivoted
the trigger T, as shown clearly in Figures 1 and 2; and near its rear end a small
hole is bored in which is secured a friction bolt f as shown in Figure 1, which bolt

page_text: serves as a stop for the breech block C when the latter is swung into line with the
barrel, there being a notch or recess cut in the side of the breech block C, as
shown in Figure 3, in which the protruding end of the bolt f rests when the breech
is closed, the inner end of said recess being preferably made slightly deeper into
the block C than its main portion, so that the end of the bolt resting therein will
hold the block more securely in position, though this is not absolutely necessary, as
the friction of the bolt f against the block C should be sufficient to hold the block
in position, but not so tightly but that the block can be readily pushed to one side
by the thumb, when it is desired to open the breech. Figure 4 shews this friction
device made in the form of a pivoted spring latch f¹, arranged to engage in a
groove or recess in the under side of the block C, its function and operation being
the same.
It is obvious that any similar friction device may be used, it only being
required to hold the block in position until the gun is ready to fire, when the
projection o, on the rear end of the trigger is forced up into a slot in the under side
of the block C, as the trigger is pulled, and thus locks the breech block securely in
place, at the instant of firing.
The breech block C, consists of a simple block of metal having a prolongation or
arm I at its lower front end, by which it is pivoted to the under side of the barrel,
the barrel having its lower side cut away as shown in Figures 1 and 2 to permit
this arm I to pass under it as shown. Figure 4 shows an annular stud m formed
on the under side of the barrel, and arranged to fit in a corresponding groove cut
in the upper face of the arm I, to serve as a pivot for the block C, but it is obvious
a simple solid stud or pin may be secured to the barrel or to the arm I, and be
made to fit in a corresponding recess or hole in the opposite part, and operate the
same. By using the plan shown in Figure 4 a large bearing surface is secured and
a strong joint made amply sufficient to resist the force of the charge.
It is obvious that the breech block may be pivoted to the frame instead of to the
barrel, and operate just the same, though it is preferably pivoted direct to the
barrel. By thus pivoting the breech block centrally in line with the bore, the force
of the explosion is brought to bear equally on both sides of the central pivot, and
thus all tendency of the breech block to swing to either side is avoided, thereby
rendering the gun safe to use, even by inexperienced persons.
A longitudinal hole is bored from the rear end of the block C of proper size to
receive a firing pin a and a spiral spring c, which are held in the hole by a screw d
inserted in the rear end of the hole, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the front end
of this hole being reduced in diameter as shown in Figures 2 and to correspond
with the front portion of the firing pin, which is also made less in diameter than
the body of the same, it being made with a larger body for the purpose of securing
the weight necessary to impart the requisite blow to ignite the charge, and also to
permit a hole of proper size to be bored into its side to receive the end of
projecting thumb piece b, which is screwed into it, through a slot in the side of
the block C, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, this thumb piece or pin 6 being used to
draw back the firing pin a and compress the main spring c to cock the gun.
The firing pin a has a notch or annular groove v formed in it as shown in
Figures 2 and 4, which answers to the half cock notch of the ordinary tumbler.
A sear is pivoted in a slot in the lower side of block C as shown in Figure 4, its
front end having a spring pressing it down, while its rear portion has a shoulder m
formed on its upper side some distance from its end as shown in Figure 4, the
rearwardly-extending portion of the sear resting against the under side of the
firing pin a, and thus limiting the upward motion of the rear end of the sear.
b
The trigger T as shown, is pivoted in a recess in the frame A, in such position
that when pulled, the arm or projection o on its rear end is thrown upward against
the front end of the sear e, thereby depressing its rear end and releasing the firing
pin. To half cock the arm, the firing pin is drawn back until the shoulder n
engages in the notch v, and to bring it to full cock, the pin a is drawn back until
the shoulder n of the sear engages with the front shoulder of the firing pin body,
it being shown at full cock in Figure 4.

page_text: As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the trigger guard is formed integral with the
frame A, which also has a rear extension for the attachment of the stock H, thus
forming an exceedingly simple and cheap frame.
The extractor L consists of a simple strip of metal, of the form shown in
Figure 5, its rear end being provided with a rearwardly-projecting lip u to engage
under the flange of the cartridge and an outwardly projecting lip or shoulder t, for
the arm I of the breech block to strike against when the latter is swung around to
open the breech, as shown in Figure 6. This extractor is placed in a shallow
groove cut in the side of the barrel, and is held in place by the head of a screw i,
shown in Figure 6, the outer edge of the extractor body being cut away as shown
in Figures 5 and 6 to permit it to be moved to and fro the required distance.
The outer lip or shoulder t is inclined downward as shown in Figures 3 and 6 to
bring it within the path of the front end of the arm I of the breech block as the
latter is swung around, the movement of these parts being indicated by dotted
lines in Figure 2, and more clearly in Figure 6.
By constructing the several parts as above described a very simple and cheap
and safe gun is produced. To dismount the arm it is only necessary to remove the
nut r, when the barrel can be taken from the frame, and the breech block with its
attachments can be removed from the barrel. To remove the firing pin and main
apring it is only necessary to remove the thumb piece b, and the screw d, while the
extractor is released by simply taking out the screw i.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, 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. The combination in a gun of the barrel B having the under side recessed for
the reception of the arm I of the breech block, and the breech block C provided
with the arm I pivoted to the barrel, said parts being constructed and arranged to
operate substantially as shown and described.
2. In combination with the laterally swinging breech block C, the firing pin a
provided with the laterally projecting thumb piece b, and the spring c arranged
within the breech block, substantially as set forth.
3. In combination with the laterally swinging breech block C, having the firing
pin a, sear e and spring c located therein, the trigger T provided with the
projection o, arranged to be thrown up into the slot in the under side of the breech
block, for the two-fold purpose of releasing the firing pin, and securely locking the
breech block in position when the arm is tired.
4. The sliding extractor L provided with lip u and shoulder t, in combination
with the barrel A, and the laterally swinging breech block C provided with the
arm I, all constructed and arranged to operate, substantially as shown and
described.
5. The frame A constructed substantially as shown, in combination with the
barrel B provided with the stud or pin k and nut r, said parts being arranged
substantially as shown and described.
6. The combination in a gun, of a frame, and a breech block pivoted to the
under side of the barrel or to the frame, in line with the centre of the bore,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.