US221328A - Improvement in magazine fire-arms - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. LEE.' Magazine Fire-Arm.

Patented Nov. 4, 1879.

Nonms PETERS cov, summum 2 'Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. LEE. Magazine Fire-Arm.

y No. 221,328.l Patent-ed Nov.` 4; 1879.

UNITED STATES .PATENT .O'EEIGE.

JAMES taria,v or ILtoN, .NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT I'N MAGAZINE FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,328, dated 4November 4, 1879; applica-tion tiled September 6, 1878.

To all 'whom it maycoacem: Y Be it known that 1, JAMES LEE, of'- Ilion,i| the'county ot" Herkimer and State of New Yprln'have inventedcertain Improvements in- Magazine FireArms, ofv which 'the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to that xclassor guns known as bolt-guns;7 and. the 'inx-'entionoonsistsl in constructing-the gun so that it ca nbe used in the ordinary' manner asa single-loader, and can have a detachable magazine applied to it, and be'used as av magazine-gun.

' .It furtherconsists in a novel construction ofthe magazine or case, all as hereinafter morev fully -set forth.

4Figure 1 is a side'clevati'on of the breech portion of a gun 'constructed on my plan. with the :magazine attached, a portion being shownA in section. Fi g. 2 is a. tol'rpl'an View, and Fig.

3 a side elevation, ot' the magazine detached.'

Fig. tis a 4,view .similar to Fig. 1,showingthe magazine modified in construction. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line x ot' Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is `a transverse section,-

9 is a side eleiation ot the tiring-pin with its spring and collar shown `cletacl1edfrom the bolt.`

1n the drawings, A represents the barrel;

l B, the receiver or shoe; and C, the sliding breech-bolt of the arm, which, except ashereinat'terstatem is made like an ordinaryboltgun. v.lhe bolt C may be made in the ordinary Way; but the extractor, instead of being a spring-hook, is made rigid and of the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Its rear portion is made to iit the exteriorsurfac'e of the bolt, on which it turns loosely, it being held-to the bolt C by having its rear portion tted in a slot out inthe-under surface of the vrib on the bo1t,`as shown in Fig. 7, there being a shoulder, s, on the rear end of the extractor, which engages' in a corresponding notch, "and by which it is drawn back with the bolt.

In a recess in the top of the rib I fit a spring,

t,.as shown in Fig. 7 the'front end having a shoulder that bearsonj the extractor to hold it do ivm-and yetlets ityield4 to passover the dan ge f of. theshell when the breech is'closed. This arrangement permits theex-tractor to 'remain stationary while the bolt is turnedto lock or unlock it. Itl is readily inserted or removed by' simply drawing the bolt part-way back,

then swinging the point over to the left as far as; possible it caribe slid si'dewise out of the recess' in the rib, yet will not' d'rop out of its own accord.

The bolt C is made tubular from its rear end to near the front, and through the front end is a small central hole ot' proper size for the point Vot' the tiring-pin to pass through. At its rear end the bolt C l.has a longitudinal slot, z, cut in one side, withan offset, as shown in Fig. 1, the front edge of the shoulder formed lby this osetbeing beveled backward, as therel shown. Y

The ringpin P, as shown in Fig. 9, iso-a straight bolt of a pro perlength torcach through the breech-bolt C from end to -end, its-rearv projecting end being provided with aknob, l 'H,gby which it can be drawn back to the half or the full cock position while the breech-bolt ,remains closed. Nearits front end this tiring-1. 'pin P is provided with acollarorshoulder-,9,

against which the front end of the spiral spriii g w' hears, the rear endof said spring bearingl againsta sleeve or collar, R, placed loosely on the lpim-as shown in Fig. 9. 0n one side of'.

this sleeve w is a small lug or projection, pgof such asize asto pass readily into thejslot a in the bolt C, and which, by being turned into the oi'sct of said slot, will engage against its beveled or dovetailedfacc, as shown inFig.y 1, thereby lookin g the tiring-pin with its spring securely within the boltC, and yet permitting the iring-pin to be removed at any time by merely disengaging the 'projection pcf the sleeve R from the offset in the side of the bolt"A holds the pin cocked ready for firing. ThereV is also a half-cock notch in this piece V, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 9. This method of construction is simple and cheap, and while pin to be removed at any time and replaced without the use of any tool.

I'cut a slot through the bottom of the receiver o t' such a size as to permit a cartridge to pass through it sidewise, as shown in Fig.V4

1, the receiver also having a portion, h, extended backward on the top in rear of the barrel, asshowu in Figs. 1 and 4, to prevent the cartridges from being thrown out at the top as they are forced upfromA below, this partJll being cut away at the right-.hand side, as shown at L, Fig. 1, to give room 4for a shell or cartridge to be thrownout when withdrawn from the barrel.

A recess is cut on the inner face of the chamber of the receiver, into which is fitted a vcurved sliding plate, I, as shown-in Figs. 1,4,

and 5, this plate being capable of being slid or pushed around in its recess, so as to lie across the slot in the bottom of the receiver when the arm is to be usedas a single loader,y

its object and functiom being to enable the cartridges to be shoved in through the passageway in the top of the receiver in the usual manner with single-loading bolt-guns by closing the slot or a portion Aof it, so as to prevent the cartridge from dropping down through the same. When the arm is to be used as a magazine-gun this slide I is shoved or drawn up, as shown in Fig. 5, iu'which case it will leave the slot in the bottom ofthe receiver open, so that the cartridge can be fed up through said opening from the case or boxbelow.

In order to enable the gun to be used as a magazine-arm in cases of emergency, I' provide a detachable magazine or cartridge-holder, D, of such a shape and size that it can be readily attached to the under side oi the' gun in front of the trigger-guard,as show/nin Fig. 1, so as to deliver the cartrid ges therefrom through the slot in the .bottom of the receiver, as represented in Figs. l, 4, and 5.' The intention is to have these cartridge boxes or holders so lnade that a number of them can be lilled with cartridges, whichs'hall bc retained therein, and be carried by the soldier, and when required he quickly attached to the gun and used one after another.

To this end I` make this box lor detachable magazine D of suchv a width and thickness as to permit the cartridges to be placed therein sidewise, one upon another, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5.

It will be observed that the bo'x is made deeper at its rear than at its front end, which is for the purpose of allowing the cartridges to lie therein in an inclined position, and with their dan ges overlapping one another, as shown in Fig, l. f

As represented in"Figs.'1, 2,' and 3, the front edge of the box D, at its u-pperedge, is provided with a projection, m, the inside of which is concave to permit the end of the bullet to engage therein, as shown in Fig. 3. At the rear end of the box it is provided at the top with inwardlyincliningfla'nges or shoulders o and fr, as shown in Fig. 2, the shoulders 0, when the cartridge is pressed forward with its front end'in the cavity m., holding it there, while the dan ges r prevent it'froni being pressed upward at its Yrea-r end',"as shown clearly in Fi gs.V 2 and 3.Y

By these means it will be seen that vthe box D can be lled with cartridges, which, being pressed upward by the spring J, secured in the-bottom of each box, as shown, will hold the upper one in the position shown in Figs. l and 2, thereby preventing them from droi'iping or being forced outward while thebox is detached or being handled.

When it is desired to have the cartridges pass from the box up into the receiver,`after the box is attached, it is only necessary to press the' upper one down slightly at the head, so it Will pass back under the shoulders o, which will release its trout end from the cavity m, when it will at once be elevated by the spring, and Will their occupy the position shown in Fig. 1, its headlrising sufficiently as it is thus forced upward and a little forward for the front end of the breech-bolt C to strike.

it, and thus shove the cartridge forward into .the chamber of the gun.

As th'e first cartridge has its head depressed,v so as to release its point from the cavity m, as above described, all the others are at the same time made to assume the inclined position represented in Fig.- l, so that thereafter each will have its front end thrown out ot' the box first, the head being held down by the shoul ders r until released'therefrom by being pushed forward bythe bolt C, and thus the cartridges can be fed from the-box D into the gun as tast as the bolt can be operated. As soon as one box is exhausted it is detached and replaced by another,and thus the firing can be ccntinued with great rapidity.-

Where the gun is made wlth afull stock, asi` is usually the case with boltguns, an opening orslot willof course be made in the stock, as

shown in Fig. l, to permit the box D to be applied so as to presentits cartridges through the slot in the bottom of the receiver. The box may be held fast by any suitable means; but avery simple plan is to have a springcatch, E, secured in the stock or receiver, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so as to engage under a beveled projection, a, on the rear edge of the box. With this arrangement it is only necessary to shove the boxinto the opening, and itis o at once secured ready for operation. To detach it, it is only Inecessary to draw back the catch E and pull out the box.

It will of course be understood that when it is desired to feed the cartridges from the box, the slide I will be drawn up, as shown iii-Fig.` 5, and that if desired to have the magazine loaded and ready for use in an emergency, t

there is applied externally a iat-v spring e,`

which has its upper end formed into two inclined arms, b and r', the latter projecting over into the box when the Vlatteris detached, and by thus coming over the rear 'endof `the .cartridges bot-h holds it down and at the same time keeps the cartridge from sliding backward from under the lip 'n at the front, and thereby serves to hold the cartridges in the box.

When the box D is shoved into place, as represented in Fig. 4, the rearinelined arm,b of the spring strikes against an iuclineor 'a pin, `or any similar object, therebydrawing the spring back, so that its arm r wiil no longer interfere with the movement of' the cartridges, it being thus shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 6 Ihaveshown still annther modification. In' this case the magazine or cartridgeholder D is made to encircle the gun-stock, in-

stead of being inserted Within an opening therein, and it has its mouth arranged to deliver the cartridges into the receiver through the top opening, this' latter being cut a litt-le lower down on the right-hand side than usual, as shown, so as to. give room for the -cartridges to enter and for the empty shells to be thrown out, as usual. 4In its general idea and inode of operation this is the same as the plan prelviously described, and it is only described in order that parties 'may adopt Whichever plan or modification may be most cor venient in practice. f

It Will'bevseen by examining Figs. 1 and 3 that the magazine or cartridge-holder has its front and rear ends of unequal lengt-lis, the

rear end, or that at which the heads 'o t' thel cartridges rest, being'the longer -of the two, and that it has one side left open, so that the cartridges can pass out through said open side into the'proper position to be shoved directly into the chamber of ,the gun, and that this form of these cartridge-holders is essential to the proper working ot'A the arm when used as a magazine-gnn.-

It 1s ofcourse understood that the bolt C is to beprovided withahook-extractonas shown ato, anda stop, t, vforthe head of theshell to strike against as itis drawn out, so as to throw it sidewise ont of the receiver, these, however, being old and well-known devices.

One advantage of thsmanner of applying magazines is that it does not materiallyilr' crease the weight'of the arm, and, being 1ocated centrally, whetherfnll or empty, it does not change the balance of the arm, as magazines do when applied under the barrel or in the-butt-stoek.- Asits bottom does not project below, the trigger-guard and but slightly below the stock at its front edge, it does not interfere with the handling of the arm or render it clumsy.

Having thus deseribedmy invention, what I claim is- -1. In combination with abolt-gun 'having ail-opening through the bottom of -its shoe or receiver, a detachable magazine or cartridgeholder, with devices substantially such as de- -scribed for securin g the magazine to the gun, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

2. -The curved sliding plate I, in combina tion with a receiver hav-ing an opening through its bottom, when arranged to operate substantially 'as described.

3. Thejde'tachable magazine D, provided with the ca/vity m andV theinWardly-projecting shoulders o and r, ort-heir equivalents, :all constructed and' arranged to operate substantiallyas described.

4. The extractor o, 'provided with thesho'ulder s, in combination with the bolt C, having a corresponding recess in its lrib, and the spring t, all arranged to operate substantially asdescribed.

5. The tiring-pin P, provide'd with the loose sleeve or collar R, having the projection p, in combination lwith 'the tubular breech-bolt C, provided with the slot z, having an offset fer 'the projection p to engage in, 'substantially as shown auddescribed.

6 A detachable magazine or cartridge holder, D, having its front -and rear ends of differing lengths, with one of its sides or edges open for'the insertion and removal of the cartrdges, and provided With aY spring-follower and cartridge-retaining devices, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

JAMES LEE.

' Witnesses:

F. C. SHEPARD, P. REMINGTON.

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