Improvements in Breech Loading Ordnance.
Year: 1891

page_text: te of Application, 10th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech Loading Ordnance.
I, EDWARD GRANVILLE PARKHURST, of No. 1 Flower Street, in the City of
Hartford, County of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, one of the United States
of America, Foreman Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING ORDNANCE, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
This invention relates to that class of breech-loading ordnance in which the
opening of the breech, extracting the empty shell, and cocking the gun are
accomplished by the movement of an actuating lever in one direction, and the
closing of the breech and the making ready for firing are accomplished by a
movement of the actuating-lever in a contrary direction.
The object of the invention is to furnish a rapid-firing single-shot gun, having
the breech-block constructed and arranged to first move downward and then swing
backward in opening, and to be securely locked against recoil; also, to carry the
principal operative parts of the firing mechanism.
In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this Specification,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the rearward portion or breech of a rapid-firing single-
shot gun embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gun, drawn in projection with Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the gun, with the actuating handle or lever and the
shoulder-piece removed.
Fig. 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the breech of the gun, illustrating
the mode of assembling and disassembling.
Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the gun ready for firing.
Fig. 6 is a similar sectional view of the gun, showing the parts in their positions
immediately after firing.
Fig. 7 is a similar view, showing the gun cocked, and the breech open ready to
receive a cartridge.
Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but showing the breech-block in full, and
illustrating the mode of operating the extractors.
Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Figs. 4 and 5, showing the breech-block
removed and one of the shell-extractors in place.
Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing a modified arrangement of the gun-
breech abutments.
Fig. 9 is a rear view of the breech of the gun, all of the operative parts except
the extractors being removed.
Fig. 10 is a central horizontal longitudinal section showing the method of securing
the shoulder-piece to the gun.
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are, respectively, a side elevation, a rear elevation, and a
plan of the breech-block with all the operative parts removed therefrom.
Fig. 14 is an inverted plan view of the breech-block.
Figs. 15, 16 and 17 are a side elevation, a vertical section and an edge view,
respectively, (on an enlarged scale,) of the locking-cam.
Fig. 18 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the gun, taken in line a a, Fig. 1.
Figs. 19, 20 and 21 are, respectively, a plan, a central vertical section, and a
rear elevation of the trigger-block and the parts carried thereby.
Fig. 22 is a plan, Fig. 23 a front elevation, and Fig. 24 an edge view of the
recoil-plate.
Figs. 25, 26 and 27 are, respectively, a plan, a side elevation and a rear view of

page_text: therefrom.
Fig. 28 is a rear view, and Fig. 29 a side view, of the firing-pin slide, also drawn
to an enlarged scale.
Fig. 30 is a detail view of the firing-pin.
Figs. 31 and 32 are a rear view and a side view, respectively, of one of the
extractors.
Fig. 33 is a side view of the trigger, and Fig. 34 a front view of the same.
Figs. 35 and 36 are two views of the sear.
Fig. 37 is a rear view, and Fig. 38 a side view, of the trigger-stop.
Figs. 39 and 40 are side and front views, respectively, of the trigger-guard.
Figs. 41 and 42 are a plan and end elevation, respectively, of the right-hand
cam-shaft bushing.
Figs. 43 and 44 are similar views of the corresponding left-hand bushing.
Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.
In the drawings only the rearward portion, B, of the barrel of the gun is
shown. The gun-barrel terminates in an enlarged portion, designated in a general
way by D, and usually denominated the breech-piece." The breech-piece
consists of the side walls D' and D', and the top wall D, the space for receiving
the breech-block between said side walls being open on the lower side thereof
and also at the roar end of the breech-piece, as will be understood by comparison
of the several figures of drawing.
On one side (usually the left-hand side) of the breech-piece, the gun is usually
provided with means, as for instance the guides 80 and 82, for receiving the
shank, 85, of the usual shoulder-piece for assisting the gunner in the management
of the gun.
On their outer edges, said guides have the oppositely-disposed
hooks or ribs 81 and 83, respectively, for holding said shank in proper aligument.
The shank of the shoulder-piece has a mortise, 84, on its inner side to receive
the lock-bolt or hook 90, which is pivoted to said shank at 91, and at its forward
end has a hook, 86, engaging a notch, 87, formed in the breech of the gun. See
Fig. 10. The opposite end, 88, of the lock-bolt or lever 90 engages in a notch
at 89 in the sliding-bolt 92, whose outer end 93 forms a thumb-piece for operating
the sliding-bolt and through this the said lock-bolt or lever. The spring 94,
surrounding the sliding-bolt back of a collar, 95, formed on said bolt, serves to
normally actuate the bolt and lever and hold the same in the position shown in
Fig. 10 said spring being contained in an enlargement of the bore containing
said sliding-bolt, as will be understood from the drawing. By pushing on the
thumb-piece 93, the bolt is slid to swing the lever 90 on its pivot 91 and thus
withdraw the book 86 from the aforesaid notch 87, when the shank 85 may be
withdrawn from between the guides 80 and 82, as will be understood without
further or more particular description.
The sides D and D' are each perforated on the same axis and near the lower
edges thereof to form the bore 7 (Fig. 8) for receiving the bushings 52 and 54
respectively, which are inserted from opposite sides of the breech-piece and are
held in place by keys, 57 and 59, respectively. fitting in key-ways, as 96, Fig. 8,
formed in said side walls. The cam-shaft 58 is journaled in said bushings, as will
be understood from Fig. 18, and is provided with a lever, 64, suitably affixed to
the outer end, 97, of said shaft. The forward position of said handle or lever is
shown by solid lines in Fig. 2, the rearward position thereof being shown by dotted
lines in said Fig. 2.
One feature of my present invention relates to the construction and mode of
operation of said handle in connection with the cam-shaft, whereby the cam-shaft
may be locked in its forward position. For this purpose the bushing 52 has
thereon a flange, 98, in which is formed the notch 70. See Figs. 1, 18, 43 and 44.
The collar or hub 60 is fixed by means of the pin 62, or in other suitable
manner, to the projecting end 97 of the shaft 58, said collar having the two

page_text: ears 63 and 65, between which the lower end of the handle 64 is closely yet freely
fitted, said handle being pivoted to said ears by the pin 71. The handle is shaped
at its lower end substantially as shown in Fig. 18, so as to have a limited move-
ment, and is provided with the catch 68 constructed to fit into the aforesaid notch.
For actuating the handle to normally hold its said catch 68 in engagement with
said notch, said handle is provided with a suitable spring, as 66, secured thereto by
the rivets (or screws) 67 and 69; this spring may be contained in a recess formed
in the outside of the handle (as indicated by dotted lines at 66, Fig. 18,) its
point 66¹ bearing against said collar 60. The tendency of said spring, when the
several parts are thus constructed and assembled, is obviously to throw the handle
toward the left-hand in Fig. 18, and thereby hold its said catch 68 in engagement
with said notch 70. In operating the cam-shaft, the gunner seizes the handle 64,
and throwing the same toward the right-hand in Fig. 18, thus disengages it from
the collar 98, when the cam-shaft is free to be turned by swinging the handle over
to its dotted position in Fig. 2. No notch is shown for locking the handle in its
said dotted position, since it is not deemed necessary to lock the mechanism except
for holding the breech-block closed.
The breech-block, which is designated in a general way by C, is journaled on
the inwardly-projecting ends of the aforesaid bushings 52 and 54, respectively,
and substantially fills the space between the sides D₁ and D of the breech-piece.
All of the operative parts of the firing mechanism are carried, directly or indirectly,
by the breech-block, except the extractors and the locking-cam 56; which cam is
keyed to the cam-shaft 58 by a suitable key, as 61, and is located between the
bushings 52 and 54, respectively, and within a space therefor formed in the breech-
block. The breech-block is bored at 72, Fig. 11, to fit and turn on the aforesaid
bushings 52 and 54, and has the mortises or openings, 73 and 75, from said bore 72
through the lower ends of the respective sides 74 and 76 of the block, the width
of said openings corresponding to the thickness, 99, Figs. 42 and 44, of the flatted
ends of the bushings. When the breech-block is lowered to bring the bore, 72,
thereof in alignment with the bushings, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 8, it is
then free to turn on said bushings as journals; but when the block is thrown up
to its vertical position shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or to its lowermost position shown
in Fig. 4, the said opening 73 comes in alignment with said flatted bushing-ends,
and the block is then free to be moved up or down as the case may be.
The side walls, D' and D*, of the breech-piece have on their inner sides a series
of projections or lugs, 2 and 4, respectively, which are constructed and arranged
in vertical rows, and also in circular rows concentric with the aforesaid bore 7.
The concentric rows of projections are separated by circular grooves or channels,
as 16, Fig. 8, and the vertical rows are separated by the parallel channels 6 and 8,
respectively. The corresponding sides of the breech-block are provided with
corresponding lugs or projections 12 and 14, respectively, which lugs are similarly
arranged in parallel and concentric rows which (when the bore 72 of the breech-
block is in alignment with the bore 7 of the breech-piece) correspond with the
circular channels of the breech-piece, so that the breech-block may then be turned
on its journals from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the positions shown in Figs. 7
and 4, respectively. By reason of the described parallel arrangement of the corre-
sponding sets of projections, when the breech-block is in its vertical position it is
free to slide upward into engagement with said breech-piece projections, as in
Figs. 5 and 6, or to be lowered to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 8,
out of engagement with the breech-piece lugs.
As an additional means for locking the breech-block against recoil when the
block is raised, the top of the block is or may be provided with the projection 77,
which fits into the corresponding recess, 3, Figs. 8 and 9.
In its front side the breech-block has a channel, 9, formed between the forwardly-
projecting sides 11 and 13, for receiving a recoil-plate, 18, which is held in place
by a pin, 15, (Fig. 24,) fitting the hole 15 in said sides 11 and 13. See Fig. 11.
The recoil-plate has a perforation, 100, usually made conical and smallest on the

page_text: forward side, from which the firing-pin may have access to the primer of the
cartridge.
The breech-block is perforated in a direction longitudinally of the gun when
the breech-block is closed, for receiving the firing-pin slide 38, which in its
preferred form shown in the drawings is a cylindrical piece having the bore 39 for
receiving the main-spring 40). Said slide is bored and threaded at 101, Fig. 29, to
receive the stem 33 of the firing-pin 36; the arrangement of these parts when
assembled is shown in Figs. 5, and 7. On its lower side the slide 38 has a
downwardly-projecting arm, 35, whose lower end, 351, is fitted to engage with the
locking-cam 56 for retracting the slide. At its rear end, said slide has on the
lower side thereof the catch 43 for engaging with the corresponding catch, 37, of
the sear 22, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 5. The arm 35 works in a slot or
mortise, 102, extending from the aforesaid bore 41 to the space 103, Fig. 12, for
receiving the locking-cam 56. The sear 22 is carried by the trigger-block 24,
which is shown in detail in Figs. 25, 26 and 27.
the sear.
At a
On its rearward side the breech-block has formed therein a T-shaped slot, 44, as
shown best in the plan views Figs. 13 and 14. The trigger-block 24 has the
oppositely-disposed ribs 104 and 106, which engage in the side spaces 105 and 107,
respectively, of said T-slot, being held in place by a pin, 45, which passes through
the hole 45 (Fig. 11) in the breech-block and through a corresponding hole in the
trigger-block, as will be understood by comparison of Figs. 11, 20 and 21.
little distance below said pin, the trigger-block is broadened, as shown in Figs. 21
and 27, the shoulders 108 and 110 abutting against the lower face, 109, of the
rearward part of the breech-block. See Figs. 3, 11 and 12. The trigger-block
has a bore, 21, vertically thereof, for receiving the sear 22 (see Fig. 20) and above
said bore has a recess, 112, the upper end of which fits over the rearward upper
projection, 47, of the breech-block, thus closing the upper end of said block when
the parts are assembled thereon against access of dirt, etc. On its front side and
at the lower end thereof, the trigger-block has the projection 113, which reaches
forward into the aforesaid space 103 adjacent to the locking-cam, as shown in
Figs. 6, 7 and 12. A mortise, 25, is formed in the trigger-block for receiving the
trigger 26, which is pivoted to said block by a pin, 32, which fits into the hole 32*,
Fig. 26, formed in said block. The lower end of the trigger has the usual finger-
piece, 114, extending below the trigger-block, and at its upper end has a forwardly-
projecting arm which is shaped at 115 to fit into a mortise, 29, (see Fig. 36) in
The trigger projects through said sear-mortise, and has a beveled or
inclined face, 116, in the nature of a cam, adapted to bear against the corresponding
face 117 (Fig. 38) of the trigger-stop 34; which stop is pivoted at 31 in the
aforesaid trigger-block projection 113, as will be understood from the drawings.
The forward face, 118, of said trigger-stop stands close to the periphery of the
locking-cam 56, as shown in several of the figures of drawing. When the mechanism
is in position for firing, shown in Fig. 5, the firing-pin slide is retracted, the
catch 43 thereof engaging the sear-catch 37, (being upheld by the scar-spring 20,)
the trigger-stop 34 stands against the aforesaid face 116 of the trigger, while the
forward face 118 of said stop stands a short distance away from the depressed or
flatted surface, 119, of the locking-cam. If, now, the parts being positioned as in
Fig. 5, the trigger be drawn back, the sear is thereby drawn down, disengaging the
firing-pin slide, which is then thrown forward by the main-spring 40 from the
position in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6; at the same time the aforesaid
inclined faces, 116 and 117, of the trigger and trigger-stop respectively, operate to
throw forward the trigger-stop until said stop is stopped by striking the locking-
But if prior to pulling the trigger the locking-cam shall be turned back, the
depression 119 is carried away from the trigger-stop, bringing the full circular
face 120 contiguous to said stop and thereby preventing the trigger from being
operated. By this means it is made impossible to fire the gun by pulling the
trigger at any time when the locking-cam is not-thrown fully forward to its position
in Figs. 5 and 6,
cam.

page_text: The locking-cam, shown in detail in Figs. 15, 16 and 17, is a substantially
circular collar, having on the upper side thereof the projecting part 121, whose
concentric face 122 forms the locking surface for locking the breech-block in its
uppermost position, while the forward surface 123 acts as a cam for raising the block,
and the rearward surface 124 as a cam for depressing the block. The middle part
of the locking-cam has formed therein a slot, 125, for receiving the aforesaid lower
end 35' of the firing-pin slide; which said end bears against the cam-face 126. as
illustrated, for instance, in Fig. 7. The circumferential cam-face 122 of the
locking-cam bears, when the breech-block is in its uppermost position shown in
Fig. 5, against the corresponding abutments 128 128, (see Fig. 12). In opening
the gun, the first backward movement of the locking-cam carries the concentric
locking surfaces 122 of said cam back from the said abutments 128; next, the
cocking-cam face 126 strikes the arm 35¹ of the firing-pin slide, and carries back
the same to the position relatively to the block shown in Fig. 7; at the same time,
the rearward curved face, 124, of the locking-cam strikes the upper face, 127, of the
aforesaid projection, 113, of the trigger-block, and thereby first lowers the breech-
block out of engagement with the aforesaid side notches 2 and 4, and then swings
the same backward and downward to the position shown in Fig. 7. On reversing
the movement of the cam, the forward curved face thereof engages the rearward
ends 128 of said abutments 128 of the breech-block, and carries the breech-block
back to its vertical position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, and then forces the
same up to the position shown in Fig. 5, after which the cam turns forward, leaving
the firing-pin slide retracted and in engagement with the sear, and bringing the
aforesaid flatted portion, 119, of the locking-cam adjacent to the forward face 118
of the trigger-stop, thereby permitting the gun to be fired by pulling the trigger.
row,
It will be understood that after the breech-block is lowered to bring the side
notches thereof out of engagement with the corresponding notches of the breech-
piece, and swung back any distance, the said notches cannot again engage, since
the circumferential movement of the outer curved rows of notches is greater than
said movement of the inner rows of notches, so that one circular row of notches acts
as a guard or preventive against the engagement of the notches of another circular
thus effectually preventing the breech-block from moving up before it is fully
closed. Another means co-operating to this same end is the herein before-described
combination with the bored and slotted breech-block, of the flatted bushings or
journals 52 and 54. When the breech-block is raised, the flatted ends of said
bushings enter the opening 73, thus preventing the block from turning; also, when
the block is lowered onto said bushings as a journal and is swung back thereon, the
rounded lower surface 130 of said bushings passes beyond said opening and thus
prevents the premature raising of the breech-block. Thus the several features of
construction co-operate together to produce certainty of action of the mechanism.
For extracting the cartridges, two oppositely-disposed extractors are provided,
designated by 48 and 50, respectively, the one 50 being shown in detail in Figs. 31
and 32. Both extractors being exactly alike except that one is right-handed and
the other left-handed, a detailed description of one of them will serve as a sufficient
description of both. The extractor consists of a lever, 129, supported by a pin or
journal, 131, extending from the axis of the lever and fitted to turn in the holes 51
and 71 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9) formed in the side walls D¹ and D³,
respectively. The upper end of the extractor-lever is provided with the usual
cartridge-rim-engaging lip, 55, which is fitted to lie in the corresponding notch 55¹
(Fig. 4) formed in the breech of the gun. When put in place, as shown in Figs. 8
and 9, the extractor-levers lie in the planes, respectively, of the sets of notches 2
and 4; the movement of the extractors is shown by comparison of Fig. 8 with
Figs. 4 and 7. The lower ends, 132 132, of the extractor-levers are carried back and
shaped substantially as shown to properly engage and be operated by the extractor-
cams 133 133, respectively, which project from the opposite sides of the breech-
block, as shown in the detail drawing of this piece, Figs. 11 to 14, inclusive. The
extractors are thrown forward by the action of the cartridge-rim engaging on the

page_text: lips 55 55, in a well-known manner. The extractors are actuated to withdraw
the cartridge by the cams 133 133 engaging the aforesaid lower ends of the
extractor-levers in the manner illustrated in Fig. 74, which corresponds in position
of the breech-block and other details to Fig. 7.
To assemble the mechanism of the gun, the operator first slides the recoil-
plate, 18, into the dovetail slot, 9, of the breech-block C, and drives the pin 15
into place. Next, the sear-spring 20, Fig. 20, is placed in the hollow lower end of the
sear 22, which is then placed in the aforesaid bore 21 in the trigger-block 24; the
trigger, 26, should next be inserted into the trigger-block and through the sear 22,
and the pin 32 driven into place. Next, the trigger-stop, 31, is inserted in the
mortise formed therefor in the trigger-block, and secured by means of the pin 31.,
The trigger-block and its details are now assembled ready to be put into place on the
breech-block. The two shell-extractors, 48 and 50, one on the right-hand and the
other on the left-hand, are next put in place, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, after
which the bushings 52 and 54 are inserted in the holes 5 and 7, when the locking-
cam 56 is placed between the inner adjacent ends of the said bushings, and the
cam-shaft 58 then put in place as shown in Fig. 18. After this, the operator takes
the breech-block and inserting it, first slides it up over the cam-shaft and bushings
as shown in Fig. 4, and then swings it over to the position shown in dotted lines in
Fig. 8. The breech-block being in place, the firing-pin slide, with the firing-pin
fixed therein and the spring 40 in place in the bore thereof, is placed in the block C,
the arm 35 lying in the slot 102. Next, the trigger-block 24, with the parts
assembled thereon, is slid into place from below, and secured by driving in the
pin 45. The lower front face, 134, of the trigger-block now forms the stop for
limiting the opening movement of the breech-block, as indicated in Fig. 7.
To disassemble the mechanism, it is only necessary to reverse the preceding
operations. By driving out the pin 45, the trigger-block may be instantly slipped
out, thus completely dismantling the gun; this also permits the removal of the
breech-block, by permitting it to swing to its position in Fig. 4, when it will drop
down and off from its aforesaid journals.
In operating the gun, the gunner seizes the handle 64, and swings the same
from the forward position shown by solid lines in Fig. 2 to the rearward position
shown by dotted lines in said fig., thereby first lowering the block from its
position in Fig. 6 to its dotted position in Fig. 8, and next swinging it from said
dotted position backward and downward to the position shown in Fig. 7, at the
same time retracting the firing-pin slide, as shown in the latter fig. A cartridge
is then slipped into the breech of the gun until the rim comes against the lips, 55,
of the extractors, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7; next, the movement of
the handle is reversed, which raises and throws forward the block from its position
in Fig. 7 to the dotted position in Fig. 8, and then raises the same to the locked
position shown in Fig. 5, when the parts are in position for firing, the trigger-stop
standing front of the depressed surface 119 of the locking-cam. When the gun
is aimed, the gunner then pulls on the trigger 26, thus drawing down the sear and
disengaging the firing-pin slide, as hereinbefore described, thereby allowing the
main-spring to drive the firing-pin slide forward to its position shown in Fig. 6,
the firing-pin 36 being thus driven through the hole in the recoil-plate 18 and
against the primer of the cartridge. On the next backward movement of the
handle, the breech-block is operated as before to open the gun, the aforesaid
extractor-cams 133 133 operating the extractors to withdraw the cartridge from
the bore of the gun to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7. This move-
ment, owing to the peculiar construction of the extractor-arms and the extractor-
cams, is first a powerful, slow movement, rapidly accelerating as the breech-black
is opened, thus giving to the cartridge-shell an accelerating movement for throwing
the same clear of the gun.
The breech-block abutments on the inner walls of the breech-piece of the gun
are shown in Figs. 8 and 10 arranged in vertical as well as circular, or concentric,
rows; but it should be understood that the arrangement in vertical rows is not

page_text: essential, however advantageous the same may be in practice. In Fig. 84 I have
shown a modified arrangement of said abutments, in which the abutting or forward
faces of the abutments 4 are set vertically, but are not arranged in vertical rows.
When the gun-breech is thus constructed, of course the corresponding notches or
abutments 14 on the breech-block must be correspondingly arranged.
The breech-block" may, as a whole, be considered as composed of two parts;
the upper part being the one designated by C and shown by itself in Figs. 11 to 14,
inclusive; the other part being the "trigger-block" shown by itself in Figs. 25
to 27, inclusive, and with the details assembled thereon in Figs. 19 to 21, inclusive.
The breech-block, considered as a whole, is therefore a composite structure com-
prising the main-block" C and the supplemental block 24; the two blocks being
connected, as hereinbefore described, by the T-slot and the pin 45, and each block
having assembled therein certain details of the operative mechanism.
In some cases, a trigger-guard may be attached in the manner illustrated in
Fig. 5. The preferred form of this is shown in detail in Figs. 39 and 40. The
guard is designated in a general way by 135, and has at its upper end the forwardly-
projecting block 140, in which is made the slot 136, for receiving the trigger. The
block 140 fits into a mortise formed in the trigger-block 24, the hole 141 coming
in alignment with the hole 32 of said trigger-block. The pin 32 then passes
through both said holes, and through the trigger, thereby rigidly holding in place
the guard 135, and pivotally supporting the trigger itself. A small mortise is
formed at 137, (Fig. 5,) in the lower end of the trigger-block to receive the
upturned forward end, 138, of the trigger-guard. In assembling these details, the
upper end of the trigger 26 is placed in the mortise 136 of the trigger-guard, and
the said guard is then set in place on the trigger-block 24 as shown in Fig. 5 ;
after which the pin 32 is driven in, thus securing the parts together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a gun in which the breech-block first moves downward in opening and
then swings backward, the combination with the gun-breech having on one or
more of the inside walls thereof a series of breech-block-engaging abutments set
vertically and located in rows concentric to the axis of swinging movement, of a
breech-block supported between said walls to have vertical and swinging move-
ments and constructed to engage on its upward vertical movement the said gun-
breech abutments, substantially as described.
2. In a gun in which the breech-block first moves downward in opening and then
swings backward, the combination with the gun-breech having on the opposing
inside walls thereof a series of breech-block-engaging abutments arranged in rows
concentric to the axis of swinging movement, and a breech-block supported between
said walls to have vertical and swinging movements, said breech-block having
corresponding abutments constructed and located to engage, on the upward move-
ment of said block, the said gun-breech abutments respectively, substantially as
described.
3. In a gun in which the breech-block first moves downward in opening and
then swings backward, the combination with the gun-breech having on one or more
of the inside. walls thereof a series of breech-block-engaging abutments set in
vertical and concentric rows, the concentric rows being concentric to the axis of
swinging movement, of a breech-block supported between said walls to have
vertical and swinging movements and having corresponding rows of abutments
constructed to engage said gun-breech abutments, when the breech-block is in its
upward position, substantially as described.
4. In a gun of the class specified, the combination in the breech-block of the
main block constructed for vertical and swinging movements and carrying the
firing-pin slide and its spring and having a T-slot in the rearward side thereof
for receiving the supplemental block, of the supplemental block carrying the sear

page_text: and fitting in a T-slot and extending back of the firing-pin slide to furnish an
abutment for the firing-pin spring and projecting below the lower end of the main
block to form a stop limiting the opening movement of the breech-block, and a
key substantially as described removably securing the supplemental block in
position longitudinally of the T-slot, substantially as described.
5. The combination with the gun-breech, of the breech-block fitted therein to
have swinging and vertical movements and bored for its journals, and having the
opening through the lower end thereof of less width than the diameter of said
bore, and the breech-block journals fitting said bore and reduced in one direction
to pass through said opening, said journals being set substantially as described
with their greatest diameter in the direction of the vertical movement of the
breech-block.
6. The combination with the gun-breech, of the breech-block constructed for
vertical and swinging movements therein, and bored for its journals and having
the opening through the lower end thereof of less width than the diameter of said
bore, tubular journals reduced in one direction substantially as described supported
in the gun-breech and supporting the breech-block, a cam-shaft carried in said
breech-block journals, and the cam carried on said shaft between said journals and
constructed substantially as described for imparting to the breech-block vertical
and swinging movements.
7. The combination with the breech-block, the locking-cam, the cocking-cam,
the firing-pin slide and the sear, of the trigger, and a trigger-stop substantially as
described intermediate to the trigger and locking-cam, said locking-cam having a
face constructed to engage said stop on its first backward movement for preventing
the premature firing of the gun, substantially as described.
8. The combination with the locking-cam 56 having the circular face 120 and
the depressed surface 119, of the sear and trigger, and the trigger-stop set inter-
mediate to the trigger and locking-cam and standing contiguous to said depressed
face when the locking-cam is in its forward position, whereby the gun is permitted
then to be fired, substantially as described.
9. The combination with the gun-breech, of the breech-block having the axial
bore 72 and the opening 73 extending into said bore, the breech-block journals
projecting into said bore, the locking-cam and its actuating shaft, said cam having
the full face 122 for locking the breech-block in its upper position, the cam-face 123
for raising the breech-block by acting upon the corresponding cam-face 129 of
said block, and having the cam-face 124 for acting upon the breech-block to lower
the same.
1C. The combination with the main breech-block, of the firing-pin slide carried
in said block and having the projecting arm, the cam 56 actuating the block and
said slide, the supplemental block removably fixed to the main-block, the sear 22
carried in the supplemental block and engaging said slide, the sear-spring, the
trigger pivotally supported in said block and engaging the sear, the trigger-stop
carried in said block intermediate to the trigger and said cam, and means removably
securing said supplemental block to the main-block, substantially as described.
11. In a gun, the combination with the breech-block-actuating cam, of the
sliding sear, the trigger engaging the sear to actuate the same and having the
inclined projecting end, and the trigger-stop supported to be laterally movable
intermediate to the cam and trigger, and constructed to engage said inclined
trigger-end, substantially as described.
Dated this Ninth day of November 1891.
EDWARD GRANVILLE PARKHURST.
For Applicant,
J. C. Chapman,
70, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.