IMPROVE- MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH- LOADING. FIRE-ARMS."
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Restell, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-
LOADING. FIRE-ARMS.""
Sealed the 11th March 1870, and dated the 15th September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Restell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th September 1869.
I, THOMAS RESTELL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES - FOR
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My improvements, in breech-loading fire-arms relate principally to
fire-arms in which the breech is opened and closed by a block hinged
to the side of the shoe or breech chamber.
My improvements in the said fire-arms consist principally in so con-
structing and arranging the parts that the raising and throwing aside of

page_text: the closing block, in the act of opening the breech, cocks the gun and
ejects the case of the exploded cartridge. This is effected in the
following manner:-I form an incline on the joint of the breech block
or in the barrel or ordinary tail pin. A steel stud or projection from a
needle working in the block slides upon this incline when the block is
raised, thereby causing the needle to move backwards. The motion of
the needle compresses a strong spiral spring. On the under side of the
block is a strong flat spring let into the body of the block, the said flat
spring having at its extreme end two projecting points; one of these
points takes by the action of the flat spring into a notch formed in the
needle, when the needle is forced backwards and thus cocks the gun; the
other point has an incline made upon it. A trigger having a curved end
acts upon the last-mentioned point and thus brings down the flat spring
and releases the needle, which is driven home by the coiled spring and
strikes and detonates the cartridge and discharges the gun. The opening
and closing of the breech block is effected by a spring knob on the side
of the block; by pressing on the spring knob the breech block is
unfastened and raised from the breech shoe by the action of a flat or
coiled spring; on shutting down the block it is fastened by a snap
action. I form the fixed centre on which the block and extractor
(herein-after described) turn of a rod fixed in a bearing plate or bracket,
the said bracket being secured in its place on the side of the barrel by
screws; when it is wished to remove the block the said bracket carrying
the block is unscrewed.
In making double guns I fix one of the said bearing plates or brackets
on either side the barrels; the two blocks are geared together, and by
moving a lever on the right hand block the two blocks may be simul-
taneously raised and thrown back one on one direction and the other in
the other direction, the discharging mechanism of both barrels at the same
time being cocked and the cases of the exploded cartridges extracted.
For birding and sporting guns I prefer to cock the gun by means of
a flat bar having a checquered thumb plate at its end instead of by the
incline herein-before described. The needle in this case has two bents.
Each bar is connected with its needle in the block, so that by pulling the
thumb plate by the thumb and finger the gun can be brought either to
half-cock or full-cock.
My Invention further consists of an extractor constructed essentially
in the following manner:-The centre of the extractor is placed in and

page_text: works through the centre on which the breech block turns. The outer
part of the extractor projects over part of the block joint, the said pro-
jecting part of the extractor being at right angles to the centre on
which the extractor turns. The inner end of the extractor passes into'
the barrel, and against this end the rim of the cartridge bears. On
raising and turning back the block its upper face strikes against the
outer part of the extractor and causes it to turn upon its joint; its'
inner end or part is thereby made to move towards the breech shoe and
extract or eject the case of the exploded cartridge with great force.
This extractor is applicable to breech-loading fire-arms of various con--
structions.
My improvements in cartridges for birding guns are as follows:-The
cartridges are formed in the usual way, but before putting on the
ordinary covering or disk I fix at the base a wad slightly larger than the
bore of the barrel with which the cartridge is to be used. The said wad.
effectually cleans the barrel, and at the same time renders the chambering
of the barrel unnecessary, as the said wad stops all windage through the
shot, and the shooting is as strong as if the barrel were chambered or
kept smaller before the front end of the cartridges.
For military cartridges I form out of a plain blank of zinc what is
called a bottle-necked cartridge case having a flange sufficiently large to
admit a disk of malleable iron, having a central projecting piece, through.
which a hole is drilled to receive the percussion cap; this is inserted in
the zinc case where the flange is placed, but prior to its insertion an
elastic wad is forced in, and the malleable iron piece springs into this
elastic wad, which I make by preference of india-rubber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Restell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RESTELL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Mechanical
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-

page_text: third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Restell, Her special licence that
I, the said Thomas Restell, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Thomas Restell, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 Ircland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-.
LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Restell, 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 Thomas Restell, 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 improvements in breech-loading fire-arms relate principally to
fire-arms in which the breech is opened and closed by a block hinged
to the side of the shoe or breech chamber.
:
My improvements in the said fire-arms consist principally in so
constructing and arranging the parts that the raising and throwing
aside of the closing blocks, in the act of opening the breech, cocks the
gun and ejects the case of the exploded cartridge. This is effected in
the following manner:-I form an incline on the joint of the breech
block or in the barrel or ordinary tail pin. A steel stud or projection on
a needle working in the block slides upon this incline when the block is
raised, thereby causing the needle to move backwards. The motion of
the needle compresses a strong spiral spring. On the under side of the
block is a strong flat spring let into the body of the block, the said
flat spring having at its extreme end two projecting points; one of
these points takes by the action of the flat spring into a notch formed
in the needle, when the needle is forced backwards, and thus cocks the

page_text: gun; the other point has an incline made upon it. A trigger having
'a curved end acts upon the last-mentioned point, and thus brings down
the flat spring and releases the needle, which is driven home by the
coiled spring and strikes and detonates the cartridge and discharges
the gun. The opening and closing of the breech block is effected by a
knob on the side of the block in connection with the steel stud of the
needle; by pressing on the spring knob the breech block is unfastened
and raised from the breech shoe; on shutting down the block it is
fastened by a snap action. I form the fixed centre on which the block
and extractor (herein-after described) turn of a rod fixed in a bearing
plate or bracket, the said bracket being secured in its place on the side
of the barrel by screws; when it is wished to remove the block the
said bracket carrying the block is unscrewed.
In making double guns I fix one of the said bearing plates or brackets
on either side the barrels. The two blocks are geared together, and by.
moving a lever on the right hand block the two blocks may be simul-
taneously raised and thrown back one in one direction and the other in
the other direction, the discharging mechanism of both barrels at the same
time being cocked and the cases of the exploded cartridges extracted.
For birding and sporting guns I prefer to cock the gun by means of
a flat bar having a chequered thumb plate at its end instead of by the
incline herein-before described. The needle in this case has two bents.
Each bar is connected with its needle in the block, so that by pulling
the thumb plate by the thumb and finger the gun can be brought either
to half-cock or full-cock.
My Invention further consists of an extractor constructed essentially
in the following manner :-The centre of the extractor is placed in and
works through the centre on which the breech block turns. The outer.
part of the extractor projects over part of the block joint, the said
projecting part of the extractor being at right angles to the centre on
which the extractor turns. The inner end of the extractor passes into
the barrel, and against this end the rim of the cartridge bears. On.
raising and turning back the block its upper face strikes against the
outer part of the extractor, and causes it to turn upon its joint; its
inner end or part is thereby made to move towards the breech shoe and
extract or eject the case of the exploded cartridge with great force.
This extractor is applicable to breech-loading fire-arms of various.
constructions.
1

page_text: The manner in which I carry my improvements into effect is repre-
sented in the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a exterior
view of a block which is caused to fall over to one side of the arm upon
the joint bolt or pin as hereafter described, and Figure 2 is a plan of the
same. A is the block, which is held by means of brackets B, B, to the
pin C, upon which it is free to turn when the knob D is drawn back;
the drawing back of the knob causes the plate to which it is attached
to ride against an incline either in the block or in the barrel or against
a plate E secured on the block. The knob is in a piece with the needle
stem F, and as it is drawn back the needle is drawn back with it. This
action causes the claw of the spring piece G to take into the notch or
bent a of the needle stem and hold it firmly until it is released by the
trigger c, when the pressure exerted by the coiled spring d which encircles
the stem drives the stem and needle e forward with sufficient force for
the needle on its end to penetrate or puncture the cap in the base of the
cartridge, and thus explode the charge; the spring piece G is lodged
in the bottom of the block A, it has at its back end two projecting
points f, g; one of the points fis caused to take into the notch a formed
in the stem of the needle to hold it back; the notch is of a similar
shape to the full bent in the tumbler of an ordinary gun lock, the other
point has an incline on it, against which the curved end h of the
trigger c is made to bear when the trigger is acted upon by the finger.
The brackets B, B, by which the block is held to the breech part of
the barrel are secured by screws which are easy of removal when it is
necessary to remove the block from the barrel for repairs or other
purposes. Figure 3 is a back end of the block and bracket showing the
curved portion of the breech upon which the block moves.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the breech block showing the
positions the parts occupy when the needle is driven forward by the
action of the coiled spring, and Figure 5 is a detached view of the needle
and its accessories. In this Figure I have shewn the knob as having
an ornamental appearance, but this forms no part of my Invention, as
the knob or any other part may be of any shape to suit the taste or fancy
of the maker or owner. It is not necessary in all cases to form the needle
stem with one notch only, as in some instances it may be formed with
two notches, so that the needle can be set at full or half cock as required.
I do not confine myself to forming the notch or notches upon the needle
stem, as I can if I find it more convenient to do so make the notch or

page_text: notches in or upon the spring piece G, as seen in Figure 4. In some
cases I fit a pin or push bolt ; in a hole in the breech H for the trigger
to strike against, as represented in Figure 6, which is a part sectional
view of a double-barrelled gun. The end of the push bolt which passes
through the face of the breech H is chamfered or inclined on its sides
to facilitate it being pushed or forced back into the hole by the action
of the needle stem when the arm is cocked, so that the block can be
brought over to one side, and also to allow of the end entering a hole in
the back of the block for forcing the spring plate G to one side to release
the claw from the notch. The back end of the push bolt j is slotted for
the insertion of the tail piece k of the trigger; by this means the inclined
faces of the push bolt j are kept in proper position at all times for
action. The back face of the breech H may be recessed for the trigger
tail to rest in, so that the side walls of the recess act as a guide to the to-
and-fro motions of the tail. The trigger is centred upon a pin in the
trigger plate in the usual manner, and is kept in position by a spring /
pressing upon its shoulder. The same arrangement of parts are applicable
to double-barrelled guns as well as single barrelled ones in which the
block or blocks are made to fall over to one side; this will be well
understood by referring to the other Figures on the Sheets of Drawings
annexed to this Specification. The blocks are easily detachable from
the barrels, either by removing the pin or bolt upon which they are
hinged or the screws which pass through the brackets. Each of the
blocks of a double-barrelled gun may be thrown over separately or
together; in that case I fit toothed wheels or portions of wheels on their
back ends, which are made to gear into one another so that the throw-
over action of a lever upon one block causes them both to move upon '
their centres and upon the chambers ready for the insertion of fresh
cartridges. I propose to find a lodgement for the lever in a groove or
recess formed on the top of the blocks so as to cover the wheels when the
breech parts are closed. The lever is provided with a knob or projection
to facilitate the lifting and working of it. I do not in all cases make
the gun with inclines in the barrel or barrels or to the blocks, as in some
cases, and particularly for sporting guns, I find that the drawback action
of the knob is sufficient for setting the needle and releasing the
fastening arrangement of the block, when a slight side action or pull
of the hand will throw or draw the block over to one side. The slot in
the block in which the shank of the knob moves is covered by a plate
shaped to the contour of the block. The fore end of the plate is notched

page_text: or recessed to pass over a lump or projection on the top of the barrel
near the joint or meeting place, and when the plate is in a forward
position and the block fastened the joint is partly covered by the plate,
and thus any gas which should by any chance escape from a badly made
cartridge would be directed sideways clear of the eyes or face of the
person using the arm.
The next part of my Invention, that of improvements in extractors,
is represented in Figures 16 and 17 of the Drawings, which is a plan
and side view of a gun having the "Snider" block or action fitted to it.
The body of the extractor mis pinned loosely to the top of the shoulder
or socket n of the breech band lump p so that it is free to turn to the
right or left in a horizontal manner as required. The tail q has two
projections r, s, at right angles thereto; one of these projections is acted
upon by a spring to keep the extractor lip t in the recess in the rear
of the barrel, while the other projection is free to be acted upon by the
block when it is forced over by the hand to open the chamber. It will
be observed in this arrangement I lessen the labour of the soldier in using
this arm, as I dispense with the drawback motion of the block to extract
the empty cartridge case from the barrel. In my arrangement the ex-
traction of the empty case is effected automatically in the act of opening
the breech. I do not in any way increase the weight of the arm, as I
replace in another form the weight that I remove.
The form of the extractor will be well understood by referring to
the detached views shown in Figure 18. In guns in which the blocks
are hinged or jointed below the level of the barrels, I push a project-
ing pin u, Figure 18, into a hole in lump under the barrel, and I
cause the block to act upon the projections to throw the lip forward
when the breech is opened. In some cases no spring is required with
this extractor, as the parts are so close to one another that the instant
the block is moved it acts upon the extractor either to withdraw the
empty case or to return the lip tinto the recess in the rear of the
barrel. In double-barrelled guns each of the blocks is fitted with an
extractor.
My improvements in cartridges consists in the following:-Before
filling the cartridges in the usual manner I perforate the disc or shot wad
with a wire or other fastener, leaving the ends projecting until the edge
of the case has been burred down. I then fit an additional wad which

page_text: is slightly larger than the diameter of the bore by means of such wire.
I do not confine myself to the employment of a wire for fastening the
additional wad to the shot wad, as other means or appliances may be
used for the purpose.
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,―
Firstly. The general construction and arrangement of fire-arms which
are loaded at the breech, and in which the block or blocks are caused to
fall over to one or both sides, as herein-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. Making breech-loading fire-arms in such a manner that
the block can be released from its position in the chamber by drawing
back a pull piece which rides upon an incline in such motion, which also
sets the needle at half or full cock, substantially in the manner herein-
before described and represented in the Drawings.
Thirdly. The employment of a pull piece in connection with the needle
for setting the same to full or half cock or bent in the manner described
and shown in Figure 5 of the Drawings.
Fourthly. The special employment of brackets B, B, to which the.
blocks of double-barrelled guns are secured, and the situation of the
holes in which the joint pins are placed for the blocks to work upon.
Fifthly. I claim the construction and employment of extractors in
drop-over block fire-arms operating in the manner substantially as.
described and shewn.
I also claim under the head of improvements in cartridges the
employment of a wad on the face of and larger than the cartridge
case itself.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Restell, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Fifteenth day of March One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.