Improvements in and connected with Fire-arms.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1897-Accepted, 10th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Fire-arms.
I, GEORGE HUGHES, Patent Agent, of 23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by Edwin
Böger, Gunmaker, of Holmstedt, near Halle on the Saal), and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Experiments have proved that if proper precautions be taken to prevent the escape
of the explosive gases from the barrel, there will be no detonation when a fire-arm is
discharged, and the object of my invention is to provide means for preventing the
escape of the explosive gases, and I effect this by the following means:-I provide a
closing or shutting off device driven forward simultaneously with, and behind, the
projectile, the device referred to consisting essentially of a disc or cylinder
the progression of which is interrupted near the muzzle end of the barrel, while the
projectile itself is allowed to proceed. In order to avoid injury to the bore,
the closing or shutting off device is provided with a covering of asbestos. The
intercepting of the device is effected by four small screws provided near the mouth of
the barrel, the points of the screws projecting within the bore. The ejecting of the
closing device is effected by the projectile discharged at the second shot, the disc like
device having been turned so that the plane thereof is parallel with the axis of the
bore. A cylindrical closing device cannot of course be turned when in the bore, it
must therefore be ejected through an opening at right angles to the axis, and not
through the muzzle of the barrel as with the disc device.
A rifle arranged in accordance with this invention, is shewn in the accompanying
drawing, Fig. 1. being a side view partly in elevation and partly in section, Fig. 2. a
front view of the muzzle of the barrel, and Figs. 3. and 4. are more detailed views of
parts of Figs. 1. and 2. Figs. 5. and 6. shew a projectile emerging from the barrel.
Fig. 7 is a section through line x-x Fig. 6. Fig. 8. shews a sectional elevation of a
projectile with a cutting off or closing disc. Figs. 9. and 11. are longitudinal sections,
and Fig. 10. a cross section shewing a modification of my invention.
Referring to Figs. 1. and 8, four small screws b are inserted near the end of the
barrel a.
These screws penetrate sufficiently into the bore as to "bite" the rifled
part of projectile c radially (see Figs. 5. and 7), when the projectile emerges from the
bore. The hardened or other steel plate or disc d with its asbestos cover d' is placed
behind the projectile and is of such diameter that it will be held or retained by the
screws 6 when it reaches them (see Fig. 6). After firing the first shot, the marksman
takes hold of a hand lever e (Fig. 1). This lever (preferably also employed as a
locking lever) is connected by means of rod f with a bent lever g, whose fulcrum is
pin h.
When e is pulled backwards, g is changed from the position shewn in full
lines in Fig. 1, into that shewn by dotted lines in the same figure. This change in
position causes the point g' to come in contact with d (which has hitherto been
perpendicular to the access of the bore at a point preferably below its centre
(assuming the weapon to be held horizontally). The disc d having thus been caused
to tilt over into the plane of the axis of the bore, is driven out by the next following
shot. It will be seen from Fig. 4 that owing to the position of the screws b, they
011.'מ

page_text: offer no resistance to the ejection of d when in the horizontal position brought about
by the contact of point g¹. The lever g is provided with a slot g² for the reception
of h, and this arrangement ensures g' moving as nearly as possible in a straight line
after entering the muzzle. When the invention is applied to a double barrelled
weapon, it will be obvious that a lever g must be provided for each barrel and also a
hand lever e. A single lever g might however be connected to several levers e, and
several points g₁ might be provided on one and the same lever g, without departing
from the spirit of iny invention.
In Figs. 9, 10, and 11, a modified form of construction is shewn, in which the
shutting off or closing device is in the form of a cylinder. Fig. 9, is a longitudinal
section of the barrel of the rifle, Fig. 10, a cross section through y y Fig. 9. and Fig. 11,
is an enlarged section of the muzzle of the barrel. In this modified form of
construction an aperture a¹ is made in the barrel near the muzzle and close to where
the cylindrical shutting off or closing body D will be when intercepted by the
screws b. D is closed at the forward, but open at the rear end. During its passage
through the barrel a, D is followed by a plug i for ensuring with certainty the shutting
off of the explosive gases. D is acted on by the point g' of a bent lever g, moveable
round pin h attached to barrel a. Lever g is turned by rod f, the end f of which
slides in e² of frame e³, the continuation e¹ of which is pivotted to plunger k running
in chamber . If g be moved out of the position shewn in full lines in Fig. 9, into
that shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 11, D is pushed sufficiently far backwards to bring
it precisely opposite aperture a¹. All that is now needed to eject D, is a transverse
movement of it (D), and this is effected by a pin m working in a lug a² on the
barrel at.
The pin m is supported by a spiral spring n, so that its inner end is clear
of the bore of the barrel a. One end of n is fastened to a² by a rivet or screw o, the
other end of n is passed through the pin m. On the outer end of m is a cone m¹.
The lever g is provided with a small pivotted lever p in such manner that m¹ is in
the same longitudinal plane as p. p is connected with g, and when g moves from the
position shewn in full lines in Fig. 9, into that shewn in full lines in Fig. 11, the
lever p will come under cone m', and an outward movement of m takes place. m³ will
however eventually lose contact with p, and m will move quickly back. Thereupon
pressure will be put on D (which is in the position shewn in Fig. 11.) and cause it to
be ejected through aperture a¹ provided in the barrel a. In the drawings, p is shewn
connected with g by a pin q. In addition to this a spiral spring f is introduced
between and g thus rendering the connection a flexible one. In this manner
p obtains a horizontal movement after coming in contact with m¹. In order that,
when is put in motion, p may be able to move out of the position shewn in full
lines in Fig. 11, into that shewn in full lines in Fig. 9, so as to again to pass under
cone m¹, must be provided at the side with a spring. Spring must be a little
stronger than spring n, to ensure the desired movement of m.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
3T1
י.
ULAIMS.
1. An improved firearm, the characteristic features of which are the inwardly
projecting screws b, arranged near the muzzle end of the barrel as shewn in Figs. 6, 4
and 7, for the purpose of checking or retarding a closing or shutting off device d,
Figs. 1. to 8, (set in motion behind and moving with the projectile c) or D (Fig. 9),
the object being to prevent the escape of explosive gases.
2. A modification of the invention which is the subject matter of the preceding
Claim 1, the said modification being characterized by a bent lever g pivotted to the 5
barrel a, the lever g when in the position shewn in Fig. 1, being out of the path of
the projectile c, and when in the position shewn in Fig. 3, has its point g¹ outside the
centre of d (in this instance a disc or plate), in order that it (d) may be brought
from a position perpendicular to the axis of the barrel into a position parallel thereto,

page_text: so that it (d) may be driven out by the projectile at the firing of the immediately
succeeding shot.
3. A modification of the invention which is the subject matter of the above Claiml,
the said modification being characterized by the aperture a' in the barrel a (Fig. 9) the
said aperture being behind the small screws b; the pin m surrounded by spring n :
the lever p moving in the same plane as m¹ the conical termination to the pin m :
the whole so arranged that when the lever g is in the position shewn in full lines
(Fig. 11) the shutting off device D will be ejected through a¹ by pressure from the
spring encircled pin m.
4. The improvements in fire-arms, provided for and operating substantially as
described in the above specification and exemplified in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 13th day of May 1897.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Sreett, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.