US2108130A

US2108130A - Extractor mechanism for breakdown firearms

Info

Publication number: US2108130A
Application number: US5417A
Authority: US
Inventors: George S Lewis
Original assignee: Winchester Repeating Arms Co
Current assignee: Winchester Repeating Arms Co
Priority date: 1935-02-07
Filing date: 1935-02-07
Publication date: 1938-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 1955-02-15

Description

Feb. 15,1938. as. LEWIS EXTRACTOR MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN FIREARMS '7', 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.

Feb. 15, 1938. s, LEw|s EXTRACIOR MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN FIREARMS 7. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb.

Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITE STATES FFEQE T alt EXTRACTOR MECHANISM FOR BREAK- DOWN FIREARMS Application February '7, 1935, Serial No. 5,417

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in extractor mechanism for breakdown firearms, that is to say, cartridge-extractor mechanism for that class of firearms in which a barrel-unit and a butt-unit are hinged together for relative pivotal movement.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior extractor mechanism for firearms of the class referred to and characterized by reliability and effectiveness.

A further object is to provide a superior extractor mechanism for breakdown firearms which will positively lcosen and retract tight-fitting cartridges from the cartridge-chamber of the extractor.

Another object is to provide a breakdown firearm with superior extractor means which will normally also discharge the function of an ejector.

A still further object is to produce, at a low cost for manufacture, a superior extractor mechanism for firearms of the class referred to which is both spring-actuated and positively actuated.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims, the present invention includes. all features disclosed therein which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a broken View in side elevation of a breakdown shotgun embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken view thereof partly in side elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the barrel-unit swung partway downwardly toward its full breakdown position with reference to the butt-unit;

Fig. 4 is a similar view, but showing the barrelunit moved into its. full breakdown position;

Fig. 5 is a corresponding view showing the action of the extractor mechanism in positively retracting a tight-fitting cartridge;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line ii-ii of Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is a broken view in side elevation of the rear portion of the barrel;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the extractorplunger; and

Fig. 9 is a similar View of the extractor-latch.

The particular breakdown firearm herein chosen for illustration includes. two major units pivoted for swinging movement with respect to each other in the general manner of breakdown shotguns. The rear unit of the firearm may, for convenience of description, be designated as the butt-unit and comprises in the main a frame 26 and a buttstock 2|. The complementary front unit of the firearm, designated for convenience 5 of description as the barrel-unit, comprises in the main a barrel 22 and a forestock 23 secured to the under side of the said barrel.

The frame 26 is formed with an upwardly-opening recess or pocket 2t receiving a barrel- 1o coupling lug forming a rigid feature of and depending from the under side of the barrel 22 adjacent the rear end of the latter. The forward edge of the said lug 25 is formed with a transverse forwardly-opening notch 25 (Fig. 7) re- 1.) ceiving a fulcrum-pin 27 extending transversely through the forward end of the frame 20 and forming a fixed feature thereof. The forward end of the frame it is shaped to form a cylindrically-contoured bearing-surface 28 having its 30 central axis coinciding with the central axis of the fulcrum-pin before referred to.

Conforming in curvature to and normally engaging with the bearing-surface 28 of the frame 28 is a forestock-shoe, generally designated bythe numeral 2% and forming a fixed feature of the forestock 23, before referred to. The barrelcoupling lug 25 is bifurcated in any suitable manner to provide a downwardly-opening slot or recess 35. extending longitudinally completely thereso through from one end to the other thereof.

At the rear end of its bore 3|, the barrel 22 is formed with a coaxial cartridge-chamber 32 connected by a notch-like vertical passage 33 with the recess 38 and terminating at its. rear end in an annular cartridge-rim seat 34. Normally positioned in the passage 33, between the cartridgechamber 32 and the recess 3!], is an extractor-arm 35 upstanding from the rear end of a plate-like extractor 36 mounted for reciprocation in the upper portion of the said recess 36 of the barrelcoupling lug 25. The extractor 35, just referred to, is formed with a forwardly-facing spring-seat 37, a rearwardly-facing latch-shoulder 38 and a rearwardly-facing stop-shoulder 3.9. The upper 4,; rear corner of the extractor-arm 35 of the extractor 36 is notched as at if) toconform the said arm to the shape of the barrel adjacent the cartridgerim seat 34 and resulting in the formation of an upstanding extractor-finger 1!.

Also located in the recess 35 of the barrel-coupling lug 25 is a plate-like latch 42 mounted for pivotal movement upon a in 43 extending transversely through the side walls of the said lug. The forward edge'of the latch 42, just referred to, is=" formed with a notch 44 receiving the rear portion of the fulcrum-pin 21 when the latch is in its normal position, and resulting in the provi sion of a forwardly-extending actuating-finger engageable on occasion with a sloping actuating-abutment 66 forming part of the forward wall of the pocket Ed in the frame 20.

The latch 52 above described in part is also formed with an upwardly-projecting latch-nose 41, with a rearwardly-facing sloping thrust-surface or shoulder 48 merging in its upper end into a rearwardly-facing spring-seat 13. Positioned in the upper portion of the recess 30 is a helical actuating-spring 5G bearing at its rear end against the spring-seat 3? of the extractor 36, and at its forward end against the spring-seat 49 of the latch 42 and exerting a constant effort to slide the said extractor 36 rearwardly and to swing the latch 42 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in the drawings.

The lower rear portion of the recess 38 of the lug 25 is closed by a guide-plate 5!, which is secured in place by pins 5252 extending transversely through both the said guide-plate 5i and the said lug 25. The guide-plate 5!, in addition to serving as a bottom-bearing for the extractor 36, also serves to limit the rearward movement thereof by being formed with a forwardly-facing stop-shoulder 53 engageable on occasion by the stop-shoulder 39 of the said extractor. After being released in a manner as will hereinafter appear, the extractor 36 is retired forwarcfly against the urge of the actuating-spring 50, to align its notch 40 with the cartridge-rim seat 36, by the engagement of the sloping rear edge 54 of the extractor with the upstanding face of the frame 20, which constitutes the standing-breech of the firearm.

The rear edge of the barrel-coupling lug 25, as well as a portion of the guide-plate 5i carried thereby, is cut away to form a notch 56 adapted to receive the locking-nose 5? of a retractable barrel-locking member 58 mounted in the frame 23 to the rear of the standing-breech 55 thereof. When the barrel-unit is in its closed position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the nose 5'! of the said barrel-locking member 58, by entry into the notch 56, serves to releasably lock the two units in the position shown, in readiness for firing the arm.

After the gun has been fired, the barrel-locking member 58 is retired in any approved manner, such, for instance, as by a swinging-lever 59, to thus permit the barrel-unit to be swung with re spect to the butt-unit around the fulcrum-pin 2'; from the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 toward its full breakdown position shown in Fig. 4. If the cartridge 6 in the cartridge-chamher 32 of the barrel 22 lies in the said chamber in a normal and relatively-readily-displaceable manner, the initial downward swinging movement of the barrel-unit with respect to the butt-unit will permit the actuating-spring 58 to move the extractor 38 rearwardly and correspondingly move the cartridge Elli, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This movement of the extractor 3 3 and of the cartridge Gil as just described will continue under the urge of the actuating-spring 53 until the latch-shoulder 33 of the said extractor 36 moves into engagement with the latch-nose ll of the latch 42 (Fig. 3).

At about the time that the extractor 36 has moved rearwardly sufficiently to engage its latchshoulder 38 with the nose ll of the latch 42, as just above described, the forward face of the actuating-finger 45 of the said latch will engage with the actuating-abutment 46 of the frame 20, with the effect, as the movement of the barrel-unit continues, of swinging the said latch in a clockwise direction relative to the barrel-unit and ultimately disengaging the said latch-nose 47 from the latch-shoulder 38. The described disengagement of the latch-nose will permit the extractor 35 to be snapped rearwardly by the actuatingspring 52%, with the eifect, under normal conditions, of flipping the cartridge 6!] rearwardly over the standing-breech 55 and completely out of the cartridge-chamber 32 of the barrel 22. The rearward travel of the extractor as just described will be checked or limited by the engagement of its stop-shoulder 39 with the stop-shoulder 53 of the guide-plate 5!.

The extractor thus, in addition to functioning as an extractor, also serves as an ejector by flipping the cartridges clear of the gun, as described. It will be understood that by the time the latchnose 'l is disengaged from the latch-shoulder 38, the rear end of the barrel-unit will have swung upwardly to a degree suflicient to enable the cartridge to be snapped rearwardly over the standing-breech 55 and without striking the same.

The parts will now have assumed the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 4, save that the cartridge is shown at the instant before its complete ejection.

When the barrel-unit is again swung so as to restore the two units to the positions in which they are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rear edge 5 of the extractor will engage with the standingbreech 55 and be retired forwardly thereby against the urge of the actuating-spring 50. Similarly, the closing of the firearm will cause the actuating-finger 55 of the latch 42 to move away from the actuating-abutment 16 of the frame and thus permit the actuating-spring to also swing the said latch in a counter-clockwise direction, as required to re-interpose its nose 3-7 in the path of the latch-shoulder 38 of the said extractor, preparatory to another firing and subsequent opening of the firearm.

In the event that the cartridge, such as 60, is so firmly held in the cartridge-chamber 32 of the barrel 22 as not to respond to the urge of the actuating-spring 50 when the gun is broken down I in the normal manner, the engagement of the actuating-finger 45 of the latch 42 with the actuating-abutment d6 of the frame will cause the thrust-surface or shoulder :38 of the said latch to engage the rear edge of the extractor 36 and positively move the same rearwardly and effectively break the hold or grip of the cartridge 60 upon the wall of the cartridge-chamber 32. Usually, once this grip has been broken in the manner described, the actuating-spring 5!] will possess sufficient power to then drive the said extractor rearwardly until the latch-shoulder 38 of the extractor engages with the latch-nose 4'! of the latch 52. In the continued swinging movement of the barrel-unit and after the rear end of the latter has been elevated sufiiciently to insure a clear rearward path for the cartridge be ing ejected, the latch-nose il will be disengaged from the latch-shoulder 33 of the ejector and permit the actuating-spring 59 to assert itself to snap the said extractor rearwardly until its stopshoulder 39 engages the stop-shoulder 53 of the guide-plate 5!, thus flipping the cartridge completely out of the cartridge-chamber 32 and clear of the firearm.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that in a simple and effective manner the extraction of a cartridge from the firearm is efiected positively in the event that the spring-means is not sulficiently strong for the task. It will be further noted that by the ingenious arrangement of the parts, the actuating-spring 5|] is caused to discharge the double function of moving both the extractor 35 and the latch 42.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth Without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit and a complementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber; transverselyextending pivot-means pivoting the said barrel unit to the said butt-unit; of a reciprocable cartridge-extractor for extracting cartridges from the cartridge-chamber of the said barrel-unit; spring-means urging the said reciprocable cartridge-extractor into its cartridge-extracting position; a pivotal latch having a thrust-shoulder extending upwardly in a position rearwardly of the said pivot-means engageable with the said reciprocable extractor to positively move the same and also having a detent rigid with respect to the said thrust-shoulder and releasably engaged with the extractor to restrain the movement of the same under the urge of the said springmeans; and means coacting with the said pivotal latch upon the breakdown of the firearm and swinging the said pivotal latch in a direction to engage its thrust-shoulder with the said extractor and to disengage its detent therefrom.

2. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit; of a complementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber and pivoted to the said butt-unit; a lug depending from the said barrel-unit and formed with a downwardly-opening longitudinal slot having parallel side-walls providing anti-rotational guide-means; a reciprocating cartridge-extractor of polygonal form in cross section mounted in the slot of the said depending-lug and held against rotation by the parallel side-walls thereof; spring-means also mounted in the slot of the said lug and urging the said cartridge-extractor into its cartridge-extracting position; a latch housed Within the slot of the said lug and having a thrust-shoulder engageable with the said cartridge-extractor to positively move the same and also having a detent releasably engageable with the extractor; and means coacting with the said latch upon the breakdown of the firearm and moving the said latch in a direction to engage its thrust-shoulder with the said cartridge-extractor and to disengage its detent therefrom.

3. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit; of a complementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber and pivoted to the said butt-unit; a lug depending from the said barrel-unit and formed with a downwardly-opening longitudinal slot having parallel side-walls providing anti-rotational guide-means; a platelike reciprocating cartridge-extractor mounted in the longitudinal slot of the said depending lug and held against rotation by the parallel sidewalls thereof; a plate-like latch also mounted in the longitudinal slot of the said lug and having a thrust-surface engageable with the said platelike extractor to positively move the same and also having a detent releasably engageable with the extractor; a spring acting to urge the said extractor into its cartridge-extracting position and at the same time acting to urge the detent of the said latch into position for engagement with the said extractor; and means coacting with the said latch upon the breakdown of the said firearm and moving the said latch in a direction to engage its thrust-surface with the said extractor and to disengage its detent therefrom.

4. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit; of a complementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber and pivoted to the said butt-unit; a lug depending from the said barrel-unit and formed with a downwardlyopening longitudinal slot; a reciprocable cartridgeextractor having a vertically-offsetting spring abutment and mounted in the slot of the said depending lug; a pivotal latch also mounted in the slot of the said lug and having a spring-abutment and a thrust-surface engageable with the said reciprocable extractor to positively move the same and also having a detent releasably engageable with the reciprocable extractor; a spring also positioned in the said slot and bearing at one end against the offsetting spring-abutment of the said reciprocable extractor and at its opposite end against the spring-abutment of the said latch; and means coacting with the said pivotal latch upon the breakdown of the said firearm and moving the said latch in a direction to engage its thrust-surface with the said reciprocable extractor and to disengage its detent therefrom.

5. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit and a complementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber and pivoted to the said butt-unit; of a cartridge-extractor for extracting cartridges from the cartridge-chamber of the said barrel-unit; a unitary latch formed of plate-metal and having a thrust-shoulder engageable with the said extractor to positively move the same and also having a rigid upwardlyextending detent-lock releasably engageable with the extractor; and a spring acting to urge the said extractor into its'cartridge-extracting position and at the same time acting to urge the detent of the said latch into position for engagement with the said extractor.

6. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit and a complementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber and pivoted to the said butt-unit; of a lug depending from the said barrel-unit and formed with a downwardlyopening longitudinal slot; a cartridge-extractor of polygonal form in cross section and movable in the longitudinal slot of the said depending lug and of such proportions as to be introducible into the said longitudinal slot through the open lower end thereof; and a guide-plate installed in the downwardly-opening longitudinal slot in the said lug at a point below the said extractor.

GEORGE S. LEWIS.