Improvements in Breech Loading Small Arms.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1896-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
Improvements in Breech Loading Small Arms.
A communication by BURTON H. CLÉMENT and EAD JOHNSON, both of
Waupun, in the County of Fond du Lac, and State of Wisconsin, U.S.A.,
Machinists.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in breech loading fire arms.
Heretofore, a large number of small parts have been used in the construction of
the breech, aud especially in the construction of the firing and cartridge extracting
mechanism. These parts are liable to get out of order causing great vexation
and considerable expense for repairs, and the principal object is therefore to
simplify the construction and provide mechanism that is both durable and certain
in its operation.
In the following description, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in
which,-
Figure 1 is a side view of the invention, showing the operation of the cartridge
extractor.
Figure 2 is a central longitudiual section view of the same.
Figure 3 is a detail view showing the adjusting plate of the sight.
Figure 4 is a top view of the breech.
Figure 5 is a cross section view drawn through the barrel and stock on the
line X-X of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a cross section view drawn on the line y-y of Figure 2.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the lump N¹.
Figure 8 is a front view of the receiver and breech-block.
Figure 9 is a section view similar to that in Figure 2 showing the hammer at.
full cock.
Like parts are identified by the same reference letters throughout the several
views.
The slotted cylindrical receiver A is provided with a notched or recessed rear
end adapted to the reception of the hooked flange A¹ formed integrally with the
frame. Within the receiver a sliding tubular hammer B is located, closed at its
front end and provided with a firing pin C adapted to project through an opening
in the head piece or breech-block D, the latter being dove-tailed into the front
end of the receiver, and extended downwardly to form a hook D¹ which engages
across pin D in the frame, thus forming a bearing for the cartridge extractor.
Within the tubular hammer and projecting rearwardly therefrom is a helical
spring E which bears against the rear end of the receiver and is adapted by its
recoil to actuate the hammer and firing pin after being compressed by the cocking
of the hammer. A downwardly extending bifurcated cocking flange F, formed
integrally with the hammer, is provided with a half cock hook e at the lower edge

page_text: of its rear arm, and a full cock flat-faced lug e¹ at the lower edge of its front arm.
The cocking bar G is arranged to fit between the front and rear arms of the
flange F, and projects laterally to the exterior through slots or recesses H, formed
between the frame and the receiver.
The trigger I is pivotally secured to the frame at J, and is provided with an
arm K supported by a spring K' from a lug or bracket & projecting from the side
of the trigger chamber. L is a trigger hook adapted to engage and lock in the
hooke of the hammer flange F when the hammer is at half cock, or to bear
against the flat surface of the lug el when at full cock.
It will be observed that the trigger hook L normally projects in the rear and in
the path of the hook e and lug e', but that by drawing the cocking bar rearwardly,
the rounded rear edges of the flange F engage in the rear of the hook L and
force the trigger downwardly upon the spring K', thus permitting the flange hooks
to pass over the hook L. If only the hook e is drawn over the trigger hook L, the
latter will immediately be lifted by the spring K¹ to a position for engaging in the
hook and thereby locking the hammer at half cock, so that it cannot be released
by pulling on the trigger. But if the lug e' be also drawn over the hook L, the
latter will then be forced upwardly by the spring against the adjusting screw M
and engage against the flat surface of the lug e', from which it is released by
pulling the trigger. By turning the screw M, the release of the trigger hook
from the lug & may be rendered relatively easy or difficult to suit the user.
For opening the breech, the barrel is provided with a dove tail channel N in
which is keyed removable lump N1 by means of a cross pin or key n. The
lump N' is adapted to fit into a channel or slot O in the frame and is provided with
an open ended slot P at its front end adapted to engage with a hinge pin P' in the
frame. When the breech is opened, the front end of the barrel is tilted downward
over the pin P' as shown in Figure 1. It will be observed that the key n is
provided with downward extending flanges at each end which engage over the
edges of the frame and prevent the pin from slipping out.
But when the barrel is tilted to a position at right angles to the frame, the key n
is carried to a position free from engagement with the end of the frame, and it may
then be easily withdrawn to release the lump N'.
Near the rear end of the lump N' is arranged a hook Q hinged to the lump N¹
at 9 and adapted to engage with locking pins R and R' in the frame when the
breech is closed or opened for the purpose of reloading. The book is held in a
locking position by a spring r. When the breech is closed, the hook Q projects
through the frame as shown in Figure 2 and is easily reached by the finger to
release it from the locking pin R. But when the breech is open, as shown in
Figure 1, the hook is in engagement with the pin R' and can only be released to
permit the removal of the barrel by the insertion of a pencil or other small object
into the slot O. On so releasing the hook, the barrel may be tilted until at right
angles to the frame, and then removed by lifting it to release the book P from the
pin P. At the rear end of the lump N' a rocking cartridge extractor S is formed,
offset at each end and operated by bearing against the head piece D in an obvious
manner.
An adjustable sight is also provided, consisting in a sight bar T of spring steel
attached at one end to the barrel. The sight notch is raised or lowered by means
of a screw t, the latter being engaged in holes or recesses in a flat surface or plate u
whereby the sight may be adjusted laterally. The barrel is provided with a
downwardly slanting bore, thus compensating for the use of a high rear sight.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is,-
1. In a fire arm, the combination with the receiver, of a sliding spring actuated
hammer provided with a firing pin adapted to project through an opening in the
front end of said receiver, downward extending cocking flange formed integrally

page_text: with said hammer and provided with a hook e and lug e', a cocking bar G engage.l
by said flange between the hook e and lug e and projecting laterally through
recesses in the frame to the exterior, together with the trigger provided with a
counterpart hook, substantially as described.
2. In a fire arm, the combination with the receiver, of a sliding spring actuated
hammer provided with a firing pin adapted to project through an opening in the
front end of said receiver, a downward extending cocking flange attached to the
hamnier and provided with a book e, lug e and adjusting screw M, together with a
trigger provided with a hook L adapted to engage the hook e or against the lug e',
and means for moving said hammer against the tension of its actuating spring,.
substantially as described.
3. In a fire arm, the combination with the frame provided with the hooked
flange A¹, of a receiver provided with a recessed rear end into which said
flange A' is adapted to fit, and a head piece or breech block dove-tailed into the
front end of the receiver, said block being extended downward and supported by a
pin D so as to form a bearing for a rocking lever or cartridge extractor,
substantially as described.
4. In a fire arm, the combination of the barrel the lump N' secured thereto and
provided with an open ended slot at its front end engaging the hinge pin, a hook Q
hinged to the lump N¹ aud offset at each end so as to engage against and be
operated by the head piece or breech block, substantially as described.
5. In a fire arm, the combination of the barrel, the removable Jump N' dove-.
tailed thereto along its upper edge and provided with an open ended slot at its
front end for engaging the hinge pin, a hook Q hinged to the lump N' and adapted
to engage with locking pins in the frame for holding the breech respectively in its
open and closed position, a cartridge extractor pivoted centrally to the rear end of
the lump N' and offset at each end so as to engage against and be operated by the
head piece or breech block, together with a key for holding said flange longitudinally
to the barrel and provided with flanges for engaging the edges of the frame and
adapted to release the latter only when the hook Q is released from the locking.
pins, and the barrel is tilted over the end of the frame, substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of November 1896
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.