ROVE- MENTS IN BREECHI-LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1876

page_text: 26
LETTERS PATENT to James Simeon Edge, the younger, of Yardley, in the
County of Worcester, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECHI-LOADING SMALL ARMS."
caled the 3rd November 1876, and dated the 20th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Simeon Edge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th May 1870.
JAMES SIMEON EDGE, the younger, of Yardley, in the County of Worcester,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL ARMS."
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of breech-loading
Sinall arms in the ways herein-after described, whereby the said arms are rendered
inore convenient in use than those of the ordinary construction, and the mechanism
of the said arms is at the same time simplified.
I construct in the following mauner a breech-loading falling block gun, in which
the lever ordinarily employed for opening the breech and cocking the gun is
dispensed with, and the opening of the breech, the ejection of the cartridge case,
the closing of the breech, and the cocking of the gun are effected by acting on the
stock of the gun. The stock is connected with the body of the gun by means of a
metallic prolongation of the stock, in which prolongation is a joint on which the
stock is capable of turning through a small angle. The joint pin on which the
stock turns is situated low in the body of the gun, and very nearly over the pin on
which the trigger turns. The hammer turns upon the same pin as the stock. The
prolongation of the stock situated within the body of the gun carries an arm
which projects upwards and engages in a recess on the under side of the falling
block, and near the joint of the said block. The mainspring is carried on the
under side of the falling block, one end of the said spring being connected to the
block near the joint end, and the bend of the spring being supported by a shoulder
under the free end of the block. The other end of the mainspring acts on the
hammer. When the body of the gun is held still and the stock pressed down-
wards the latter moves through a small angle, and the internal projecting arm
described acting upon the falling block depresses it. The motion of the mainspring
causes that end of it resting on the hammer to force back the said hammer when
the trigger engages in the bent of the tumbler. A cartridge having been introduced
into the open breech end of the barrel the stock is raised. This motion raises the
falling block and closes the breech, the hammer being retained in its cocked
[Price Sd.]

page_text: position. By pressing the finger on the trigger the gun is discharged in the usual
way. The cartridge case is extracted by an extractor of the ordinary kind operated
by a lever situated in the lower part of the body. A short horizontal arm on the
prolongation of the stock engages under one arm of the said lever. When the
stock is depressed and the falling block lowered the said horizontal arm lifts the
rear end of the said lever, the fore end is depressed, and striking the extractor
throws out the cartridge case.
The motion of the stock may be made to operate the sliding blocks of sliding
block guns by the use of a lever somewhat similar to that described with respect
to the extractor.
The arrangement of mechanism described may be applied to guns in which the
stock has no motion with respect to the body of the gun.
In this modification the falling block has short lever at the rear of the joint on
which it turns. By raising the lever the falling block is depressed, and the moving
parts actuated in the manner already described, excepting the extractor, which in
this modification is acted upon by the falling block.
A safety bolt, operated by a short arm or lever on the side of the gun, when
turned into ono position locks the stock and hammer, but when turned into another
position does not interfere with the motion of either.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Simeon Edge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
November 1870.
JAMES SIMEON EDGE, the younger, of Yardley, in the County of Worcester,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL ARMS."
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of breech-loading
small arms in the ways herein-after described, whereby the said arms are rendered
more convenient in use than those of the ordinary construction, and the mechanism
of the said arms is at the same tine simplified.
I construct in the following manner a breech-loading falling block gun, in which
the lever ordinarily employed for opening the breech and cocking the gun is
dipensed with, and the opening of the breech, the extraction of the cartridge case,
the closing of the breech, and the cocking of the guu are effected by acting on the
stock of the gun. The stock is connected with the body of the gun by means of
a metallic prolongation of the stock, in which prolongation is a joint on which the
stock is capable of turning through a small angle. The joint pin on which the
stock turns is situated low in the body of the gun, and very nearly over the pin
on which the trigger turns. The hammer turns upon the same pin as the stock.
The prolongation of the stock situated within the body of the gun carries an arm
which projects upwards and engages in a recess in the under side of the falling
block and near the joint of the said block. The mainspring is carried on the
under side of the falling block, one end of the said spring being connected to the
block near the joint end, and the bend of the spring being supported by a shoulder
under the free end of the block. The other end of the mainspring acts on the
hammer. When the body of the gun is held still and the stock pressed downwards
the latter moves through a small angle, and the internal projecting arm described
acting upon the falling block depresses it. The motion of the mainspring causes
that end of it resting on the haminer to force back the said hammer when the
trigger engages in the bent of the tumbler. A cartridge having been introduced
into the open breech end of the barrel the stock is raised. This motion raises the
falling block and closes the breech, the hammer being retained in its cocked position.
By pressing the finger on the trigger the gun is discharged in the usual way. The
cartridge case is extracted by an extractor of the ordinary kind operated by a lever
situated in the lower part of the body. A short horizontal arm on the prolongation

page_text: of the stock engages under one arm of the said lever. When the stock is depressed
and the falling block lowered the said horizontal arm lifts the rear end of the said
lever, the fore end is depressed and striking the extractor throws out the cartridge
case.
The motion of the stock may be made to operate the sliding blocks of sliding
block guns by the use of a lever somewhat similar to that described with respect
to the extractor.
The arrangement of mechanism described may be applied to guns in which the
stock has no motion with respect to the body of the gun.
In this modification the falling block has a short lever at the rear of the joint on
which it turns. By raising the lever the falling block is depressed, and the moving
parts actuated in the manner already described, excepting the extractor, which in
this modification is acted upon by the falling block.
A safety bolt operated by a short arm or lever on the side of the gun when
turned into one position locks the stock and hammer, but when turned into another
position does not interfere with the motion of either.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation; Figure 2 in longitudinal section; and
Figure 3 in plan the breech end of a hinged falling block gun constructed according
to my Invention, the parts of the said gun being in the respective positions which
they occupy when the gun is ready for discharge.
Figure represents a side elevation of the gun showing the jointed stock
depressed for the purpose of opening the breech, cocking the hammer, and extract-
ing the cartridge case; and
Figure 5 represents a horizontal section of the gun taken below the hinged
block.
Figure 6 represents in side elevation, and Figure 7 in plan the jointed stock
detached from the gun.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1 to 7, both
inclusive.
a is the body or shoe of the gun connected to the barrel b in the ordinary way;
c is the hinged falling block working in the said shoe, the said block c turning on
the pin or centre ; d is the stock of the gun, and is the metallic prolongation
thereof. The said prolonged metallic part of the stock d is forked (see Figure 7)
and projects into the body or shoc, and is jointed to the said body or shoe by the
joint pin e, upon which pine the stock is capable of turning through a small angle.
The said joint pin e is situated low in the body of the gun, and is over the pin f
on which the trigger f turns. The hammer g turns on the same pine as the jointed
stock d, d. The prolonged metallic part d² of the stock is provided with two arms
marked respectively h, i, (see Figures 6 and 7). The forked arm & projects upwards
and engages in the recess in the falling block c near the joint of the said block,
the said forked arm h giving the rising and falling motions to the said block. The
other arm i, which is nearly horizontal, operates the lever 1, 2, and the latter the
horizontal arm of the cranked extractor lever p, as herein-after described. The
extractor lever 2 is of the ordinary kind; q is the mainspring of the gun, the
The fixed
said spring being carried on the under side of the falling block c.
limb of the spring is connected to the block cat the joint end q, and the bend of
the spring is supported by the shoulder q at the fore end of the block. The free
end of the mainspring carries a roller r, which works against the concave part g² of
the hammer g; f³ is the sear of the trigger f, which sear engages with the bent in
the tumbler of the hammer g. The hinged stock d, d², is fastened to the shoe or
body of the gun when the said stock is in its raised or normal position by the
spring catch fastenings on the prolonged end d of the stock engaging with a
recess in the upper rear end of the shoe a (see Figure 2). By pressure upon the
thumb plate s of the fastening s the latter is released from the shoe and thic stock
may be depressed for opening the gun.

page_text: The action of the gun is as follows:-When the body or shoe a of the gun is
held still, and the stock d, d, is pressed down after releasing the spring catch
fastening &, the said stock turns on the centre e and moves through a small angle
passing to the position represented in Figure 4. By the depression of the stock
the forked arm on the internal projecting part acting upon the falling block c
depresses the said block and opens the breech, and the motion of the mainspring q
carried by the said block causes that end resting on the hammer to force back
and cock the said hammer, the sear f³ of the trigger f engaging with the bent of
the said hammer and holding it at full cock, as illustrated in Figure 2. As soon as
the breech has been opened by the depression of the block c the arm i of the pro-
longed end of the stock acts upon and raises the short arm of the lever 1, 12, and
depresses its opposite arm, and the latter arm by operating on the nearly hori-
zontal arm of the extractor lever causes its vertical arm to move from the barrel
and extract the empty cartridge case from the said barrel.
By an examination of Figure 2 it will be seen that the arm of the lever first
acts upon the extreme end of the horizontal arm of the extractor lever p so as to
start the cartridge case, and afterwards acts upon the said horizontal arın p near
the joint so as to extract the said cartridge casc.
After a fresh cartridge has been introduced into the barrel b the stock d, d², is
raised into and fastened in the position represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3. This
motion raises the falling block c and closes the breech, the hammer g being retained
in its cocked position by the sear f³ and the gun is ready for discharge. By
pressure upon the trigger f the hammer g is released from the sear ƒ³, and the
said haminer falls by the action of the free end of the mainspring q and discharges
the gun.
The discharged position of the hammer g is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2,
and the head of the striking pin in the block c against which the hammer strikes
is marked c³.
For the purpose of preventing the accidental dischargo of the gun a safety bolt t
passes across the body of the gun, the said bolt being worked by the arm or lever t²
on the outside of the body or shoe a (see Figures and 3). This bolt is capable
of a partial rotation, and its acting end is provided with a cross piece ³, which can
either be made to cross the projection g³ on the side of the hammer g or be removed
from the front of the said projection g³
When in the position represented in Figure 2, the cross piece of the safety
bolt is below the end of the projection on the hammer, and the said hammer
may be discharged. When the bolt 6, 1, 13, is turned through a quadrant its cross
piece is made to cross the end of the projection g³, and the discharge of the
hammer g is prevented.
The bolt t besides serving to prevent the discharge of the gun also fixes the
hinged stock in its raised or normal position. The part below the cross piece t is
cut away, so that when the bolt is in the position represented in Figure 2 it does
not impede the motion of the prolonged end of the jointed stock. When, however,
the bolt is turned into its fastening position (see the horizontal section, Figure 5),
whereby the piece is made to cross the projection on the hammer, the cylin-
drical part of the bolt takes into the circular depression (see Figures 6 and 7) in
the prolonged end of the stock and thereby fixes the said stock.
I
Figure 8 represents a modification of the gun described in which the mainspring
marked is situated in the stock instead of under the falling block. The manner
in which the said mainspring u is connected with the hammer is seen in the
Drawing. In this modification the hammer g is cocked on the descent of the
block c by the operation of the prolonged part c in the middle of the said block
striking against the face of the hammer. The other parts of this gun are the
same as those in the gun herein first described, and corresponding parts are marked
with the same letters of reference.
Figure 9 represents in longitudinal section a vertically sliding block gun con-
structed according to my Invention, the parts being in the positions which they

page_text: respectively occupy when the breech is closed and the gun has been discharged;
, d, is the hinged stock turning on the pin or centre e; f, is the vertically sliding
block working in the shoe « for opening and closing the breech. The motion of the
said block fis effected by the prolonged end of the stock acting upon the
lever g. The end of the long arm of the lever g engages in the slot in the
block (best seen in the separate view Figure 94), and the short arm of the said
When the
lever engages in the slot in the prolonged eud d² of the stock.
stock d, d, is pulled down the block f is lowered, and when the stock is returned
to its normal position the block f is raised; i is the hammer of the gun turning
on the centre carried by the trigger plate and working in the hollow breech
block f; is the mainspring of the hammer, the bend of the said spring being
carried by the hinged stock d, d. The end of the upper limb of the mainspring
bears upon the inclined shoulder of the hammer below the centre of the said
hammer. The end of the short limb of the spring is supported on the trigger
plate, is the sear, and m is the trigger. When the jointed stock c, d, of the
gun is depressed it carries the acting part of the spring with it, and the upper
limb of the said spring by pressing upon the shoulder is of the said hammer
pulls down and cocks it, the said hamner being retained in its cocked position
by the sear engaging with the bent in the tumbler of the said hammer.
gun is discharged in the usual way by pressure on the trigger m; n is the extractor
lever, the upper arm of which acts upon the cartridge case and the lower arm is
moved towards the barrel by the heel of the hammer when the latter has
nearly reached its cocked position, as will be understood by an examination of the
Drawing.
The
Figures 10 and 11 represent longitudinal sections of a falling block gun con-
structed according to my Invention, in which the stock is fixed, Figure 10 repre-
senting the parts of the gun in position after discharge, and Figure 11 the gun
open for reloading. In this arrangement the hinged falling block c has a short
lever at the rear of the joint c on which it turns. By raising the said lever c¹
the block c is lowered and the breech opened, the hammer g being at the same time
raised into its cocked position by the action of the mainspring q upon the said
hammer, as illustrated in Figure 11. The extractor p is in this arrangement ope-
rated differently from that in the gun first described. On the axis p³ of the
extracting lever is a long arm by which the starting of the cartridge case is
effected, the said arm being acted upon by the projection c5 on the under side of
the block c. On the descent of the block cits projection c³ strikes the nose of the
long arm vand causes the vertical arm of the extracting lever ? to start the cart-
ridge case in the barrel. When the breech has been completely opened by the
lowering of the block c the part c" of the said block c strikes the horizontal arm of
the extracting lever and causes its vertical arm to extract the cartridge case from
the barrel, as will be understood by an examination of Figure 11. The hammer y
is prevented from being discharged when required by the safety bolt w worked by
the arm w. The said bolt consists of a cylindrical rod, that part of the said rod
situated under the sear f³ of the trigger f being cut away.
When the said bolt is
turned so that its cut away part is under the end of the sear, as illustrated in
Figure 10, the said scar may be depressed and the gun discharged. When, however,
the bolt is turned through a semicircle so as to bring the uncut part under the
sears, as illustrated in Figure 11, the said sear is held in its raised position and
the gun cannot be discharged.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that 1 do not limit myself
to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention, but I claim as my Invention
of improvements in breech-loading small arms—
First. The construction and arrangement of parts for opening and closing the
breech, for cocking the hammer, and for extracting the cartridge case of falling block
guns, herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the

page_text: accompanying Drawings, that is to say, operating the falling block by means of the
stock of the gun in place of the ordinary hand lever, the said stock being jointed to
the body or shoe and acting upon the falling block through an arm on a prolonga-
tion of the said stock, also cocking the hammer of the gun by the operation of the
mainspring carried on the under side of the falling block,, also operating the
extracting lever by an arm on the prolongation of the jointed stock acting upon a
lever, and the latter upon the extracting lever, substantially as described and
illustrated.
Secondly. The modification herein-before described and illustrated in Figure S of
the accompanying Drawings, in which the mainspring is carried by the jointed
stock, and the hammer is cocked by the rear end of the falling block.
Thirdly. The construction and combination of parts herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 9 and 9 of the accompanying Drawings for working the
blocks of vertically sliding block guns and for cocking the hammers of the said
guns by the operation of the jointed stock, and also the construction and combina-
tion of parts for extracting the empty cartridge cases by the action of the hammer
upon the extracting lever.
Fourthly. The construction and combination of parts, herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 10 and 11 of the accompanying Drawings, for opening and
closing the breech, cocking the hummer, and starting the cartridge case of falling
block guns in which the stock is stationary; that is to say, working the falling
block by means of a short lever at the roar of the joint on which the block turns,
and cocking the hammer by the operation of the mainspring under the said hinged
block; also the combination of parts for starting the cartridge case on opening the
breech, substantially as described and illustrated.
Lastly. The safety bolt for preventing the accidental discharge of the hammers
of falling block guns, and for fixing the hinged stocks of the said guns, herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Simeon Edge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JAMES SIMEON EDGE, Junior. (L.S.)