IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Stokes and Charles
Faulknerat the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 1st August 1866.
We, WILLIAM STOKES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Machinist, and CHARLES FAULKNER, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Gun Barrel
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:--
Our improvements in breech-loading fire-arms relate to such breech-
loading fire-arms as are opened and closed by a sliding bolt or closer through
a hole in which a needle or striker is driven to discharge the cartridge. In
constructing a breech-loading gun according to this part of our Invention
we construct and arrange the parts in the following manner:-We cut away
the upper part of the barrel near the breech so as to form. an opening
sufficiently large for the introduction of the cartridge. In this part of the
barrel the bolt or closer slides the handle by which the said closer is moved,
engaging by a rotary motion in a cross slot in the front end of the opening to
secure the closer during discharge. Opposite the handle a projection is
made on the closer, which works in a longitudinal groove in the barrel during
the sliding motion of the closer and in a transverse groove on the rotation
of the closer. The handle of the closer is secured in its place during
discharge by a spring catch fastening. The closer is hollow and in its
interior the needle by which the gun is discharged works; this needle is

page_text: enclosed in a tube, and urged forward by a coiled spring. The rear end
coiled-spring.
of the tube has a shoulder with which when the tube is drawn back a sear
engages. The action of the parts is as follows:-After discharge the handle
of the closer is raised out of the transverse slot, thereby giving a partial
rotation to the closer; the said closer is. thereby liberated and is drawn back
by its handle. The cartridge is introduced at the opening in the barrel
and the closer again advanced and fixed by depressing its handle. On the
drawing back of the closer the tube carrying the needle or striker is pressed
back, and its shoulder engages with the sear described; the closer on being
advanced to close the breech leaving the said tube and needle or striker
behind. By pressing the trigger with the finger the sear is disengaged from
the shoulder on the tube carrying the needle or striker, which tube is urged
forward by the coiled spring; the needle or striker is thereby driven through
a hole in front of the closer into the cartridge and discharges the said
cartridge.
Our improvements in cartridges for breech-loading fire-arms are as
follows: In the bullet or projectile we fix an iron pin or wire having an
expanded cup-like end; the said pin or wire is of such a length that when
the cartridge is made up its cup-like end is almost in contact with the wad
forming the base of the cartridge. The fulminate is placed in the cup-like
end of the said rod or pin, and in discharging the cartridge the needle or
striker of the gun pierces the wad and strikes the fulminate; or instead of
placing the fulminate in a cup-like cavity at the end of the rod or pin the
said rod or pin may be made plain at its end and an ordinary percussion cap
be placed thereon.
Instead of making the pin or wire of a different material from that of
which the bullet is made it may be made of the same material and in one
piece with the bullet.