Month: March 2021

Patent Description

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN M. BROWNING, residing at Ogden, in the county of Weber and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. This invention relates generally to automatic breech loading firearms, and more especially to firearms of this description in which the several operations—such as the opening of the breech after firing a shot, the ejection of the empty cartridge shell, the cocking of is the hammer, the presentation and introduction of a fresh cartridge into the chamber of the barrel, and the closing of the breech—are automatically effected by the pressure in the barrel of the gases generated by the explosion of the cartridge.

My invention comprises, further, improvements in firearms of the class described in United States Patent No. 580,926, applied for by me and granted April 20, 1897, said patent containing some of the features of the complete firearm which I have illustrated and described herein for the purpose of enabling my present invention to be understood. Such features as are common to the two constructions will be referred to herein so far as may be necessary to ‘enable the present invention to be understood; but the description which follows will relate particularly to the novel features of this case. The main object which I have had in view has been the production of a firearm of the class referred to which should be simple and inexpensive in construction, not liable to get out of order, and reliable and safe in operation under all conditions of use. I have hereinafter shown and described my present improvements as adapted to a gas operated magazine pistol; but I have chosen this particular kind of firearm merely as a convenient illustration of an embodiment of my invention and do not intend to restrict my invention to an application thereof to a magazine pistol nor to any particular kind of firearm, nor do I intend to restrict the invention to the use of the several features of improvement together in a common structure.

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a left hand side elevation of the pistol with the breech closed. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively rear and front end views of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, on a vertical plane, with the breech closed. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, on a vertical plane, with the breech open. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are detail views of parts to be referred to. Fig. l is a horizontal section on the plane indicated by the line a b of Fig. 1. Fig. 1b is a horizontal section on the plane indicated by the line c d of Fig. 1. The pistol represented in the accompanying drawings comprises a frame a, a barrel b, fixed in the frame, and a sliding breech piece c. The upper portion of the frame a forms the receiver and has a seat and suitable guides for the reciprocating breech piece, and below the receiver is the grip or handle a’, which is preferably made integral with the frame, but obviously may be formed separately and attached thereto in any suitable manner. Within the grip and extending through the same upward into the receiver is arranged a seat or chamber for the reception of the cartridge magazine d. The latter is substantially of ordinary form and construction and may consist of a sheet metal tube, in which the cartridges are laid one upon another, resting upon a spring follower, by which they are pushed upward into the receiver: It is conveniently retained in place within the grip by a spring actuated latch d’. Its upper end is open to permit the escape of the cartridges, the side walls at the rear of the opening being turned in to engage the rim or flange of the topmost cartridge and prevent the escape of  the same from the holder except when it is pushed forward, as hereinafter described. The barrel b is secured to the receiver in any usual or suitable manner and extends forwardly from the same to the desired length. The upper portion of the frame is provided interiorly with longitudinal ribs and grooves as a4, Fig. 2, to engage corresponding ribs and grooves each of the breech piece c or of that portion of it which may be more properly coo designated as the ” breech  bolt,” the said breech bolt or breech piece being thereby held to the frame and guided thereon in its reciprocation.

Patent Description

To all whom, it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN M. Browning, of Ogden City, Utah Territory, have invented an Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to breech loading firearms, and consist in certain details of construction, hereinafter fully described and particularly indicated in the claims, whereby the operating parts are greatly simplified and rendered more durable and certain in their opening. In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the breech and a part of the stock of my improved gun. .Fig. 2’represents a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 1, some of the ‘parts being shown in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, the case being partly broken away to show the interior mechanism. Fig. 4 is a top view, some of the parts being broken away to show the position of the cartridge in place and the retractor.

My invention relates particularly to that glass of breech loading firearms in which the breech is closed by a vertically sliding block operated by the guard-lever, and carrying the hammer with it in its motion up and down: The breech-block a slides vertically within the breech: piece to which it fits closely, and against which it bears both in front and rear, so that when it is raised it effectually and securely closes the breech of the gun. This breech-piece is moved by the guard-lever b, to which it is connected by the link c, within the slot in the interior of the block. The guard-lever b is pivoted to the breech-frame at d. Tightly in front of the breech block. The guard is also formed with lugs e-e, adapted to lit into the slotted breech-block and to receive between them the link c, to which they are connected by a pin at a point within the slot when the guard is brought into a position for firing.

The guard-lever is also’ so constructed that when it is brought into the position last specified it effectually closes the opening through which the block and the hammer move when the lever is depressed, as in opening the breech. The hammer f is pivoted to the block at g, within the slot of said block. The tail of the hammer extends through the slot and rests, when the block is raised, under the end of the spring h, which is secured to the barrel, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The breech-piece is slotted to the rear sufficiently to give space for the hammer when at full cock. The hammer is constructed with an offset at i, against which the dog k bears, when the breech-block is raised, to close the breech. This dog is pivoted at 1, and is provided with an arm, and spring, the latter bearing against the Shell in the breech-frame, so as to keep the arm on pressed down against the trigger o.

The pressure of the spring n keeps the end of the dog k against the rear edge of the hammer, whether the breech-block be raised, as shown in Fig. 2, or lowered, as shown in Fig. 3. When the guard b is depressed for the purpose of opening the breech of the gun, by means of the links tit draws down the breech-block, carrying with it the hammer f, the hammer being thrown forward in its passage, and the tail of it dropping from contact with the spring C. When the lever is elevated its return movement lifts the breech-block, and with it the hammer; but as the dog k comes in contact with the offset i the rear part of the hammer is arrested in its movement and held in place While the forward part continues to rise, being carried upward by the continued movement of the lever b, so that the hammer is thrown back by the completion of the movement and held at full cock, testing over the point and on the breech-piece, while in the latter part of the movement the tail of the hammer has come in contact with the spring 11, and lifted it sufficiently to bring the strain of the spring upon the tail of the hammer, so as to give a suitable blow upon the firing pin.

The breech-block is supported when the guard-lever is closed by means of the links and lugs e e, the pivot pin which connects the said link and lugs being carried into line with the other link pin and pivot of the guard-lever, or slightly past the dead point, so as to :securely lock the block in closed position. The firing pin is of the ordinary construction, and is represented at p. retractor is shown at q.

Patent Description

To all whom it may concern:  Be it known that I, John M. BROWNING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Ogden, county of Weber, and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearms, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to an improvement in repeating firearms and an object thereof is the provision of a firearm provided with a combined sliding magazine and action slide which may be removed from the receiver of the firearm without removing the handle of the magazine. Another object of the invention is the provision of an unbroken guide way for the head of a cartridge, from the time the cartridge leaves the magazine until it is in place in the chamber of the firearm. A. further object of the invention is the provision of a combined slide and trigger. Rock whereby the trigger is moved into position to engage with the notch in the hammer and hold the hammer in cocked position, whether finger pressure on the trigger is exerted or not, said trigger being locked in such position from the time the hammer’ has reached the limit of its rearward movement until the action slide has been forced forward to the firing position, when the trigger is unlocked and the action slide locked in its full forward position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a carrier pivoted at its front end, the front end of the carrier functioning as a, cartridge stop and the rear end, in the operation of transferring the cartridge from the magazine to the chamber of the firearm, bearing on the cartridge directly beneath the head of the same. A still further .object of the invention is the provision of a spring mounted on the trigger pivot one arm of which spring functions as a trigger spring and the other as a safety spring, and the provision of means for preventing lateral movement of the spring. A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved assembling screw for holding the rear end of the trigger plate in the receiver, which screw has been provided with means cooperating with a hammer slot in the trigger plate whereby in taking down the firearm the assembling screw may not be accidentally removed.

Further objects of the invention will be pointed out in connection with the following detailed description. In the accompanying drawings wherein have illustrated an embodiment of my invention, Fig. 1 shows in elevation a repeating firearm in which my invention is incorporated; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view through the firearm of Fig. 1 showing the positions assumed by the action of the firearm immediately upon the discharge of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view, similar to Fig. 2, showing the action slide and hammer in their extreme rearward position, the trigger of the firearm locked, and a cartridge on its way to the chamber ; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view, similar to Fig. 2, showing the action slide advanced towards its forward position, the hammer ‘still being at the extreme of its rearward movement, the trigger locked and a cartridge raised to a position in the breech block whereby it will enter the chamber of the firearm as the action slide and magazine ate moved to their extreme forward position.

Fig. 5 shows in sectional elevation the positions assumed by the various parts of the firearm when the same is ready to be dis 8 charged, the action slide in this view being shown in locked position and the trigger unlocked; and the hammer at full cock; .Fig. 6 is a view taken on the line 66 of 5, Fig. 7 is a part sectional view showing the breechblock moved out of the ejecting opening in the receiver ; Figs. 8 and 9 are views in perspective of 9 a portion of the action slide and the breechblock respectively; and Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line 1040 of Fig. 5. Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the barrel of a firearm, 2 a receiver carried thereby and 3 and 4 a sliding magazine and action slide respectively, fastened rigidly together and carried beneath the barrel 1 and held in place in the receiver 2. 5 designates a handle secured to. the magazine 3 whereby the latter, together with the action slide 4 may be reciprocated for the purposes hereinafter set forth.

Patent Description

The invention relates generally to automatic machine guns of that description in which all operations of the mechanism are automatically effected by the energy of the recoil of the movable parts. The invention relates particularly to novel’ improvements. in recoil operated machine guns, similar to that disclosed in the Letters Patent of the United States granted to John Browning, No. 1,293,021, dated February 4. 1910, in which the barrel and breech closing block. while interlocked recoil together a limited distance, are then unlocked and the movement of the barrel is arrested; the breech closing block alone continues its recoil during which energy is .stored in reaction springs or similar means by Which all parts are finally returned to their forward firing positions. The main object of the present invention is to produce a machine gun of this class specially adapted for modern military service.

Experience during the war, and experiments since: under actual field conditions, have led the United States War Department to adopt for use in certain branches of the service, such as the Anti-Air Craft. Service and for service in tanks, bullets or projectiles greatly increased in caliber, length and weight, and cartridge cases of increased size capable of holding correspondingly increased charges of most powerful explosives for driving said projectiles and for giving to them greatly increased ranges and power of penetration. The machine gun of the present invention is adapted to fire these modern service cartridges; and while it has necessarily increased dimensions in diameter and length of certain of its parts, such as the barrel and breech mechanism, and of the lengthwise reciprocating movement of its breech opening and closing mechanism, these increases and the necessary strengthening of the entire structure of the machine gun are attained without a nearly proportional increase of the weight of said, machine gun.

This object is attained by providing a composite brake or buffer in rear of the heaviest recoiling of the breech mechanism, said brake consisting of the combination of a spring actuated recoil cushion combined with a brake chamber for holding a liquid by which any excess of energy of recoil is entirely absorbed; and by which even an excess of recoil, such as may possibly be caused by variations in the rate of speed of the ignition of the powder charges by the primers of the cartridges, will be absorbed without disastrous effect on I the structure or the Mechanism of said machine gun. For furthering the attainment of this object there are also provided in rear of the breech closing block cushioning devices for absorbing any excess of energy of recoil of said breech block; as well as devices for strengthening the breech casing of the machine gun supporting said cushioning de vices. Other and further objects and advantages will appear from the following disclosure. By the foregoing and other novel constructions which will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims, an improved machine gun is produced, adapted for firing the modern powerful military, ammunition, reliable, accurate! and absolutely safe under all conditions.

In the accompanying drawing’s: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the left hand side Of the gun, the forward portion of the barrel and of the tubular barrel casing being broken away. Fig. 2 is a top view of the gun, the greater portion of the barrel and of the barrel casing being broken away. Fig. 3 is a front end view of the barrel; of the tubular barrel casing and of the internal fixed disk closing said barrel casing and guiding the muzzle of the barrel. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the foremost portions of the barrel and the barrel casing, and of the internal fixed disk. Fig. 5 shows the pivoted switch lever, detached, respectively in a top view and in a left hand side view; it also shows similar views of the switch lever spring. Fig. 6 is a rear end view of the gun; Fig. 7 is a rear end view of the gun with the rear removed, showing the breech casing and the mechanism therein. Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section through the breech casing on the line 88 of Fig. 12; seen from the rear. i Fig. 9 is .a vertical transverse section through the breech casing in the plane indicated by the line 99 of Fig. 12.