IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication
from abroad by Célestin Dumonthier, of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th December 1872.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be
Follow

page_text: The sliding breech closing bolt is so arranged that when its hand lever
is raised to open the breech the striker is withdrawn into the bolt by the
action of two cams or inclined surfaces on the bolt, which is divided into
two portions, one carrying the striker, and the other a tube containing a
spiral spring in which the striker works. An entirely novel arrange-
ment of trigger is employed, which engages with that portion of the bolt
carrying the striker on said bolt being drawn backwards. The cartridge
extractor is recessed in the head of the sliding bolt instead of in the end
of the barrel as usual. One screw serves to connect all the parts of the
sliding bolt to the breech, and also retains the head of the bolt and
operates the extractor. By removing the screw above-mentioned, the
bolt may be withdrawn without dismounting the breech from the stock.
A knob is provided on the bolt for cocking or uncocking without the aid
of the hand lever.
The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, first
as applied to a military carbine.
Figure 1 shows a side view of a carbine with the breech open;
Figure 2, a plan with the breech closed; Figure 3, a longitudinal section
of same, with the hand lever raised; Figure 4 shows a longitudinal
section of the rear end of the breech, with the special arrangement of
trigger; Figure 5, a longitudinal section of the bolt; Figure 6, a trans-
verse section on line 1-2, Figure 5; Figures 7, 8, and 9, show plan, side,
and end views of the cartridge extractor. The same letters of reference
indicate like parts in the several Figures.
a, stock; b, barrel; c, breech piece or socket, either connected to or
forged in one with the barrel, in which the bolt, Figures 5 and 6, slides;
d, cartridge chamber; e, front portion of the sliding bolt, which consists
of a hollow cylindrical part f, provided with a hand lever g. A movable
head is retained. on the cylindrical part by means of a screw i, the
point of which is received in a circular groove j in said head, see
Figure 5. The rear end of part e has an incline or cam k formed on it.
The second portion of the bolt comprises a cylindrical block m, having
an inclined or cam-shaped face n corresponding with cam k and in
contact therewith, and a hollow stem o attached to block m by a pin w,
and passing through f. The other end of stem o carries a head p, and a
needle or striker q sliding freely within the movable head h.
A spiral
spring is placed on the stem o, and tends to keep the cam surfaces k, n,
in contact. 8, tube or shell enveloping. the rear portion of the bolt, and

page_text: connected thereto by the pin 10 before-mentioned. The shell 8, which is
of the same diameter as the interior of the breech c, has longitudinal
slots t, t, on its under side, which engage with the trigger when the bolt
is slid backwards; a, knob screwed to the part of the bolt, the neck v
of which is squared to fit the slot x in the breech piece c; y, cartridge
extractor, Figures 7, 8, and 9, fitted in the head of the bolt, so that it
is unnecessary to groove the interior of the breech for its reception; z,
Figure 6, screw passing through a mortise a' in the breech and a mor-
tise 6¹ of the extractor, and screwing in the head of the bolt. This screw
serves to attach the whole of the bolt mechanism to the breech and
prevents the lead & from participating in the rotation of the bolt, while it
also serves to draw back the extractor by the aid of the bolt for removing
the spent cartridge case. c¹, aperture made in the stock for admitting
a turnscrew, and so permit of all parts of the bolt being withdrawn.
at
The trigger action consists of a spring d¹ fixed to the under side of the
breech by screw e¹³. This spring is provided with a nib f¹ passing
through a slot g' in the breech, and engaging in the notches or bents t, t,
of the shell s. The free end of the spring presses a small lever ', pivoted
against the under side of the breech, one end of said lever being
held by the forked end of the spring, while to the other end is attached
the trigger k¹. m³, n¹, screws for fixing the breech and barrel to the
stock, the whole being arranged as described. Supposing the parts to
be in the position shown in Figure 2, on raising the hand lever g part e
of the bolt describes a quarter of a turn, the inclined end k acting on
cam n, and drawing back the needle or striker in the head / to tho
position shown in Figures 3 and 5. The bolt is then slid back to
uncover the breech and insert a cartridge, by which movement the nibƒ¹
is caused to enter one of the notches t, so that on again sliding the bolt
forwards the parts will be retained and the spiral spring will be com-
pressed. The hand lever is then turned down and the gun is ready for
firing. On pulling the trigger k' the lever h¹ is caused to rock on its
pivot, and bear down the end of the spring so as to disengage the
nib f¹ from the notch . The spiral spring being released drives forward
the striker and needle. For slow firing the gun is first cocked by
drawing knob u backwards, and the breech is then uncovered by drawing
back the hand lever; but for quick firing the hand lever alone is used, as
before. With the aid of the knob u also the action may be uncocked
without using the hand lever.
24

page_text: Figures 10 to 19 show the improvements as applied to a walking stick
gun. The action is arranged in an exactly similar manner to that
herein-before described with reference to the carbine, except that the
metal barrel is enclosed in wood, and the hand lever is replaced by a
socket connected to the cylindrical portion by a screw, so that the gun
may have the appearance of an ordinary walking stick. The gun may
be divided into two parts; 1st, the stick proper, containing the barrel and
the breech picce; 2ndly, the handle, containing the bolt. The handle is
fixed to the bolt, and is slid backwards and forwards over the breech to
open and close the same, and also has a partial rotary motion for cocking
1

page_text: The parts may be readily dismounted for cleaning or repairs by
removing the two screws o, o, and stud s, and drawing the handle off the
breach piece.
Figure 18 shows a modification, the object of which is to cover the
slot so as to prevent the admission of dust, and also give increased
strength to this part of the handle. The handle is in this case made in
two parts, the one part a' being fitted to the handle b¹ of horn, ivory, or
metal by screwing or otherwise. Before fixing part b' on a', a socket c¹,
Figure 19, of the same diameter as the walking stick is interposed,
having a longitudinal slot & of the same length as slot t. The stud & is
then screwed on to the trigger, passing through slots d'and t. Thus
arranged, on turning the handle one quarter round, stud s, which is
stationary, will hold socket c', and prevent it rotating, so that the socket
will cover the slot in the handle. The slots and d¹ coincide when
sliding the handle forward or backwards.
8
Instead of a studs a small trigger may be pivoted, so that when not
in use it may be depressed into a recess in the handle. It may also be
made to project through into the breech piece to form a safety stop, so
that the arm cannot be discharged until the stopper is released.
The walking stick gun above described may also have an umbrella
attached either permanently or otherwise, or it may be arranged as an
driver's whip, for army and other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, admi-,

page_text: portion of the bolt being rotated its cam shaped end imparts a
rectilinear backward movement to the other portion of the bolt.
by which the striker is withdrawn, as above mentioned. An entirely
novel arrangement of trigger is employed, which engages with that
portion of the bolt carrying the striker on the said bolt being
drawn back. The cartridge extractor is recessed in the head of the
sliding bolt instead of sliding in a groove in the breech chamber of the
barrel, as usual, so as to avoid weakening the latter at that part, the bolt
being made of slightly less diameter than the interior of the breech.
One screw serves to connect all the parts of the sliding bolt to the
breech, and also prevents the head of the bolt from rotating, and operates
the extractor. This screw also serves for maintaining the striker in a
central position, which is of great importance when central-fire cartridges
are employed.
:
The arrangement of extractor presents great advantages both as
regards its construction and action.
The sliding bolt may be withdrawn without dismounting the breech
by removing the screw above mentioned, a hole being made at the side.
of the stock through which a turnscrew can be introduced for the
purpose, the hole being closed by a screw cap. A knob is provided on
the sliding bolt for cocking and uncocking without using the hand lever
by simply pressing the trigger and holding back the knob, so as to allow
the bolt to move slowly forward, and the needle or striker to abut
against the cartridge without force.
The above improvements may also be adapted to walking stick guns
and whips, as will be herein-after described. The improvements are
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings in the first place as applied to
a military fire-arnı.
Figure 1 shows a side view of a carbine with the breech open;
Figure 2, a plan with the brecch closed; Figure 3, a longitudinal
section of same with the hand lever raised; Figure 4 shows a
longitudinal section of the rear end of the breech with the special
arrangement of trigger; Figure 5, a longitudinal section of the bolt,
Figure 6, a transverse section on line 1, 2, Figure 5; Figures 7, 8, and 9
show plan, side, and end views of the cartridge extractor. The same
letters of reference indicate like parts in the several Figures.

page_text: a, stock; b, barrel; c, breech piece or socket either connected to or
forged in one with the barrel, in which the bolt, Figures 5 and 6, slides;
d, cartridge chamber; e, front portion of the sliding bolt, which consists
of a hollow cylindrical part f, and provided with a hand lever g, and
with a movable head / retained thereon by means of a screw i, the point
of which is received in a groovej around said head, see Figure 5. The.
rear end of part e has an incline or cam k formed on it.
8,
The second portion of the bolt comprises a cylindrical block m, having
an inclined or cam shaped face n corresponding with the cam k, and in
contact therewith, and a hollow stem o attached to block m by a pin w,
and passing through f. The other end of stem o carries a head p and a
needle or striker q sliding freely within the movable head h. A spiral
spring r is placed on the stem o, and tends to keep the cam surfaces k, n,
in contact; s, tube or shell enveloping the rear portion of the bolt, and
connected thereto by the pin w, before mentioned. The shell which
is of the same diameter as the interior of the brecch c, has longitudinal
slots t, t, in its under side, which engage with the trigger when the bolt
is slid backwards; u, knob screwed to the part of the bolt, the neck v
of which is squared to fit the slot x in the breech piece c; y, cartridge
extractor, Figures 7, 8, and 9, fitted in the head of the bolt, so that it
is unnecessary to groove the interior of the breech for its reception; %,
Figure 6, screw passing through a mortise a¹ in the breech and a
mortise b¹ of the extractor, and screwing in the head of the bolt. This
screw serves to attach the whole of the bolt mechanism to the breech, and
prevents the head / from participating in the rotation of the bolt, while
it also serves to draw back the extractor with the bolt for removing
the spent cartridge case. c', aperture made in the stock for admitting
a turnscrew to remove screw z, and so permit of all parts of the bolt
being withdrawn.
The trigger is provided with a spring d¹ fixed to the under side of the
breech by screw c¹. This spring carries a nib f¹ passing through a slot g¹
in the breech, and engaging in the notches or bents t, t, of the shell s.
The free end of the spring presses the part of the trigger ², which is
breech, the end of said
spring; m², n³, screws for :
"
pivoted at against the under side of the
part being held by the forked end of the
fixing the breech and barrel to the stock. The whole being arranged as
described the action will be readily understood. Suppose the parts to be
in the position shown in Figure 2 on raising the hand lever o parte of the
g

page_text: bolt describes a quarter of a turn, the inclined end / acting on cam n,
and drawing back the needle or striker q in the head to the position
shown in Figures 3 and 5; the bolt is then drawn back in order to
insert a cartridge, by which movement the nib f¹ is caused to enter one of
the notches t, so that on again sliding the bolt forwards the part e alone
will participate in this movement, the 'parts together with the striker
being retained and the spiral spring compressed; the hand lever is
then turned down, and the gun is ready for firing; on pulling the
trigger the part ¹ is caused to rock on its own pivot , and depress the
end of the spring so as to disengage the nib f¹ from the notch A. The
spiral spring being thus released drives forward the striker against the
cartridge.
For slow firing the gun is first cocked by drawing knob u backwards,
and the breech is then uncovered by drawing back the hand lever; but
for quick firing the hand lever alone is used as before described. With
the aid of this knob u also the action may be uncocked without using
the hand lever, as above mentioned.
Figures 10 to 19 show the improvements as applied to a walking stick
gun. The action is arranged in an exactly similar manner to that herein-
before described with reference to the carbine, except that the metal
barrel is enclosed in wood, and the hand lever is replaced by a socket
connected to the cylindrical portion by a screw, so that the gun may
have the appearance of an ordinary walking stick. The gun may be
divided into two parts-1st, the stick proper containing the barrel and
the breech piece; 2nd, the handle containing the bolt. The handle is
fixed to the bolt, and is slid backwards and forwards over the breech to
open and close the same, and also has a partial rotary motion for cocking
the gun.
When the breech is closed the handle forms a continuation of the
stick so as to conceal its real character. In order to give sufficient
strength the handle is made hollow and provided with a metallic lining
as herein-after described.
Figure 10 shows the handle end of the walking stick gun with the
breech closed; Figure 10*, the same with the breech oponed; Figure 11,
a view taken at right angles to Figure 10*; Figure 12, a view of the
breech and sliding bolt, tho handle being removed; Figure 13, a view at
right angles to Figure 12; Figure 14 shows a detached view of the

page_text: handle; Figure 15, end view of same, while Figures 16 and 17 show
detached views taken at right angles of a tube fitted in the handle.
The same reference letters apply to all the Figures.
"
•
a, stick, containing the barrel b, which forms a continuation of the
breech piece c; d, bolt fitted to slide in c. The arrangement of the
several parts of the action is the same as before described. f. Figures 14
and 15, handle fitted to slide on the breech c, and provided with a
metal tube or lining 9, Figures 15, 16, and 17, secured by a screw h,
Figures 10 and 10%, at i, Figure 14, and j, Figures 16 and 17. The
handle is slid on to the breech, the lining having a longitudinal slot
and opening m, m, to receive the trigger after partially rotating the
handle, the trigger being mounted on the exterior of c; n, projection on
the bolt fixed to the handle f by screws o, o, at p, p, Figure 14, and
r, r, Figures 16 and 17; s, stud fixed to trigger 1, and projecting
slightly from the handle; t, bayonet slot in the handle in which works
the studs in the backward and forward and rotary movements of the
handle.
In applying the improvements to walking stick guns in the above
manner the parts may be readily dismounted for cleaning or repairs by
removing the two screws o, o, and stud s, and drawing the handle off
the breech piece. In order to hide the heads of screws o, o, they may
be screwed through tube g only so that the wood handle will cover the
same while the tube may be firmly united to the handle by gluing,
although the screw will be found sufficient for the purpose.
Figure 18 show a modification the object of which is to cover the
slot so as to prevent the admission of dust, and also give increased
strength to this part of the handle.
The handle is in this case made in two parts; the one part a¹ being
fitted to the handle ¹ of horn, ivory, or metal by screwing or otherwise.
Before fixing part b¹ on a' a socket c', Figure 19, of the same diameter
as the walking stick is interposed, having a longitudinal slot d' of the
same length as slot t. The studs is then screwed on to tlie trigger
passing through slots and t. Thus arranged, on turning the handle
one quarter round stud 8, which is stationary, will hold socket c³, and
prevent it rotating, so that the socket will cover the slot in the handle.
The slots and a' coincide only when sliding the handle forward or
backwards.

page_text: Instead of a studs a small trigger may be pivoted, so that when not
in use it may be depressed into a recess in the handle. It may also be
made to project through into the breech piece to form a safety stop, so
that the arm cannot be discharged until the stop is released.
The walking stick gun above described may also have an umbrella
attached either permanently or otherwise.
Figure 20 shows the improvements applied to a postillion's whip for
army and other purposes; Figure 21, a similar view with the barrel
turned a quarter round to permit of the handle being drawn back, as
shown in Figure 22; Figure 23 shows a plan of the breech detached;
and Figure 24, a side view of same, while Figures 25 and 26 show a
plan and section of the trigger.
A, barrel forming the whip stock; B, thong; C, socket piece attached
to barrel A. by screws D, D; E, trigger.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as the
Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1st. The general arrangement and construction of fire-arm, sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated in the Drawings.
2nd. Constructing the sliding bolt in two parts or concentric tubes
with cam shaped ends, arranged and operating substantially as shown
and described, whereby the needle or striker is drawn back when the
bolt is partly rotated by raising the hand lever.
3rd. The special construction of trigger consisting of two parts only,
viz., a spring d¹ with nib ƒ¹ engaging with the striker when the bolt is
drawn back and trigger h², k², the whole arranged as described and
illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.
4th. The cartridge extractor recessed in the movable head of the
sliding bolt in the manner and for the purpose specified, instead of being
fitted in the breech end of the barrel as usual.
5th. The knob u fixed on the bolt for slow firing, as described and

page_text: 6th. The application of the improvements to all kinds of fire-arms, as
well as to walking stick and whip guns, as described and illustrated.
with reference to Figures 9 to 26 of the Drawings.
In witness' whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of June,
in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-.
three
Witness,
HENRY W. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)