IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Emsdorff Walker, of James's Terrace,
Waterloo Road, in the County of Surry, Gun Maker, for the nvention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Emsdorff Walker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th February 1863.
I, FRANK EMSDORFF WALKER, of James's Terrace, Waterloo Road, in
the County of Surry, Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new construction and arrangement of the breech
or action and to a new and improved method of locking and opening the barrels
of breech-loading guns, with which the cartridges known as "Lefaucheux"
cartridges are used. The improvement in the body of the action is such that
the metal portions are so arranged and placed that the gun-locks employed
therewith may be of the "bar" pattern, jointed to the barrels and false breech
as in the muzzle-loading gun. The action is let into the stock, leaving the
wood on each side, so that the locks may be let into the wood also, as in an
ordinary muzzle-loading gun. The locking part consists of a steel tumbler
carried by a pin which passes through the body of the action, and the said

page_text: tumbler has a lever or handle attached thereto, which when the gun is closed
partly covers the guard of the gun, and by means of this lever giving motion to
the tumbler the barrels are opened or closed. A link connects the lever and
the barrels in such manner that by moving the lever forwards or backwards
the barrels are opened or closed, and when the lever is moved into position
with the guard, the gun is locked securely and in a more simple manner than
by the means heretofore employed for this purpose.
A "safety "is employed in combination with the parts previously described,
whereby the triggers are firmly locked when the lever and tumbler are out of
position, the stop or bolt of the "safety" being moved back when the lever is
moved fully into position again over the guard. A spring catch or other
simple fastening may be employed to secure the lever to the guard or otherwise
when the parts are closed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frank Emsdorff Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANK
EMSDORFF WALKER, of James's Terrace, Waterloo, Road, in the County of
Surrey, Gun Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Frank Emsdorff Walker, Her special licence, that I, the said Frank
Emsdorff Walker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Frank Emsdorff Walker, my executors, administrators, and 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frank Emsdorff Walker,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frank Emsdorff Walker, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
.
This Invention relates to a new construction and arrangement of the breech
or action, and to a new and improved method of locking and opening the
barrels of breech-loading guns, with which the cartridges known as the "Lefau-
cheux" cartridges are used.
The improvement in the body of the action is such that the metal portions
are so arranged and placed that the gun locks employed therewith may be of
the bar pattern, "jointed" or fitted to the barrels and false breech as in
the muzzle-loading gun. The action is let into the stock, leaving the wood
on each side, so that the locks may be let into the wood also as in an ordinary
muzzle-loading gun. The locking part consists of a steel tumbler carried by
a pin which passes through the body of the action, and the said tumbler has a
lever or handle attached thereto, which when the gun is closed partly covers
the guard of the gun, and by means of this lever giving motion to the tumbler
the barrels are opened or closed. A link connects the lever and the barrels
in such manner that by moving the lever forwards or backwards the barrels
are opened or closed, and when the lever is moved into position with the
guard the gun is locked securely and in a more simple manner than by the.
means heretofore employed for this purpose.
A safety is employed in combination with the parts previously described,
whereby the triggers are firmly locked when the lever and tumbler are out
of position, the stop or bolt of the safety being moved back when the lever is
moved fully into position again over the guard. A spring catch or other
simple fastening may be employed to secure the lever to the guard or otherwise
when the parts are closed.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and.
readily carried into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a side view of a double barrel breech-loading gun con-
structed according to my Invention, the breech and "action" being closed

page_text: cartridges inserted at the breech end of the barrels; the other figures show
different views of the several parts of the "action" separately, the nature of
which written thereon. By a careful examination of the construction and
arrangement of these parts it will be readily seen that they admit of the
convenient application of gun locks of the "bar" pattern to guns having
the locks jointed or fitted to the barrels and to the false breech as in the
muzzle-loading gun. The application of "bar "locks to guns of this description
as usually constructed is attended with difficulty. At the same time I would
have it understood that I do not claim generally the application of "bar"
locks to breech-loading guns of this character, but only so far as they are
employed in combination with the improved "action" or apparatus herein
described for connecting and locking the barrels and moveable breech, together
and for separating or opening the same.
a, a, are the barrels formed with a projection a', underneath which is jointed
to the "action" or moveable breech-piece 6 by the pin or axis a². The breech-
piece is let into and secured to the stock of the gun, and affords ample
room on each side for locks of the "bar" pattern to be let into the wood left
on each side as in ordinary muzzle-loading guns. The locking part consists
of a steel tumbler c¹, attached to and forming part of the lever or handle c,
which is connected by a pin to the breech piece b. The tumbler c¹ is
formed with a projection, which, when the parts are closed engages with a
projection on the part a', affixed to the under side of the barrels. The form
of the tumbler c' is such that when moved into position to close the parts
together it fills up the slotted space in the piece b, in which it moves, so as to
give great solidity and strength to the locking parts of the action. d is a link
connected at one end by a pin joint to the lever c, and at the other end the
link d is connected by a stud thereon to the part a' fixed on the under side
of the barrels. The act of moving the lever c into position over the guard,
causes the link d to draw the breech end of the barrels down so as to close up
the breech end, the lever being locked in position over the guard by means of
a spring catch c³, which can be readily released when the parts are about to
be opened. In opening the parts the link d assists in taking part of the
weight of the barrels, thus preventing the weight and strain from acting
injuriously upon the pin or axis a². I prefer to lock the triggers by an
ordinary "safety," retaining them locked until the lever c is moved fully into
position, & stud or projection on the back of the tumbler & then acting on the
safety to release the triggers.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein described, so long

page_text: as the peculiar character of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is
the construction of breech-loading fire-arms in the manner and for the
purposes herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Emsdorff Walker, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
FRANK EMSDORFF WALKER. (L.S.)
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane. W.C.