IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY RESETTING AND RELOADING REPEATING AND OTHER BREECH LOADING FIREARMS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
WO THOMAS HENRY SEYMOUR HAWKER Electrical and Mechanical engineer of
the Hammond Electric Light Company Appold St Finsbury, and JOSEPH NEEDHAM
Gunmaker of 6 Hammersmith Terrace Hammersmith both in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR AUTOMATICALLY RESETTING AND RELOADING REPEATING AND OTHER BREECH
LOADING FIREARMS to bo as follows:-
The gun is made so that when fired the base or concave part of the cartridge is
driven back on a sliding bar, forcing it back, which compresses a spring and at the
same time forces the hammer into bent. As soon as the charge leaves the barrel,
the spring returns, opening or moving the breech block, which ejects empty
cartridge case, afterwards raising or closing with cartridge from magazine, into
position at the same time moving a small lever, which, forces the cartridge into
barrel.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
We, THOMAS HENRY SEYMOUR HAWKER, Electrical and Mechanical Engineer,
of the Hammond Electric Light Company, Appold Street, Finsbury, and JOSEPH
NEEDHAM, Gunmaker, of 6 Hammersmith Terrace, Hammersmith, both in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY RESETTING AND RELOADING REPEATING AND OTHER 5
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The gun is made so that when fired the base or concave part of the cartridge is
driven back on a sliding bar, forcing it back, which compresses a spring and at the
same time forces the hammer into bent. As soon as the charge leaves the barrel, 1
the spring returns, opening or moving the breech block, which ejects empty
cartridge case, afterwards raising or closing, with cartridge from magazine, into
position, at the same time moving a small lever which forces the cartridge into
barrel.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings show one mode of carrying our 1
invention into effect. A is the magazine containing the cartridges C; B the barrel
of the gun; D the breech block; E the striking pin constituting the sliding bar;
G the hammer; F the tumbler or part for raising and lowering the breech block;
and I the trigger.
Fig. 1 shows the position of the different parts of the action immediately after 2
the fall.of the hammer. The striking pin E being forced forward strikes the base
of the cartridge C (which has been previously introduced into the barrel in the
manner hereinafter described) and explodes the cartridge, whereby the concave
base or the cap in its centre is driven backwards, forcing the hammer G in contact
with the outer end of the striking pin E, into the position shown in Fig. 2, and at 2
the same time increasing the tension of the spring S acting upon the bammer. On
one side of the hammer a catch or pieco H is pivotted, a spring Q acting upon the
same to keep it in its normal position, with the part above its pivot resting upon
the pin upon which the hammer G turns. When the hammer is forced back the
catch H is brought into contact with the cam F³, formed on the tumbler F, and by 3
turning on its pivot against the action of the spring Q, passes over such cam, when
the spring at once causes it to resume its normal position. The tension of the
spring S will now cause the hammer to turn in the opposite direction, and the
catch H acting upon the cam F³, will cause the tumbler F to turn on its pivot, and
bring the arms Fl in contact with the tails D¹ projecting down from the rear end 3
of the breech block D, and so turn the latter on its pivot D². The front end of
the breech block in its descent comes in contact with the arm K¹ of the extractor K,
so as to cause the latter to turn on its pivot, whereby its upper end (which fits
under the rim of the cartridge) ejects the shell of the exploded cartridge from the

page_text: barrel. The continued descent of the breech block brings it into the position
shown in Fig. 3, when the cartridges in the magazine A being pushed forward by
a spring, one of them will pass on to the upper surface of such block. Just at
this instant the catch H will have cleared the cam F' on the tumbler F, and the
arm F of such tumbler being then in contact with the hammer G, the tumbler
will be forced back by the latter as it advances, and also by the tension of a
spring L acting upon the cam F; or if desired the hammer alone may effect the
return movement of the tumbler. The arms F' of the tumbler will thus be brought
to act upon the under surface of the breech block, and raise the saune by causing it
to turn on its pivot. During the ascent of the breech block, when it arrives in the
position shown in broken lines in Fig. 3, the cartridge it carries is forced forward
into the barrel B in the following manner :-
To one side of the breech block is pivotted a lever P, which works between the
block and the side of the shoe or frame, its upper end being turned over so as to
lie on the top of the block. When the breech block is in the position shown in
full lines in Fig. 3, the lever P is in its backward position, the bent part at its
upper end serving as a stop against which the cartridge from the magazine is forced.
The lever P is so formed and pivotted, that as the block rises its lower end is
brought in contact with a pin R fixed to the side of the shoe, whereby the lever is
caused to turn on its pivot and force the cartridge before it into the barrel of the
gun. The continued ascent of the breech block brings its front face in contact
with the rear of the cartridge, and drives it well home into the barrel. The lever P
is then in the position shown in Fig. 1, and when the breech block again descenda
its lower end is again acted upon by the fixed pin R, and so forces the lever back
into position to receive a fresh cartridge. The upper surface of the block is
preferably recessed at the points where the bent part of the lever P cones in
contact with it, so that the latter will offer no obstruction to the discharge of the
shell of the exploded cartridge. The lever P can be arranged on either side of the
breech block.
When the catch H has cleared the cam F on the tumbler F, the spring S acting
upon the hammer forces it forward until it is arrested by the trigger I engaging
the notch on its under side, when the gun will be in bent, and can be discharged
in the usual manner.
The lip D' on the lower side of the front of the breech block, prevents the
cartridges leaving the magazine A until the block is lowered. The tails D' on the
breech block have a space between them, through which space the rear end of
the striking pin E and the upper end of the hammer G pass.
The arms F1 on the tumbler F, which act upon the tails D¹ of the breech block
so as to raise and lower the latter, and also the extractor K actuated by the descent
of the breech block, are of known construction, and we therefore lay no claini
to their employment, but only to the method in which they are brought into
operation.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the tumbler F, and Figs. 6 and 7 are detail
views of the hammer G and its catch H.
In Fig. 8 another mode of carrying our Invention into effect is shown, the parts
being of very similar construction and operation as in the previous arrangement,
but instead of the catch H being on the hammer, it is pivotted to a lever H¹
mounted on the same pin as the breech block D, and through which the rear end
of the striking pin E passes, a shoulder being formed on the latter, so that when
driven back the lever H will turn on the pin D³ until the catch H is in a position
to engage with a notch F on the tumbler F, the spring H³ acting on the catch
assuring such engagement. The hammer G during its forward movement (after
having been driven back by the explosion as before described), comes in contact
with a projection H on lever H, and forcing the latter back causes tumbler F
to turn on its pivot and so lower the breech block. When the breech block is in

page_text: its lowest position the projection H' on the lever H³ comes in contact with the
arms F of the tumbler, the catch H at the same time being disengaged from the
notch F, so that as the hammer returns into the cocked position, the tumbler F
will be forced back and the breech block again raised.
In this arrangement the loading lever P instead of boing pivotted to the breech
block is pivotted to the side of the shoo or frame, and the brooch block carries the
pin R for actuating it. Figs, 9 and 10 aro detail views of the lever H and the
catch H.
Fig. 11 shows a suitable manner of applying our invention to a Martini-Henry
Rifle. In this arrangement the hammer G is pivotted on the same pin as the
breech block D, and near its lower end the catch H is mounted, and engages the
notch on the tumbler F, as in the arrangement last described, the return move-
ment being effected by the hammer itself coming in contact with the arms F¹. The
rear end of the striking pin E bears against the front face of the hammer. Figs. 12
and 13 are detail views of the hammer G and the catch H.
The magazine is filled with cartridges by pushing them into the magazine one by
one, when the breech block is lowered, and the gun being then ready for use, it is
only necessary to keep on pulling the trigger, as the whole action of extracting the
exploded cartridge shell, reloading and cocking the gun is automatically effected
after each explosion.
The fire-arm is intended for use with cartridges the base of which will be forced
back when exploded, so as to act upon the sliding bar and effect the extraction of
the exploded cartridge, and the reloading and cocking of the gun, but it can be
used with ordinary cartridges, for which purpose the trigger guard lever O is
pivotted to the tumbler F, and by turning it by hand the latter is caused to revolve
and effect the extraction of the exploded cartridge, and the reloading and cocking
of the gun; or the cartridges may be introduced into the barrel by hand if desired,
when the breech block is lowered. The guard lever ☐ also serves to keep the
breech block lowered while filling the magazine, and also to reload and cock the
gun when beginning to fire, as it is not advisable to leave the gun cocked and
loaded when the arm is finished with. To avoid this any suitable stop capable of
being operated from the outside of the gun, may be provided in the magazine, so
that the supply of cartridges can be cut off, and consequently after the gun is
discharged no cartridge will pass on to the breech block when lowered, and
by pulling the trigger when the block is again raised, the arm will be left uncocked
as there will no explosion in consequence of the barrel being empty, and the parts
will remain in the position they assume directly after the release of the trigger.
We do not confine ourselves to the particular arrangements of parts shown and
described, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of our
invention, for example, instead of the striking pin or bar having a longitudinal
movement imparted to it by the explosion, such pin or bar might be pivotted and
arranged to turn on its pivot by such explosion, the movement so obtained being
caused to compress the spring (by means of which the gun is cocked and reloaded)
in any suitable manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim in respect of breech-loading fire-arms is
1. The use of a sliding bar or equivalent part capable of being forced backwards
by the explosion of a cartridge, for the purpose of compressing a spring, by means
of which such arms are reset or reloaded (or both) automatically after each
discharge.
2. Causing the movement imparted to a sliding bar or equivalent part by the
explosion of a cartridge, to be transmitted by suitable mechanism to the hammer
of such arms, so as to recock the same after each explosion,

page_text: 3. Causing the movement imparted to a sliding bar or equivalent part by the
explosion of a cartridge, to be transmitted by suitable mechanism to the tumbler
or part which effects the opening and closing of the breech.
4. The use of a pivotted lever actuated by the opening and closing of the breech
for the purpose of reloading magazine fire-arms.