A NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hezekiah Conant, of the State of Connecticut, of
the United States of America, for the Invention of "A NEW AND USEFUL
IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 21st November 1856, and dated the 30th August 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hezekiah Conant at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th August 1856.
I, HEZEKIAH CONANT, of the State of Connecticut, of the United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention of "A NEW AND
USEFUL IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
It consists in the application of a metallic ring, and a chamber, or its
equivalent, to the breech slide, or breech or rear end of the barrel, in breech-
loading fire-arms, or to the forward end of the bore or charge chamber of a
revolver fire-arm, or to the rear end of the barrel of such a revolver or such
a breech-loading fire-arm, the object of such being to prevent or hinder at
the time of an explosion of the charge of such fire-arm the escape of gas or
smoke between the joint or contiguous surfaces of the parts against which the
ring may be pressed by the force of the said explosion.
Figure 1 of the Drawing herewith presented exhibits a longitudinal section
of a portion of a breech-loading fire-arm, and shows my improvement as

page_text: applied thereto; Figure 2 is a side view of the ring; Figure 3, a transverse
section of it; Figure 4, a front view of the breech slide.
In such Drawings, A denotes the stock of the fire-arm; B, the barrel of
the same; C, the breech slide; such arm being supposed to be what is usually
termed a Sharp's carbine or rifle.
The chamber is shown at 6 as formed in the breech slide C, and as having
the ring D arranged in it; and with respect to the rear end of the barrel, as
shown in Figure 1. The inner diameter of the ring corresponds with that of
the bore of the barrel, the ring being cut or formed so that it may expand by
the heat and power of the explosion of the charge, so as to be pressed
against the adjacent surfaces of the slide and barrel and close the joint
between them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hezekiah Conant in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HEZEKIAH
CONANT, of the State of Connecticut, of the United States of America, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, A.D. 1856, in the twentieth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Hezekiah Conant, Her special license that I, the said
Hezekiah Conant, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Hezekiah Conant, 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention of "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Hezekiah Conant, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hezekiah Conant, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
Specification, and the Drawing, which accompany and make part of the
same.
Figure 1 of the said Drawing denotes a longitudinal section of a breech-
loading carbine or fire-arm having my Invention or improvement applied to
it; Figure 2 is a front elevation of its breech slide; Figure 3 is a side view
of the expansion ring, which constitutes part of my improvement; Figure 4
is a transverse section of the said ring.
The nature of my Invention consists in the application of a metallic ring,
and a chamber, or its equivalent, to the breech slide, or rear end of the barrel,
in breech-loading fire-arms, or to the forward end of the bore or charge
chamber of a revolver fire-arm, or to the rear end of the barrel of such
revolver or such a breech-loading fire-arm, the object of such being to prevent
or hinder at the time of the explosion of the charge of such fire-arm the
escape of gas or smoke between the joint or contiguous surfaces of the parts
against which the ring may be pressed by the force of the said explosion.
In the said Drawings, or in such of them as the same may be shown, A,
denotes the stock of the fire-arm; B, the barrel of the same; C, the breech
slide; such fire-arm being of the kind well known under the name of Sharp's
carbine or rifle.
In carrying out my Invention, I form in the front face of the breech slide C
a recess or chamber b, the axis of which should be in line with that of the
bore of the barrel B when the slide is raised up to its highest position. The
diameter of this chamber should be somewhat larger than that of the bore of
the barrel, and so as to receive and hold a metallic annulus or ring D, which
should have its internal diameter to correspond in size with that of the bore of
the barrel. The inner face of the ring is bevelled down to an acute angle with
the front face of it, and when the ring is in place, such front face of it rests in
contact with the rear end of the barrel, as shown in Figure 1. The chamber b
not only serves to receive the ring, but also a part of the charge of powder
while the fire-arm is loaded.
In the operation of my Invention, the explosive force of the charge when it
is fired will force the ring forward against the rear end of the barrel; it, or the
heat of it, will also expand the ring, so as to cause it to closely fit against the
circular sides of the chamber 6, such chamber being formed to concentrically
receive and fit upon the circumference of the ring.
My improvement is also applicable to the front end or muzzle of each charge
chamber of a "Colt's revolver," or other like fire-arm; and instead of insert-
ing the ring in the charge chamber, it may be arranged in a chamber or groove

page_text: formed in the rear end of the barrel of such revolver, and so as to abut or be
forced against the muzzle of the charge chamber during and by the explosion
of its powder. The effect of closing the joint or opening between the con-
tiguous surfaces of the barrel and the revolving charge chamber will be the
same as above mentioned.
What I claim as my Invention is, the application of a metallic ring D, and
a chamber b, or its equivalent, to the breech slide, or the breech or rear end of
the barrel, in a breech-loading fire-arm, or to the forward end of the charge
chamber, or the rear end of the barrel of a revolver, and so as to operate
therewith, substantially, in manner and for the object or purpose, and under
circumstances as heretofore specified.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature & seal, this