IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josef Werndl, of Steyr, in the Austrian Empire,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 24th September 1867, and dated the 27th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josef Werndl at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
March 1867.
I, JOSEF WERNDL, of Steyr, in the Austrian Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms, and has for its object a
novel arrangement for opening and closing the breech. For this purpose I form
or fix at the breech a recessed or concave block or seat, which may be described
as forming an extension of the lower part of the barrel at the rear; in this
seat works a turning piece or block which forms the closure of the breech; this
turning piece or closure is recessed, hollowed, or concave at a part of its surface,
and is capable of being turned to the required extent in both directions on or
as if on an axis or pivot, the longitudinal position of which is in the longitudinal
direction of the barrel. It must be observed that this turning piece or
recessed closure when worked in either direction always remains and works
in the block or seat, and is therefore always in a line with the barrel instead of
being hinged to and opening at the side; it is worked in its seat by a thumb piece
or other convenient appliance. When the breech is to be opened the turning
piece or closure is turned in such direction as to bring its recessed part uppermost
or so as to be directed towards and in a line or nearly in a line with the bore of.
the barrel, in this position a cartridge may be readily introduced. When the

page_text: breech is to be closed the turning or closing piece is turned in the direction
contrary to that of its opening or first-described motion in such manner that
a solid part of the turning piece or closure is brought close against the opening
of the barrel, whereby it is closed. When cartridges having rims or flanges are
used a spring piece may be fitted at the breech end of the barrel to engage
under the rim of the cartridge when .forced home; and when the breech is
opened this spring piece being released will push the spent cartridge
backward.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Josef Werudl in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,. I, JOSEF
WERNDL, of Steyr, in the Austrian Empire, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Josef Werndl, Her special licence that I, the said Josef Werndl, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Josef Wernd,
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,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Josef Werndl, 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 Josef Werndl,, 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 accompanying Drawings, that is
to say:
This Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms, and has for its object a
novel arrangement of parts for opening and closing the breech. For this

page_text: rear;
purpose I form or fix at the breech: a recessed. or concave block or seat, which
'may be described as forming an extension of the lower part of the barrel at the
in this seat works a turning piece or block which forms the closure of the
breech; this turning piece or closure: is recessed; hollowed, or concave at a
part of its surface, and it is capable of being turned to the required extent in
both directions (that is to say, to either side) on or as if on an axis or pivot, the
longitudinal direction of. which lies in the longitudinal direction of the barrel.
It must be observed that this turning piece or recessed. closure when worked
in either direction always remains and works in the block, or seat, and it is
therefore always in a line with the barrel instead of being hinged to and
opening at the side' as in other contrivances; it is worked in its seat by a thumb
piece or otlier convenient appliance. When the breech' is to be opened the
turning piece or closure is turned in such direction as ito bring its recessed
part uppermost so that it is directed towards and in a line or nearly in a line
with the bore of the barrel; in this position a cartridge may be readily intro-
duced. When the breech is to be closed the turning or closing piece is turned
in the direction contrary to that of its opening motion, first described, and in
such manner that a solid part of the said turning piece or closure is brought
close against the opening of the barrel, by which action the breech end-of-the
barrel is closed. When cartridges having rims or flanges are used a spring
piece may be fitted at the breech end of the barrel to engage under the rim of
the cartridge when forced home, and when the breech is opened this spring
piece being released will push the spent cartridge, backward... **
The accompanying Drawings exemplify the mode of carrying the, Invention
into effect, showing the improvements applied by way of example to a gun-in
which a striker or needle is used for effecting the discharge.c
Figure 1-is a side elevation of a sufficient portion of the gun to explain the
Invention; the dotted lines shew the internal arrangements; Figure 2 is a
side elevation, Figure 3 longitudinal section, Figure 4. plan, Figure 5
horizontal: section of a portion of the guu. In Figures 1, 2, and. 4 the, breech
is shewn closed; and in. Figures 3 and 5 it is open. The other; Figures are
details.
!
a is the barrel, the under part of which is formed with an extension or
prolongation b at the breech or rear end, see longitudinal section, Figure 6;
this extension bis in a piece with the barrel, or it may be screwed or otherwise
fixed thereto; c is a solid cylindrical, metal block having a concave recess d
formed in its upper surface:; this block c is the piece. which opens and closes
the breech; it is fitted in the seat b,.and is free to be turned therein to the
required extent-in both directions. on an axis k, the front end of which is sup-

page_text: ported in the barrel and the back end in a plate l fixed to the lock plate; e is
a nob or handle for turning the piece c; it may be fixed to the axis k or to the
closure c itself. When the gun is to be charged the bandle e is turned in an
upward direction so as to work the closing piece c in its seat 6 in such manner
as to bring the recessed part d uppermost, and to present it towards or in a
line with the bore of the barrel, by which action the breech will be opened, as
shewn in Figures 3 and 5, ready for the reception of the cartridge: When
the cartridge has been inserted the breech is closed by drawing the handle e in
a downward direction, thereby turning the closing piece c in the seat b in a
contrary direction to its previous motion, and thereby bringing the recessed
part d downward or against the surface of the seat b, in which position the
piece c presents its solid end to the rear end of the barrel, whereby the breech
is closed, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 4. The closure c has at back a
bevelled or inclined surface m working against a similar bevelled or inclined
surface in the back plate l, Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, so that as the block c is
turned to close the breech it works a little forward towards the barrel, whereby
it closes the latter more tightly and pushes the cartridge slightly forward, or
in other words rams it home; the same object may be accomplished by using
a screw threaded or tapped axis k working in a corresponding screw threaded
orifice in the block cinstead of using a smooth axis k. It will be observed
that in whatever direction the block c turns it always works and remains in
the seat b, and always remains in a line with the longitudinal direction of the
barrel, the axis of rotation of the closure c being in the said. longitudinal
direction of the barrel. In the example shewn in the Drawing the gun is
discharged by means of a striker or needle f, Figures 16 and 17, which passes
through an orifice in the closing piece c, and which when struck by the cock
or hammer on the fall of the trigger in the usual manner ignites the detonating
compound in the cartridge, but my improved mode of closing the breech may
be applied in similar manner to arms discharged by other arrangements.
When ordinary cartridges, such as at Figure 18, are used, having a rimmed or
flanged metal case or end n, the cartridge when spent may be withdrawn by a
bent or bell-crank forked lever arrangement i, Figures 6 and 7, having spring
arms h, p; it is fitted at the breech in the seat b. When the cartridge is in
the breech its flange n rests on the end of one of the arms p so as to be
engaged by it. A groove. g, Figures 9 .and. 10, is formed in the closing
piece c, having a radial end o, by which when the piece c is turned to open
the breech pressure is exerted on the arm h, Figures 14, 15, and thereby
forces the other arm p outward, by which means it withdraws the spent
cartridge; but the arrangements for withdrawing the cartridge may be varied.

page_text: The closing pieces c may, of course, be applied when other descriptions of
cartridges than that shewn in Figure 18 are used, though I recommend that
whatever be the cartridge used it should have a case sufficiently strong to
resist the escape of gases at the breech.
I also wish it to be distinctly understood that though in the example
illustrated in the Drawing I have shewn a gun fired by the propulsion of a
striker or needle against a cartridge, yet the Invention may be applied in like
manner to guns fired or discharged by other means or by other modes than
these shewn in the Drawing, as is evident without further explanation;
also the Invention may be applied in like manner to breech-loading fire-arms
other than guns, as, for example, to pistols, as is also evident without further
explanation, and I do not restrict myself to any particular arrangement of
lock and stock, as these may be varied without interfering with the nature of
the Invention.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim the employment of a
closure or piece for closing the breech, consisting of a block having a recess at
a part of its surface and turning in a seat wherein it turns or works on or as if
on an axis lying in the longitudinal direction of the barrel, so that the said
turning or closing piece when worked in either direction always remains in
the seat in a line with the longitudinal direction of the barrel, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josef Werndl, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by Josef
Werndl in my presence, Vienna, this
Twentieth day of September, Eighteen
JOSEF WERNDL. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by Josef
Werndl in my presence, Vienna, this
Twentieth day of September, Eighteen
Hundred sixty-seven,
JOSEF WERNDL. (L.S.)
BRANDERS WECKERSHLUN,
Consulate
Seal.
H. B. M.'s Consul.
Consulate
Seal.
BRANDERS WECKERSHLUN,
H. B. M.'s Consul.