US91668A - Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. RICHARDS.

Breech-Loading Fire-Arm.

No.-91.568. Patented June 22, 1869.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

w. RICHARDS.

Breech -Loading Fire-Arm.

Patented June 22, 1869.

3 Sheets -Sheet 3.

-w. momma Breech-Loading Fire-Arm.

No. 91.668. atented June 22, 1869.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WESTLEY RICHARDS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING- FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 91,668, dated June 22, 1869; patented in England June 12, 1868.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WEs'rLEY RICHARDS,

'of Birmingham, in the county of Warwick,

England, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Breech Loading Fire- Arms and Projectiles; and I, the said WESTLEY RICHARDS, do hereby declare the 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 In some fire-arms the breech is closed by a block, turning on a horizontal axis at its rear end, its other end descending to expose the breech-end of the bore, so that a cartridge may be introduced from the top and rising to close the breech for firing. I, according to my invention, construct such fire-arms in the following manner:

The breech-block is connected with the shoe or body (which, at its fore end, is fixed to the barrel and which forms the frame for the action) by a knuckle-joint, and at its other end it rests on the end of one arm of a lever turning on a horizontal axis. The other arm of this lever forms a handle, and when the breech is closed it extends along underneath the trigger-guard, and then the arm on which the breech-block rests is in a nearly vertical position. To open the breech the handle is forced forward, and the arm supporting the block being thus brought nearly to a horizontal po sition, the breech-block falls, or rather the arm carries it down by acting on a projection upon it, and makes way for the introduction of the cartridge. Along the under side of the block, and extending from its axis nearly to its face, which forms the abutment for the cartridge, is a groove, in which a tumbler works. When the breech is opened, the arm which supports the breech-block.carries downthe tumbler, together with the block, against the resistance of a mainspring, fixed to the body and pressing on the tail of the tumbler, and as it arrives at the end of its course, a scar, pivoting on the body or frame, falls into a bent in the tumbler and retains it, and it remains so held when, by means of the hand-lever, the breech-block is again raised, closing the breech.

When the trigger is pressed to discharge the piece, its inner end acts on the tail of the scar, and so moves it as to release the tumbler. When the tumbler is returned by the action of the mainspring, an incline upon it acts on a striker, and forces it forward. As the breech is opened the striker is again withdrawn, the arm which supports the block in the first part of its movement pushing upward a finger, which acts upon the front of the striker and forces it back.

The extractor is a finger turning on the same axis with the hand-lever, and in opening the breech as soon as the breech-block has been lowered clear of the bore, a projection on the hand-lever comes against the extractor-finger and pushes it back, and as the head or flange of the cartridge-case rests upon this finger, the case is, in this way, started out of the barrel. By these means the arm is adapted to receive central-fire cartridges carrying their own priming, and it is made self-cocking.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the action ofa gun thus constructed; a a is the body or frame. It is shown in detail at Fig. 2. At its fore end it has a socket, into which the barrel is fixed. These parts are fitted to a stock suitably recessed to receive them. In some cases I make the side checks of the body or frame with flanges overlapping the stock, as is shown at Fig. 3, which is a transverse section taken at the line 1 1, Fig. 2. I) is the block which closes the breech of the barrel. It is shown separately in detail at Fig. 4. The block b is connected with the body or frame a by a pin passing through it and fixed in the side checks of the body. On this pin the block turns, but the pin does not have to resist the pressure which comes on the block when the piece is fired, for, as will be seen, the binder part of the block and the body are fitted together and form a knuckle-joint. c is the handlever which supports the block b when the breech is closed, and draws it down in opening by coming against the part N. d is the tumbler. It turns on the same pin as the block b, and. is similarly fitted to the body. It is shown separately at Fig. 5. e is the mainspring fixed to the body, and pressing on the tumbler so as to tend constantly to force it upward.

and sothe bent d upon it is carried past thenose of the sear e, which, by the sear-spring f, is caused immediately to drop in in front of it, so that, when the lever is made to return so as to close the breech, the tumbler remains depressed. The scar and sear-sprin g are shown separately at Figs. 7 and 8.

When the tail of the sear is acted upon by the trigger, the tumbler is liberated and the piece is fired, the incline d on the tumbler coming against the inclined end of the striker g and forcing it forward so as to project its pin-like end beyond the face of the block b, and cause it to strike the percussion-priming which is placed in the center of the base of the cartridge. The striker is drawn separately at Fig. 9. It is, as will be seen, fitted into a recess in the block b, and there held by a pin passed through the block, the striker being notched at g to admit of the necessary play.

71. is a finger-pin jointed to the block b, and which, in opening the breech, is acted on by the lever 0, so that its free'end ispushed upward against the incline g on the striker, and the striker is in this way drawn back. Fig. 10 shows the finger h. t is the extractor, also seen at Fig. 11. It is a finger turning on the same pin with the lever b, which is recessed at one side to receive it. The extractor has upon it a lump, t and on opening the breech the face 11 on the lever comes against this lump, and so moves the extractor back, and in closing the breech another face, b moves it back. The free end of the extractor, when the breech is closed, enters a notch, a, formed for it in the body a, and it then stands partly in front of the flange of the cartridge, so that when it is moved back it carries the cartridge case with it. k is an indicating-pin to show when the tumbler is depressed ready for firing. It is inserted into a hole formed in the tang of the body, and it rests upon the mainspring with which a small spring, Z, keeps it constantly in contact. These parts are seen separately at Figs. 12 and 13. The lever c, which is shown separately at Fig. 14, is fitted, as will be seen, with a spring-catch to lock it to the triggerguard. Fig. 15 is a longitudinal section of another similar gun, differing from that already described mainly in that the stock is not made in one piece from end to end, but in two parts tied firmly together, both on the upper and under. side. In this gun the frame or body, which is shown separately at Fig. 16, is made so as to incase the action without the assistance of the stock, the two parts of which are connected with it by two screws or pins; that at the butt end, after passing the wood ofthe stock, enters the tang of the body, and the pin which secures the front portion of the stock screws into a socket, formed on a lug secured on the barrel or on a ring encircling the barrel, and shut in between a shoulder upon it and the end of the body. On the of the ordinary mainspring form, and that the spring for the indicator-pin is dispensed with, a projection on the. tumbler serving to draw it down. The body or frame may be forged in one piece with the barrel.

- I would remark that I prefer in all cases to use a mainspring of the ordinary form, as is shown in Fig. 15, although I have shown the straight spring in Fig. 1 as a possible variation.

Myinvention further relates to the construction-of cartridges and projectiles suitable for use wit-h these arms.

In constructing bullets or projectiles for breech-loading fire-arms, I make the coned or fore part of the bullet or projectile somewhat smaller than the cylindrical part or body of the bullet or projectile, so that there is a shoulder or ledge between them. This shoulder or ledge I find to be of great service in removing fouling from the barrel, and preventingit from being jammed between the barrel and the projectile, whereby with other projectiles the resistance in the barrel is greatly increased. Fig. 18 shows a bullet or projectile thus formed. y

In constructing cartridges according to my invention, I employ a lining-cup in the interior of the capsule, and the bottom of the cup is raised so that the cup may fit over the chamber, which contains the fulminating-priming, and serve both to strengthen the outer angle of the base of the capsule, and also the inner angle around the priming-chamber. I form the priming-chamber in one piece with the capsule by raising an internal projection in the center of its end which is closed with the exception of a perforation for the passage of the fire from the priming. Fig. 19 is a longitudinal section of a cartridge thus constructed.

The several parts of which it is constructed are shown separately at Fig. 20. a is the capsule. Its base is raised so as to form a priming-chamber, a; b, the cup, so formed as to cover and protect both the outerangle around the base of the capsule and also the inner angle around the priming-chamber. c is the anvil, which, as shown in the drawing, is made with a square stem proj ectin gthrou gh the fire-passage formed in the priming-chamber and covering-cup. d is the percussion-cap, which in firing receives the blow of the striker of the gun, and when exploded the fire from it passes around the stem of the anvil to the charge. The firing of the charge-causes the cup b to change its form, so that after firing it will be of the shape closed end as before.

diameter, and so formed around the edge, as

to fit into the angle. The disk has a hole in the center, that it may pass over the primingchamber, and it is dished to contract its diameter sufficiently to allow it to enter the capsule. It is dropped down into its place, and then flattened to expand it into the angle.

-A cup, b, such as that above described, may

very advantageously be employed when the priming-chamber is made separate from the capsule, as is usual.

In some cases I make the capsule in the form above described, and in place of using the recess in its base directly as a primingchamber, I insert within it an ordinary hatcap, or ordinary priming-chamber, which then also serves as a rivet to secure to the capsule a head made with a flange, and containing a pasteboard wad, or the head may be a flanged metal disk. The capsule in this case enters some distance up into the chamber of the gun.

Fig. 22 is a longitudinal section of a cartridge thus constructed, and Fig. 23 shows the several parts separately. a is the capsule, with a raised projection, a, in the center of its 1) is the shell of the cartridgehead, withthe flange b at the back of it. c is a pasteboard wad with which it is filled.

d is the priming-chamber. It is inserted through the head into the hollow projection at a. A blow is then struck with a suitable tool on the top of the projection, so as to bulge both it and the primingchamber d, and so this chamber is made to serve as a rivet to attach the head to the capsule. e is the anvil, and f the percussion'cap. The head of the cartridge may be a solid metal disk.

I claim as respects this part of my invention in fire-arms, in which the breech is closed by a block turning'on a horizontal axis at its breech end- 1. The combination of the vibrating tumbler and reciprocating striker, the combination being and operating substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the vibrating breechblock, vibrating tumbler, and reciprocating striker, the combination being and operating substantially-as set forth. v

3. The mounting the tumbler within the body orframe on the same axis with the breechblock, and the arranging the hand-lever which actuates the breech-block so as also in openin g the breech to draw down the tumbler and cause the striker to recede.

4. The connection of the stock with the barrel of the fire-arm by means of the frame, trigger-guard, screws, and lug, as described.

WESTLEY RICHARDS. v

Witnesses:

G. F. WARREN, I THOS. BROWN, Both of No. 19 Gracechurch Street, London.

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