CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE- ARMS, AND IN PROJECTILES; ALSO IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN MANU. FACTURING PROJECTILES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Preston, of the City of Manchester, Engineer,
for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS, AND IN PROJECTILES; ALSO IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN MANU.
FACTURING PROJECTILES."
Sealed the 4th October 1860, and dated the 1st May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Preston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st May 1860.
I, FRANCIS PRESTON, of the City of Manchester, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN PROJECTILES; ALSO IN THE MACHINERY
EMPLOYED IN MANUFACTURING PROJECTILES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in certain improvements in or applicable to the
breech-loading fire-arms for which Letters Patent were granted to Hugo
Frederick Forbes on the Fifteenth April, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six, No. 895.
The first part of my Invention consists in making the handle by which the
screw-piece is turned partly round, of such a shape that the hammer of the
trigger cann t fall on the nipple until the breech is closed, thereby preventing
the discharge of the fire-arm until the breech is secured.
The second part of my Invention consists in the application of an inter-
mediate eccentric breech-piece or disc-valve, in which is a hole for the
cartridge to pass through, fitting between the end of the barrel and the
screwed plug: This intermediate breech-piece or valve is turned partly
round by a lever passing through a segmental slot in the barrel, or by a
handle fitting on a spindle projecting from the intermediate breech-piece or

page_text: valve, and through a hole in the screwed plug, which must also have a hole
for the passage of the cartridge.
The third part of my Invention consists in securing the ramrod or plunger,
by which the cartridge is pushed into the breech of the barrel by means of
a locking ring placed between the end of the barrel and the screwed plug.
This locking ring is turned partly round by a lever or handle in either of the
manners above described, and it is provided with a segmental slot, one part
of which is large enough to allow the cartridge and the end of the ramrod to
pass into the end of the barrel, and the other part is smaller to fit in a groove
or recesses in the ramrod.
My improvements in projectiles consist in making them with spiral wings
or vanes united at the axis, but open at each end, so that when discharged
from the fire-arm the resistance of the air causes them to rotate. The front
end of each wing or vane is or may be made sharp, and the wings or vanes
may be tapered; or the projectile consists of a tube open at both ends, with
a spiral vane or diaphragm extending the whole length or a portion of the
length. These improved projectiles are intended to be used in smooth-bored
fire-arms or ordnance, and a loose disc or wad of hard wood or other light
substance must be introduced between the powder and the end of the pro-
jectile to form a piston, by which the projectile is propelled. My improved
shells are made of a hollow cylinder or cone, with external open wings or
vanes, as before described.
My improvements in machinery for manufacturing projectiles consists in
mounting on a suitable frame a number of patterns of the projectiles, which
are capable of revolving on their own axes. The frame is made to slide within
another frame that is fixed to a true surface plate with holes corresponding to
the number and sectional shape of the projectile patterns in the slide. This
surface plate is fitted to the moulding boxes. The frame, with the surface
plate attached to it is provided with a lever or screw to work, the slide
up and
down for drawing the projectiles out of the sand; it is also provided with
proper centres or pivots to rest on stands, so as to be capable of bringing the
surface plate to the top or bottom of the frame when required; or the pivots
may be on the bottom part of the moulding boxes. The top parts of the
moulding boxes may be filled up with sand in the usual way on a separate
surface plate provided with fixed runners on its surface corresponding to the
number of projectiles in the frame. The patterns of the projectiles may be
screwed out of the sand by gearing, or allowed to rotate while being drawn
upwards by the frame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Preston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st November 1860.
-
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANOIS
PR-STON, in the City of Manchester, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Francis Preston, Her special licence, that I, the said Francis Preston,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others, as I, the said
Francis Preston, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "* CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN PROJECTILES: ALSO IN THE
MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN MANUFACTURING PROJECTILES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Francis Preston, my executors or adminis
trators, 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 iminediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Preston, 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 (that is to say) :-
=
My Invention relates partly to the breech-loading fire-arms for which
Letters Patent were granted to Hugo Frederick Forbes, on the Fifteenth of
April One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, Number 895.
The first part of my Invention consists in making the handle by which the
screw-piece is turned partly round, of such a shape that the haminer of the
trigger cannot fall on the nipple until the breech is closed, thereby preventing
the discharge of the fire-arm until the breech is secured.
The second part of my Invention consists in the application ofan intermediate
breech piece or disc valve in which is a bole for the cartridge to pass through,
and which fits between the end of the barrel and the screwed plug; this inter-

page_text: mediate breech piece or valve is turned partly round by a leverpassing through
a segmental slot in the barrel, or by a handle fitting on a spindle projecting
from the intermediate breech piece or valve and through a hole in the
screwed plug which must also have a hole for the passage of the cartridge.
The third part of my Invention consists in securing the ramrod or plunger
by which the cartridge is pushed into the breech of the barrel by means of
a locking ring placed between the end of the barrel and the screw plug; this
locking ring is turned partly round by a lever or handle in either of the
manners above described, and it is provided with a segmental slot one part
of which is large enough to allow the cartridge and the end of the ramrod to
pass into the end of the barrel, and the other part is smaller to fit in a groove
or recesses in the ramrod. I wish to remark here that the first part of my
Invention is also applicable to the second and third parts.
My improvements in projectiles consist in making them with spiral wings
or vanes united at the axis but open at each, so t at when discharged from
the fire-arm the resistance of the air causes them to rotate as in certain
projectiles now known, the front end of each wing or vane is or may be made
sharp and the wings or vanes may be tapered; or the projectile consists of
a tube open at both ends with a spiral vane or diaphragm extending the
whole or a portion of its length, these improved projectiles areţintended to be
used in smooth bored fire-arms or ordnance, and a loose disc or wad of hard
wood or other light substance must be introduced between the powder and
the end of the projectile to form a piston by which the projectile is propelled.
My improved shells are made of a hollow cylinder or cone with external
open wings or vanes as before described.
My improvements in machinery for manufacturing projectiles consist in
moulding them in sand and afterwards running molten lead or other metal
into the said moulds by which means a considerable number of projectiles
may be manufactured at the same time.
!
And inorder that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the two accompanying Sheets of
Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
On Sheet 1,Figure 1 represents a plan; and Figure 2a side view in section of
the end of the barrel of a breech-loading fire-arm constructed in part according
to the Patent granted to Hugo Frederick Forbes, on the Fifteenth of April
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six; Number 895, and to which parts of
my present improvements are applied; Figures 3 and 4, are end views of the
same; a is part of the barrel to which is forged the excentric boss b, having
an internal screw for the screw piece c; these parts are made, in the manner

page_text: described in the Specification of the Patent above referred to, except that the
screw piece c, is now a fixture instead of moveable as before, my improve-
ments consist in placing an intermediate breech piece or disc valve & between
the end of the barrel and the screw piece c, and in making the handle dr, by
which the intermediate piece or valve d is turned partly round with a projec-
tion d², this handle works in a segmental slot in the boss b,as shewn best in
Figure 1; the projection d³, is of such a length and shape that when the fire-arm
is loaded and the intermediate piece or valve d turned partly round, as shewn
in Figure 4,to secure the cartridge in the barrel, the hammer of the trigger,
shewn by dotted lines in Figure 2, is at liberty to fall on the nipple e, but
when the hole in the intermediate breech piece or valve d coincides with the
bore of the barrel,and with the hole in the screwed piece c for the purpose of
loading, as shown in Figure 3; the projection d² reaches over the nipple 6,
and prevents the descent of the hammer on to the nipple, thereby prevent-
ing the discharge of the fire-arm until the breech is closed. The dotted
circle in Figure 4 represents the whole in the pieced when the end of the
barrel is closed. It is evident that the curved projection d², may be applied
to any description of handle or lever for turning the screw piece a partly round
as described in the Specification of the Patent of Hugo Frederick Forbes,
above referred to, or for turning the intermediate breech piece or valve d.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation; Figures 6 and 7, two end views of part
of the barrel of a breech-loading fire-arm, to which another mode of working
the intermediate breech piece or valve d is applied, in this case the valve d
is made with a spindle d' passing through a hole in the screw piece c, and to
the end of this spindle is fitted the handle d³, the motion of which is limited
by the shoulders fon the excentric boss b, this handle is furnished with a
projection d, similar to that shewn in Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 6 the
bore of the barrel and the holes in the breech piece or valve d and in the
screw piece c coincide with each other, consequently the cartridge or charge
can be introduced, and as soon as the fire-arm is loaded the handle do is
moved into the position shewn in Figure 7, thereby bringing the hole in the
breech piece d into the position shewn by the dotted circle d³, in Figure 7
and closing the end of the barrel until the fire-arm has been discharged. It
is evident that the intermediate breech piece or disc valve d must fitaccurately
in the recess in the excentric boss band between the screw piece c and the end
of the barrel, but at the same time it must be capable of moving easily when
pressure is applied to the handle d¹ or d; both these points can be attained
with facility as the screw piece c is screwed up tight against a shoulder, and

page_text: the surfaces of the disc valve d and of the screw piece c, and the end of
the barrel can be made with small cavities to retain a supply of oil or other
lubricating material.
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation of part of the barrel of a breech-loading
fire-arm to which another of my improvements is applied; Figure 9 is an end
view of the same ; and Figure 10 is a detached view of a locking ring which
secures the ramrod or plunger in its place. This locking ring d is furnished
with a segmental slot d, which at one end is rather larger than the bore of
the barrel, and at the other is reduced to pass over a groove or recess inade
between shoulders on the ramrod or plunger g,near the end of which is coiled
a little hemp or other packing. When the, larger end of the slot
coincides
with the hole in the screw piece c and with the bore of the barrel, the car-
tridge is pushed into the barrel by the aid of the ramrod g in the usual
manner, and when the cartridge is in its place, the locking ring is turned
partly round by the handle d³, thereby securing the ramrod by the smaller
end of the slot; the fire-arm can then be discharged and the locking ring
is again moved back to liberate the ramrod; which is drawn out of the bar-
rel and through the screw piece c by a spring in the stock of the fire-arm
as now customary to allow another cartridge to be introduced; the handle
d works between shoulders f, and has a projection d as in Figures 6 and
7. I wish to remark here that a ramrod or plunger similar to that shewn at
has before been used for inserting the cartridge into the barrel of breech-
loading fire-arms, and that my improvements consist in the mode of
securing such ramrod when in its place.
g
On Sheet 2, Figure 11 is an elevation, and Figure 12 a plan and section
of one of my improved projectiles, which is composed of four or other con
venient number of spiral wings or vanes united at the axis but open at each
end, this projectile is intended to be discharged from a smooth bored fire-arm
and a loose disc or wad of hard wood or other light substance inust be
introduced between the end of the projectile and the powder, to form a
piston by which the projectile is propelled along the barrel; this wad
drops soon after its discharge as in certain, other projectiles which are also
constructed with spiral wings or vanes, by which they are made to rotate
on their axis while passing through the air. The ends of the wings or vanes
ure bevelled as shewn in Fig. 11, or blunt, or they may be tapered, that is
to say, thicker at the forward than at the hinder part.
Figures 13 and 14 are similar views of another of my improved projectiles.
In this case the projectile consists of a tube open at both ends, with a spiral

page_text: vane or diaphragm extending a portion or the whole of its length; this pro-
jectile in its flight is also made to rotate on its axis by the resistance of the
air acting on the vane or diaphragam.
Figures 15 and 16 are similar views of another of my improved projectiles,
which is made with four or other convenient number of wings or vanes united
together at the axis, and conical at the nose.
My improvements in shells consist in making them of a hollow cylindrical
or conical form, and with open wings or vanes as described above.
Figure 17 is an elevation, and Figure 18 a.plan of my improved machinery
for moulding or manufacturing projectiles. h is the frame which is fixed to
thebed plate supporting themoulding box i; to the upperpartof the moulding
box is fitted the surface plate j, in which are holes corresponding in number
and size to the section of the projectiles to be cast. Above the platej is the
plate k, through which the patterns of the projectiles pass, and in which they
are at liberty to turn freely; these patterns also pass through the holes in the
plate j. The plate k is moved up-and-down by a screw and hand wheel as
shewn, or by a lever or other suitable mechanism. When this machinery is
put in operation, the plate k is lowered to bring all the patterns of the pro-
jectiles into the moulding box i; the sand is then rammed in around the
patterns, and by raising the plate k the patterns passing through the corre-
spondingly shaped holes in the plate j, screw themselves out of the sand.
When the patterns are withdrawn, the moulding box i is closed, and the
melted lead or other metal is run in the moulds as in casting any other
articles; by this means a great number of projectiles can be manufactured at
the same time. The platej may be dispensed with, and the pattern screwed
out of the sand by shafts and pinions ¹ connected to the plate k as shewn by
dotted lines, and as is now customary in moulding screws.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that Iclaim, the various improvements in
breech-loading fire-arms and in projectiles, and the machinery employed in
manufacturing projectiles as herein-before shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Preston, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and siste