Improvements in Automatic Repeating Small Arms.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1894-Accepted, 4th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Repeating Small Arms.
1, FERDINAND RITTER VON MANNLICHER, of I Getreidemarkt No. 10, Vienna,
in the Empire of Austria, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to that class of fire arms in which the barrel is fixed, as
described in my former Patents Nos. 977389 and 67879; and the object of my
present invention is to effect further improvements in such fire arms.
The barrel is screwed into the forward end of the breech, as usual. On the
breech bolt, I provide (preferably) two locking studs. One stud may, however, be
used, if preferred. The breech is grooved or slotted on the upper right side as
usual, for the insertion of the cartridges to the magazine. Behind the breech is a
cylindrical tube, which acts as a guide and receiver to the bolt. This tube contains
a spiral spring which presses the bolt outwards. The hand lever is attached to
the breech bolt, and the firing pin is centrally fitted in the bolt; a striking spring
also surrounds a portion of the firing pin, operating between a flange on the pin
and a shoulder in the bolt. The pin is also recessed to receive a locking lever,
pivoted to the bolt, which lever travels forward with the bolt, and holds the same
in position, ready for firing, until released by the action of the trigger.
The locking studs are helically formed, and short helical grooves are corre-
spondingly formed in the breech, to receive the studs, and impart a partial rotary
movement to the bolt.
When the breech bolt, by its partial revolution opens and closes the breech
(preferably at 90°) the head of the bolt is prevented from making this movement
by means of a rod or pin, and is only able to move longitudinally, backwards and
forwards, such motion being maintained by means of a snug sliding in a slot.
On the front end of the head of the striking pin is a shoulder which abuts against
a shoulder in the breech bolt, and is thereby held back against the power of the
spring, until released by the partial rotation of the striking pin, simultaneously with
that of the outer case of the breech bolt.
The fired cartridges are ejected by means of a projection attached to the head
of the bolt, which seizes the butt end of the case, withdraws it, and throws
it out.
The trigger works in a similar manner to that described in 6787º, a lever in
connection with the trigger being so fitted as to drop into a hook recessed in the
striking pin. By pressing down the trigger plate, the lever is unlocked, the striking
pin bounds forward, and the cartridge is fired. In consequence of the great speed
of the motion, the breech receives a fresh cartridge before the finger has been
removed from the trigger.
The lever before referred to may also be adapted to hold the breech securely in
its open position.
In some cases I modify the above arrangements so that the holding of the breech
in an open position is not necessary.
The fire arm is fitted with the usual hand lever, which can be used in case the
automatic action should happen to miss fire.
Dated 1st September 1893.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Automatic Repeating Small Arms.
1, FERDINAND RITTER VON MANNLICHER, late of I but now of IV Getreide-
markt. 10, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to that class of fire arms in which the barrel is rigid or
stationary, and in which the sliding breech bolt is automatically opened by a short
recoil movement of the cartridge shell at the moment of firing, by which the
breech bolt receives the impulse necessary for its rearward or opening movement,
while its forward or closing movement is caused by a spring, as described in my
former Patents Nos. 977389 and 6787**.
My improvement essentially consists in applying this automatic action to a
breech bolt of the ordinary modern construction, in such manner, that, in case of
the automatic action becoming deranged or refusing to work from any cause
whatever, the rifle may be operated by hand in the same manner as any ordinary
magazine or single loading rifle is operated. My new rifle also possesses several other
improvements hereinafter described.
Like other modern rifles, my improved breech bolt is provided with two
symmetrically arranged locking studs, which are guided in longitudinal grooves in the
breech receiver, and which, for the purpose of locking the bolt, turn into corre-
sponding recesses in the receiver, so as to receive the recoil at the moment of firing.
By preference, and as is customary, these locking studs are situated at the forward
end of the breech bolt, but they may, if desired, be also placed at any other point
of the breech bolt; or only one stud may be employed without departing from the
nature of my invention.
The essential condition in the construction of my improved bolt action is, that
the locking recesses in the receiver must not be at right angles to the longitudinal
grooves, but that they must in a certain measure ascend in forward direction, in
the manner of a screw thread. The grade of this ascent must, in the automatic
rifle, be somewhat steeper than the angle of resistance, so that, at the moment of
firing, the locking studs will find sufficient resistance in their locking grooves during
the explosion, at the same time however permitting the breech bolt to turn open
under the force of the recoil.
At the places in the receiver, where the locking recesses or transverse grooves
pass over into the longitudinal grooves, the angles are rounded off into suitable
curved surfaces, so as to guide the locking studs smoothly and without jarring from
the recesses into the longitudinal grooves, thus permitting the breech bolt, as
impelled by the recoil received, to continue its way rearward, and to overcome the
resistance of the closing spring. In this rearward movement of the breech bolt,
the same as in the opening of any ordinary breech bolt, the firing pin is cocked,
and the empty cartridge ejected. In the closing of the breech bolt, which as afore-
said, is effected by a spring, a new cartridge is taken from the magazine and
introduced into the barrel, the breech-bolt also locking automatically. In this
locking movement the aforesaid surfaces facilitate the passage of the locking studs
from the longitudinal grooves into the transverse grooves or recesses, and secure
the proper locking of the bolt. The bolt is provided with a suitable handle, by
means of which it may be operated by hand in the usual manner.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts; and in which I have, by way of example,
shown a rifle constructed according to my invention, with a combined motion breech
bolt, but my invention, may also be applied to a straight pull or single motion
breech bolt.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the rifle with open breech bolt.
Fig. 2 is a similar section of the rifle with closed breech bolt.
Figs. 3 to 9 are details, and Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the passage from a
longitudinal groove into a transverse groove or recess.
The barrel L is, in the ordinary manner, screwed into the breech receiver G,
which latter is provided with the longitudinal or guide grooves ll, and, the transverse
or locking grooves or recesses 99. indicate the surfaces which form the passage
for the locking studs, from the longitudinal into the transverse grooves. To the
rear end of the receiver a tube R is attached, which receives the breech-bolt when
it is opened, and which contains a spring S for closing the breech bolt. This
spring S is compressed by the rearward movement of the bolt, and may also be
employed to assist in the locking turn of the latter at the end of its closing
movement, by being attached to the bolt in such manner as to receive a torsional
strain when the bolt is turned open.
The breech-bolt consists of the bolt proper V, carrying the locking studs w w and
the hand-lever h, the bolt head K, the firing pin B with the firing spring i, the
sear A, the extractor P, and ejector E.
In order to carry out the movement before indicated in the grooves and q along
the surfaces u, as shown in Fig. 10, the locking studs ww must be formed
correspondingly, that is to say, in a manner representing a screw thread.
While the bolt proper V, in opening and closing, turns within an angle of
about 90°, in one or the other direction, the bolt head K is prevented from receiving
a similar movement by a lateral projection v, which is guided so as to only permit
a rectilinear movement of the bolt head. Both parts V and K are coupled by a
projection n upon the head K, engaging into an annular groove in the bolt V.
This construction is similar to that in other breech bolt actions.
Upon the end of the head K, entering into the interior of bolt V, the cocking
surface SP is formed, which, when the bolt V is turned open, operates upon the
cocking lug z of firing pin B, the lug being guided in a longitudinal groove x in
the bolt V. The firing pin B is thereby caused to turn with the bolt V, and,
being operated upon by the cocking surface SP of the stationary head K, is
driven back until the sear A can engage into the cocking rest d of the firing pin,
and arrest the latter until released by the trigger.
The ejector E consists of a pin sliding in the bolt head K, and is provided
with a projection m, which, when the breech-bolt arrives in its rearmost position,
strikes against the stop in the receiver, and causes the pin to eject the cartridge in
the customary manner.
The extractor P is of ordinary construction, and is also
placed in the bolt head K.
The trigger mechanism is similar to that already described in my said former
Patents. This mechanism consists of the trigger Z which is connected with a
piece a swinging in the receiver. To this piece a is jointed a piece y, the parts
being held in their proper position by two springs b and c. When the trigger Z is
released the arm y engages with the hook k of the sear A, and, when the trigger is
pulled the arm y imparts a downward movement to the sear A, whereby the firing
pin is released, and the shot fired. In consequence of the great rapidity of the
automatic movement of the breech bolt, this latter has opened, ejected, introduced
a new cartridge, and closed before the finger has had time to release the trigger.
As soon as the trigger is released, the engagement of the arm y with the sear A
takes place again, and the next pull upon the trigger will fire the next shot.
The arm y may also serve to arrest the breech bolt in its open position, but it may
be made so that this arresting is not absolute, that is to say, that the
end of the army which arrests the bolt is made somewhat slanting, as indicated
in Fig. 2, so that any pressure against the bolt, stronger than that of the spring S,
will suffice to overcome the resistance of the army. This arrangement permits
operating the bolt by hand. The same object may however be attained by other
suitable devices. There may also be attached to the bolt a suitable safety device,

page_text: which I have not considered necessary to show, as such devices are generally
known.
The magazine may also be of any desired pattern or construction. By way of
example I have shown the magazine and cartridge packet of my own system, known
as the Mannlicher magazine.
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 automatic fire-arms, a combined motion breech bolt, provided with locking
lugs w w placed at such a pitch or angle, and locking grooves or recesses
having a corresponding angle, so that when the bolt is locked this angle will be
sufficient to oppose the pressure of the gas developed by the shot, but will at the
same time permit this pressure to turn and open the breech-bolt, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. In automatic fire-arms with a combined motion breech-bolt, the combination
therewith of the locking lugs w w placed at a certain pitch or angle, also locking
recesses 99, having a corresponding pitch or angle, surfaces u u for guiding
the lugs w w from the recesses q q into the longitudinal guide grooves ll, substantially
as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
3. In automatic fire-arms with a combined motion breech bolt the locking lugs
of which are placed at a certain pitch or angle and with locking recesses having a
corresponding pitch or angle, the combination therewith of the spring S for imparting
to the breech bolt its forward motion, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the drawings.
4. In automatic fire-arms with a combined motion breech-bolt, the locking lugs
of which are placed at a certain pitch or angle and with locking recesses having a
corresponding pitch or angle, a spring S for imparting to the breech-bolt its forward
motion and a torsional motion, whereby the turning of the locking lugs into their
recesses is assisted, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
drawings.
5. In automatic fire-arms with a sliding breech-bolt, the locking lugs of which
are placed at a certain pitch or angle and with locking recesses having a corre-
sponding pitch or angle, the combination therewith of a lever y operated by the
trigger, for arresting the breech bolt in its open position against the pressure of
spring S, but so arranged that it will cede to any greater pressure, so as to permit
the closing of the breech bolt by hand, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the drawings.
Dated 2nd July 1894
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.