IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE FIRE ARMS
Year: 1884

page_text: I BETHEL BURTON Engineer Office of Oastler Palmer & Co Market Street
Bermondsey SE London do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE FIRE ARMS to be as follows:-
Letters patent no 884 dated March 11th 1874 and no 4046 dated October 5th 1880
were granted to me in Great Britain for Breech loading repeating fire arms.
The present is an improvement upon said patents and a reference is hereby made
thereto for a more full description of the parts that are not herein fully described.
My present improvement relates to the support for the bolt which closes the
breech. The bolt works back and forth in the receiver and receives its motion
from an arm of a lever pivoted in the receiver and the bolt is supported against the
backward force of the discharged cartridge by the arm of the lever, the lever itself
is supported by a strong pin in the receiver upon which it works, the front end of
the lever is forked so as to straddle the firing pin thus enabling the firing pin to
be in a direct line in the centre of the bolt. The firing pin has a flat formed on
the small end to avoid weakening the lever and to allow the latter to straddle it
in operating the bolt. The bolt is made to operate the lever arm of the carrier in
the manner set forth in my former patents, the carrier is cut away to allow the
arm of the lever to lower into position to support the bolt. The carrier is pivoted
in the receiver and its upper arm works by the side of the arm of the lever for
operating the bolt. The opening in the receiver is made on the left side for the
entrance of the cartridge and on the right side for ejecting the spent cartridge.
The object of this is to leave a support for the bolt on the top, a mortice is made
up through the bolt to allow of the arm of the lever to enter and operate the bolt
and the bolt is cut away for the arm of the carrier to work therein in operating
the carrier. The extractor is placed in the side of the bolt in order to eject the
cartridge through the side opening of the receiver.
The ejector is placed opposite the extractor in the bolt or it may be placed in
the receiver, or the firing pin may be used to eject the cartridge by the pressure of
the Hellical Spring used for firing the cartridge. The firing pin extends through
the centre of the bolt and the Hellical Spring is placed upon the rear end of the
firing pin, an inside nut in the rear end of the bolt secures them in place and serves
as a support for the Hellical Spring, the spring acts against a collar on the firing

page_text: pin to propel the latter forward, a hole through the stop nut admits the rear end of
the firing pin to pass through, a collar nut is put on firing pin which engages the
sear, when the bolt is closed in the receiver holding back the firing pin, and
compressing the Hellical Spring.
The sear is pivoted in the receiver and the trigger and sear spring are pivoted
to the trigger plate, the trigger plate is secured by screws to the receiver, the
trigger acting on the sear releases the firing pin which is propelled forward by the
Hellical Spring against the cap to fire the charge.
The magazines in my patents referred to, I make use of in my present invention
but the hopper I make detacheable at will by means of a stop acted on by a lifter,
and the arm is provided with a safety stop to enable it to be carried without
danger when loaded.

page_text: I, BETHEL BURTON, Engineer office of Oastler, Palmer & Co Market Street
Bermondsey S.E. London do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
[MPROVEMENTS IN MAGAZINE FIRE ARMS, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My present invention is an improvement upon Patents granted to me in Great
Britain dated 11th March 1874 Ñ° 884 and October the 5th 1880, N° 4046, to
which I refer for a more full description of the parts herein not fully described and
the object of my present improvements are; to combine strength simplicity, fewness
of parts and ease of manipulation with rapidity of fire.
I attain these objects by the mechanisms illustrated in the accompanying
drawings which I make part of this specification in which similar letters of
reference indicate similar parts.
Fig: 1. is a longitudinal vertical section of the breech action comprising my
improvements showing the breech closed.
Fig: 2. is a similar view with the breech open; parts of the operating lever
removed for convenience.
Fig: 3, is a top view, and Fig. 4 a bottom view of the receiver.
Fig: 5. is a cross section cutting through the hopper magazine.
Fig: 6. is an outside view of hopper-magazine showing the cut-off attached.
Fig. 7. is a view of the breech closing bolt, and extractor let into the side of the
bolt, detached.
Fig. 8. is a front end view of the bolt showing the ejector and extractor.
Fig. 9. is a top view of the carrier detached.
Fig. 10. is a vertical cross section through the receiver showing the operating
lever and carrier pivoted in the receiver.
Fig: 11, is a rear end view of the receiver showing the tail strap removed and
in section.
Fig: 12, is a top view of the firing pin detached.
It will be observed, that the working parts are all incased within the breech
receiver A; the barrel, A¹, is screwed into the receiver A, and the ends of the
stock R¹, is let into a housing in either ends of the receiver A, the receiver A, is
bored out to take the bolt B, and it is also cut out to receive the carrier D, lever
arm, C, sear, G, trigger F, and trigger plate, F¹, and sear spring G¹, the bolt, B,.is
constructed with a mortice E, in which the arm C, of, the operating lever C, is
made to work the bolt B, in opening and closing the receiver; the bolt B, is bored
out to receive the firing pin E Fig. 12. the larger hole in the rear of the bolt
extends no further than the collar on the firing pin; from the collar on the firing
pin, into the mortice E; in the bolt an oblong hole is made through which the
flat E, of the firing pin passes and guides the firing pin, preventing it from turning
and obstructing the arm C, which is made to straddle the firing pin; the opening
in the rear end of the bolt B, is closed by a hollow projecting nut e, through which
the firing pin E passes this nut e, serves the double purpose of closing the hole in
the rear end of the bolt B, and acts as a guide and support for the firing pin E;
On the rear end of the firing pin E, an outside nut E¹, is placed, secured by a
screw, this outside nut, receives the projecting nut e; when the bolt is being
shoved into the receiver by the operating lever C, the lateral strain on the firing,
pin, in compressing the helical main spring, b, is thrust upon the projecting nut, e

page_text: a rebounding spring e¹, is placed between the nut e, and the nut E¹, so that in
closing the bolt the point of the firing pin cannot strike the cap in the cartridge;
when a cartridge is in the barrel, the nut E¹, if struck by a blow might ignite the
charge in the cartridge; to avoid this I make a half cock, or bent in the nut E,
which acts as a stop and also prevents the trigger F from being pulled; the sear G,
is pivoted in the receiver, and is kept pressed up in place by a spring Gl; the
trigger F, and spring G₁ by preference I pivot to the trigger plate, but the trigger
and sear spring may be pivoted to the receiver A; the trigger plate serves, to close
the opening in the receiver; and secure the butt stock by screws, to the receiver,
The carrier D, fig: 9. is made to work in the mortice in the receiver A, and is
pivoted in the receiver, by the screw T, Fig. 10; the carrier it will be observed has
only one arm pivoted; but another arm can be placed on the opposite side, and
pivoted in the same manner to the receiver. The carrier D, serves also to close the
front part of the receiver; on the under side, the carrier is curved out to admit a
cartridge to enter the tube magazine R, in the tip stock; a pawl P, is pivoted to
the end of the carrier which is acted on, by a spring p¹; the spring p', admits of
the pawl to yield to the pressure of the hand and the cartridge to enter; as soon as
the head of the cartridge passes the pawl, the spring 2, acting on the pawl, forces
it back; the cartridge is prevented from coming out by the pawl; but when the
carrier is lowered the top of the carrier comes in a line with the under side of the
opening into the magazine and the cartridges pass out, by the pressure of a spring,
on to the carrier, but the spring, for forcing out the cartridges may be dispensed
with; and a positive feed motion given by the motion of the bolt acting on a feed
rod running up through the tube magazine.
The operating lever C1, is pivoted to the receiver by a stout pin S; this pin S is
held in place by forked arms on the plate t, which straddle the groove made in the
pin S. the plate t, is held in place by the screw, T, in order to reduce the dimensions
of the receiver and to give sufficient travel to the, bolt when long cartridges are
used which require more space. The receiver is cut through at c, to admit the
end of the arin C, to rotate; but to prevent the entrance of dust or wet, the
opening is covered by the sight see Figs. 1. 3. To admit the arm C, to pass
the firing pin E à flat is made on the large part of the firing pin, E, and the end
of the arm C, is forked in the manner seen in Fig. 10. which allows the forked
arm C, to straddle the flat E, on the firing pin. When in the position seen in
Fig. 1, the arm C, supports the bolt against the backward force of the exploded
charge, when fired off. The arm C, and the lever C¹, operates the carrier D, a
mortice o¹, is made in the carrier D, which the arm C, enters and lowers the
carrier D, into the position shown in Fig, 1, and when the lever C, is thrown back
in opening the breech the back of the lever C, strikes two arms's, on the carrier,
and lifts up the carrier into the position seen in Fig. 2, the head of the cartridge is
then just above the under side of the bolt; a forward motion of the bolt shoves
the cartridge up the incline carrier, and, into the barrel; when the cartridge is fired
off and the spent shell extracted by the extractor L,,it is, thrown out through the
opening d, Fig 5, in the receiver, by an ejector H, pivoted in the end of the bolt B,
acted on by a small helical spring h, behind the ejector in the bolt B. The 4
hopper I, Figs 5. 6, may be applied in conjunction with the magazine R, or either
one may be used alone as preferred; when the magazine I is used a cut off applyed
in the manner shown in Figs 5. 6, may be used so as to hold the cartridges in
reserve in the magazine, and the arm used as a single breech-loader, a cut off
consisting of a pin running laterally through the receiver 'A, in the opening into 5
the magazine R with a half circle formed on the pin so that when the pin is
turned with the circle down, the cartridges are cut off; a reverse motion of the cut
off pin brings the circle on the pin to correspond with the circle of tlie opening to
the magazine R.
The opening d, in the side of the receiver A, through which the cartridges are 5
ejected from the receiver when extracted from the barrel after being fired off; is
provided with a sliding door b¹ which slides in dovetails formed in the receiver;
:
5
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page_text: this door is held in the required possition by a sliding bolt b, dovetailed into the
receiver A; a similar sliding door placed in the dovetails into which the hopper
magazine is placed and secured therein by a thumb screw or other suitable means
to enable the sliding door to be quickly replaced by the hopper; serves the purpose
of closing the opening throug which the cartridges pass on to the carrier the
sliding doors prevents snow or dirt getting into the receiver when the arm is not
in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. The combination substantially as set forth of a breech receiver A, a bolt B,
firing pin E, guide nut e, stop nut E', rebounding spring c¹, the ejector H, and
ejector spring h; in the end of the bolt B, the carrier D, the pawl P and the pawl
spring P, the operating lever C¹, and the arm C, the support m, on the lever C¹,
secured in the buttstock the magazine R, with or without the hopper magazine I,
and the cut off, for the magazines; the sear G, sear spring G¹ trigger. F, and
trigger plate F¹.
2. The forked arm C, and the flatsided firing pin or their equivalent whereby
the arm C, can pass the firing pin and give sufficient travel to the bolt B, to enable
long cartridges to be used, and serve as a support to the bolt, B, to resist the force
of the explosion in firing the arm; and whereby the firing pin can be made in one
piece, substantially as shown and described.
3. The combination of the flat side on the firing pin working in an oblong hole
in the bolt B, which admits of the firing pin moving back and forth, but which
prevents the firing pin, turning and, obstructing the movements of the arm C, in
operating the bolt B.
4. The guide stop nut e, for closing the end of the bolt B, and strengthening the
firing pin E; the nut E¹, as described and illustrated.
5. The construction of the carrier D, pivoted in the receiver with the arms, s, for
operating the carrier and closing the opening in the bottom of the receiver A, with
the cartridge stop P, and spring P¹, in combination with the operating lever C¹,
and arm C, and the magazine R substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated.
6. The support m, pawl n, and spring M, secured in the buttstock; or the
pawl n, and spring M, when made in one piece, and to act as a friction spring for
the support of the operating lever, substantially as shown and described.
7. The door b¹ for closing the opening d, in the receiver A, to prevent the access
of dirt or wet, when the arm is not firing; secured to the receiver by a dovetail
or other suitable means; and a bolt p, for securing the door in place when over
the opening a, or when removed to fire the gun as shown in Figs 3. 4. and as
described.