IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We HANS LARSEN and GUNERIUS ENGEBRETSEN SCHOU both of Liége in the
Kingdom of Belgium Gun Makers do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
" to be as
follows:-
Our invention has reference to breech loading small arms in which the opening
and closing of the breech end of the barrel is effected by the vertical or nearly
vertical sliding of a block in the body or shoe of the gun and consists of the
construction and combination of parts hereinafter described whereby the forcing
of the cartridge into its place in the charge chamber the cocking of the hammer
and the ejection of the cartridge case are effected by operating a lever on the
underside of the gun.
The
We construct and arrange the parts of the gun in the following manner.
sliding block is connected by a joint at its bottom to the actuating lever and is
depressed on the descent of the said lever but the sliding block after having
descended vertically through the greater part of its stroke retires backwards
through a small angle in completing its descending motion. On ascending it first
advances towards the breech end of the barrel and completes its motion in a
vertical direction.
These backward and forward motions of the sliding block are effected by means
of two inclines on the block one in front and at its lower part the other at back
and at its upper part. In the descent of the block the former incline bears against
the joint of the extractor and forces back the block. In its ascending motion the
latter incline comes against a fixed incline in the body of the gun and the block is
forced forwards. The object of the retiring and advancing motions of the block
is to force the cartridge to its seat in the charge chamber thereby ensuring the
proper position of the cartridge automatically instead of relying on the action of
the hand in introducing the cartridge.
The cocking of the hammer is effected as follows:-A hanging lever is jointed to
the body of the gun the joint pin being under the head or comb of the hammer.
The lower end of the lever engages in a curved slot on the upperside of the
actuating lever. The hanging lever is forked or divided below its joint into two
parallel arms connected at bottom by a cross pin carrying an anti friction roller
(which constitutes the lower end of the lever) which engages in the curved slot.

page_text: The breast of the hammer is situated between the arms of the hanging lever.
In the middle of the hanging lever and a short distance below its joint pin is a
projection or tooth which bears against a projection or tooth on the breast of the
hammer. When the actuating lever is depressed the lower end of the hanging
lever moves in the direction of the butt end of the gun and presses back the
haminer which is retained in its cocked position by the ordinary sear and bent.
When the actuating lever is raised the hanging lever resumes its normal position
and the hammer is free to fall on the pressing of the trigger.
The ejection of the case of the discharged cartridge is effected by an extractor
of the ordinary kind worked in the following way. The extreme fore end of the
actuating lever acts when the said lever is depressed upon the horizontal arm of
the extractor and thereby starts the case. The further withdrawal and' ejection
of the case is effected by a shoulder on the sliding block striking against a
projection on the joint of the extractor and giving to the extractor the rapid
motion necessary for the ejection of the cartridge case.
The joint pin by which the sliding block is connected to the actuating lever is
of somewhat less diameter than the hole in which it engages there is hence a little
looseness or "play" in the joint.
The result of this is that the hammer commences its backward motion and
permits the retiring of the striker into the sliding block before the block begins to
descend.

page_text: "
We HANS LARSEN and GUNERIUS ENGEBRETSEN SCHOU both of Liége in the
Kingdom of Belgium, Gun Makers do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:―
Our invention has reference to breech loading small arms in which the opening
and closing of the breech end of the barrel is effected by the vertical or nearly
vertical sliding of a block in the body or shoe of the gun and consists of the
construction and combination of parts hereinafter described whereby the forcing
of the cartridge into its place in the charge chamber, the cocking of the hammer
and the ejection of the cartridge case are effected by operating a lever on the
underside of the gun.
The
We construct and arrange the parts of the gun in the following manner.
sliding block is connected by a joint at its bottom to the actuating lever and is
depressed on the descent of the said lever but the sliding block after having
descended vertically through the greater part of its stroke retires backwards
through a small angle in completing its descending motion. On ascending it first
advances towards the breech end of the barrel and completes its motion in a
vertical direction.
These backward and forward motions of the sliding block are effected by means
of two inclines on the block one in front and at its lower part, the other at back
and at its upper part. In the descent of the block the former incline bears against
the joint of the extractor and forces back the block. In its ascending motion the
latter incline comes against a fixed incline in the body of the gun and the block
is forced forwards. The object of the retiring and advancing motions of the block
is to force the cartridge to its seat in the charge chamber, thereby ensuring the
proper position of the cartridge automatically instead of relying on the action of
the hand in introducing the cartridge.
The cocking of the hammer is effected as follows:-
A hanging lever is jointed to the body of the gun, the joint pin being under the
bead or comb of the hammer. The lower end of the lever engages in a curved
slot on the upper side of the actuating lever. The hanging lever is forked or
divided below its joint into two parallel arms connected at bottom by a cross pin
carrying an anti-friction roller (which constitutes the lower end of the lever) which
engages in the curved slot. The breast of the hammer is situated between the
arns of the hanging lever.
In the middle of the hanging lever and a short distance below its joint pin is a
projection or tooth which bears against a projection or tooth on the breast of the
hammer. When the actuating lever is depressed the lower end of the hanging
lever moves in the direction of the butt end of the gun and presses back the
hammer which is retained in its cocked position by the ordinary sear and bent.
When the actuating lever is raised the hanging lever resumes its normal position
and the hammer is free to fall on the pressing of the trigger.
The ejection of the case of the discharged cartridge is effected by an extractor
of the ordinary kind worked in the following manner. The extreme fore end of
the actuating lever acts, when the said lever is depressed, upon the horizontal arm
of the extractor and thereby starts the case. The further withdrawal and ejection

page_text: of the case is effected by a shoulder on the sliding block striking against a
projection on the joint of the extractor and giving to the extractor the rapid
motion necessary for the ejection of the cartridge case.
-The joint pin by which the sliding block is connected to the actuating lever is of
somewhat less diameter than the hole in which it engages there is hence a little
looseness or play in the joint.
The result of this is that the hammer commences its backward motion and
permits the retiring of the striker into the sliding block before the block begins
to descend.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in longitudinal section the
breech end of a sliding block breech loading gun containing our improvements,
the breech being represented closed and the hammer discharged; Figure 2 represents
in side elevation and plan the breech body or shoe of the gun detached and
Figure 3 represents in side elevation and plan the main or actuating lever of
the gun detached. The other Figures represent parts of the gun as herein after 1
explained.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the drawing.
a is the barrel and b the breech body or shoe in an opening or mortice o in
which body or shoe, the sliding block d works. The block d is shown separately
in side elevation and front and back elevation in Figure 4. The said block d
carries the striker or striking pin e as usual; ƒ is the main or actuating lever of
the gun serving as the trigger guard. The said lever f turns on the pin or
centre fat the front of the shoe b and the said leverf has a heel or short arm g
for the purpose hereinafter explained. The said main or actuating lever f is
jointed at h to the bottom of the sliding block d by means of a loose joint so that
the lever has a little play or motion on the said joint before it commences to
act upon the block d. The inclines on the block d for giving it a backward and
forward motion as it descends and ascends in the breech shoe are marked i and k.
The incline i is situated at the middle of the front and near the lower part of the
block d and the incline k is situated at the upper part and crosses the back of
the block.
When the main lever fis pulled down for opening the breech, the sliding block d
descends vertically through the greater part of its stroke but a little before the
block has fully descended its front incline i strikes against the joint of the S
extractor and the said block d is thereby forced back in its mortice c towards
the butt end of the gun. When the cartridge has been introduced into the charge
chamber m of the barrel and the actuating lever f is raised for closing the breech
the block d is also raised. In its ascending motion the back incline k upon it
comes against fixed inclines 6, 6 in the body or shoe b of the gun and the said
block is forced forward and the cartridge is thereby forced to its seat in the charge
chamber m thus ensuring automatically the proper position of the cartridge in the
said charge chamber.
The extractor l, which is shown separately in side and back elevation in Figure 6,
has at the back of its joint the end projections, which are acted upon by 4
shoulders d³, d' on the sliding block d for ejecting the empty cartridge case as
herein after explained; p is the cock or hammer (shown separately in Figure 5)
having near its joint a shoulder p². The cocking of the hammer p is effected by
the hanging forked lever q. The lever q is shown separately in side elevation and
front and back elevation together with its spring, in Figure 7. The said hanging 5
lever q turns on the pin or centre q² and is pressed into the position represented in
Figure 1 by the forked spring q³ bearing upon shoulders 9, 9 at the back of the
hanging lever q. The lower end of the hanging lever 9 works in a curved slot 8 in
the main or actuating lever f and the lower forked arms of the said banging lever q
carry an anti-friction roller q5 which travels in the said curved slot & At the
middle of the hanging lever q and near its joint end is a projection or tooth t (see
Figure 7) which bears against the shoulder or projection p³ on the breast of the
g

page_text: hammer p. When the actuating lever f is depressed to open the gun the lower
end of the hanging lever q moves towards the butt end of the gun and the
projection t operating upon the projection p³ of the hammer p presses back the
said hammer into its cocked position in which position it is retained by the sear
and bent at u. After the actuating lever f has been raised to close the breech,
the hanging lever q is raised into the position represented in Figure 1 and the
hammer p is free to fall on pressing the trigger a.
The parts for extracting and ejecting the spent cartridge case from the charge
chamber m consist of the short arm or heel g of the actuating lever f for acting
upon the horizontal arm of the extractor and the shoulders d², d on the sliding
block & for acting upon the projections, on the joint of the extractor ĭ.
When the actuating leverf is depressed after the discharge of the gun the heel or
short arm g of the said lever facts upon the horizontal arm of the extractor Z
and thereby starts the cartridge case from the chamber m. After the block & has
descended sufficiently far to open the breech its shoulders d' d' strike against the .
projections, on the joint of the extractor 7 thereby giving to the said extractor.
the rapid motion necessary for the ejection of the cartridge case.
It will be seen by an examination of Figure 1 that the loose joint at h by which
the actuating lever f is jointed to the block d causes the hanging lever 9 on the
first motion of the said actuating lever to slightly lift the hammer p and permit of
the retiring of the striker e before the block & begins to descend by the further
motion of the actuating lever f.
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 of Improvements in sliding block breech loading small arms is :-
First The construction and combination of parts herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for ensuring automatically the proper
position of the cartridge in the charge chamber on the closing of the breech; that
is to say, by means of the inclines i, k on the sliding block d in conjunction with
inclines on the body or shoe of the gun and the projecting joint of the extractor
substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly The combination of the hanging lever q and its tooth or projection t
with the main or actuating lever fand a shoulder on the breast of the hammer for
cocking the hammer on opening the breech for charging the gun or small arm as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly-The arrangement or combination of parts herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for starting and ejecting the case of the
discharged cartridge on opening the gun or small arm for recharging.
Dated this ninth day of October 1884.