Improvements in Magazine and other Breech Loading Small Arms.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 1st Aug., 1891-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Magazine and other Breech Loading Small Arms.
We FREDERICK JAMES PENN of Frederick Villa Linwood Road Handsworth
In the County of Stafford Gun Action Maker and JouN DEELEY the elder of
No. 82 High Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this. invention to be as follows:
--
Our invention has reference principally to magazine breech loading small arms in
which the breech chamber is opened and closed by a sliding bolt the said bolt
carrying a loose head to which the extractor hook is fixed that is the bolt head is
so connected to the bolt that the latter can perform a partial rotation for locking
and unlocking it without taking the bolt head with it the bolt head remaining
stationary or nearly so in the breech chamber.
The methods ordinarily adopted for connecting the bolt head to the bolt are
defective. For example in the Lee-Speed action the bolt head is connected to the
bolt by a screw pin passed through the bolt and made to work in a transverse
shallow slot in the shank of the head the inner end of the screw pin projecting only
a short distance into the said slot. The bearing surface afforded by this con-
nection is so limited that the strain put upon it in the working of the bolt renders
the fixing screw pin liable to become loose and thereby endangers the efficiency of
the gun or small arm.
The object of our invention is to remedy the defect referred to and consists in
connecting the loose bolt head to the bolt substantially in the ways hereinafter
described.
We form on the end of the shank of the bolt head a solid lug having a large
bearing surface and we make in the wall of the tubular end of the bolt in which
the shank of the head works a longitudinal slot for the solid lug on the said shank
to slide in. We also make in the bolt a cross slot or a slot at right angles to the
axis of the bolt in which cross slot the longitudinal slot opens. In this cross slot
the lug engages to connect the head to the bolt; that is after the lug on the shank
of the head has been advanced into the bolt the turning of the head through a
small angle causes its lug to engage with the cross slot in the bolt and lock or con-
nect the head to the bolt the cross slot in the bolt when the latter is turned for
locking and unlocking it moving on the lug without disconnecting the bolt from
the head. No screw or other loose fastening is thus required to fix the head to the
bolt the head when in its fastened position being practically solid with the bolt.
Or the connecting parts described may be reversed that is the lug may be formed
on the bolt and engaged in a cross slot in the bolt head. In either arrangement the
connecting parts when locked together practically form one solid piece. They
possess a broad bearing and hence wear longer than the ordinary connection and
are not liable to become loose and the bolt head can be separated from the bolt
without the use of a tool.
Instead of using the lug and cross slot described the bolt head may be connected
to the bolt by screwing the former upon the latter that is to say the shank of the
head is screwed externally and screws into a concave screw in the tubular end of
the bolt so that the partial rotation of the bolt does not disconnect it from the
head.
Although our improvements are particularly applicable to magazine guns of the
Lee-Sneed tvne vet they may be applied to bolt guns generally where the bolt is

page_text: fastened and unfastened by a partial rotation and a loose head carrying the
extractor hook is employed with the bolt.
Dated the 25th day of November 1890.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in Magazine and other Breech Loading Small Arms.
We FREDERICK JAMES PENN of Frederick Villa, Linwood Road, Handsworth
in the County of Stafford Gun Action Maker and JOHN DEELEY the elder of
No. 82 High Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
Our invention has reference principally to magazine breech loading small arms in
which the breech chamber is opened and closed by a sliding bolt the said bolt
carrying a loose head to which the extractor hook is fixed, that is, the bolt head is.
so connected to the bolt that the latter can perform a partial rotation for locking"
and unlocking it without taking the bolt head with it the bolt head remaining
stationary or nearly so in the breech chamber.
The methods ordinarily adopted for connecting the bolt head to the bolt are
defective. For example in the Lec-Speed action the bolt head is connected to the
bolt by a screw. pin passed through the bolt and made to work in a transverse
shallow slot in the shank of the head, the inner end of the screw pin projecting
only a short distance into the said slot. The bearing surface afforded by this con-
nection is so limited that the strain put upon it in the working of the bolt renders
the fixing screw pin liable to become loose and thereby endangers the efficiency of
the gun or small arm.
The object of our invention is to remedy the defect referred to and consists in
connecting the loose bolt head to the bolt substantially in the ways hereinafter
described.
We form on the end of the shank of the bolt head a solid lug having a large
bearing surface and we make in the wall of the tubular end of the bolt in which
the shank of the head works a longitudinal slot for the solid lug on the said shank
to slide in. We also make in the bolt, a cross slot or a slot at right angles to the
axis of the bolt, in which cross slot the longitudinal slot opens. In this cross slot.
the lug engages to connect the head to the bolt; that is, after the lug on the shank
of the head has been advanced into the bolt the turning of the head through a
small angle causes its lug to engage with the cross slot in the bolt and lock or
connect the head to the bolt, the cross slot in the bolt when the latter is turned for
locking and unlocking it moving on the lug without disconnecting the bolt from the
head.
Instead of using the lug and cross slot described the bolt head may be connected
to the bolt by screwing the former upon the latter, that is to say, the shank of the
head is screwed externally and screws into a concave screw in the tubular end of
the bolt so that the partial rotation of the bolt does not disconnect it from the
head.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents the sliding bolt of a magazine
or other breech loading gun in the position it occupies when fastened, the loose
head being connected to the bolt according to one of the arrangements of our
invention;
r
Figure 2 represents a cross section of the bolt and head taken on the line a, b
Figure 1 and
Figure 3 represents an elevation of the loose bolt head detached;

page_text: Figure 4 represents a longitudinal section of the front end of the bolt and the
head exhibiting the connection of the loose head thereto and
Figure 5 represents an end elevation of the tubular sliding bolt with the loose
head removed;
Figure 6 represents in side elevation partly in longitudinal section and Figure 7
in cross section, the bolt in the position it occupies after it has been unfastened
preparatory to withdrawing it for reloading the gun.
The sanie letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
and 7.
c is the sliding bolt and d the cover of the same; e is the loose head of the bolt
carrying the extractor hook f. The loose head e is connected to the bolt c so that
the latter can perform a partial rotation for locking and unlocking it without taking
the bolt head with it in the following manner: is the shank of the bolt head e
having a solid lugupon its end. In the solid part of the tubular end of the bolt (sec
Figures 2, 5 and 7) a longitudinal slot is made of a size and shape proper for the
solid lug to slide in. A cross slot is also made in the bolt which cross slot
opens into the longitudinal slot i. In the cross slot the lug on the bolt head
engages to connect the said head to the bolt. In order to engage the lug of the
loose head e with the bolt c the said lug is first advanced in the longitudinal slot i
in the bolt and the lug having reached the end of the said slot the head e is
turned through a small angle so as to cause its lug to engage with the cross slot k
and lock or connect the head to the bolt. When the bolt c is in its locked position
Figure 1 the lug his situated at the top of the cross slot & in the bolt and in line
with the longitudinal slot in the said bolt and when the bolt is turned through
the angle necessary to unlock it as represented in Figures 6 and 7 the cross slot k
in the bolt works upon the lug h of the stationary bolt head e and the said lug is
now situated at the opposite end of the cross slot & and bears against a solid part of
the bolt (see Figure 7) and on the withdrawal of the bolt for opening the breech
chamber the loose head e is carried with it and the cartridge case extracted by the
extractor hook f. in the ordinary way. Thus, the bolte when turned for locking
and unlocking it moves on the lug / without disconnecting the said bolt from the
head.
By this method of connection no screw or loose fastening is required to fix the
head to the bolt the head when in its fastened position being practically solid with
the bolt.
h
The connecting parts described and represented may be reversed; that is, the
lug may be formed on the end of the tubular bolte and engaged in a cross slot
in the bolt head e; but we prefer to use the arrangement of parts represented.
In either arrangement the connecting parts when locked together practically form
one solid piece.
They possess a broad bearing and hence wear longer than the ordinary connection
and are not liable to become loose and the bolt head can be separated from the bolt
without the use of tools.
Figure 8 represents in elevation partly in longitudinal section the arrangement of
our invention in which the loose head of the bolt is connected to the front end of the
bolt by screwing; and
с
Figure 9 represents the bolt head detached. In this arrangement the shank
of the head e is screwed with a fine screw thread and the tubular end of the
bolt c is furnished with a corresponding concave or hollow screw m for the screwed
shank of the head to take into as represented in Figure 8. When the bolu c is
turned in one or other direction for, fastening or unfastening it its hollow screwed
end turns upon the screwed shank of the head so that the partial rotation of the
bolt does not disengage it from the head.
A right or left handed screw thread may be made on the shank of the head; and
instead of a convex screw on the shank of the head the said shank may be screwed
internally for taking upon an external screw on the tubular end of the bolt c.

page_text: The parts of the sliding bolts which we have not described are of the ordinary
kind and constitute no part of our invention.
Although our improvements are particularly applicable to magazine guns of the
Lee-Speed type yet they may be applied to bolt guns generally where the bolt is
fastened and unfastened by a partial rotation and a loose head carrying the extractor
hook is employed with the bolt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention
and the manner of perforining the same we declare that we claim as our inven-
tion of Improvements in magazine and other breech loading small arms having
sliding bolts of the kind described:-
First: The arrangement or combination of parts hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawing for
connecting the loose head carrying the extractor hook to the sliding and partially
rotating bolt of the gun or small arm; that is to say, by means of a lug on the
shank of the bolt head engaging with a transverse or cross slot in the tubular bolt
substantially as described and illustrated; or making the lug on the bolt and the
cross slot in the bolt head as hereinbefore described.
Secondly-The arrangement or combination of parts hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawing in which the loose bolt
head is connected to the bolt by screwing the shank of the head into a hollow screw
in the interior of the bolt or onto a convex screw on the exterior of the bolt sub-
stantially as described and illustrated.
Dated the 29th day of July 1891
FREDERICK JAMES PENN.
JOHN DEELEY, SENR.