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

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick William Hoffman, of the City of New
York, United States of America, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
OR IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.”
Sealed the 9th December 1856, and dated the 8th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick William Hoft-
man at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th July 1856.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM HOFFMAN, of the City of New York, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in the application of a moveable cap to the end of
the barrel of a breech-loading fire-arm in lieu of the usual breech pin, and in
effecting the removal and replacing of such cap by the act of cocking the arm,
thereby opening the breech for the insertion of the cartridge, and closing it,
when loaded, by a simple and effectual contrivance. The barrel of the arm
should be fitted securely to a metal stock. The breech cap, or cap which
I employ for closing and opening the breech, consists of a thick plate of the
same circumference as the barrel, secured to the stock by two arms parallel
with the barrel, and embracing it on either side. The ends of these arms
terminate in pivots which drop into sockets formed in the stock, whereby the
cap may be lifted up clear of the barrel and dropped over it again. The
sockets are enlarged at the back of the pivots, so that the cap and arms may
be easily taken out. The arms are kept in place by spring plates, the ends
of which press down upon the pivots. These plates also hold up the cap,
when thrown up for the insertion of the charge, by means of a pin or pro-

page_text: jection on the pivot, which rides in and out of a notch in the end of the spring
plates. The nipple for the percussion cap is mounted upon the breech cap.
The breech cap is further secured by a projection formed upon each side of the
breech, which embraces the barrel, the face being bevelled, so that the cap, in
being brought down over the barrel, may bear against it. The raising of the
cap from and returning it to the end of the barrel are effected by the movement
of the cock or hammer acting on a peculiarly shaped lever placed below it, to
one end of which the cap is connected by a link forked at its upper end. The
cock is of the usual construction, except that it is provided with two tongues,
one fixed and the other moveable. On moving the hammer to half-cock, the
moveable tongue strikes upon the end of the lever, throwing up the opposite
end, and lifts, the cap up, thereby opening the bore or breech for the insertion
of a cartridge. On moving the hammer to "full cock the fixed tongue
glides along the curved part of the lever, thus throwing its end down, and
thereby replacing the cap over the end of the barrel. At the back, one end
of the lever is bevelled, to allow the point of the moveable tongue to ride
over it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick William Hoffman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
WILLIAM HOFFMAN, of the City of New York, United States of America,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Frederick William Hoffman, Her special licence that I, the said Frederick
William Hoffman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Frederick William Hoffman, 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 IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick William
Hoffman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 Frederick William Hoffman, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that-is-to say.:-.
My improvement in breech-loading fire-arms consists in the application of
a moveable cap to the end of the barrel in lieu of the usual breech pin, and
effecting the removal and replacing of said cap by the act of cocking the
piece, thus allowing for the insertion of the cartridge at the breech, and the
closing of the same by a very simple and effectual contrivance.
At A, in the several Figures of the Drawing annexed, is a view of a portion
of a gun barrel, which should in this construction be fitted securely to a
metallic stock. The breech cap. is seen at (b), and is. a thick plate of the
same size in circumference as the barrel. This cap is secured to the stock by.
means of two arms (c), lying. parallel with the barrel, and embracing it on
either side. The ends of said arms terminate in pivots, which drop into
sockets formed in the stock; as shown at (c). Thus, the cap may be lifted up
clear of the barrel, as seen in Fig. III, and dropped over it again, as in
Figs. I. & II. The sockets (c) are enlarged, back of the pivots, so that the
cap and arm may easily be taken out. The arms are kept in place by means
of a piece of spring plate, shown at (d) the ends of which press down upon
the pivots. These plates also hold up the cap (b), (after being thrown up by
the cocking motion) while the piece is at half cock, and in order, that the
charge may be put in. This holding is accomplished by a pin or projection
on the pivot, which rides in and out of a notch in the end of the spring plates,
as shewn at (e), Figs. I. & III. The nipple for the percussion cap is put
upon (6), as shown. As the cap (b) must stand the whole force of the recoil
on firing, additional security for holding it, besides the strength of the arms (c),
is provided by a projection formed upon each side of the metal breech, which
embraces the barrel, as shewn at (i). The face of this. is bevelling, so that
the cap (b), in being brought down over the barrel, has a bearing against (i),
and as represented in Fig. II. The raising of the cap from and returning it
to the end of the barrel is performed by the movement of the cock or hammer
Below the cock there lies a peculiarly shaped lever (0), to one end of which
the cap (6) is connected. by a link (p), which is forked at its upper end, and

page_text: it is by the movement of this lever that the cap (b) is operated. The cock is
at (g), and is of the usual construction, with the exception of the parts for
operating the cap (6). These consist of two toes, one of which is permanent,
and the other movable, the permanent toe being at (r), and the moveable one
at (s). The movable toe is that which effects the lifting of the cap (6), and
for this purpose it strikes upon the end (s') of the lever (o), whereby the
opposite end is thrown up, thus lifting (6), as shown in Fig. III. This is
accomplished by moving the hammer to "half cock," and by carrying it on to
"full cock" the toe (r) comes into play by gliding along the curve (¹) of the
lever. It thus throws its end (o) down, thereby replacing the cap over the
end of the barrel. The reason for having the toe (s) movable is to allow it
on its upward motion to get past the end (s¹) of the lever, in order that it
may re-engage on the top for pushing the lever down after the piece has been
fired. The side. of the lever at this place is made bevelling, and as the point
of the toe comes by, it rides over this bevelled surface, similar in action to a
spring latch.
The operation is as follows:-First draw the hammer to "half cock," this
throws up the cap (6) clear of the end of the barrel, and leaves the bore open,
as in Fig. III. The cartridge can now be put in with the fingers, and the
priming put upon the nipple. Drawing the hammer now to "full cock," the
toe (r), gliding along the curve (1), brings the cap down in place over the
barrel, and the weapon may now be fired by pulling the trigger in the usual
way. The other pieces of the cock have not been described, as they are of
a common construction and operation.
די
I claim so combining the cap (b) with the cock that the opening and
closing of the end of the barrel shall be effected by the act of cocking the
piece, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick William Hoffman, have here-
unto set my hand and affixed my seal, at the City of New York, this
Tenth day of September, A.D. 1856.
FREDERICK WILLIAM HOFFMAN.
Taken and declared at Her Britannic Majesty's
Consulate in the City of New York, this
Tenth day of September, A.D. 1856,
Before me, JOSEPH FOWLER,
(L.S.)
.
H.B.M: Consul Acting.
(L.S.)