Year: 1895

page_text: other suitable part of the gun; & the rotation of the balance may be effected by a
connecting rod or other suitable means attached to the crank shaft or any other
rotating or oscillating parts of the gun itself.
443
I, COLOMBO RICCI, of 47 Campana Road Walham Green London, in the
County of Middlesex, late of 25 Tenison Street Lambeth Mechanical Engineer
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 chiefly to that class of firearms in which all the operations
necessary for firing every successive shot are performed automatically.
But whereas the majority of these weapons are made to work on the principle of
the recoil, & consequently require a recoiling barrel, the one described in the
present Specification & shown in the accompanying drawing, is constructed in such
a manner that its barrel is fixed, & all the above mentioned operations are
performed automatically by the pressure of the gases (generated by the explosion
of the charge) on the front face of the breech bolt every time a cartridge is
fired.
My said invention comprises moreover various improvements hereinafter
described, among which is a mechanical regulator, which enables this weapon to
fire automatically any number of shots at will.
The accompanying drawing represents an automatic machine gun with mechanical
regulator constructed according to my present invention.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the machine gun shown in elevation & half
size.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same partly in full & partly in section.
Fig. 3 is a transversal section on a. b. looking towards the muzzle of the gun.
Fig. 4 is a transversal section on c. d. looking towards the muzzle of the gun.
Fig. 5 is a transversal section on e. f. showing the feeding mechanism in full
size in the position when the breech bolt is completely open & the crank in the
position shown in dotted lines Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 shows the regulator cover with the different figures corresponding to the
various rate of firing of the weapon & with the regulator in the position acquired
at the moment it release the safety sear & the cartridge is struck."
Referring to Figures 1 to 6, A. is the outside frame or body of the gun provided
with a cushion Ai & mounted on a suitable carriage or tripod Z. by means of a
spindle Y. and pivot Y¹ so as to be turned in any possible direction.
B. is the water jacket screwed at B on the body of the gun A. & closed at the
front end by a cap B2 & gland B³. C. is the barrel screwed at C 1 on the body A.
& passing through the gland B³ to the outside of the water jacket.
D. is the magazine cast solid with the cover D¹ hinged at D2 & fastened at D³
on the body A. by means of the half cut away pin D*.
E. is the breech bolt, provided with firing pin E¹ & extractor E³ & capable to
slide horizontally in suitable grooves A2 A3³ cut in the body of the gun A.

page_text: F. is a crank mounted on the crank piu F' horizontally & at right angles with
the axis of the gun capable to rotate about 135° in two bearings F3 13. G. is
a connecting rod hinged on the crank Fat G¹ and connected to the breech bolt E
at G2.
H. is a coil spring attached at H₁ to the body of the gun A. & connected to the
crank at by means of suitable links H³ H³ & serves for storing up energy
for pushing forward the breech bolt E & the fresh cartridge into the chamber
of the barrel.
I is the hammer (mounted loose on a spindle I 1) which is cocked by the rear-
ward motion of the breech bolt E every time a cartridge is fired.
I2 is the hammer spring, J. the sear & J¹ the safety sear; both mounted loose
on the spindle J 2 & kept in gear with the hammer I by suitable springs J³.
J (this last not seen in Fig. 1).
The sear J. is made to be released by hand & the safety sear J¹ is always
released automatically by the regulator; but of this hereafter.
K&L are two triggers mounted loose on the spindle K6. The trigger K.
carries at its upper end a pawl K¹ hinged at K2 and provided with a shoulder K³ &
projection K+.
A coil spring K works both trigger 5 and pawl K³. The whole arrangement
serves for firing single shots & its action will be described hereafter.
The trigger L carries at its upper end a pawl L' hinged & connected to a
similar coil spring in the same manner as the pawl K¹.
This pawl L abuts against a stud L² riveted on the body of the gun A.; & by
pulling the trigger L. the gun will fire automatically at the rate marked by the
indicator T of the regulator R.
The feeding mechanism, consists of the distributor M mounted & connected to
a spindle M (by means of two transversal pins M² M³) revolving in two
bearings D5 D6 of the magazine D).
On the spindle M¹ are fixed two ratchet wheels N. N¹ (whose teeth are cut in
opposite direction). The first one serves to rotate the distributor M & the second
one to limit its rotation by means of the pawl N° Fig. 5.
Between these two ratchet wheels is an oscillator O. (mounted loose on the
spindle M) which carries at one end 0¹ a pawl O³ Fig. 5 that gears with the
ratchet wheel N. by means of a spring 03 & at the other end 0" is mounted a
pusher connected at P2 with the lever P.
The
The lever P is mounted & connected to the spindle I¹ by means of a transversal
pin I Fig. 2 & is continually pulled in a downward position as shown at Fig. 1 by
means of the coil spring 13 attached to the cover of the gun at D5.
spindle I' which rotates in two bearings I3 I* of the cover D' is made solid with
a lever 15 which is on the right hand side of the gun & is continually kept in
contact with the hub Q' of the handle Q. by means of the above mentioned
spring P³.
The handle Q. is fixed to the crank shaft F1 on the right hand side of the gun,
& is provided with a knob Q2 & projection Q3 which through the lever 15 spindle I¹
& other pieces of mechanism, imparts the necessary motion to the distributor M
'every time a shot is fired.
The pawl N³ Fig. 5 prevents a backward rotation of the distributor M when the
pawl 02 slides backward on the shoulders of the ratchet wheel N & the stud 05
which is riveted on the oscillator O. pushes the pawl N° out of gear with the
ratchet wheel N¹ at the end of every backward rotation of the oscillator O. so as
to free the ratchet wheel N¹ & the distributor M to be rotated in the direction of
the arrow.
The pawl N2 pushed by the spring N descends immediately at the
bottom of one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel N¹ & limits thus the rotation of
the distributor M & locks it in the proper position.
The regulator consists of a small fly wheel or balance R. mounted loose at Fe
on the crank shaft F1 on the left hand side of the gun. This balance is provided

page_text: with a projection R¹ Figs. 2, 3 & 6 that strikes against a shoulder J5 of the safety.
sear J1 & serves to release the same automatically immediately a cartridge is
pushed into the chamber of the barrel & ready to be fired. S. is a clock spring,
one end of which is attached to the periphery of the balance R & the other end
is attached to the sleeve T" (which is made solid or connected to the handle or
pointer T.) & serves to rotate the balance R. backwards in its normal position.
The crank shaft F is provided with shoulders F5 which cause the balance to
rotate in the same direction (shown by the arrow Fig. 1) as the crank itself, when
a cartridge is fired & the breech bolt thrown open. As however the coil spring H.
is much more powerful than the clock spring S. it is evident that the crank F.
will be rotated in the opposite direction much sooner than the balance R & the
safety sear J¹ released some time after the cartridge has been thrust by the breech
bolt E into the chamber of the barrel. By shifting the pointer T in the different
positions marked by the figures 100, 200, etc., the clock spring will be rendered
more or less powerful & a different speed of firing will consequently be obtained.
The part of the crank shaft F on which the balance R. is made to rotate, is
threaded so as to cause the balance R in its forward rotation (in the direction of
the arrow) to move sideways outwards & avoid touching the shoulders J5 of the
safety sear J 1 in the event that the balance should be made to rotate one turn
or more.
S is the regulator cover, attached to the body of the gun by means of lugs S¹
& S3 provided with a stop S4 to limit the rotation of the pointer T.
U. is a tumbler hinged at U₁ Fig. 1. on the body of the gun, which (pulled by
the coil spring U2) as soon as the breech bolt E. is thrown open, rises to fill up
the gap left open by the breech bolt & to hold a fresh cartridge (pushed by the
distributor M) in line with the axis of the barrel.
W. is a bracket cast on or attached to the body of the gun A. in which the
rear sight is slipped in or easily taken out when it is not to be used.
X. is a movable steel shield (carried in suitable grooves X¹ X2 on the body A.)
for the purpose of protecting the magazine D. & the gunner.
The working of this weapon so constructed is as follows
Supposing the magazine D filled up with cartridges it is first necessary to turn
the handle Q. twice (in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1) of about 135° so as to
cause the two lowermost cartridges in the magazine No. 1 & No. 2 Fig. 4 to be
transferred the first to No. 3 & the 2nd into the chamber of the barrel.
This happens in the following manner:
By pulling the handle Q. in the direction of the arrow, the crank F. will be
rotated in the same direction until it reaches the position shown in dotted lines in
Fig 1, withdrawing thus the breech bolt E. which frees the distributor M & cocks
the hammer I. in the position shown in Fig. 1. During the latter part of the
rotation of the handle Q. in the direction of the arrow, the projection Q³ comes in
contact with, & pushes forward the lever 15 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1)
causing thus the oscillator O. to be rotated (through the lever P & pusher )
in the position shown in Fig. 5 with the pawl 02 in gear with one of the teeth of
the ratchet wheel N.
During this same movement, the coil spring P³ is stretched & the stud 05, Fig. 5,
of the oscillator 0. pushes the pawl N out of gear with the ratchet wheel Ni
freeing thus the distributor M to be rotated by an opposite motion of all the above
mentioned pieces of mechanism.
By letting the handle Q free, the coil spring H. (which was stretched during the
rotation of this handle in the direction of the arrow) will cause the handle Qas
well as the crank F to rotate in the direction opposite to that shown by the arrow,
pushing forward the breech bolt E until all the parts acquire their respective
position shown in Fig. 1.
During the first part of this backward rotation of the handle Q. the coil
spring P³ will cause the oscillator 0 (through the lever P & pusher P¹ Fig. 5)

page_text: to rotate in the direction of the arrow causing thus the distributor M to revolve of
one pitch (through the pawl 02 & ratchet wheel N) shifting cartridge No. 1, to
No. 2, No. 2 to No. 3 & No. 0. to No. 1 where it will be filled with a new cartridge
from the magazine D.
By rotating the handle Q. a second time, all the above mentioned operations
will be repeated, the cartridges shifted in the same manner as before & No. 3 will
be transferred over the tumbler U just in front of the breech bolt E, which will
push it right into the chamber of the barrel.
The gun is thus ready to be fired by pulling one of the two triggers L or K.
By pulling the trigger L the pawl L will push forward the end J6 of the
sear J which releases the hammer I. that strikes the firing pin E¹ & the cartridge
is fired.
The pressure of the gases (developed by the explosion of the powder) exerted
on the front face of the breech bolt E. causes the crank F. (through the connecting
rod G.) to rotate in the direction of the arrow, extracting the empty case,
cocking the hammer I. stretching the springs H. 12 & P³ & performing all the
other movements described above in the case that the handle Q is rotated by
hand.
It must be observed, that the centre G¹ Fig. 1 is always out of the line G2 F¹,
forming thus a triangle G2 G1 F1 with the vertex G¹ downwards; & the distance
measured by the perpendicular dropped from the vertex G¹ to the base G2 F¹
varies according to the energy & size of the cartridges employed.
When the pointer T. is shifted in the position marked 800, the strength of the
clock spring S. is such, that the regulator R. (which participates in the same
rotation of the crank F.) revolves in the direction of the arrow through the same
angle as the crank & returns at the same time as the crank itself.
When however the pointer T. is in any other position but 800, the regulator R
(by the impulse received from the crank F through the shoulders F5) is caused to
revolve through a greater angle (always inversely proportional to the strength of
the clock spring S & the figure indicated by the pointer T) than 135° & con-
sequently brought back (by the clock spring S.) in its normal position much later
than the crank itself.
In both cases however, at the last part of the backward rotation of the
regulator R. (about 5°) the projection R¹ strikes against the projection J5
of the safety sear J 1 causing this last to release the hammer I. & fire the
cartridge.
If instead of pulling the trigger L the trigger K. is pulled, the sear J. releases
the hammer I & the cartridge is fired in the same manner as before.
Only, the rotation of the crank F before reaching the position shown in dotted
lines Fig. 1. strikes against the projection K of the pawl K¹ putting the
shoulder K³ out of gear with the end Je of the sear J which engages suddenly the
hammer I before the crank has time to rotate back & the regulator R. to release
the safety sear J¹.
It is evident by these means that for firing a subsequent shot one must release
the pressure of the fingers from the trigger K. so that it may acquire again the
position shown in Fig. 1 with the shoulder K³ engaging the end J6 of the sear J. &
pull the trigger K again.
The empty cartridge withdrawn from the chamber of the barrel is thrown off
through the opening A5 Fig. 4 by the distributor M. at the same time as a fresh
cartridge is pushed on the tumbler U. in front of the breech bolt E. ready to be
thrust into the chamber of the barrel.
Instead of mounting the regulator R. directly on the crank shaft, it may be
mounted on any other suitable part of the gun, on a similar spindle made to rotate
by means of a link, connecting rod or other suitable device, releasing the safety
sear in the same manner as above stated, without departing from the principle of
my invention.
"

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that
I am aware that it has been previously proposed to employ a spring toggle-joint
for operating the breech bolt in automatic guns, and I do not claim such construc-
tion generally, & I do not claim generally the utilization of the gases for oper-
ating the breech mechanism with a fixed barrel, but what I claim is:-
1st. An automatic machine gun with fixed barrel, in which the pressure of the
gases (developed by the explosion of the cartridge) is utilized directly on the
front face of a breech bolt E connected to a crank F. by means of a connecting
rod G & controlled by a spring H. substantially as described &. shown in the
accompanying drawing & for the purpose specified.
2nd. In an automatic machine gun as described at Claim 1, the combination
with the breech bolt E of the tumbler U. with spring U2 as described & for the
purpose specified.
3rd. In an automatic machine gun as described at Claim 1 the combination of
the hopper or magazine D. with the distributor M substantially as described & for
the purpose set forth.
4th. In an automatic machine gun as described at Claim 1 the mechanism for
rotating the distributor M composed of the two ratchet wheels N. N¹ oscillator O.
pawls 02 N2 & N³ and other accessories substantially as described & shown at Fig. 5
of the accompanying drawing.
5th. In an automatic machine gun as described at Claim 1 the combination with
the levers P. & 15 of the handle Q with projection Q3 sustantially as described &
shown & for the purpose set forth.
6th. In automatic machine guns generally; a single firing mechanism composed
of a trigger K. pawl K¹ & spring K5 in combination with the sear J. said pawl K¹
being put out of gear with the said sear J. by the crank F or by any other sliding
or oscillating part of the mechanism every time a cartridge is fired.
7th. In automatic machine guns generally, a mechanical regulator composed of
a small fly wheel or balance R. (mounted direct on the crank shaft or on any other
suitable part of the gun) clock spring S. or its equivalent in combination with the
safety sear J' said fly wheel R receiving the motion from the crank shaft For
from any other sliding or oscillating part of the mechanism.
8th. In automatic machine guns generally, the combination with the balance R.
& spring S. of the pointer T & sleeve T¹ as described & for the
forth.
purpose set
9th. In an automatic machine gun, the improvements in the mechanism composed
of the parts arranged & combined substantially as described & shown in the
accompanying drawing & for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 16th day of December 1895.