IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, APPLICABLE FOR MILITARY AND SPORTING PURPOSES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Bayliss, of Aston Park, near Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Gun and Pistol Manufacturer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, APPLICABLE FOR
MILITARY AND SPORTING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 3rd July 1860; and dated the 7th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Bayliss at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
January 1860.
I, BENJAMIN BAYLISS, of Aston Park, near Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun and Pistol Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, APPLICABLE
FOR: MILITARY AND SPORTING PURPOSES," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
My improvements consist in simplifying: the means of actuating a moveable
plug: by which the breech behind the touch-hole is opened and closed for
receiving the charge: And I effect this by allowing the barrel to extend in
the ordinary way about three inches behind the true breech- for holding the
cartridge during the time of its discharge; and by fitting a stout pin through
the extreme end of the breech which passes down through the stock and
guard; to the lower end of this pin a' lever is fastened, which lays, when out of
use, along below the guard of the trigger';: but for loading, it is pulled back,
turning the pin before referred to nearly a half-way-round, which turns in the

page_text: same direction a plate that works through an horizontal slot formed in the
breech; this plate is so formed, that its curved and inclined surfaces have the
effect of pulling back and impelling forward a plug for opening and closing
the breech in manner following:-When the piece is discharged, the mere
removal of the finger or hand from the trigger will open the chamber for
receiving another cartridge, and the act of cocking will thoroughly secure it,
thus rendering it the most simple, expeditious, and certain breech-loader
hitherto constructed, and applicable for military or birding guns, or for pistols.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Bayliss in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
BAYLISS, of Aston Park, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
and Pistol Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Benjamin Bayliss, Her special license that I, the said
Benjamin Bayliss, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Benjamin Bayliss, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, APPLICABLE FOR MILITARY AND
SPORTING PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Benjamin Bayliss, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Bayliss, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-

page_text: My improvements consist in simplifying the means of actuating a moveable
plug, by which the breech behind the touch-hole is opened and closed for
receiving the charge. And I effect this by allowing the barrel to extend in
the ordinary way about three inches bebind the true breech for holding the
cartridge during the time of its discharge, and by fitting a stout vertical pin
through the extreme end of the barrel, and down through the stock and
trigger guard; to the lower end of this vertical pin a lever is fastened, which
lays (when out of use) along below the trigger guard. In loading the plug is
pulled back. by turning the pin (before referred to) nearly a half-way round,
which turns in the same direction an eccentric plate or cam that works
through an horizontal slot formed in the breech end of the barrel; this plate
is so formed, that its curved and inclined surfaces have the effect of pulling
back and impelling forward the plug for opening and closing the breech in
manner following:-When the piece is discharged, the mere removal of the
finger from the trigger and applying it to the lever before named to turn it
round, which will open the chamber for receiving another cartridge, when the
plug may be again replaced, and if not completely closed, the act of cocking
will thoroughly secure it, thus rendering it in action the most simple,
expeditious, and certain breech-loader hitherto constructed; and by a. simple
modification of the parts to adapt them for single and double barrels, my
improvements will be found as applicable to the construction or making of
birding guns as for military or other purposes.
But as my Invention will be best understood by referring to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, I will proceed to describe the same, reference being made
to the various figures and letters marked thereon, observing that in all cases
where the same parts are represented detached they will be found marked with

page_text: of which is indicated by the dotted line a, a. The breech end of the barrel
has a longitudinal slot formed in it for receiving the eccentric plate or cam B,
best seen marked with the same letter at Figure Two, working in the slot of
the barrel. At the lower end of the pin A, the lever E is secured by means
of a screw or pin, as may be found convenient, the lower end of the pin A
being shaped into an angular form as at b, b, Figures Four and Five, in order
that the lever should be more securely fixed. The lever E, I purpose making
of hardened or tempered steel, with a slight projection on it, as partly shown
in dotted lines at C, and in the same part of the guard plate, in contact with
it, a small cavity is formed for receiving the projection. This simple con-
trivance, by the pliable or springy nature of the lever, (through its flat-way
section) holds the lever in its place, when the breech of the gun is properly
secured, as will be hereafter seen. To open the breech, the thumb must be
first slightly pressed on the extreme end of the lever E, so as to disengage
the lever from the detent C. When this is done, by a continuous action of
the thumb the lever must be pulled around in a contrary direction, as shown
by the dotted lines E in Figure One, which will have the effect of turning
back in the same direction the plate or cam B (which is also shewn in dotted
lines in Figure One). This action of the plate bas the effect of sliding.
backward and forward a moveable plug, the outer end of which is marked F,
but which plug is shown in a top and side view, full size, at Figs. 7 and 8.
The extreme throw of the cam and curved surface, as from d to e of Figure
Five, by its contact with the fore part of the plug marked in Figures Seven
and Eight, will carry the plug forward, and close the breech. From the
transverse inclined surface of the fore part of the pin being brought in positive
close contact with the extreme end of the cam, the conical end of the plug
will be forced into positive and complete contact with a corresponding conical-
shaped hole at the breech end of the barrel for receiving it, and by which
means the barrel at this part is made perfectly gas-tight. The freeing of the
lever in manner as before described, and turning partially round the cam B,
will have the effect of bringing its curved portion, marked g. and h, in contact
with the transversely inclined part of the plug marked i, which will have tho
effect of drawing back the plug, as shown in dotted lines at Figure One, which
represents the position of the parts for admitting a cartridge in order for it to
be charged; and for the purpose of obtaining this sliding action of the plug, a
longitudinal slot is formed in it, as exhibited at n, n, Figure Seven, through
which the vertical pin A, shown in section, works. The cartridge for loading
may be of the ordinary kind, but I prefer using cartridges having a convexed
lubricated wad at the base of the powder, as it is a further safeguard against

page_text: the escape of gas that may arise from long usage, and it cleans the barrel
from the fouling of the preceding charge. For the better admission of the
cartridge, a part of the barrel marked k, k, Figure One, is cut or filed away,
which leaves a sufficient opening, when the eccentric plate is turned back, for
the cartridge to be laterally applied; but this part is closed over and made
longitudinally uniform with the barrel by the projecting part on the eccentric
plate marked l, l, and which part is also shown marked with the same letter
in the detached and large views, Figures Five and Six; thus it will be seen
that the necessary manipulation for loading and discharging this piece is
reduced to a succession of simple actions, conducing to the better or casier
handling of the piece, and to the greatest rapidity of loading; as, for instance,
the piece may be held by the left hand just above the lock or the fore end of
the stock, with the butt resting on the soldier's thigh, the thumb or finger of
the right hand has only to be applied to the lever to free it, and draw it back
in the direction for the hand to take a cartridge from his pouch, and to apply
it to the breech, his hand will be again in position for carrying the lever E
forward to close the breech; that being done, the thumb may be at the same
time placed on the hammer, and the gun cocked and discharged, which may
be repeated and good aim taken at the rate of ten times per minute, and
with this facility of action, the simplicity of construction, and few parts, renders
the weapon the cheapest and handiest breech-loader that has yet been pro-
duced. In some instances, more especially when constructing this description
of single-barrel gun for birding purposes, it may be preferable to make the
trigger guard and lever E as exhibited at Fig. 9; and in applying this lever and
vertical pin principle to double-barrel guns I confine the action of the pin to
the fore part of the guard instead of the back, as may be seen at Fig. 10,
which represents a side view of a double-barrel sporting gun, the pin being
exhibited in dotted lines with its central vertical action defined by the dotted
line m, m, the lever in this Figure being marked G, not that I purpose
confining myself to the placing of the lever as here shown, as it may be
extended forward, as exhibited in dotted lines marked H. The action of this
gun is similar to Figure One, by turning the lever out at right angles to its
present position the barrels will be freed from the breech and slide forward
about three inches, more or less, as may be desired, and stopped by a detent
hereafter to be described. J is the break-off, which is shown detached at
Fig. 11. The part p, p, is an iron strap, forged and formed with the break-off,
and which strap may be of the same width as the fore end of the stock, but
I prefer for it to be narrower, and to be let into the stock, and in that case
when the barrels and stock are together it will be entirely hid; through the

page_text: centre of this strap a slot is formed, and which slot is partly seen at r, r, Fig. 12,
which is a top view of Figure Ten, with the butt end of the stock broken off
for convenience, and for the same purpose the hammers of the locks are not
shown; this view represents the barrels in position for loading by placing the
cartridges in at the breech end, as at 8, 8; that being done, the barrels must
be brought back, and the conical plugs t, t, will close the breeches of the
barrels, and to bind and hold the barrels in close contact with the plugs the
lever G has to be brought back over the trigger plate, as at Figure Ten, or
carried forward under the fore end of the stock, as at II in the same Figure,
according to the position it may be preferred to place the lever; and this is
effected by the form of the pin, as shown detached with the lever G at Fig. 13,
the part of the pin marked u, when in this position, stands across the groove
marked r in Figure Twelve, and there being a projecting piece formed on the
lower side of the barrel, as exhibited at 2, Fig. 14, and which part is held
between the projecting part of the pin u shown in dotted lines in Figure
Twelve and the break off, thus forming a perfect gas-tight connection; but
when the lever is at right angles, as at G in this Figure, the projecting part
of the pin u is in the position here shown in dotted lines, thereby allowing the
barrels to freely slide backward and forward. w, Figure Fourteen is also a
projecting lug for sliding along in the slot of the strap marked p, p, of the
break-off, and by applying a spring catch similar to what is commonly used
to bayonet handles or swords for fastening them to the muzzle end of muskets,
the catch may clip or project in, so as to stop against the front end of this
part, to prevent the barrels falling or sliding out from the stock, but which
may be readily effected by pressing on a projecting pin, exhibited at Figure
Ten, marked y.
Fig. 15 represents the breech end of the barrels, as exhibited at Figure
Twelve marked K and L, and detached at Figure Fourteen, and in a side
view at Figure Ten. In concluding this description, I will observe that
more or less power or means of binding or bracing together the barrels
to the conical plugs t, t, may be effected by shifting the centre of the pin M
slightly out of the centre of the groove 7, 7, according to the direction the lever
may be placed, namely, if the lever is placed over the trigger guard, as at
Figure Ten, and to be opened in the direction as at G Figure Twelve, the
centre of the pin may be moved slightly towards the plate of the break-off
marked N; but if the lever is applied as exhibited in dotted lines at H
Figure Ten, then the centre of the pin should be placed slightly towards the
plate of the break-off marked O; this will allow freedom for the dovetail
piece v, Figure Fifteen, to pass the face or binding portion of the pin, and be

page_text: in the right position when turned around for exerting its force in thoroughly
bracing or forcing the breech ends of the barrels tight over the plugs t, t.
Having now given a general description of my Invention, and the best way
I know of in which the same may be carried into effect in its general
application to different sorts of fire-arms, I wish it understood that I do not
purpose confining myself to the exact details or to the manner of using them
as herein shown and described, as they may be varied without departing from
the spirit of my Invention, as for instance, the vertical pin and eccentric, as
described and exhibited at Figures One, Two, Ten, and Twelve, may be turned
in either direction with the same effect; but what I claim and wish protected
by these my in part recited Letters Patent, is, the vertical pin, eccentric
action, and lever, with their attendant parts, as herein described and exhibited,
in the construction of breech-loading fire-arms.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Bayliss, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
JAMES S. COCKINGS, Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
BENJAMIN BAYLISS. (LS.)