Improvements in Folding and Magazine Guns.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1894-Accepted, 14th July, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding and Magazine Guns.
I, ANDREW BURGESS, residing at Niagara Hotel, in the City of Buffalo, County
of Erie, State of New York, U.S.A., Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FOLDING AND MAGAZINE GUNS, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This gun is specially designed for police or cavalry use. The gun is jointed at
the junction of the stock and barrel, so that when the stock is folded against the
barrel the weapon is no longer than the barrel.
As the joint at the junction of the stock and barrel is subject to great straiu, it
is made of great strength. This strength may be secured in various ways.
I prefer a system of interlocking threads and grooves.
The magazine is provided with a cartridge detent or stop, so that the magazine
may be carried full of cartridges, and a trip operates on this detent to cause the
cartridges to feed the instant the gun is straightened out and the barrel locked to
the stock in firing position.
This gun is to be distinguished from a well known form of shot gun, in which the
barrel breaks down on the stock for the purpose of opening the breech, as in such a
gun the stock does not fold against the barrel.
In the drawings (Figs. 1 to 7) I have illustrated my preferred form of hinge
joint applied to my preferred form of gun.
Figure 1 is a broken side elevation and longitudinal section of the gun, both ends
broken away.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, with part of frame broken away.
Figure 3 is an end view of stock and barrel portions, folded.
Figure 4 is a broken perspective of rear end of barrel portion and broken section
of frame.
Figure 5 is a broken side elevation of barrel, showing spring latch partly in
section.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of cartridge detent and spring detached.
Figure 7 is a bottom plan, near the joint, parts being broken away.
Figure 8 is a side elevation of the entire gun, folded.
Figure 9 is a side elevation of a well known magazine gun, not of my invention,
with my joint applied, and
Figure 10 an end view of same.
Figure 11 is a side elevation of a folded gun, with joint somewhat modified, and
Figure 12 is a view of the joint portion of such gun, in extended position.
A, indicates the stock, which is connected to metallic frame B, in usual manner.
Any usual form of stock, frame, and barrel may be used, with the changes herein
referred to.
At the front of the frame B there are depending lugs C, which form one knuckle
of the hinge. The gun barrel D, has at its rear end a depending binder F, to which
the barrel is firmly attached. Above this binder the barrel has a series of ridges
and grooves 1 across its top. The inside of the frame has a corresponding series of
ridges and grooves 2.
The binder F has a knuckle 3, which has an oblong
opening 4. The pintle 7 passes through the lugs C of the frame, and through
hole 4 in the knuckle of the binder, thus constituting a loose, yielding, or slip
ointed hinge.
The sides of binder F have guide grooves 5 therein, said grooves being wider at
heir open ends, and extending in vertical direction, or at a right angle to the

page_text: barrel, near their closed ends. The frame has short studs 8 which extend inward..
to enter said grooves when the gun is straightened out.
The barrel D has a strong spring 11 firmly attached by means of a ring 12,
integral with the spring, and grasping the barrel, to which it may be keyed
by a pin 13. The spring may be notched to form the rear sight of the gun.
When the gun is swung from folded to extended position, the studs 8 enter
grooves 5, and hold the pintle in its proper position in the hole 4. But when the
barrel reaches its extended position, the spring 11 bears on the top of the frame to
raise the barrel relatively to the frame, causing the pintle 7 to slip in hole 4, and
the studs 8 to enter the vertical part of grooves 5. This interlocks the ribs 1 and 2
with each other.
The spring latch 11 preferably has a hook, which engages a notch 10 in the
frame. This prevents rebound and insures the interlocking of the parts when the
barrel is suddenly swung from its folded to its firing position. The engaging faces
of the hook on latch 11 and the notch 10 in the frame may be bevelled, to draw the
parts into closer engagement.
The spring 11 may be lifted from engagement with the frame by means of
lever 14, pivoted to the spring, and having its shortest arm passing through a slot
in the spring, to engage the barrel. When the long arm of this lever is lifted the
spring 11 will be lifted by the cam engagement of its short arm on the barrel.
A slight blow on the top of the barrel near the joint will then unlock the
interlocking parts of the barrel and stock portions, and the parts will swing on the
hinge.
Preferably the stock will be notched or cut away to receive projecting portions
from the barrel when the barrel and stock portions are folded together. These cut
away portions can be readily arranged to receive the projections. The slip of the
pintle permits the parts to spread apart further at the hinge than would an
unyielding pintle, so that the forestock need be notched but little or not at all
where it lies against the trigger guard.
A catch may be provided to hold the stock portion against the barrel portion,
but I prefer to carry the folded gun in a holster or case.
In Figure 1 the magazine E is shown as a cylindrical magazine lying under the
barrel, and inclosed by the forestock H. The magazine has the usual spring
and follower of its class. The forestock H may be conveniently screwed to
ring 12.
At the mouth of the magazine I place a cartridge stop or detent K, which is a
segment of a ring, rigid with spindle 17 which extends lengthwise just outside the
magazine. A spring 18 bearing on a flat place on this spindle, tends to rock one
end of the detent K slightly in front of the magazine mouth and flange of the
cartridge, to stop the cartridges from coming out of the magazine.
The detent K has a projection 20, which strikes a projection 21 connected to the
breech portion as the gun is extended, causing the detent to rock, and permitting
the follower to force back a cartridge at once from the magazine.
The breech system shown in Figure 1, is of a well known construction, and only
the main parts are shown. M, indicates the reciprocating bolt. N, the bolt
locking brace, which is pivoted to the bolt. O, the connection from the brace to
the sliding cover P. The cover P is connected to handle S, which slides lengthwise
on the small of the stock, thus opening and closing the bolt, and raising and
lowering the cartridge carrier T.
The cover P has a stiff spring or trip 21 attached, in position to engage the
part 20 of the cartridge stop and rock said stop to let the magazine feed a cartridge
back into the carrier, when the spring or abutment 21 is moved forward by the
closing movement of the breech.
The gun is intended to be carried in folded position with the magazine full of
cartridges and a cartridge in the barrel. When the gun is to be used, the barrel
can he swung to extended position, when it the breech bolt be forward and the gun
cocked it may be fired instantly. The straightening of the joint causes trip 21 to

page_text: rock detent K and release a cartridge, which feeds to the carrier as before explained'
saving the time required to operate it by the movement of the breech.
For a police gun, the barrel portion and stock portion are preferably made of the-
same length, so as to fold into compact position, as in Figure 8. The gun can then
be inclosed in a holster of moderate size and length.
For cavalry use, a barrel as long as the usual military rifle barrel may be hinged'
to a stock of ordinary length, and when the gun is folded it will not be as long as.
the usual cavalry carbine. Figure 9 illustrates such a rifle of well known.
construction having a different breech mechanism and magazine in which cartridges.
are moved laterally, jointed to fold as I have indicated. The toe of the stock may
be notched to close over the barrel, as indicated in Figure 10.
Figures 11 and 12 illustrate a modification of the hinged joint wherein the barrel.
portion has trunnions or studs a projecting at the sides, which studs enter slots or
grooves 4 a in the frame. These slots or grooves extend laterally and longitudinally
of the frame. A hooked catch piece 11a on the barrel portion is actuated by
a spring, to engage the hooks or shoulders 10 a on the frame when the gun is in its.
straightened or firing position. To fold the gun the hooked catch is disengaged,.
and the pintle slides lengthwise in the slots or grooves, and then turns into the
transverse extension thereof.
It should be understood that a reversal of parts, or modification of details is.
contemplated in this invention.
By the interlocking joint, I am enabled to give great longitudinal strength to the-
gun, when extended. The gun may be swung from folded to extended position in
an instant of time, and firing begin at once. The gun may be made either as.
rifle or shot gun.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The folding gun having a hinge at the junction of the stock and barrel, and'
the interlocking connections by which the joint is made strong when the barrel is in
its extended or firing position, substantially as described.
2. The folding gun and spring catch and the lever operating to release the spring
catch so that the interlocked portions may be released, and the gun folded,.
substantially as described.
3. The folding gun having a joint with projecting knuckles and a shifting
pintle connection, and interlocking connections between the parts, substantially as.
described.
4. The spring and its integral ring grasping and secured to the barrel, and
having the latch or catch engaging the stock portion and extending across the joint
when the gun is in firing position, substantially as described.
5. The barrel portion and the stock portion and the strengthened joint between,
the portions, one or both, being recessed so as to fold into close contact, substan--
tially as described.
6. The folding gun having the parts connected by a yielding joint so that the
sections may lock firmly together when the gun is in firing position, substantially as
described.
7. The folding gun having a yielding joint and a spring operating on the parts.
to slip the joint in the act of extending, substantially as described.
8. The magazine gun in two sections with the magazine in one part and the
cartridge stop therefor, and a trip on the other part acting on said stop to throw
the magazine into operation when the barrel is brought into firing position.
9. The magazine of a magazine gun having a spring controlled cartridge stop,
and the spring actuated trip of stronger power on the breech mechanism to act on
said stop.
10. The folding gun connected by a yielding pintle joint, and guide grooves and

page_text: projections on the parts acting to control the joint while the joint is flexing, and
means for fastening the parts in extended position.
11. The folding gun having the stock portion and barrel portion and the
interlocking joint between, and the latch engaging said portions and holding the
parts interlocked when the barrel is extended.
12. The folding gun having the parts connected by a slot and pintle connection
and a catch, the slot extending longitudinally and transversely of the gun so that
the barrel may move lengthwise of the stock and then turn and fold against said
stock.
13. The novel features of invention substantially as hereinbefore described.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.