AN IMPROVED JUNCTION OF BARREL AND ACTION FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND SPORTING GUNS WITH SELF- ACTING EXPLODED CARTRIDGE EXTRACTOR
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Williams at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
August 1869.
I, JOHN WILLIAMS, of No. 25, South Castle Street, in Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Armourer "and Gunmaker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED JUNCTION OF BARREL
AND ACTION FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND SPORTING GUNS WITH SELF-
ACTING EXPLODED CARTRIDGE EXTRACTOR," to be as follows:-
First. I propose the barrel to be attached to the breech action in the
usual form where the barrel is depressed for the purpose of inserting
the charge.
My Invention consists in the construction of the latch and in the
very ready method of releasing the latch after the explosion, and the
entire absence of all incumbrance or obstruction in the means of
releasing the action.
Attached to the breech action and in the base of it and within is a
slide bolt or latch with the horizontal catch for the lug or lump on
the base of the barrel. A portion of the base of this latch and under
the lug or lump projects forward about half an inch; the end of this

page_text: projection is in contact with and shackled to a centre moving tumbler,
and in a concentric recess, which when in repose latches into the
forward catch of the barrel. The bolt and latches are operated by a
spring behind the breech, and this spring is operated by the lateral
lever motion of a plate lever moving on a centre upon the breech-stock
place or break-off; this lever is moved by a small thumb plate, and in
itself is quite independant of the latching or locking action. In
the rear of the centre on which the barrel moves is the lug, lump, or
catch in form exactly coincident with the form of the recess of the slide
catch and tumbler latch:
In use the operation is as follows:-Assume the barrel to be in
position as exploded and the intention to reload, the lever is moved
by the thumb plate laterally; this action draws back the latch bolt, and
throws forward the shackled tumbler latch sufficient to release the
barrel catch or lump, and withdraws the pressure and càtch of the
tumbler, leaving it perfectly free; the barrel is then depressed, and the
charge inserted: When thus charged the barrel is pressed into the
seat, and the lug or lump acting first upon the tumbler drives back
the slide latch bolt; and when the barrel is brought to the bed the
springs drives the bolt or latch upon the lug or lump catch, and brings
forward the tumbler latch also upon the forward recess of the catch or
lump, thus the latching is perfectly secure, the recoil on explosion having
no effect on the conjunction due to the form and condition of the
duplicate latch, and the motive is no obstruction to the use of the gun,
nor any unseemly excresence or projection, and the latch operates the
double action of the rear and forward catch, and thus creates the
important condition of the impossibility of the imperfect .latching,
locking, or conjunction of the breech and barrel:
Second. In the bed the flat of the barrel I form two dovetailed
lateral recesses, with sunk recesses for the cranked ends in the bed of
the breech action or body, and a plate excision at the rear of the barrel;
fitting into the recesses thus formed I insert a a fork; the ends of which
are cranked, and the bed of the prongs coincident with the lower
moiety of the barrel are similarly formed to receive the butt or back
bead of the cartridge; this fork is fitted into the barrel flat before
conjunction.
The operation is as follows:-The cranks of the fork operate the
backward movement of the whole fork, sliding in the groove of the flat

page_text: of the barrel; the charge is then inserted within the bed of the fork, and
the closing of the breech drives the cartridge and fork bed into strict
contact. On opening the breech after explosion the fork comes forward,
bringing with it by the bead or collar the exploded case, and so releasing
that it is readily removed by hand:
I append a sketch of the arrangement in illustration.