, L. HEPBURN. FREARM; APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1908. Patented July 6, 1909, 2 sEEETS-SHEET 1.

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L. L. HEPBURN, , 927,464. APPLICATI0N FILED JUNIE 6, 1908, Patented July 6, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. LEWISL, HEPBURN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MARLIN COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT. FIREARM. No. 927,464. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 6, 1909. Application filed June 6, 1908. Serial No. 437,063. To all whom it may concern: access to the interior of the breech mech Be it known that I, LEWIs L. HEPBURN, a anlSm. citizen of the United States, residing at New 2 is a barrel. Haven, New Haven county, State of Con 3 is the front reinforce. - necticut, have invented certain new and use 4 is a magazine of the “box’ or “clip 60 ful Improvements in Firearms, of which the type, arranged to be detachably connected following is a full, clear, and exact descrip with the breech frame to the rear of the re tion. inforce 3, and in any suitable manner. My invention relates to improvements in 5 represents a portion of the stock. firearms, the object of the invention being to 6 represents the tang, so-called, projectin 65 :0 provide certain new and improved features rearwardly from the reinforce of the breech of construction more particularly directed frame and performing the double function to the so-called closing spring and of furnishing a means to hold the stock 5 in handling mechanism within the breech place, and of furnishing a housing or carrier frame, the aim being to secure in op for the closing spring. 70 15 eration, simplicity in construction and econ 7 is a plunger reciprocable in the tang 6 omy in manufacture. These advantages will and pressed forward by means of a closing be well understood by a mechanic familiar spring 8...... with this art, by a reading of the following 9 is the main body of the breech-block ar specification and an examination of the ac ranged to reciprocate in the frame 1, the 75 . 20. . companying drawings, in which — normal position of the block being advanced Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a fire to close said breech and the chamber in the 3. arm, constructed to embody my invention, barrel. . . . - said illustration being partly in section and 10 is a link between the breech-block 9 and partly broken away to reveal the internal the forward end of the plunger 7, through 80 25. construction. Only a portion of the barrel which link the power of the closing spring 8 ... . and stock are shown; Fig. 2 shows, in the is transmitted to said breech-block. This ... main, a similar view, certain parts, however, link 10 preferably has a laterally projecting being in a different position; Fig. 3 shows a bearingpin 10 (see Fig. 10) which takes front elevation of the breech-block, de into a corresponding bearing recess in the 85 30 tached; Fig. 4 shows a view of the reverse breech-block 9. As will be seen, the power side of the breech-block from that shown in of spring 8 is transmitted in almost a straight Fig. 1: Fig. 5 shows a rear elevation of the line' to the breech-block and is taken by the is breech-block; Fig.6 shows a rear and side latter well forward of the rear end, the for 85 elevation of the combined hammer and firing ward end of said link 10 being suitably full 90 pin, detached; Fig. 7 shows a side elevation crumed to the block at approximately the of the hammer Sear, detached; Fig. 8 shows middle portion of the breech-block, in the š a side and front elevation of the , de particular form shown. By this means there i tached; Fig. 9 shows a side and edge eleva is very little deflection of the breech-block by 95 40 tion of a link arranged to connect the trigger reason of the pressure of the plunger 7, thus guaranteein a free and , easya slidingY . move with the Sear, said part being detached; Fig. ment of the reech-block in the frame. 10 is a plan view of the connecting link be The hammer construction, in this instance, tween the closing spring and breech-block, comprises a combined hammer and firing detached. Fig. 11 illustrates another detail pin, in which the main body 12 serves as a 100 45 of construction. Fig. 12 is a view similar to weight, the inertia or momentum of which, Figs. 1 and 2, certain parts being in a differ when propelled forward, serves to cause the ent position and other parts being omitted firing-pin end 13 to strike the cartridge in and broken away. desired 1 is the breech frame. In this particular the chamber of the barrel with the 105 instance, there is a removable side plate (not force, to explode the same. 50: shown) adapted to said breech frame, for 12 is a projection or spline, the function example, such as set forth in my former of which is to prevent rotation of the ham patent No. 434,062, dated August 12, 1890, mer body 12 within the breech-block, the side the said side plate being easily removable. Wall of the bore in the breech-block being 110 55. for the purpose of exposing and permitting provided with a groove 9, in which said 927,464 projection or spline 12 may slide as the and it is so positioned that when the breech hammer moves to and fro. Obviously, this block has reached nearly the limit of its rear arrangement might be reversed, the Spline or ward excursion, said wall will strike against projection being on the breech-block and the the link 16 and tilt it back from the position groove in the body 12. Such a modification shown in Fig. 1, SO as to disengage the Sear is too apparent to require illustration. 15, which will then rise under the influence At the under side of the body 12 is a notch of spring 14 to engage the hammer. The 12, the function of which will be later ex purpose of this feature of construction will plained. The body 12 has a bore entering its be better understood when the operation is 0. rear end to receive a firing-pin actuating described. spring 14, the thrust of the rear end of Said The parts thus far described connprise the spring being taken on a shoulder within the main features of my invention and while breech frame, as best seen in Fig. Í. If de shown in the preferred form, the same may sired, a guide pin 14" may be employed to be modified in design and arrangement with 15 steady the spring 14 when the breech-block out departing from the scope of this inven 80 9 and hammer are advanced, as shown in tion. Fig. 1. Operation: To operate the firearm, the 15 is a sear pivoted at 15º and having a magazine 14 is loaded with a suitable num nose 15 arranged to latch into the notch 12 ber of cartridges and is inserted in place, as 20 in the hammer 12 at the proper time, the for in Fig. 1. The operator then grasps the ward side of said nose 15 being inclined so handle 9 and pulls the breech-block back that, as the hammer is being cocked, the for against the action of the closing spring S. ward end of the sear will be momentarily This compresses the hammer spring 14. pressed down. The sear 15 has, by prefer When the breech-block 9 has retracted suf ence, an angular shoulder 15° near its full ficiently far the sear 15 engages in notch 12' 90 crum, arranged to the rear of Spring 14, SO in the hammer, thus holding the latter re that said spring will act not only as a means tracted. The breech-block 9 is then permit to propel the hammer forward, but will also ted to advance under the action of the clos operate said sear in a direction to cause it to ing spring 8. This advance movement takes 30 latch into the hammer, thus dispensing with one cartridge from the magazine 4 and the necessity of a separate spring for that forces it into the chamber of barrel 2. The purpose. firearm is then ready to fire. By pulling 15 is a rearwardly projecting shoulder ar the trigger 17 the Sear 15 releases hamme ranged to be engaged by a laterally project 12. The hammer 12 then springs ahead 35 ing shoulder 16 on the link 16, the opposite under the power of spring 14 and the firing II () (O) end of said link being pivoted, as at 16b (Fig. pin end 13 strikes the cartridge in the cham 9), to the trigger 17, said trigger being piv. ber of the barrel, exploding the same. The oted at 17 to the breech frame. “ blow-back’’ of the cartridge shell is im 30 is a bifurcated spring having the spring parted to the breech-block, which is forced 40 ends 31-32. The Spring end 31 engages the back thereby and caused to repeat the op trigger 17, tending to restore it to its normal erations previously described. During the position. The spring end 32 engages the rearward movement the discharged shell is link 16 and operates to hold it in such a posi extracted and ejected, and during the for tion as to engage the Sear 15. Ward movement another loaded cartridge Loaded cartridges are carried in the maga from the magazine is introduced into the zine 4 and are separately released therefrom chamber of the barrel, ready for firing, as by the reciprocating action of the breech before. The hammer 12 has, as before, been block 9, in the Well-known manner, unnec caught by the sear 15 ready to be released essary to describe herein. The breech-block at the proper time by pulling trigger 17. 50 9 is, of course, provided with the usual ex If the operator has held back the trigger and tractor 18, while the usual ejector 19 may be has thereby caused the hammer-engaging carried by the breech frame in such position end of the sear 15 to be depressed, the that when a discharged shell is withdrawn breech-block 9 will strike against the link 5 5 by the extractor 18, it will be engaged by 16 near the limit of its rearward excursion, said ejector 19 and thrown out of the breech swinging it back, thus releasing Sear 15, frame through a suitable opening. In this which thereupon springs up and engages instance, the opening is at the siå?e, as indi the hammer so as to hold the same whether cated in Fig. 2. or not the trigger 17 is released, thus pre 9 is a handle projecting from the breech venting premature firing. When the breech 60 block, which furnishes a means to retract the block advances under these conditions, the II. 25 breech-block manually, if any occasion arises link 16 Swings ahead (any suitable spring therefor. At the rear of the breech-block being provided to cause it to normally swing there is a groove 99, which affords clearance ahead) until the shoulder 16 bears against 65 for the link 16. The forward wall of this the rear end of the projection 159. As soon groove is indicated in dotted lines (Fig. 4) as the operator releases the trigger, the link 130

927,464 8 16 moves up, and the spring for operating gle spring coöperating with both the ham the same swings it ahead until shoulder 16 operativelymer and the connecting Sear, a trigger, said trigger and means with said for drops into the notch in the sear just above sear when said trigger is released and the the projection 15, as shown in Fig. 1, so that breech-block is advanced from its rearmost by pulling the trigger the hammer may be position, said trigger being automatically 40 againIn allreleased. probability, in practice, in many disengaged from said searby the breech ... instances, it will be impossible for the user block when the latter is at its rearmost posi to release the trigger as quickly as the fire tion.3. In an automatic , a 10 arm would act to complete one cycle of breech frame, a breech-block arranged to 45? operation, hence by having this safety trig reciprocate therein, a cartridge holding i ger mechanism there is no danger of prema magazine detachably carried by the breech ture discharge of a second cartridge by rea frame and arranged underneath the forward son of failure on the part of the trigger end of the breech-block when the latter is 5 mechanism to engage and hold back the advanced, a plunger like hammer carried by 50 - hammer at each cycle of operation of the said breech-block, a spring mounted at one parts. end in the frame and arranged to engage What I claim is: said hammer at its rear to press the latter 1. In an automatic repeating firearm, a forwardly, a closing spring arranged to the breech-frame, a reciprocating breech-block, 55 a hammer and firing-pin carried thereby, a rear of the breech-block and operatively con sear carried by the frame and arranged to nected therewith and normally acting to ad engage the hammer when retracted, a sin vance the breech-block, a sear carried by the gle spring coöperating with both the ham frameits rearmost and arranged position to when retain in the one hammer position, in 25 operativelymer and the connecting Sear, a trigger, said trigger and means with said for a trigger, and means detachably connecting 60 sear when said trigger is released and the said ??? with said sear i excepting when breech-block is advanced from its rearmost the breech-block is retracted to its rearmost position. position. W 2. In an automatic repeating firearm, a LEWISL, HEPBURN. 30 breech frame, a reciprocating breech-block, a hammer and firing-pin carried thereby, a Witnesses: seal carried by the frame and arranged to CHAS. A. PEARD, engage the hammer when retracted, a sin ALICE MoRFORD.