REPEATING SMALL ARM, OR GUN
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick John Cheesbrough at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th January 1882.
FREDERICK JOHN CHEESBROUGH, of the Office for Patents 15, Water Street,
"AN IMPROVED
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Consulting Engineor.
REPEATING SMALL ARM, OR GUN."
This Invention relates to that class of small firo arms, or guns known as
repeating guns, and consists in certain breech, or hammer and lock mechanism,
whereby the consecutive, or repetition firing is effected, the cartridges being held
in a casing which travels laterally across the breech.
According to this Invention the percussion and explosion of the cartridges is
arranged to take place in the breech of the barrel of the gun, the cartridges being
in rotation pushed forward from the holder into the barrel before each explosion. By
this arrangement a lighter breech and stock can be used as the danger of bursting
the cartridge holder is avoided.
In the construction of the gun there is used a cartridge holder which consists of
a box, or casing constructed of strong sheet metal, two sides and the bottom of
which are provided with flanges. The casing is open at the front and back and is
provided with a suitable cover hinged to the side of the casing. Inside the casing
there are two springs which automatically keep the casing open by raising the
cover. At the bottom of the casing or holder there is a guide provided with ribs.
The cartridges are contained in a cartridge box formed in divisions to correspond
with the number of cartridges. This cartridge box is made of any suitable
material, the cartridges being in the divisions and isolated from each other. The
front and back of the cartridge box is closed by a paper band which prevents the
cartridges from falling out. The casing or holder beforo described receives the
cartridge box and the casing fits into the breech of the gun being held in position
by the guide and ribs at the bottom of the casing. The breech of the gun is
provided with a shoulder, or provision which when in position keeps the lid of the
cartridge holder closed. To refill the box the holder is drawn clear of the provision
and the lid automatically opens by the pressure of the spring which lifts up the
cartridge box, so that it can be taken out from the casing and a new one
substituted. The mechanism of the gun is provided with a lever and a sliding

page_text: breech piece for the purpose of closing the breech and pushing forward the
cartridge into the explosion chamber of the gun barrel. By this operation the
back paper band of the cartridge box is pierced and the cartridge is forced forward
by the breech piece piercing in its passage the front paper band. The lever then
locks the sliding breech piece in position and an hermetic closing is established.
The breech piece is provided with a spring clip, which takes over the back plate of
the cartridge for withdrawing the cartridge case from the gun after explosion.
The locking of the breech is effected by a projection thereon which takes into a
corresponding groove in the breech of the gun. This projection also acts as a
guide by taking into a slot when opening, or closing the breech. The breech pioce
is provided with a central spring actuated percussion needle, which is operated by
a trigger mechanism consisting of a trigger with a projecting arm, which presses
upon an upper spring retained lever, one end of which actuates a catch which
holds the percussion needle. The back end of the percussion needle is attached
to a piece which slides over the breech piece. The spring of the percussion needle
being contained within the breech piece and the tension of the spring is regulated
by the distance between the breech piece and the back piece, which latter is
provided with the catch which engages with the trigger mechanism. The
imechanism for lateral movement to the cartridge holder after the discharge of the
cartridge consists of a rod underneath the breech, which slides with the breech
piece and is provided with an inclined key, which catches the rib under the
cartridge holder and causes the lateral movement of the holder and brings another
cartridge into position for Gring by moving the cartridge holder laterally the
correct distance. This new cartridge is then subjected to the same cycle of
operation and fired in the barrel of the gun. After one group of cartridges is
exhausted, it can be replaced by another.
If desired the cartridge-holder can be entirely-removed and..the_gun_used as a
single firing gun, namely, a non repeating gun.