THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
445 
are closed, these bolts are pushed into corresponding' holes in the sides 
of the frame, and so secure the lock in that position for firing. 
2. A " director ” (g, Figs. 3 and 4); which is a plate, or cam, secured 
to the lock. 
• Motion is given to the latter by means of a curved slit in this plate, 
into which fits a pin on the “ directing lever ” [l, Fig. 3). A portion 
of this slit is the arc of a circle, concentric with that described by the 
arm ; the remainder is curved, so that as the arm moves from right 
to left the lock advances, and vice versa. 
Upon the brackets, secured to the rear transom, is a " detent ” 
[h, Figs. 3 and 4). This is a plate, capable of transverse movement, 
and having ten teeth bevelled on the left side, and increasing in 
thickness (to the amount of one-tenth) from right to left* 
Its use is to compress (by means of the tenons of the cocks) the 
whole of the spiral striker springs, and then to release them one by 
one. 
A powerful spring [i, Fig. 3), fastened to the transom, presses the 
detent against the left side of the frame. 
The detent, however, is moved to the right, as the lock is drawn 
back, by the bevelled part of the tenons of the cocks ( d , Figs. 3 and 4) 
bearing against the bevelled sides of the teeth, until these tenons pass 
behind the teeth and bite, when the spring before mentioned drives 
it sharply to the left again with a loud click. 
Movement to the right is afterwards caused by the arm (1) pushing 
the detent to the right, and releasing each tenon (and so the cock ana 
striker) in turn. 
The movements of the closing cam, director (with the lock), and detent, 
are governed by a “ directing arm,” or lever (1), which has a tooth 
( T ) at one end moving in the curved slit of the closing cam ( e ), and a 
projection (P) on its upper surface fitting into the groove of the 
director. The other end is fixed to a strong vertical axis {m, Figs. 
3 and 4) called the " motive axis,” which is secured to the rear tran¬ 
som, and plays a prominent part in the mechanism. 
The " carrier,” or feeder (yy, Figs. 1, 3, and 4), is a plate of copper, 
having ten longitudinal holes for the cartridge-cases to drop through 
when extracted, and a similar number of strips on which to carry the 
cartridges when loading. It is capable of a slight lateral motion, 
which is given by a forked arm (, s , Fig. 3) pivoting freely on the 
motive axis (m), and moved to the right or left by a projection on 
the under surface of the lock. 
A bent lever or "handle” (n) is fixed to the motive axis (m). It can 
move backwards and forwards under the lock in a horizontal plane, 
and is the immediate means of putting the whole of the mechanism in 
motion. To its inner end (where fixed to the axis) is secured a curved 
arm ( o ), having a pin (p) at its extremity. The pin works in a curved 
slit in an eccentric plate (A), by which lateral dispersion is given as 
follows:— 
There is in the eccentric another slit, into which fits the tenon of a 
