IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Terry, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS,"
Sealed the 19th September 1856, and dated the 7th April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Terry at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th April,
1856.
I, WILLIAM TERRY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker,
do. hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improved mechanical arrangements or con
trivances for effecting the loading of breech-loading fire-arms in a more simple
and efficient manner than heretofore. The means by which these improve-
Dments may be effected are as follows:-I adapt to the rear end of the barrel
of a breech-loading fire-arm a sliding piston, the rod whereof passes through
a peculiar shaped hole formed in a piece of metal fixed to or formed upon
the rear end of the barrel. The outer end of the piston rod has two lugs or
projections fixed to or formed thereon opposite to each other, for locking the
5 piston in the breech of the musket after the cartridge has been pushed up, the
locking operation being assisted by bevilling the outer ends of the aforesaid
lugs in opposite directions, so that when said lugs have been pushed through

page_text: the hole in the barrel, by giving a slight turn of the piston rod, the bevilled
ends of the aforesaid lugs coming into contact with the inner surface of the
piece of metal situated at the rear end of the barrel, will push the conical-
shaped piston into a corresponding shaped seat in the barrel.
There is a greased wad attached to the piston for lubricating and cleansing
that part of the barrel in which the piston works. A strong spring lever catch
is hinged upon the outer end of the piston rod, and serves the two-fold purpose
of a handle by which to advance and retire, the piston, and as a catch which
takes into a hole formed in the side of the barrel, the use of said catch
being to assist in preventing the piston from being forced out by the percussive
force of the powder. In connection with this catch is a spring, fixed upon the
barrel, which spring, when the aforesaid catch is locked in the barrel, is forced
thereby close against the barrel, which allows the trigger to be pulled quite back
to "full cock;" but supposing from any accident or otherwise the piston
should not be properly locked, and the catch not inserted in the hole in the
barrel, the aforesaid spring projecting from the barrel would present an obstacle
to the pulling back of the trigger to "full cock," and thus prevent the discharge
of the contents of the musket, and consequently avoid the possibility of accident.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Terry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TERRY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker, send greeting.
- WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, 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
William Terry, Her special licence that I, the said William Terry, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Terry, 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 BREECH-LOADING' FIRE-ARMS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Terry, my executors or

page_text: 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 William Terry, 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:-
:
My Invention consists in certain improved mechanical arrangements or
contrivances for effecting the loading of breech-loading fire-arms in a more
simple and efficient manner than heretofore. The means by which these
improvements may be effected are as follows:-I adapt to the rear end of the
barrel of a breech-loading fire-arm a sliding piston, the rod whereof passes
through a peculiar shaped hole or breech formed in a piece of metal fixed to or
formed upon the rear end of the barrel. The outer end of the piston rod has
two lugs or projections fixed to or formed thereon opposite to each other,
for locking the piston in the breech of the fire-arm after the cartridge has been
pushed up, the locking operation being assisted by bevilling the outer ends of
the aforesaid lugs in opposite directions, so that when said lugs have been
pushed through the hole in the breech, by giving a slight turn of the piston rod,
the bevilled ends of the aforesaid lugs coming into contact with the inner surface
of the piece of metal situated at the rear end of the breech, will push the conical
shaped piston into a corresponding shaped seat in the barrel. There is a
greased wad or packing inserted in the breech for lubricating and cleansing
that part of the barrel in which the piston works. A strong spring lever catch
is hinged upon the outer end of the piston rod, and serves the two-fold purpose
of a handle by which to advance and retire the piston, and as a catch which
takes into a hole formed in the side of the barrel, the use of said catch being
to assist in preventing the piston from being forced out by the percussive force
of the powder. In connection with this catch is a spring fixed upon the barrel,
which spring, when the aforesaid catch is locked in the barrel, is forced thereby
close against the barrel, which allows the cock to be pulled quite back to "full
cock;" but supposing from any accident or otherwise the piston should not
be properly locked and the catch not inserted in the hole in the barrel,
the aforesaid spring projecting from the barrel would present an obstacle to the
pulling back of the cock to "full cock," and thus prevent the discharge of the
contents of the fire-arm, and consequently avoid the possibility of accident.

page_text: In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now pro
ceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon
respectively as follows
ceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon
respectively as follows
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1. is a side elevation of a complete fire-arm or musket constructed
according to my said Invention.
.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal and vertical section, through the line A, B,
at Figure 1, of the barrel of the said fire-arm, shewing the mode of arranging
and actuating the mechanism employed for inserting the cartridge into the
barrel, and securely holding the same during the discharge thereof.
Figures 3 and 9 are similar sections to that last mentioned, shewing the
aforesaid mechanism in different positions.
:
Figure 4 is an outside view of the barrel of the musket.
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, are detached portions, herein-after particularly described
and referred to...
At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to
denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts appear or cau be seen
at each of such said Figures respectively..
A, A, represents the stock of the fire-arm; B, the barrel; and C, C, an
ordinary percussion lock; D, the breech. The construction of this part of the
fire-arm-and the mechanism connected therewith forms the principal part of
my said improvements in fire-arms. E is a sliding piston, the rod e whereof is
securely fixed into a piece of, metal G, to which is also hinged at fa lever
HI, H', employed for the purpose hereafter mentioned. I is a piece of metal
passing over the piston rod é, and connected to the breech end of the barrel by
a screw K, formed in the end of said barrel and around the piece I. The
piston E, at Figures 5' and 6, is formed slightly taper and solid, and is securely
connected to the piston rod e by a pin at 1; and the diameter or calibre of the
bore of the barrel at the breech end thereof is somewhat larger than the other
part of the barrel, and is made conical to receive the taper part of the piston,
which should fit, as far as practicable, air-tight therein. It will be seen, upon
referring to Figure 8, that the piston rode has two lugs or projections 2, 3,
formed thereon, which take into slots or openings 4, 4, formed opposite to each
other in the piece I, as at Figures 5 and 7; an opening 5 is formed in
the piece I, as at Figure 7, to enable the parts 2, 3, to be inserted into said.

page_text: pièce. It will also be seen, upon referring to Figures 7 and 8, that one side
of each of the slots 4, 4, as also the lugs '2, 3, is formed inclined or sloping in
opposite directions, so that when the lugs 2, 3, are moved in said slots the piston
E shall be forcibly pressed into its seat and held there. In order to effect the
partial turning round of the lugs 2, 3, as lastly above stated, the feather 6 in
the, rod e is free of the groove 7 in the piece I, in which said feather slides
for drawing back the piston, to allow the cartridge to be introduced into
the breech through the opening M formed in the side thereof, as at Figure 9,
said opening being nearly entirely closed by the outer end of the lever H, which
fits thereinto, as at Figures 1 and 3; there is a tempered steel spring, colored
red at Figures 2 and 3, attached to the piece G, and employed for securely
keeping the lever II, II', in the opening M during the discharge of the contents
of the fire-arm; the upper and under side of the part II of the lever H are
sufficiently bevilled inwards to enable this part of the said lever to be realily
gripped by the finger and thumb for withdrawing the lever and pulling back
the piston when it is desired to introduce a fresh cartridge at each discharge
of the fire-arm. N is a slot or opening formed in the breech for the escape of
dirt, &c.; and O is a recess, containing cotton saturated with oil or other lubri-
cating substance, so that at each discharge of the fire-arm the piston rod is both
lubricated and cleansed in a simple and efficient manner. As regards the
construction of the piston E, I would here remark, that in order to provide
means for compensating for the wear of the piston, I propose, if necessary, to
construct the piston in two parts, as exhibited at Figure 6; the part E is
screwed on to the piston rod e, and the part E' fits on to the end of the piston,
which is formed square. P is a screw taking into a corresponding screwed hole
in the end of the piston rod e; the head of this screw keeps the part E' of the
piston upon the said piston rod. By this arrangement it will appear evident
that by drawing back the screw P and screwing the part E against the part
E' the piston may thus be lengthened or renewed, so as to compensate for any
wear thereof, without having to substitute an entirely new piston.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "Improvements in Breech-loading Fire-arms," together with the
best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I
would remark, in conclusion, that what I claim as my Invention is, the
mechanical arrangements above particularly described, set forth and represented
by the illustrative Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, together with the mode
of operating with the same, for the purpose of introducing the cartridge into the
barrel of the fire-arm, and for presenting a substantial and efficient abutment

page_text: for the powder to act against for discharging the contents of the barrel from the
mouth of the fire-arm, as above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Terry, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
WILLIAM TERRY. (L.S.)
Witness,
BERTRAM CALISHER,
116, Gt. Charles St., Birmingham.