IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE- ARMS, AND IN ADAPTING BAYONETS, OR CUTTING OR PIERCING WEAPONS THERETO
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-
ARMS, AND IN ADAPTING BAYONETS, OR CUTTING OR PIERCING WEAPONS
THERETO." A communication from abroad by Mathieu Louis Michel
Descoutures, of 33, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, France.
Sealed the 20th June 1862, and dated the 28th December 1861.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 28th December 1861, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I have petitioned Her Majesty Queen Victoria for Iler Royal
Letters Patent for an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, AND IN
ADAPTING BAYONETS, OR CUTTING OR PIERCING WEAPONS THERETO," commu-
nicated to me from abroad by Mathieu Louis Michel Descoutures, of 33,
Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, France.
NOW KNOW YE that I, the said Michael Henry, do hereby declare that
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, are fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, as communicated to me, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The Invention first relates to breech-loading fire-arms, and its principal
feature consists in the employment of an improved breech, which I call an
oscillating breech, by which I mean a moveable breech, capable of being
oscillated, rocked, turned, or worked on a fixed fulcrum, pivot, axis, or centre
of motion situated at a point or part above or below the breech itself, or
portion of the piece forming the breech that comes in a line with the barrel,
in such manner that the said breech shall turn or work on its fulcrum, pivot,
or axis to the right or left as required, but shall not revolve round a central
axis like revolving breeches; for which reason this improved breech is herein
called the "oscillating breech," to distinguish it from rotating breeches.
For fitting together the portions that constitute the fire-arm, a novel and
simple method, herein-after described, is adopted.
In arms which are fired by a needle striker or exploding rod, the latter has
fitted over or round it a nut, which I call a shielding nut, and which is so
placed and arranged that by adjusting it suitably the cock or hammer can
be prevented from firing the charge when the arm is not intended to be
discharged.
In double-barrelled arms, where two cocks are used, an arrangement is
adopted in which either cock may act, either on the needle striker or exploding
rod of its own barrel, or on that of the other barrel as required, so that the
arm may be discharged, in case of emergency, while one barrel is loaded and
the other open, as well as while both barrels are loaded.
An improved carbine, herein-after described, intended as an arm of pre-
cision, and called by the party communicating this Invention "carabine de
precision," is constructed according to this Invention, having a rifled barrel
and an "oscillating" breech, and furnished with a bayonet or weapon placed
in the stock. This arm is believed to be especially applicable for adoption in
the army and navy, and is also suitable for employment in wild beast chase.
I now proceed, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, particularly
to describe the best means known to me for carrying the Invention into
effect.
Although the Drawings represent the Invention as applied to a double-
barrelled fowling piece and to a single-barrelled carbine, by way of example,
I wish it to be understood that it may be applied to other descriptions of guns
or fire-arms, including pistols and revolvers.
Figure 1 is side elevation of a double-barrelled fowling piece, constructed

page_text: according to this Invention; Figure 2, end view of the break off or part imme-
diately behind the breech; Figure 3 front view and Figure 4 back view of
the improved or oscillating breech; Figure 5, exemplifies the positions taken
by the breech to allow of the arm being charged; Figure 6 is a section
shewing the barrel loaded with cartridge, and also the exploding rod and its
"action" Figure 7, rod for clearing out or removing cartridges from the
barrel; Figures 7 and 8, views of the muzzle end of the barrel of the
improved carbine, with the bayonet or cutting weapon fitted in place;
Figure 9 shews the relative positions of its breech and barrel. The other
Figures are detached views of the parts that retain the bayonet on the gun.
The gun, Fig. 1, takes into three distinct pieces A, B, and C, namely, the
first or rear portion A, comprising the stock or handle, the lock and trigger,
and a pin bolt or axis projecting from the "break-off," by which the three
portions A, B, C, are connected together; the stock or handle part being
extended to receive the lock and trigger. The second or intermediate
portion B, comprising the oscillating breech and the needle striker or
exploding rod. The third or fore portion C, comprising the barrel and its
appendage z.
་
First portion A.-The lock and trigger are of usual construction, the main
difference in respect of this first portion consists in this, that there projects
from it, that is to say, from the centre of the face of the break-off w, a stout
pin bolt or rod a, which forms an axis, pivot, or fulcrum for the breech to
work on, and also serves to connect the three portions A, B, and C, together.
At one end of the axis a is a notch b, into which a pin c takes. The extremity
of the axis a is screw-threaded to receive a nut d, by which the portions
A and C are secured together, as afterwards explained; r is a long flat spring
or metal tongue, forming a spring fastened within the stock, and acted on by
pressing upon a knob or stud s, preferably fitted between the two cocks. The
use of the spring r and knob s is herein-after explained.
Second portion B.-The breech or piece B, the position of which is between
the break-off and the barrel, consists of a piece or block of metal, which is
solid at the upper portion or breech proper, which portion comes up against
and in a line with both the barrels, and closes them both at their breech ends,
while at the lower part the piece B extends below the barrels, at which part it
is annular or formed with an opening g', through which is passed the pin or
axis a, on which the piece B rests and works. The breech or breech piece B
is rocked or moved on this axis a by hand to either side to open the two
barrels, that is to say, when moved aside to the right it opens the right-hand
barrel, when to the left the left-hand barrel, and when brought upright it

page_text: comes against and closes both barrels tightly. When the breech is opened the
cartridge is inserted in the rear or breech end of the barrel. The breech is
steadied and guided in its motion, and prevented from moving too far in either
direction by means of a stop or projection g formed upon its face, and moving
in a slot h, formed in a partz attached to the barrel. In the upper or solid
portion of the breech B are two holes or passages exactly facing the barrels, so
that each barrel has one of these holes opposite to and leading into it in a line
with its axis; through each hole passes a striker or exploding rod i (one for
each barrel), intended to receive the blow of the cock or hammer, and to strike
upon and explode a percussion cap in the cartridge, and thereby discharge the
gun. These holes or passages widen towards their back end (or ends farthest
from the barrel) and each hole is screw-threaded on its inner surface for a
portion of its length, and has screwed into it thereat a tubular piece k, which
is also screw-threaded at its back end, and has a nut / screwed thereon. The
rod is thicker towards the end on which the hammer acts than at the other,
and round it is a spiral spring m, fitted between a fixed shoulder n at one end
and a moveable collar o at the other. When the nut is screwed in, that is,
into the position shewn in Figure 1, the cock or hammer when actuated will
strike against the rod i, and drive it against the cartridge and discharge
the gun. When the cock is raised the spring m will force back the rod i
to its previous position; but when the arm is not to be fired the nut is
unscrewed a little upon the piece k, that is to say, is worked into the
position shewn in Figure 6, and if after the nut has been thus adjusted
the cock should be released by accident or otherwise it will only drop
against the nut 1, and will not act on or force forward the rod i, the end
of the rod being shielded by the nut
from the blow of the cock, wherefore
I call the nut the "shielding nut." By these means the discharge of the
gun when it is not required to be fired will be prevented. t, t, t, are three
notches formed in the back of the breech to receive the end of the spring r.
When the breech B is in its upright or closing position the end of the spring r
takes into the central one of these three notches t, and keeps the breech
against the end of the barrels, but when the breech is to be inclined
on its axis to open the barrels the knob s is pressed down and so releases the
spring r, and allows the breech to be moved on its pivot to the right or left
as required, whereupon the end of the spring r will enter into that one of the
side notches t, which corresponds to the then position of the breech until again
released to allow the breech to be returned to its closing position. The
relative distance between the notches is regulated according to the length of
travel required for the breech. Instead, however, of the knobs and spring ",

page_text: an arrangement may be adopted which is preferable particularly because it
allows of the breech being worked by one hand only. In this method, shewn
in Figure 1, and also in blue section lines Figure 1, a recess is formed in
the under side of the axis a, of a length corresponding to that of the travel of
the breech, and in this recess are formed three notches. u is a rod or pin
round which is a spiral spring v (fitted between a stationary abutment at one
end and a moveable collar at the other); this rod or pin u passes down
through a collar x, screwed into the under side of the breech, which is drilled
for the pin to pass up to a, and a nut 9 is screwed to the rod u at bottom.
When the breech is in its upright position, or that in which it closes the
barrels, the top of the rod u takes into the central one of the three notches
under the bolt a, but when the breech is to be worked or inclined on its pivot
to open the barrels, the nut y is pulled down a little so as to disengage the
rod u from the central notch, and the breech is then released and free to be
moved on its pivot to either side as required, and the rod u is allowed to rise
into one of the side notches (the one corresponding to the then position of
the breech) to be released as before, when the breech is to be returned
to the closing position. When this mode is adopted the slot h is not
required.
Third portion C.-The barrel itself, Figure 1, is of usual construction,
except that it has formed on or fixed to it on its under surface towards its rear
end a box, chamber, or tube 2, which receives the axis a. The slot h is
formed on this box z.
The pin c, which
notch b. The
two barrels is
When the three portions A, B, and C, forming the gun are to be secured
together, the breech or portion B is mounted on the rod a, which is
inserted in the box z, and the nut d is screwed on its end.
is fixed to the box z, and projects within it, takes into the
groove or slot h is so disposed that when either one of the
loaded, say, the right-hand one, for example, and the breech is inclined on its
axis to open the left-hand barrel and insert a cartridge, the exploding rod of
the left-hand barrel will come opposite the right-hand barrel and the right-
hand cock, and the gun may thus be discharged as easily as if the right-hand
cock were acting on its own exploding rod.
I now proceed to describe the single-barrelled carbine, which I call carabine
de precision. The construction and action of its breech, as shewn in Figure 9,
is the same as before described, except that when the oscillating breech is
applied to single-barrelled guns, it only requires to be accurately guided in one
direction, so that the slot h is of only half the length (proportionately) to what
would be necessary with double barrels. The arrangement of rod i is the

page_text: same as in Figure 1, and either of the two disengaging arrangements (that is,
either the spring r and knob s, or the rod u and notched recess under a,) may
be adopted.
An important improvement in this arm consists in the adaptation thereto of
an improved arrangement of bayonet or weapon. This bayonet or weapon
when stowed away lies in the gun stock, and can be readily withdrawn there-
from, either to be fitted at the muzzle end of the barrel, as shewn in Figures
7 and 8, or to be detached from the gun, and used apart from it as a sword or
pike, or separate cutting or piercing weapon, its blade being formed with
cutting edges, or as a pike. The handle or hilt of this weapon is so con-
trived as in no wise to interfere with the accuracy of aim when the bayonet is
at rest in the stock, in which, when it is so stowed away, its blade lies
concealed; this handle consists of a sort of hollow case or tubular piece
surrounding the barrel C, and slotted to pass a projection a' fixed on the
barrel; on this projection a' is a narrow metal plate forming a spring, shewn
in Figures 11 and 12, and having at one end a knob or head 6', which takes
into one or other of two notches c', c², on the bayonet handle, according as to
whether the bayonet is stowed away in the gun, or fixed at the end of the
barrel, as in Figures 7ª and 8.
This bayonet or weapon may be applied and adapted in like manner to other
fire-arms beside this carbine. The improved or oscillating breech may be
applied to various sorts of guns or fire-arms, including pistols, in a similar
manner to that before described, merely modifying the accessory details to
adapt it thereto as the particular construction of arm may require. When the
oscillating breech is applied to double-barrelled fire-arms, it is preferred that it
shall be so contrived that either one of the two hammers or cocks may act on
either one of the two needles, strikers, or exploding rods, that is, on either that
of its own or that of the other barrel, so that the arm may be discharged in
case of emergency while one barrel is charged and the other open at the
breech as well as while both are charged.
The cartridges recommended for charging these improved arms are those
known in France as Potet's or Schneider's, or the "central fire" cartridges
(which are in public use).
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed I declare that I claim,-
First, the employment in or application to fire-arms of what I have herein-
before described as an oscillating breech.
Second, the application of the oscillating breech described to double-
barrelled fire-arms, in such manner that either one of the two cocks or hammers

page_text: may act either on the needle striker or exploding rod of its own barrel, or on
that of the other barrel, so that the arm may be discharged with one barrel
charged and the other barrel open, as well as when both are charged.
Third, the mode herein-before described of fitting together the three
portions ("fore," "intermediate," and "rear,") constituting the arm.
Fourth, the employment of the shielding nut, by adjusting the position of
which the arm may be prevented from being discharged when desired.
Fifth, the arrangement and combination of parts constituting the double-
barrelled fire-arm, herein-before described and represented in Figure 1 of the
Drawings.
Sixth, the arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved
fire-arm or carbine with its bayonet or weapon, herein called carabine de
precision, herein-before described and represented in the Drawings.
Seventh, the application to fire-arms of the bayonet or weapon arrange-
ments herein-before described, that is to say, of the arrangement and
combination of parts on the arm, and arrangements of the handle of the
bayonet or cutting or piercing weapon, whereby the latter is adapted to
the former, as herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
WILLIAM LEE,
84, Fleet Street,
M. HENRY. (L.S.)