US449988A - whitelaw - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

H. W. WHITELAW. BREECH LOADING GUN.

No. 449,988. Patentd Apr. 7, 1891.

Wflness ES. ImIenTnr Unites rates l aiitni owin BREECH-LOADING con.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 l9,988, dated April '7', 1891.

Application filed June 4,1890. Serial No. 354,213. No model.)

and cartridge-firing mechanism of consideri able simplicity.

' The nature of these improvements and the manner in which I proceed to construct and apply thesame will be'understood from the following description and the accom 'ianying drawings, in which the: improvements are shown as applied to the construc ion of a repcating-pistol carrying a number of cartridges in the handle.

Figure l is a side viewof the pistol, with a portion of the handle and adjacent parts in section to show the internal construction. Figs. 2 and 3show details of the mechanism in section and on an enlarged scale.

The mechanism operates both the breechblock and the firing-pin from a single trigger or finger-piece, and the movement that opens the orcech-blockto expel the empty shelland feed in a fresh cartrit go is produced by the recoil of a spring, which is compressed by the force or pressure of the finger that brings back the breech-block into place. An increase or continuation of pressure on the tinger-piece in the same direction throws the firing-pin into action, and thus by the same movement of the finger the weapon is charged and tired.

Thebreech-hlock A is titted to slide smoothly in a chamber 13*, which is arearward e.\'- tension of the "barrel l3, and is open at one side,- as from b to d, Fig. 2, for discharge of the empty shell. 'lheblock slides on the top of the stock and covers and uncovers the opening d, through which the cartridges pass from the receptacle 1) into the chamber.

A. is aslide-bar carrying arack E to engage in toothed disk G and connected at the end to the front ot the breech-block. The disk is mounted for rotation on a stud or axlcg,and portions of its rim have toothed segments, while the remaining portions are cut: away. On the same center and tired to the segment-disk is a similar disk llof smaller diam-H.

etei','lia\'ing a toothed portion 71 to engage the teeth I of the slide-bar K, while it is held in guides in the bottom of the casing M, in line with the smaller toothed segment, and is tit-- ted therein to slide smoothly. f

L is a trigger or linger-piece rigidly tixed to the bottom of the slide K and set'tingthroug-h...

the slot m in the opening to be seized by the forefinger oi the hand that grasps the stock for drawing back the slide-bar, and b is a spring in a chamber in the stock or the casing behind the slide-bar so arraugt'ed-that it; will be compressedby thepull on the linger-piece, and is ot suitable strength when released to impel the slide-bar forward. 'lhese two movements, acting upon the disk (it through the smaller disk, open and close the breechblock, the long throw of the breech-block being produced from a short movement of the slide-bar by suitably proportioning the diameters of the two disks. I

At the ex trcme forward position of the slide K the brecclrblock should be full open and the spring relaxed, so that the return movement of the slide brings forward the breechblock into place against the barrel and at the same time compresses the spring, that by subsequent reaction when released throws the slide forward and opens the breech-block.

The slide is held back against the spring in readiness for firing by a lock or catch, which 1 apply directly to the slide as the simplest mode of controlling the'slido, and one that is operated in tiring by the same pressure of the finger that actuatcs the tiring-inn. In the finger is taken from the trigger.

position the slide is free to move. The rear stop sets above the line of the frontstop, so that. when the slide-bar is drawn back over it the spring is thrown up into the slide-bar and locked in that position. It will then clear the front stop when the pressure-is taken from the trigger and the spring allowed to act. The stop at the front end of the cas' ing sets in line with the upright end of the spring-tongue and acts to throw it clear of the shoulder at the moment that the slide reaches the extreme end of its forward throw. I The catch is then free to engage with the front notch when the slide is drawn back. As the catch drops behind the front stop the breech-block is closed and the parts are in position for firing; but as the rear stop is higher than the front stop it offers suflicientrcsistance to the catch to indicate that the slidebar has reached the end of movementnccessary to close and lock the breech-block. Now by iucreasing 'the pressure on the tingcr-pnll the firing-pin is operated, and this additional movement of the slide brings the catch over the rear stop and sets it clear of both stops, so that the slide is well forward when the The firing-pin \V is set in a recess in the breech-block, and consists'ot the pin with a broad heath-behind which a spring \Y' is set in the recess of suitable strength to throw the pin forward. The pin is held'back. by a springtongue Y at. one side of the breech-block chamber, with its free end projecting in the path of the head W of the pin, and this end is so arranged with respectto the end ot'a bolt N that the-spring is drawn away from the firing-pin by the upward throw of the bolt, and

is released and caused .to engage'the tiringpin by a contrary movement. in the guides '11 in the casing and have a toothed portion to engage the toothed segment. G on the disk. These parts are adjusted to come into gear in the backward movement of the s'lide-bar just before the catch reaches the front stop and throw the bolt into the slot n in the bottom of the breech-block just as the latch comes into place between the two stops. An additional upward movement of the bolt is required to reach the firing-pin, and this is produced by the next movement backward of the slide, the segment G bcingin gear with the bolt; at such time, and the longer segment G being clear of the rack E.

.spring is compressed,

The bolts work to feed the cartridges upward, and the openingin the side of the stop is titled \vitha sliding cover D-.

It will be noticed that the bolt N locks the breech-block when closed and also operates the firing mechanism. It is titted in its guide to move with some friction, so that it remains stationary wherever set.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a repeating tirearm, thecombination, with the sliding breech-block, of a rack attached thereto, a toothed disk having geared segments of two different diamcte rs, the la rgcr one of'which is adapted to engage the rack of the breech-block, a slide-bar havingatoothed portion adapted to engage the toothed segmcnt of smaller diameter, a trigger or fingerpiccc on said slide-bar, a spring applied -bchind said slide-bar, and a catch or lock arranged to hold back sald slide-bar when the substantially as described. I,

2. In combination with thetoothbd disk and sliding breech-block geared into said disk and adapted to be opened and closed by the rotation thereof, the bolt N,gcarcd into said disk and entering a recess in the breech-block to lock the same when closed.

3. In combination withthe slideand breechblock havinga spring tiring-pin, the spring'- latch Y, and the sliding bolt N, geared into the toothed disk G, in combination-therewith and adapted to be rotated by the operation of said disk, substantially as set forth.

4. In a repeating tire-arm, a stock havi ill p receptacle D, in combination with the slnt ingbreech-block having movement across the top of receptacle and in a chamber partially inclosi ng it, and breech-operating mechanism consisting of toothed disks G II, rack E, slidcbar K, having a trigger K L, the spring S, the latch P, the stops '1 T, and the releasing-stop V, arranged for operation substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

C. W. M. SMITH, OTIS V. SAWYER.

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