IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND CARTRIDGES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Horace Brandon, Civil Engineer, of
13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, in the Empire of France, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND CARTRIDGES."
-A communication from Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, Engineer, of
New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 26th June 1868, and dated the 17th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Horace
Brandon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th February 1868.
I, ALEXANDER HORACE BRANDON, Civil Engineer, of 13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND
.CARTRIDGES," a communication to me from Benjamin B. Hotchkiss,
Engineer, of New York, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to what are known as needle guns,
and consists in a means of opening and cocking the gun by one single

page_text: motion. For this purpose I form on the extremity of the closing bolt
a groove of such a form that immediately after firing the bolt can be
turned round on its axis, then drawn back with the hammer, and after
inserting the cartridge pushed home and turned back on its axis,
leaving the hammer in a position for firing by pulling the trigger.
Secondly. In giving such a form to the slot in which the bolt is
drawn in a straight line and then turned on its axis for opening and
closing the arm that by curving the extremity of such guiding slot
the rectilinear motion is gradually blended into the rotary one, by
which means the closing and opening are effected much more rapidly
and easily, whilst when using metallic cartridges the danger of explosion,
by rapidly closing the bolt, is avoided.
Thirdly. In adapting to such arms an extractor moving in a line
with the barrel and bedded in the breech piece, and actuated by a stud
projecting from the same in a cavity cut in the bolt, the form of which
cavity being such that the extractor remains stationary during the
rotary motion imparted to the bolt, and is only actuated by a part of
the rectilinear motion.
Fourthly. In metallic cartridges adapted to these arms, and wherein
the shell is made in one piece with no hole or opening at the back,
and charged with a cap or a fulminate maintained in place either by a
wad of compressed cardboard or compressed gunpowder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Horace Brandon in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
HORACE BRANDON, Civil Engineer, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, in the
.Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, my executors, admi-

page_text: nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Horace
Brandon, 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 AND CARTRIDGES," a com-
munication to me from Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, Engineer, of New
York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, 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 per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, 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 (that is to say): :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to what are known as needle guns,
and consists in a means of opening and cocking the gun by one single
motion. For this purpose I form on the extremity of the closing bolt
a groove of such a form that immediately after firing the bolt can be
turned round on its axis, then drawn back with the hammer, and after
inserting the cartridge pushed home and turned back on its axis, leaving
the hammer in a position for firing by pulling the trigger.
Secondly. In giving such a form to the slot in which the bolt is
drawn in a straight line and then turned on its axis for opening and
closing the arm that by curving the extremity of such guiding slot,
the rectilinear motion is gradually blended into the rotary one, hy
which means the closing and opening are effected much more rapidly
and easily, whilst when using metallic cartridges the danger of explosion;
by rapidly closing the bolt, is avoided.
Thirdly. In adapting to such arms an extractor moving in a line
with the barrel, and bedded in the breech piece, and actuated by a stud
projecting from the same in a cavity cut in the bolt, the form of which
cavity being such that the extractor remains stationary during the

page_text: rotary motion imparted to the bolt, and is only actuated by a part of the
rectilinear motion.
Fourthly. In metallic cartridges adapted to these arms and wherein
the shell is made in one piece with no hole or opening at the back, and
charged with a cap or fulminate maintained in place either by a wad of 5
compressed cardboard or compressed gunpowder.
In order that my improvements may be clearly understood I will
proceed to explain them conjointly with the twenty-two Figures of
the accompanying Drawing, in which the seven first Figures have
reference to my first improvement, the five following to my second ]
improvement, the seven Figures 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 and 15, to my
third improvement, and the six last to my last improvement.
Fig. 1 is a partial longitudinal elevation of a needle gun, the bolt a
being pushed home but not rotated on itself to effect the closing;
Fig. 2 is a transverse section through A, A, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a second 1
longitudinal elevation, the bolt being drawn out of the arm; Fig. 4, a
third similar elevation, where the bolt is pushed home and turned
upon its axis ready for firing; and Fig. 7, a detached view of the back
extremity of the said bolt; Fig. 5, a longitudinal sectional elevation
of the arm modified to receive metallic cartridges; and Fig. 6, a partial 2
plan of certain pieces.
In these Figures a is the bolt, and bits handle; c, the stock; d, the
barrel; e, the hammer; f, the trigger; and g, the trigger guard. I
make in the outer extremity of the said bolt a a groove h, in which
the extremity of the screw i enters, the said screw being fixed in the 2
hammer e, so that when the piece is fired the bolt can be immediately
rotated upon itself, see Fig. 1, avoiding the usual motion of drawing
back the hammer, and, then drawn back with the hammer to open
the arm, as is shewn in Fig. 3, and after placing the cartridge the
bolt is pushed home and turned upon its axis ready to fire, as is seen
in Fig. 4; whilst the bolt is being rotated to open the arm the screw i
passes from one extremity to the other of the circular part of the
groove; when the bolt is returned. home it (the screw) leaves the bolt
completely by one of the rectilinear parts of the groove, and when
the bolt is again turned upon itself to shut the arm the screw (still 3
outside of the bolt) presents itself in face of the second rectilinear
part of the groove where it enters when the trigger is pulled. For
the purpose of avoiding an accident through drawing the trigger

page_text: before the bolt is turned upon itself I arrange a little tongue j jointed.
at in that rectilinear part of the groove which is in face of the
screw before the rotation of the bolt, see Fig. 7; a little spring
holds it in the position indicated and prevents the return of the
screw i.
In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shewn a second arrangement or construction
of the groove to avoid the same kind of accident. According to this
plan I incline the circular part of the groove uniting the two straight
parts, so that by the effect of the rotation of the bolt I draw back
the hammer, and this back motion takes place either by simple contact:
of the screw in the inclined part of the groove, and in this case
the extremity of the hammer can be terminated by a right angle, as.
is seen by the red line in Fig. 6; or this part of the hammer can be
terminated by a bevil, as shewn in the black line, and then all the
force of this movement is transmitted by the contact of the part b
against the said bevilled part and the screws simply follows the inclined
groove in which it works without friction. A little nick m, Fig. 6,
serves to half-cock the gun, and corresponds to the partial rotation of
the bolt a.
Fig. 5 serves also to indicate a way of constructing the needle gun
so that metallic cartridges can be used. For this purpose the bolt a
is cylindrical from end to end, and fitted in the centre with a firing
pin which is driven against the central-fire cartridge n' by the
hammer e; the spring n² producing the blow is, as it is seen, lodged
in a tube n³ sliding in the bolt a, and connected at one extremity
in the hammer so that it can nevertheless be turned in this piece ;
its compression is effected between the bottom of the said tube and
the washer n attached to the bolt by the screw n³; slots n° are
cut in the said tube n³ for the passage of the screws, the length of
these slots being equal to the stroke of the hammer for the blow.
Second Improvement, Fig. 8 to 12.-Fig. 8 is a longitudinal elevation
partly sectional of the arm open; Fig. 9, a similar elevation, the arm
being shut; Fig. 10, a transverse section on the line B, B, Fig. 11;
Fig. 11, a plan of the arm shut; and Fig. 12, a similar view of a
modification of this arm.
Supposing that the gun is just fired the parts of the arm assume
the position indicated in Figs. 9, 10, and 11; to open the arm the
bolt a is held by the handle b, and turned on its axis about a quarter of

page_text: a revolution; the first part of this rotation is made without progression,
and this fraction of the rotation corresponds to the distance necessary
for the bar a fixed on the bolt a to disengage itself from the groove
cut in the straight side of the breech piece o, where. it is lodged, and
of which the shoulder p serves as the resistance for the bolt at the time
of explosion; during the second part of the rotation the bolt guided
by the two curves q and q', between which the bar is held, is moved
simultaneously backwards a distance equal to the length of the two
curves, and when the bar has penetrated the opening the bolt is
moved in a straight line to the position indicated in Fig. 8. To charge
the arm it suffices to place the cartridge n' in the cavity of the breech
piece o, and to push the bolt home, as shewn in Fig. 9 and 11; in
decomposing this motion of the bolt it will be seen that its first part
is. a straight progression; that, secondly, at the time when the bar a¹
meets the curves q and q¹ it consists of a double movement of progression
and rotation; and that the third and last is a rotative movement only,
which has the effect of lodging the bar solidly against the shoulder.
The result of this action is that however violently the bolt is pushed
into the gun it can never fire the cartridge by the blow, for at the
moment when this danger might be expected, that is to say, when
the cartridge is pushed home, the forward motion of the bolt is reduced
to its minimum by the action of the curves q and q¹. I also adopt
this manner of actuating the bolt to the arms described under my
first improvement.
In order to avoid accidental discharge when the bolt is not entirely
driven home I avail myself of the rotation of the bolt. To this end I
place the extremity of the striking pin to be met by the hammer
eccentrically on the end of said bolt, in such a manner that the
said hammer on falling can only strike the pin when the arm is
completely closed. As one illustration of my system I will refer to
Fig. 9, where the striking pin n in the bolt a follows a diagonal direction,
that is to say, that whilst its point is in the centre of the bolt its other
extremity receiving the blow of the hammer presents itself on the
outer circle; when the arm is closed the said pin presents itself
immediately under the hammer.
Fig. 12 represents a modification in the structure of the breech piece
for the reception and working of the bolt. Instead of making one
aperture only for placing the cartridge as well as for the stroke of the bolt

page_text: handle, as above described, I make two openings, one s for placing the
cartridge and a second &³ for the passage of the bolt handle; this last,
as can be seen, is formed with the curves q and q in view of the
object above explained.
Third Improvement, Figs. 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 and 15.-The extractor
for these arms is composed of a little metallic slide t sunk in the
breech piece, and also partially in the barrel; it is provided at its
extremity with a hook u which lies under the rim of the cartridge n¹
to effect the extraction, and with a little lozenge ¹ which adapts itself
in a cavity v cut in the under side of the bolt a, see Fig. 13, and of
such a form that during the rotation of the bolt and during the first
part of its movement in the straight part of the barrel the extractor
remains stationary, and by the second part of the movement only of
this straight course of the bolt the extractor is led into the position
indicated in Fig. 8, and that on returning the bolt, the first part of its
straight movement does not touch the extractor, which is only advanced
by the second part of the movement, whilst during the rotation the
extractor is equally stationary; it follows from these arrangements that.
on being drawn out the cartridge or shell is always thrown against
the extremity of the bolt when this latter piece is pushed rapidly, and
that in placing the cartridge which is to be charged it can never
be placed otherwise than with the rim between the extremity of the
bolt and the hook u.
Fig. 15 serves to represent a modification in the manner of actuating
the extractor by the bolt as well as in the manner of connecting these
two parts, in which the extractor t embedded in the breech piece as
above stated is provided with a small stud u entering a circular
groove cut over about one-third of the circumference of the bolt;
by these means the extractor is compelled to follow the rectilinear
motion of the bolts whilst it remains stationary during its rotary
motion.
Fourth Improvement, Figs. 16 to 21.-My fourth improvement has
reference to the metallic cartridge which I prefer using in my arms,
wherein the shell and bottom are made of one same piece of metal,
and in every case but one are completely charged from the inside, with
no hole or opening whatsoever in the back.
.

page_text: I represent in sectional elevation six different modes of manufacturing
the said cartridges, in Fig. 16, wo is the metallic part, preferably copper,
composing the shell and the back; a, the fulminate; y, a metallic cup,
preferably copper, covering said fulminate; and z, a paper or pasteboard
wad compressing the metallic cup in its place; y and z are pierced*
with central holes for igniting the charge. In Fig. 17 the component
parts w, x, y, and z remain the same, except that the cup y is inverted
in a conical shape through the wad z. In Fig. 18 the parts w and x
remaining the same, I make a larger central hole in the wad z, which
I fill with compressed gunpowder. In Fig. 19 I replace the cup y with
a metallic receptacle opening towards the charge, and containing an
ordinary percussion cap.
In Fig. 20, wo and a remaining the same, I dispense with a cup
altogether, and maintain the fulminate x in its place by compressed
powder z.
Fig. 21 is similar to Fig. 19, with the exception that the back of
shell is pierced through, so that the cap can be inserted from the back
and used again after firing.
Having thus explained the nature of my improvements, and the
best means that I am acquainted with for carrying them into practice,
I claim,―
Firstly. The arrangement of parts described whereby the bolt of a
needle gun can be rotated and the arm opened without the necessity
of previously cocking by a separate motion.
Secondly. The mechanism described for the use of metallic cartridges
in a needle gun.
Thirdly. The mechanism described under the second head with
reference to the motion imparted to a bolt for opening and closing a
so-called bolt gun.
Fourthly. The means described for avoiding accidental fire when the
arm is not completely closed.
Fifthly. The two different modes described under the third head
of locating, constructing, and working the extractors for metallic
cartridges.

page_text: And, sixthly. The construction of metallic cartridges for my improved
fire-arms as described under the fourth head of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Horace Brandon, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
Vitness,
W. MORGAN BROWN,
13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris.
Vitness,
HENRY AGUERRE,
13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris.
A. H. BRANDON. (L.s.)