Britain 3943
A.D. 1868, 24th December. № 3943.
Repeating Fire-arms.
(This Invention received Provisional Protection only.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Hermann Hillebrandt at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th December 1868.-A communication from abroad by Joseph Hillebrandt, of Liège, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Gun Manu facturer.
I, Hermann Hillebrandt, of the Firm of Hillebrandt and Altendorf of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchants, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “Improvements in Repeating. Fire-arms,” to be as follows:—
The said Invention has reference to those kinds of repeating fire-arms in which the revolving barrel and fixed barrel of the fire-arm are made capable of sliding to and from the break-off for the purpose of extracting the cases of the exploded cartridges from the chambers of the said revolving barrel, and for closing the said chambers for discharge.
The said Invention consists principally of the combination or arrangement of parts herein-after described for extracting the cases of the exploded cartridges from the chambers of the said revolving barrel on the sliding of the said revolving barrel and fixed barrel from the break-off. To the front of the break-off a rod is fixed, on which the revolving and fixed barrels are capable of sliding. On the said rod and near the break-off the extractor constituting the principal part of this Invention is situated. The said extractor is capable of rotating on the said rod, but is prevented from sliding thereon by a stop. The said extractor consists of a star-shaped plate, or a plate the periphery of which has a series of circular notches or depressions in it equal in number to the chambers of the revolving barrel. The said depressions of the extractor plate are fitted to receive portions of the rims of the cartridges used. In the back or rear end of the revolving barrel is a recess of a size and figure proper to receive the star-shaped extractor plate described. When the revolving barrel is fixed against the break off the said extractor plate enters the said recess, and lies flush with the rear of the revolving barrel. The said extractor plate is provided with a ratchet, to which rotation is given by the lock mechanism in the ordinary way. This rotation of the extractor plate is transmitted to the revolving barrel by a pin or wire on the said plate entering a hole in the said revolving barrel. The revolving and fixed barrels are moved along the rod upon which they slide so as to open or close the chambers of the revolving barrel by means of a lever jointed at its upper end to the rear end of the fixed barrel, and also jointed by a link near its jointed end to the frame of the pistol or fire-arm. When the lever described is raised the fixed and revolving barrels are moved towards and held against the break-off, the said lever being secured under the ixed barrel by a spring catch fastening, the free end of the lever being situated near the front end of the fixed barrel. When the parts are in the positions last described the pistol or fire-arm may be loaded. To effect this a part of the break-off is detached from the remaining part and connected thereto by a joint. By turning aside the said detached part access is gained to the rear ends of the chambers of the revolving barrel, and the said chambers are in this way charged with cartridges, portions of the rims of the cartridges engaging in the before-described star-shaped extractor plate. All the chambers having been charged the jointed part of the break-off is shut down and the pistol or fire-arm is ready for discharge; after discharge the lever is depressed and the fixed and revolving barrels moved from the break-off, leaving the whole of the cases of the exploded cartridges engaged by their rims in the extractor plate. As soon as the said barrels have been moved the required distance the said cases are entirely extracted from the chambers of the revolving barrel and fall from the pistol or fire-arm. By means of the detached jointed portion of the break-off described the pistol or fire-arm may be unloaded, if required.