US119834A - Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms - Google Patents

Description

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. EEnnrs's. or UTIOA, NEW YORK.

. Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,834, dated October 10, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE H. FERRIss,of the city of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Breeeh-Loading Gun, of which the lfollowin g is a specification l Figure 1 is a side elevation of that part of the barrels and the break-ofi and the breech of the gun which contains the devices for locking and unlocking the barrel and for resisting the longitudinal strain of the powder. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the center of one barrel, and of a cartridge, embodying' my new iniprovenients, as to the shape of its inside bottom and outside bottom cavity, and my peculiar cone or nipple. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sec-l tion through the center of the rear half of a double-barrel gun between the barrels, showingopenspective view of the cartridge and cone, showing the concavity of the side and bottom of the cartridge to afford a hole for the fingers, and the cone surrounded with a curb. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of a barrel in whose rear end is placed a cartridge, the sides of this cartridge, near its-rear end, being made of an extraordinary thickness. V

A is the break-off and frame-work, of one solid piece, forming the base at the breech o f the barrels. B B are the barrels lof the gun. O, Figs'. 1 and 4, is a pivoted bent lever forming alatch by catching over the projection W. There is a slot, Z, in the break-off for the admission of bent lever (l, and also to admit its play, Figs. land 4. D is a lever, working on a fulcrum at T. One end of this lever D passes under the rear end of bent lever O. The other end of the lever D is attached, by a pivot, to the upright thumb-piece' E, and is operated by said thumb-piece. F is a frame, which supports the bent lever C, lever D, thumb-piece E, and spring P. This piece F is made separate from the break-od', so as to per :mit of easy removal for repairs, and so that an injury to any of the parts supported by it will not require the substitution of anew break-oit. This spring Pis fastened at its rear end into frame F by screw S, and operates by pressing upon the top of the rear arm or limb of the bent lever C, and thus pressing forward the front arm or limb of the said lever C. K is apiece extending along under the .barrel or barrels, as will be hereii 1 after described. The front end of this piece K extends downward and forms tl 1e tongue or center N (see Fig. 3) of a hinge. Through this tonguehin ge N, and parallel with the barrel B, is vbored a hole, L, for the reception-of the ramrod. The rest of the bottom ot' piece K, between this hinge and lwhere the projecting piece K begins, is grooved to admit `the ramrod. Upon the hin ge-tongue N a shoulder at gis formed by cutting into the lower periphery of N and toward its center. This tongue-hin ge N fits between two ears, R lt'. (See Figs. l and 4.) These ears R l are formed upon the front end of the frame-piece A, and are pivoted to the tongue N by pivot Q. Onthe piece A (see Fig. 4) between the ears, and on the center of the cavity which fits to the periphery of the tongue, is formed araised shoulder, O, which fits into the cavity g, Fig. 3. This stop-piece O prevents the breech from lifting beyond a proper height. In the top of frame A isf'a groove, L, Y

corresponding to the groove L in K, to admit the ramrod. A part of the rear end of the barrel B is cut away, as shown at It, (see Figsl and 3,) leaving a small projection or remnant of the barrel at the top and another at the bottom.` This cutting away of the barrel is for the purpose of admittin the fingers in drawing the cartridge, and thus acilitating the drawing of the cartridge. M, Fig. 5, is the cartridge, of which X, Fig. 2, is the inside cavity which receives the powder. The bottom of this cavity X is made in the form of a basin or hollow cone. Vith this cavity in the bottom, when the cartridge is iired the slanting sides of this basinbottom gives the powder in the rear end of the cartridge an oblique direction forward, thereby assisting in propelling the ball or charge forward, and also preventing at the rear end of the cartridge direct lateral pressure upon the sides of the barrel. The rear end of the cartridge is narrowed down by its sides and bottom being made concave, as shown at G, Figs. 2 and 5, for the purpose of giving a strong hold upon it for the fingers in withdrawing it from the barrel after fire. H (see Figs. 1,2, and 5) is the percussion-cone or nipple screwed into the cartridge, Fig. 2. This cone is surrounded by a curb to protcct the cartridge from exploding when carried about. This curb is attached to the con'e independently of the cartridge. h (see Fig. 6) is a cartrid ge, peculiar in having the forward portion of the shell a a made. smaller in circumference and thinner in thickness than the rear end of said shell. This rear end is made of an extraordinary thickness. The front portion a a is joined to the thick rear part by a shoulder at b. This shoulder may be of any desirable shape; or the out.

side of said cartridge may taper from rear to front. Tl e diameter of the bore of this cartridge is the same from rear to front. The object of making the sides of the cartridge at its rear end thick is to give strength to a rifled cartridge Where the powder first explodes. The object in making the front end a of the shell thin is to allow the cartridge to expand and cut off the leakage of gas between its4 outside and the inside of the barrel.

The mode in which my locking device operates is as follows: The breech being closed, when it is desired to unlock the barrels in order to insert the cartridge the thumb-piece E is pressed down 5 E in turn presses down lever D, and D, overcoming the spring P, lifts the rear end of bent lever C. Asthis rear end of lever C is lifted its frontend is brought back, and thus releases the projecting catch W. The barrels are then unlocked,

and sliding over catchW; the piece is then ready to be fired.

The lock of this gun is the ordinary lock of ordinary 4guns, with this exception, that the striking end of the hammer is not hollowed out; but

has a slight projecting hub to strike the nipple ver D, pin T, and bent lever C, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. A cartridge, without reference toits interior shape, the bottom and sides only of which are cut away at or near its rear end, in a concave or other form, so as to facilitate the grasping of the cartridge while permitting attachment of the nip ple upon its top near its rear end, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The recess R in the rear end of the barrel, to give room in drawing the cartridge, substantially as herein described.

6. A curb surrounding a cone or nipple, provided with a slit for the purpose of withdrawing the percussion-cap from the cone after-fire.

7. The' piece F, when made separate from the break-ofi or piece A, for the purpose of holding the pivoted levers C and D.

GEORGE H. FERRISS. l -Witnesses WM. H. FISHER,

ABNER B. GARDNER. (18)

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