IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication
from abroad by Andrew Burgess, of Owego, County of Tioga, State
AT
TT Station of A marina
PROVISIONAL DELICATION
ICID DY UHC DAIQ
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th January 1872.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-

page_text: breech block and extractor, and in the general construction, arrange-
ment, and combination of parts herein-after described.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 represents a longitudinal
section of the fire-arm through the middle showing the operating
mechanism as when the hammer is down and the piece loaded; Figure 2
represents a modification of the same Invention showing a tumbler
differently constructed and arranged. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts.
A is the bed piece into which the barrel screws, and which receives
the breech block and other mechanism belonging to the gun; B is the
breech block which is pivoted to the bed at the point C, and is placed in
a chamber or mortise in the bed, so that its forward end may be raised
and lowered in loading and discharging the picce; D is the hammer, the
lower portion of which forms the tumbler E; F is the main spring;
G is the dog, which is detached from the tumbler in the act of firing
the piece; H represents a toggle joint, to the joint pivot of which is
attached a hook I; J is the trigger. It will be seen that the hook I
engages (see Figure 1) with a notch K in the tumbler E.

page_text: When the cartridge is inserted into the barrel the flange of the
cartridge shell drives the upper point of the extractor bar P into a slot
in the bed piece and barrel made for its reception. This operation of
inserting the cartridge releases the breech block (the hook I being
retained up and out of the notch K in the tumbler by the spring N',
which is then thrown upward and closed by the V shaped spring Q, and
its complete closing is more fully effected by the act of pulling the
trigger, which forces toggle H to a straight line or nearly so simulta-
neously with the back of the trigger striking the set screw in the dog G,
which detaches the dog from the tumbler and discharges the piece by
the hammer being thrown forward by the pressure of the main spring F,
and striking the discharge pin seen in dotted lines in Figure 1.
Having referred to the extracting mechanism we will now more
minutely describe it.
.
The extractor consists of the vertical bar P which is pivoted at the
point R to the bed piece, the rod O seen partly in dotted line, the lever S,
and spring T. The rear end of the rod O is turned to a right angle, and
works in a recess U in the back of the hammer, seen in dotted lines in
Figure 1. V is an inclined plane in the recess U, which as the hammer
is drawn back forces back the rod O. This movement of the rod operates
upon the lever S by means of a pin or projection seen at X. The
fulcrum of the lever S is at Y, where the lever and the upright bar Parc
connected by a hinge joint. Z is a cam or projection on the lower end
of the bar P'near the point R. The spring T presses upon the projection
Z on a line with the pivot R so that the pressure is without effect. The
bar P having been drawn back by means of the rod O the bearing of the.
spring T is thrown out of line with the pivot R by the rising of the pro-
jection Z, which allows the spring to act and throw the discharged shell'
clear of the piece. This effect of the spring T is produced after the shell
has been started by the operation of the lever S, which turning on its
hinge or fulcrum is resisted at its upper end by its bearing against the
end of the cut in the barrel and bed piece.
In the modification of the Invention shown in Figure 2 the tumbler E
is connected with breech block B by the link marked H, which is
substituted for the toggle joint already described. The hammer is
attached to the tumbler by a square socket on the side of the bed piece.
G is the dog engaging with the tumbler E, the lower part of which forms
the trigger J. F is the main spring. The link His pivoted to the
"

page_text: breech block and to the tumbler, as seen in the Figure. As the hammer
is drawn back in the act of cocking the gun the tumbler is turned back
and the breech block is brought down, and the breech opened by means
of the connecting link H. The dog is detached from the tumbler by
pulling the trigger, and the hammer as it falls strikes the discharge pin,
seen in dotted lines, and the piece is discharged.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters ratent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thercafter
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 "IM-'
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," a communication to me from
abroad by Andrew Burgess, of Owego, County of Tioga, State of
New York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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.
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
that is to cool.

page_text: In drawing back the hammer or cocking the piece the toggle joint
will be drawn into the position seen in Figure 2, which will draw down
the breech block, as seen in the same Figure, for extracting the empty
cartridge shell and inserting the cartridge.
N is a pin in the tumbler E, which is pressed outward by the spiral
spring N¹. In drawing back the hammer the joint of said pin comes in
contact with the hook I at I', and compresses the spiral spring N¹, but it
cannot detach the hook I from the notch K of the tumbler until the
hammer is carried beyond a full cock, when the extractor having
operated, the extractor bar P working in a side cut in the breech block
retains the breech block B in the position seen in Figure 2. Then as
the hammer is released the tumbler returns to engage with the dog G
at full cock which allows the hook I to be thrown up and detached from
the notch K in the tumbler by the force of the spiral spring N¹. In
this operation the spiral spring N¹ counteracts and overpowers the
spring L which bears upon the other side of the hook I before referred
to.
When the cartridge is inserted into the barrel the flange of the
cartridge shell drives the upper point of the extractor bar P into a slot
in the bed piece and barrel made for its reception. This operation of
inserting the cartridge releases the breech block, the hook I being
retained up
and out of the notch K in the tumbler by the spring N',
which is then thrown upward and closed by the U shaped spring Q, and
its complete closing is more fully effected by the act of pulling the
trigger, which forces toggle H to a straight line or nearly so simulta-
neously with the back of the trigger striking the set screw in the dog G,
which detaches the dog from the tumbler and discharges the picce by
the hammer being thrown forward by the pressure of the main spring F,
and striking the discharge pin seen in dotted lines in Figure 1.
Having referred to the extracting mechanism I will now more
minutely describe it.
The extractor consists of the vertical bar P (which is pivoted at the
point R to the bed piece), the rod O seen partly in dotted lines, the
lever S, and spring T. The rear end of the rod O is turned to a right
angle, as seen in Figure 4, and works in a recess u in the back of the
hammer, seen in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. V is an inclined plane
in the recess u, which as the hammer is drawn back forces back the

page_text: rod O. This movement of the rod operates upon the lever S by means
of a pin.or projection seen at X. The fulcrum of the lever X is at y,
where the lever and the upright bar F are connected by a hinge joint.
Z is a cam or projection on the lower end of the bar P near the point R.
As seen in Figure 1 the spring T is so pressing upon the projection Z
on a line with the pivot R that the pressure is without effect. In
Figure 2 the bar P having been drawn back by means of the rod O the
bearing of the spring T is thrown out of line with the pivot R by the
rising of the projection Z, which allows the spring to act and throw the
discharged shell clear of the piece. This effect of the spring T is pro-
duced after the shell has been started by the operation of the lever S,
which turning on its hinge or fulcrum is resisted at its upper end by its
bearing against the end of the cut in the barrel and bed piece.
In the modification of the Invention shown in Figure 5, the tumbler E
is connected with breech block B by the link marked H, which is
substituted for the toggle joint already described. The hammer is
attached to the tumbler by a square socket on the side of the bed piece.
G is the dog engaging with the tumbler E, the lower part of which
forms the trigger J. F is the main spring. The link H is pivoted to
the breech block and to the tumbler, as seen in the Figure. As the
hammer is .drawn back in the act of cocking the gun the tumbler is
turned back and the breech block is brought down and the breech
opened by means of the connecting link H. The dog is detached from
the tumbler by pulling the trigger, and the hammer as it falls strikes
the discharge pin, seen in dotted lines, and the piece is discharged.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as the Invention
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The toggle joint in combination with the breech block in a
breech-loading fire-arm, substantially as described.
2ndly. The hook I in combination with the breech block and toggle
joint, substantially as shown and described.
3rdly. The trigger J connected with the toggle H, and arranged so that
it will operate the dog G simultaneously with the closing of the breech
block B, and thereby release the hammer and cause the discharge of the
piece, substantially as described.

page_text: 4thly. The combination of the hook I and detaching spring N¹, or
equivalent device, substantially as and for the purposes described.
5thly. The combination of the breech block B and the extractor bar P
for holding the breech block open, and the spring Q for closing it,
substantially as shown and described.
6thly. The combination of the extractor rod O and hammer (with the
incline V) with the extractor bar P, substantially as described.
7thly. The combination of the lever S and extractor bar P, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described.
"
.
8thly. The combination of the cam or projection Z of the bar P with 1
the spring T, as and for the purpose described.
9thly. The combination and arrangement of the hammer D, tumbler E,
link H, and breech block B, substantially as and for the purposes herein
shown and described.
”
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have 1
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-two.
Witness,
JAS. O. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK.
(L.S.)