IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE- ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to René Louis Martin, of Saarbruck, in the Kingdom
of Prussia, temporarily of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS." A communication from abroad by Oscar Oelkers and Frederic
Spengler, both of Liège, Belgium.
Sealed the 18th June 1867, and dated the 20th December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said René Louis Martin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
December 1866.
I, RENÉ LOUIS MARTIN, of Saarbruck, in the Kingdom of Prussia,
temporarily of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention chiefly relates to breech-loading fire-arms in which the
barrels are made to tilt upon a hinge, and at the same time move forward a
short distance when the charge is required to be inserted.
The Invention consists, first, in an arrangement whereby the needles or
strikers are actuated directly by the tumblers instead of by the ordinary
hammers; secondly, in the combination of the parts of the lock; thirdly, in an
arrangement by which the lever which locks the barrels cocks or sets the

page_text: needles for the next discharge; fourthly, in means of preventing the escape of
gas at the breech; and, fifthly, in the construction and employment of a key
for preventing the needles being acted upon when it is desired to have the
piece at "half-cock," all as hereafter described.
.
The needles or strikers are fitted at their rear ends in blocks loosely
connected by screw pins to tumblers hinged to the "action." The tumblers
are formed with tail pieces connected by short links to main springs. When
the needles are "cocked" the tumblers are held back by sears acted on by
springs, so as to take into a notch in each tumbler, which sears are released
when acted upon by the triggers, the triggers and sears being formed in one
picce.
The tumblers are each formed with one notch or "bent" into which the
rear end of a kind of paul takes in order to raise the tumblers and push back
the needles. The fore end of this paul is jointed to the rear end of the
locking lever which is jointed to and extends longitudinally under the fore
part of the stock, being fitted in a recess formed for the purpose. The rear
end of the locking lever is connected by a larger and a smaller link to a lump
on the under side of the barrel. The locking lever also carries on its upper
side a wedge-shaped lump, which when the barrels are in position passes
through an aperture in the stock, and takes in front of another lump on the
lower part of the barrels, and keeps the barrels wedged up tight. In front of
the lumps before mentioned the barrels are formed with a third lump which is
slotted, and a pin which passes transversely through the stock and through
the slot forms the hinge or joint upon which the barrels are tilted. The
locking lever when in place is held by a spring catch on its fore end, taking
into a notch on the last-mentioned lump. The action is as follows:-
Supposing the gun to have been discharged, and it is desired to tilt the
barrels to insert a fresh charge, the spring catch on the locking lever is
released, and this lever drawn downwards into about a vertical position; this
movement releases the wedge and causes the larger and smaller links before
mentioned to push the barrels forward, the slotted lump allowing of this
movement, and the barrels tilt by reason of their own weight. The drawing
down of the locking lever also causes the paul to take into the notch in each
tumbler, so as to raise the tumblers and set the needles and other parts of the
lock into position for firing; the empty cartridge cases are now withdrawn
and the fresh charge inserted into the rear ends of the barrels. To close the
barrels return them into line with the breech, and then forcibly draw them
hack, when the locking lever is forced up into place by the action of the
links, and the paul is thereby drawn forward clear of the tumbler notches.

page_text: To assist in guiding the barrels in their backward movement the middle lump
on the barrels has a horizontal slot into which a pin on the inside of the stock
takes.
My means of preventing the escape of gas at the breech consists in the
combination with a recess or space in the breech behind each barrel of a ring
on the rear end of each barrel, such ring having an internal diameter equal to
that of the bore, and an external diameter less than the external diameter of
the barrels. When the barrels are in place the rings enter the corresponding
recesses in the breech, and bear against shoulders formed therein, so as to
produce a bermetic closing.
The key before referred to for preventing the needles being acted upon
consists of a plate fitted in an aperture in the upper "tang," and carrying on
its lower face a projection; a handle outside the tang is secured to the
plate. By turning the plate a quarter round by means of the handle the
projection is brought above the tumblers in front of projections thereon,
whereby the tumblers are prevented acting until the plate is returned a
quarter round. The handle by preference consists of a curved pin, the centre
of which is connected to the key plate while the two ends are bent upwards;
when the key is moved so as to hold the tumblers these ends are in the line
of sight.
I have described the Invention in reference to double-barrel guns, but it
AL
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said René Louis Martin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RENÉ
LOUIS MARTIN, of Saarbruck, in the Kingdom of Prussia, temporarily of 166,
Fleet Street, in the City of London, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, 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 René Louis Martin, Her special licence that I, the said René Louis
Martin, ny executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said René Louis Martin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," (communicated to me from abroad
by Oscar Oelkers and Frederic Spengler, both of Liège, Belgium,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said René Louis Martin, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their bands 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 mouths next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said René Louis Martin, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say :-
This Invention chiefly relates to breech-loading fire-arms in which the
barrels are made to tilt upon a hinge and at the same time move forward
a short distance when the charge is required to be inserted.
The Invention consists, first, in an arrangement whereby the needles or
strikers are actuated directly by the tumblers instead of by the ordinary
hammers; secondly, in the combination of the parts of the lock; thirdly, in
an arrangement by which the lever which locks the barrels cocks or sets the
needles for the next discharge; fourthly, in means of preventing the escape
of gas at the breech; and fifthly, in the construction and employment of a
key for preventing the needles being acted upon when it is desired to have
the piece at "half-cock," all as hereafter described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings, which represent a double-barreled gun constructed
according to the improvements.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the gun with the parts in position for firing;
Figure 2 is a similar view with the barrels tilted; Figure 3 is a side view,
and Figure 4 a plan of the breech parts and lock removed.
The needles or strikers a, a, are fitted at their rear ends in blocks b, b, loosely
connected by screw pins c, c, at their rear to tumblers d, d, hinged to the
"action" e. Figure 5 gives detached views of one of the needles a and its block b.
The tumblers d (one of which is shown detached in Figure 6)
with tail pieces connected by short links 9 to main springs h.
needles a, a, are cocked the tumblers d are held back by sears i acted on by
are formed
When the

page_text: springs so as to take into a notch 2 in each tumbler, which sears i are
released when acted upon by the triggers m, the triggers and sears being
formed in one piece. The tumblers d are each formed with one notch or
"bent" n into which the rear end of a kind of paul o takes in order to raise
the tumblers & and push back the needles a; the fore end of this paul o is
jointed to the rear end of the locking lever p, which is jointed to and extends
longitudinally under the fore part of the stock, being fitted in a recess q
formed for the purpose. The rear end of the locking lever p is connected
by a larger link r and a smaller links to a lump on the under side of the
barrel. Figure 7 is a view of the under side of the barrel.
Figure 8 is a side view, and Figure 9 a plan of the locking lever and
links; the locking lever p also carries on its upper side a wedge-shaped
lump which when the barrels are in position passes through an aperture v
in the stock and takes in front of another lump won the lower part of the
barrels and keeps the barrels wedged up tight. In front of the lumps
before mentioned the barrels are formed with a third lump a which is slotted
at y, and a pin z which passes transversely through the stock and through
the slot y forms the hinge or joint upon which the barrels are tilted. The
locking lever p when in place is held by a spring catch a¹ on its fore end
taking into a notch on the lump x.
The action is as follows:-Supposing the gun to have been discharged
and it is desired to tilt the barrels to insert a fresh charge the spring catch a¹
on the locking lever p is released, and this lever drawn downwards into about
a vertical position, as seen in Figure 2; this movement releases the wedge u
aud causes the larger and the smaller links r and s to push the barrels
forward, the slotted lump a allowing of this movement, and the barrels tilt
by reason of their own weight; the drawing down of the locking lever p also
causes the paulo to take into the notch n in each tumbler so as to raise
the tumblers and set the needles and other parts of the lock into position
for firing; the empty cartridge cases are now withdrawn and the fresh charge
inserted into the rear end of the barrels. To close the barrels return them
into line with the breech and then forcibly draw them back, when the locking
lever p is forced up into place by the action of the links and s, and the
paulo is thereby drawn forward clear of the tumbler notches n. To assist
in guiding the barrels in their backward movement the middle lump w on the
barrels has a horizontal slot into which a pin c¹ on the inside of the stock
takes.
My means of preventing the escape of gas at the breech consists in the
combination with a recess or space d', Figures 3 and 4,. in the breech

page_text: behind each barrel of a ring e', Figures 2 and 7, on the rear end of each
barrel, such ring having an internal diameter equal to that of the bore, and
an external diameter less than the external diameter of the barrels. When
the barrels are in place the rings enter the corresponding recesses in the
breech and bear against shoulders f¹ formed therein so as to produce a hermetic
closing.
The key before referred to for preventing the needles being acted upon
will be understood on reference to Figures 10, 11, and 12, Figure 10 being a
plan, Figure 11 a longitudinal section, and Figure 12 a view of the under
side of the upper "tang" and parts connected therewith. The key consists
of a plate g¹ fitted in an aperture in the upper "tang" h, and carrying on its
lower face a projection ; a handle outside the "tang" is secured to the
plate g. By turning the plate a quarter round by means of the handle
the projection is brought above the tumblers d, d, in front of projections 1.
thereon, whereby the tumblers are prevented acting until the plate g¹ is
returned a quarter round. The handle k' by preference consists of a curved pin,
as shown, the centre of which is connected to the key plate, while the two
ends are bent upwards; when the key is moved so as to hold the tumblers
these ends are in the line of sight, as seen in Figure 11.
Figure 18 is a view of a cartridge adapted for use in this gun; it is formed
with a broad paper or pasteboard flange at its base, which when the barrels
are in position takes into the recess or space d¹ in the breech. When the
barrels are tilted the cartridge cases remain in the rear of the barrels and
can be withdrawn by hand; and in order to prevent the cases remaining or
sticking in the recesses d¹ I sometimes use an appliance to ease them in the
recesses, so that they may remain in the rear of the barrels when the lever p
is depressed and the barrels tilted. This appliance consists of a rod m¹
pivoted to the rear end of the lever p and formed with a piece n' which
forms part of the rear face of the recess when the barrels are in position.
I have described the Invention in reference to double-barrel guns, but it
of course applies to guns with only one barrel.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that 1 claim as the "Improve-
ments in Breech-loading Fire-arms,”—
First, the arrangement, substantially as herein-before described with
reference to the accompanying Drawings, whereby the needles or strikers
are actuated directly by the tumblers.
Secondly, the combination of the parts of the lock, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Thirdly, the arrangement substantially as herein-before described with
reference to the accompanying Drawings by which the lever which locks the
barrels cocks or sets the needles for the next discharge.
Fourthly, preventing the escape of gas at the breech, substantially by the
means berein-before described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Fifthly, the construction and employment, substantially as berein-before
described with reference to the accompanying Drawings, of a key for pre-
venting. the needles being acted upon when it is desired to have the gun at
Thirdly, the arrangement substantially as herein-before described with
reference to the accompanying Drawings by which the lever which locks the
barrels cocks or sets the needles for the next discharge.
Fourthly, preventing the escape of gas at the breech, substantially by the
means herein-before described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Fifthly, the construction and employment, substantially as berein-before
described with reference to the accompanying Drawings, of a key for pre-
venting the needles being acted upon when it is desired to have the gun at
ball-cock.
In witness whereof, I, the
my hand and seal, this
hundred and sixty-seven.
said René Louis Martin, have hereunto set
Fifteenth day of June, One thousand eight
RENÉ LOUIS MARTIN. (L.S.)
RENÉ LOUIS MARTIN. (L.B.)