Iм- PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH.
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Farquharson, of Blairgowrie, in the County
of Perth, North Britain, Gamekeeper, for the Invention of “Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED
THEREWITH.
"
Sealed the 16th May 1871, and dated the 3rd December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Farquharson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd December 1870.
I, JOHN FARQUHARSON, of Blairgowrie, in the County of Perth,
North Britain, Gamekeeper, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND APPLIANCES
CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows, that is to say:—
This said Invention substantially consists in new or improved
constructions of the lever and its fulcrum or bearing and acting parts,
and its consequent motion and action in and for extracting of removing
the empty or spent cartridge cases after they have been discharged from
breech-loading single and double-barreled guns and other fire-armis,

page_text: particularly applicable to the "Martini" and new or improved "Henry
rifles and their "actions," and other rifles in which the cartridge case is
withdrawn in a like or analogous manner. By which Invention or
improvements the cartridge cases are first started with greater lever
power, and then withdrawn by an after lengthening of the lever, and
consequent decreased lever power and increased or accelerated velocity,
all so as to extract the cases with greater ease and certainty and a less
expenditure of power on the part of the operator than heretofore.
And the nature of this Invention consists in giving this said duplex
or differential lever power and action to the extractor, or to the vertical
arm of its lever, by having a new, improved, or additional fulcrum on
the side next the front or barrel, and much nearer the top than the usual
or ordinary pivot or pin joint near the lowest part of the said vertical
arm or knee, where the horizontal arm joins it in the form of a bell
crank, all so that on the horizontal arm being pressed down, or the
extractor lever brought into action as usual, the lever first swivels for a
short distance and time on the new fulcrum nearest the extractor, play
or space being left equivalent to that distance at the lower fulcrum for
this action by a short radial slot or other equivalent; when on the lever
reaching the limit so allowed for starting the cartridge out of the barrel
where it is tight with the said greater lever power, it immediately leaves
the back resting fulcrum and turns on the lower joint, and acts as usual
with the whole length of the vertical arm for the rest of its motion,
with the swift action due to the whole length of the arm to withdraw
the cartridge case without the loss in friction and power absorbed on the
levers, as heretofore constructed, and turned on a single or unchanging
fulcrum.
By these improvements also, the usual pin joint at the lower end of
the vertical arm of the lever may be dispensed with, and a simple rest,
heel, or steelyard form of fulcrum be substituted, of a similar con-
struction to the said new upper fulcrum, and these fulcrums may be
made either in the form of semi-ball or socket joints, or semi-solid and
hollow cylindrical or segmental joints; and instead of having two fixed
fulcrums, one near the top and one near the bottom of the back of the
vertical arm, the back edge or face next the barrel might rock on a
differential curved surface for the whole distance between the said two
points, as a rolling fulcrum gradually lengthening the arm or lever, so
as to give swifter action to the cartridge case after the short and

page_text: powerful action has been given to the extractor at first. The extractor
in this latter case may, if preferred, be made in the form of a simple one
armed, curved, or angled lever below, and pushed in at this lower part;
analogous to the mode these levers are sometimes pushed back into their
place at the top, and therefore need not have the horizontal arm or be of
the bell-crank form, although this is a very good form, suitable to the
"Martini "
and "Henry". rifles, and also for this improved system of
gradually or intermittently shifting the fulcrum of the extractor.lever,
so as to lengthen the arm while it is in action, which is the substantial
novelty and nature of this Invention.
The extractor lever, whether made in one with the extractor or
separately, and when not fulcrummed on a slot and pin joint, is preferred
to work and vibrate in a slot in the metal below the back end of the
barrel, so as to retain it in proper position, and it and the extractor may
be pushed back into their place again in a usual manner by angled parts
on the upper front face of the lever, or by a spring in some cases, when
preferred.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Farquharson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FARQUHARSON, of Blairgowrie, in the County of Perth, North Britain,
Gamekeeper, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the 34th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Farquharson, Her special license
that I, the said John Farquharson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Farquharson, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS

page_text: IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED. THEREWITH," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Farquharson, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Farquharson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention, which relates to improvements in the construction
and arrangement of the extractors of breech-loading rifles or fire-arms,
whereby (after having been discharged) the empty or spent cartridge
cases are removed or extracted from the cartridge chamber with greater
ease and certainty than heretofore, consists in giving a duplex or differ-
ential lever power to the extractor, by which means the spent cartridge
cases are at first started rearwards with an increased lever power than
obtains in extractors as hitherto constructed, and then withdrawn by a
decreased lever power and consequent accelerated velocity. The said
duplex or differential lever power is given to the extractor by providing
a second fulcrum upon its upper or upright arm on the side next the
front or barrel, and much nearer the upper end or point where it is
brought into contact with the flanch of the cartridge case when
extracting it, than the usual pivot or pin joint near the lowest part of.
the said upper arm of the extractor. When the lower arm of the
extractor is forced downwards by means of the breech piece being
depressed upon it the upper arm at first swivels for a short distance
upon the upper fulcrum whilst starting the cartridge case from its
chamber, play or space being left equivalent to that distance at the lower
fulcrum or pin joint by means of a slot or otherwise, until on reaching
the limit thus allowed for starting the cartridge case, the lower or
pin joint becomes the acting fulcrum with the whole length of the upper
arm and consequent swifter motion due thereto available for the final
extraction of the cartridge case.
Under another modification of these improvements the usual pin joint

page_text: and a simple rest, heel, or steelyard form of fulcrum may be substituted,
and these fulcra may be made either in the form of semi-ball or socket
joints, or semi-solid and hollow cylindrical or segmental joints.
Or, under another modification of these improvements in the form
and construction of extractors instead of having two distinct fulcra,
one near the top and the other near the bottom of the upper arm of the
extractor, as herein-before set forth, the rear edge or face next the
barrel may be of a curved surface and made to rock upon a flat surface
between two limits corresponding to the upper and lower fulera, as
herein-before set forth, thereby gradually exerting a diminishing lever
power with an increasing rate of movement upon the cartridge case
whilst being extracted.
It is to be understood that although' those modifications of my im-
proved extractor herein-before set forth are especially applicable to the
"Martini" and new or improved "Henry" rifles, they are also appli-
cable to other breech-loading fire-arms.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried
into effect, that is to say :-
Upon the hereunto appended Sheet of Drawings, Figure 1 is a
longitudinal vertical section of a breech-loading rifle or fire-arm with
the "Martini" breech action; and Figure 2 is a transverse section of
the same upon the line A, B, Figure 1, shewing an adaptation thereto
of my improved extractor under one modification, whilst Figures 3
and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, are respectively side elevations and back
elevations of three other forms or modifications of my improved extractor
which might in like manner be adapted to the same or a similar breech-
loading rifle or fire-arm. The same letters of reference mark the
same or corresponding parts upon the different Figures on which they
occur.
Under the first modification, namely, that illustrated at Figures 1
and 2, my improved extractor is primarily an L-shaped lever A situated
in the breech cavity of the fire-arm, and having an oblong slot a formed
at or near its elbow A', as shewn, and through which a pin b, supported
between the side walls B and O of the breech cavity is passed. At a
distance above the elbow A¹ the upper arm of the lever A diverges into
two distinct arms c, and c', each projecting upwards and terminating at

page_text: F
opposite sides of the centre of the fire-arm in the lateral extracting
points d, and d' respectively, as more particularly shewn at Figure 2,
and upon these said arms c and c², semicircular or hemispherical knobs
constituting the upper fulcrum are situated, and these act in corre-
sponding recesses formed in the front wall D of the breech cavity, as
clearly shewn at Figure 1. After the fire-arm has been discharged, and
it is desired to extract the spent cartridge case from its chamber at the
rear end of the barrel, the breech piece E is lowered by the operator
through the intervention of the hand lever F and tumbler lever G,
and in its descent falls upon the lower arm A³ of the lever A, whereby
the said lower arm A is depressed, and the entire lever A is made to
swivel for a short time (the said time corresponding to the free or open
space allowed in the oblong slot a,) upon the knees or fulcrum e and e¹,
during which time the extracting points d and d³, are forced rearwards
against the flanch of the cartridge case, and start the said cartridge case
from its chamber with great lever power, until arriving at the limit
allowed for swivelling upon the knees or fulcrum e and e¹, in other
words, when the edge 1 of the slot a is forced forward against the pin b,
the lever A then swivels or turns upon the said pin b, and the extracting
points d and d¹ are further forced rearwards with an increased velocity
corresponding to the lengthening of the leverage until finally thrown
into the position represented by the dotted lines, Figure 1, and the
cartridge case is thus completely withdrawn.
Under the modification shewn in side elevation at Figure 3, and in
rearward elevation at Figure 4, the arrangement and action is in most
respects similar to the modification herein-before set forth and shewn at
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings, differing therefrom only
in so far as that the steelyard form of bearing is adopted for the lower
fulcrum and a pin joint is dispensed with; this being effected by forming
gudgeons a at or near the elbow A' of the lever A, the said gudgeons a
being situated within oblong slots 6 formed in each side of the bottom
plate B of the breech cavity, the said oblong slots 6 being of the length
required for the period of time necessary to start the cartridge case
from its chamber, and under the present modification whereby a pin
passing through the side walls of the breech cavity and forming the a
lower fulcrum for the extractor is dispensed with, the bottom plate B is
retained in its position by means of a projecting piece c, formed upon
the front end of the said bottom plate B which fits into a corresponding

page_text: recess formed in the front wall of the breech cavity, the projecting
piece c and the said recess fitting together after the manner of a male
and female scarf joint.
Under another modification of my improved extractor shewn in side
elevation at Figure 5, and in rearward elevation at Figure 6 the principle
and action thereof are similar to the two foregoing modifications but
differing therefrom in regard to the construction only in so far as that
a wedge-shaped form of bearing is adopted for the lower fulcrum of the
extractor A. The said bearing consists of a wedge-shaped projection a
formed upon the upper side of the bottom plate B of the breech cavity,
and which enters a cavity or recess 6 formed in the extractor A, sufficient
play being provided for in the said recess 6 as shewn to allow the
extractor or lever A to swivel upon the upper fulcrum for the length
of time required to start the cartridge case, and under this modification
the bottom plate B may be retained in its proper position at its forward
end by means of a male and female scarf joint, as herein-before set forth
with reference to the foregoing modification.
Under another modification shewn in side elevation at Figure 7 and
in rearward elevation at Figure 8 my improved extractor (in common
with all the foregoing modifications) primarily consists of an L shaped
lever A the upper arms A³ of which are in this case formed with a
differential curve at their forward edges, as more particularly shewn at
Figure 7, whilst an oblong slot a is formed at the elbow as shewn.
When the breech piece of the fire-arm falls upon the lower arm A³ of
the extractor A the said extractor A is caused to move upon the curved
surface of the upper arms A' which act as a differential fulcrum com-
municating a gradually increasing velocity to the extracting point 6 of
the extractor as they are moved rearwards forcing out with them the
spent cartridge case until the limit allowed by the length of the slot a
is reached, after which the extractor A. swivels upon the pin which is
passed through the said slot a as its lower fulcrum for the final
expulsion of the empty cartridge case. It is to be understood however
that any of the forms for the lower fulcrum herein-before set forth
may be employed in conjunction with the form of upper fulcrum,
specified in reference to this modification.
Having now illustrated and set forth the application of my improved
extractor to the "Martini "breech-loading fire-arm, that being chosen
as a well know type of that class of fire-arms wherewith the tumbling

page_text: breech piece is employed, I now proceed to illustrate and set forth its
application to that class of fire-arms wherein the vertically sliding
breech piece is employed, the new or improved breech-loading "Henry"
. rifle being selected as a well-known type of this class of fire-arms.
Figure 9 of the appended Drawings is a longitudinal vertical section of
a new or improved breech-loading "Henry" rifle; Figure 10 is a trans-
verse section of the same upon the line A, B, Figure 9, shewing an
adaptation thereto of one modification of my improved extractor, and as
its general features and action are essentially similar to that herein-before
set forth with reference to its application to a "Martini" breech-loading
fire-arm, and as more particularly illustrated by Figures 1 and 2 of
the accompanying Drawings, it is therefore only necessary to specify
the action of the vertical descending breech piece upon the extractor.
Referring to Figures 9 and 10 of the Drawings, when the breech piece A
is made to descend that lower central part of it marked a passes between
the two arms b and 6¹ formed at the extremity of the lower arm B¹ of
the extractor B, and that part of the breech piece marked a¹ falls upon
the said arms band 6 of the extractor B which in the first instance has
the effect of causing it to swivel for a limited time upon the upper
fulcrum c and finally upon the lower fulcrum d, all as already set
forth with reference to the "Martini” action.
Under another modification of the adaptation of my improved extractor
to the new or improved "Henry" rifle as shewn in side elevation at
Figure 11, in rearward elevation at Figure 12, and in plan at Figure 13,
it is formed with a short bevilled bosom a in the angle at the junction
of the upper arm B and the lower arm B¹, as more particularly shewn
in side elevation at Figure 11, and against this said bosom a the front
part of the breech piece is brought into contact at about the same
instant at which its rearward part will fall upon the extremities of the
arms 6 and 6', thereby giving an increased velocity to the extracting
points and enabling the fulcrum a to be brought nearer the breech
block. Figures 14, 15, and 16 are respectively a side elevation, a
rearward elevation, and a plan of another shape of extractor; it differs
from that shewn at Figures 11, 12, and 13, in being formed with a
shorter and single lower arm B; Figure 17 is a longitudinal section of
a portion of the "Henry" breech action, somewhat differently arranged
to that shewn at the preceding Figures, that difference consisting in
prolonging the tumbling lever 2 through the lower part of the breech

page_text: piece A and forming it into a bevilled or inclined toe y, the toe y acting
on the lower arm A¹ of the extractor. Figure 18 is a side elevation
and Figure 19 is a rearward elevation of another arrangement of my
improved extractor, it is in most respects similar to the modification
herein-before set forth in reference to Figures 9 and 10, differing therefrom
only in so far that the hemispherical contral hollow socket a is formed
upon the upper arm A¹ of the extractor which constitutes the upper
fulcrum, instead of a knee being formed for that purpose, and it is to
be understood that this form of upper fulcrum may be applied to any
of the modifications herein-before set forth.
It is still further to be understood that my improved extractor may be
adapted under the arrangement shewn in rearward elevation at Figure 20
whereby a single fulcrum a is formed on the centre of the upper arm A
and near the cleft of the two arms 6 and 6' and in this case is arranged
in the form of a hemispherical ball and socket fulcrum. And although
not shewn upon the Drawings the various forms of lower fulcra
illustrated and herein-before set forth with reference to the "Martini"
breech action are equally applicable to the "Henry" breech action or
others wherein an extractor is operated by the descent of the breech
piece.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the system,
mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used or
practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the several arrangements of double or differential fulcrum extractors
herein-before described and shewn upon the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Farquharson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of May One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.