AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, SO AS TO RENDER THEM AVAILABLE FOR USE AS BREECH-LOADERS OR MUZZLE-LOADERS, AS MAY BE FOUND CONVENIENT
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Augustin Grimston, of Clifford, in the
County of York, Flax Spinner, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, SO AS TO RENDER
THEM AVAILABLE FOR USE AS BREECH-LOADERS OR MUZZLE-LOADERS, AS MAY
BE FOUND CONVENIENT."
Sealed the 30th May 1865, and dated the 20th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Augustin Grimston
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th December 1864.
I, THOMAS AUGUSTIN GRIMSTON, of Clifford, in the County of York, Flax
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, SO AS TO RENDER THEM
AVAILABLE FOR USE AS BREECH-LOADERS OR MUZZLE-LOADERS, AS MAY BE FOUND
CONVENIENT," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is effected by the employment of a metallic
cartridge case of peculiar construction. The cartridge case is made of any
suitable metal, of shape and size similar to the case of the ordinary pin
cartridge at present in use for breech-loaders. The pin is separate from the
cartridge case, and is perforated throughout its length, and provided with a
nipple at one end and a screw thread at the other. The pin may thus be
screwed into the cartridge case until the base of the nipple rests upon the gun

page_text: barrel, which latter is protected from injury by a leather or any other kind of
washer. The gun barrels being then locked, the fire-arm may in every respect
be loaded and treated as a muzzle-loading gun to be fired by percussion caps,
but may nevertheless be again used as a breech-loading gun whenever required
by withdrawing the cartridge case, and so on in a constant alternation.
The novelty consists in making the pin separate from the cartridge case, and
in so arranging it that it can be screwed into the case, and in piercing it
throughont its length so as to convey the flame of the fulminate to the charge
of powder in the barrel, and in. providing the pin with a nipple to receive an
ordinary percussion cap.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Augustin Grimston in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
AUGUSTIN GRIMSTON, of Clifford, in the County of York, Flax Spinner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Augustin Grimston, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Augustin Grimstou, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas Augustin Grimston, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH BREECK-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS, SO AS TO RENDER THEM AVAILABLE FOR USE AS BREECH-LOADERS
OR MUZZLE-LOADERS, AS MAY BE FOUND CONVENIENT," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Augustin Grimston, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Augustin Grimston, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say)
:-
This Invention consists in the employment of a metallic case of peculiar
construction, which is placed in the rear end of the barrel, so as to form a
case or chamber to receive the charge. This case, which I may denominate
the cartridge case, is made of any suitable metal, and is similar in shape to
the cases of the ordinary pin cartridges at present in use for breech-loaders.
The pin of my improved apparatus is separate from the metallic case, and is
perforated throughout its length, and provided with a nipple at one end and a
Ecrew thread at the other; the intermediate space between the nipple at the
top and the screw at the bottom is of the same diameter as the pin of the
common cartridge, and consequently it will fit easily into the pin hole of
the gun. This pin may be screwed into the metallic cartridge case until the
base of the nipple rests upon the gun barrel, which latter is protected from
injury by a leather or any other kind of washer placed between it and the
nipple. The gun barrels being thus provided with a case to hold the charge
and a nipple to receive a cap, the fire-arm may in every respect be loaded
and treated as a muzzle-loading gun, and be fired by means of percussion
caps placed on the nipple in the ordinary manner; but the barrels may
nevertheless be again used as a breech-loading gun whenever required by
withdrawing the improved metallic cartridge case and nipple and using the
ordinary pin cartridges.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. I is a sectional view of part of a gun
provided with an ordinary pin cartridge case A ready to be fired; B is the
ordinary pin, which when struck by the hammer is made to strike the cap C
contained in the base of the cartridge, and thereby ignite the charge in the
cartridge case, as is well known; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a gun barrel, in
which is inserted one of my improved cartridge cases or shells, which may be
made of metal, and of any suitable shape and size; Fig. 3 is an end view of
the metallic case A; D is a hollow pin, of the same diameter outside as the
common cartridge pin. The pin D is shewn detached at Fig. 4; at one end
of it is a screw thread, and at the other end is a nipple made like an ordinary
muzzle-loading gun nipple; E is a guard or shield (cup-shaped), but the
edge of which is hollowed out on two of its sides, and this guard is slipped
over the screwed end of the pin D, and has for its object the protection of
the eye from the explosion of the cap which is placed upon the nipple.

page_text: When the fire-arm is required to be used as a muzzle-loader the gun is
unlocked, and the case or shell A, Fig. 2, provided with the improved pin D,
is placed in the breech in the place of the ordinary cartridge. The pin D
(with the guard placed beneath the nipple) having been previously screwed
into the case or shell A, the case is secured in its place by locking the barrel.
Beneath the guard may be placed a leather washer, which when the pin is
screwed down into the case or shell (until the base of the guard rests upon
the barrel of the gun) will soften the blows of the hammer, and protect the
barrel from being damaged thereby. When the gun barrels are locked, the
gun may be used as an ordinary muzzle-loader by placing a common copper cap
on the nipple of the pin D, and when the cap is struck by the hammer the
flame of the fulminate will be conveyed down the perforation in the pin D to
the charge of powder in the case A.
When the fire-arm is required to be used as a breech-loader, the case or
shell A, Fig. 2, is withdrawn from the breech, and the ordinary pin cartridge
may be inserted in its place.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improved Apparatus to be
used with Breech-loading Fire-arms, so as to render them available for Use
as Breech-loaders or as Muzzle-loaders, as may be found convenient," and
having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the adaptation to
breech-loading fire-arms to which they may be applicable of the cases A, or
other equivalent apparatus, provided with a perforated pin suitable to receive
a common percussion cap, which when struck will explode the charge, as
above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Augustin Grimston, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
THOMAS AUGUSTIN GRIMSTON. (L.S.)
WILLIAM HENRY WOOD,
Of Clifford.