IMPROVE- MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ebenezer Erskine Scott, of Windsor Place, Dundee,
in the County of Angus, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 12th September 1861, and dated the 16th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ebenezer Erskine Scott
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th March 1861.
I, EBENEZER ERSKINE SCOTT, of Windsor Place, Dundee, in the County of
Angus, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention is applicable to rifled and other small arms, and has for its
object, by simple means to combine increased facility in loading with security
against the escape of any portion of the gases generated by the combustion of
the powder otherwise than at the muzzle of the arm, and also to prevent the
arm being accidentally or otherwise discharged when its several parts are not
relatively in a suitable or safe position.
For these purposes the inner or breech end of the barrel is formed with or
has attached to it three or any other convenient number of helicoidal inclines
or cam lugs placed at intervals around its circumference, and the moveable
breech-piece (which carries the nipple and receives the charge) is provided
with a like number of corresponding inclines, capable of passing or being
passed, when required, backward or forward between those formed upon or
attached to the barrel, and of acting with them in the manner of a screw within
its nut. At the inner or breech end of the barrel, around the bore, is a recess
suitably formed to receive and constitute a gas-tight joint, with the frustum of a

page_text: cone or other equivalent or suitable figure (or otherwise a combination of two
or more such frustums or other equivalent or suitable figures) formed upon the
corresponding end of the moveable breech-piece. To the moveable breech-
piece, made as described, is jointed a tail-piece which, when the breech is
closed, extends backward towards the butt end of the stock, to which (the
stock) its extremity may be secured by a screw, spring catch, or other con-
venient means. In order to load the arm the fastening of the tail-piece is
released, and the tail-piece then turned up upon its hinge or joint so as to
form a lever, whereby the breech-piece is then turned upon its axis, thus
releasing its helicoidal inclines from those attached to the barrel, and enabling
the former to be passed between the latter, and the breech-piece to be with-
drawn. The act of turning the breech-piece upon its axis as described also
removes the nipple from beneath the hammer. After loading, the breech-
piece is pushed forward so that its inclines are in advance of those of the
barrel, when the act of turning the tail-piece into its former position causes
the inclines of the breech-piece to act upon those of the barrel in the manner
of a screw, as previously described, thus drawing the external or male conical
part or parts of the one firmly into contact with the corresponding part or
parts of the other, and thereby forming a gas-tight joint, which, when the
male conical part or parts is or are on the breech-piece, the act of firing will
tend to tighten rather than otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ebenezer Erskine Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,- EBENEZER
ERSKINE SCOTT, of Windsor Place, Dundee, in the County of Angus, North
Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Ebenezer Erskine Scott, Her special licence that I, the said Ebenezer
Erskine Scott, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Ebenezer Erskine Scott, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
áll times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully

page_text: 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 BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Ebenezer Erskine Scott, 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, Ebenezer Erskine Scott, 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 :-
This Invention is applicable to rifled and other small arms, and has for its
object, by simple means, to combine increased facility in loading with security
against the escape of any portion of the gases generated by the combustion of
the powder otherwise than at the muzzle of the arm; and also to prevent, the
arm being accidentally or otherwise discharged when its several parts are not
relatively in a suitable or safe position.
For these purposes the inner or breech end of the barrel is formed with or
has attached to it three or any other convenient number of helicoidal inclines
or cam lugs placed at intervals around its circumference, and the moveable
breech-piece, which carries the nipple and receives the charge, is provided
with a like number of corresponding inclines, capable of passing or being
passed, when required, backward or forward between those formed upon or
attached to the barrel, and of acting with them in the manner of a screw
within its nut. At the inner or breech end of the barrel, around the bore, is
a recess suitably formed to receive and constitute a gas-tight joint, with the
frustum of a cone or other equivalent or suitable figure (or otherwise a com-
bination of two or more such frustums or other equivalent or suitable figures)
formed upon the corresponding end of the moveable breech-piece.. To the
moveable breech-piece, made as described, is jointed a tail-piece, which, when
the breech is closed, extends backward towards the butt end of the stock, to
which (the stock) its extremity may be secured by a screw, spring catch, or
other convenient means. In order to load the arm the fastening of the tail-
piece, if any, is released, and the tail-piece is then turned up upon its hinge or
joint so as to form a lever, whereby the breech-piece is then turned upon its
axis, thus releasing its helicoidal inclines from those attached to the barrel,
and enabling the former to be passed between the latter, and the breech-piece

page_text: to be withdrawn. The act of turning the breech-piece upon its axis, as
described, also removes the nipple from beneath the hammer. After loading,
the breech-piece is pushed forward, so that its inclines are in advance of those
of the barrel, when the act of turning the tail-piece into its former position
causes the inclines of the breech-piece to act upon those of the barrel in the
manner of a screw, as previously described, thus drawing the external or male
conical part or parts of the one firmly into contact with the corresponding part
or parts of the other, and thereby forming a gas-tight joint, which, when the
male conical part or parts is or are on the breech-piece, the act of firing will
tend to tighten rather than otherwise.
The manner in which my said Invention may be carried into effect will be
more fully understood on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
whereof Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of so much of a gun or musket
as is necessary to shew the mode of application of my new arrangements;
Fig. 2; an elevation; and Fig. 3, a plan of the same. The same parts are
marked with the same letters of reference in all the Figures.
a represents a portion of the inner end of the barrel of a gun or musket
having screwed upon it 'the collar b, recessed, as shewn, to receive the breech-
piece c. The collar 6 (an end view of which is shewn at Fig. 4) is let into
and firmly secured to the stock j by screws 61, for the purpose of receiving the
recoil consequent upon firing, and is formed with the helicoidal inclines or cam
lugs d placed at intervals around its circumference; and the breech-piece c,
which carries the nipple f, and receives the charge, is provided with a like
number of corresponding inclines g, situated at the base of the conical part of
the breech piece, as shewn in Figs. 5 and 6, which are respectively an end
and side elevation of the breech piece detached from the stock. At the lower
part of the breech-piece c is formed a T-shaped projection h, capable of sliding
in a suitable groove or slot formed in a plate i, 'let into the stock j of the gun.
To the breech-piece c is jointed the tail piece k, which, when it is required to
(load the arm, is turned upward into the position shewn in dotted lines at
Fig. 1, and then constitutes a lever, whereby the breech piece may be caused
to partly revolve upon the line of its axis, and the cam :lugs g formed with the
breech-piece be thus removed out of contact with those marked d, formed with
the collar b, and brought opposite to the intervals or spaces between them,
when the breech piece may be drawn 'backward out of contact with the collar
b, into the position shewn at Fig. 7. After loading, the breech-piece is pushed
forward, and its conical end is, by means of the tail piece k and inclines 9,
again tightened against the corresponding conical recess, situated at the inner
end of the barrel.

page_text: In order to admit of adjustment to compensate for the wear of the heli-
coidal inclines, the conical recess into and against which the end of the breech
piece fits, instead of being formed in the end of the barrel itself, is formed in a
separate collar or washer I, which abuts partly against a shoulder m formed in
the collar b, and partly against the inner end of the barrel a. When the
faces of the inclines have become worn so as to render adjustment necessary,
the collar must be removed and reinserted with a thin washer of metal or
other material interposed between it and the face (formed by the shoulder m
and end of the barrel) against which it rests. A small groove n formed in
the loose collar or washer l, and a pin fixed in the outer collar, as shewn,
guide the former into its proper position when it is returned to its place.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same may be performed, I wish it to be
distinctly understood that I do not confine or limit myself to the precise details
herein set forth, as the same may be variously modified without departing
from the distinguishing features of my Invention, with reference to which
I claim,-
Firstly, the formation of the breech-piece with a conical end fitting into a
corresponding recess formed with or attached to the barrel, for the purpose of
ensuring a gas-tight fit between the two, substantially as described.
Secondly, the use of the conically formed surfaces of junction of the breech-
piece and barrel, as described, in combination with the helicoidal inclines, for
the purpose of drawing and holding them securely together.
Thirdly, the general arrangement and combination of parts, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ebenezer Erskine Scott, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
EBENEZER ERSKINE (L.S.) SCOTT.