Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1887
Complete Left, 26th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 1st June, 1888
I PHILIP THOMAS GODSAL of Eton in the County of Buckingham, Gentleman do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists in a novel action for breech-loading firearms, which may
be used as an ordinary breech action or as a magazine action.
that of a
In carrying out my invention, I employ a breech case of much the same form as
sliding block action, only enlarged, so as to form a magazine to contain full
length cartridges packed between its sides, and pressed upward by a spring arrange-
ment consisting of two long spiral springs, one lying in the fore end of the stock,
the other in the butt, and attached by means of chains or tapes which pass over
pulleys to the moveable floor of the magazine, which presses the packed cartridges
one by one out at the top as the block slides backwards and forwards.
When it is not desired to use the arm as the magazine arm, the cartridges are
prevented from rising into the breech by means of a spring screwed onto the outside
of the breech case, and provided with an extension piece which passes through a
slot and overlies the top cartridge, and projects partly out of the other side of the
breech case to form a retaining cheek for the action lever.
A portion of this extension piece is slightly bent upwards or downwards, so that
when the spring is drawn outwards (when the magazine is required), this portion
catches against the side of the breech case, and the extension cannot return to its
position over the cartridge until this bent portion is pressed in.
The breech block or bolt is hollow, and of rectangular form externally, and is pre-
ferably formed with V-shaped guides to slide in correspondingly shaped grooves in
the breech case. Near the rear end of this block, and either on the top or the side
thereof, is a cylindrical lump, which acts as a fulcrum for the main action or locking
CD 01

page_text: lever. This lamp is also formed with a threaded hole to receive a retaining screw,
the head of which secures the lever in position.-The screw passes through the lump,
and enters the end of what I will term the sear-holding block, which is contained
inside the breech block or bolt. On the side of the butt end of this breech block,
are two longitudinal projections, which form a groove, in which, held by a transverse
pin, lies the butt end of the extractor. The top of this extractor retaining pin
projects upwards, and forms a bearing point for the action closing spring, as will
he hereafter referred to.
The butt end of the block is closed by the sear holding block, which consists of a
cylinder with the central portion cut away for rather more than half its diameter,
leaving two solid ends which fit into and close up the hollow block. A groove or
recess is formed on the front end of this sear block to receive the rear end of the
striker. The fore end of the striker and the spiral spring are of the usual form, and
the spiral spring bears against a shoulder on the striker and the fore end of the sear
holding block. The butt end of the striker is thinned down so that it will pass
through the slot in the fore end of the scar block, and is provided with an upwardly
projecting toe or cocking piece, which projects through a slot in the top of the breech
block, and into contact with a cam piece on the underside of the action lever, by
which, as the lever is rotated upon its pivot, the striker is pushed back to the cocked
position, in which it is retained by the sear; which enters a bent in a lateral projec-
tion of the striker. The striker end is made to fit the hole, so that it will be main-
tained in a central position.-The scar is a simple straight piece bearing against the
back of the fore end of the sear block, and pressed downwards into the bent by a
spring inserted above it.
The sear is formed with a downward projection beyond the bent, against which a
trigger rod strikes. This trigger rod rests upon, or is secured to and projects upwards
from the trigger, which is preferably pivotted at its fore end, so that the motion
communicated to the trigger is upwards. The extractor is similar to that used in a
bolt gun, and its fore end is slighter than the rest, so as to take up less space, and
also to afford a slight spring in its action. This fore end bends to the left into a
groove made for it along the fore end of the block.
I have so far described the block apart from any consideration of how it is to be
held in its place against the explosion of the charge. I will now describe how I
propose to do this."
Taking the centre of the lump on the top of the block as a centre, I cut a curved
groove or grooves across the block, either on the top, or underneath, or both.
each side of the breech case, opposite the groove or grooves,
In
cut a hole, so that
when the block is pushed home, there will be a curved passage or passages through
the action. Into these passages I slide a wedge shaped prong or prongs or plug,
formed in one with, or rigidly secured to the main action lever, and provided with a
handle. The tail end of the action lever projects slightly beyond the pivot, for the
purpose to be presently explained.
Now as the action lever centres in the lump, a backward wrench given to the
handle will cause the tail to force back the striker and cock the gun.-The tail overlaps
the side of the breech case, which is there cut away so as to form a shoulder. As the
tail turns with the lever, it engages at the proper moment against this shoulder, and
gives just sufficient leverage to start a sticking cartridge case and prevent jamming.
The under side of the action lever is recessed to receive a strong spring (like a lock
spring in a hammer gun).This is the closing spring.—Its stand end engages against
the extractor retaining pin, and as the lever is turned in the action of opening the
breech, this spring is compressed between this pin and the other side of the spring
recess.
A cartridge, therefore, having been started by means of the leverage, is then drawn
back by the backward sliding of the whole block, until it is kicked out by a small
pin in the inside of the breech case in the usual way.
A safety device is provided consisting of a finger or pin carried on the end of a
spring, which is secured in a shallow groove in the underside of the breech block.

page_text: This pin or finger will rise in front of the striker when the latter is cocked, so long
as the wedge forked piece is not in position, the spring being pushed down when the
forked piece is home.
The action as above described is of simple construction, and requires only one
movement to open it.
The action lever may work either in a horizontal or a vertical direction, the parts
remaining practically the same, though their form will be slightly changed to suit the
altered circumstances; thus, the pivot lump will be on the side of the block, instead
of on the top, and the locking prong or plug will descend into a recess formed to
receive it, instead of passing through the breech case and block.

page_text: Hereby ucentre THE MICHre of its invention TO THE WIRat manner the same IS to De
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention consists in a novel action for breech loading firearms, which
used as an ordinary breech action, or as a magazine action.
In the accompanying drawings
may be
Fig. 1, Sheet I, is a longitudinal section of so much of a firearm as is required to
show my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the breech closed; and
Fig. 3 a plan view with the breech open.
Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 1, 2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5, Sheet II, is a longitudinal section showing a slight modification.
A is the barrel, B tlie stock, and C the butt. D is the breech case, which is screwed
onto the end of the barrel, and is provided with a rearward extension D', which forms
the guide in which the breech block or bolt E slides.
The breech block or bolt E is hollow, and its front half is cylindrical externally to
fit into the breech case, its rear half being oblong in cross section, with its edges
more or less rounded. This bolt, as before stated, slides in the guide D', to which it
is secured by a lateral projection a, which passes through a slot formed in the side
of the guide D₁, and is secured by a pin, or in any other convenient manner on the
outside. The bottom of this guide D' is slotted to permit of cartridges passing through
from the magazine arranged in the lower part of the breech case.
Near the rear end of this block or bolt E, and preferably on the top, is a cylindrical
lump c, which acts as a fulcrum for the main action or locking lever F. This lump
is also formed with a threaded hole to receive a retaining screw, the head of which
secures the lever F in position. The screw passes through the lump c, and enters the
end of what I term the sear holding block d, which is contained inside the breech
block or bolt E. In the side of the butt end of this breech block E, a groove is
formed, in which, held by a transverse pin e, lies the butt end of the extractor f.
The butt end of the block E is closed by the sear holding block d, which consists
of a cylinder with the central portion cut away for rather more than half its diameter,.
leaving two solid ends, which fit into and close up the hollow block E.
A notch or
recess is formed on the front end of this sear block, to receive the rear end of the
striker G. The front end of the striker is of the usual form, and is provided with a
spiral spring, which at one end bears against a shoulder on tlie striker, and at the
other end against the fore end of the sear holding block d. The butt end of the striker
is thinned down so that it will pass through the notch or recess in the fore end of
the sear block d, and is provided with an upwardly projecting toe or cocking piece G³,
which projects through a slot in the top of the breech block E. The action lever F

page_text: is formed with a cam surface F¹ at its rear end, which, as the lever is rotated upon its
pivot, comes into contact with the toe G¹, and pushes back the striker to the cocked
position, in which position it is retained by the sear g, which enters a bent in the
striker. The striker fore end is made to fit the hole in the breech block, so that it
will be maintained in a central position. The sear g is a simple straight piece pivotted
at to the fore end of the sear block d, and pressed inwards into the bent by a
spring secured to the extractor or in any other convenient position. The sear
is pushed on one side clear of the bent by means of a tumbler or lever / pivotted
inside the rear end of the sear block, and rocked by the rod in connection with the
trigger.
The extractor f is similar to that used in a bolt gun, and its fore end is thinned
down so as to take up little space in the breech case when the bolt is home, and also
to afford a slight spring in its action. The fore end fits into a groove made for it in
the block E.
I have so far described the block apart from any consideration of how it is to
be held in its place against the explosion of the charge. I will now describe how I
propose to do this.
In
Taking the centre of the lump on the top of the block as a centre, I cut a curved
groove or grooves across the block, either on the top or underneath or both.
each side of the breech case, opposite the groove or grooves, I cui a hole, so that
when the block is pushed home, there will be a curved passage or passages through
the action. Into these passages I slide a wedge shaped prong or prongs or plug F,
formed in one with, or rigidly secured to the main action lever F, and provided with
a handle F3. The rear end of the action lever is formed with a lateral projection F*,
which, as the lever is turned on its pivot, strikes against a shoulder "D2 on the
breech case.
As the action lever is rotated on the lump by means of a backward wrench given
to the handle, the cam surface will force back the striker and cock the gun; at the
same time, the lateral projection will engage against the shoulder D² on the breech
case, and give just sufficient leverage to start a sticking cartridge case and prevent
jamming.
The cartridge having thus been started by means of the leverage, is drawn back by
the backward sliding of the whole block until it is kicked out by a small pin in the
inside of the breech case, in the usual way.
A safety device is provided consisting of a finger or pink carried on the end of a
spring, which is secured to the underside of the breech block D
This pin or
finger will rise in front of the striker, or into a notch in the striker, when the arm is
cocked, and will remain in the notch so long as the wedge forked piece F2 is not in
position. The safety device is released by pushing home the wedge forked piece F2,
which, as it enters its notch or passage, pushes down a lump k² secured to the
spring kl.
The action as above described is of simple construction, and requires only one
movement to open it.
His the magazine, which, as before mentioned, may be contained in the lower
part of the breech case E. The floor H' of this magazine is movable, and its opposite
ends are connected by chains or bands H², which pass over guide pulleys to springs
arranged in the stock and butt, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and by means of which
the cartridges are fed up into the breech case ready to be pushed forward by the bolt
into the breech.
The magazine is formed with a recess H³ at the rear end, large enough to receive
the flange end of the cartridge when it is drawn back by the bolt.
The flange of the cartridge catches into a notch or against a projection on the under
side of the bolt, and by this means is drawn back with the bolt.
At the front end of the magazine is an overhanging piece H, which serves as an
abutment against which the bullet is pressed by means of the movable bottom, so that
the cartridge is held in position by the bullet end.
Instead of putting the base end of the cartridge into the magazine first, and then

page_text: pressing backwards until it reaches the more or less closed up end of the magazine, as
heretofore, insert the cartridges bullet end first, the bullets being pushed under the
overhanging part HA.
The rest of the opening in the top of the magazine is tapered so as to fit more or
less closely round the bullet end of the cartridge, with just sufficient casement to allow
a cartridge (drawn back so as to clear the part H) to rise through the opening.
When clear of the part H, the bullet end of the cartridge is tipped up under the
influence of the springs, and the flange clears the notch or projection in or on the
block or bolt, so that the bolt can be drawn back to its fullest extent, when
the cartridge will be pushed up by the movable hottom and springs, through the
opening in the breech case, into line with the bolt E.
When it is not desired to use the cartridges in the magazine, the cartridges are
prevented from rising by means of a magazine closer, which consists of a spring
secured outside the breech case, and provided with a lateral extension or finger, which
passes through a slot in the breech case, and overlies the top cartridge. A portion of
this extension piece is bent upwards or downwards to form a spring catch, which,
when the closer spring is drawn outwards, catches against the side of the breech case,
and the extension piece is thus held clear of the cartridges.
In the modification shown in Sheet II, I have provided a hammer to act on a
firing pin in place of the striker shown in Sheet I.-In other respects, the
mechanism is the same as in Sheet I, and therefore further description will be
unnecessary, except to say that the hammer cocked by drawing back the
bolt E.
It will be obvious that a detachable magazine may be used in place of permanent
magazine, if desired, but the application of detachable magazines to breech loading
firearms is now well understood, and does not require further description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to he performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. The mode as herein shown and described for locking the breech block or bolt
in position.
2. The construction of the breech block or bolt substantially as herein described
and shown with reference to Sheet I of the drawings.
3. The combination of the breech block or bolt referred to in the preceding claim,
with a locking or action lever F, constructed and arranged substantially as described
and shown.
4. A magazine for firearms in which the cartridges are held in position by the
bullet, and have to be drawn back to be released from the magazine substantially as
described.
5. A permanent magazine for firearms in which the floor of the magazine is
connected to springs in the stock and butt by means of chains, bands, or tapes,
substantially as herein shown and described.
6. The arrangement of safety device substantially as described and shown.
בד
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.