IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE- ARMS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Antoine Alphonse Chassepot, of Paris, (France,) Gun-
maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS."
Scaled the 25th May 1858, and dated the 28th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Antoine Alphouse Chasse-
pot at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th November 1857.
I, ANTOINE ALPHONSE CHASSEPOT, of Paris, (France,) Gunmaker, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms of any size, either pistols,
guns, or ordnance. The same consists in making the breech rotatory to a
certain extent, thereby permitting the same of performing a backward motion
sufficient for the insertion into the barrel of the cartridge and bullet. The
fore part of the breech has a perforation or hole in the direction of its axis.
in which hole glides a plug provided with a head, under which is inserted
a washer of india-rubber or any other suitable elastic material, the cartridge
is put against the head of this plug, after which the breech is pushed forward
towards the barrel, thereby inserting the cartridge, the head of the plug, the
washer, and also a small part of the fore part of the brecch itself in the

page_text: interior of the barrel, to which latter the breech is then fixed by a rotating
motion of the breech in the opposite direction of that required for opening
the barrel. The elasticity and extensability of the washer causes it to shut
up entirely any opening that might exist between the breech and the back
end of the barrel, thus preventing any escape of gas at that end.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Antoine Alphonse Chassepot in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTOINE
ALPHONSE CHASSEPOT, of Paris, France, Gunmaker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victorin, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eights day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Ilerself, Ifer heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Antoine Alphonse Chassepot, Her special licence that I, the
said Antoine Alphonse Chassepot, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Antoine Alphonse Chassepot, 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 Antoine Alphonse
Chassepot, 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 Antoine Alphonse Chassepot, 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:-
The Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms of any size, whether.
pistols, guns, rifles, or ordnance, though the same is more particularly appli-

page_text: cable to portable fire-arms. In the annexed Drawings various views are
given of the breech parts of a gun provided with the improvements, Fig. 1
shewing a vertical longitudinal section of part of the barrel on an enlarged
scale; Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the breech, barrel,
and stock in actual size; Figs. 3 and 7 are transverse or sectional views
respectively taken over the lines X, X', and G, H, of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 repre-
sents a vertical longitudinal section of the breech part of the barrel, Fig. 6
being a transverse or sectional view of this latter over the line Y, Z, of
Fig. 5; Fig. 4 shows the inside of the lock. In these various Figs. cor-
responding parts are indicated by the same letters of reference. The
obturation of the barrel at the required moment takes place by means of the
compression of a disc or washer A, Fig. 1, of vulcanised india-rubber or other
suitable elastic material encircling the stem of a bolt B, and inserted between
the head of this bolt and the front part c, d, of a moveable cylinder C or other
suitable piece fitting against the edge of the barrel, and kept in position in.
front or from behind when the barrel is closed. In the axis of the moveable
cylinder C is a hole in which fits the stem B of the bolt, leaving behind the
end of the bolt, when this latter is in the position for firing; the open space
corresponding with the compression of the washer A. This stem B has
towards its hinder end a circular neck e cut out for the end of a set screw b
to work in with the required play for allowing the compression of the washer
A. The outside of the top of B is slightly concave.
The barrel being closed,
the washer A and the head of the bolt B find themselves situated in the
interior of the charge chamber, as may be seen in Fig. 2, in which the lines
marked in red ink show the parts that are pushed backward when the barrel
is in its opened position, that is to say, ready for receiving the charge.. The
diameter of the bolt head and of the washer must be slightly smaller than
the diameter of the charge chamber, so as to make the obturation of this
latter depend entirely on the compression exerted by the bolt head on the
elastic washer A during the explosion of the charge, after which the elasticity
of this washer causes it to assume again its original form, and to return the
bolt to its original position. The india-rubber or other elastic medium made
use of must consequently be of such quality as always to offer a perfect
elasticity and to withstand the effects of the gases; instead of the india-
rubber, one or more superposed washers of leather, felt, cloth, or other
material of sufficient elasticity and strength, so as to form an obturating
medium, may be made use of instead of india-rubber. The mode of working
this arrangement is as follows:-Supposing the barrel to be in its closed

page_text: position, and the hammer let down, if now it be wished to load the and
gun
fire, the hammer is lifted to half cock, the small handle S with which tho
moveable cylinder C is furnished is turned for a quarter of a revolution from
left to right hand and browght to the vertical position, after which the same
is drawn backwards. During this motion the moveable cylinder C is guided
by the end of the screw D placed on the left-hand side of the box T, in which
glides the moveable cylinder C, this screw entering in a slit in the moveable
cylinder, the cylinder is thus permitted of being drawn backwards, thus
opening entirely the charge chamber in which the cartridge is then inserted
through the opening E, F, after which the cylinder with the cartridge inserted
in it is pushed forward, and thus carried in the interior of the chamber till
the cylinder is prevented from advancing any further by the hinder end of the
barrel; the handle S is then turned round from right to left hand for a quarter
of a revolution, so as to assume again the horizontal position, whereby the
barrel becomes entirely shut, the cylinder being held in position by means of
two bevelled tenons G, H, forming projections on the hind part of tho
cylinder C, of which each of them occupies a quarter of the periphery, as
may be seen in Fig. 7. These tenons enter into corresponding openings
provided at the back of the guide box T, and from there, in a circular groove,
perpendicular on the axis of the said guide box, and at the required distance
from the hinder end of this box. The two projecting parts g and h of the
interior of this box serve as stops for the tenons to rest against. After this
the hammer is brought to full cock, and the gun being suitably primed the
firing takes place in the usual manner by pulling the trigger. The chamber
having been closed, and the hammer set at rest, the opening of the chamber
is no more possible unless the hammer be lifted to the half cock. In order
to obtain this result the guide box T and moveable cylinder C are provided
at the lower part of their hinder end with a hole U, in which the end of the
tumbler spring takes when the charge chamber, having been closed by means
of the moveable cylinder, the hammer is put at rest, the end of the tumbler
in that case being in the position I, Fig. 2, from which it results that, if the
chamber is to be opened, the spring K, and the moveable or safety stop L
connected thereto, can fall down only for tho small space a, that is to say,
not sufficient for allowing the head of the spring to become fully liberated by
means of the incline m, n, Fig. 3, of the above-mentioned opening in which
this end of the tumbler spring was inserted, thus preventing the opening of
the chamber, supposing the chamber to be closed, but the hammer lifted up
to the half cock, then by this motion the end of the tumbler is lowered

page_text: considerably, and assumes the position l' of Fig. 2, thereby affording sufficient
play for permitting to the end K of the tumbler spring liberating itself from
the opening in which this end K was inserted; the moveable cylinder con-
sequently becomes free to turn and to be pushed backward. Supposing, on
the other hand, that the handle S be in a vertical position, and the hammer
lifted to the half cock, in this case it will not be possible to lift the hammer
any further before the handle is again turned down to the horizontal position,
for during the time the handle is in the vertical position the end of the
spring K is liberated from the opening U, and the safety trigger L, Fig. 2,
bearing thus on the end of the tumbler prevents this latter from following
the motion of the nut, which latter being stopped prevents from lifting the
hammer any further. If tho handle is in the vertical position, and the
hammer entirely lifted up ready for firing, but as the end of the spring K,
Fig. 2, bears on one of the generatrixes of the moveable cylinder, and the
safety trigger is regulated in such manner as to bear on the end of the
tumbler when the hammer is lifted to half cock, then on pulling the trigger
this latter cannot act on the end of the tumbler, and thus prevents the end
from liberating itself from the notches of the nut, thus preventing firing the
gun when in such position. But if the chamber be closed, then the end of
the spring K has inserted itself in the corresponding opening of the guide
box T and moveable cylinder C, and thereby leaves between the end of the
tumbler and the end of the spring an open space equal to the depth of the
above-mentioned opening U, and sufficient to allow the firing of the gun.
The body of the lock bas an elevation V for bearing against the barrel, and
has the form shown in Fig. 4. For removing the moveable cylinder the
hammer is to be lifted to the half cock, when an ordinary pin driver O may
be inserted in the hole W of the screw bearer N, N', as shown in Fig. 3, the
end of which driver O by pushing against the inclino p, q, causes the safety
trigger to be lowered, the end of the driver then enters into a hole I in
which position the end of the spring K is prevented from acting on the
moveable cylinder, the screws of the guide box then being screwed off, the
moveable cylinder may be taken out without removing the guide box.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and shown the manner
of carrying the same into practical effect, I now state that I do not confine
myself to the exact shape or form of the parts described and shown in the
Drawings, as they may be varied according to circumstances, or to the
precise details herein described, so long as the peculiar character of the
Invention be retained; but what I claim is,-

page_text: 1ly, the mode of making use of an elastic material for keeping the hinder
part of the charge chamber or barrel of breech-loading fire-arms obturated
during the firing of the same.
2ly, the general arrangement of breech-loading fire-arms here above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Antoine Alphonse Chassepot, do hereby
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
L. Devos.
ALP. CHASSEPOT. (L.S.)