IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE- ARMS AND CARTRIDGES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sven Rydbeck, of Sköfde, in the Kingdom of
Sweden, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS AND CARTRIDGES."
Sealed the 25th April 1865, and dated the 8th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sven Rydbeck at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
November 1864.
I, SVEN RYDBECK, of Sköfde, in the Kingdom of Sweden, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS AND CARTRIDGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-arms
and cartridges.
In constructing breech-loading fire-arms, I employ a block to close the
breech end of the barrel, and the fore end of the block is hinged or jointed
to the barrel in such a manner that it can be turned up and laid on the top
of the barrel, so as to allow a clear passage for the introduction of the
cartridge into the barrel.

page_text: The cartridge which I will presently describe carries its own percussion,
and it is fired by means of a needle fixed in a piece sliding longitudinally
within the block, and which in firing the cartridge protrudes and pricks it in
the centre of the base. The needle slide has an arm or projection on one
side, which projects out through a slot in the side of the block, and motion is
given to the needle slide and needle by the ordinary external hammer
of the lock striking the arm or projection of the needle slide for the purpose
of locking the block in the position for firing; an axis is mounted at its rear
end vertically, and on this axis is a cam, which enters into an inclined notch
in the face of the breech plate. At the upper end of the axis is a lever,
which, when the block is locked in its place for firing, lays along over the
tang of the breech plate, and to unlock the block the lever is turned a
quarter round to the left, which frees the cam from the notch. The lever is
also formed with a projection on it, which in unlocking the block acts on
the hammer and raises it to half-cock.
.
Enfield rifles can be readily altered to this system of breech-loading; it is
necessary only to shorten the barrel about three inches, and to adapt to it
this breech-loading action in place of the ordinary breech pin. The wood of
the stock requires little alteration, except to have cut out of it a vertical
groove to receive a web, which runs from end to end of the action underneath,
and forms its frame.
:
The cartridge I employ has a paper case with the ball fixed in front, and
at the back the powder case is closed behind the powder by a disc or stopper
of gunpowder moulded in a suitable mould. In the centre of the gunpowder
plug at the back is a recess into which an ordinary gun cap is fitted, and this
the needle strikes when the cartridge is fired. At the back of the cartridge
behind the gunpowder plug, a wad of greased felt, or it may be cardboard, or
other similar material is fixed, and the needle penetrates this in reaching the
cap, or the wad may be perforated, if desired: The wad serves to insure a
tight joint behind the cartridge; in loading it 'is pushed forward in front of
the new cartridge.
:
i
. :
L
In making cartridges" for muzzle-loaders, I employd similar plug of
compressed or moulded powder to close the rear end of the powder case:
This cartridge is introduced whole into the barrel, and when the piece is 'fired
the fire of the cap' readily ignites 'the' plug, and 'the fire is immediately
communicated to the rest of the charge.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Sven Rydbeck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th.
May 1865.
-
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, SVEN
RYDBECK, of Sköfde, in the Kingdom of Sweden, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of November, 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, tho
said Sven Rydbeck, Her special licence, that I, the said Sven Rydbeck,.
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Sven
Rydbeck, 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 AND CARTRIDGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Sven Rydbeck, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Sven Rydbeck, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-arms
and cartridges.
In constructing breech-loading fire-arms, I employ a block to close thé
breech end of the barrel, and the fore end of the block is hinged or jointed to
the barrel in such a manner that it can be turned up and laid on the top of
the barrel, so as to allow a clear passage for the introduction of the cartridge
into the barrel.
The cartridge, which I will presently describe, carries its own percussion,
and it is fired by means of a needle fixed in a piece sliding longitudinally
within the block, and which in firing the cartridge protrudes and pricks it in

page_text: 'the centre of the base. The needle slide has an arm or projection on one
side, which projects out through a slot in the side of the block, and motion is
given to the needle slide and needle by the ordinary external hammer of the
lock striking the arm or projection of the needle slide. For the purpose of
locking the block in the position for firing, an axis is mounted at its rear end
vertically, and on this axis is a cam which enters into an inclined notch in the
face of the breech plate. At the upper end of the axis is a lever, which when
the block is locked in its place for firing, lies along over the tang of the
breech plate, and to unlock the block the lever is turned a quarter round to
the left, which frees the cam from the notch.
Enfield rifles can be readily altered to this system of breech loading; it is
necessary to shorten the barrel about three inches, and to adapt to it this
breech-loading action in place of the ordinary breech pin.
Figures 1 and 2 are side views; Figure 8 is a longitudinal section;
Figure 4 a plan, and Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sections of part of a rifle
to which my improvements are applied.
The Figures 7, 8, and 9, show some of the parts separately.
a, a, is the stock, which may be that of an ordinary Enfield rifle, excepting
that it is to a small extent cut away in some places to accommodate the new
parts; 6 is the barrel, it has formed or fixed at its breech end the chamber 6',
at the end of which is a tang 62, through which passes the breech nail c; d is
a block hinged to the breech end of the barrel at d', it turns up to allow of
the free introduction of the cartridge into the barrel, and shuts down into the
position in which it is shewn to close the breech; e is the needle for firing the
cartridge, it projects out through a small aperture in the front of the block d
and is fixed to the needle slide e, which fits and slides truly within a hole bored
in the block d; is a spiral spring in front of the needle slide, and tending
constantly to draw back the needle into the block d; e³ is an arm or projection
which projects out through a slot d in the side of the block d, and this
upon
the hammer strikes in order to force the needle forward and fire the
charge.
The lock is of the ordinary description, save only that the head of the
hammer is made solid, as is shown; g is an axis mounted on the rear end of
the block d, and h is a cam mounted on this axis; it is intended for locking
the block d in position for firing, which it does by entering the inclined notch
formed as is shewn in the face of the breech plate. The axis g is turned a
quarter round to lock and unlock the block d by means of the handle i applied
at its upper end. The cam h has also a notch h¹ formed in it to receive the
projecting nib e', which passes through the arm or projection e³, and is secured

page_text: by a screw to it; this nib e prevents the needle being started forward until
the block d is securely locked in its place; k is a turn button acting as a
safety bolt to lock the needle and its slide, when desired it enters a notch e" in
the arm or projection o³.
The cartridge I employ has a paper case with the ball fixed in front, and at
the back the powder case is closed behind the powder by a disc or stopper of
gunpowder moulded in a suitable mould. In the centre of the gunpowder plug
at the back is a recess, into which an ordinary gun cap is fitted, and this the
needle strikes when the cartridge is fired. At the back of the cartridge behind
the gunpowder plug a wad of greased felt, or it may be cardboard or other
similar material, is fixed, and the needle penetrates this in reaching the cap, or
the wad may be perforated if desired. The wad serves to ensure a tight joint.
behind the cartridge; in loading it is pushed forward in front of the new
cartridge.
Figure 10 is a longitudinal section of such a cartridge. a is the projectile
of the usual form, secured at the front of a tube of paper, which contains the
gunpowder 6 in grains; c is a stopper or plug of moulded gunpowder intro-
duced into the cartridge case behind the loose powder; this stopper or plug,
of which the form is clearly shewn, is conveniently made by striking gunpowder
in a fly press between dies of corresponding form; a very small quantity of
gum water or other cementing material may be employed, if desired; the
powder employed being then slightly moistened with it before being put into
the dies. In the centre of the stopper or plug of moulded gunpowder there
is a hole or recess, as is shewn, and into this an ordinary percussion cap dis
fitted, or fulminating material may be otherwise applied at the rear of the
cartridge; the cartridge case is then folded in behind the stopper or plug c,
and a wad e is cemented on at the back; this wad may very conveniently be
made of skin, wash leather, or gutta percha. The cartridge is lubricated
externally in the usual manner. Instead of employing a block of compressed
powder as described, a cartridge may be used, having the flange of the cap
enclosed between two thicknesses of leather, as shown at Figure 11.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
constructing breech-loading fire-arms with a hinged block to close the breech,
such hinged block carrying the needle and needle slide, which are so arranged
as to be actuated from the outside by a hammer, as herein described.
I also claim the method of locking the said hing d block in position, as
herein-before described.
I also claim the constructing breech-loading cartridges with a stopper or

page_text: plug of compressed gunpowder at the rear, such stopper or plug having a
hole or recess in it to receive and hold a percussion cap, as is shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sven Rydbeck have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.