Automatic Small Arm.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1899
Automatic Small Arm.
I, LOUIS HELLFRITZSCH, of Tempelhofer Ufer 10, Berlin, in the Empire of
Germany, Gunsmith, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
The object of this invention is to construct an automatic small arm in which the
barrel as well as the breech is mounted so as to move axially in straight guides,
and also to turn on its own axis, in such a manner that upon being fired, the
barrel at first moves backwards a short distance in a straight guide, whilst the
breech turns and with its oblique locking nipples partially emerges from the
corresponding obliquely placed locking grooves of the barrel casing, then, secured
against further turning slides further in a straight guide, whilst at the same
time, the barrel emerges from its straight guide, and is turned by the nipples
which now completely unlock it whilst the backward movement proceeds in a
straight line, and for the purpose of being locked, in the open position, is swung
with a catch into a side recess. In this manner, the locking nipples act as the
means for the locking of the barrel, so that the special constructional parts other-
wise employed for this purpose, are dispensed with.
In Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings a pistol is illustrated as an
xample of this kind of self loading small-arm.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the new pistol in the position ready for firing.
Fig. 2 is a plan of part of Fig. 1 after removal of the sights.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal view partly in section of a pistol, which has just
been discharged, the barrel and breech-bolt block being in the backward position.
Fig. 4 is a rear view of the barrel casing.
Fig. 5 a cross section of the front part of the breech casing seen from behind.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the method of locking the barrel.
Figures 8, 9 and 10 show the arrangement for guiding the breech.
The rear and enlarged part of the barrel casing is screwed on to the fixed
breech casing a. The barrel lying in this casing 6 surrounded by the pressure
spring his screwed into a casing which has the necessary recesses or grooves
for receiving the locking nipples e, and in addition is furnished with a guide-
catch which slides in the straight guide y that is widened at g¹ and there forms
a recess. In the breech bolt block k is the closing and driving spring m which
acts in a contrary direction to the spring h, and surrounds the striking pin 7.
The spring m is supported at its back end against the ring i, which is firmly
screwed to the outside of the breech casing. The part of the ring i lies in a
groove corresponding to the movement of the breech and is connected with the
stay or support 23 by a part 23, which is inserted through an opening in the
casing. The part ¹ is so narrow that it can enter the straight part of the
groove, of the breech, when the latter moves backwards upon the firing of a
shot.
In the upper part of the breech casing which is covered by the sight, an oblique
slot is provided, which runs at its rear end into a straight guide and in
which engages a guide catch or pin fixed to the breech. is the hammer
actuated by the striking or main spring q¹ and the trigger bar or sear which

page_text: is acted upon by the spring r¹. The trigger-spring s¹ acts in the usual manner
on the trigger s, which furnished with a spring catch t. The arrangement of
the ejector
u and of the magazine v is the same as in known forms of construction.
The action of the weapon described is as follows;
In the position as ready for firing Fig. 1, the closing and driving spring m
supported against the ring i, overcomes the pressure of the spring h and holds
the barrel and the breech firmly locked in the forward position.
Upon firing taking place, the explosive gases press against the barrel and push
the same backwards supported by the spring against the action of the spring m.
During the first part of this backward movement, the guide catch fis pushed
80 far back in the guide slot g, that it comes opposite to the widened part g¹ and
the catch or pin has moved back as far as the end of the oblique slot ³, thus
bringing about the turning of the breech.
The dimensions of these parts, however, are such, that in the position just
indicated, the breech is still not completely unlocked, but the oblique locking
nipples, at least partly, still engage in the corresponding oblique recesses at the
back end of the barrel casing d. Upon the further backward movement, whilst
the barrel by the striking of catch against the back edge of slot g is retained
in the axial direction, the catch or pin enters the straight slot and the breech,
in consequence of the impulse given thereto, is thrown further back and as a
matter of fact, now in a straight line. Whilst this takes place the oblique locking
nipples of the breech block bolt exercise a turning effect on the corresponding
obliquely formed reccsscs in the barrel casing and turn the latter and also the
barrel so far round that the catch f comes to a rest in the recess g¹, Fig. 6, and
thereby holds the barrel in the rear position ready for the introduction of a new
cartridge.
The pressure spring h may under certain circumstances act simultaneously as
a torsion spring, and promote the entry of the catch f into the recess g¹. Even
before the breech has emerged with its catch or pin 5 from the groove, the
fixing stay of the ring i has entered the groove of the breech so that the latter
is guided during the last part of the backward movement,
When the backward movement is ended and the empty cartridge extracted in
the known manner, and the hammer cocked by the striking of the
breech this latter is driven forward again out of its rear position by the
closing and driving spring m, and at the same time a fresh cartridge is pushed
out of the magazine into the barrel. Up to the time when the front surfaces of
the locking nipples begin to enter the corresponding grooves in the casing,
the breech has moved in a straight line, and the catch or pin has again
In con-
entered the groove 4, but not yet reached the front end of the same.
sequence of this, the breech, also, is carried a short distance in a straight line
after the locking nipples have entered the corresponding grooves of the casing d
and the casing turned, so that the catch f emerges from the recess g', the barrel
thus being unlocked.
In the further action of the breech, the catch enters the oblique slot 3 and now
the breech begins to turn and becomes completely locked with the barrel, the
latter, moving in a straight line, again going forward into the firing position.
The weapon again takes the position ready for firing indicated in Fig. 1.
As long as the triggers has not been released, after the firing of a shot, the
catch t, as will be seen in Fig. 3, lies under the trigger bar or sear r so that the
hammer can thus be retained in the locked position. As soon, however, as the
trigger is released, the latter is turned by means of the spring s¹ and the catch t
is able to spring up and engage again with the bar or sear r.
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. An automatic small-arm, in which the barrel after a shot is fired, first moves

page_text: backward in a straight guide, whilst the breech is turned and partially emerges,
with its oblique locking nipples from the corresponding obliquely placed grooves
of the barrel casing, then, secured against further turning, slides in a straight
guide, the barrel, emerging from its straight guide, being turned by the breech
nipples, becomes completely unlocked so that its catch f comes to rest in a
recess g, and thereby effects the locking of the barrel in the rear position, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
2. An automatic small-arm constructed according to Claim 1, in which the barrel
is acted upon by a pressure spring h, which holds the barrel in its rear position
and may in some cases act as a torsion spring, substantially as described.
3. In an automatic small-arm constructed according to Claim 1, a trigger
arrangement having a spring locking piece or catch t arranged on the trigger s,
which piece or catch engages in the notch of the trigger bar or sear so that the
hammer can also be cocked by means of the recoil when the trigger is held back
substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 27th day of September 1899.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.