IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ole Herman Johannes Krag at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th September 1869.
I, OLE HERMAN JOHANNES KRAG, Lieutenant in the Royal Norwegian
Artillery, at present of No. 9B, New Broad Street, in the City of London,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-.
This Invention has for its object breach-loading fire-arms of the
magazine and the single-loader class in which rim-fire or central-fire
cartridges are used, it also includes an improved sight also applicable
to other constructions of fire-arms.
I proceed first to describe the Invention with reference to the magazine
construction of breach-loaders. The breach chamber is open at top
and in it fits a moveable block containing a central bolt with two
projections below, in the space between which fits the arm or pin of a
crank, or an eccentric or suitable contrivance may answer the purpose
of imparting a swinging motion to the block above named, which turns
on a pin fixed at the upper rear part of the breach chamber, after first
during the early part of its movement having given a receding motion

page_text: to the bolt contained in it. The block is thus brought in a forwardly
inclined position with its forward end opposite the magazine containing
the cartridges, the magazine being a tube closed in frout, fixed under the
barrel, and fitted with an inner tube containing the cartridges and a
compressing spring acting on a compressor plug or piston. The
entrance to the magazine is closed by a latch, but on turning that to
one side a cartridge is pushed out by the spring and forced into the
space vacated by the receding motion of the bolt. At the same time
the cock is pushed into full or half cock position and the needle drawn
back. On turning the crank back again the block is elevated to its
horizontal position and the cartridge forced into the barrel by the bolt
ready for firing. This is effected by the cock striking against the needle
which may pass either through or along the outside of the bolt. If the
magazine is closed or empty the cartridge may be inserted from above
by hand. When constructed without the magazine the block and bolt
are made in one piece and the cartridge inserted from above by hand.
In this case the hole in the block in which the fulcrum pin works is
made an elongated slot for the purpose that the forward end of the block
or bolt may be pushed tight into the end of the barrel for making a
joint. The extractor is of ordinary crank construction, and takes hold of
the projecting rim of the spent cartridge. The sight is a combination
of the "English" and the "Swiss," and consists of the sight chair with
elevation arm working between its jaws or sides where it is split into a
wider middle piece and two narrow side parts which act as springs
against the inside of the chair jaws. The arm has an adjustable sliding
piece.
Referring to the Drawings, Fig. 1 represents section, and Fig. 2 outside
view of a magazine gun of my design. The block A is shewn detached
in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the bolt likewise detached at Figs. 6, 7, and 8;
Fig. 1 shews the gun in the shut position, while Fig. 2 represents it in
position ready for inserting the cartridge, the magazine being shewn
empty in both cases. D is the crank shewn detached in Fig. 9, and
having an outer lever and handle H.; E is the extractor; C is the needle
shewn detached in Figs. 10, 11, and 12; R, Fig. 12^ shews the latch
for closing the magazine; Figs. 13 and 14 shew another gun of my con-
struction but without magazine. As will be observed more particularly
from the detached views Figs. 15 and 16 the block and bolt are in this
case made into one piece B, in the side of which fits the needle C shewn
detached at Figs. 17 and 18; D is the crank shewn detached with its

page_text: handle and lever H in Fig. 19. It will be observed that the hole u in
the block B is elongated for the purpose as above stated of allowing the
crank freely to push the forward end of the bolt firmly into the rear
end of the barrel after the bolt by the motion of the crank has resumed
its horizontal position and the cartridge has been inserted. Simul-
taneously the cock is put on half-cock position and the needle drawn
back. The sight is shown by Fig. 20 in side elevation, and Fig. 21 end
clevation; Fig 22 shews the clevation arm J detached with the lower
part where it fits into the chair K split into three pieces of which the
two outer act as springs. The chair has got the sector shaped
graduated jaws belonging to the "Swiss" sight and likewise the
graduated steps on the "English" sight, and the sliding
sight, and the sliding piece L on the
arm J shewn detached in Fig. 23 can be shifted against any of the steps
or any of the divisions on the sector jaws, thus adapting the sight equally
well for short as for long distances.