IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING AND OTHER RIPLES AND GUNS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rochester Pape, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in
the County of Northumberland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING AND OTHER
RIPLES AND GUNS."
Sealed the 20th November 1866, and dated the 29th May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Rochester Pape
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th May 1866.
I, WILLIAM ROCHESTER PAPE, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of
Northumberland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING
AND OTHER RIFLES AND GUNS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to certain improvements in that class of
breech-loading rifles and guns known as depressing barrelled guns, in which
the Lefaucheaux cartridge is used, whereby a rapid means of unlocking the
barrels from the body is afforded, and whereby the gun or rifle becomes
self-locking when the barrels are restored to their position ready for discharge.
The barrels are formed with open or through-and-through bored breeches,
which close flush upon the face of the bo ly when the barrels are locked.

page_text: The barrels and fore part of the stock are binged or pivoted to the extremity
of the body in order to permit of their depression and elevation for the
purpose of withdrawing the discharged cartridge case and inserting a new
cartridge. Underneath the breech end of the barrels two "lumps" are
formed, the rear surfaces being of an oblique or curvilinear outline so as to
fit into corresponding cavities or recesses cut in the body, thereby causing
the recoil to be sustained by these parts, instead of straining the hinge or
pivot, or creating recoil or pressure on the face of the body.
I cause the locking and unlocking of the barrels from the body by the
following means:-I cut out a space from the under surface of the body,
just in front of the trigger guard, such cavity or space extending vertically
nearly through the centre of the body, but leaving the face of the body flush;
in this cavity a pin or spindle is set, which carries two curvilinear catches or
stops, the borders of which protrude from the spindle through the face of the
body, two small apertures being cut in the face for the purpose. The upper
catch enters a corresponding cavity or recess cut in the upper part of the
solid metal between the barrels, but the lower catch is placed in such position
as to enter a cavity cut just under the rear of the breech and in the rear
lump, which has a curvilinear outline. The lower portion of the shaft or
spindle (contained in that part of the body level with the mainspring of the
lock) is provided with a short lever projecting horizontally therefrom. On
the edge of this lever a flat spring always bears for the purpose of maintaining
the pin or spindle in such position that the catches shall always protrude from
the body unless forced back for the purpose of closing and unlocking the
barrels, as hereafter mentioned. The flat spring is set so far in the interior
of the body as to leave room for the insertion of the lock plate and main-
spring; it is secured by a screw penetrating the fore part of the body. The
lowermost or exposed portion of the spindle is furnished with a short thumb-
piece keyed thercon, and extending to the side of the body on the right and
front of the trigger guard.
Now the action of these arrangements is as follows:- Assuming the
barrels to be closed down they will necessarily be also locked by the entrance
of the two catches into the cavities of the breech. When it is desired to
depress the barrels the thumb lever is pushed forward, causing the spindle to
turn in a contrary direction, carrying with it in a circular or sweeping
motion the two catches, which retreat into the body, and allow the breech to
be raised by the weight of the barrels in order to withdraw the empty
cartridge if the piece has been previously discharged, or to insert a cartridge;
then by closing down the breech the rear curvilinear lump acts first upon the

page_text: lower catch, forcing it back with the spindle which turns and simultaneously
carries back the upper catch until the cavities in the lump and upper part of
the breech both come in front of those in the body, when the spring instantly
drives the spindle round, and the catches fly into the cavities in the breech,
and thus self-lock the barrels by the combined spring snap and lever action.
The Invention further relates to an improvement in the manufacture and
construction of the bore of barrels of breech-loading and other shot guns.
Instead of making the bore cylindrical throughout I propose, firstly, to bore
the barrel or barrels through and through one size or number smaller than
the true bore to be formed; I then rebore the barrel with one full size or
number larger than the former, beginning at the breech or open end, but
continuing only to within one inch, or thereabouts, of the muzzle end; I
then finish the bore by a taper from the conclusion of the larger bore direct
to the very extremity of the muzzle. By this improved construction of bore
stronger and closer shooting will be acquired, besides other advantages.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Rochester Pape in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROCHESTER PAPE, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the County of Northumberland,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, 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 William Rochester Pape, Her special licence, that I, the said William
Rochester Pape, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Rochester Pape, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should in 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 MANUFACTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING
AND OTHER RIPLES AND GUNS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Rochester Pape, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should

page_text: 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 im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Rochester Pape, 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:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to certain improvements in that class of
breech-loading rifles and guns known as depressing barrelled guns, in which
the Lefaucheux cartridge is used, whereby a rapid means of unlocking the
barrels from the body is afforded, and whereby the gun or rifle becomes
restored to their position ready for
self-locking when the barrels are
discharge.
These improvements are represented in the accompanying Drawings,
Figure of which is a gun open for loading arranged according to my Invention,
and Figure 2 is an amplified view of the of the said mechanism for opening
and closing the gun. In Figure 1 A is the bar of steel between and below
the barrels; B and C are slots in the said steel centre bar, and D is the
thumb-pieco of lever. In Figure 2, No. 1 is the upper wedgo; No. 2, the
under wedge; No. 3, the centre shaft; No. 4, the lever, and No. 5, the
thumb-piece. The barrels aro formed with open or through-and-through
bored breeches, which close flush upon the face of the body when tho barrels
are locked. The barrels and fore part of the stock are hinged or pivoted to tho
extremity of the body in order to permit of their depression and elevation for the
purpose of withdrawing the discharged cartridge case and inserting a new cart-
ridge. Underneath the breech end of the barrel two "lumps" are formed, the rear
surfaces being of an oblique or curvilinear outline so as to fit into corresponding
cavities or recesses cut in the body, thereby causing the recoil to be sustained
by these parts instead of straining the binge or pivot, or creating recoil or
pressure on the face of the body.
I cause the locking and unlocking of the barrels from the body by
the following means: -I cut out a space from the under surface of
the body just in front of the trigger guard, such cavity or space extending
vertically nearly through the centre of the body, but leaving the face of the
body flush; in this cavity a pin or sj indle No. 3, Figure 2, is set, which
carries two curvilinear catches or stops Nos. 1 and 2, Figure 2, the borders of
which protrude from the spindle through the face of the body, two small apertures
Leing cut in the face for the purpose. The upper catch No. 1, Figure 2,

page_text: enters a corresponding cavity or recess B cut in the upper part of the solid
metal between the barrels, but the lower catch No. 2 is placed in such
a position as to enter a cavity cut just under the rear of the breech and
in the rear lump which has a curvilinear outline. On face of barrel exists
a horizontal bar of steel A fitting into face of false breech for preventing any
shaking to right or left, and affording a large bearing surface for bites of upper
and lower wedges. The lower portion of the shaft or spindle No. 3, Figure 2,
(contained in that part of the body level with the mainspring of the lock) is
provided with a short lever No. 4, Figure 2, projecting horizontally therefrom;
on the edge of this lever No. 4, Figure 2, a flat spring No. 6, Figure 2, always
bears for the purpose of maintaining the pin or spindle in such position that
the catches No. 1 and 2, Figure 2, shall always protrude from the body, unless
forced back for the purpose of closing and unlocking the barrels, as hereafter
mentioned. The flat spring No. 6, Figure 2, is set so far in the interior of
the body as to leave room for the insertion of the lock plate and mainspring;
it is secured by a screw penetrating the fore part of the body. The lower-
most or exposed portion of the spindle No. 3, Figure 2, is furnished with a
short thumb-piece D, Figure 1, and No. 5, Figure 2, keyed thereon, and
extending to the side of the body on the right and front of the trigger
guard.
Now the action of these arrangements is as follows:-Assuming the barrels
to be closed down they will necessarily be also locked by the entrance of the'
two catches No. 1 and 2, Figure 2, into the cavities of the breech; when it is
desired to depress the barrels. the thumb-lever No. 5, Figure 2, and D,
Figure 1, is pushed forward, causing the spindle No. 3, Figure 2, to turn in
a contrary direction, carrying with it in a circular or sweeping motion the
two catches No. 1 and 2, Figure 2, which retreat into the body and allow
the breech to be raised by the weight of the barrels, in order to withdraw the
empty cartridge if the piece has been previously discharged, or to insert a
cartridge; then by closing down the breech the rear curvilinear lump acts first
upon the lower catch No. 2, Figure 2, forcing it back with the spindle No. 8,
Figure 2, which turns and simultaneously carries back the upper catch No. 1,
Figure 2, until the cavities in the lump and upper part of the breech and the
steel centre bar come in front of those in the body, when the spring No. 6,
Figure 2, instantly drives the spindle No. 3, Figure 2, round, and the catches
Nos. 1 and 2, fly into the cavities in the breech, and thus self-lock the barrels
by the combined spring snap No. 6, Figure 2, and lever action No. 4,
Figure 2.
The Invention further relates to an improvement in the manufacturo and

page_text: construction of the bore of barrels of breech-loading and other shot guns.
Instead of making the bore cylindrical throughout, I propose firstly to bore
the barrel or barrels through and through one size or number smaller than
the true bore to be formed; I then rebore the barrel with one full size or
number larger than the former, beginning at the breech or open end, but
continuing only to within one inch or thereabouts of the muzzle end; I then
finish the bore by a taper from the conclusion of the larger bore direct to the
very extremity of the muzzle. By this improved construction of bore stronger
and closer shooting will be acquired, besides other advantages.
Having now described the nature of the said improvements, and the
manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details above
enumerated, as these may obviously be modified without departing from the
principle of the Invention according to the special construction and intended
applications of the fire-arms in which they are adopted; but what I
claim is,
1°. The application of tapering or wedge bolts at the extreme breech end
of the barrels, preventing rising of the breech and dipping downward of the
muzzle.
2º. The continuous binding power of the above wedges, which preserve the
samo amount of leverage to draw down the barrels after the gun has been
worn for years; any wear and tear upon the bearing surface of the bites is
self-supplied by the wedges revolving further into the bites and replacing
any wear.
3°. The principle of procuring leverage power to seif-locking gun after the
barrels are firmly bound by the wedges, extra binding power being applicable
by pressure upon the lever..
In witness whereof, I, the said William Rochester Pape, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM ROCHESTER PAPE. (L.S.)