IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Field Swinburn, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS.'
"
Scaled the 14th June 1872, and dated the 13th January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Field Swinburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th January 1872.
I, JOHN FIELD SWINBURN, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," to be
as follows:-
My Invention relates to breech-loading small-arms in which the
breech is opened and closed by means of a jointed or hinged falling
block working in a mortice in the body or breech shoe of the fire-arm.
My said Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts
of the said small-arms in the following manner:-The lowering and

page_text: raising of the hinged falling block for the purpose of opening and
closing the breech end of the barrel is effected by a lever on the under
side or side of the body or breech shoe of the gun, the said lever acting
on the hinged block in the ordinary way. The striker or striking pin
by which the cartridge is ignited works freely in a cylindrical hole in
the hinged block, the said striking pin being provided at the under side
of its rear end with a fork in which a cross pin at the head of the lever
engages on the depression of the said lever and withdraws the striking
pin. A light flat or bow spring may be fixed in the hole in the block
to press upon the striking pin and retain it in the position to which it 1
may be brought by the action of the lever. On the raising of the
lever the striking pin is brought into the position proper for firing.
-
The cocking of the hammer is effected in the following manner :-The
said hammer turns on the same centre as the lever described, and is
situated between the branches of the fork into which the upper part of 1
the said lever is divided. A bent is made on the under side of the
tumbler of the hammer in which bent a sear engages when the said
hammer is brought into its cocked position by the depression of
the lever. A mainspring of the ordinary kind is connected to
the tumbler of the hammer, and when by the pressure of the 2
finger upon the trigger the sear is liberated from the bent in the
tumbler the mainspring urges forward the said hammer which strikes
against the rear end of the striking pin in the block and the said
striking pin ignites the cartridge and discharges the gun. A shoulder
on the tumbler of the hammer engages with a shoulder on the lever, so 2
that when the latter is depressed into the position required for the
engagement of the sear with the bent in the tumbler the said hammer
is thereby brought into its cocked position. On raising the lever so as
to bring the hinged block into the position proper for firing the main
spring offers no resistance to the motion of the block, and the wearing g
of the head of the lever which takes place in guns having the main-
spring within the hinged block is avoided.
When the hinged block is in the position for firing the striking pin
is situated and works in a line with the axis of the barrel; the motion
of the striking pin in discharging the gun is consequently direct, and 3
there is little risk of miss-fire.
The extractor consists of a cranked lever, the vertical arm of which
is forked and lies against the end of the barrel, the rim of the cartridge

page_text: case bearing against the said fork.
The other arm of the extractor
lever forms a somewhat less than a right angle with the vertical arm
and is of greater length than the said vertical arm. The under side of
the hinged block is cut away at a short distance behind its face, so that
on the descent of the said hinged block the extreme end of the extractor
lever is first acted upon and the case of the exploded cartridge started
from its place in the barrel. By the further descent of the hinged block
the fore end of the block strikes against the extractor lever near the
centre on which it turns, and by a jerking motion ejects the empty
cartridge case from the gun.
Instead of cocking the hammer by the shoulders described the said
cocking may be effected by means of a projecting or heel piece at the
rear end of the hinged block acting upon the hammer on the depression
of the block and bringing the said hammer into its cocked position.
Or the cocking of the hammer may be effected by a combination of the
two methods described.
I connect the plate carrying the trigger and trigger guard to the
under side of the body of the gun by means of the pin or axis on which
the extractor turns, and a second cross pin or the knuckle of the under
strap at the rear of the guard. The fore end of the plate has a knuckle
with a hole through which the extractor pin passes, and the said plate
has at its rear end another knuckle, in the back face of which a semi-
cylindrical depression is made. In putting this plate in its place the
extractor pin and the pin on which the lever turns are withdrawn, and
the depression at the end of the trigger plate is engaged with the cross
pin or knuckle by a sliding motion when the knuckle at the fore end of
the plate is raised into position. The extractor pin is next put in its
place, when the trigger plate with trigger and guard are secured to the
body of the gun. The lever pin or axis is finally put in its place.
By constructing and arranging the parts of the said small-arms in the
way described great strength and durability and little liability to wear
arc secured, the said small arms being at the same time readily manu-
factured and not liable to get out of order.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Field Swinburn in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN FIELD
SWINBURN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth 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 John Field Swinburn, Her special licence
that I, the said John Field Swinburn, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Field Swinburn, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Field Swinburn, 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 per-
formed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Field Swinburn, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention relates to breech-loading small-arms in which the
breech is opened and closed by means of a jointed or hinged falling
block working in a mortice in the body or breech shoe of the fire-arm.
My said Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of
the said small-arms in the following manner :-The lowering and raising

page_text: of the hinged falling block for the purpose of opening and closing the
breech end of the barrel is effected by a lever on the under side or side of
the body or breech shoe of the gun, the said lever acting on the
hinged block in the ordinary way. The striker or striking pin by which
the cartridge is ignited works freely in a cylindrical hole in the hinged
block, the said striking pin being provided at the under side of its rear
end with a fork, in which a cross pin at the head of the lever engages on
the depression of the said lever, and withdraws the striking pin. A light
flat or bow spring may be fixed in a hole in the block to press upon the
striking pin and retain it in the position to which it may be brought by
the action of the lever. On the raising of the lever the striking pin is
brought into the position proper to be struck by the hammer for firing.
The cocking of the hammer is effected in the following manner :-The
said hanımer turns on the same centre as the lever described, and is
situated between the branches of the fork into which the upper part of
the said lever is divided. A bent (or bents) is made on the under side
of the tumbler of the hammer, in which bent a sear engages when the
said hammer is brought into its cocked position by the depression of
the lever. A mainspring of the ordinary kind is in connection with
the tumbler of the hammer, and when by the pressure of the finger upon
the trigger the sear is liberated from the bent in the tumbler, the main-
spring urges forward the said hammer, which strikes against the rear
end of the striking pin in the block, and the said striking pin ignites the
cartridge and discharges the gun. A shoulder on the tumbler of the
hammer engages with a shoulder on the lever, so that when the latter is
depressed into the position required for the engagement of the sear with
the bent in the tumbler the said hammer is thereby brought into its
cocked position. On raising the lever so as to bring the hinged block
into the position proper for firing the main spring offers no resistance to
the motion of the block, and the wearing of the head of the lever which
takes place in guns having the mainspring within the hinged block is
avoided.
When the hinged block is in the position for firing, the striking pin is
situated and works in a line with the axis of the barrel; the motion of
the striking pin in discharging the gun is consequently direct, and there
is little risk of miss-fire.

page_text: forked and lies against the barrel, the rim of the cartridge case bearing
against the said fork. The other arm of the extractor lever forms a
somewhat less than a right angle with the vertical arm, and is of greater
length than the said vertical arm. The under side of the hinged block
is cut away at a short distance behind its face, so that on the descent of 1
the said hinged block the extreme end of the extractor lever is first
acted upon, and the case of the exploded cartridge started from its place
in the barrel. By the further descent of the binged block the fore end
of the block strikes against the extractor lever near the centre on which
it turns, and by a jerking motion cjects the empty cartridge case from:
the gun.
Instead of cocking the hammer by the shoulders described, tho said
cocking may be effected by means of a projecting or heel piece at the
rear end of the hinged block acting upon the hammer on the depression
of the block, and bringing the said hammer into its cocked position; or :
the cocking of the hammer may be effected by a combination of the two
methods described. I connect the plate carrying the trigger and trigger
guide to the under side of the body of the gun by means of the pin or
axis on which the extractor turns, and a second cross pin and the knuckle
of the under strap at the rear of the guard. The fore part of the plate
has a knuckle with a hole through which the extractor pin passes, and
the said plate has at its rear end another knuckle. In putting this plate
in its place, the knuckle at the end of the trigger plate is engaged with
the end of the under strap when the knuckle at the forc end of the plate
is raised into position. The extractor pin is next put in its place, when
the trigger plate with trigger and guard are secured to the body of the
gun. The lever pin or axis is finally put in its place.
By constructing and arranging the parts of the said small-arms in the
way described great strength and durability and little liability to wear
are secured, the said small-arms being at the same time readily manu-
factured and not liable to get out of order.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, and Figure 2 in longitudinal
vertical section the breech end of a falling block gun containing my
improvements; the parts being represented in the positions which they

page_text: respectively occupy when the gun is ready for discharge. Figure 3
represents a side elevation of the same, a portion of the breech body or
shoe being broken off. Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 represent detached
portions of the same as herein-after described. The same letters indicate
the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawings.
a is the breech body or shoe in a mortice in which the falling block b
works, the said block turning on the hinge or centre at c; d is the
striker or striking pin (shown detached in Figure 8), the rear end of
which is acted upon by the hammer to discharge the gun. The said
striking pin d works freely in a cylindrical hole in the hinged block b,
the said striking pin when the block is raised and supported in the
body a for firing, working in a line with the axis of the barrel. The
motion of the said pin is thus direct, and there is little risk of miss-fire;
c, c², is the hand lover by means of which the block b is lowered for
opening the breech and the hammer cocked, the said block raised and
supported for closing the breech, and the striking pin d withdrawn on
the lowering of the block. The said hand lever turns freely without
friction on the pin or centre f, the said hand lever being supported in
the manner herein-after described. The long arm e² of the lever is
situated on the under side of the gun, and the upper end or head e
which is forked works within the breech body. The hand lever e, e*, is
represented detached in elevation and plan in Figure 4. The striking
pin & has at the under side of its rear end a fork d³, in which a cross
pin at the head e of the hand lever engages as represented in the
Drawing. When the hand lever e, e², is depressed to open the breech,
the pin g strikes against the rear branch of the fork d³, and withdraws
the striking pin d from the barrel. On the raising of the hand lever to
close the breech the cross pin g at the head of the lever brings the
striker or striking pin into the position ready to receive the blow of the
hammer as represented in Figure 2, and prevents it retiring from that
position. is the hammer of the gun situated and working between the
branches of the forked head e of the hand lever e, e², and turning on the
same centre fas the said lever e, e²; h² is the mainspring actuating
the hammer; ³ is the tumbler of the hammer provided with half and full
cock bents; i is the sear for engaging with the bents of the tumbler;
and k is the trigger. On the head e of the hand lever is a shoulder e*,
and on the tumbler of the hammer is a shoulder ', which when the
hammer has been discharged is situated near the shoulder et on the hand

page_text: lever. On the depression of the hand lever to open the breech the
shoulder e* of the said lever acting upon the shoulder h* of the hammer ⁄
lifts the said hammer into its cocked position, the said hammer being
held in that position by the sear i engaging with the full cock bent of
the tumbler as represented in the Drawings. On raising the hand
lever c, e², so as to bring the block b into the position proper for firing
the mainspring h² offers no resistance to the motion of the block, and
the wearing of the head of the lever which takes place in guns having
the mainspring within the block is avoided. In place of or in addition
to the shoulders e', ', for cocking the hammer h the said cocking may 1
be effected by a heel piece at the rear end of the block 6 acting on the
hammer when the said block is lowered to open the breech. The
hammer h is situated upon a square part of the axis or pin ƒ and
consequently moves with the axis, while the hand lever e, e³, works
loosely upon the cylindrical parts of the said axis on either side the said 1
square part. The axis f is shown separately in Figure 5. By this
means the hand lever e, e², moves with little friction on the pin or axis f,
the said hand lever being supported by the concave flanges e³, e³, of the
head of the lever working upon the bushes on the trigger and guard
plate. On the end of the axis of the hammer is an indicator f³ for 2
indicating the position of the said hammer. This indicator is made in
the form of an arm or thumb plate, and may be used to half cock the
hammer and to full cock the hammer for discharge without moving the
hand lever e, e²; k, k², is the cranked extractor turning on the pin or
centre m. The forked extracting arm k lies against the end of the 2
barrel and receives the rim of the cartridge case, and the other arm k²
which is longer than the vertical arm k forms a somewhat less than a
right angle with the said vertical arm k. On the descent of the block b
the extreme end of the arm ³ of the extractor lever is first acted upon
by the block and the empty cartridge case started from the barrel. By 3
the further descent of the block b the part 2 of the said block strikes
the extractor lever near its centre m, and by a jerking motion ejects the
empty case from the gun. On loosing the lever e, e², the spring a raises
the block 6 into the position proper to guide the cartridge into the barrel
in the process of loading.
The trigger and guard plate is shown separately in side elevation
and plan in Figure 6 and the under stran n is mannosented sonamatale in
3

page_text: 1
are made in one piece, the trigger k and the sear being carried by the
said plate as represented. The fore end of the plate has a knuckle
with a hole at through which the extractor pin m passes, and the rear
end of the plate has a second knuckle with a hole q through which the
axis of the hammer and hand lever passes. Each side of the plate /
is similarly formed. The rear end of the trigger plate is curved at 7º,
and abuts against and is supported by the knuckle or curved scat p* on
the front end of the under strap p.
The upper
side of the front end of
the under strap p has V shaped depressions p³ in it, and when the said
under strap is fixed in its place by the pin p' wedge-shaped lugs a³ (sec
Figures 2 and 3) on the breech body or shoe a take into the said depres-
sions p³, and thereby bind the parts securely together. By this con-
struction the trigger and guard plate is supported in its place at the
fore end of the extractor pin m, and at its rear end by the knuckle or
curved seat p² of the under strap p. In putting the trigger and guard
plate and under strap p in ther places respectively the under strap p is
first secured to the stock and shoe by means of the pin p' and screws
shown in the Drawings. The guard and trigger plate is next put into
its place and secured by the pins or axes f and m. A safety bolt may
be employed in place of the half cock bent.
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 I
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 in which the breech is opened and closed by a hinged
falling block,-
Firstly. The arrangement or combination of parts described and
represented in the accompanying Drawings for withdrawing the striker
or striking pin on the depression of the hand lever to open the breech
and returning the said striking pin into the position ready for firing on
raising the lever to close the breech, that is to say, by means of a cross
pin on the head of the hand lever working in a fork at the under side of
the rear end of the said striker or striking pin, substantially as described
and illustrated.
Secondly. The arrangement or combination of parts described and

page_text: and removing the pressure of the said hand lever from the pin or centre
on which it turns, that is to say, by means of concave flanges on cither
side, the head of the hand lever working upon bushes on the trigger and
guard plate, substantially as described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The construction of and method of attaching the trigger and i
guard plate and under strap to the body of the gun herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say,
so constructing the trigger and guard plate that it is supported at its
fore end by the extractor pin, and at its rear end by a knuckle or curved
seat at the fore end of the under strap, substantially as described and 1
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Field Swinburn, have hercunto
set my hand and scal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOHN FIELD SWINBURN. (L.S.)