A COMBINED SINGLE LOADING AND REPEATING RIFLE, AND CARTRIDGES THEREFOR to
Year: 1885

page_text: J
I RICHARD JENNINGS of Ballinrobe Ireland House Carpenter do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for A COMBINED SINGLE LOADING AND REPEATING
RIFLE, AND CARTRIDGES THEREFOR to be as follows:-
1st A gun stock in external appearance of ordinary construction but internally
and longitudinally through it is a tube or hollow cylinder containing the cartridges
for repeating in regular succession the bullet of each having a conical cavity
on its fore end to prevent it from pressing on the central cap of the cartridge
preceding it.
2nd A tube running parallel with the barrel and internally in the stock to the
left hand side of and parallel with the position of the ramrod in an ordinary rifle.
In this tube or cylinder is contained a spiral spring which when' not under com-
pression is to be the whole length of the barrel-and its use is to feed the cartridges
in the magazine tube on to the device hereinafter called the elevator.
3rd Another tube in the stock parallel with the magazine tube and connected to
it by means of a longitudinal slit or groove which runs from the butt end to the
elevator-This tube and the tube into which the spiral spring "paragraph 2" is
inserted are communications at their adjacent ends.
4th A wheel at the butt end of the stock round which a chain is to be wound.
which passes along through the tube running parallel with the magazine tube and
on through the centre of the spiral spring in the tube which runs parallel with the
barrel and is fastened to it at the muzzle end At a suitable place in this chain is a
circular bar equal in diameter to the tube and of suitable length-To this circular
bar is pivotted a spring lug a part of it being of wedge form tapering to its rear
end, and with a catch which will travel rearwards without engaging the flanges of
the cartridges in the magazine tube but on travelling forwards its catch will
rise through the slit or groove which forms the longitudinal connection of the
two tubes and will engage with the hindmost cartridge.
5th The elevator for raising the foremost cartridge in the magazine tube through
the angle which is necessarily caused by the different positions of the stock and
barrel-This is done as follows:-Half the diameter of the barrel is cut away from
off its inner side longitudinally to a little more than the length of one cartridge
and to the rear of its firing position in the breech-This is replaced by a similar

page_text: piece which is hinged on a rule joint on its fore end and is made to descend until
its inner surface comes on a range with and forms a part of the inner-circumference
of the magazine tube--This hinged piece being semi-spherical and equal in diameter
to half the barrel and the barrel and. the magazine tube being equal the foremost
cartridge can by the action of the spring lug slide easily on to it, and in its
elevation the cartridge which it carries is brought up on to the plane of the barrel-
The cocker will be attached to the tumbler in the ordinary way and will be self-
cocking and actuated by the trigger working on a pivot and having a convex end
or projection from the pivot which works into a concave lug on the tumbler-This
causes the tumbler to revolve on its axis and send the hammer into its cocking
position Another. lever is made fast to the tumbler and pivotted to the rear end
of the elevator and so constructed as to ensure the cartridge being in the plane of
the barrel at the proper moment.
6th A device for thrusting forward the cartridge into its firing position in the
breech after it has been raised to the level of the breech by the elevator.-This is
done by a plunger which works longitudinally in a tube in the plane of the centre
of the barrel but to the rear of the cartridge when it has been raised by the
elevator-The front end of this plunger has a conical cavity similar to that in the
bullet to prevent it from striking and firing the central cap of the cartridge-
Round this plunger is coiled a spiral spring of sufficient strength to thrust the
cartridge into its firing position in the breech. To the rear end of the plunger is
pivotted a spring lug which comes a little forward of but parallel with it-The
plunger is actuated in this manner-As the cocker is rising to its cocking position
a lug or projection of the tumbler engages with the spring lug of the plunger
which forces it rearwards and causes a compression of the spiral spring-Just a
little before the cocker has reached its full cocking position the projection or lug of
the tumbler disengages from the spring lug of the plunger and the compression of
the spiral spring is relaxed which causes the plunger to spring rapidly forward and
strike the flange of the cartridge which is by this time in the plane of the barrel,
and thrust it rapidly forward into its firing position in the breech by the force
imparted to the plunger.
7th The Breech Block, made to descend and ascend in a grove or recess on the
under side of the barrel and a little to the front of the rule joint hinge of the
elevator This breech block is made to descend and ascend by means of a lever,
connected in a suitable manner to the tumbler and pivotted to the breech block
also working on an axis on or near its centre-As the hammer and elevator are
rising this breech block is descending, and when the elevator and plunger have
done their work the cartridge being in its firing position in the breech the breech
block descends and is in its proper position behind the flange of the cartridge as
the force of the hammer comes upon the
of the cartridge.
8th A device for causing the ignition of the cartridge which is constructed in
this manner To the left hand side of the breech block is pivotted a lever which
runs crosswise to the back of the breech block-On that position of the breech-.
block which when it is in its raized position comes directly opposite the central
cap of the cartridge is pierced a hole for the firing pin of this lever to pass through-
There is also a pin running parallel with the barrel and to its right hand side to
communicate the force of the hammer to the right hand end of the firing pin lever
which is pivotted to the breech block-The manner of loading the magazine tube
will be as follows viz.-By placing the arm in a slanting position muzzle end
downwards and letting the cartridges drop in through a hole in the heel of the
stock such hole being the longitudinal continuation of the magazine tube and is to
have a sliding cover crosswise on the heel plate The cartridges will by their own
gravity descend and rest upon each other-On turning the handle of the wheel
which is to be on the right hand side. of the stock the chain will be wound up
which will cause the compression of the spiral spring in the tube alongside the
barrel and the rearward movement of the circular bar on to which the spring lug
is pivotted--the wedge-shaped eud of which will pass freely over the flanges of

page_text: the cartridges until it reaches behind the flange of the hindmost cartridge in the
magazine tube-the compression on the spring lug is then relaxed which causes it
to jut out behind it and on the handle being let free its catch will engage with it
and leave it in a position to be moved forward together with all the cartridges
preceding it in the magazine tube-These cannot at present move forward owing
to the difference of angle of the barrel and magazine tubes-The magazine tube
and barrel are of identically the same diameter and as nearly as possible in a
straight line so as to reduce the angle through which the cartridge must be elevated
for introducing to the barrel.
The flange or back of the cartridge is of identically the same diameter as the
shell or outer case of the said cartridge but has a niche all round in front of it for
the purpose of holding it in its position on the elevator and in its firing position
in the breech-This allows the empty cartridge case to be ejected from the muzzle
of the barrel or from any place in front of its firing position if found suitable
or convenient.
A further arrangement is attached to allow of the arm being used as a single
shooter and reserving the store of cartridges in the magazine tube-This is done
by making the upper half of the barrel in rear of the breech block to be hinged
something after the manner of the breech block in a Snider rifle-The cartridge
can be laid in and the breech-block closed-Then the working of all its parts
would be automatically carried out as before described and the store of cartridges,
in the magazine would be held back by means of a pin passing transversely
between the elevator and the foremost cartridge in the magazine tube-and the
removal of this pin will at once reconvert the piece into a repeating rifle.
The manner of rifling the diameter of bore and length of barrel-The length
and charge of the cartridge and the weight of the bullet may be made to suit
circumstances and other requirements.
Instead of all the parts being worked by the trigger directly they may be
worked by a trigger guard or other lever if found suitable or convenient.
Dated this 26th dois of Tum joo: •

page_text: 1
A Combined Single Loading and Repeating Rifle and Cartridges
therefor.
I, RICHARD JENNINGS of Ballinrobe, Ireland, Contractor, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the construction of an improved combined single loading
and repeating rifle and to cartridges therefor.
According to my invention, I produce a fire-arm which combines the greatest
possible rate of firing either as a single firing or a repeating arm, with "the capa-
bility of being used as a single firing arm without using the cartridges in the
magazine, and with the external appearance of the ordinary rifle.
In order that my invention and the means by which the same may be carried
into effect may be thoroughly understood, I will proceed to describe the same in
detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate my
said invention.
f
.1
Fig. 1 is a sectional plan of the stock and of the adjoining part of the barrel.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section.
Fig. 3 is a part longitudinal section of my invention, the stock being omitted for
the sake of clearness.
Fig. 4 illustrates the details of the construction of the elevator and insertor.
Fig. 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 4, shewing both elevator and insertor
closed.
'
Fig. 6 is a transverse section shewing the breech-block in firing-position behind
the flange of the cartridge.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section shewing the connection of the magazine tube with
the front part of the stock.
Fig. 8 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 9 shews the connection of the rear part of the stock with the magazine tube
and the side-plate.
Fig. 10 is an elevation of the heel-plate, shewing the ends of the magazine and
feeding tubes with a slot communicating between the two; and the cover-slide.
Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14 are details of parts and are explained hereafter.
H³ is a trigger for holding the cocker in extreme cocking position as represented
in Fig. 2. It fits into a concave notch in the tumbler B. The trigger H³ is
pivotted on the same centre as the trigger C, and placed to the left hand of the
latter; a part of the outer wing of the tumbler running crosswise under the
magazine tube to the left hand to meet the fore end of the trigger H³, as shewn in
Fig. 1.
A is the stock of the ordinary external appearance. It has an internal longi-
tudinal tube or cylinder in which are placed in line the cartridges to be used when
the arm is to be fired as a repeater. Each bullet has a small cavity in its nose, to
prevent it pressing upon the cap of the preceeding cartridge—see Fig. 3.

page_text: C¹ is a tube running to the left hand side of and parallel with the barrel, and
internally in the stock. In this tube I place a spiral spring which when uncom-
pressed is of the same length as the barrel. The function of this spring is to feed
the cartridges on to the elevator.
D is a tube running parallel with the magazine tube and connected with it by
means of a longitudinal slit E which extends from the butt end to the elevator
and as far as the front end of the tube H,
The tubes D and C¹ communicate with each other at their adjacent ends as
shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
F is a wheel or barrel fixed transversely in the stock and revolvable by the
folding handle. A small chain is fastened to the barrel, and carried through the
tube C at the end of which it is connected in any convenient way to the outer
end of the spiral spring lying therein.
At a suitable point in the length of this chain, I insert a short tube H of an
external diameter the same as that of the bore of the tube D, and as long as
is shewn in Fig. 2. A spring catch is pivotted upon this tube. In Fig. 1 the
catch is shewn as engaging with the flange of the last cartridge. The nose of
the catch works through the slot in the side of the tube H.
The operation of chargeing the magazine is performed as follows. The cover
slide on the heel-plate is drawn to one side,--see Fig. 10, and while the arm is
held with the muzzle inclined downwards, the cartridges are slipped into the
magazine down which they slide by their own gravity as far as the elevator M.
It is evident that if the barrel F be rotated backwards, the tube H will be
drawn towards the stock, and the spiral spring in the tube C¹ compressed. As
soon as the nose of the catch can, it closes over the flange of the rearmost cart-
ridge in the magazine tube, having compressed the spring in the tube C accordingly.
The resilience of this spring tends to drive all the cartridges out of the magazine
tube and through the barrel, but a catch a prevents this by retaining the leading
cartridge upon the elevator M as shewn in Fig. 3.
.
The elevator is hinged at its leading end as shewn in Fig. 4 to enable it to raise
the leading cartridge in the magazine and place it in line with the bore of the
barrel. The top of the elevator is semicircular in cross section to correspond,
with the bore of the barrel. The angle through which it moves enables it to.
coincide with the bore of the barrel or with that of the magazine at the respective
ends of its said travel.. The bore of both magazine and barrel being equal to the
diameter of cartridge and cartridge flange, so that the cartridges can be moved
along the magazine and fed one by one into the barrel without any jerking or
jamming.
A¹ is the hammer, B is the tumbler, and C the trigger for operating the elevator
mechanism.. D' is a lever hinged to the tumbler. When the trigger C is pulled
in the ordinary way, the convex end thereof will engage with the concave lug of,
the tumbler causing it to revolve on its axis and carry with it the lever D', the
fore end of which is slotted on the end of the elevator M. The elevator is thereby
aligned with the bore of the barrel, and the tumbler makes its full rear movement
as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 4.
P is a breech block made to ascend and descend through an opening in the
underside of the barrel and through a recess in the outer metal work of the arm,―
see Figs. 1 and 4.
The necessary to-and-fro motion above-mentioned is imparted as required to the
breech block in the following way.
The lever E¹ is pivotted at A, the rear end being pivotted on to the end of the.
lever D¹. The nose of this lever is slotted a little, and connected rather loosely to
the pivot of the breech block. When the trigger C is pulled, its convex end will
engage with the concave lug of the tumbler causing it to revolve as before
described, and by reason of the pivot of the lever D₁, the rear portion of the.
lever E¹ is caused to ascend, and the fore end will descend accordingly, carrying.
with it, the breech block P, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The slotted rear end of

page_text: the lever E allows the tumbler to carry the cocker back to its extreme cocking
position as shewn in Fig. 2.
+
.
The manner in which the lever D₁ passes freely under the rear end of the
lever E¹ is shewn in Fig. 1.
A is a longitudinal tube, containing a spiral spring. Through the spring a
spindle can pass freely, the rear end of the tube being contracted to a bore equal to
the diameter of tho spindle.
'
The nose of the spindle is equal in diameter to the magazine tube with the
exception of' a cam which runs into a slit or groove down to the tube Fig. 11.
A conical cavity is formed in the nose of the spindle to prevent it from striking the
central cap of the cartridge.
On to the block into which the rear end of the spindle is screwed, I pivot a
spring catch H¹ which, when the hammer is down, is pressed into the notch. in the
tumbler. When the cocker is effecting its rear movement, the tumbler presses the
catch backwards until its nose comes in contact with the pivot K, which releases it
from the grasp of the tumbler-see Fig. 3. The spring in the tube A³ is then
released, and the spindle accordingly moved rapidly forward, striking the flange of
the cartridge, and sending it forward into the barrel.
The cartridge is fired as follows.
On the left hand side of the breech-block I pivot what I call a firing pin lever,
which works backwards and forwards on its vertical axis into a groove in the
breech block, see Figs. 1 and 3. This firing pin lever z rises and falls with the
breech block P To the right hand side of the barrel between the elevator M and
the cocker there is a longitudinal tube, as shewn in Fig. 2, through which runs a
communicating pin y the fore end of which is offset to the inner side, which part
comes directly behind the right hand end of the firing pin lever z. The pin in the
tube is held back by a small spiral spring x.
It is evident that when the hammer strikes the communicating pin, the firing
pin lever will be forced forwards upon the priming of the cartridge as shewn
in Fig. 1.
Fig. 11 illustrates a device for holding back the column of cartridges to the rear
of the elevator, thereby preserving it in position for repeating. The figure in
question is a transverse section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3.
X is a spring lever pivotted at D2. E' is a thumb screw capable of compressing
the lever X against the small feather spring shewn in Fig. 11 upon the cartridge-
bullet with sufficient force to hold it there.
This spring lever is capable of holding each cartridge in succession during the
process of repeating not by the thumb-screw, but by the joint of the tumbler which
rides up the incline F, thereby compressing the lever X onto the bullet.
When' the hammer falls, the hinge of the tumbler rides down the incline F¹, the
compression being thereby released, and the lever X₁ allows the next cartridge to.
pass on to the elevator.
A's each cartridge passes on to the elevator, it would be likely to pass, by the
spring lever if there were not some stop or pressure on the top provided. The cam
of the plunger nose passes down into a slot until it comes down over the flange of
the cartridge as it passes on to the elevator as shewn at Fig. 3-see also Fig. 11
for the slot: On the top of the insertor, and near the fore end of the cartridge.
lying on the elevator there is a fine spring to prevent the bullet end of the cartridge
from rising prematurely. The spring lever is not pivotted on the elevator but to
the casting or metal work underneath. The elevator is slotted, into which the
spring lever works up and down upon its horizontal axis.
It will be seen that from the under shoulder of the jointed lever, the tumbler
can revolve without raising the elevator until the under shoulder of the same comes
into contact therewith. During this short movement of the tumbler, the plunger
moves to the rear, until the cam frees the flange of the cartridge in time for the
elevator to effect its elevation. It carries the spring lug with it until its rear
wedge shaped end comes in contact with the conical end of the bullet-see Fig. 3,"

page_text: The elevator can continue its upward movement with the cartridge which it carries
now that it is released from the grasp of the spring lug, leaving it in a position to
be moved forward into firing position as already described.
A device to be used for single-loading is made as follows.
On a vertical line with the pivot of the elevator is the pivot of the insertor,
which is made to ascend for inserting a cartridge endwise, as shewn in broken lines
in Fig. 4.
The cross section of the insertor is the same as that of the elevator as far as the
hemispherical part of it is concerned. Both work up and down in a case greater
than the internal diameter of the barrel-sec Fig. 5; also broken lines on Fig. 1.
The top is as wide as the outer part of the case. In the hinge of the insertor and
at its fore end, there is a small spring which keeps the insertor in its elevated
position while a cartridge is being inserted endwise.
The insertor is closed by pressing it down, forceing the spring bar A* backwards.
It then returns and engages in the notch of the insertor.
The insertor is raised by withdrawing the bar A' by means of the thumb-lever B³,
allowing the spring under the insertor to lift it, see Fig. 4.
A is a spring lever pivotted on the top of the barrel for the purpose of holding
the cartridge in firing position. Each cartridge receives a sufficient blow from the
plunger in A³ to enable it to pass the wedge shaped end of this spring lever, and
this in combination with the elevator will hold the cartridge in proper firing
position.
Each empty cartridge case is sent forward into the barrel as follows.
As each cartridge passes the wedge-shaped end of the lever A³ will be compressed
before the nose of the bullet touches the preceeding flange (i.e. the flange of the
empty case). In this position, the spring has lost its grasp of the empty case, and
therefore when the nose of the bullet touches said flange, the latter is sent farther
forward into the barrel.
Fig. 14 illustrates the construction of a cartridge.
The fore end of the cartridge is less than the diameter of the flange, and is fitted
into a corresponding circular slot in the rear end of the bullet. The central part
of the rear of the bullet produced by the above named slot enters the cartridge,
and this method of connecting the two will tend to prevent the escape of gas.
The trigger H³ is pivotted on the same pivot as the trigger C, but is placed to
the left hand thereof. A part of the concave outer wing of the tumbler runs
crosswise beneath the magazine tube as shewn in Fig. 1, to meet the fore end of
the trigger H³, which projects into a continued notch of the same as represented on
the tumbler-wing, in Fig. 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination of the magazine tube arranged internally and longitudinally
within the stock, with the device for feeding the cartridges on to the elevator and
thence into the firing position, consisting substantially of a chain and spring in a
side tube and a travelling catch forming part of the chain and working in a tube
beside the magazine tube substantially as and for the purposes described and
illustrated.
2. The herein before described construction of cartridge substantially as and for
the purposes described and illustrated.
3. The elevator, substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
4. The breech block capable of ascending and descending, substantially as and
for the purpose described and illustrated.
5. The firing pin lever in combination with the breech-block substantially as
described.
6. The combination of hammer, communicating pin, and firing pin lever, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
1

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7. The combination of two triggers substantially as and for the purposes Bet
forth.
8. The insertor capable of being raised by a spring for the purpose of permitting
of the insertion of a single cartridge.
9. The device for detaining the cartridges in the magazine substantially as and
for the purposes described in connection with Fig. 11.
10. The method of feeding cartridges into the magazine through the heel plate
substantially as described.
R. K. HUTCHINSON,
Agent for the Applicant.