US133665A

US133665A - Improvement in breech-loading fire-arivjs

Info

Publication number: US133665A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1872-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1889-12-03

Description

Y 3 Sheets-Sheet1. W. RICHARDS.

. A Breach-Loading Fire-Arms( No. 133,665. Patented 930.51872.

3 Shees--Shee 2, W. RICHARDS.

lBr'each-Loading; Fire-Arms. No, 133,665, Patented Dec.3,1872.

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. 3 Sheets-Sheet3 4 W. RICHARDS. Bree'ch-L'oadingfFire-Arms.' lo. 133,665.

Patented Dec.3 1872 Sra'rns Pnrnrv'r Grrion,

IMPROVEMENT IN EREECH-LOADING MRE/ARMS.

Specification forming'part of Letters Patent No. 133,665, dated December 3, 1872.

To all who-m it may concern:

Beit known that I, WESTLEY RICHARDS, of Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, England, gun manufacturer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading and other Fire-Arms; and I, the said WEsTLEY RICHARDS, do hereby declarethe nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof-that is to say:

My invention relates, first, to breech-loadl ing guns of the kind called drop-block gunsthat is, guns in which the breech-block is j ointed at its rear end to the frame or body, the said block descending in the said body to open the breech for loading. This part of my invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of the said breech-loading guns in the manner hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying` drawing. The handlever, by which the block is supported and operated and by which the hammer is cocked, is placed at the front of the trigger-guard, but the acting part oi' the hammer of the gun is situated immediately behind, and is acted upon directly by the upper part of the said hand-- lever to cock the hammer, as more particularly described with reference -to the gun represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 Figure l showing a longitudinal section of the breech end of the gun, the parts being in the positions which they respectively occupy after the gun has been discharged; and Fig. 2, the same when the hammer has been raised to full-cock preparatory to the discharge oi' the gun. Fig. 3 represents the breech-block of the gun detached.

The same letters indicate the same parts in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

c is the barrel; b, the body or frame to which the drop-block c is jointed at c2. d d2 is the hand-lever turning on the center d8 for supporting and operating the drop-block c and for cooking the hammer c, the said hammer being situated immediately behind the upper part d2 of the hand-lever d cl2. The center c2, on

which the hammer e turns, is situated directly under the axis or center cl3 of the hand-lever that is, nearly in the'vertical pla-ne in which the face c4 of the block c and the base of the cartridge (in the loaded gun) are situated. The axis or center e2 of the hammer is forged solid or in one piece with the hammer. The nose e3 of the hammer e strikes through a hole in the face c4 of the block c direct upon the percussion cap of the cartridge. The said nose 63 is made movable or separable from the hammer e so that the said nose or striker can be removed for repair or replaced by another. The said movable nose e is screwed into the hammer, its rotation being prevented by a locking-pin. h is the mainspring, connected to the hammer e by a swivel. A rubber or tubular bolt, f, pressed upon by a coiled or other spring holds 'the hand-lever d d2 either in the position which it occupies when the lbreech is open or that which it occupies when the breech is closed. The said rubber or bolt f is situated in a lump, b2, at the front end oi' the breech frame or body b. When the breech is closed the rubber f bears upon the shoulder d4 of the handlever. When, however, the breech is opened the said rubber bears upon the front of the lever and drops into the concavity An elevation of the front end of the body or frame b and upper part of the hand-lever are represented in Fig. 2A. In

the front end of the block c is a curved opening, c, into which the upper arm d of the hand -lever takes to depress and raise the said block. e' is the sear for engaging with the bent in the hammer c. i2 is the searspring.- '3 is the trigger, turning by preference on the same center i4 as the sear c'. The lock mechanism-that is, the hammer e e, mainspring h, sear and sear-sprin g t 2, andtrigger t'-are made upon or carried by the triggerguard land the tang of the said tri ggerguard, so that the removal of the trigger-guard ldetaches the whole mechanism of the lock from the body of the gun.

The action of the gun is as follows: After the discharge of the gun the parts occupy the positions represented in Fig. 1. To open the breech for the introduction ot' afresh cartridge into the barrel the hand-lever d d2 is moved forward. The irst action of the upper arm dZ of the hand-lever is to press back the hammer e by bearing on the breast oi' the said hammer and withdraw its nose or striker e3 from the` hole in the face c4 of the block c. The block c is now at liberty to descend. The continued motion of the handlever causes its arm d2 to pass from under the face or front end c4 of the block and enter the curved recess c in the said block. The block now descends into the frame or body b and opens the barrel for charging, the hammer e at the same time being depressed and cocked by the scar i engaging with the bcnt in the said hammer, as represented in Fig. 2. During the whole of the motion of the hand-lever to depress the block and cock the hammer the upper arm is in contact with the breast of the said hammer. On bringing the hand-lever d d2 into the position represented in Fig. 2 after the introduction of a fresh cartridge into the barrel, the block c is lifted and supported by the hand-lever so as to close the breech, the cocked hammer being left behind. The gun is now ready for discharge. B y pressing the trigger i3 the scar 'zi is released from the bent of the hammer e, and the said hammer is liberated, and, being urged forward by the spring h, its nose e3 strikes through the face of the block c and discharges the gun.

I apply to the gun a safety1ever bolt for preventing the accidental discharge of the gun. This 1everbolt is represented in side elevation in Fig. 2B and in edge View detached in Fig. 2C. The said bolt is marked 1 2, and consists of a lever situated outside the body b and turning on the center 3. The lower arm 2 is turned at right angles to the upper arm l,

the extreme end of the said lower arm 2 bea-ring against the side of the trigger 4. On the trigger 4 is a pin or stud, 5. When the safetylever bolt l 2 is in the position represented in Fig. 2B the lower arm 2 is situated immediately opposite the pin or stud 5 on the trigger, and the said trigger cannot be raised or moved, and the accidentaldischarge ofthe gunis there! by prevented. When it is wished to discharge the gun the safety-lever bolt is turned on its joint 3 into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, The lower arm 2 of the said bolt is thereby removed from opposite the pin or stud 5, and the trigger can now be'raised or moved to discharge the gun. A stud, 6, at the back of the handle end of the bolt drops into holes in the body b to nx the said bolt either in the position in which it fastens the trigger or in that in which it releases the tri gger.

My invention consists, secondly, of the followingimprovements in tire-arms: By the rapid discharge of fire-arms, especially of such as are loaded at the breech, the barrel becomes so heated that it can be handled only with great difficulty. The object of this part of my invention is to obviate this difiiculty and so to protect the hand from the heat of the barrel during rapid firin g as to permit the fire-arm being handled without inconvenience from the heat of the barrel. This part of my invention consists of a guard or cover, of wood or other imperfect conductor of heat, applied to the upper side ofthe barrel and extending a short distance toward the muzzle. The cover may be made in one piece with the fore part of the stock, or separate from the stock. In the lat ter case it may be attached in any convenient way to the barrel or fore part of the stock, or to the body of the gun.

Fig. 4 represents, in side elevation, a portion of a breech-loading gun provided with a separate guard or cover according to my invention. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the guard or cover detached, and Figs. 6 and 7 are cross-sections of the gun taken, respectively, through the lines A B.

The same letters indicate the same parts in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7.

a is the barrel of the gun. b is the fore part of the stock, and c is the guard or cover, made of Wood and having a semi-tubular figure. The under side of the guard or cover c fits upon the upper side of the breech end of the barrel a, and extends a short distance toward the muzzle end. The edges of the said guard c fit upon the edges of the fore part b of the stock. A hole at c2 is made in the guard or cover c for the back sight d to pass through. The said guard or cover c is secured in its place on the barrel a by passing the said guard or cover over the back sight d, and making its rear end abut against the body a of the gun. By then slipping the bandf over the contracted fore end c of the guard or cover (see Fig. 7) it is securely fixed to the barrel.

The semi-tubular figure of the guard or cover c, and the manner in which the band fis passed over its front end, will be best understood by an examination of the cross-sections, Figs. 6 and 7. It is necessary to remove the fore part b of thc stock from the barrel to conneet the guard or cover c to or disconnect it from the barrel a'. The guard or cover may only extend to the back sight d, its rear end engaging under a lip on the back sight; or the rear end may be fixed by a cross-pin.

Although I have described and represented the best methods with which I am acquainted of securing the guard or cover to the barrel, yet I wish it to be understood that the guard or cover may be fastened in a variety of other ways, which I do not think it necessary to de scribe. Besides wood the guard or cover may be made of ebonite or papier-mache, or other imperfect conductor of heat.

When a gun is provided with a guard or cover according to my invention that portion of the barrel which is grasped by the hand in f use is completely covered, and the barrel can thereby be handled in its heated state without inconvenience.

M v invention is specially valuable in its application to breech -loading guus, but may also be applied to muzzle -loading guns and to pistols.

Having explained the nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my invention- 1. The arrangement and combination with the hand-lever d d2 of the hammer e, substantially as described and represented in Figs. 1, 2, 2A, and 3 of the drawing, the said hammer turning upon an axis immediately under that on which the hand -lever turns, and being cocked by the direct action of the said handlever.

2. In combination with the breech block and the hand-lever, the hammer c having its center or axis arranged below and relatively to the center or axis of the hand-lever, as described, and the lock mechanism connected therewith, the said hammer and lock mechanism being mounted on and carried by the trigger guard and tang, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In combination with the hand-lever provided with shoulder d4 and concavity d5, the spring rubber or bolt f, said parts being constructed and arranged for joint operation substantially as shown and described.

4. The improved safety-lever bolt and stud for fixing and releasing the trigger hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 2B and 2C of the drawing.

5. The combination,with the barrel of a firearm, of a guard or cover, of wood or other in1- perfect conductor of heat, for the purpose of protecting the hand from the heat of the barrel after rapid ring, the said guard or cover being constructed and applied substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the drawing.

WESTLEY RICHARDS. [L s] Witnesses:

GEORGE SHAW, RICHARD SKERRETT,

7 Cannon Street, Birmingham.