Britain 588
A.D. 1877 12th February. № 588.
Revolving and Repeating Fire-arms.
LETTERS PATENT to Francis Alexandre Le Mat of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1, at Paris, Colonel, for the Invention of “Improvements in the Construction of Revolving and Repeating Fire-arms.”
Sealed the 27th July 1877, and dated the 12th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Alexandre Le Mat at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th February 1877.
Francis Alexandre Le Mat, of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1, at Paris, Colonel. “Improvements in the Construction of Revolving and Repeating Fire-arms.”
My Invention refers more particularly to those revolving fire-arms which have two barrels and a mitrailleuse central fire. In these arms the part, which always causes the greatest difficulty, on account of the special conditions which it has to fulfil, is the cock. Indeed, in this description of arm, all the defensive power which is its chief characteristic cannot bc obtained unless the shooter can instantaneously and with great facility fire at will either the barrel of the revolving portion or the fixed mitrailleuse central fire portion, and this by operating the cock with only one hand.
My improvements chiefly relate to a new arrangement or combination of the cock with the object of making it fulfil the desirable conditions of facility, convenience, and instantaneousness, without which this arm cannot attain the great development which it ought to do. By the new arrangement the shooter can with the thumb of the hand which holds the arm, and without the hand shifting from what should be the grasping position, freely and with every facility operate the auxiliary cock of the central fire in order to instantaneously effect the percussion, as he desires, either on the barrel of the revolving portion by the main cock, or on the central mitrailleuse portion by the small auxiliary cock For this purpose I make the small auxiliary cock of the central mitrailleuse portion in the form of a wedge, which lodges in the body of the main cock on which it has a spring joint; this small cock carries at one side a curved button on which the shooter simply acts with his thumb to put it, as he desires, in either of its two positions. An additional advantage of this wedge-formed auxiliary cock is that in ifs position for effecting the percussion on the central fire mitrailleuse portion, one of the faces of the wedge bears against the body of the main cock, while the other face serves to push directly the central fire striker. It follows that the gun cannot miss fire, the ignition of the central fire cartridge being assured, which is not the case with existing forms of cock.
In order that the Invention may be fully understood, I will describe a gun constructed in accordance therewith.
The main cock is formed internally with a mortise, in which the small auxiliary cock is lodged, this cock being centred at or near its rear end. A strong spring is likewise lodged in the mortise, and keeps the auxiliary cock firmly in either the one or the other of its positions. The auxiliary cock is, as before stated, of wedge form, so that when it is lowered its rear face is firmly applied against the body of the main cock, while its front lime acts directly against the head of the striker of the central mitrailleuse barrel. The auxiliary cock is thus not subject to any slipping, and it will produce the required percussion with certainty. The small auxiliary cock is operated by means of a side button of curved form, on which the thumb of the hand which holds the arm acts, so as to lower it into position for the central mitrailleuse fir, or to raise it into position to allow of the direct action of the main cock upon the revolving portion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the said Francis Alexandre Le Mat in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th August 1877.
Francis Alexandre Le Mat, of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1, at Paris, Colonel “Improvements in the Construction of Revolving and Repeating Fire-arms.”
My Invention refers more particularly to those revolving fire-arms which have two barrels and a mitrailleuse central fire. In these arms the part which always causes the greatest difficulty, on account of the special conditions which it has to fulfil, is the cock. Indeed, in this description of arm, all the defensive power, which is its chief characteristic, cannot bc obtained unless the shooter can instantaneously and with great facility fire at will either the barrel of the involving portion or the fixed mitrailleuse central fire portion, and this by operating the cool-with only one hand.
My improvements chiefly relate to a new arrangement or combination of the cock with the object of making it fulfil the desirable condition of facility, convenience, and instantaneousness, without which this arm cannot attain the great development which it ought to have. By the new arrangement the shooter can with the thumb of the hand which holds the arm, and without the hand shifting from what should be the grasping position, freely and with every facility operate the auxiliary cock of the central fire in order to instantaneously effect the percussion, as he desires, either on the barrel of the revolving portion of the main cock, or on the central mitrailleuse portion by the small auxiliary cock. For this purpose I make the small auxiliary cock of the central mitrailleuse portion in the form of a wedge, which lodges in the body of the main cock, on which it has a spring joint; this small cock carries at one side a curved button, on which the shooter simply acts with his thumb to put it, as he desires, in either of its two positions. An additional advantage of this wedge-formed auxiliary cock is that in its position for effecting the percussion on the central fire mitrailleuse portion, one of the faces of the wedge bears against the holly of the main cock, while the other face serves to push directly the central fire striker. It follows that the gun cannot miss fire, the ignition of the central fire cartridge being assured, which is not the case with existing forms of cock.
In order that the Invention may be fully understood, I will describe, with reference to the annexed Drawings, a gun constructed in accordance therewith.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the gun, and Figure 2 is a back view. Figure 3 is a side view, on a larger scale, of the main cock provided with the new arrangements for the auxiliary cock..In this Figure I have supposed that the barrel of the revolving portion has just been Grad, that is to say, that the auxiliary cock is raised to its position of rest.
Figure 4 is a front view; Figure 5, a plan; Figure 6 is a view the same as Figure 3, but with the auxiliary cock lowered so as to effect the percussion of the central mitrailleuse portion.
Figures 7 and 3 are respectively a side view and plan of the auxiliary cock detached.
Figure 9 is a diagram herein-after referred to.
The main cock a is formed internally with a mortise, shown in Figures 3 and 6 by the clotted line x, x, x, in which mortise the small auxiliary cock b is lodged, this cock being centred at c. A strong spring d consisting of a steel plate secured by a screw f is likewise lodged in the mortise, end keeps the auxiliary cock b firmly in either the one or the other of its positions. The auxiliary cock is, as before stated, of wodge form, so that when it is lowered, as seen in Figure 6, its rear face is firmly applied against the body of the main cock a, while its front face acts directly against the head g of the striker of the central mitrailleuse barrel k, Figure 1. The auxiliary cock b is thus not subject to any slipping, and it, will produce the required percussion with certainty. The auxiliary cock is operated by means of a small side button h of curved form, on which the thumb oF the hand which holds the arm acts. In Figure 1 I have shown the thumb of the right hand pressing on the button h so as to lower the cock b into position for the central mitrailleuse fire in the direction of the arrow j; in Figure 9, on the contrary, the thumb tends to raise the cock b in the direction of the arrow j to its position of rest to allow of the direct action of the main cock a upon the revolving portion m and barrel l, Figure 1. This movement of the cock b in one direction or the other is very simple, and is effected easily by the thumb of the hand which holds the gun.
The Invention can likewise be applied to carbines constructed on the same general system.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
First. The particular arrangement of the main cock a with s mortise in which the auxiliary cock b and its spring d are lodged, substantially as herein-before described and represented in the annexed Drawing.
Second. The arrangement of the auxiliary cock b jointed at c in the main cock a lodged in the mortise of this cock, and firmly held by its spring d, substantially as herein-before described and represented in the annexed Drawings.
Third. The mode or means of operating the auxiliary cock b by a side button h, so that it can be moved into one or the other of its positions by the thumb of the hand which holds the gun, substantially as herein-before described and represented in the annexed Drawings.
Fourth. The general arrangement or combination of parts of fire-arms, as herein-before described and represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Alexandre Le Mat, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
F. A. LE MAT. (L.S)
Witness,
Albert Cahen,
Civil Engineer
of Boulevard St. Denis, I,
at Paris.