Improvements in and connected with Magazine Rifles, partly applicable to Single Breech Loaders.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Magazine Rifles, partly
applicable to Single Breech Loaders.
I, RIDLEY JAMES URQUHART of 57 Barton Arcade, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, which has been communicated to me by Andrew
Howland Russell, Captain in the War Department, Washington. United States,
America and William Roscoe Livermore, Major, of United States Army, both
of 7th and F Streets, Washington, U.S.A. and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The improvements forming the subject of this invention relate to magazine
rifles and consist in firstly, the arrangement or construction of the breech
mechanism or action for effecting the opening and closing of the breech and
cocking of the rifle by a forward and backward motion of the breech bolt in au
axial direction the bolt being unlocked, started and relocked by an up and down
motion of the handle, without turning the breech bolt or block; secondly, the
arrangement or construction of a laterally entirely or partly open magazine and
of cartridge cases or holders in such a manner that the magazine can be filled
with cartridges by pushing the cases or holders into the magazine and withdrawing
them at the bottom by one movement of the hand and in arrangements for
enabling the rifle to be loaded with single cartridges.
In order better to elucidate the improvements forming the subject of this
invention, the improved breech action and magazine with cartridge boxes are
hereinafter described successively with reference to the annexed drawings, on
which
Fig. 1 shows a side view and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of the improved
magazine rifle ;
Fig. 3 a detail;
Fig. 4 a plan and Fig. 5 a horizontal section of the breech actions and
magazine;
Figs. 7 6, and 8 vertical cross sections along lines I—I, II–II and III-III
respectively;
Figs. 9, 10, 11 a side view, plan and section of the cartridge holder or case ;
Fig. 12 a modification thereof;
Fig. 13 a perspective view, Fig. 14 a vertical and
Fig. 15 a horizontal section of a modification of the magazine ;
Fige. 16, 17 and 18 cartridge cases in several modifications.
On the Figs. 1 to 8 the parts are shown in the positions they occupy when the
rifle is cocked.
The object of the improvements in the breech action is to obtain greater power
for cocking the firing bolt spring, lifting and lowering of the locking latch, and
loosening of the breech bolt and the cartridge case where a cartridge drawer is
attached to the breech bolt, after firing, in consequence of which a rifle fitted
with the improved action can be actuated for loading and cocking without jerks
so that it can be kept levelled while loading, firing and reloading. This result
is obtained by forming the handle for actuating the breech bolt with or as a
particular cam lever fulcrumed on the breech bolt which when the handle is
turned upwards disengages the locking latch and subsequently loosens the breech

page_text: bolt and the cartridge drawer when this is used, without thereby increasing the
required rectilinear motion of the breech bolt.
In order to obtain the effects hereinbefore mentioned the handle A is formed
with or rigidly connected to a special slotted cam lever F which by means of its
grooves a formed on the inside of each cheek actuates the locking latch B, by
means of its Doses b, and the connecting bridge C, starts the breech bolt D and
cartridge drawer H, and by its end faces c operates the firing bolt E. The slotted
cam lever turns on a pin-e retained in recesses or slots formed in the back end of
the breech bolt D. The back part of the breech bolt is of square section, while
the part passing into the breech is preferably cylindrical. On the lower side
of the breech bolt D a bearing 9 open at both sides is formed in which the latch B
for locking the breech bolt is fulcrumed, the latch B carrying at its back end
pins h Figs. 1, 2, and 7 which enter the grooves a Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the cam
lever F. The latch B may be made in halves screwed together to facilitate
insertion. The breech bolt D is guided by means of a feather or ledge i Fig. 5
sliding in a groove k Fig. 6 of the stock & and its back end besides forming a
bearing for the pin e serves to hold the cartridge drawer H and a bridge piece C
of the shape shewn which covers the bearings of pine and is formed with a fork m
the prongs of which enter through an opening in the top of the breech bolt D into
the bore of the same and serve to arrest the collar n' against which the firing
spring a bears when the firing bolt E is drawn back. A cross slot in the bridge
piece engages with the correspondingly shaped head q of the cartridge drawer H,
and the tail of the bridge piece catches in a cross groove of the breech bolt D,
whereby the piece C is firmly connected to the breech bolt.
Finally the rebated back edge or corner of the breech bolt D serves as a catch
for the hook of the pawls which is arranged on the inside of the slotted cam
lever F and under spring pressure, so that by catching over the corner with its
hook when the cam lever F has been turned up into the position for drawing back
the breech bolt D and firing bolt E, it holds the cam lever in this position while
the breech bolt is drawn back and pushed home again.
The back end or cross head d of the firing bolt E is formed T shaped or with
lateral projections which are actuated by the end faces c of the cam lever F when
the latter is turned upwards, until in its final position the crossbar u of the slotted
cam lever snaps into a recess in the head of the firing bolt E, the crossbar "
preventing the turning of the.cam lever beyond the required position.
The combinad action of the parts of the improved breech action or mechanism
operates as follows:-
After the rifle has been fired, the crosshead d of the firing bolt E is drawn by
the firing spring against the cam lever F, the latter and the breech bolt being in
the positions shewn on the drawings.
Starting from these positions, the handle with the cam lever F is first turned
upwards in the direction of the arrow. The first part a' (Fig. 3) of the grooves a
in the insides of the slot in F being concentric with pin e, the latch B remains
stationary, while the back faces e of the cam lever Fact on the faces t of the
head d of the firing bolt E and draw the latter back, compressing the spring n.
When the pins h of the breech bolt have passed the concentric part a', a further
upward movement of the handle A forces them to enter the eccentric parts a³ of
the grooves a whereby the latch B is lifted out of its rest B¹ Fig. 2. Årrived at
the latter position the noses 6 of the cam lever press against abutments on the rifle
stock and draw slightly back or start the breech bolt and the cartridge drawer H
connected to it, the pins h meanwhile passing into the third parts a³ of the
grooves a which parts are concentric with the pin e. When the face f¹ of the cam
has arrived at a horizontal position, the hook of the pawl s snaps over the rebated
edger of the breech bolt, the cross bar u catching at the same time in the recess v
of the firing bolt, so that the cam lever F becomes locked to the breech bolt D
and the handle A can be moved axially backwards and forwards again to open and
close the breech for loading the rifle. The firing bolt E has in the meantime been

page_text: pushed back relatively to the breech bolt and the firing spring n compressed
against the collar n² and fork m, and when the breech bolt is pushed back the head
of the firing bolt is retained by the trigger as shewn by Figs. 1 and 2 and the cross
bar u disengaged.
In order to make the loaded rifle ready for firing the handle A must be turned
down again for which purpose the pawls must be disengaged from the corner r of
the breech bolt so as to re-establish the hinged connection of the cam lever F and
breech bolt D. For this purpose the pawls is formed with a lateral finger or
projection Fig. 8, guided in a groove w (Figs. 2 and 4) in the rifle stock G,
which finger pushes the pawl s off the corner r when the breech bolt is pushed in.
By turning the handle down the latch B is lowered into its rest and the breech
bolt and cam lever returned to the position shown on Fig. 1 when the rifle is ready
for firing.
After firing, the rifle can again be opened, cocked, loaded and fired by repeating
the movements of the handle as described. As will be evident, the power required
for cocking and loading the rifle is utilized in the best manner by rigidly con-
necting or forming the handle A. to or with a slotted cam lever F which effects the
movement of the separate parts of the breech action or mechanism as required.
The mechanism is so arranged that all parts can be readily taken apart whereby
the keeping of the rifle is greatly facilitated. It is not absolutely necessary
that the compression of the firing spring should be effected by means of the cain
levers F, but it may be effected in the known manner by retaining the head of the
firing bolt by means of the trigger or its equivalent when pushing the breech bolt
in for introducing a cartridge into the firing chamber. The arrangements for
locking the cam levers F to the breech bolt D and releasing the same as well as
the cam lever itself may also be modified, without altering the essential feature of
this invention, which consists in effecting the unlocking of the latch and starting of
the breech bolt and cartridge drawer and if desired compressing the firing spring
by means of an oscillatory upward movement of a cam lever or equivalent part
connected to the handle and locking the said cam lever to the breech bolt when
this has been done for the purpose of allowing the breech bolt to be rectilinearly
drawn back and pushed home again by the handle, and releasing the cam lever or
its equivalent when this is done for the purpose of securing the breech bolt by a
downward oscillatory movement of the cam lever or its equivalent. The breech
action or mechanism herein before described may be applied to single breech
loading as well as to magazine rifles.
The improved magazine in combination with particular cartridge boxes or
holders permits the latter to be drawn through the magazine and emptied by one
downward movement so that the magazine can be quickly filled. For this purpose
special cartridge holders or boxes are used having projections or finger ledges or
their equivalents by means of which they are drawn through the magazine, which
for this purpose is formed with openings or slots at the side. The magazine rifle
is further so arranged that by securing or arresting the cartridges in the magazine
the rifle may be used as a single or ordinary breech loader.
The magazine A shewn on Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6 is a lateral magazine the outside
wall of which is formed with a slot or opening extending over its entire depth, so
that the thumb of the hand can enter into the slot and be drawn through the
same. At the top a flap F is arranged extending over its entire length and
turning on pivots in the end walls of the magazine under spring pressure, which
tends to hold the flap in the position shewn in full liues in Fig. 6.
When pushed
from above, the flap can bend downwards. The cartridge box or holder convenient
for use with this magazine is shewn by Figs. 9 to 12. The side of the holder is
formed with a doubly bent extended part which may be made springy by slitting
the holder at the sides of as shewn or in any other suitable way. This part t
serves to hold in the cartridges by its inward bend and forms a handle by its
outward bend for putting the holder into the magazine and pushing it through.
After the holder has been inserted into the top of the magazine by pushing the

page_text: flap sideways, during which operation the inward bend of t holds in the
cartridges, the handle of t is pulled outwards to release them, while the holder or
frame B is pushed downwards. The latter is open at the bottom so that the spring
pusher n², which lifts the cartridges into the breech and may be arranged in any
suitable ordinary manner, can pass through it, and the holder be pushed out at the
bottom.
For converting the magazine rifle into a single loader, a small lever s is arranged
at one end of the flap F which when pushed into the position shewn in dotted lines
on Fig. 6 holds the flap in such a position that it prevents the top cartridge from
entering the breech chamber, as indicated in dotted lines, so that the magazine is
thrown out of action and the breechbolt can no longer seize the cartridge. The
rifle then can be used as an ordinary breechloader.
Figs. 13 to 15 show a modified arrangement with the magazine centrally below
the breech chamber.
The magazine A* shown by Fig. 13 is arranged below the chamber a³ and opens
into it by a slot 63, the bar c² bridges over the slot in the sides of the magazine.
The notches d in the sides of the chamber allow the passage of the finger ledges e²
or their equivalents arranged on the sides of the cartridge holder B2 and shown in
several modifications by Figs. 16 to 18. The cartridge holder B³ is pushed from
above through the chamber a while the breech bolt C is drawn back, and is passed
through the magazine in one push or movement, by sliding one of the fingers used
for inserting the holder over the bar & till it encounters the ledge or projection e²
and pressing upon it pushes the holder out of the bottom end of the magazine.
The holder B as shown by Fig. 16 may be made with projections or finger
ledges on one or on both sides; in the former case the notch d² on the back part
of the chamber may be omitted.
In the modification shown by Fig. 17 instead of the fixed ledges e², and the
fixed lugs f for holding the cartridges, hook levers 92 are arranged which turn on
pins at ², on the cartridge frames B, the hooks of which are turned outwards
by depressing the tails to release the cartridges. The arrangement of ledges e³
or levers g² on both sides of the holders B2 renders it unnecessary, when charging
the magazine, to pay attention to the position of the holder, as must be done when
said ledges or levers are arranged on one side only:
Fig. 18 shows the arrangement of one or two sliding bolts 2, the lower outwards
bend m² of which serves as a handle or ledge for the finger, while the upper part n²
bent inwards holds the cartridges in. When depressing the slide 1, the part n²,
springs outwards and allows the cartridges to leave the holder and remain in the
magazine.
In order to convert the magazine rifle into a single loader, a pivotted flap o², is
arranged in a slot of the chamber wall, the front part p² of which flap can swing
into the magazine. The tail end q² is operated by means of an excentric or cam 2
pivotted upon the side of the stock E' so that when it occupies the position shown
by I the part p² of flap o³, which is under spring pressure, stands upwards, while
in the position of the excentric shown at II it pushes the cartridge D2 to one side
and holds it so that its back edge can no longer be seized by the breech bolt.
The rifle can then be used by inserting single cartridges from above into. the
chamber a².
Obviously the special arrangement of the mechanism for converting the magazine
rifle into a single loader and the constructive arrangement of the handle or
finger ledges of the cartridge boxes or holders may be modified without altering
the essential feature of this part of the invention which consists in the construc-
tion of the magazine and cartridge holders or frames in such a manner that the
filling of the magazine with cartridges and removal of the cartridge boxes can be
effected by one push or movement of the hand in consequence of the magazine
being formed with a lateral opening or slot in its side extending either over its
entire-depth shown by Fig. 1 or over part of its depth as shown by Fig. 16 and
slots being arranged in the chamber cr cross-bar-in- the latter case, for the

page_text: passage of the handles or finger ledges of the cartridge frames, the latter being
arranged so that they will both hold in the cartridges, and when pushed through
the magazine release them.
Although the cartridges are held in the improved boxes or holders more.
securely than with the holders hitherto used, they can be inserted more rapidly
into the magazine by one movement of the hand.
With both the arrangements of flaps for converting the magazine rifle into a
single breechloader shown by Figs. 1 to 6 and 13 to 15 respectively, when the flaps.
are in the position required for this purpose, the magazine can nevertheless be filled
either with single cartridges or sets of cartridges in frames by simply pushing the
cartridges or frames into the top thereof, the flaps yielding and swinging downwards
when pressed from the top and resuming their position under the action of the
springs connected to them. The springs may be applied in any convenient way,
for instance a wire spring surrounding a pivot with a coil and attached with one
end to the flap and with the other to the chamber may be used as shewn on
Fig. 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what |
claim is:
1. The arrangement or construction of a breech action or mechanism for
magazine and other breech loading rifles substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by the drawings.
2. The arrangement or construction of a breech action or mechanism for
magazine and other breech loading rifles with a rectilinearly sliding breech bolt
containing the firing bolt and if desired the cartridge drawer, to the underside of
which holt a locking latch is hinged, and which is connected to a cam lever or its
equivalent with handle, said cam lever being so constructed that by an upward
movement of the handle the latch is disengaged, the breech bolt and its attach-
ments started and the cam lever locked to the breech bolt for the purpose of
rectilinearly drawing out and pushing in the breech bolt and that the cam lever is
released from the breech bolt when pushed in and by a downward movement of the
handle locks the same, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In breech actions for breech loading rifles with sliding breech bolt the use
and arrangement of a cam lever with handle. fixed thereon and formed with cain
grooves, noses, and locking devices or their equivalents for respectively operating
the locking latch, starting the breech bolt and its attachments and locking and
releasing the cam lever to and from the same, with or without cam surfaces for
operating the firing bolt, substantially as herein before described and for the
purposes set forth.
4. In breech actions for breech loading rifles with sliding breech bolt and a cam
lever or its equivalent hinged thereto the arrangement of a pawl (s) under spring
pressure formed with a lateral finger (s) guided in a groove (w) of the stock, and
with a hook which locks the breech bolt and cam lever when the latter is turned
upwards and has pressed the breech bolt back by means of noses or their equivalent
formed on said cam lever, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
the drawings.
5. In breech actions for breech loading rifles with sliding breech bolt and a cam
lever with handle or its equivalent supported on a pin in an open bearing of said
breech bolt, the arrangement of a bridge piece or cover C for covering in the
bearing, holding the firing spring, and actuating the cartridge drawer, and held in
position by the same substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
drawings.
6. In magazine rifles the combined use or arrangement of magazines with a
slot on one side extending over the entire depth or part thereof, with notches in
the closed part and cartridge holders or boxes provided with appliances for holding
the cartridges therein and liberating them when the holders by means of external

page_text: handles or equivalents are pushed through. the magazines substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings.
7. The construction or arrangement of cartridge holders or boxes for magazine
rifles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 9 to 11 of
the drawings.
8. The construction or arrangement of cartridge holders for magazine rifles
substantially as herein before described with reference respectively to Figures 16, 17,
and 18 of the drawings.
9. In magazine rifles having central or lateral magazines open at the top, filled
with cartridges by pushing the cartridge frames through them, the arrangement of
pivotted flaps (o, Figs. 13 to 15 or F2 Figs. 4 and 6) held up by springs for
converting the magazine rifle into a single loader and so arranged that when in
the position required for this purpose they can swing further downwards and allow
single cartridges or sets of cartridges in holders to be inserted into the magazine,
substantially as bereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
1004
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.