Improvements in and Connected with Repeating Fire-arms.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 3rd Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 5th Jan., 1887.
Improvements in and Connected with Repeating Fire-arms.
I LANCELOT YOUNGHUSBAND, Engineer, of Victoria Road, Darlington, in the
County of Durham, also, SAMUEL SMITH YOUNGHUSBAND, Engineer, of Rose Villa,
North Road, Darlington in the County of Durham, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to improvements in repeating fire-arms and consists essentially
in the combination with a breech-loading fire-arm to be carried in the hand and fired
from the shoulder of a continuous chain or series of cartridges wound on a reel or
otherwise supported upon the person and of mechanism for bringing the cartridges
constituting such continuous chain or series successively into position to be fired and for
firing them.
By this Invention all the advantages of a repeating gun are obtained without the
attendant disadvantage of carrying a number of cartridges in the stock or other part
of the gun itself as usual in such guns the weight of the cartridges being for the most
part supported in a manner calculated to inconvenience or fatigue the soldier in the
least possible degree without detracting from the rapidity of repetition fire.
The cartridges are contained in cylindrical chambers connected together in the form
of a continuous series, chain or band, the cartridges being parallel to one another and
pointing all one way. The chain or band is wound on a reel which is free to turn on
a pivot attached to a plate secured to a convenient part of the person by straps the reel
being removable from its pivot so as to be readily replaced by a second one when the
first is exhausted.
The breech of the gun is provided with a drum revolving on a longitudinal axis and
enclosed within a casing having apertures for the entry and exit of the chain of cart-
ridge chambers which lie in the respective cradles or cavities of the drum and are
thereby brought successively into firing position in line with the barrel. This drum is
revolved intermittently by the forward motion of the trigger through the agency of
suitable mechanism, the motion of the drum being alternated with the action of the
firing mechanism which is effected by the backward motion of the trigger when the

page_text: drum and cartridges are at rest. The trigger oscillates to and fro on a transverse axis
which on the forward motion of the trigger is cansed to rotate therewith the said axis
being geared with the axis of the drum for transmitting the motion of the trigger at
required times to the cartridge drum.
The firing mechanism consists of a piston or striker having a longitudinally sliding
motion and forced forward by a spring. This piston or striker is engaged by a pawl
which is pivoted to the trigger, and controlled by a guide or its equivalent so that by
drawing back the trigger the piston will be drawn back also, the piston being released
at a given point in the motion. The gun is thus both cocked and fired by the act of
pulling the trigger.
L. YOUNGHUSBAND.
S. S. YOUNGHUSBAND.
y A. M. & Wm. Clark,
Patent Agents,
53, Chancery Lane, London.

page_text: Improvements in and Connected with Repeating Fire-arms.
I LANCELOT YOUNGHUSBAND Engineer, of Victoria Road, Darlington in the County
of Durham, also SAMUEL SMITH YOUNGHUSBAND, Engineer of Rose Villa, North Road,
Darlington, in the County of Durham 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:-
Our Invention relates to improvements in repeating fire arms; and consists essentially
in the combination with a breech loading fire arm, to be carried in the hand and fired
from the shoulder, of a continuous chain or series of cartridges wound on a reel or
otherwise supported upon the person, and of mechanism in the gun itself for bringing
the cartridges constituting such continuous chain or series successively into position to
be fired and for firing them. By this Invention, all the advantages of a repeating gun
are obtained without the attendant disadvantage of carrying a number of cartridges in the
stock or other part of the gun itself as usual in such guns, the weight of the cartridges
being for the most part supported in a manner calculated to inconvenience or fatigue the
soldier in the least possible degree without detracting from the rapidity of repetition fire.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this speci-
cation, wherein Figure 1 represents a general view of the gun and cartridge magazine
or reel, the former being in side elevation, and the latter in section. Figure 2 is a
cross section of the gun through the breech shewing the drum by which the cartridges
are brought successively into firing position, the cartridge magazine being in elevation.
Figure 3 is a central longitudinal vertical section of the gun, drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 4 is a cross section thereof on line 1-1 figure 3. Figure 5 is a longitudinal
horizontal section of the gun on line 2-2 figure 3. Figure 6 is a cross section of the
gun on line 3-3 figure 3. Figure 7 shews a cartridge separately, and figure 8 shews
several cartridges connected into a band. The same letters of reference indicate the .
same parts in all the figures.
I
с
We will first describe the mode of carrying the cartridges in the magazine and
loading them into the breech of the gun, and afterwards the mechanism of the gun itself.
Referring therefore to figures 1 and 2, the cartridge cases a are of steel or brass and
are of cylindrical form throughout their length, the bullet being wholly contained in the
case. They have no rim at the base but have two circumferential grooves or creases,
as shewn in figure 7, and are contained in cylindrical sheaths or pockets in a flexible
band formed by stitching together, at proper intervals, two bands of silk or other
suitable flexible material, as shewn in figure 8, the thread or wires by which the two
bands are united pressing the bands into the circumferential groove to keep the cart-
ridges in place. Or, the cartridges may be united in the form of a chain by wires
only. The cartridges are parallel and distanced to suit the pitch of the drum hereafter
described. This cartridge holding band is wound on a reel e without being attached
thereto, the coil being received between the flanges of the reel as shewn. This reel is
free to turn on a pivot d fixed to a breast plate e which is strapped to the front of the
body of the soldier by suitable shoulder and waist straps. The reel is removable
from the pivot so that it may be readily replaced by another when the first is exhausted,
and for this purpose a spring catch g is mounted in a slot in the pivot d and engages
with an internal circumferential groove in the boss of the reel, said catch being released
when required by a push piece h. The outer end of the band or chain of cartridges is
led from the reel into and carried through the breech of the gun, as shewn in figure 2,
in the manner hereinafter described with reference to figures 3 to 6. Within a casing i,
having apertures and for the entry and exit of the chain of cartridges, and between
the barrel and the firing mechanism of the gun, a drum kis mounted to revolve on a
longitudinal axis being journaled at in the front and rear walls of the casing.
'

page_text: This drum has a number of equidistant longitudinal half round cavities or cradles
corresponding in pitch, length, and diameter, to the cartridges which lie therein and
are, by the rotation of the drum on its axis, brought successively into firing position in
alignment with the bore of the barrel. This drum corresponds in length to the length of
the cartridges the base or rear ends of which abut against the rear wall of the casing i.
The wings of the drum are slotted across to clear deflecting guides by which the
of
is caused to pass out at the exit aperture of the casing. The
drum k is revolved intermittently, to the extent of one cartridge, by each forward
motion of the trigger through the agency of suitable mechanism hereafter described,
the motion of the drum & being alternated with the action of the firing mechanism
which is effected by the backward motion of the trigger when the drum and cartridges
are at rest. The trigger oscillates to and fro on a transverse axis which on the
forward motion of the trigger is caused to rotate therewith by a ratchet and pawl mm²
and detent m² the said axis being geared with the journal of the drum & by wheels no
for transmitting intermittent rotary motion to the cartridge drum k.
The firing mechanism consists of a piston or striker p having a longitudinally sliding
motion in suitable guide tube and forced forward. by a spring 7. This piston or striker
is engaged by a pawl which is pivoted at to the trigger and controlled by a
downwardly curved cam guides, or its equivalent, so that by drawing back the trigger
the piston will be drawn back also. For this purpose, the pawl passes through a
vertical guide slot in a downwardly extending arm tattached to the rear end of
the striker and is provided with a nib which is caused by a spring 7 to engage
with said arm, until thrown out of engagement therewith by the action of the cam
guides against which a friction roller at the end of the pawl rolls. On the escape
of the striker from the pawl, the former is forced forward by its spring and strikes,
the rebounding spring striking pin by which the cartridge is exploded.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. A repeating fire arm provided with a rotating carrier or drum having cradles or
cavities in its periphery and mounted to rotate in relation to the barrel, as herein
described on a longitudinal axis within a casing having inlet and exit apertures in
combination with a Hexible chain or band of cartridges in which the cartridges are
arranged transversely and which by the rotation of the drum or carrier is fed through
the breech, so as to bring the cartridges successively into firing position as described.
2. The employment in combination with a repeating fire arm having a rotating
carrier or drum arranged within a casing as described and with a flexible hand or
chain of cartridges as described, of a rotating reel or magazine mounted on a support
attached to the person, as described.
3. In a repeating fire arm provided with a rotating carrier or drum arranged within
a casing for use with a band or chain of cartridges as described, the combination with
said carrier or drum of a trigger oscillating to and fro as described, and of gear as shewn
and described whereby the carrier or drum is rotated to the required extent at each
forward motion of the trigger.
4. In a repeating fire arm constructed and operating as herein described and specified
in the last preceding claim, the combination with the oscillating trigger and drum or
carrier rotating mechanism, of cocking and firing mechanism consisting of a pawl,
striker, and cam, combined for operation as shewn and described.
L. YOUNGHUSBANI.
S. S. YOUNGHUSBAND.
By A. M. & Win. Clark,
Patent Agents,
53, Chancery Lane, London.