IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND CARTRIDGES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Rigby, of Suffolk Street, in the City of
Dublin, and Joseph Needham, of Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
Gunmakers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS, AND CARTRIDGES."
Sealed the 28th May 1861, and dated the 21st December 1860..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Rigby and Joseph
Needham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 21st December 1860.
We, JOHN RIGBY, of Suffolk Street; in the City of Dublin, and JOSEPH
NEEDHAM, of Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Gunmakers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND CARTRIDGES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates, first, to improvements in rifles and other guns which
load at the breech, and consists in constructing breech-loading guns and rifles
with the breech-piece to receive the charge mounted on an axis piece at the
rear end, said chamber and axis pieces together moving out of the line of the
bore (for the purpose of loading). We mount the mechanism in an extension
of the barrel formed either by cutting away the side of the barrel at the
breech end, or suitably securing it to the breech. The breech-piece chamber
loads from the muzzle end; it.and the axis piece on which it is mounted are

page_text: connected together by a coarse screw, or merely slide one on the other. The
chamber being cylindrical can be rotated in its seat, which rotation is
effected by means of a hand lever fixed to the breech chamber. The rotation
of the breech chamber in the one direction causes it to recede from the rear
end of the barrel and the nose to be withdrawn from a recess therein by the
action of the screw connection before-mentioned. When so withdrawn the
breech chamber is free to move on the axis out of the line of the barrel as
required; this motion is also effected by the same hand lever. The reverse
movement replaces the breech chamber, and advances it to close the barrel in
position for firing. The nipple is fixed on an extension of the breech chamber,
and moves with it when the chamber is withdrawn from the barrel. The
nose of the breech-piece may be solid with it, but we sometimes apply a false
nose-piece, either screwed or otherwise fixed thereto, which may be easily
renewed when required. The connection between the charge chamber and
the axis piece when made to slide on each other (instead of screwing as
before-mentioned) we arrange with locking pieces on the chamber and axis
piece, whoreby the chamber, after sliding forward, is locked in its place some-
thing in the manner of a bayonet fastening; or the chamber sliding on the
axis piece has on its exterior surface a lug piece or pieces which are received
in helical grooves made in the prolongation of the barrel or chamber seating,
and is thereby forced-up-and-kept-in-close-contact. A-further-improvement
in breech-loading guns consists in rifling the movable chamber that receives
the charge in the same manner, and in continuation of the rifling of the
barrel. For single guns we prefer the breech-piece to rise in a vertical
direction from the line of the barrel; for double guns this may also be the
case, but their opening may be sideways or in an inclined position, for which
some little alteration is necessary in the hand lever before-mentioned, also in
the position of the nipple and hammer, as will be readily understood.
The second part of our Invention relates to cartridges used for breech-
loading guns and rifles, and consists in the introduction of a metal lining in
cartridge cases formed of a thin piece of metal bent to the form of a cylinder
with the meeting edges thereof overlapping. A slight covering of paper or
other material alone is necessary for the cartridge case in order to bind the
metal on the wad or contents of the cartridge. This arrangement and dis-
position of the metal permits of some little collapse of the cartridge in intro-
ducing it in the barrel; at the same time it is quite free to expand, and
therefore to render the junction of the breech with the barrel perfectly close
in breech-loading fire-arms. It also permits of the cartridge case again
collapsing to facilitate its withdrawal after firing. These metal cartridge

page_text: cases may also be made without any covering by simply substituting any
suitable binding on their circumference to retain the metal case in its form
until introduced into the charge chamber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
the said John Rigby and Joseph Needham in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st June 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JoHN
RIGBY, of Suffolk Street, in the City of Dublin, and JOSEгH NEEDHAM, of
Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Gunmakers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,,
the said John Rigby and Joseph Needham, Her special licence, that we,
the said John Rigby and Joseph Needham, our executors, administrators,.
and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Rigby and Joseph
Needham, our 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, AND CARTRIDGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Rigby and Joseph Needham, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said John Rigby and Joseph Needham,
do hereby declare the nature of our 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 Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):-
Our Invention relates, first, to rifles & other guns which load at the

page_text: breech, and consists in constructing breech-loading guns & rifles with the
breech-piece to receive the charge, mounted on an axis piece at the rear end,
said chamber & axis piece together moving out of the line of the bore (for
the purpose of loading) into a position at an angle with the said line. We
mount the mechanism in an extension of the barrel formed either by cutting
away the side of the barrel at the breech end, or suitably securing such
extension to the breech. The breech-piece chamber loads from the muzzle
end. It and the axis piece on which it is mounted are connected together by
a coarse screw, or merely slide one on the other. The chamber being cylin-
drical, can be rotated in its seat, which rotation is effected by means of a hand
lever fixed to the breech chamber. The rotation of the breech chamber in
the one direction causes it to recede from the rear end of the barrel, and the
nose to be withdrawn from a recess therein by the action of the screw con-
nection before-mentioned. When so withdrawn, the breech chamber is free
to move on the axis out of the line of the barrel as required. This motion is
also effected by the same hand lever. The reverse movement replaces the
breech-chamber, & advances it to close the barrel in position for firing. The
nipple is fixed on an extension of the breech chamber, & moves with it when
that chamber is withdrawn from the barrel. The nose of the breech-piece
may be solid with it; but we sometimes supply false nose pieces, either screwed
For otherwise-fixed-thereto,-which-may-be-easily-removed-when-required. The
connection between the charge chamber and the axis piece, when made to
slide on each other (instead of screwing as before-mentioned) we arrange with
locking pieces on the chamber and axis piece, whereby the chamber, after
sliding forward, is locked in its place something in the manner of a bayonet
fastening, or the chamber sliding on the axis piece has on its exterior surface
a lug piece or pieces, which are received in helical grooves made in the pro-
longation of the barrel or chamber seating, & is thereby fixed & kept in
close contact. A further improvement in breech-loading guns consists in
rifling the movable chamber that receives the charge in the same manner, &
in continuation of the rifling of the barrel. For single guns we prefer the
breech-piece to rise in a vertical direction from the line of the barrel; for
double guns this may also be the case, but their opening may be sideways or
in an inclined position, for which some little alteration is necessary in the hand
lever before-mentioned, as also in the position of the nipple & hammer, as will
be readily understood.
The second part of our Invention relates to cartridges used for breech-
loading guns and rifles, & consists in the introduction of a metal lining in
cartridge cases, formed of a thin piece of metal bent to the form of a cylinder

page_text: with the meeting edges thereof overlapping. A slight covering of paper or
other material alone is necessary for the cartridge case in order to bind the
metal on the wad or contents of the cartridge. This arrangement & dispo-
sition of the metal permits of some little collapse of the cartridge in intro-
ducing it in the barrel; at the same time it is quite free to expand, and there-
fore to render the junction of the breech with the barrel perfectly close in
breech-loading fire-arms. It also permits of the cartridge case again collapsing
to facilitate its withdrawal after firing. The metal cartridge case may also
be made without any covering, by simply substituting any suitable binding or
other circumference to retain the metal case in its form until introduced into
presents
arranged & constructed according to our Invention; Fig. 2, a plan or bird's
eye view of the upper part; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section of the same;
while Fig. 4 represents a plan of the breech chamber in the position as shown
at Fig. 3. is the stock, and 6 the barrel of the gun; it is enlarged at the
breech part b', which is forged in one piece; or screwed to the barrel b. The
one half of the part is removed, disclosing a semi-cylindrical cavity con-
centric with the line of the bore of the barrel, but of a diameter much greater.
The rear of this cavity terminates in a rectangular form, which receives the joint,
and permits of the motion of the piece fitted therein, as herein-after described.
c is a cylindrical breech-piece fitting the cavity before-mentioned, in which
piece the charge chamber is formed. On the rear end of this chamber piece c
two or three turns of a coarse pitched screw are formed fitting into a cor-
responding screw in the piece c', which at the rear end is of a rectangular
form, & mounted on a joint pin d; this piece c' towards the front
merges
the cylindrical form of c, and the pieces c & c¹ form a continuation the one of
the other. The nose end of c fits into a recess formed in the breech end of
the barrels, as seen in the section, Fig. 3, & when forced up hard by the
screw, forms a sufficient joint. It will be observed, that the termination of
the screw of c is a cylindrical pin fitting a suitable socket in c¹, in which it
slides and steadies the parts c & c¹ the one with the other. c is a thumb lever
formed on the side of the breech chamber c, by which lever that chamber is so
actuated as to force it up by the action of the screw into and against the
recess at rear end of the barrel, or by the reverse movement to withdraw it
therefrom, and raise it to the position at right angles to the barrel, for the
purpose of loading, as seen at Fig. 3. On the shoulder or angular part of
into

page_text: lever e we place the nipple f, the channel from which is carried through the
solid metal near to the rear part of the charge chamber; the lock and cock
are disposed as in ordinary guns, with the latter in position to strike the cap
or nipple when it is in proper position for so doing, as seen in the Drawings.
The pin d, on which the charge chamber moves, merely acts the part of a
joint, without being subject to the thrust of the screw when closing the breech
of the gun; the resistance to this thrust is provided for by the rear end of
piece cabutting against the plug g, screwed into the rear end of the part b
as will be observed in the position shown dotted in Fig. 3. The resisting
surface of the plug may either be flat or hollowed to better adapt it to the
abutting surface of c. The screw of connecting parts c, c², instead of being
formed the male screw on the part c and the female in c', may be reversed,
but in that case such pieces require to be of greater length, as the charge
chamber should be entirely beyond the limits of the screw. Instead of a
screw to connect the parts c & c', & force up the piece to close the
breech of the gun, we sometimes fit them together so as simply to slide for
the most part, the one having a pin and the other a socket to receive it, which
permits.of a sliding motion sufficient for removing the breech-piece from the
recess in the end of the barrel. The sliding pieces are furnished with
shoulders inclined a little in their circumferential direction. When breech-
piece c is at its closed position it is partially rotated by lever as before, bringing
the inclined shoulders round one or the other, & so forcing piece c hard up
to the breech of the barrel. Instead of shoulders a radial pin may be fixed in
the central pin of the sliding piece, taking into a longitudinal slot in the
socket, & terminating in an inclined slot, the first permitting the sliding
motion, & the latter the circular motion for fixing & releasing the piece c in
the closed position of the breech.
Fig. 5 represents a side elevation, and Fig. 6 a plan of a double gun fitted
according to our Invention. This gun, in its arrangements for opening and
closing the breech, is constructed in every respect like the single gun, except
in so far as the parts c, c', move out of the line of the barrel to the side instead
of upwards, as in the single gun above described. It is also necessary to
form the part c somewhat longer, inasmuch as that the nipple is placed in a
recess cut in the solid part of c in the rear of the charge chamber, best seen in
the cross section of c, Fig. 7, in which it will be seen that the nipple is
entirely within the circumference of c, & free to pass round in the cavity of b¹.
Loading these guns is readily performed (in the single gun for instance) by
keeping, the barrel horizontal, & raising the charge chamber to the vertical
position, in which position the charge is easily inserted. The chamber may

page_text: then be replaced in closed position, capped, & the gun immediately brought
to the shoulder and fired. In the double gun the loading may be performed
with equal facility by simply turning the gun first on one side and then on the
other, in order to bring the charge chambers to the upright position while
inserting the charges.
Another part of our Invention relates to rifling the charge chambers of
breech-loading guns in such guns as have the charge chambers to separate from
the barrel for the purpose of loading. This rifling is not represented in the
Drawing, but will be readily understood; it is performed in the ordinary
manner of rifling, & in continuation of the rifling of the barrel.
The last part of our Invention relates to the particular application of metal for
cartridge cases, & consist in forming them of thin sheet metal, either alone or in
combination with a covering of paper or other material, such thin sheet metal
being of a cylindrical form, having the edges of the metal overlapping, as seen
in the end and side views, Figs. 8 & 9. We sometimes make the cases of
thin sheet steel hardened and tempered after being formed, which imparts to
them a considerable amount of elasticity, and renders them suitable for use
again and again. In cartridges made of steel, we form them of a diameter a
little smaller than the bore of the gun, and form a slight internal flange at the
rear end.
A wad being forced into the case down to this flange, expands the
end of the case to its full diameter; the charge is then introduced, which
expands the case throughout to its proper size, such cartridge, during the
discharge, will expand & render the joint quite close, and after discharging, will
collapse to a taper form, and will drop out of the breech when opened, or may
be easily removed therefrom. These expanding & contracting metal cartridge
cases may be made of brass or other soft metal, & will only then expand or
contract in a slight degree by reason of the elasticity of the metal, but will
have every freedom to expand or contract on the application of force by reason
of the lapping edges forming the junction of the cylinder or case, being free
to slide the one on the other. The hardened steel cartridge case requires no
cover.
This construction of cartridge is adapted for all breech-loading guns, in which
it is required that the cartridge case should perfect the joint, or in which the
cartridge case is to be withdrawn after firing.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention, to be pro-
tected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the arrangement and combination of parts constituting the breech-

page_text: loading guns represented & described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6
of the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly, we claim rifling the movable charge chamber of breech-loading
guns in continuation of the rifling of the barrel, as herein-before described.
Thirdly, we claim the construction of cartridges with metal cases in a
manner & for the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Rigby & Joseph Needham, have
hereunto set our hand and seals, this Twenty-first day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
IN RIGDI.
(L.B.)
JOSEPH NEEDHAM. (L.S.)