IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING GUNS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lewis Wells Broadwell, of Saint Petersburg, in the
Empire of Russia, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING GUNS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lewis Wells Broadwell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th April 1865.
I, LEWIS WELLS BROADWELL, of Saint Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING GUNS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, first, in the employment of a conical gas ring in a
corresponding chamber in the boro of the gun, in combination or not with a
bearing plate.
Second, in the employment of a curved gas ring in a corresponding
chamber in the bore of the gun, in combination or not with a bearing
plate.
Third, in the employment of an adjustable bearing plate in a chamber
in the face of the breech wedge, in combination or not with gas rings.

page_text: And, fourth, in the construction and employment of a screw on the breech
wedge, all fitted and acting substantially in manner and for the purposes
herein-after explained with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal, central, and borizontal section of the breech of
a gun fitted according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a similar view of the
breech, shewing the breech block or wedge withdrawn to the position for
loading the gun; Figure 3 is a longitudinal central section on an enlarged
scale of the sliding breech block or wedge A; Figure 4 is a central sectional
view of a curved gas ring and adjustable bearing plate in combination,
shewing their relative positions at the moment of firing the gun. The
external shape of this gas ring is curved, the curvature being the same as
that of a circle, the diameter of which is the same as the greatest diameter of
the ring required. The advantage possessed by this shape over either the
cylindrical or conical is that its action in its chamber is the same as that of a
universal or ball joint, so that when workmanship is not perfect, and the
wedge does not perhaps move exactly at right angles with the bore, still the
curved ring will adjust itself upon its bearing, and make a tight joint.
Figure 5 is a view of the grooved face or bearing surface of the gas ring.
These circular grooves are made for the purpose of receiving and containing
any little dirt that may accidentally get upon the bearing surfaces, and which
might otherwise prevent the necessary perfection of contact.
A is the breech block slightly tapered behind, and sliding in a corresponding
mortice or slot made in the breech end of the gun at right angles therewith,
and about one to one-and-a-half calibres from the rear end thereof; B is an
aperture through the thinner end of the block A, through which the charge is
passed into the gun when the said block is withdrawn to admit of that
operation; C is a chamber, circular or otherwise, one to one-and-a-half inches
deep, and of a diameter one to one-and-a-half inches greater than that of the
bore of the gun. This chamber carries the adjustable bearing piece D. This
hearing plate is recessed in front, as shewn, to form a shallow chamber for
the reception of the gas deposit, and prevent it from cutting the two bearing
surfaces when the block A is operated. I form a circular chamber in and
concentric with the bore immediately in front of the sliding breech block A
for the reception of the gas ring. I make this chamber and the ring either
conical or curved according to circumstances. I prefer the conical shape for
guns of small, and the curved for guns of large calibre, but either shape
may be used for all calibres. The diameter of the gas ring is from one to
one-and-a-half inches greater than that of the bore of the gun, and its bore

page_text: slightly larger than the bore of the gun to allow the charge to be passed
freely through it into the loading chamber. I make the wedge about one-
sixteenth of an inch thinner than the mortice, and allow the ring and
bearing plate to project about a thirty-second of an inch from their respective
chambers; thus when the breech is closed there is no contact formed
between the block and mortice, but only between the gas ring and bearing
plate. In the chamber E made in the rear side of the thick end of the
wedge A I place the operating screw a. I make the screw hollow with one or
two grooves therein, into which the handle 6 fits; the screw and handle may
be made in a single piece. This screw is partly cut away on one side at f to
allow of its being withdrawn with the block A when the breech is opened.
This screw has a pitch of one or one-and-a-half inches to one turn, and a half
turn thereof withdraws the block from to of an incb, which is quite
enough to break the jam caused by firing the gun, and then the block is
easily withdrawn to the position for loading, at which point it is arrested and
held by the set pin c. I place a small set pine in the end of the block
against which the two shoulders of a groove formed in the flange or collar
of the handle come, by which it is prevented from moving more than a half
turn either way. This half turn of the operating screw a withdraws the
block A, returns it to the exact position to bring the gas ring and its bearing
plate into their proper relative position for forming a tight joint when the
gun is fired, and locks the block in position so as to effectually prevent
accident.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Lewis Wells Broadwell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEWIS
WELLS BROADWELL, of Saint Petersburg, in the Empire of Russia, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Lewis Wells Broadwell, Her special licence that I, the said Lewis
Wells Broadwell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others

page_text: as I, the said Lewis Wells Broadwell, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING GUNS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Lewis Wells Broadwell, my exccutors
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 Lewis Wells Broadwell, 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 Invention consists, first, in the employment of a conical gas ring in a
corresponding chamber in the bore of the gun in combination or not with a
bearing plate..
Second, in the employmont of a curved gas ring in a corresponding
chamber in the bore of the gun, in combination or not with a bearing
plate.
Third, in the employment of an adjustable bearing plate in a chamber in
the face of the breech wedge, in combination or not with gas rings.
And, fourth, in the construction and employment of a screw on the breech
wedge, all fitted and acting substantially in manner and for the purposes
herein-after explained, with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central and vertical section of the breech of a
gun with my improvements applied thereto; Figure 2 is a longitudinal central
and horizontal section; Figure 3 is a similar view of the breech shewing the
breech block or wedge withdrawn to the position for loading the gun; Figure 4
is an elevation of the rear end of the gun; Figure 5 is a rear elevation;
Figure 6 is a longitudinal central section; Figure 7 a front elevation; and
Figuro 8 an end elevation; all on an enlarged scale of the sliding breech
block or wedge A. Figure 9 is an end view, and Figure 10 a perspective
view of the screw on the breech wedge; Figure 11 is a side view, and

page_text: Figure 12 a rear view, of the handle which carries the screw; Figure 13 is a
central sectional view of a curved gas ring and adjustable bearing plate in
combination, showing their relative positions at the moment of firing the gun.
The external shape of this gas ring is curved, the curvature being the same as
that of a circle, the diameter of which is the same as the greatest diameter of
the ring required. The advantage possessed by this shapo over either the
cylindrical or conical is that its action on its chamber is the same as that of
a universal or ball joint, so that when workmanship is not perfect, and the
wedge does not perhaps move exactly at right angles with the bore, still the
curved ring will adjust itself upon its bearing, and make a tight joint.
Figure 14 is a view of the grooved face or bearing surface of the gas ring.
These circular grooves are made for the purpose of receiving and containing
any little dirt that may accidentally get upon the bearing surfaces, and which
might otherwise prevent the necessary perfection of contact.
A is the breech block slightly tapered behind and sliding in a corresponding
mortice or slot made in the breech end of the gun at right angles therewith,
and about 1 to 1 calibres from the rear end thereof; B is an aperture
through the thinner end of the block A, through which the charge is passed
into the gun when the said block is withdrawn to admit of that operation, as
shewn in Figure 3. c is a pin to regulate the distance to which the block B
is withdrawn; C is a chamber, circular or otherwise, 1 to 1 inches deep, and
of a
diameter 1 to 1 inches greater than that of the bore of the gun. This
chamber carries the adjustable bearing piece D. This bearing plato is recessed
in front, as shown, to form a shallow chamber for the reception of the gas
deposit, and prevent it from cutting the two bearing surfaces when the block A
is operated. Behind the bearing plate is a plate e of copper or other soft
metal, which acts as a cushion to the bearing plate. When it becomes.
necessary to advance the bearing plate to renew perfection of contact, the
bearing plate and plate e are taken out, and a sheet of paper placed behind
them. I form a circular chamber in and concentric with the bore immediately
in front of the sliding breech block A for the reception of the
gas ring. I
make this chamber and the ring either conical, as in Figures 1, 2, and 3, or
curved as in Figure 13, according to circumstances. Sometimes I form
annular recesses on the outside of the ring, as shown in Figure 13. I prefer
the conical shape for guns of small and the curved for guns of large calibre,
but either shape may be used for all calibres. The diameter of the gas ring
is from 1 to 1 inches greater than that of the bore of the gun, and its bore
slightly larger than the bore of the gun, to allow the charge to be passed

page_text: th
freely through it into the loading chamber. I make the wedge about
of an inch thinner than the mortice, and allow the ring and bearing plate to
project about a 32nd of an inch from their respective chambers; thus when
the breech is closed there is no contact forward between the block and mortice,
but only between the gas ring and bearing plate. In the chamber E, made
in the rear side of the thick end of the wedge A, I place the operating
screw a. I make the screw hollow with one or two grooves therein, into
which the handle & fits. The screw and handle may be made in a single
piece. This screw is partly cut away on one side at f to allow of its being
withdrawn with the block A when the breech is opened. This screw has a pitch
of 1 or 1inches to one turn, and a half turn thereof withdraws the block
fromto of an inch, which is quite enough to break the jam caused by
firing the gun; and then the block is easily withdrawn to the position for
loading. When the loading is effected, and the block A has been pushed in,
a half turn of the operating screw a returns the block to the exact position
to bring the gas ring and its bearing plate into their proper relative position
for forming a tight joint when the gun is fired, and locks the block in
position so as to effectually prevent accident. Instead of the screw a being
caused to work in a recess in the solid portion of the gun I sometimes insert
a block, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2, for it to work in, and secure
such block by a screw Q. Figure 15 shews the manner in which the screw a
is held in the block when formed in one piece with the handle as in
Figure 16.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improve-
ments in Breech-loading Guns,"
"_
First, the employment of a conical gas ring in a corresponding chamber in
the bore of the gun, in combination or not with a bearing plate D, sub-
stantially in manner and for the purposes herein-before described and illustrated
in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the employment of a curved gas ring in a corresponding chamber
in the bore of the gun, in combination or not with a bearing plate D, sub-
stantially in manner and for the purposes bercin-before described and illustrated
in Figure 13 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the employment of an adjustable bearing plate D in a chamber in
the face of the breech wedge, in combination or not with a gas ring, sub-
stantially in manner and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated
in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 13 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Fourth, the employment of an operating screw a, substantially in manner
and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 2, 3, 9,
10, and 16 of the accompanying Drawings. I
In witness whereof, I, the said Lewis Wells Broadwell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.
LEWIS WELLS BROADWELL. (L.S.)