IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN PROJECTILES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN PROJECTILES."―A
communication.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd February 1854.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN PROJECTILES " to be
as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in fire-arms and in projectiles relates, first,
to an improved mode of constructing breech-loading fire-arms; and, second,
to a new or improved form of ball-cartridge to be used with such or similar
arms.
The arm is provided with a magazine in the form of a barrel extending
parallel with the bore of the gun, and in this magazine or barrel the ball
cartridges are placed one above another, and are pressed forward to the breech
end of the gun by a piston and strong spring placed in the magazine at the
other end. The breech end of the magazine is closed by a sliding block or
chamber, which is provided with a hole to receive one of the ball cartridges,

page_text: and is capable of moving up and down, so as to bring the hole in the chamber
into coincidence with the end of the magazine, so that a cartridge may be
pushed into the same by the force of the coiled spring, after which this sliding
block with the cartridge therein is raised up until the cartridge chamber is
brought opposite the end of the bore or barrel, when the cartridge is pushed
out of its chamber into the bore of the barrel by means of a piston placed
behind. This piston is provided on its front end with a nipple or stud, which
when forcibly driven forward against the end of the cartridge will explode the
detonating powder placed therein.
The chamber for receiving the cartridge, and the piston for pushing the
cartridge out of this chamber into the bore of the barrel, are worked by a
lever placed beneath the lock of the gun under the trigger; by moving for-
ward this lever the cartridge chamber is raised, so as to bring the cartridge
opposite the bore, and by the same motion of the lever the piston is drawn back,
in order to allow this chamber to be raised.
Upon drawing back the lever into its original position the piston moves for-
ward, and pushes out the cartridge from its chamber into the bore, of the barrel.
The gun is then charged ready for firing, and upon pulling the trigger the
hammer is let go, and made to strike against the end of the piston, and cause
the nipple on the fore end thereof to explode the detonating powder of the
cartridge, and fire the charge.
The improved projectile which forms the second part of the Invention is
a conical ball, with a hollow recess or chamber at the back which is filled with
gunpowder. A small disc of metal is placed on the powder, but does not entirely
cover it, and on this metal disc a small quantity of detonating powder is placed,
and the whole is covered in with a disc of cork, which may be made water-
proof to keep out wet or damp. The base of the conical ball is grooved all
round, and supplied with grease for the purpose of making the ball or cartridge
work more easily. By thus placing the detonating powder on a metal or hard
disc or substance, there is more certainty that the powder will be exploded by
the blow of the hammer than if it were placed on a soft yielding substance.
When the gun is fired the cork wad or disc at the bottom or end of the
cartridge will remain in the barrel, and will be held on the nipple of the piston,
from which it will be pushed off when the cartridge chamber rises to supply a
fresh cartridge to the barrel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 FIRE-ARMS AND IN PROJECTILES," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said William
Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Improvements in Fire-arms and in Projectiles" relates,
first, to an improved mode of constructing breech-loading fire-arms; and,
second, to a new or improved form of ball cartridge to be used with such or
similar arms.
The arm is provided with a magazine in the form of a barrel extending
parallel with the bore of the gun, and in this magazine or barrel the ball
cartridges are placed one above another, and are pressed forward to the breech
end of the gun by a piston and strong spring placed in the magazine at the
other end.
-

page_text: The breech end of the magazine is closed by a sliding block or chamber,
which is provided with a hole to receive one of the ball cartridges, and is
capable of moving up and down, so as to bring the hole in the chamber into
coincidence with the end of the magazine, so that a cartridge may be pushed
into the same by the force of the coiled spring; after which this sliding block,
with the cartridge therein, is raised up until the cartridge chamber is brought
opposite the end of the bore or barrel, when the cartridge is pushed out of its
chamber into the bore of the barrel by means of a piston placed behind. This
piston is provided on its front end with a nipple or stud, which when forcibly
driven forward against the end of the cartridge will explode the detonating
powder placed therein.
The chamber for receiving the cartridge, and the piston for pushing the
cartridge out of this chamber into the bore of the barrel, are worked by a lever
placed beneath the lock of the gun under the trigger; by moving forward this
lever the cartridge chamber is raised, so as to bring the cartridge opposite the
bore, and by the same motion of the lever the piston is drawn back, in order
to allow this chamber to be raised. Upon drawing back the lever into its
original position the piston is moved forward, and pushes out the cartridge
from its chamber into the bore of the barrel. The gun is then charged ready
for firing, and upon pulling the trigger the hammer is let go and made to strike
against the end of the piston, and cause the nipple on the fore end thereof to
explode the detonating powder of the cartridge and fire the charge.
The improved projectile which forms the second part of this Invention is a
conical ball, with a hollow recess or chamber at the back which is filled with
gunpowder. A small disc of metal is placed on the powder, but does not
entirely cover it, and on this metal disc a small quantity of detonating powder
is placed, and the whole is covered in with a disc of cork, which may be made
waterproof, to keep out wet or damp.
The base of the conical ball is grooved all round, and supplied with grease,
for the purpose of making the ball or cartridge work more easily. By thus
placing the detonating powder on a metal or hard disc or substance there is
more certainty that the powder will be exploded by the blow of the hammer
than if it were placed on a soft or yielding substance.
When the gun is fired the cork wad or disc at the bottom or end of the
cartridge will remain in the barrel, and will be held on the nipple of the piston,
from which it will be pushed off when the cartridge chamber rises to supply a
fresh cartridge to the barrel.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a section of the rifle barrel and
cartridge magazine, also of the spring chamber, the cartridge carrier, the per-

page_text: cussion hammer, together with the levers for working the piston slide and other
moving parts. Fig. 2 is an external view of part of the end of the barrel,
and will be hereafter referred to. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the barrel of
the rifle, and also of the cartridge magazine, and shewing the working parts
in the position they would be just before a cartridge is pushed forward into
the bore of the barrel A; the cartridge magazine is shewn at F, and H is the
piston slide, shewn in Fig. 1, in such a position that the end 6 forms the breech
to the barrel A. The percussion hammer D is down in this Figure, and,
therefore, touches the end f of the piston slide H. The cartridge carrier or
sliding block C is also down in Fig. 1, so that its chamber g is opposite to the
cartridge magazine F, but is raised in Fig. 2, in order to bring the cartridge
opposite the bore B of the barrel; the trigger guard lever E is at rest. By
pushing forward the trigger guard lever E to the position shewn in Fig. 3, the
pivot on the lever p works in the slide k, and pulls back the piston slide H
to the position shewn in Fig. 3, and so cocks the percussion hammer D. At
the same time the trigger guard lever at the point v comes in contact with the
lever I, which works loose in the trigger guard lever axis s, and presses it
upward. On the elevation of the lever I, this latter works on the pivot i,
which is fixed in the carrier C, and by this means the carrier C is elevated,
and when its chamber g is opposite the bore B, of the barrel A, the cartridge
T, which was pressed into the chamber g, by the slide K, of the spring, is by
the elevation of the carrier placed between the end 6 of the piston' slide, and
the bore B of the barrel A; then by pulling back the trigger guard lever E to
the position shewn in Fig. 1, the piston slide H pushes forward the cartridge
into the barrel, as shewn in Fig. 4. In the backward movement of the trigger
guard lever E, the upper part or lever p comes in contact with the lever I, at
the point n, and presses down the lever I, which, by working on the carrier
pivot i, lowers the carrier C to its former position, as in Fig. 1, when another
cartridge will be immediately pushed from the magazine F, by the spring U.
The trigger h being touched, the percussion hammer is freed at the catch t,
and strikes on the end f of the piston slide H, and thereby causes the stud e at
the fore end of the piston b to strike against the end of the cartridge, and
explode the detonating powder.
Fig. 7 represents the rear end of a cartridge.
the rim of the lead of the conical ball or bullet.
is a piece of cork; y is
Fig. 8 is a section of one of the improved projectiles; y is the lead; w is
the powder; the red mark represents a disc of steel or other hard substance;
the black marka is the percussion powder resting on the red hard disc or seat
plate, and held by the piece of cork z. At 1, 1, are indents or grooves in the

page_text: lead passing round the cartridge, and made to contain tallow. In the
bore B, of Fig. 4, is a section of a cartridge pushed in by the piston slide
H, which as it is so pushed forward, the nipple or stud c, on the end 6
of the piston slide, penetrates through the cork z, and comes in contact with
the percussion powder a. At the time the percussion hammer D strikes the
end f of the piston slide H, the inflammation powder a is ignited by the con-
cussion of the nipple e, and communicates fire to the forcing powder w. When
the piston slide H is withdrawn by the action of the trigger guard lever, as
before stated, the cork disc z comes out on the nipple, as shewn in Fig. 5, and
by the elevation of the cartridge carrier C with a second charge, as before
stated, the cork is pushed off the nipple, as shewn in Fig. 5, and thrown
clear from the gun. Fig. 6 is a front view of the barrel A, and the spring
chamber L. B is the barrel; L is the spring chamber, which can be turned
partly on the barrel. In Figures 1, 3, and 6, d is a steel spring, the lower end
of which is fastened on the spring chamber by a screw.
On the inner side of
the upper end is a projecting piece which fits into the barrel at the opening e',
in the spring chamber. In Fig. 3, the black piece d is the steel spring fitting
into both the barrel and the spring chamber, where they join. In order to
open and turn the spring chamber that cartridges may be put into the
magazine, the slide K must be pulled into the chamber L by the knob m,
when the coiled wire spring U will be compressed or shut close, and the point
c, on the slide K, being a little larger than the spring chamber, it presses
against and raises the flat steel spring d, so that the under projection thereof
will be lifted out of the opening e', as shewn in Fig. 1, when the spring
chamber may be freely turned on the barrel, as shewn in Fig. 2.
This will leave the end of the cartridge magazine F open, as shewn in
Fig. 6, so that it may be charged with cartridges. The sight of the rifle is
fixed into the barrel A, as shewn at a, Figures 1, 2, and 3, an opening being
left in the clasp of the spring chamber in order that the chamber may turn
freely on the barrel, as shewn in Fig. 2. When the spring chamber L is
partly turned, as shown in Fig. 6, the dotted lines indicate the magazine F,
and the shade is the opening into which the cartridges (as many as the
magazine will contain) are put. The spring chamber L is then turned back,
and the coiled spring U, with the slide K, presses on all the cartridges,
pushing the further or lower one into the cavity g, of the carrier C, whenever
its chamber g is lowered opposite the magazine, as in Fig. 1.
Having described the Invention that has been communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent as aforesaid, I would observe that I do not claim the
employment of a carrier or slide for transferring, the cartridges from the

page_text: magazine to the barrel, or the employment in combination therewith of a
piston or slide to force the cartridge out of the carrier and into the barrel.
But what I do claim is, the employment of the piston slide H, as a breech to the
barrel in combination with the percussion hammer, so arranged that it may be
made to strike on the rear end of the piston slide instead of directly against
the cartridge or its priming, whereby the priming at the front end of the slide
is exploded by concussion produced by the percussion or blow of the hammer
on the other end of it, as herein-before specified.
Secondly, I claim the arrangement and application of the percussion hammer
with respect to the breech slide H, and the trigger guard lever, so that the
hammer may be moved and set to full cock by the pressure of the back action
of the slide induced by the action of the trigger guard lever, as specified.
Third, I claim the turning spring chamber L, and its slide K, in com-
bination with the magazine and the barrel, and made to receive and hold the
spring, as set forth.
Fourth, I also claim the improvement of setting the cone or nipple in the
front end of the breech pin or piston slide, and also of making the cone or
nipple in such form as to secure the withdrawing of the cork or refuse cartridge
from the barrel by the cone or nipple when the breech pin is next withdrawn,
so that it may be discharged from the piston slide by the upward movement of
the carrier C.
In reference to the improved projectile or cartridge above described, I claim
the employment of a metallic or indurated disc or seat plate, placed within the
cartridge and resting on the powder, for the purpose not only of separating the
percussion powder from the main charge of gunpowder, but of forming a seat
for such percussion powder, which shall contribute to its inflammation under
the effect of a blow, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of August, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
year of
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)