IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS AND FIRE.
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gustavus Palmer Harding, of No. 77, Cornhill, in
the City of London, Merchant, and Lynall Thomas. of No. 9, Union
Street, Hill Street, Berkeley Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS AND FIRE.
Sealed the 28th March 1865, and dated the 7th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gustavus Palmer Harding
and Lynall Thomas at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents. with
their Petition, on the 7th November 1864.
We, GUSTAVUS PALMER HARDING, of No. 77. Cornhill, in the City of
London, Merchant, and LYNALL THOMAS, of No. 9, Union Street, Hill Street,
Berkeley Square, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS AND FIREARMS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in guns and fire-arms. For
these purposes, in constructing a gun or fire-arm, there is formed behind the
At the
charge a space or chamber with an opening into the atmosphere.
back end of the charge in the barrel there is placed a partition or wad, which
is preferred to be cupped. This partition or wad divides the interior of the
barrel of the gun or fire-arm from the space or chamber at the breech, which
opens into or communicates with the outer atmosphere. The opening out of
the space or chamber at the breech end of the gun or fire-arm may be equal to

page_text: the bore of the gun, or otherwise: such opening is usually closed or covered
with a second wad or partition, or other provision is made to resist any sudden
passage back of the air contained in the chamber.
The object is to obtain a
delay in the driving back of the hinder wads or partitions and the confined
air, whilst the full impetus is given to the projectile in the opposite direction.
At the discharge, the projectile is driven forward, whilst the wad at the back
end of the charge is driven back compressing the air, and ultimately it and
the other wad are driven out, there being a stop or guard to receive the wads.
By these means, not only will the recoil be prevented or modified, but large
charges of gun cotton or other explosive compound may be employed with
advantage, whilst the barrel will be less liable to be injured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Gustavus Palmer Harding and Lynall Thomas in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 6th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, GUSTAVUS
PALMER HARDING, of 77, Cornhill, in the City of London, Merchant, and
LYNALL THOMAS, of No. 9, Union Street, Hill Street, Berkeley Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
ller reign, did, for Herself, ller heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Gustavus Palmer Harding and Lynall Thomas, Her special licence
that we, the said Gustavus Palmer llarding and Lynall Thomas, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Gustavus Palmer
Harding and Lynall Thomas, our 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN GUNS AND FIREARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Gustavus Palmer Harding and Lynall Thomas, our exccutors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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

page_text: Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Gustavus Palmer Harding and Lynall
Thomas, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in guns and fire-arms. For
these purposes, in constructing a gun or fire-arm, there is formed behind the
At the
charge a space or chamber with an opening into the atmosphere.
back end of the charge in the barrel there is placed a partition or wad, which
is preferred to be cupped. This partition or wad divides the interior of the
barrel of the gun or fire-arm from the space or chamber at the breech, which
opens into or communicates with the outer atmosphere. The opening out of
the space or chamber at the breech end of the gun or fire-arm may be equal to
the bore of the gun, or otherwise; such opening is usually closed or covered
with a second wad or partition, or other provision is made to resist any sudden
passage back of the air contained in the chamber. The object is to obtain a
delay in the driving back of the hinder wads or partitions, and the confined
air, whilst the full impetus is given to the projectile in the opposite direction.
At the discharge, the projectile is driven forward, whilst the wad at the back
end of the charge is driven back, compressing the air, and ultimately it and
the other wad are driven out, there being a stop or guard to receive the wads.
By these means not only will the recoil be prevented or modified, but large
charges of gun cotton or other explosive compound may be employed with
advantage, whilst the barrel will be less liable to be injured.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention; we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING,
which represents a longitudinal section of the barrel of a gun or fire-ariil,
which is shewn to be made of a series of cylinders one within the other; but
this is not essential, and the chamber at the back of the charge is shewn to be
of larger diameter than the forward part of the barrel; this construction is
preferred, but is not essential so long as the chamber at the back of the charge
is of sufficient capacity.
In the Drawing the cartridge containing the explosive material is shewn to
be of smaller diameter than the projectile, so that there is an air space all
round, which is desirable when using gun cotton or other explosive compound
which burns very quickly.

page_text: a, a, is a chamber at the breech end of the barrel; b is a wad or partition
at the forward end of the chamber a, a, and it is preferred that this wad or
partition should be cupped, as is shewn; c is another wad or partition at the
back end of the chamber a, which is retained in position by the breech
plug d, which is to be introd: d into or held against the breech end of the
barrel. Through this breech plug is a passage which it is preferred should
be of like diameter to the forward part of the barrel, hence it will be seen that
the chamber a, a, is open to the outer atmosphere, except that the passage
through the breech plug is covered by the wad or partition c. The breech
plug may be arranged to be moved to and from the breech end of the barrel,
and be held secure when in rosition by any convenient means, according to
the nature of the gun or the fire-arm and the carriage or stock in which the
barrel is mounted. It is not essential that the outlet from the chamber a, a,
should be in a line with the barrel, but it is preferred that such should be the
case. By thus employing an air chamber communicating with the outer
atmosphere at the back of the charge the recoil is prevented and the strain
on the breech end of the barrel diminished. The wads or partitions may be of
hard felt or paper, or like material, and they will be driven out through the
opening into the atmosphere when the discharge takes place. The wads will
generally be for the most part charred or burned, but a shield should be
applied at the back of the passage, as indicated by dotted lines or otherwise,
in order that the wads or remains thereof may be directed forward or towards
the ground.
In witness whereof, we, the said Gustavus Palmer Harding and Lynall
Thomas, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-five.
G. P. HARDING.
(L.S.)
LYNALL THOMAS. (L.S.)