US255894A - And sylvester - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) Y v 3 Shets-Sheet 1. C. SPENCER & S. H; ROPER.

MAGAZINE PIRE ARM.

Patented Apr. 4,1882.

M'lzzesses.

(No Model.) gsheets-sheet 3.

C. M. SPENCERA & S. H. ROPER. MAGAZINE PIRE ARM.

N0.255,894. PatentedApr. 4,1882;

Wzesses" Mgr. 7

of the shell in the chamber of the gun.

UNITED. -STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER M. sPENCEn, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, AND sYLVEsT'En n. nor-En, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAGAZINE FIRE-ARM.

senoricreativioliif forming parto'f Letters Patent No. 255,s94,'f1ateo Apn a, 1882.

I y Application tiled January 9, 1882. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern Be .it known that we, CHRISTOPHER M. SPENCER. of Hartford, Connecticut, andSYL- VESTERH. ROYER, of Boston, Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Magazine-Shotguns,of which the followingis a specication.

Itis theobjcct of our invention to provide for the recharging ,of a magazine-shotgun without requiring the gun to be 'taken down fromv the position in`whieh it has `been fired. `.'We accomplish this result by means ot' a forked slide provided with a handle which is arranged beneath the barrel in convenient position to be grasped and reciproeated by one hand while the gun is h eld against the shoulder by the otherhand, which grasps the stock. One arm of the forked slidecarries at itsead-a--lat-er ally-projecting. pin, upon which is a frictionroller which traverses a cam-groove provided with a spring-tongue or switch-cam in theside of an oscillating breech-block. Theoscillation ot' thebreech-block is effected by the reciprocating friction-rolleror cam-pin in conjunction with the mainsprin g of the lock, which,in addition-toits ordinary functionlof driving the hammer'when the gun is tired, also actsupon the breech-block with a constant upward pressure. Therear wall of the receiver is curved concentrieally with rclation to the axis of oscillation of the breechblock, and affords a bearin g for the' rear end of the breech-block, which serves to take up the recoil. y The friction-roller, hereinafter called the cam-pin;7 during Vthe latter part of its backward exen'rsion,strikes against and throws backward the hammer, and thus cocks the gun. A horizontal slotin the side wall of the receiver permits the inward projection o f the cam-pin which operates the breech-block, and this slot is covered by a metallic plate which is screwed to the exterior of the wall of the receiver. The opposite wall oi' the receiver is similarly slotted and covered with a metallic plate. rjfhe other arm of the slide carries an oscillating catch, which, in its backwardxxcursion, strikes-against the edge ot the plate covering the slot in the wall of thereeeiver, and being rocked inward catches the flange .Y

the continued backward movement oi the slide the shell is extracted and deposited in the groovcd top of the 'breech-block, the breechhlock having be`en thrown down from the tiring position bythe first portion of the/backward movement of the cam-pin carried by the other arm ofthe slide. The groove in the side wall of the breech-block is of such shape as to permit the breech-block to be thrown upward by themainspringwhen the cam-pinbascompleted its backward excursion. The sudden upwardv movement of the breeehblock throws out the empty shell from the groove in the top oi' the breech-block, and one of the side walls of this groove is extended upward and curved slightly over the groove, so that the shell in being thrown ont'is given a sidewise direction. When the breech-block is thus thrown upward a car- --rieaeell -in--thclow'er part'ofy theoreecheblock' containing a loaded shell is brought into alignment with the chamber ofthe gun, and during 7o the rst portion of the forward excursion of the slide the catch, which during the backward excursion has acted as an extractor, now catches upon the flange of the loaded shell and pushes the loaded shell forward into the chamber, vthus acting as an iuserter. By the latter portion of the forward movement of the slide the breech-block is rocked downward into its mid-` dle position', in whichtheing-pin is brought into alignment with the primer.V At the same time the mouth of the carrier-cell is brought '.tonest opposite the mouth of the magazine,

in positionto be supplied with a loaded shell therefrom .by the actonof the magazine-spring.

It will be understood that while the devices which we employ may be variously modified, the leading feature of our invention, the pri-me mover of the mechanism by which the desired results are accomplishethis `the forked slide provided with a handle forward of the breech in convenient position to be grasped by the hand and reciproeated in a path substantially parallel with the barrel, while the other baud grasps the stock and holds the gnu against the shoulder in tiring position...4

The accompanying drawings, representing portions of a magazine-shotgun containing our improvements, are as follows:

Figure 1 is a top view' of the receiver and the adjoining portions, respectively, ofthe barrot 2 l season breech-block being represented in dotted lines' as in its middle or tiring position. Fig.3 is a transverselongitudinal section through theline o ein Fig. 2. vFig. 4 is a ieft-hand side view, partly in vertical section, showing the oscillating breech-block thrown vdownward into its lowest position by the iirst portion ofthe back ward excursion ot' the slide. Fig. 5 is .a view of the same side of the gun, partlyin section, showing the breech-block in its highest posi- Ition and the slide at the end ot' its backward excursion, also showing the cam-pin in con'- taet with the hammer and the hammer at fulleoclr.. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section ot' a portion ofthe handle and the magazine, showing the spring stop-latch for holding the slide at the end of its forward excursion. Fig. 7 is a right-hand side elevation otf the gun, partly in section, showing the breech-block in its highest position and an empty shell 'in the act of being ejected from the recess in the top of the breech-block. Fig. Sis a. transverse section through the line xm on Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a transverse section through the line yyon Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a front elevation of thc breechblock in its highest position, showing the receiver in transverse vertical section through the line z z on Fig. 7. I

The drawings represent :i single-barreled shotgun, the barrel A. and the stock B o f which are secured respectively to the front-and rear ends ofthe receiver C. A tabular magazine, D, is arranged ,immediately beneath the barrel, and has its mouth inserted in the lower portion of the front end of thereceiver. An oscillating breech-block, E, which is constantly subjected to the upward pressure of the mainspring F of the lock, is made to occupy three positions by thc reciprocation ot' the arm Gr, the forward end of which is axed to the yoke Ej, which is perforated and provided with the 'tubular handle H', to admit-the tubular magazine D, upon which the ypke and handle slide.

The oscillating breechblock occupies its middle oriiring position when the yoke is fully extended forward,by reason of the fact that at that time a. cani-pin, g, extending laterally inward from the end of the arm G, occupies the groove E in the forward portion of the leftin dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which the gun is represented as being cocked, the hammer I of the lock being shown ,also in dotted lines as. thrown backward.

ln order to permit the extraction of the shell from the chamber ofthe gun, the breech-block is thrown downward from its middle position. This is effected by the backward excursion of the slide G, and conscqnentengagement by the cam-pinot' the inclined upper edge ot' the switclxearn e, pivoted tothe recessed side Wall ot' the breech-block. By the completion ofthe backward excursion of the slide G the cam-pin gis carried beyond the rear end, e', of the switch-cam e, and the oscillating breech-block is thus released to the expanding action ofthe mainspring F, the upper legot'which is seated in the stirrupf, pivoted to the tang E3 oi' the breech-block. By the expanding action ofthe inainspring F the breech-block is thrown into its highest position, as represented in Figs, 7,8, and 10. *During the latter part ofthe backward excursion of the-slide the. cam-pin strikes against the shoulder t' of the hammer and pushes back the hammer and cocks the gun. During theforwa rd excursion ofthe slide the cala-pin strikesl against the inclined part Ez of the lower wall of the recess in the side of the breech-block and forces thebrecch-block downward into its middle or tiring position. The switch-earn, which yields in an upward direction as the cam-pin travels np theincline E2, is brought back to its normal position by means ofthe spring e2, affixed to the side wall of the breech-block, and hearing wit/h its free end upon the lower edge, c3, of the slote in the central part ot the switch-cam.

The stock ofthe gun is recessed in the usual manner to contain the bightf of the mainspring, the lower leg. of whiclnfz, is seated in the stirrup i', pivoted to the hammerhub I', and drives the hammer when the gun is tired.

The'hightof the mainspring is provided with the recess f3 to admit the ii'xed hook f4, by which thespring is held in its proper place.

The tiring-pin K is carried in the breechblock, and when the breech-block is in its middie position the point k ofthe tiring-pin stands opposite the center ot' the cartridge in the chamber, while its head it is in position to receive the blow ot' thc hammer. NVhen the breech-block occupies its middle'or fringposition a carrier=cell,L,in the lower part of the breech-block is brought into position, with its mouth opposite the mouth d ot' the magazine, and by the action of the magazine-spring a. cartridge from the magazine is forced backward into the carrier-cell. To till the magazine the oscillating breech block is thrown upward to its highest position, and the cartridges are thenl introduced into the lower part of the receiver and pushed forward into the magazine. As the cartridges are succes sively pushed into the magazine they are prevented from springing backward by means of the spring-lip ,pivoted in the lower front edge ofthe breech-block. This spring-lip yields to allow the anges of the cartridges to pass as they are pushed into the magazine.

The side `wall ot' the receiver is longitudinally slotted to allow the cam-pin to project inward and engage the com-groove in 'the side wall ofthe breech-block, and'this slot and the rearward portion of the slide carrying the campin are covered by the plate M, which is screwed to the wailjofth'e receiver. A tang, E3, which projectsback ward from the central part of the rear end of the' breech-block, is transversely Aright-hand Ycillating breech-block ,into

slotted near the end to receive the screw E, upon which the breech-block swings; The rear en d of the breech-block bears upori the rear wall,C,of the receiver, these hearing-surfaces A being concentrically curved with relation to the axis of oscillation ot the breech-block. By this organization of the parts the recoil is taken up by the rear lwall, C', of the receiver, and does not affect the screw E4. The rear end of the receiver is vertically slotted to admit the tang E3, and is recessed upon the left-hand side to admit the sliding cam-pin g and to provide room t'or the.swin'g of the hammer. The side of the tangE", near its point ofjunction with the rear end ot the breech block, is provided with adownwardlypvojecting slotted plate, E5, the slot N of which is concentrieally curved with relation to the axis of oscillation of the breech-block, and engages a pin, n, inserted in the side wall, c, which constitutes the inner boundary of the recess in4 the rear end of the receiver. The side wall, c, and the right-hand side wall of the slot which admitsthe tang Efare in the same plane. The pin n acts as a stop which limits the extreme range of oscillation of the breech-block in either direction. The hammer oscillates upon the shank of the screw l2, and is provided with the arm 13, which projects downward into the forward portion of the space within the trigger-guard, and affords a means of cocking the gun without the aid of the cam-pin g, and also shows by its position whether the gun is cocked or not. v v t, y, ,y v

The right-handside wall of the receiver is longitudinally slotted-to admit the reciprocating arm O, the forward end of which is affixed to the yoke H. A plate, O', which is screwed upon the righthand side wall of thc receiver, covers the slot and the rearward portion of the reciprocating 'arm O. The arm O is provided with'aflongitndinal slot, O, in which is pivoted the catch o. A dat spring,o,atiixed tothe inner side of the arm O, acts upon the tail end of the catch with a force tending to throw its free end inward. During the backward excursion of the arm 0,after the cam-pin g has been moved back a proper distance and has per' formed its preliminary work of rocking the osits lowest position, the inclined outer edge, o2, of the catch ois brought. against the end 03 of the plate O,and the catchis thereby forced positively inward, so that the notch o3 upon the inner edge o'f the catch, near the end, is made to engage the flange of the shell lyingr within the chamber a ofthe gun. Daring the continuance of the backward excursion of the arm O the catch o slides along the under surface ot' the plate O', and maintaining its hold upon the flange extracts the shell from th'e chamber of the gun and deposits it in the groove l), formed in the top of the breech-block. When the reechblock, by heilig released to the action of the mainspiing, is made to ily upward to its highest position, .the shell lying in the groove Pis thrown out, and the lett-hand side wall, p, of

the groove Pis extended upward and partially over the groove, in order to give to the shell, whenbeing thrown out, a sidewise direction. As the breech-block moves up to its highest position the Harige of the cartridge lying in the cell L is carried into the notch o3 of the catch o, and by the first portion ot' the forward excursion of the arm 0 the cartridge is pushed from the cell L into the'ehamber a of the gun. The upper edge, L', ofthe mouth ofthe cellL is slightly chamfered, and as the breech-block is swung downward the chamfcred edge L rides across the iiange of the cartridge, in case the baseot the cartridge projectsV from the breech-block, in its downward movement, acts as a wedge and forces the cartridge home in the chainber ofthe gun.

It' desired, the reciprocating yoke carrying the arms which operate the breech-block and the extractor and insertcr may T be provided with a stop to hold it when fully extended forward. A convenient device for this purpose isA shown in Fig. 6, in which it will be seen that the magazine D, upon which the yoke and handle slide, is provided with the slot d', and that the handle H is provided with the longitudinal recess h, inwhieh is pivoted the oscillating spring-latch h'. The nose h2 of the latch springs into the notch d when the handle is fully extended forward and stops the backward movement of the handle. When the gun is to be recharged the exterorly-projeeting and I3 ot' the latch 71' is pressed inward by the hand grasping the handle, and the nose h? of the latch being thus withdrawn from the slot d' in the magazine, the handle can then he pulled backward.

It will of course he understood that instead ot' using the plates M and O' for covering the slots respectively in the side walls of the receiver the. side walls ofthe receiver maybe made thicker, and grooves may be formed upon the inner faces thereof to receive arms G and O.

We claim as our invention- 1. In a breech-loading shotgun, in combination with a movable breech-block, substantially such as described, a forked slide provided with a handle adapted to be reciprocated in a path parallel with the axial line ot' the barrel, the two arms or branches ot` such slide being provided thc one with a earn-pin and the other with an Aextractor'and inserter.

2. The cam-pin g and means for reciprocating the same across the wall of the receiver in a. path substantially parallel to the axis of the barrel of the gun, in combination with the switch-cam @,'pivoted to the recessed side wall of the oscillating breech-block C, andthe mainspringtr F otl the lock, substantially as set forth.

3. In combinationwith a movable breechblock, substantialty such as described, the reciprocating yoke H, carrying the arms for op eratingthe breech-block and the extractor and inserter,`a`nd provided with the hollow handle H', and means for 'guiding the samelin a path chamber, and thus the forward end of theV ros IXO

the sliding paraile with and beneath the barrel ofthe gun, as set forth. y

4. vThe hoiowhandie H of the'reciproczxting yoke H, carrying the. arms for: operating the breech-block and theextractornnd inserter, supported upon and guided hy the magazine D,`snhstantiaily as set forth.

5. The reciprocating yoke H, cmjrying the arms fon operating ille breech-*Mock and the extractor and inseitci", in combination with the spring-hitch h' and a sot oi shouider d. for engaging the nose ot' the hitch :md stopping the backward movenicnt'of the yoke when fniiy extended forward.

6. The movable breech-block containing the 'carrier-cen L, and/the reciprocating arm G, carrying the extractor and inserter, o1' catch o, provided with the notch og, in combination with means, snhstantiaiiy Such as iiescriheai, for moving the breech-block and for reci proeatjng the afin 0 and catch o, suhstantiaily in the manner set forth, whereby one side of the notch `o catches upon and extracts the shei from the chamber of the gun during the backward excursion of the arm 0, and the opposite side of the notch o3 engages the oase ot' the cartridge. in the carrier-ceu, when. by the movement of the hreeehbiock, the carrier-cell ishronghtinto alignment with *he chamber, and during the forwad excursion of the :me inserts the cairidge into thc chamber, snhsiautiaily as described.

'7. The topof the breech-Mock., gir-avided upon one side with the npwardiyanc idwamiiycurve side wail, 'p, for the .purpose ot' giving o sidewiseeiirection lo the shell when being thrown ont of the cavity P by the npwsir movement of the breech-block, substantially as described.

CHRSTOPEER M. PENCER,

SYLVESTER H. BGPER.A

Witnesses:

01ans. L. BURDETT? W. E. MARSEFI.

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