IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Ernest Richter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th November
1867.
I, JOHN ERNEST RIOHTER, of Kenton Street, Brunswick Square, in the,
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in breech-loading fire-arms.
where the central-fire cartridge is used. The opening and closing of the
breech is effected by the sliding motion of the plunger backwards and forwards
in a line with and at the rear of the barrel, the arm requiring only two move-
ments when used, viz., the opening and closing of the breech, which is done
by a handle attached to the plunger. The act of drawing back the plunger
cocks the hammer and extracts the cartridge, and a new cartridge being pushed
in the old case is driven out. The act of driving forward the plunger pushes
the cartridge forward and into the barrel, and the act of locking the plunger
releases the tumbler and discharges the arm, no trigger being required. The
central-fire striking pin passes through the plunger, and is surrounded at its
rear with a helical spring, which serves to draw back the pin after it has dis
charged the cartridge; the plunger enters the breech end of the barrel to
about one-sixteenth of an inch or more, whilst its. rear end at that time is
about one-eighth of an inch in the guide tube behind the plunger, leaving the
upper portion of the breech to open about one-eighth of an inch more than the
length of the Boxer cartridge (or any central-fire cartridge) for which this arm is

page_text: When the lock piece is
adapted. The handle of the block or plunger works on two pins, the forward
pin attaching it to the lock piece, which is a part and parcel of the plunger.
To lock the plunger the lock piece is drawn down by the handle, thus tightening
it down into the under breech, where a curved space has been cut away to
correspond in form with the lock piece. A slight oblique forward motion is
put on to the lock piece, as also the bearing in under breech, thus tightening
up the cartridge and preventing the escape of gas. "When the plunger is
locked the handle is brought to the oblique position.
brought up again, it forms as it were a part of the plunger, and corresponds
with its sectional area, entering and filling a space cut in the plunger, Down
the centre of the handle there runs a catch piece trigger, its upper part or
head forming a hook, catch, or horizontal pin, which inserts into a corres-
ponding hole in the plunger; the lock piece then cannot shift or drag heavily
along the trough of the breech. This catch piece works on a pin or pivot set
in the handle with a spring under the lower end, all within the handle. The
forefinger alone comes upon the catch piece trigger, and the action therefore
is to lock the plunger; the second finger is only used upon the handle, since
the forefinger is used merely to fasten the lock piece in the plunger; the pin
of the catch piece when released draws itself out of the plunger and confines
itself within the lock piece. A lever sear, having a spring under the front
end to keep it upward; this sear works on a pinion in the centre, and its front
end comes under the lock piece, and when the lock piece is brought down,
pressing down the front end, the other end is lifted out of the catch of the
tumbler, thus releasing it; by this arrangement no trigger is required, and
thus the time occupied in shifting the hand from the handle is saved, and also
the interference with the aim. The extractor is fixed to the plunger which is
slightly larger than the flange of the cartridge. The extractor is fixed to the
under part or side of the plunger by two screws which pass through two slots,
in the extractor, through which the screws are fastened into the plunger; the
heads of these screws are diagonal, and cover the slots so that the extractor
cannot be forced downwards.
Should there be any possibility of the cartridge case being forced upwards
and out of the extractor, on its withdrawal, I place a top connection piece
over the breech, which serves to prevent the cartridge case from being pushed
upwards. As the extractor is drawn out nearly half an inch, the flange of the
cartridge on being put in will always come within it.
I do not restrict myself to any precise form of look piece, so long as it is.
enabled to form part of the plunger, entering a recess cut therein, and
descending below it as before described. In this description of arm no

page_text: accidental discharge can occur, and therefore no provision is made against
such accident.
By the manner of its manipulation and the rapidity of firing, the rifle is not
loaded before it is elevated to the shoulder for firing, and unlike nearly all
other guns is not brought down from the shoulder at all during firing.
A pouch may be slung on left front on waist belt, and is capable of being
kept open, into which the left hand plunges as required, bringing out three
or four cartridges at a time, the rifle being held up by the right hand, which
draws back the plunger.
The novelty of this Invention consists in the handle being fixed to the
plunger on the under part, so that the gun can be supported and beld by the
hand which moves the plunger; also in the application of the lock piece, and
the manner in which it locks the plunger, and the fastening of the lock piece
in the plunger; the extractor the manner of drawing it out and driving it
up; the construction of the bch for putting in a cartridge; the removing
and driving out the old case ne sear and its connections with the lock piece
and tumbler.
By these arrangements simplicity and cheapness of construction are effected
with rapidity of firing by the use of one hand, the other hand being used to
insert the cartridge, or to use the rein in cavalry service.