IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes; of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING FIRE-ARMS."A communi-
cation from abroad by Oliver Fisher Winchester, of the City and
County of New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States of
America.
Sealed the 4th July 1871, and dated the 6th January 1871..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward, Thomas
Hughes at the Office of the Commissioners of.. Patents, with his.
Petition, on the 6th January 1871.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES,.of.the Firm of Hughes: and Son, Patent.
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London,: do hereby declare the. nature
of the said Invention; for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING: FIRE-ARMS," a
communication to me, from abroad by Oliver: Fisher. Winchester, of the..
City and County of New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States of
America (to be as follows) :-.
This Invention relates to an improvement in the arm known as
the "Winchester repeating fire-arm," that is to say, an arm pro-.

page_text: vided with a magazine to supply the charges to a mechanism which
translates the charges from the magazine to the barrel for discharge.
And the Invention consists in the peculiar mechanism for thus
transferring the charge, as fully hereafter described.

page_text: the arm.
The upper end G of the lever G extends up into the frame
and is shown in longitudinal section Figs. 6, 7, and 8. The lever G
is connected to the breech pin E by arms h, h, one upon either side,
extending from the fulcrum of the lever up to connecting rods i,
pivoted to the ends of the arms h, and to the piston rod, as seen in
Fig. 4. A shoulder on the part G₁ of the finger lever bears against
the rear edge of the arms h to force the breech pin forward as denoted
in Fig. 4, which is the position for firing. To lock the breech pin
in this position to resist the recoil a vertical bolt H is arranged in
the frame to move up and down, and when up sets behind a shoulder e
on the breech pin, and thus securely holds the breech pin forward.
To operate the bolt H a cam H' is formed on the surface of the upper
end G of the lever, and on the bolt H a lever H2 is hung, the lower
end or nose of which when the bolt is thrown up falls below the
cam H¹, and rests upon the lever as shewn at H³, Fig. 6, but when the lever
is turned downward the cam H' draws down the bolt H until it strikes the
frame as denoted in broken lines, Figs. 3 and 4. At that point the cam
throws out the lever H2 as denoted in Fig. 7, and frees the bolt from the
action of the lever, and also frèes the breech pin from the locking bolt. As
this operation must be performed before the breech pin can be moved, it
follows that the connection between the pin and the lever must remain
stationary while the bolt is being unlocked. To do this I form a cylinder I,
set within the lever G, and which forms a bearing for the said lever to
turn upon, the said cylinder being held in position by a set screw n which
extends through into the said cylinder, and this cylinder is provided with
two mortises denoted in solid black, Fig. 9. In the upper arm of the
lever G are arranged two slides r, s, to move freely up and down,
and rest upon a spring S. Each of these slides is provided respectively
with projections 1, 2, which pass through a mortise in the lever, so
as to come in contact with the surface of the cylinder I. Between the
upper ends of the two arms h a bar h³ extends across over the upper
end of the slides r, 8. The upper ends of the said slides are formed
of the arc of a circle, the centre of which is the pivot of the lever
G, but at the meeting points of the upper end of the said slides they
are rounded off or inclined so as to form a notch between the two, as
seen in Fio 7.

page_text: .
on the cylinder as denoted in section in Fig. 12. The arms. h, setting
back against the shoulder on the upper part of the lever; in this position
the lever can be turned freely without effect upon the arms h, until the
lever has been thrown so far down that the bar comes in contact with
the forward slide s, and when arrived at this point the locking device.
is freed from the action of the lever, and the continued movement of
the lever will then draw back the breech pin to the position denoted
in broken lines Fig. 4. In this movement the hammer is thrown
back to full cock as denoted in Fig. 4, where it is held by the trigger F¹.
Arriving at this position it is now necessary to throw up the carrier
block to transfer the cartridge which has been supplied thereto from
the magazine. To do this a lever L is hung in the frame upon the same
centre as the lever G, with a projection extending down forward of
the barrel. When the lever G has arrived at the position last described
a shoulder 'm on the lever strikes the said projection / and throws up
the lever L to the position denoted in broken lines Fig. 4, and the
said lever being connected or working in a seat in the carrier D throws
the carrier up also to the position denoted in broken lines, which presents
the cartridge which has passed from the magazine into the carrier in
line with the barrel. While this movement of the carrier block is being
made the breech pin stands still, and to allow of this still position of
the breech pin when the pin has arrived at the point of its extreme
movement, the lever G has turned so far upon the cylinder that one
of the mortises in the cylinder lies directly below the projection
of the slide s, hence the slides is passed down until the bar h¹
passes there over to the position seen in Fig. 8, returning the lever,
the cylinder remains, the arms h pass back to the position denoted
in Fig. 7, where they are held until the lever G is so far raised as
to throw the piston through the carrier block and hard against the
cartridge which it has carried into the barrel. At that time the slide >
comes over its mortise in the cylinder I, and drops therein as denoted
in Fig. 6, then as the lever advances passes back to the position also
denoted in Fig. 6, during the last portion of which movement the breech
pin is locked as before described, and the lever L with the block D
drawn down by a second shoulder m² of the lever G striking against
a corresponding point on the lever L. The arm is now in position for
firing, which is performed by releasing the hammer in the usual
manner, the hammer striking the firing spindle which explodes the
cartridge

page_text: To retact the exploded shell (or cartridge if required) a hook a is
arranged upon the upper side of the breech pin to catch onto the flange
of the cartridge. Therefore when the breech pin is withdrawn, as before
described, the cartridge is withdrawn with it over the carrier, so that
when the carrier is raised it will throw the shell upward; and to give
to the carrier a quick movement to eject the shell entirely from the
arm a spring d is arranged, bearing upon the lever L, as seen in Fig. 13,
which as, the lever L rises passes over and down into a notch on the
said lever, tending at the last portion of its stroke to give a quick
movement to the lever and the carrier to which it is attached, which is
sufficient to throw the shell from the arm.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th July 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes,
Her special licence, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING FIRE-ARMS," a
communication to me from abroad by Oliver Fisher Winchester, of
the City and County of New Haven, State of Connecticut, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands

page_text: nd seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
he said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
ormed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
late of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, do
ereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
he same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
ained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
This Invention relates to an improvement in the arm known as the
Winchester repeating fire-arm," that is to say, an arm provided with
magazine to supply the charges to a mechanism which translates the
harges from the magazine to the barrel for discharge.
And the Invention consists in the peculiar mechanism for thus
ransferring the charge, as fully herein-after described.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a side view.
وو
2, a top view.
"
3, a side view, the stock removed.
"
4, a longitudinal sectional view.
93
5, a transverse section on line X, X.
"
6 to 13 inclusive, detached views to illustrate the operation.
A is the frame within which the operative mechanism is arranged,
nd to which said frame the barrel B is secured by being fitted and
crewed into the forward end of the frame, as seen in Fig. 4. The frame
xtending back is formed into a tang A¹ upon the upper side, by which
t is secured to the stock C, and also extending down through the frame,
orming a plate A³ upon the under side of the frame. D is the carrier
lock shewn in section Fig. 10, arranged in a chamber in the frame to play
reely up and down from the position in Fig. 4 to that denoted in dotted
ines in same Fig., in like manner as in the "Winchester arm," before
eferred to, to translate the cartridges from the magazine, which open
hrough the frame at D' to a position to be inserted into the barrel. E is the
reech pin arranged longitudinally in the frame and in line with the axis
f the barrel B, and extends back to the hammer F pivoted in the frame
tf. Through the breech pin as shewn in the longitudinal section of
he pin in Fig. 11 a firing spindle E¹ extends the entire length with a
pring arranged thereon, the tendency of which is to force the spindle

page_text: to the rear. The forward end of the said pin is constructed to strike
the cartridge at a point to cause the explosion, when the. hammer is
relieved from full-cock to fly back, and strike the rear end of the spindle.
This arrangement, as also that of the trigger, is substantially the same
as in the said "Winchester repeating arm." G is the finger lever and
trigger guard by means of which power is communicated to operate the
mechanism of the arm. This lever is pivoted upon a fulcrum at a
point in the frame, upon which the lever may be turned down and
forward to the position denoted in broken lines, Fig. 4, and returned,
which movement causes the operation of the mechanism of the arm.
The upper end G₁ of the lever G extends up into the frame, and is
shewn in longitudinal section, Figs. 6, 7, and 8. The lever G is con-
nected to the breech pin E by arms h, h, one upon either side, extending
from the fulcrum of the lever up to connecting rods i pivoted to the
ends of the arms h and to the piston rod, as seen in Fig. 4. A shoulder
on the part G¹ of the finger lever bears against the rear edge of the
arms to force the breech pin forward as denoted in Fig. 4, which is the
position for firing. To lock the breech pin in this position to resist the
recoil a vertical bolt H is arranged in the frame to move up and down,
and when up sets behind a shoulder e on the breech pin, and thus
securely holds the breech pin forward. To operate the bolt H a cam H³
is formed on the surface of the upper end G³ of the lever, and on the
bolt a lever H2 is hung, the lower end or nose of which, when the.
bolt is thrown up, falls below the cam H¹ and rests upon 'the lever
as shewn at H³, Fig. 6; but when the lever is turned downward the
cam H¹ draws down the bolt H until it strikes the frame, as denoted
in broken lines Figs. 3 and 4. At that point the cam throws out the
lever H2 as denoted in Fig. 7, and frees the bolt from the action of the
lever, and also frees the breech pin from the locking bolt. As this
operation must be performed before the breech pin can be moved, it
follows that the connection between the pin and the lever must remain
stationary while the bolt is being unlocked. To do this I form a
cylinder I set within the lever G, and which forms a bearing for the
said lever to turn upon, the said cylinder being held in position by a set:
screw n. which extends through into the said cylinder, and this cylinder:
is provided with two mortises denoted in solid black, Fig. 9. In the:
upper arm of the lever G are arranged two slides r, s, to move freely up
and down and rest upon a spring S. Each of these slides is provided
respectively with projections 1, 2, which pass through a mortise in the

page_text: 50 40
θυμιων
Between the upper ends of the two arms ha bar h¹ extends across over
the upper end of the slides r, §. The upper ends of the said slides are
formed of the arc of a circle, the centre of which is the pivot of the
lever G, but at the meeting points of the upper end of the said slides
they are rounded off or inclined so as to form a notch between the two,
as seen in Fig. 7.
'
:
In the position denoted in Fig. 6, the lever G is in such position that
the projection 1 of the slider will pass into one of the mortises on the
cylinder, as denoted in section in Fig. 12, the arms h setting back against
the shoulder on the upper part of the lever. In this position the lever
can be turned freely without effect upon the arms h until the lever has
been thrown so far down that the bar comes in contact with the forward
slide s, and when arrived at this point the locking device is freed from
the action of the lever and the continued movement of the lever will
then draw back the breech pin to the position denoted in broken lines,
Fig. 4. In this movement the hammer is thrown back to full-cock, as
denoted in Fig. 4, where it is held by the trigger F¹. Arriving at this
position it is now necessary to throw up the carrier block to transfer
the cartridge which has been supplied thereto from the magazine. To
do this a lever L is hung in the frame upon the same centre as the
lever G, with a projection 7 extending down forward of the barrel.
When the lever G has arrived at the position last described, a shoulder m
on the lever strikes the said projection and throws up the lever L to
the position denoted in broken lines Fig. 4, and the said lever being
connected or working in a seat in the carrier D throws the carrier up
also to the position denoted in broken lines, which presents the cartridge
which has passed from the magazine into the carrier in line with the
barrel. While this movement of the carrier block is being made, the
breech pin stands still, and to allow of this still position of the breech
pin when the pin has arrived at the point of its extreme movement, the
lever G has turned so far upon the cylinder that one of the mortises in
the cylinder lies directly below the projection 7 of the slide s, hence the
slides is passed down until the bar h³ passes there over to the position
seen in Fig. 8; returning the lever the cylinder remains, the arms h
pass back to the position denoted in Fig. 7, where they are held until:
the lever G is so far raised as to throw the piston through the carrier
block and hard against the cartridge which it has carried into the barrel.

page_text: the passage of the said bar h¹ over the said slide 8, substantially as set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.