Improvements in Recoil-operated Small-arms.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Recoil-operated Small-arms.
I, HERBERT FERDINAND WOODGATE, of 9, Victoria Street, in the City of West-
minster, Captain in the 1st South Wales Borderers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention has reference to that class of firearm wherein the recoil
due to the explosion of the cartridge is utilized for unlocking the bolt, extracting
the spent cartridge case, reloading, and cocking.
My invention is more particularly connected with the bolt, which slides in a
guide or shoe in rear of the barrel. This shoe contains the bolt spring, which.
being compressed when the bolt and barrel are forced back by the recoil, supplies
(with or without the assistance of a second or barrel spring) the power for
returning the parts into position for another discharge.
The bolt comprises a cylindrical casing, into the forward end of which is
screwed a fixed head.
Embracing the fixed head is a rotating head, which has upon it backwardly-
extending arms protruding through curved slots in the end of the bolt casing.
The rotating head carries lugs for engaging the barrel and locking the bolt in
position therein.
Within the bolt casing is a cam piece capable of rotating therein, by means
of which cam piece the rotation of the locking head into its locking position is
effected. This cam piece, which also carries the firing pin, has arms on its
front side, which lie in the path of the arms carried by the rotating head, so
that rotary movement in a direction to lock the bolt is communicated thereby.
The unlocking of the bolt is effected by a cam on the shoe engaging with a lug
on the rotating head. The cam piece has also cams interposed between the
aforesaid arms, which operate against similar cams carried inside the end of
the bolt casing, so that if the cam piece is rotated from its normal position, it
is forced backward away from the barrel, thereby withdrawing the firing pin
which it carries. Embracing the cam piece is a split ring, which has a slotted
tail-piece lying within a groove in the casing. This ring and its tail-piece do
not rotate, but can move longitudinally within the casing. The bolt is com-
pleted by a sliding cam piece which has cam recesses on its front side engaging
with corresponding cams on the back of the cam piece before described, so that
the rotation of the latter effects its separation from the former, which is retained
against rotation in a suitable manner, although permitted to have an endway
movement in the bolt casing. At the back of the sliding cam piece is the bolt
spring, which has a tendency to push forward the bolt into the barrel.
The barrel itself may be given a forward tendency by a separate spring of its
own, or it may be connected by means of levers to the bolt in such a way that
the spring of the latter tends to thrust forward the barrel after the force of the
recoil has been expended.
The action of the weapon is as follows:-
When the gun is fired, the bolt and barrel retire together, locked, under the
e the mail compressing their spring or springs. The unlocking stud

page_text: on the rotating head of the bolt, meanwhile travelling along the cam formed on
the shoe, rotates the head and unlocks the bolt. At the same time, the rotating
head, through its backwardly extending arms, rotates the cam piece within the
casing, thereby releasing all the cams thereon from their respective recesses, and
driving back the sliding cam piece, so as to further compress the bolt spring.
The bolt, with the empty cartridge case held in an extractor of any convenient
form, having retired with the barrel, is caught by the sear, and held while the
barrel returns to its normal position. The independent advance of the barrel
causes the ejection of the spent cartridge case as follows:-
Just before the barrel completes its forward movement, a hinged two-arm lever
ejector, mounted on a rearwardly projecting prong attached to the barrel, strikes
the base of the cartridge case and ejects it out of the gun.
A further forward
movement of the barrel causes a projection on a second prong to pass over and
trip the sear, thus releasing the bolt, which taking up a fresh cartridge from
the magazine, is propelled forward by its spring until the locking lugs on the
rotating head enter the recess in the base of the barrel; the sliding cam piece
now pressing on the rear cams of the locking and firing cam piece, partially
rotate the same, and, through the projecting arms before mentioned, the rotating
head is also rotated, thus locking the bolt & barrel together.
It will be remembered that the rotating cam is provided with an embracing
ring carrying a slotted tail-piece. This tail-piece catches on a portion of the
sear, and is thereby retained. In consequence, the cam piece, and with it the
firing pin, is prevented from fully advancing, although the cams are now pre-
cisely opposite the recesses in the cylinder casing end. When the trigger is
pulled the sear is liberated, and the power still remaining in the bolt spring is
used for advancing the cam piece and firing the gun.
In order to reduce the friction of the locking stud on the rotating head against
the cam groove in the shoe, the cams in the bolt, on leaving their respective
recesses, are caught in notches or bents formed on the faces of the adjacent parts,
and there retained until the bolt reaches the locking position in the barrel
when the locking stud, striking a slight incline on the base of the groove in
the shoe, will knock the cams out of the bents, and allow of the locking being
completed.
It should be remarked that, in the firearm above described, the barrel and the
bolt retire, at the recoil, both together the full distance, thus ensuring a more
certain action than can be procured in cases where the bolt is thrown back part
of the way by the impulse previously derived from the barrel in its shorter travel
in a backward direction.
Dated this 19th day of July 1898
Improvements in Recoil-operated Small-arms.
I, HERBERT FERDINAND WOODGATE, of 9, Victoria Street, in the City of West-
minster, Captain in the South Wales Borderers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The present invention has reference to that class of firearm wherein the recoil
due to the explosion of the cartridge is utilized for unlocking the bolt, extracting
the spent cartridge case, reloading, and cocking.
My invention is more particularly connected with the bolt, which slides in a

page_text: guide or shoe in rear of the barrel. This shoe contains the bolt spring, which,
being compressed when the bolt and barrel are forced back by the recoil, supplies
(with or without the assistance of a second or barrel spring) the power for
returning the parts into position for another discharge.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention as applied to
a magazine pistol.
Figs. 1 and are side views, partly in section, shewing the parts of the pistol
in different positions.
Fig. 3 is a cross section of the shoe on the line of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the sear.
Figs. 5 to 17 are detail views of portions of the bolt and barrel which will be
presently described.
The bolt comprises a cylindrical casing A, into the forward end of which is
screwed a fixed head a, see Figs. 8 and 9, which are a longitudinal section of the
bolt and a front end view, respectively.
Embracing the fixed head is a rotating head B (Figs. 14 and 15), which has
upon it backwardly extending arms bb, protruding through curved slots in the
end of the bolt casing, which slots are seen clearly in the end view Fig. 5.
The rotating head 13 carries lugs b₁ for engaging the barrel and locking the
bolt in position therein.
Within the bolt casing is a cam piece C, capable of rotating therein, by means of
which cam piece the rotation of the locking head B into its locking position (Fig. 14')
is effected. This cam piece C, which also carries the firing pin c, has arms cel
on its front side (see Figs. 10 & 11), which lie in the path of the arms b, carried
by the rotating head B, so that rotary movement in a direction to lock the bolt
is communicated thereby. The unlocking of the bolt is effected by a cam d on
the shoe (see Figs. 1, 2, & 3), engaging with a lug 6* on the rotating head B.
The cam piece C has also cams interposed between the aforesaid arms c¹,
which operate against similar cams a¹ carried inside the end of the bolt
casing A, so that if the cam piece is rotated from its normal position, it is forced
backward away from the barrel, thereby withdrawing the firing pin c which it
carries. Embracing the cam piece C is a split ring E, which has a slotted
tail-piece (Fig. 10) lying within a groove in the casing A. This ring E and
its tail-piece e do not rotate, but can move longitudinally within the casing.
The bolt is completed by a sliding cam piece F (see Figs. 6 and 7), which
has cam recesses ff on its front side, engaging with corresponding cams c con
the back of the cam piece C before described, so that the rotation of the latter
effects its separation from the former, which is retained against rotation in a
suitable manner, for instance, by means of a lug f' engaging with a slot at the
top of the casing A, although permitted to have an endway movement in the said
casing. At the back of the sliding cam piece F is the bolt spring G, which has
a tendency to push forward the bolt into the barrel H.
The barrel Hitself may be given a forward tendency by a separate spring I of
its own, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
At the rear of the barrel H are two prongs h. ', clearly seen in
the plan view Fig. 16. One prong, h, carries a hinged lever h², which acts
as an ejector for the empty cartridge case. The other prong, h¹, carries a
projection for tripping the sear, as hereafter explained.
and are grooves in the shoe D (sec Fig. 3), for accommodating respec-
tively the prongs h, h¹, during their travel.
The magazine may be of any convenient construction, and does not form part
of the present invention.
The action of the weapon is as follows:-
When the pistol is fired, the bolt A and barrel H retire together (under the
influence of the recoil) locked, compressing their springs G and I. The unlocking
stud on the rotating head B of the bolt meanwhile travelling along the cam
formed on the shoe D rotates the head, and unlocks the bolt. At the same time,

page_text: the rotating head, through its backwardly extending arms, rotates the cam
piece C within the casing A, thereby releasing all the cams thereon from their
respective recesses, and driving back the sliding cam piece F, so as to further
compress the bolt spring G. The bolt with the empty cartridge case held in an
extractor of any convenient form, having retired with the barrel, is caught by
the sear K engaging the front of the bolt case (see Fig. 2), and held while the
barrel returns to its normal position. The independent advance of the barrel
causes the ejection of the spent cartridge case as follows:-
Just before the barrel completes its forward movement, a position chosen for
illustration at Fig. 2, the hinged two-arm lever ejector 2, mounted on the rear-
wardly projecting prong attached to the barrel, strikes the base of the cartridge
case, and ejects it out of the pistol. A further forward movement of the barrel
causes a projection on the second prong h¹ to pass over and trip the sear K,
thus releasing the bolt, which, taking up a fresh cartridge from the magazine, is
propelled forward by its spring, until the locking lugs on the rotating head enter
the recess in the base of the barrel; the sliding cam-piece now pressing on the
rear cams of the locking and firing cam piece, partially rotate the same, and,
through the projecting arms before mentioned, the rotating head is also rotated,
thus locking the bolt and barrel together.
It will be remembered that the rotating cam C is provided with an embracing
ring E, carrying a slotted tail-piece e. This tail-piece e catches on a portion of
the sear K, and is thereby retained. In consequence, the cam piece C, and with
it the firing pin e, is prevented from fully advancing, although the cams c²² are
now precisely opposite the recesses in the cylinder casing end.
The pistol is now ready for firing, and the parts are in the position of Fig. 1.
When the trigger is pulled, the sear K is liberated, and the power still remain-
ing in the bolt spring. G is used for advancing the cam-piece C and firing the
pistol.
In order to reduce the friction of the locking stud * on the rotating head
against the cam groove d in the shoe D, the cams in the bolt, on leaving their
respective recesses, are caught in notches or bents formed on the faces of the
adjacent parts, and there retained until the bolt reaches the locking position in
the barrel, when the locking stud, striking a slight incline on the base of the
groove in the shoe, will knock the cams out of the bents, and allow of the locking
being completed.
It should be remarked that, in the fire-arm above described, the barrel and the
bolt retire, at the recoil, both together the full distance, thus ensuring a more
certain action than can be procured in cases where the bolt is thrown back part
of the way by the impulse previously derived from the barrel in its shorter travel
in a backward direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is —
In recoil-operated magazine fire-arms, the employment of a bolt comprising a
casing, a head fixed thereto, a rotating locking head embracing the fixed head,
and cams and cam pieces operating within the casing, to effect the unlocking of
the bolt with the aid of an incline on the shoe, and the locking of the same to
the barrel, and the firing of the gun under impulse of the bolt spring, sub-
stantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
101
1
1800
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.