IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND CARTRIDGES RELATING THERETO
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bell-
ford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd June 1855.-A communication.
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 32, Essex Street, Strand,
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND CARTRIDGES RELATING
THERETO," (a communication,) to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in breech-loading fire-arms
belonging to the class called needle guns; the object of these improvements
being to simplify the construction of said arms, & avoiding the inconveniences
needle guns are subject to in practice, such as breaking & bending of the
needle & getting out of order; also to certain improved cartridges or pro-
jectiles in which the powder or explosive matter is contained, these cartridges
being fired in a direct line with the needle.
In order that these improvements may be understood, reference is made to
the annexed Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of
an improved fire-arm, containing a large number of cartridges or projectiles
in the stock part.
the

page_text: Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 2, with a different contrivance for
discharging the gun.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal sections of Figs. 1, 2, 3. It will be observed that
Fig. 1 represents the opening underneath, & the other two have the said
opening above the barrel. Fig. 3 dispenses with the discharging spring P
there being instead of it a trigger or detent on the under side..
Fig. 5 is a cylinder inserted in the barrel.
Fig. 6 is a rod with a needle point, which is put into said cylinder, &
round which the spring is coiled.
Fig. 7 is a piece which is driven into the barrel end.
Fig. 8 is an end view of and longitudinal section of a projectile constructed
according to a part of these improvements.
Fig. 9 is a side view and longitudinal section of the same, having a
different form.
Fig. 10 is an end & front view of the discharging spring.
Fig. 11 is an end view, longitudinal section, and outside view of a fowling
cartridge.
a, barrel; a', spring for closing the opening of the cartridge holder in the
stock of the gun, Fig. 1; b, front part of stock supporting the barrel; ¹, small
opening to introduce the cartridges; c, cartridges in a tube communicating
with the barrel; c', fastening for securing the opening b¹ to the part b;
d, needle cylinder; d', Figs. 2 & 3, opening for inserting the cartridges;
e, coiled spring; f, rod round which the spring is coiled, & which has a
needle point at its fore end; g, button or stud, which is screwed on the
cylinder d so that it may be raised or lowered; h, piece for supporting the
rod f; i, nut, screwing on the screw i, by which the needle point is secured
to the rod f; m, screw piece, which is used at the same time for carrying the
gun & for fixing the barrel to the casing b; n, top plate, fixed by a screw o;
p, discharging spring, see Figs. 4 & 10; r, needle; s, spring pressing on the
piece h; t, detent; a, piece, a ferrel which is driven into the part of the
barrel; a, piece for retaining the rod f; b", spring acting on the holding
piece a c, spring or detent for discharging the gun (Fig. 3);e, button of
the detent; f, detent of the discharging spring c"; y, spring acting on the
detent f; g, Figs. 8 & 9, lead of the projectile; g", powder contained in
the same; g, fulminate; 1, Fig. 11, fulminate of the shooting cartridge;
, powder; , shot.
To put this gun together the barrel a is laid on the front part of the stock,
the piece is then withdrawn from the barrel to introduce the cylinder d, in

page_text: which the pieces e, f, i, i, r, have previously been arranged. The piece a is
then put into its proper place, the cylinder remaining where it is. Previous
to fixing the plate n by the screw v, the piece h and the spring s must be
secured to the stock. The gun barrel is then fixed to the stock by means
of the pieces m & m', & the spring p is also secured by fixing it by screws
into the piece h as well as the detent t, which is fastened by means of two
screws. For loading the gun (Fig. 1) the small opening is opened; by
slightly pressing a¹ the cartridges c are put in so as to fill the holder. The
cylinder d is then made to descend, so as to leave the empty space d', through
which, by turning the arm round, a cartridge may be made to fall; the cylinder
is then raised again to its position, thus introducing said cartridge into the
barrel, & also shutting the opening d', leaving the coiled spring compressed,
& the needle drawn back; by means of the piece h¹ the cylinder d is made
to turn through half a revolution, so as to fill the aperture on the right side of
the barrel, which stops the cylinder. The gun will thus be ready for firing.
The only difference between loading this arm & those shown Figs. 2 & 3
is, that in the latter the cartridges are introduced one at a time through the
opening d' at the top of the gun, & the gun need not be turned round for
introducing the cartridge into the barrel. The guns, Figs. 1 & 2, are dis-
charged by pressing on the spring p, & that, Fig. 3, by drawing back the
trigger. By the pressure thus exerted, the piece h is made to release the
rod f, which by the resiliency of the coiled spring is forcibly driven forward,
the needle point being thus made to inflame the fulminate in the centre of
the charge. The cartridge ball, shown in the annexed Drawings, Fig. 9, con-
sists of a hollow cone, with a cylindrical part of paper firmly secured to it,
this cylindrical part being closed with a paper washer or cover.
The powder
is contained in this cylindrical part & in the recess formed in the conical
ball, & the fulminate is fixed in the washer which closes the cartridge. In
Fig. 8 the cylindrical paper part is dispensed with. The cartridge, Fig. 10,
consists of a paper cylinder, which is closed at both ends, containing the
fulminate powder, shot, & the wadding separating them.