AN IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Durell Greene, of Craven Street, in the City
of Westminster, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 1st August 1856, and dated the 21st February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Durell Greene
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st February 1856.
I, JAMES DURELL GREENE, of Craven Street, in the City of Westminster,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-.
The Invention consists in an improvement upon the means of closing the
rear end of the breech in breech-loading fire-arms, by the employment of a
self-adjusting thimble, for which Letters Patent were granted to Moses Poole,
the 12th May 1854.
Now, my improvement consists in forming an annular ring or recess in the
rear end of the barrel, and in forming a flange or rim on the back of the
thimble; the thimble is thus kept from entering too far into the barrel,
and when pressed up by the bolt prevents any escape of gas on the firing
of the charge.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Durell Greene in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
DURELL GREENE, of Craven Street, in the City of Westminster, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Durell Greene, Her special licence that I, the said James Durell
Greene, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Durell Greene, 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 "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Durell Greene, my executors or administrators,
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.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Durell Greene, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings annexed, that is
to say:-
This Invention consists in an improvement upon the means of closing the
rear end of the breech in breech-loading fire-arms, by the employment of a
self-adjusting thimble, for which Letters Patent were granted to Moses Poole,
the 12th May 1854.
The improvement consists in forming an annular ring or recess in the rear
end of the barrel; and in forming a flange or rim on the back of the thimble;
the thimble is thus kept from entering too far into the barrel, and when
pressed up by the bolt prevents any escape of gas on the firing of the charge.

page_text: In the annexed Drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a military musket
constructed with my improvement, and with part of the barrel broken off;
Figure 2 is a plan; Figure 3, a sectional elevation, shewing also the form of
lock I prefer to use; Figure 4 is an external elevation; and Figure 5, a
section of one of my improved thimbles detached; Figure 6 is a view of the
back; Figure 7, of the front of the thimble; and Figure 8 is a sectional
elevation of a bolt, which I prefer to use in connection with my improved
thimble. Similar letters indicate similar parts in all the Figures.
A, A, is the barrel, the lower part of which is prolonged back over the stock
to form the seat for the bolt, and the means of securing the bolt in its position
after loading and prior to discharging the gun. A' is the stock. The rear of
the barrel has an annular recess a, a, for the reception of the neck b, b, of the
thimble. c is a flange to abut against the barrel: d is a groove in the neck
for holding oil or other lubricating material. B is the bolt, shewn detached
and in section at Figure 8. The bolt, with its handle B', is formed in one
piece, and for the sake of lightness is bored out as at e to form a chamber,
which I use as an oil or grease reservoir, and close up the outer end by a
screwed nut. f is an oil pin fitted into a screwed head which works in
a thread in the screwed nut, as shewn at Figure 8. It is not, however,
necessary that the bolt should be hollowed out in the body; as just described, as
it may be solid. C, C, are two cam-shaped lugs on the fore end of the bolt;
and D is a chamber in the face thereof, bevelled off at front to fit over the rear
of the thimble. The bolt is held in its seat, but in such manner as to allow of
its being freely withdrawn from, and pushed back against, the thimble by the
semicircular band g, hinged at one side and secured by a screw at the other to
the bolt seat immediately behind the opening to the rear of the barrel, and in
the prolongation thereof I form à cam-shaped groove E for the reception and
locking of the lugs C, C, on the bolt. I drill a hole near the back of the bolt,
in such a position that when the bolt is locked in the locking cain, it shall
come opposite to and receive a stud i, rising through the bolt bed from a
spring j. When the bolt is in any other position, this stud is kept depressed,
and through a bolt k affixed to the under side of the spring locks the trigger,
and prevents the hammer exploding the percussion cap, or priming and
discharging the gun. I is a stud, resting upon the spring j for depressing the
pin i when required.
In the Drawings I have shewn the form of lock I prefer to use, and the
nipple, as placed on the under side of the barrel, whereby no parts are brought
to interfere with a clear sight along the barrel. I also find it advantageous to
use, as a substitute for percussion caps, strips of paper or linen formed into a

page_text: roll, and provided at intervals with detonating powder. This paper is placed
in a box, and is acted upon by a wheel connected with the hammer in such
manner as to be caused, every time the lock is placed at full cock, to present
a portion of the detonating powder upon the nipple; a sharp edge or knife on
the end of the hammer cuts off the portion of the paper or linen primer about
to be exploded just prior to the explosion taking place. The working of the
.thimble and of the bolt is as follows:-Supposing the bolt to be drawn back,
as represented by the dotted lines in Figure 2, a cartridge is inserted into the
rear end of the barrel, the bolt is pushed forward against the barrel and
thimble, and is turned until the handle B' assumes the horizontal position
shewn in plan, Figure 2, when the stud i will rise into the hole made to
receive it in the bolt B, and the lock will be free; the hammer is placed at full
cock, and the gun may be discharged. The effect of the discharge will be
to force the thimble back into its seat in the bolt B, and to prevent the escape
of any gases from the breech. To prepare the gun for another charge, the
studs and i must be depressed, the bolt turned over until the handle is in a
vertical position and then drawn back, when a fresh charge is to be inserted,
as before explained.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, the improved
means of closing the rear end of the breech in breech-loading fire-arms, by
forming an annular ring or recess in the rear end of the barrel, and in forming
a flange or rim on the back of the thimble, as herein-before described and
represented in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Durell Greene, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
J. DURELL GREENE. (L.S.)