Year: 1886

page_text: We, SOLOMON KINGSBURY HINDLEY, and EDWIN SCOTT FIELD, both of Spring-
field, County of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, United States, America,
Engineers, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in breech-loading fire-arms, the object
being to provide an improved swinging breech block and mechanism for operating
and locking the same, and an improved extractor and extractor-spring.
In the drawing forming part of this Specification, Figure 1, is a longitudinal
vertical section of a portion of the stock, frame and barrel of a breech-loading gun,
and a side elevation of the breech-mechanism thereof, all constructed according to
our invention, said Figure showing a cartridge shell, in section, in the barrel and
the breech and extractor mechanism in the positions they occupy after firing.
Figure 2, is a side elevation of the rear part of the barrel and stock, and of the
frame immediately adjoining the latter, of the breech-mechanism shown in the
position which the parts thereof occupy after the extraction of a shell, and when
they are in a position to permit of reloading the gun, and edge and side elevations
of the breech-block with the extractors thereon, and of the breech-block link.
In the drawing, R is the frame of the gun P, is the barrel, and V is the stock.
A is the breech-block pivoted on the pin 2, in the frame and adapted to have its
upper end, in which is located the firing-pin W, swing against and close the rear
end of the barrel M, M³, are the extractors, two being shown in the detached
views of the breech-block in Figure 2, but one may be omitted if desired. Each
extractor consists of a ring 3, having the armis 4, and 5, thereon, the first for
engagement with the cartridge-head and the second for engagement with the
spring-actuated extractor-pin N, which is located in the lower end of the breech-
block. Said ring 3, of the extractor is let into the side of the breech-block so that
its outer side and that of said arms are in the same plane as the side of the latter,
and it has a free swinging motion on the said block, to the extent shown in
D

page_text: Figure 2, where its two positions are shown. The side of the rear end of the
barrel P, is cut away sufficiently to receive the said arm 4 of the extractor, and
when the breech block is against the end of the barrel as in Figure 1, to allow said
arm 4, to take the position there shown.
The said extractor-pin N is, as aforesaid, located in the breech-block behind the
extractor arm 5, and is thrown outward by a coil-spring shown in dotted lines
thereon. One side of said pin is notched as shown in dotted lines, and a pin 6,
passes through the breech-block under pin N, and within said notch therein,
whereby the latter is secured in the block but is free to have a limited endwise
movement therein. The outer end of pin N, is V shaped to adapt it to enter a
notch 7, in a projection on the guard lever B, when the parts are in the position
shown in Figure 1, and serve to hold said lever in the position there shown.
The breech-block has a central slot about midway between its sides as shown in
Figure 2, in which is pivoted one end of the link Č at 8, and near the opposite end
of said link is formed the slot D, having the curved recesses 10, 11, at opposite
ends thereof. The edge of the breech-block at 14, Figure 2, is slightly curved for
a purpose below described. The guard-lever B, is pivoted near the lower side of
the frame R, and is provided with the usual finger-loop and has thereon the
projection 12 opposite its pivot, and the projection 13, below the latter.
Two brace-links F, (only one of which is shown in the drawing) have one end
pivotally connected to said projection 12, on the guard-lever and they extend each
side of the breech-block to the rear of the latter, and are there pivotally connected
to the swinging brace E, which is hung on the hammer pivot. The said pro-
jection 13, on the guard lever B, is slotted to receive the lower end of the breech
block link C, and the latter is connected to said projection by a pin passing through
the latter, and the slot D therein.
G is the hammer pivoted in the usual manner in the frame, H is the sear,
the main-spring and L is the sear spring.
c
K is
The operation of our improvements is as follows:-
The parts of the breech-mechanism being in the positions shown in Figure 2,
a cartridge is partially inserted in the barrel, its head being left projecting rearward
just beyond the extractor-arm 4, (Figure 2) so that said arm is behind the rim
thereof, and the guard-lever B, is then drawn up against the gun as in Figure 1.
As said lever is swung up, the breech block link C, is given an endwise motion
whereby the breech block A, is made to swing against the head of said cartridge
pushing it into the barrel, and at the same time carrying the extractor arm 4, with
it to the position shown in Figure 1, and the breech-block then is brought against
the end of the barrel and the head of the cartridge. As soon as the breech-block
comes to said position the link C, ceases to move, but meanwhile the brace E,
actuated by its connection through the brace-link F, with the guard-lever, has
been swinging towards the rear edge of the breech-block, and continues so to
swing after the breech block is quite up against the barrel, the elongated slot D,
in link C, allowing the pin 13 to move to the upper end of said slot without
imparting any further endwise motion to said link, and thus the guard lever is
brought quite up against the under side of the gun and the brace E is brought fully
into position behind the breech-block, firmly locking it and holding it against the
recoil force of the exploding cartridge.
In addition to the above described means for locking the breech-block, the
guard lever itself is also brought to act directly, as a species of cam against the
breech-block as follows:-
The end of projection 13, on the guard-lever, is in the course of the said upward
movement of the latter, brought to act against the said curved edge 14, of the
breech-block, after the latter has been brought fully, or nearly so, against the end
of the barrel, thus doubly locking the breech block, and if the cartridge has not
already been forced quite to its position in the barrel, the cam-action of said
projection 13, against the breech-block swings the latter so that the cartridge is

page_text: forced quite to its place, and thus sufficient means is provided for fully inserting
a cartridge before the gun is fired, although the cartridge may fit so closely that it
cannot easily be pushed in by the fingers. And furthermore, the engagement of
the guard-lever with the breech block as aforesaid; relieves the links F, of any
strain when the gun is fired for said block is held rigidly by the brace E, and
said lever.
The hammer, during the above described movement of the other parts, remains
at full cock as in Figure 2, and by pressing the finger upon the sear H, the gun is
fired by the action of the hammer against the firing pin W, the parts of the breech-
mechanism thereby being brought to the positions shown in Figure 1. When the
lever B, is swung quite up as there shown, the pin in projection 13, engages in the
said curved recess 10, at one end of slot D, in link C, for the purpose before described,
and when lever B is swung downward as in Figure 2, the engagement of said pin
with the curved recess 11, in said link serves to hold the lever steady while the
cartridge is being inserted in the barrel.
When the guard-lever B, is swung forward after the gun has been fired, the
hammer is brought to full cock by the action of the pin against it which passes
through the ends of the said two links F, and the brace E, and the breech-block is
swung back drawing the arm 4, of the extractor M, against the rim of the cartridge
shell and extracting the latter, the lower arm 5 of the extractor being thus forced
against the end of the pin N, forcing it inward against its said spring, but as soon
as the shell is free from the barrel the said pin reacts springing against said arm, 5,
and the shell is thrown from the gun.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
1. The swinging breech-block A, having the curved portion, 14, on its front edge,
the guard-lever having the projection 13, thereon which engages directly with said
curved portion of said block below its pivot when in its locked position, and the
link C, having the slot D, therein connected to said lever by the latter and to said
block, combined and operating, substantially as set forth.
2. The breech block A, the guard-lever having the projections 12 and 13,
thereon, the latter engaging with said block below its pivot, the link C connected
to said projection 13, and to said block, the swinging brace E, pivoted back of the
latter, and the links F, pivotally connected to said brace, and to the projection 12,
on said lever, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
3. The swinging breech-block A, having the spring-actuated extractor pin N,
therein the extractor M, swinging on the side of said block and having the arm 4,
to engage with the cartridge and the arm 5, extending opposite said extractor pin,
the guard-lever B, and the link C connecting the latter, and the breech-block,
combined and operating substantially as set forth.
4. The breech-block A, the spring-actuated extractor pin N, located in said
block, the extractor M, swinging on the side of said block and having the arm 4,
to engage with the cartridge and the arm 5, extending opposite said extractor pin
and mechanism substantially as described for imparting a swinging motion to said
breech block, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
5. In combination, the hammer G, pivoted in the frame of the arm, the brace E,
pivoted at one side of the hammer and swinging independently of the latter to
bring its free end under the breech-block, the guard-lever D, pivoted in said frame
and the links F, pivotally connected to said lever and to said brace substantially
as set forth.
6. The link C, having the slot D, provided with the curved recesses 10, 11, at
the opposite ends thereof, combined with the breech-block A, and the guard-
lever B, connected to said link by a pin passing through said slot D, substantially
as set forth.

page_text: 7. The combination with the spring actuated pin N, located in the breech-block
under the pivot of the latter and having one end projecting beyond the front edge
thereof, of the guard-lever B, having the projection, 13, thereon to one side of its,
pivot, provided with a notch 7 in which said projecting end of said pin engages
when the guard lever is swung up against the arm to swing the breech-block
against the end of the barrel, substantially as set forth.