IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE, AND IN CARTRIDGES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Lindner, of New York, in the United States.
of America, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE, AND IN CARTRIDGES."
Sealed the 25th February 1859, and dated the 30th August 1858..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Lindner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the.
30th August 1858.
I, EDWARD LINDNER, of New York, in the United States of America,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE, AND IN CARTRIDGES," to be
as follows:
My Invention consists in constructing. breech-loading arms as hereafter
explained in such manner.that the breech is closed in one case by turning.
the barrel, and in the other by turning a nut or screwed collar upon the
barrel.
According to the first case I form a thread on the rear end of the barrel,
and screw it into a nut with a corresponding screw thread held in a frame.
The breech chamber is at the rear of the barrel, and union is effected
between the rear of the barrel and the breech chamber by a conical collar
being made to fit into a groove cut in the breech chamber, and the fore part.

page_text: of the chamber is made conical to fit tight into the barrel. By turning the
barrel one way or the other it is separated from or carried up against the
breech. When separated, the breech chamber is free to rise, and I effect
the rising by a spring or by the action of putting the hammer at half cock.
According to the second case, I cut the barrel near the rear and form a
screw thread thereon, and make the part cut off into a breech chamber, or I
form a separate chamber. I make a recess in the outside of the fore part
of the breech to receive one end of a screw, collar, which also takes into the
thread on the rear of the barrel. Or, I reverse the screwing, and place the
threads on the breech chamber and the recess of the rear of the barrel. By
turning the screw collar one way or the other, the breech is opened or closed,
and when opened the mouth may be made to rise to receive the charge by
the half cocking of the hammer, or by spring. This part of my Invention is
applicable to ordnance as well as to small arms.
My improvement in cartridges is as follows:-I take a conical case of
paper open at both ends, and twist the small end round a piece of cord, gutta
percha, wood, or other like stopper, in order to close that end, then fill in
the powder, and over. that place a ball and secure it by twisting, tying, or
cementing the paper over it. When about to use the cartridge, I withdraw
the stopper and place the cartridge in the gun.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Lindner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
LINDNER, of New York, in the United States of America, Engineer, send
greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of. our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second. year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Lindner, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Lindner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Lindner, my exécutors, 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.

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE, AND IN CARTRIDGES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Lindner, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Edward Lindner, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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 in constructing breech-loading arms as herein-after.
explained, in such manner that the breech is closed in one case by turning
the barrel, and in the other by turning a nut or screwed collar upon the
barrel.
According to the first case, I form a thread on the rear end of the barrel,
and screw it into a nut with a corresponding screw thread held in a frame.
The breech chamber is at the rear of the barrel, and union is effected between
the rear of the barrel and, the breech chamber by a conical collar being made
to fit into a groove cut in the breech chamber, and the fore part of the chamber
is made conical to fit tight into the barrel. By turning the barrel one way or the
other it is separated from or carried up against the breech. When separated,
the breech chamber is free to rise, and 1 effect the rising by a spring, or by
the action of putting the hammer at "half cock."
According to the second case, I cut the barrel near the rear, and form a
screw thread thereon, and make the part cut off into a breech chamber, or I
form a separate chamber. I make a recess in the outside of the fore part of
the breech to receive one end of a screw collar, which also takes into the
thread on the rear of the barrel. Or, I reverse the screwing, and place the
threads on the breech chamber, and the recess on the rear of the barrel. By
turning the screw collar one way or the other, the breech is opened or closed,
and when open the mouth may be made to rise to receive the charge by the
half cocking of the hammer or by spring. This part of my Invention is
applicable to ordnance as well as to small arms.
My improvement in cartridges is as follows:-I take a conical .case of

page_text: "
paper open at both ends, and twist the small end round a piece of cord;
gutta percha, wood, or other like stopper, in order to close that end, I then
fill in the powder, and over that place a ball, and secure it by twisting, tying;
or cementing the paper over it. When about to use the cartridge I withdraw
the stopper, and place the cartridge in the gun.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal section; and Fig. 2
a plan of a breech-loading arm constructed according to the first case herein
before mentioned; Figure 3 is a side view of the frame; and Figure 4 is a
front view of the breech piece. A is the barrel of the arm; B, the breech.
a is a screw thread formed near the rear end of the barrel A, corresponding
with a thread formed on a nut b; c is a collar surrounding the rear end of the
barrel; the rear end of the collar is conical or tapered off, and takes into, a
correspondingly shaped groove formed in the fore end of the breech, as seen in
the Drawing, Figure 1. The bottom of this groove may be filled with soft
metal, asbestos, putty, or other incombustible material to effect a tight joint.
The ends of the barrel A and breech B are cut to correspond one with the
other when the parts are brought together, as shewn; d is a lever for working
the collar c. This lever may be made fixed or moveable at will; for example;
it may be jointed to a fulcrum pin on the collar, in order that the lever may
be shut down on the barrel when not in use, having an eccentric or cam
arranged to act upon a locking pin, so that by turning down the lever after the
breech has been drawn tight up to the barrel the locking pin shall be driven
inwards and prevent the collar from being accidentally turned. The breech B
is held in a frame C, the end of which terminates in a kind of tail e fixed to the
stock by screws f. f; g is an axle passing through the breech on one end of
which the nipple h is attached; this axle serves, as will be presently described;
as a pivot on which the breech works; i, is a spring beneath the tail e, which
presses or rests upon a projection j, formed on the rear of the breech; k is a
double lever centered at 1, on the lower end of which there is a projection m,
acted on by a spring m'. This projection m is moved by the eccentric n on
the spindle o, which carries the hammer p of the arm. The upper part of the
lever k takes into a notch formed in the breech, as shewn. The hole through
which the fire passes from the nipple for exploding the cartridge is formed
through the axle g; r is a pin working in a curved slot, which, when in position
prevents the breech rising too high, and on being unscrewed the breech can be
taken out; s is the ramrod to be employed when the arm is loaded at the
muzzle.
.
An ordinary gun may be converted into a breech-loader.of this description

page_text: by cutting a piece off the rear end of the barrel to form .the breech, and
afterwards cutting the screw thread and groove on the barrel and breech,; as
before.described.
To open the breech to receive a cartridge, give the lever d.a.half turn, to
allow the barrel to .become clear of the breech, half cock.the hammer p, which
action will cause the eccentric n to press against the projection m, which will
move the lever k about, its centre. i, and so release the upper part.thereof from
the notch in the breech, the spring i-now comes into play and.throws.the.back
part of the breech down, and the front up.about the axle g, into the position
indicated by the dotted lines. When the charge is inserted the breech is
pressed down, the .lever d is turned back,.and.the gun cocked and .capped;
when it is ready for firing.
.
Figure.5 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 6 a plan of:a breech-loading
arm constructed.according to the second case in the foregoing description.
.
Figure 7 is a section through the line x, y, of Figure 6. Figure 8.is a.side
view of the screw.on the barrel and breech, and Figure 9 is a.front view.of
same. A is the barrel having the rear end screw-threaded on the exterior:;
B is the breech-piece. a is a collar or sleevé formed with a screw thread
corresponding with that on the barrel. . This collar is moved by means of the
lever handle b. There is a projection c formed on one end of the collar, which
takes into a recess c', made in the breech piece. The interior. and fore end of
the breech piece is furnished with a conical .ring of steel d, or other suitable
material, detached views of which are given at Figure 10; the form of this
ring corresponds exactly with that of a cone on the rear of the barrel, which it
enters. Under the plate e' a spring f is fixed, which presses upon a lug g;
formed on the rear end of the breech; .h is a lock screw which enters a slot
formed in the lug g. Beneath the breech piece there is a wedge of steel i,
having a hook formed on its lower end, which is caught by the spring, whereby
the breech is held down until it is drawn forward by the action of the collar.;
k.is a shield for protecting and covering the fore end of the collar.
In order to open the breech for loading, turn the collar so as to force the
projection thereon from the recess in the breech, when the spring acting on the
lug at the rear of the breech will, by forcing down the rear, raise the fore part
above, and clear of the barrel and collar. .When loading with ball cartridge
the fore end of the ball projects beyond the breech, as shewn by the dotted line
z, z, Figure 5; when closing the breech the ball is brought centrally within the
barrel, and held fast there until the screw collar is turned to urge up the
breech as far as the latter can go. By this means the ball is forced up in a
straight central direction within the barrel before firing, whereby accuracy in

page_text: firing is obtained; and the joint separating the breech and the barrel preserved
from injury.....
At Figures 11 and 12, I represent the manner in which my improvements
can be applied to double barrelled guns.. The screw.collar a should be arranged
to fit a screw thread on a rod E sliding through the ear or lug. f, which is
firmly.connected to the barrels, and which is furnished with an arm that fits
into a notch or groove in the metal between the breeches B, or on both sides
of the barrels A. The breeches are opened from the rear end of the barrels,
substantially as in the case of the single barrelled gun.
For cannon or heavy ordnance, where it may be found desirable to load from
the rear, I fit the screw collaria, as seen at Figures 13, 14, and 15, on a screw
head cut on the rear end of the barrel A, and make the .lever S which serves
to turn the collar project into the breech and act as the butt end thereof.
This lever S can be drawn transversely through a slot j in the handle piece
wlien. the charge can be inserted from the rear. The handle piece S, which is
in a piece with the breech butt must be provided with a suitable face packing
or be of conical shape to effect a tight joint with the rear. end of the barrel,
when the screw collar is turned by its handle piece to move the collar forward.
The barrel is provided at its rear end. with a. packing ring fitting in an annular
recess cut on the interior edge thereof, this ring should be of soft metal, pro-
'vided the barrel or breech,. which is to fit against it be of steel or hard 'metal,
or the ring should be of steel if. the rear end of the barrel. or the front end of
the breech be of soft metal.
At Figure 16, I illustrate the manner in which I apply my Invention to an
arm where the barrel is caused to move forward by a rack and pinion, and at
Figure 17, where the same object is effected by an eccentric.
In small arms I place a piece of metal, not shewn in the Drawing, attached
or cast with the hammer, which is so arranged that if the hammer falls by
accident before the gun is loaded, it enters an aperture between the breech and
the stock, and so prevents the hammer touching the nipple; at the same time,
when the explosion takes place, it serves as a support against the shock.
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,-
First, the method herein described or substantially the same for closing the
breech and forming a tight joint between the barrel and the breech by the
employment of a screw-threaded collar mounted upon a screw-threaded barrel
with projecting annular flanges for grasping and releasing the breech, and for
drawing the sanie backwards and forwards..
5. Second, the improvement in guns herein-before described; whereby a ball

page_text: cartridge or charge may be so introduced and held, that when the breech
becomes jointed with the barrel, the ball shall be in the centre thereof.
Third, the manner herein described of packing the inner periphery of the
rear end of the barrel at the joint thereof with the breech by means of a ring
fitting in an annular recess, and turned conically. inside, or bevilled, the same
being made of a metal different from that of which the barrel or breech is
made.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Lindner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
EDWARD LINDNER. (L.S.)