IMPROVEMENTS IN OR BREECH LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Henry Burton, of Harrogate, in the County
of York, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OR BREECH LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 27th July 1866, and dated the 10th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Henry Burton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th February 1866.
I, JAMES HENRY BURTON, of Harrogate, in the County of York, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Breech-loading
Fire-arms" relates to that description of fire-arm in which metallic cartridges
are employed, and consists in a novel mode of closing and opening the rear
end of the barrel. The Invention also relates to the mode of extracting the
empty cartridge case from the rear end of the barrel preparatory to inserting
a fresh cartridge.
The rear end of the barrel is closed by means of a solid block of metal
which is capable of being raised and lowered in a vertical direction in a slot
made through the body of the arm immediately behind the barrel. This
block is prevented from being displaced or from being moved too far in either

page_text: direction by means of a transverse pin, which passes through one of the side
plates of the body and projects into a groove cut in the side of the block. By
partially or entirely unscrewing or otherwise removing the pin the entire
breech closing and opening arrangement with the cartridge extractor can be
readily detached and removed for the purpose of cleaning the same. The
sliding block is moved up and down by means of a lever placed under the
stock and made to fit over the trigger guard, or it may in fact itself form the
trigger guard. This lever is jointed to the sliding block by means of a screw,
and is formed with a nose projecting forward, to which is jointed a short lever
which lies snugly under the rear end of the barrel and constitutes the instru-
ment whereby the empty cartridge cases are extracted or pushed out.
When
depressing the breech-block lever when opening the breech the fulcrum of the
lever is formed by the short lever or cartridge extractor, which points to the
rear and rests against the front face of the breech block, and when this latter
is lowered to its lowest point the lever extractor will move forward to the
rear and thereby push out the empty cartridge case. Upon raising the breech
lever again into its original position all the parts will resume their proper
places ready for the arm to be again discharged. The sliding block carries a
percussion pin which passes through a hole made in the block for the purpose,
and when struck by the hammer on its descent this pin is propelled forward
against the cap or fulminate at the rear of the cartridge and explodes the same,
as is well known. This pin may be adapted to act either on central-fire
cartridges or rim or flange fire cartridges. This percussion pin will never be
in a position to be reached by the hammer except when the sliding block is
up in its place at the rear of the barrel, consequently the arm can never be
discharged unless all the parts are firmly secured in their places. In order to
hold up the lever of the sliding breech block in its place the tail of this lever
is made to come against a spring catch placed on the under side of the small
of the stock. This catch consists of a small tumbling lever made with a
notch in front to receive the tail of the block lever, and with a projecting
piece behind on which bears a spring whereby the catch is kept in position.
This spring catch will yield to moderate pressure applied by the hand in the
act of depressing it for opening the breech.
By the above-described arrangement of parts the sliding block is lowered so
as to expose the open rear end of the barrel and the empty cartridge cases are
discharged in one motion, and when the arm is reloaded with a fresh cartridge
another but upward motion of the lever will replace the block and make
everything secure and ready for discharging the arm again.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said James Henry Burton in the Great Seal Patent Office.
on the 10th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HENRY BURTON, of Harrogate, in the County of York, Mechanical Engineer,.
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters:
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant.
unto me, the said James Henry Burton, Her special licence that I, the.
said James Henry Burton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said James Henry Burton, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Henry Burton, my exécutors 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 mouths next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Henry Burton, do hereby.
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say): :-
This Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Breech-loading
Fire-arms" relates to that description of fire-arm in which metallic cartridges
are employed, and consists in a novel mode of closing and opening the rear
end of the barrel. The Invention also relates to the modes of extracting the
empty cartridge case from the rear end of the barrel preparatory to inserting
a fresh cartridge.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of a breech-loading
fire-arm constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal

page_text: vertical section of the same, shewing the moveable breech block in its place
as when ready for firing; Fig. 3' is another sectional view shewing the breech
block drawn down.
The rear end of the barrel a is closed by means of a solid block of
metal b, which is capable of being raised and lowered in a vertical direction
in a slot c made through the body of the arm immediately behind the barrel.
The block b, which is seen detached in side elevation at Fig. 4, in end elevation
at Fig. 5, and in plan at Fig. 6, is widened at its front end so as 'to provide on
each side a vertical projecting part or shoulder 6. These projecting parts or
feathers work in grooves cut out of the sides of the body of the arm. This
block bis prevented from being displaced or from being moved too far in
either direction by means of a transverse pin d, which passes through the side
plates of the body and also through a circular space 69 cut in the side of the
block b. By partially or entirely unscrewing or otherwise removing the pin d.
the entire breech closing and opening arrangement with its. lever e and
cartridge extractor f can be readily detached and removed for the purpose
of cleaning the same. The sliding block 6 is moved up and down by means,
of the lever e placed under the stock and made to fit against 'the trigger
guard, or it may in fact itself form the trigger guard if desired. This lever e
is jointed to the sliding block 6 by means of a screw e¹, and is formed with a
nose projecting forward, and to which is jointed a short lever f, which lies
snugly under the rear end of the barrel and constitutes the instrument whereby
the empty cartridge cases are extracted or pushed out from the barrel. When
depressing the breech-block levere in order to open the breech the point of
resistance or fulcrum of the lever e is formed by the end of the short lever or
cartridge extractor f, which points to the rear and rests against the front face
of the breech block as it descends, as seen in Fig. 2, and
lowered to its lowest point the lever extractor f will move
the pin e becoming the axis of motion. The extractor
out the empty cartridge case, as shewn at Fig. 3. Upon placing a new
cartridge in the barrel and raising the breech lever e again into its original
position all the parts will resume their proper places ready for the arm to be
again discharged. In the act of closing the breech by raising the levere the
fulcrum of the lever is changed to the nose end f* of the same, which rolls
upon the fixed shoulder provided for that purpose in the body of the
gun. The
sliding block 6 carries a percussion pin g which passes through a hole made in
the block for the purpose, and when struck by the hammer h on its descent
this pin g will be propelled forward against the cap or fulminate at the rear of
the cartridge and will explode the same, as is well known. This pin may be
when this latter is
towards the rear,
will thereby push

page_text: adapted to act either on central-fire cartridges, as shewn in the Drawing, or on
rim or flange fire cartridges. This percussion pin will never be in a position to be
reached by the hammer h except when the sliding block is up in its place at
the rear of the barrel, consequently the arm can never be discharged acci-
dentally or until all the parts are firmly secured in their places. The point of
the pin is kept drawn back within the front face of the breech block by the
coiled spring, as shewn in the Drawing, whenever it is released from the hammer.
In order to hold up in its place the levere of the sliding breech block, it is
provided with a spring catch i, which lies under and between the sides of the
breech block when up in place. This catch consists of a bolt which works
within the lever e, and is forced out by a coiled spring, and the projecting end
is caused to catch into a notch made in the body of the gun behind the
breech block. This spring catch will yield to moderate pressure applied by
the hand in the act of depressing the lever f' for opening the breech, and the
breech block b nay then be drawn down.
By the above-described arrangement of parts the sliding block b is lowered
so as to expose the open rear end of the barrel, and at the same time the
empty cartridge case is discharged in one motion, and when the arm is
reloaded with a fresh cartridge another but upward motion of the lever f*
will replace the block 6 and make everything secure and ready for discharging
the arm again. The cleaning rod or ramrod j of the weapon is secured by
means of the threaded end of the rod, which end is screwed by a few turns
into a corresponding threaded hole in the front end of the body or frame, as
shewn in Fig. 2. The rod jis thereby most securely held in its place until
required for cleansing purposes. This arrangement dispenses entirely with tho
"rod spring" usually provided in military fire-arms, and is much more effectual
as applied to breech-loading arms, in the use of which no attention whatever
is given to the cleaning rod until its use is required for cleaning out the
barrel, when a few turns of the rod by the hand will release it from its
fastening.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Henry Burton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Seventh day of August, in the year of our
Lard One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JAMES HENRY BURTON. (L.S.)