Improvements in breechloading and repeating firearms
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1888.
Complete Specification Left, 17th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 17th Apr., 1889
I RICHARD PAULSON of Boon Hills, Langwith, in the County of Nottingham,
Inventor and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In carrying these Improvements in breechloading and repeating firearms into
practice, I may make use of any of the improvements as shewn and described in iny
previous patents, No. 10,664 A.D. 1885 and No. 14,130 A.D. 1886 or a modification
thereoff.
The breech action I prefer for single-barrel weapons and which I find to be most
suitable is made with a hinged or falling breech-block; which is locked by the
hammer as it delivers the blow on the striker, then as the bullet, or projectile, leaves
the muzzle, the force of the kick (acting on the sliding breech and barrel) drives it
back, and in so doing recocks the hammer, and unlocks the breech-bolt, at the same
time extracting and ejecting the empty cartridge and automatically reloads the arm,
so that, it is ready for again being fired as soon as the trigger, which is double acting,
is pulled.
Or instead of using the kick, or recoil, as aforesaid; I may dispense with it and the
recoiling barrel, utilizing the force of the explosive gases instead as follows:-At a
suitable distance up the barrel, I make a perforation which leads into a small cylinder,
and in which works a piston or plunger, at the back of which I place suitable springs.
At the instant of discharge, a portion of the gases in the barrel are driven into the
said cylinder, operating the piston or plunger, and compressing suitable springs; by
this means the hammer is recocked, and the breech action operated, so that the
exploded cartridge is extracted, ejected, and the arm reloaded ready for again being
fired, or this may be done by the combined action of the piston, and the force of the
recoil acting on the breech-action.
Or the barrel may be made to slide forward, instead of backwards, being locked by
the trigger, or other means at the instant of discharge.
These arms may be loaded by hand if required, the magazine being made detachable
as in the Mannlicher arms, or it may be held in reserve; in pistols and rifles the

page_text: magazine may be placed in the stock, or it may be placed under the barrel as in
Winchester Arms.
:-
In double barrel weapons with drop down barrels, I may use the cylinder and
piston arrangement as previously described to recock the hammers, and eject the spent
cartridge, or cartridges, or to eject only at each discharge, and as the barrels are
depressed. Or I may eject the spent cartridge by an independent arrangement as
follows In the fore end I place any of the well-known arrangements for giving the
blow, or impulse to the ejector rod, using either a flat or spiral spring, which is com-
pressed preferably as the breech is closed, and locked by a spring catch or other
arrangement. To operate this ejecting mechanism at the required moment, I carry
through the end of the break-off two levers, which project slightly into the fore end,
and also extend backwards into the body of the arm.
These levers are arranged, so as to operated by the force of the mainspring, so that
as one, or both barrels are discharged, pressure will be brought to bear on one or
both of these levers; which, in their turn, act on the ejecting mechanism contained in
the fore end, so that, as the barrels are depressed the exploded cartridge only is
ejected. Or, instead of using levers to control the ejecting mechanism, two rods
might be used, so that the fall of the hammers would cause them to protrude forward
into the fore end, and act in the same manner as the levers.
Instead of double hammers being used in the fore end, to give the blows required
in ejecting, I may make use of a single spring and a rocking hammer, which is
arranged so that should the right barrel only be discharged the end of the lever, or
rod, would cause it to be canted over so as to strike the right-hand half of the
split ejector rod and thus the right-hand cartridge only would be ejected; if the
left-hand barrel was fired the hammer would be inclined to the left and eject that
cartridge only, but should both barrels be fired the action of the rods, or levers,
being uniform on both sides of the hammer the blow would be delivered in the
middle of the ejector rod and by this means both the exploded cartridges would
be ejected as the barrels were depressed.
Instead of using a round ejector rod I prefer to make it oblong, or oval, and thus
use them of greater strength than heretofore, without cutting the sides of the lump
under the barrels dangerously thin; a second rod acting as a guide may be placed
above the lower rod, both of these rods, as well as the head of the extractor, may be
devided down the middle. Or a solid extractor rod may be used, having a rotating
head-piece embedded in the head of the extractor, as shown applied to a drop-
down gun in my former patent, No. 14,130 of 1886; this rotating head piece, if
attached to a portion of the extractor rod, may be rotated as the barrels are depressed,
by means of either the aforesaid levers, or the sliding rods, that are used to control
the ejecting mechanism, contained in the fore end, so that only the exploded cart-
ridges are ejected as required. Or instead of attaching the aforesaid rotating head-
piece to the end of the extractor rod, it may be connected with the head of the
extractor, and be operated as follows: In the face of the break off, just below the
opening made to receive the extension rib, or dolshead, a slot is cut, in which are
fitted two small hinged levers; which extend downwards till close to the face of the
Purdy bolt on the top side of this bolt, small corresponding levers are fitted,
extending backwards; on the fall of the hammer the one nearest thereto would be in
contact with it, so that the act of withdrawing the Purdy, or other locking bolt,
would cause this lever to be slightly raised at one end, and engage with the corre-
sponding one placed above it in the face of the breakoff, when as the barrels are de-
pressed, it would be projected slightly forward, and by pressing against the head of
the shutter, cause it to slightly rotate, and thus cover and prevent the unexploded
cartridge from being ejected; while if both barrels were fired, both, instead of only
one of the levers being projected forward, and acting in a uniform manner on the
shuiter, it would not be rotated, and thus both the exploded cartridges would be free
to be ejected. A small stud may be placed on the face of the shutter, to act as a
guide both in opening and closing the breech. A loose friction ring may be placed
on the breech pin. I may make use of the breech-locking bolt, for the purpose of

page_text: also cocking the hammers, as follows: As the lever is moved to unlock the breech,
the breechbolt is arranged to press against and slightly recock the hammers, then as
the barrels are depressed one, or both of the lumps are caused to press against, and
force still further back the breech bolt, which bearing against the hammers fully
cocks them, projections being made either on them or the end of the breechbolt, so
that they will engage with each other. To reduce the friction, small friction-rollers
may be placed between these parts. It would not be possible to discharge the arm,
unless the breech was securely locked, as otherwise the hammer would be brought up
by the end of the breech bolt, before it could deliver the blow to the cartridge.
The mainspring may be arranged to also act as the sear spring, so that as the
trigger was pressed, it would be more closely compressed, and thus lend additional
force to the blow given by the fall of the hammer.
As an additional locking bolt, I prefer to use in combination with the before-
mentioned cocking arrangement, Greener's well known top bolt. I may also use
intercepting bolts, automatically blocking the hammers, or instead I may use double
sears, or the sear may instead of being made pointed be rounded off at the end, and
engage in a much deeper notch in the hammer.
In making figured or damascus barrels, and such as would be suitable for these
arms, I may use electricity to weld, or aid in welding both the stripes and the barrels,
also to repair any flaws therein, or in brazing on the lump or other parts; in doing
this one pole of the battery may be connected with the part to he brazed, or welded,
and the other to a carbon rod, and thus the parts be fused together, or I may use two
carbons, placing the metal between them, or these two carbons may be placed a short
distance apart, passing the electric current through a fire of charcoal, or other
substance, in which the metal might be placed; A jet of gas may also be used to aid
the combustion, and the welding may be done by pressing, or forcing the parts
together, or by a hammer worked either by hand, or a machine.
The whole of these improvements may be embodyed, or carried out, in manu-
facturing one of these improved arms according to the class it belongs to.
Dated this 16th day of April 1888.
RICHARD PAULSON.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breechloading and Repeating Firearms.
RICHARD PAULSON, of Boon Hills, Langwith, in the County of Nottingham
Inventor & Engineer 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 may be breefly classed under three heads as follows:-
1st. The arrangement or methods by which the exploded cartridge or cartridges
are extracted and ejected in weapons having a drop-down barrel or barrels.
2nd. The arrangement for cocking the hammers and the method by which they
may be controlled by the triggers or trigger in drop-down guns.
3rd. The methods which by the aid of an electric current, or a jet of gas, ä
variegated figure may be produced upon a plain steel or damascus gun or rifle barrel,
or by which such barrels, or parts thereof, may be welded together.
In figure 1 is shown a vertical section of a weapon with drop-down barrels and the
arrangement for ejecting the spent cartridges.
The action is as follows:-
On being fired, the pressure of the mainspring A 3 acting on the hammer and
lever A causes it to be depressed as shown, and so that the point A 1 will act as a
guide to the projection on the hammer B. This hammer is arranged so that it can
oscillate slightly on the pin C. Thus, supposing the left barrel only to have been
fired, the lever A acted on by the mainspring would cause the hammer B to be
slightly canted over to the left, by the point on the lever A 1. Then the barrels D
being depressed, the locking-sear E would be pushed out of bent by a slight projection
on the break off, when the spring F would impel the hammer sharply against the
end of the left hand portion of the divided extractor rod G, and thus eject the spent
cartridge. Should the right band barrel be fired, the hammer B would be canted
over to the right by a corresponding lever, and in the same manner eject the
right hand cartridge only. While, should both barrels be fired, the hammer B
being acted upon by both the levers A equally, would deliver its blow in the centre
of the end of the divided extractor-rod and thus eject both cartridges.
It must be understood that these cartridges are first slightly extracted in the usual
manner by the split or divided extractor. On the barrels being re-closed, the
bammer B will cause the spring F to be compressed and the detent or sear E would
retain it in that position until liberated by the barrels D being depressed as before
described.
Figure 2 shows another arrangement for ejecting the spent cartridges.
In this case, combined with the usual split extractor, instead of using the oscillating
hammer B (as shown in Figure 1) I prefer to duplicate the parts shown in Figure 2.
The action is as follows:-On the barrels D 1 being depressed, a slight pressure of the
finger being brought to bear on the lever H that is carried or projects into the fore
end the first detent K 2 on the hammer J would be liberated, but the hammer would

page_text: be brought up and still retained in position by the second detent or sear K, which
would also be liberated by a slight projection on the end of the break-off, as the
barrels were depressed to the full extent. It will thus be readily perceived by
duplicating this arrangement and the lever Heither or both the cartridges may be
ejected at will, it being simply necessary. to press either one or both the levers H
which control the ejecting arrangement, according as it is desired to eject the
corresponding cartridge.
While should no pressure be brought on the levers H., the hammers J would be
retained in position, as the second sear can only act after the first sear K2 is liberated.
Figure 3 shows the head of the divided extractor, and G shows the shape I prefer
to make the extractor rod instead of round, so that greater strength may be obtained
without unduly cutting away the lump.
Figure 4 shows a section of the hammer B used in Figure 1. The perforation
through which the pin C works being made as shown at C 2.
Figure 5 shows an arrangement for cocking the hammers L by means of an
extension on the Purdy breech locking bolt..
The action is as follows:-
-
On the usual top lever being pressed sideways, the locking bolt M is slightly drawn
back free of the notches N N in the lumps. At the same time the end of this locking
bolt M is caused to bear against and slightly cock the hammers; then as the barrels
are depressed the face of the lump at O still further forces back the bolt M and fully
cocks the hammers, small friction rollers being placed at either end of this bolt to
reduce the strain.
Combined with this arrangement I prefer to use a well known Greener's top cross
bolt to securely lock the rib into the breech body at P.
Figure 6 shows a hammer Q and a sear R, the nose of this sear R instead of being
sharp is made more blunt and rounded off so as to fit in a suitable cavity in the
hammer Q. The object of this arrangement is to prevent the sear being so readily
jarred out of the bent as sometimes happens in hammerless guns.
Figure 7 is a gun or rifle barrel and shows a method by which the same may be
welded, or a mottled or variegated figure produced thereon. This may be done as
follows:-
The barrel S I prefer to support and slowly rotate between two centres T. T
such as those usually employed in a turning lathe. If a carbon point U with or
without a small iron core V be now placed in contact with the barrel S and then
slightly withdrawn the barrel may be either welded or a figured surface produced
thereon, provided a current of electricity is passed between the barrel and the carbon,
one pole being represented by the barrels and the other by the carbon or other
suitable substance used instead. V1 and V2 are the wires for conducting the
electricity to the points required. By these uncans an ordinary plain rifle or gun
barrel of steel may be made with a mottled or figured surface somewhat resembling
fine damascus when finished. The barrel itself, the lump or other parts may also
by these means be welded, a current of electricity being first passed through them
and then the parts slightly withdrawn until the surfaces become fused then by
pressing them together these parts would be welded. To assist this operation or to
aid in it, a jet of gas may be made to play upon the joint or barrel so as to heat
it, or the barrels may be heated or welded by being drawn through a charcoal or
other fire which is made to burn more intensely by the aid of a jet of gas or current of
electricity which is caused to pass through it from two carbon points or wires.
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 I
claim is
(1st) An oscillating hammer and the method of operating the same combined with
a split ejector substantially as described.
(2nd) The method of controlling the ejecting mechanism by the aid of levers
operated by hand, instead of by the aid of the mainspring, substantially as described.

page_text: (3rd) Cocking the hammers by the combined aid of the lump and the lever opera-
ting the breech locking bolt, substantially as described.
(4th) The use of friction rollers to reduce the strain and friction substantially as
described and shown in Figure 5.
(5th) The combination of the Greener top cross bolt and the cocking arrangement,
substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 5.
(6th) Making the nose of the sear rounded or blunt instead of sharp, substantially
as described.
(7th) The use of electricity to produce a figured surface upon a plain steel gun or
rifle barrel &, welding the gun or rifle barrel in parts thereof by the aid of an electric
current or jet of gas.
Cemad and datad. Tonnary 16th 1880
RICHARD PAULSON.