IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE- ARMS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philip Thomas Godsal, of the 52nd Regiment, Light
Infantry, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Philip Thomas Godsal at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th March 1880.
" IMPROVE-
PHILIP THOMAS GODSAL, of the 52nd Regiment, Light Infantry.
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIREARMS."
This Invention relates to that class of breech loading firearms in which the
sliding breech block is actuated by a lever, say, the trigger guard lever, the objects
being to simplify the.construction of such arms, and to increase their efficiency and
safety in use. The breech block, which covers the breech end of the barrel, slides
in guides formed for it by the side pieces or cheeks which connect the breech with
the small of the butt, and it is held in place against the back pressure of the ignited
charge by the metal facings on the rear end of the breech case.
In order to raise and lower this breech block the trigger guard lever is forked at
its forward end, and the prongs are curved backwards so as to constitute at once a
pair of hooks and a pair of travelling cams. These curved extremities of the lever
pass through recesses made in opposite sides of the breech block, and they thus serve,
as the lever is rocked, to draw down the block in its guides so as to expose the breech
end of the barrel, or to force up the block into the closed position. The fulcrum
pin of the breech lever serves to carry the hammer and also the cartridge extractor,
and the breech block is slotted centrally to allow of the hammer playing through
it to reach the cartridge. The tumbler portion of the hammer is formed with a
radial projection or spur which overlies a finger pivotted to a transverse supporting
pin. The free end of this finger lies upon a cam projection on the forked lever, and
as this lever is rocked its cam projection will lift the finger and cause it to tip
back the hammer into the cocked position, and that before the breech block begins
to descend under the action of the fork of the trigger guard lever, sufficient play
being allowed in the sides of the breech block to ensure a delay in the action of the
hooked extremities of the forked lever.

page_text: In order to fix the trigger guard or breech lever, whether in a closed or in an
open position, it is provided at its forked end with a cam shaped lump, against
which one end of the mainspring bears; the other end is linked, as usual, to the
tumbler, and takes a bearing therefrom to act upon the breech lever. By the
pressure therefore of the tail end of this spring upon the cam shaped lump a
tendency is given to the lever to remain in either of the two extreme positions at
which it is set. Another advantage of this arrangement is that the gun is made
self closing, and no catch is required to keep the action closed. The extractor,
which is pivotted as before stated on the fulcrum pin of the forked lever, is a bent
lever formed with a shoulder which overlies a shoulder on the forward edge of the
forked lever, but interposed between these shoulders is a pivotted finger for trans-
mitting the motion of one lever to the other. When a cartridge is inserted the
extractor will be forced forwards into its seat in the barrel, and by this act a closing
movement will be imparted to the forked lever, which movement will be supple-
mented by the main spring.
To prevent the accidental discharge of the gun a bell crank rock lever is provided
in rear of the hammer, and of such form that when the hammer is at cock it will
present to the striking point thereof a hooked extension that would effectually
prevent the fall of the hammer, even if an impulse were imparted thereto. The
rock lever is conveniently moved to this position by the action of one of the prongs
of the forked lever or the block upon its tail end immediately following the cocking
movement. To withdraw the bell crank lever from its locking position a slide is
provided which takes onto a projection of that lever, and will, as the slide is drawn.
back, tip the bell crank lever out of the way of the hammer.
As a further security against the accidental discharge of the piece the bell crank
lever near its fulcrum is formed with a projecting heel, which will offer an obstruc-
tion to the withdrawal of the trigger from the "bent" of the hammer when the
bell crank lever is in its forward position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of th
the said Philip Thomas Godsal in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
September 1880.
PHILIP THOMAS GODSAL, of the 52nd Regiment, Light Infantry.
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
" IMPROVE-
This Invention relates to that class of breech loading fire arms in which the
sliding breech block is actuated by a lever, say, the trigger guard lever, the objects
being to simplify the construction of such arms, and to increase their efficiency and
safety in use.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn at Figures 1 and 2 so much of a
breech loading fire arm, with my improvements applied thereto, as will serve' to
explain the nature of the Invention.
In these Figures A is the stock, secured as usual to the wrought metal body or
breech case B, into the front of which the barrel C is secured; D is the breech block
which closes the breech end of the barrel; this block slides between the sides of the
breech case B, and is held in place against the back pressure of the ignited charge
by the vertical metal facings b.
E is the trigger guard lever, from which the motion is derived for raising and
lowering the breech block D; F is the hammer; G, the trigger; and H, the
cartridge extractor. These four pieces, E, F, G, and H, all work on a common
fulcrum I, which is carried by the sides of the breech case; K. is the main spring
for actuating the hammer, and holding the trigger guard in its open and in its
closed position. Fig. 1. is a longitudinal section representing the parts in the
position which they assume on the firing of the gun; and Fig. 2 is a similar
section showing the parts in the position they will take when the gun is to receive
a fresh cartridge.
In order to raise and lower the breech block D the trigger guard lever E is forked
at its forward end, and the prongs are curved backwards so as to constitute at
once a pair of travelling cams e for lifting the block and a pair of hooks for drawing
it down to expose the breech end of the barrel. These curved extremities e of the
lever E pass through recesses d made in opposite sides of the breech block D, as
shewn best in the detached views, Figures 3, and they thus serve, as the lever is
rocked, to draw down the block into the position shewn in Fig. 2, or to force it up
into the closed position of Fig. 1. d is a central vertical slot made in the breech
block to allow of the hammer playing through it to reach the cartridge; Fig. 4
shews in side elevation, and Fig. 5 in front elevation, the forked trigger guard lever
and the hammer and extractor connected together by the fulcrum pin I, but removed
from the gun to render the construction of the parts more clear. The main spring K
is also shewn in position and connected with the hammer by a link in the usual
manner. The tumbler portion of the hammer F is formed with a radial projection
or spur f(see the detached views, Figures 6), which spur overlies a finger L (shewn
detached at Figures 7), which finger is pivotted to a transverse supporting pin
having its bearings in the breech case B. The free end of this finger lies upon a
cam projection e' on the inner side of one of the prongs of the forked lever E, and
as this lever is rocked its cam projection will lift the finger L, and cause it to tip
back the hammer into the cocked position of Fig. 2. This action will commence
before the breech block begins to descend under the action of the fork of the trigger
guard lever, sufficient play being allowed in the sides of the breech block to ensure
such a delay in the action of the hooked extremities of the forked lever as will
permit of the hammer getting out of the way of the descending breech block.
In order to fix the trigger guard or breech lever, whether in-a-closed or in an
open position, it is provided at its forked end with a cam shaped lump e² (see

page_text: tr
Fig. 5), against the underface of which the " stand "side of the main spring K
bears. By the pressure of this spring upon the cam shaped lump a tendency is given
to the lever E to remain in either of the two extreme positions at which it is set,
as shewn at Figures 1 and 2. Another advantage of this arrangement is that the
gun is made self-closing, and no catch is required to keep the action closed. The
extractor H, which is pivotted, as before stated, on the fulcrum pin I of the forked
lever, and is recessed into the forward end of the breech case B (as shewn by dots
in Fig. 1) is a bent lever of peculiar construction. This extractor (shewn detached at
Figures 8) is formed with a shoulder h, which overlies a shoulder es on the forward
edge of the forked lever, but interposed between these shoulders is a finger M
pivotted on a tranverse pin m (see Figures 9 and 10) for transmitting the motion of
one lever to the other powerfully and slowly at first and then with a quick jerk.
When a cartridge is inserted in the barrel C the extractor will be forced forwards
into its recess, as at Fig. 9, and by this act a closing movement will be imparted to
the forked lever, which movement will be supplemented by the main spring.
To prevent the accidental discharge of the gun a bell crank rock lever N is
provided in rear of the hammer.
The horizontal arm of this bell crank lever lies in the path of the breech block D,
and on the descent of the block the lever will be tipped into the position shewn in
Fig. 2.
The bell crank lever (shewn detached at Figures 11 and 12) is formed near its
fulcrum with a projecting heel n, which will offer an obstruction to the withdrawal
of the trigger from the "bent" of the hammer by standing in the path of a corre-
sponding heel g of the trigger when the bell crank lever N is in its forward position,
as shewn at Fig. 2. To withdraw the bell crank lever from its locking position a
slide (shewn detached at Fig. 13) is provided, which lies in a groove in the
channel formed for the cartridge in the small of the butt. This slide is slotted or
recessed to receive the extremity of the vertical limb of the lever N, and will as it
is drawn back tip the lever out of the way of the trigger. The further to prevent
the accidental discharge of the gun, the slide O in its advanced position is caused
to overlie the striking point of the hammer, as shewn at Fig. 2, and it will thus
offer an effectual obstruction to the hammer reaching the cartridge in case it should
accidentally escape from the trigger.
To facilitate the "stripping" and "assembling" of the action of the gun I arrange
the fulcrum pin I so that it will admit of receiving a slight endway motion,
by which means it is caused to engage with and is disengaged from the breech
case.
This fulcrum pin is made in two unequal parts I, I', (see the detached view,
Fig. 14) which meet in the lump e². The part I terminates in a screw thread and
head, whilst the part I is turned down so as to fit a shoulder made to receive it in
the side plate of the breech case. A small hole e' is made in the fork E, in which
a pin may be inserted in order to clamp the main spring should it be found desirable
to do so.
By withdrawing the screwed part I of the fulcrum pin the part I can be driven
in flush with the sides of the forked lever, and the lever may then be withdrawn,
taking with it the hammer, extractor, and main spring, together with the breech
block.
In order to secure these parts in position it is only necessary to bring the fulcrum
pin (on which the parts are strung) into coincidence with the screw I and the
drilled hole on the opposite side of the breech case, and to advance the screw I
until its extremity has thrust the shoulder of the pin I' into contact with the side
of the breech case.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of " Improvements in Breech-
loading Fire-arms," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I 5
claim,―
•
First. The arrangement of mechanism above described, whereby through the

page_text: rocking of the trigger guard lever or its equivalent a sudden, rapid, and gradually
decreasing motion is imparted to the hammer for the purpose of cocking the same,
and in its proper sequence a slow motion, increasing in speed, is imparted to the
cartridge extractor for the purpose of removing the cartridge from the gun
Second. Connecting the "stand" end of the main spring with the trigger guard
lever in the manner described, whereby that lever will be fixed automatically in a
closed or an open position.
Third. The arrangement of mechanism above described for preventing the
accidental discharge of the gun.
In witness whereof, I, the said Philip Thomas Godsal, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
PHILIP THOMAS GODSAL. (L.S.)