IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hunt, of Leman Street, Goodman's Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 30th April 1867, and dated the 6th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th November 1866.
I, THOMAS HUNT, of Leman Street, Goodman's Fields, in the County of:
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-arms.
Breech-loading fire-arms as at present, constructed are usually provided with
an instrument called an "extractor," which when the breech is opened draws
back for a short distance the case of the cartridge last fired. The extractor
however leaves the cartridge case in such a position that it requires further
operations for its removal; it is usually removed by hand, but this involves
a loss of time which materially affects the speed at which the arm can be
fired.
Now according to my Invention I employ an instrument which takes the
cartridge case as soon as the extractor leaves it, and' by a sudden backward
movement throws it out of the barrel. If the trough or passage by which the
cartridge is introduced into the barrel is closed at the back I place or form an

page_text: incline at this point, so that when the cartridge case is driven back against it
by the instrument already mentioned it rises up the incline and escapes clear
of the piece. The extractor I employ is furnished with a spiral spring which
returns it to its position as soon as it has done its work, and I form on this
extractor rack teeth which gear with a pinion, and this drives the instrument
by which the cartridge case is thrown out. As the extractor moves back,
bringing the cartridge case with it, it causes the instrument with which it is
geared by the pinion to move forward, and a catch upon it seizes the flange
at the back of the cartridge case just as the extractor completes its work, and
as the extractor flies forward by the action of its spiral spring the instrument,
which now has hold of the cartridge case, makes a corresponding backward
movement and the cartridge case is so thrown out.
In breech-loading central fire-arms in which an inclined needle is employed
an inclined passage is bored in the block which closes the breech, and at the
lower end of the passage is a hole passing to the face of the block and of small
diameter as compared with the upper part of the passage.. The needle is of
two diameters corresponding with the passage formed for it, and a spiral
spring lodged in the passage acting on the shoulder of the needle tends con-
stantly to press it back. There is, according to my Invention, a small stud
which projects into the passage, and a bayonet groove on the stem of the
needle. To insert the needle into its working position it then requires only
to place it so that the stud corresponds with the groove and to press it down
into its passage, compressing the spring beneath it; then by turning it partly
round it becomes locked by the bayonet groove, but the groove is so formed
as to allow it the play it requires in working.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said Thomas Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HUNT, of Leman Street, Goodman's Fields, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of Nevember, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Hunt, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas.

page_text: Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Hunt, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Hunt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-arms.
Breech-loading fire-arms as at present constructed are usually provided with
an instrument called an "extractor," which when the breech is opened draws
back for a short distance the case of the cartridge last fired. The extractor
however leaves the cartridge case in such a position that it requires further
operations for its removal; it is usually removed by hand, but this involves a
loss of time which materially affects the speed at which the arm can be fired.
Now according to my Invention I employ an instrument which takes the
cartridge case as soon as the extractor leaves it, and by a sudden backward
movement.throws it out of the barrel. If the trough or passage by which the
cartridge is introduced into the barrel is closed at the back I place or form
an incline at this point, so that when the cartridge case is driven back against
it by the instrument already mentioned it rises up the incline and escapes
clear of the piece. The extractor I employ is furnished with a spiral spring
which returns to its position as soon as it has done its work, and. I form on
this extractor rack teeth which gear with a pinion, and this drives the instru-
ment by which the cartridge case is thrown out. As the extractor moves
back, bringing the cartridge case with it, it causes the instrument with which
it is geared by the pinion to move forward, and a catch upon it seizes the
flange at the back of the cartridge case just as the extractor completes its
work, and as the extractor flies forward by the action of its spiral spring the
instrument which now has hold of the cartridge case makes a corresponding

page_text: and is at their ends.
lug on the body c; it is bored through to form a socket to receive the extractor
or instrument i for withdrawing the cartridge case after the charge has been
fired. Figure 11 is a side view of the extractor; Figure 12 is a plan, partly
in section, and Figure 13 is a back view of the same. The barrel of the
extractor is made in two parts i¹ and is; the fore part is locked by a screw k
in the socket c; this serew enters the hole in the body, and the hole *** in
the extractor; it also passes through a hole d' in the head of the pin d, and
so secures it. The hinder part of the barrel of the extractor is capable of
sliding to and fro in the socket c', and it is drawn constantly towards the front
by the spiral spring which the barrel contains; this spring is shewn sepa-
rately at Figure 14; it is fixed at its ends within the barrel by screwing it
into screw threads tapped as is shewn within the parts
The head of the extractor is made flat at is to slide on the flat side of the open
trough or space c³, and to keep it truly in contact with this surface it is fur-
nished with a hook at which catches into the groove in the body. The
part of the head of the extractor fits into a notch c in the cylindrical part of
the body which contains the hinder end of the cartridge when it is in its place
for firing, and the flange at the back of the cartridge enters the groove 2* in
the extractor, which groove is, in fact, at this time a continuation of the
recess in the body; hence when the head of the extractor is caused to move
back it draws back the cartridge case with it. The extractor is actuated by
a piece m, which is shown in side view at Figure 15; Figure 16 is a back
view, and Figure 17 a longitudinal section of the same.
The piece m fits on
to the pin or axis d in front of the socket 3 of the breech block, and the
socket enters. within it a short distance; the rear end of the piece m being bored
sufficiently large, and being notched at the side at m¹ to receive it; thus the
piece m. is compelled to turn on its axis d with the block e. There is sufficient
distance between the lugs c³ of the body to allow the piece m to slide longi-
tudinally a short distance, but it is pressed forwards constantly by the spiral
spring placed on the axis d between the pieces e and m; these parts are
clearly seen in Figure 18, which is a section taken on the line 5, 5; Figure 6;
m² is a screw thread passing about one-third round the piece m. When the
breech of the gun is closed the fore end of the screw lies immediately beneath
the part of the head of the extractor, and there is an inclined, groove 1x in
this part, corresponding with the thread m³, and with which the said thread
engages as soon as in opening the breech the piece m commences to turn, and
as it continues to turn it draws back the head of the extractor and the
cartridge case with it, until presently the rear end of the thread m³ travels out
of the groove *, and then immediately the spiral spring
which was extended

page_text: whilst the head of the extraetor moved backwards causes it to fly forward to
its original position. When the breech is again closed the back of the
thread n² at its fore end comes against the part of the head of the extractor,
but these parts being inclined the piece m is pushed back, the spring n being
compressed until when the thread m² has passed the extractor head the spring
pushes the piece m again forward so that the thread m³ is ready to catch into
the groove when the breech is next opened. The manner in which the
piece m gears into the extractor i is clearly indicated at Figure 19, which is a
back view of these parts in their relative positions.
So far as the extractor has been at present explained it is the subject of the
former Patent granted to me, and herein-before referred to; this extractor
withdraws the cartridge case a distance of three-quarters of an inch or there-
about, and there leaves it. According to my present Invention in order to
throw this cartridge case entirely out of the trough or space c³ in the body
another instrument o is employed. Figure 20 is a plan, and Figure 21 a side
view of the instrument o; it lies in a groove c' on the under side of the body,
and is there held by a stop screw entered into the hole c³; o' are rack teeth
on the instrument o; they gear with a pinion p shown separately at Figures 22;
this pinion drops into the recess c in the body, and turns upon a pin screwed
into the hole c; the teeth of this pinion gear with teeth i* underneath the
barrel of the extractor, and so each time the extractor works the pinion p
rotates and gives motion to the instrument o. The action of these parts will
be easily understood on reference to Figure 23, which is a section taken at
the line 6, 6, of Figure 6; o³ is a nib on the tail o³ of the piece o, it is lodged
in a slot c in the side of the trough or space of the body. When the
piece o is at its furthest position backwards, as it is when the breech is closed,
the nib o' does not project into the trough or space c³, which is then filled with
the semi-cylindrical portion e¹ of the breech block. The nib o' is at this time
held back by the end of the tail os coming against the incline c* on the body,
which springs the tail o³, and also more or less inclines the whole piece o in its
guide slot c, which it does not exactly fit. As soon as the piece o begins to
move forward the tail o³ leaves the incline cx, and the spring of the tail and
the form of the guide slot c combine to throw the nib o' forward into the trough
or space c³. As the nib o³ moves on presently it comes against the flange of
the cartridge case which the extractor i is bringing out of the barrel, and the
nib o' being inclined in front recedes to let it pass, its tail o bending, but as
soon as it has passed the nib again starts forwards, and immediately afterwards
the thread m³ gets past the part of the extractor, which by its spring is
caused directly to fly forwards, and the same spring simultaneously causes the

page_text: piece o to fly back, and in so doing the hooked portion of the nib o' catches
the flange of the cartridge case and throws it suddenly backwards, driving it
against the incline q fixed at the back of the trough or space c³ by a screw
entering the hole c¹; this incline deflects the cartridge case upwards, so that
it falls out clear of the gun. There is a notch at the bottom of the block e
and a notch in the sliding plug f to accommodate the incline q. When an
inclined needle is employed the parts are arranged as is shown at Figure 24.
e is the block which closes the breech, and f is the inclined needle and plug,
which is more clearly represented at Figure 25. A passage is bored through
the block to receive the piece f, and f* is a screw, the end of which projects
into the passage. The piece. f is put into its place in the block e by pressing
it down with a turnscrew entered into the neck in its head and turning it half
round, then when the pressure is withdrawn the spiral spring between it
throws it up, and the end of the screw f* entering the shorter limb of the
groove in the piece f holds it securely.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details described; but what I claim is,―
The employment of an instrument o which takes the cartridge case as soon
as the extractor leaves it, and by a sudden backward movement throws it out,
as herein-before described.
I also claim the employment of an incline p to receive the cartridge case
as it is thrown backwards and direct it clear of the piece.
I also claim the securing the needle by means of a bayonet groove, 'as is
illustrated by Figures 24 and 25.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hunt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ΜΠΟ