Year: 1885

page_text: I, THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object an improved machine gun.
=
In this machine the breech is closed by a vertically sliding wedged shaped block.
This block carries a striker for firing the cartridges, a trigger lever with a sear
noze for retaining the striker until it is wished to fire the shot, and a V spring
operating both upon the striker and trigger lever; it also contains a slide which by
an incline, acting against another incline on the striker forces back the striker until
the sear noze engages with it.
The moving parts of the gun are actuated by a horizontal axis with a handle at
its outer end and at its inner end a projection which entering a recess in the side
of the breech block supports it on its surface whilst the breech is closed.
This surface may be made of any area which may be considered necessary.
A crank arm on the axis also imparts movement to the breech block at the proper
times; it carries a roller which enters a cam groove in the side of the block.
There is another groove in the block to allow it to pass the locking projection
when this by the rotation of the axis has been brought to coincide with the groove.
The same axis by means of another arm works the slide which forces back the
striker.
When the handle is moved to open the breech it first operates the slide and the
striker is drawn back and caught; then the roller on the crank arm enters the cam
groove and moves the block.
The movement of the handle then brings down the breech block with the parts
which it carries until the bore of the gun is exposed for the reception of the
cartridge.
The descent of the breech block locks the trigger so that it cannot move to
release the striker, the form of the trigger and of the recess in which the breech
block works being such that the trigger cannot move except when the breech block.
is fully raised. There are guide grooves in the block and corresponding projections
from the side of the recess in which it works and these parts cause the face of the
block to retire from the breech end of the barrel as the block descends. There are
lips on the breech block on either side which embrace the flange of the cartridge
Price 171

page_text: and when the breech is opened as the block retires from the face the lips carry
back the cartridge case and commence to withdraw it from the bore. The final
ejection of the cartridge case is effected by a lever jointed at its lower end to
tbe block.
As the breech block reaches its lowest position this lever strikes against a pro-
jection which throws it back suddenly and ejects the cartridge case from the bore.
The same projection also serves to control the ejector during movement and
ensures that as the breech block descends it shall enter in front of the flange of the
cartridge case.
A new cartridge is supplied by hand and
handle the block is raised and locked in.
when it is desired to fire the shot..
then by the reversed movement of the
The trigger is then free-it is pulled

page_text: : I THORSTEN NORDENFELT of 53 Parliament Street in the City of Westminster
Civil 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 :-
This Invention has for its object an improved machine gun.
In this machine gun the breech is closed by a vertically sliding wedged shaped
block. This block carries a striker for firing the cartridges, a trigger lever with a
sear noze for retaining the striker until it is wished to fire the shot, and a V spring
operating both upon the striker and trigger lever; it also contains a slide which by
an incline, acting against another incline on the striker forces back the striker until
the sear noze engages with it.
The moving parts of the gun are actuated by a horizontal axis with a handle at
its outer end and at its inner end a projection which entering a recess in the side
of the breech block supports it on its surface whilst the breech is closed. This
surface may be made of any area which may be considered necessary. A crank
arm on the axis also imparts movement to the breech block at the proper times;
it carries a roller which enters a cam groove in the side of the block. There is
another groove in the block to allow it to pass the locking projection when this by
the rotation of the axis has been brought to coincide with the groove. The same
axis by means of another arm works the slide which forces back the striker.
When the handle is moved to open the breech it first operates the slide and the
striker is drawn back and caught; then the roller on the crank arm enters the cam
groove and moves the block.
The movement of the handle then brings down the breech block with the parts
which it carries until the bore of the gun is exposed for the reception of the
cartridge.
The descent of the breech block locks the trigger so that it cannot move to
release the striker, the form of the trigger and of the recess in which the breech
block works being such that the trigger cannot move except when the breech block
is fully raised. There are guide grooves in the block and corresponding projections
from the side of the recess in which it works and these parts cause the face of the
block to retire from the breech end of the barrel as the block descends. There are
lips on the breech block on either side which embrace the flange of the cartridge
and when the breech is opened as the block retires from the face the lips carry
back the cartridge case and commence to withdraw it from the bore. The final
ejection of the cartridge case is effected by a lever jointed at its lower end to
the block.
As the breech block reaches its lowest position this lever strikes against a pro-
jection which throws it back suddenly and ejects the cartridge case from the bore.
The same projection also serves to control the ejector during its movement and
ensures that as the breech block descends it shall enter in front of the flange of the
cartridge case, ...

page_text: A new cartridge is supplied by hand and then by the reversed movement of the
handle the block is raised and locked. The trigger is then free-it is pulled when
it is desired to fire the shot.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical and longitudinal section of the breech end of a machine
gun constructed in accordance with my invention-The breech block is repre-
sented in the position which it occupies when the breech is closed.
Figure 2 is a similar view but with the breech block open.
Figure 3 is a side elevation showing separately the lower part of the breech
block.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the breech end of a machine gun and illustrates a
modification in the arrangement of the ejector The breech block is in the position
it occupies when the breech is open.
Figure 5 is a plan of the parts represented in Figure 4.
In Figures 1. 2 and 3-A is the breech of the gun-B is the breech block
moveable up and down in a guide passage in the breech-C is the axis which
receives the handle for operating the breech block and other parts. D is the
striker contained within the breech block, when projected forward it strikes the
priming of the cartridge and fires the charge-E is the spring which operates both
the striker and the trigger lever-F is the trigger lever; a nose F1 upon it
engages with a recess D in the striker when the striker is forced back and
liberates it when the trigger lever is pulled by a lanyard attached to its lower end.
G is a slide working in a recess in the breech block; by means of an incline G¹
upon it, it operates when drawn down to force back the striker. H is the ejector.
I is a stop controlling the ejector. The axis C supports the breech block when the
breech is closed by means of a segmental projection C¹ upon it, but when the axis
is turned for the purpose of opening the breech, the segmental projection C¹ passes
into the groove B¹ in the side of the breech block, and then the projection ceases
to support it and it comes to bear upon a roller C2, carried at the end of an arm C³,
with which the axis C is provided. Further movement of the axis C lowers the
roller C² and it carries down the breech block with it whilst the roller traverses
along the groove B' formed in the side of the breech block for the roller to operate
in. The axis C has another arm C, upon it and this enters between two
projections G G upon the slide G. During the movement of the axis C whilst
the breech block is still supported by the segmental projection C the slido G
receives a downward movement and the striker D is forced back compressing its
spring E. The trigger lever engages with the striker or firing pin when it is
forced fully back by the action of the spring against the cam piece F³ causing the
parts F¹ and D¹ to engage. The striker cannot be liberated after the breech block
commences to descend because of the projection F³ on the trigger lever which then
bears against the rear wall of the recess in which the breech block works. The
breech block as it descends is guided by ribs A¹ on either side of the recess in the
breech of the gun and these ribs are somewhat inclined so that as the breech block
* descends, it passes away from the face at A². B³ B³ are lips upon the breech block
one on either side, and these when the breech is closed stand in front of the
flange on the base of the cartridge, the cartridge being then in position for firing.
As the breech block descends the lips pass down remaining still behind the flange
of the cartridge and in contact with it at two points diametrically opposite on
either side As at the same time the lips of the breech block pass away from the
face at A² they draw the cartridge case out of the bore of the gun for a short
distance. The ejector H operates upon the cartridge case as the breech block
reaches its lowest position. This ejector is on the side of the breech block opposite
to the lever C³. The ejector is mounted so as to be free to turn on a joint pin.

page_text: at H, and it has at its upper end a lip H³, which, as the breech block descends,
follows behind the lip Bs upon the breech block till it in turn enters behind the
flange of the cartridge. The ejector lever is kept from moving about its centre up
to this point by the fixed projection I within the breech recess on which the tail of
the ejector bears. As the breech block reaches its lowest position the projection H³
on the ejector lever comes against I and the upper end of the lever is then thrown
rapidly to the rear and the cartridge case is ejected from the bore of the gun.
A new cartridge is then inserted in its place and the movement of the axis C in the
reverse direction causes the breech block to rise. The incline B* upon the block
then comes against the base of the cartridge and thrusts it into its place. When
the breech is closed the roller C2 passes out of the groove B' and leaves the breech
block supported by the segmental projection C¹. By the time that the axis C
reaches the end of its course the slide G has been raised and the trigger lever
reaches a position such that it can be drawn back by the lanyard and the striker
liberating it causes the shot to be fired.
The arrangement shown by Figures 4 and 5 are similar except in respect of the
cartridge ejector which in this case is not jointed to the breech block but is on a
stationary stud or axis within the recess in which the breech block works. The
ejector K has a projection K¹ at its lower end which is struck by the breech block
when it descends and so the cartridge which has already been drawn partially back.
is ejected from the gun. When the breech block rises it causes the ejector to
return to its place.
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:-
1. The mechanism within or upon the breech block consisting of the striker D
spring E, trigger lever F, and cocking slide G substantially as described.
2. The combination consisting of a breech block B moveable along inclined
guides and lips B³, on the breech block and an ejector, the said ejector throwing
out the cartridge case when it has already been partially withdrawn by the
lips as the breech block retires from the face at the breech end of the barrel
substantially as described.
3. The combination consisting of a breech block B and lips B³ partially with-
drawing the cartridge case from the gun and an ejector H mounted on the block
finally ejecting the cartridge case substantially as described.
4. The mechanism for supporting and operating the breech block consisting of
an axis C with a segmental projection C¹ passing into a groove 'B' in the breech
block and arm C³, with roller C², or its equivalent working in a groove B¹ in the
breech block substantially as described.
5. The improved machine gun substantially as described and illustrated by the
annexed drawings.