IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE- ARMS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS." A communication from abroad by Louis Therasson, of New
York City, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 7th July 1868, and dated the 25th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th April 1868.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMB," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in breech-loading fire-arms, whereby,
while being made secure against the escape of gases and fire and the entrance
of dirt and water at the breech, they will admit of being more easily cleaned
and will be more secure against accidental discharge than as heretofore
constructed.
The breech-piece which is stationary, is curved on the upper surface to
correspond with the stock, and it is bored through its entire length in line
with and of greater diameter than the bore of the barrel, and this bore runs
out through the curved upper surface. The curved upper part up to within a
short distanco of the rear end of the barrel is slotted through to permit a

page_text: cartridge to be dropped into it. To this is fitted a follower so that it can
slide therein longitudinally. As matter of convenience it is preferred to make
it at first of a cylindrical form fitted to the bore of the breech-piece, and then
from the rear end to within a short distance of the front end to cut it down
about one-fourth of the diameter to a flat plane, and from about the middle of
its length to the front end it takes a triangular form, having segments of the
original cylinder at the three angles. To the front end of this follower is
fitted the breech pin, which is formed of a metallic disc of the diameter of the
breech of the barrel, and with a central stem on its rear face fitted to a
central hole in the forward end of the follower. Another metallic disc of
similar diameter and provided with a stem (which passes through and slides
freely in the stem of the first-named disc) encloses between it and the first-
named disc india-rubber or other elastic packing. The extreme end of the
stem is threaded to receive a nut which secures the two discs to each other
and confines the packing between them. The breech pin thus constructed is
secured to the front end of the follower by a temper screw, the end of which
enters a notch made in the upper side of the stem. The rear end of the
follower is slotted to receive a lover which vibrates on a fulcrum pin passing
through the follower and at its rear end (extending above the breech-piece) and
is formed into a handle. To the upper surface of the follower is secured a plate
which closes up the slot (before described) mado through the upper part of
the breech-pieco, and an open space is left between the upper flat surface of
the follower and the under surface of the plate to receive a key to prevent
the follower from being drawn back too far. The breech-piece carries
below it a rock lever, the forward end of which is bridled to a cylindrical
plug fitted to slide in a hole in the bottom of the breech-piece, and which
enters a corresponding hole in the lower part of the follower when the
breech pin is pushed home to hold it in place and resist the force of the
recoil at the time of firing the load. The rear end of this rock lever is
also bridled to another plug fitted to slide in a hole in the rear end of the
breech-piece. Thus by lifting the bandle lever its forward arm will force down
the plug out of the hole in the follower and liberate the follower. The breech
pin may then be drawn back to admit a cartridge into the fire-arm. Then
by pressing on the handle in a forward and downward direction the cartridge
is pushed forward into the chamber of the barrel, and the rock lever connected
with the plug is rocked, the plug at the forward end of the lever being
forced upwards and caused to lock the follower. The forward end of this
rock lever when depressed, as it must be to permit the breech pin to be drawn
back, comes into contact with the upper portion of the trigger and forces it

page_text: back from contact with the sere of the lock, and thus prevents the possibility
of firing the load before the breech pin is forced home to enclose the cartridge.
The seat to which the cone is secured and the cone shield, instead of being
part of the breech-piece or secured directly to the breech of the barrel forms a
part of the lock plate, and the inner face of the lock plate is recessed to
receive a projection from the side of the breech-piece, and this projection is
bored through to the inside of the chamber for the cartridge, and is threaded to
receive a screw that passes through to secure the lock plate to the breech-
piece. The touch-hole passes down through the length of the cone or nipplo
to the centre of the screw, and thence along the centre of the screw to the
inuer extremity thereof to communicate the fire to the cartridge in the
chamber of the breech-piece.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, 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
Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," being a communication from
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred. Vincent Newton, 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, reference being bad to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to improvements in breech-loading fire-arms, wheroby
their security against the escape of gases and fire and the entrance of dirt and
water at the breech will be increased, while they will admit of being more
easily cleaned, and will offer increased security against accidental discharge.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a
fire-arm constructed on the improved plan; Fig. 2 is a cross section through
the breech-piece, lock plate, cone, cone seat, and shield; Fig. 3 is a sido
elevation of the lock plate and parts attached to it on the outside; and Fig. 4
is a cross section through the follower and breech-piece. The same letters
indicate like parts in all the Figures.
A, represents the stock; B, the barrel; and C, the stationary breech-piece in
line with and properly secured to the barrel B. This breech-piece is curved
on the upper surface to correspond with the stock, and it is bored through its
entire length in line with and of greater diameter than the bore of the barrel,
and this bore runs out through the curved upper surface. The curved upper
part up to within a short distance of the rear end of the barrel is slotted
through to permit of a cartridge being dropped into it. To this is fitted a
follower D, so that it can slide therein longitudinally. As matter of con-
venience it is preferred to make it at first of a cylindrical form fitted to the
bore of the breech piece C, and then from the rear end to within a short distance
of the front end to cut it down about one-fourth of the diameter to a flat
plane as at a. Then from about the middle of its length to the front end it is
cut away as at b, b, thus taking a triangular form having segments of the
original cylinder at the three angles. To the front end of this follower is
fitted the breech pin or plug E, which is formed of a metallic disc c of the
diameter of the breech of the barrel and with a central stem d on its rear
face fitted to a central hole in the forward end of the follower D. There is
another metallic disc c of the same diameter as the disc c but somewhat
thinner, which is provided with a stem f. This stem passes through and
slides freely but accurately in the stem d of the disc c, and the extreme end of
the stem f is threaded to receive a securing nut g, which secures the two dises
to each other and confines between them a cylinder made of vulcanized india-
rubber or equivalent substance, the said elastic cylinder being fitted to the
stem of the disc e, and its outer diameter being such as to fit the bore of the

page_text: breech of the barrel freely. The breech pin E thus constructed is secured to
the front end of the follower D by a temper screw h, the end of which enters
a notch made in the upper side of the stein d. The rear end of the follower D
is slotted to receive a lever i which vibrates on a fulcrum pinj passing through
the follower, and the rear end of the lever extends above the breech-piece C,
and is there suitably formed into a ring bandle F so as to be conveniently
handled. To the upper surface of the follower is secured a plate G, which
fits and closes up the slot (before described) made through the upper part of
the breech-piece C, and an open space is left between the upper flat surface
of the follower D, and the under surface of the plate G to receive a key
to prevent the follower from being drawn back too far. To the under
part of the breech-piece C is secured a lever m that vibrates on a fulcrum
pin n. The forward end of this lever is bridled to a cylindrical plug o fitted
to slide in a hole made for that purpose in the bottom of the breech-piece and
which enters a corresponding hole in the lower part of the follower when tho
breech-pin E is pushed home to hold it in place and resist the force of the
recoil at the time of firing the load. The rear end of this lever m is also
bridled to another plug p, fitted in like manner to slide in a hole in the breech-
piece C, and the relations of the two arms of the lever i to the plugs o and p
are such, that by lifting the handle F of the lever i, its forward arm will act
on the plug o to force it down out of the hole in the follower D, and thereby
liberate the follower, so that by pulling on the said handle in an upward and
backward direction, the follower with the breech pin will be liberated and
drawn back, thereby opening the slot through the top of the breech to admit
of dropping a cartridge into the bore thereof, and then by pressing on the
handle F in a forward and downward direction the cartridge is pushed forward
into the chamber of the bariel, and the under part of the handle coming into
contact with the plug p of the lever m depresses it and that end of the lever
which forces the plug o at the other end into the hole in the follower, thereby
locking the breech pin to resist the force of the discharge. As the disc'e of
the breech pin E is free to slide back towards the other disc c, and they are
held apart only by the elastic property of the interposed elastic cylinder, it
follows that the force of the discharge acting on the moveable disc e to force
it back, will compress the elastic cylinder in the direction of its length, and
thereby increase its diameter, which will effectually prevent all escape of gas.
The forward arm of the lever m, when depressed, as it must be, to permit the
breech pin to be drawn back, comes into contact with the upper portion of
the trigger q, and forces it back from contact with the sere of the lock, and thus

page_text: prevents the possibility of firing the load before the breech pin is forced home to
enclose the cartridge. The seat r to which the cones is secured, and the cone
shield t, instead of being part of the breech-piece or secured directly to the
breech of the barrel is a part of the lock plate H; and the inner face of the
lock plate is recessed to receive a projection u from the side of the breech
piece C, and this projection u is bored through to the inside of the chamber
for the cartridge, and is threaded to receive a screw 6 that passes through to
secure the lock plate to the breech-piece, the touch-hole passing down as
represented through the length of the cone or nipple to the centre of the
screw v, and thence along the centre of the screw to the inner extremity
thereof to communicate the fire to the cartridge in the chamber of the breech-
piece or breech of the barrel, if it should bo preferred to form such a connection
directly with the barrel.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements in
breech-loading fire-arms, as communicated to me from abroad, and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that,
under the above in part recited Letters Patent, 1 claim,-
The elastic packing made of india-rubber or equivalent substance in combi-
nation with a breech-pin and slotted continuation of the bore of the chamber
in which the breech-pin slides back, far enough in the line of the bore of the
barrel to permit the charge to be dropped in through the slot and forward
to enclose the charge, substantially as described, to prevent the escape of gas in
breech-loading fire-arms.
I also claim the sliding follower which carries the breech-pin.
I also claim the open breech with the slot through its upper part in combi-
nation with the sliding follower fitted to slide therein and with the plate
secured thereto which closes up the slot in the breech-piece when the breech
pin is pushed home, substantially as described.
I also claim the combination of the follower which carries the moveable
breech pin, the lever for locking the follower when the breech pin is forced
home, and the hand lever for operating the follower and the locking lever,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
I also claim the combination of the follower which carries the brecch
pin, the locking lever, and the trigger, substantially as described to prevent
the trigger from acting on the serc of the lock when the breech pin is not
locked as described.
I also claim forming the cone or nipple seat and shield on the lock plate,
substantially as described.

page_text: And finally, I claim connecting the cone and nipple seat on the lock plate
with the breech of the gun by mean of a screw, through part of which the
touch-hole passes as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)