IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augusto Albini, of Genoa, and also of No. 1, New
Broad Street Buildings, in the City of London, Captain in the Italian
Navy, and Francis Augustus Braendlin, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augusto Albini and
Francis Augustus Braendlin at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 18th October 1866.
We, AUGUSTO ALBINI, of Genoa, and also of No. 1, New Broad Street.
Buildings, in the City of London, Captain in the Italian Navy, and FRANCIS
AUGUSTUS BRAENDLIN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms in which the breech ends
are opened for charging and closed for discharge by a block or closer hinged
to the breech end of the barrel, and which fire-arms are discharged by the
use of self-ignition cartridges having metallic cases or cases, requiring, to be
extracted from the barrels.

page_text: Our improvements consist, firstly, of the arrangement or combination of
parts herein-after described for fastening down the hinged blocks or closers of
the said fire-arms, and at the same time discharging the self-ignition cartridges
in the breech end of the barrels. The block or closer by which the breech
end of the barrel is closed may either be hinged to the top or side of the
barrel. In the axis of the said block or closer a pin or striker works for
discharging the cartridge in the breech of the barrel, the advance motion of
the pin or striker being effected in the manner herein-after explained, and the
return motion may be effected by a coiled spring or by the shutting down of
the breech block. In the rear of the hinged block is a cylindrical or other
shaped hole into which the head of the striker projects when the said striker
is in its normal position. The striker is projected forward and the breech
block fastened down in the following manner :-Passing through an opening
in the rear end of the breech chamber into which the breech block shuts down
is a cylindrical or other shaped bolt. The said bolt may be situated in a line
with the pin or striker in the said block, and also coincident with the hole in
the. rear of the said block, or the bolt may be situated at an angle with the
pin.or striker. The rear end of this bolt is connected to the hammer of the
gun, the upper part of the said hammer being bent or cranked nearly at right
angles to the other part, so as to bring that end to which the bolt is connected
nearly in a line with the axis of the barrel. By the motion of the hammer the
said bolt slides in the hole in the rear of the breech chamber and may be
made to enter the opening in the rear of the breech block. When the hammer
is raised to half-cock the front end of the bolt is within the hole in the rear
end of the chamber, and the breech block is free to be raised for the intro-
duction of a self-ignition cartridge into the breech end of the barrel, the
said cartridge having a metallic or partly metallic case. The cartridge
having been introduced into the barrel the breech block is turned upon its
binge and made to completely fill up the breech chamber and close the barrel
behind the cartridge; by now raising. the hammer to full cock the gun is
ready to be. discharged. On pulling the trigger the hammer falls, and the bolt.
connected to it is driven through. the rear end of the chamber into the.
opening in the rear of the hinged block, and. holds or fastens down. the said
hinged block during discharge. The end of the bolt after it has entered the.
hinged block strikes upon the head of the pin or striker and forces its.front
end through the front of the block into the cartridge in the end of the barrel,
and discharges the gun. The breech block is thus fastened. down, and the
cartridge discharged nearly simultaneously by the action of a bolt worked by
the hammer of the gun. The cases of the exploded cartridges may be

page_text: extracted from the barrel by an extractor of any convenient construction, but
we prefer to use an extractor of the construction herein-after described and
constituting part of our Invention. In some cases, however, we use cartridges
which are capable of being extracted by band. The self-ignition cartridges
which we use with our improvements may either have the same diameter:
throughout, so that the whole of them except the flange at their base, inay.
enter the breech of the barrel or have an expanded base, which expanded
base projects from the breech end of the barrel into the chamber, into which
the hinged block shuts down. These cartridges with expanded bases permit
the case to be removed from the barrel without an extractor by gripping the
expanded base by the thumb and fingers after the breech block has been
raised. When cartridges of the last-described kind are employed a recess is
made in the front of the hinged block for the expanded base of the cartridge
to lie in when the hinged block is shut down.
Our improvements consist further of a cartridge case extractor constructed
in the manner herein-after described to be used. with breech-loading fire-arms
in which a block or closer hinged to the breech end of the barrel is employed
to close the breech. In the breech end of the barrel and on either. side
thereof a slot is made parallel to the axis of the barrel. In these slots 'two
plates are situated, the said plates turning loosely upon the joint pin to which
the block or closer is hinged. Those edges of the said hinged plates which
are presented to the muzzle end of the barrel project beyond the joint, and
when the block is shut down also above the top of the barrel. Each of the
hinged plates is provided with a projection or hook situated at right angles to
the said plates, against which projections or hooks the 'flange or rim of the
cartridge bears when placed in the breech of the barrel. The mouth of or
entrance to the barrel is cut away at opposite sides to receive the said pro-
jections or hooks of the extractor. After the gun has been discharged the
hinged block or closer is lifted from the breech chamber and thrown back
on to the top of the barrel. The hinged end of the block in descending on
to the barrel strikes against and depresses the projecting or tail pieces of the
hinged plates, and thereby causes the said plates to turn upon their joint and
raise or advance those ends carrying the hooks or extractors from their
places in the breech of the barrel into the breech chamber. The exploded
cartridge case is thereby started or extracted from the barrel and can readily
be removed by hand. In introducing a fresh cartridge into the barrel its rim
or flange rests against the hooks of the extractor projecting into the breech
chamber, and when the breech block is raised from the top of the barrel;
and shut down into the breech chamber, the extractor being free to move

page_text: it is pushed together with the cartridge into the barrel by the hinged
block.
Our improvements consist further in jointing the blocks or closers of breech-
loading fire-arms which are jointed to the end of the barrel to a separate ring
shrunk upon or brazed to the breech end of the barrel instead of jointing the 5
blocks or closers to a lump forged on the barrel as is usual. The separate
ring described is divided at bottom, and is slipped into its place from the
muzzle end of the barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Augusto Albini and Francis Augustus Braendlin in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, AUGUSTO
ALBINI, of Genoa, and also of No. 1, New Broad Street Buildings, in the
City of London, Captain in the Italian Navy, and FRANCIS AUGUSTUS
BRAENDLIN, 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 Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the s
said Augusto Albini and Francis Augustus Braendlin, Her special licence
that we, the said Augusto Albini and Francis Augustus Braendlin, our
"'executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Augusto
Albini and Francis Augustus Braendlin, 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," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Augusto Albini and Francis Augustus Braendlin,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Augustus Braendlin, on
behalf of myself and the said Augusto Albini, 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 by the following statement thereof,
that is to say
Our Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms in which the breech ends
are opened for charging and closed for discharge by a block or closer hinged
to the breech end of the barrel, and which fire-arms are discharged by the
use of self-ignition cartridges having metallie cases or cases requiring to be
extracted from the barrels.
⚫ Our improvements consist, firstly, of the arrangement or combination of
parts herein-after described for fastening down the hinged blocks or closers of
the said fire-arms, and at the same time discharging the self-ignition cartridges
in the breech ends of the barrels. The block or closer by which the breech
end of the barrel is closed, may either be hinged to the top or side of the
barrel. In the-axis of the said block or closer a pin or striker works for
discharging the cartridge in the breech of the barrel, the advance motion of
the pin or striker being effected in the manner herein-after explained, and the
return motion may be effected by a coiled spring, or by the shutting down of
the breech block. In the rear of the hinged block is a cylindrical or other
shaped hole, into which the head of the striker projects when the said striker
is in its normal position. The striker is projected forward and the breech
block fastened down in the following manner:-Passing through an opening
in the rear end of the breech chamber into which the breech block shuts down
is a cylindrical or other shaped bolt. The said bolt may be situated in a line
with the pin or striker in the said block, and also coincident with the hole in
the rear of the said block; or the bolt may be situated at an angle with the
pin or striker: The rear end of this bolt is connected to the hammer of the
gun, the upper part of which is bent or cranked nearly at right angles to the
other part, so as to bring that end to which the bolt is connected nearly in a
line with the axis of the barrel. By the motion of the hammer the said bolt.
slides in the-hole in the rear end of the breech chamber, and may be made.to
enter the opening.in.the rear of the breech block. When the haminer is
raised to half-cock-the front-end of the bolt is within the hole in the rear end
of-the chamber, and the breech block is free to be raised for the introduction
of a self-ignition cartridge into the breech end-of the barrel, the said cartridge
having a metallic or partly metallic case. The cartridge having been
introduced into the barrel the breech block is turned upon its binge and made
to completely fill up the breech chamber and close the barrel behind the
'

page_text: cartridge by now raising the hammer to full-cock the gun is ready to be
discharged. On pulling the trigger the hammer falls, and the bolt connected
to it is driven through the rear end of the chamber into the opening in the
rear of the hinged block, and holds, or fastens down the said hinged block
during discharge. The end of the bolt after it has entered the hinged block
strikes upon the head of the pin, or striker and forces its front end through
the front of the block, into the cartridge in the end of the barrel and
. discharges the gun; the breech block is thus fastened down and the cartridge
discharged nearly simultaneously by the action of a bolt worked by the
hammer of the gun. The cases of the exploded cartridges may be extracted
from the barrel by an extractor of any convenient construction, but we prefer
to use an extractor of the construction herein-after described and.constituting
part of our Invention. In some, cases, however we use cartridges which are
capable of being extracted by hand. The self-ignition cartridges which we
use with our improvements may either have the same diameter throughout, so
that the whole of them, except the flange at their base, may enter the breech
of the barrel, or have an expanded base, which expanded base projects from
the breech end of the barrel into the chamber into which the hinged block
shuts down. These cartridges permit the case to be removed from the barrel
without an extractor by gripping the expanded base by the thumb and
fingers after the breech block has been raised. When cartridges of the last-
described kind are employed a recess is made in the front of the hinged block
for the expanded base of the cartridge to lie in when the hinged block is shut
down.
Our improvements consist further. of a cartridge-case extractor constructed
in the manner herein-after described to be used with breech-loading fire-arms in
which a block or closer hinged to the breech end of the barrel is employed to
close the breech. In the breech end of the barrel, and on either side thereof,
a slot is made parallel to the axis of the barrel; in these slots (or outside the
barrel) two plates are situated, the, said plates turning loosely upon the joint
pin to which the block on closer is hinged; those edges of the said hinged
plates which are presented to the muzzle end of the barrel project beyond the
joint, and when the block is shut down also above the top of the barrel. Each
of the hinged plates is provided with a projection or hook. situated at right
angles to the said plates, against which projections or hooks the flange or rim
of the cartridge bears when placed in the breech of the barrel. The mouth of
or entrance to the barrel is cut away at opposite sides to receive the said
projections or hooks of the extractor. After the gun has been discharged the
hinged block or closer is lifted from the breech chamber, and thrown back on

page_text: to the top of the barrel. The hinged end of the block in descending on to
the barrel strikes against and depresses the projecting or tail pieces of the
hinged plates, and thereby causes the said plates to turn upon their joint and
raise or advance those ends carrying the hooks or extractors from their places
in the breech of the barrel into the breech chamber. The exploded cartridge
case is thereby started or extracted from the barrel, and can readily be removed
by hand. In introducing a fresh cartridge into the barrel its rim or flange
rests against the hooks of the extractor projecting into the breech chamber,
and when the breech block is raised from the top of the barrel, and shut down
into the breech chamber; the extractor being free to move, it is pushed
together with the cartridge into the barrel by the hinged block.
Our improvements consist further in jointing the blocks or closers of breech-
loading fire-arms, which are jointed to the end of the barrel to a separate
ring shrunk upon or brazed to the breech end of the barrel instead of jointing
the blocks or closers to a lump forged on the barrel as is usual. The separate
ring described is divided at bottom, and is slipped into its place from the muzzle
end of the barrel.
Having explained the nature of our Invention we will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in which the same
is to be performed..
-
:..
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section a breech-loading gun
containing the improvements described under the first and second heads of
our Invention, the parts of the gun being in the positions which they
respectively assume after the. gun has been discharged; Figure 2 represents
the same, the parts. being in position for re-loading; Figure 3 is a plan of the
same with the breech block shut down, and Figure 4 is a side elevation of
the same, the stock and other parts being omitted; Figure 5 is a front
elevation of the cartridge case extractor, and Figure 6 represents a part of
the same separately. The same letters indicate the same parts in each
Figure.
a is the barrel, to the top of the breech end of which the block b is hinged
at 6*, the said hinged block being capable of shutting down in a vertical plane
into a breech chamber c at the rear of the said barrel, or being raised from
the said chamber and thrown back on to the top of the barrel in the manner
represented in Figure 2; the said block is moved by a handle 63 on its side,
and is fixed down or held in the breech chamber-c by a small bolt.d springing
into a recess in the said block; the bolt d has a rounded end which permits
it to be forced back when the block is lifted with some force. In the axis
of the said block-is-a-pin-or-striker e-for-discharging the cartridge, the said

page_text: pin or strikere being forced, when at liberty to move,' by the coiled spring f
into the cylindrical hole 9 made in: the free or rear end of the block or
closer b.. The pin or striker e is projected forward, and the block or closer. 6
fastened down by means of a cylindrical bolt h passing through an opening i
in the rear of 'the breech chamber c, and 'taking into the cylindrical hole g in
the rear of the block or closer 6; the said bolt is slightly inclined to the
pin or striker e, and is connected at its rear end to the upper part k of the
hammer of the gun by means of a forked plate on its end in which a pin
passed through the said upper part of the hammer. works, as illustrated in
Figures 1, 2,. and 4: The upper end k of the hammer which is connected to
the bolt is bent or cranked nearly at right angles to the other part (see
Figure 3), so as to bring the cranked' end nearly in a line with the axis of
the barrel. By the motion of the hammer the bolt. A slides in the hole i in
the rear end of the breech chamber c, and may be made to enter the hole g in
the rear of the block or closer b...In preparing the gun for discharge, the
hammer k is raised to half-cock, so as to draw the front end of the bolt h
within the hole i in the rear of the chamber c, as illustrated in Figure 2';
the block b is thereby free to be raised from the chamber c and thrown back
on to the top of the barrel in the manner illustrated in Figure 2. A self-igniting
cartridge having a métallic or partly metallic case can now .be introduced into
the barrel a, after which the block b is turned upon its hinge and shut down
into and made to completely fill up the breech chamber c and close the breech
of the barrel a behind the cartridge; by now raising the hammer k to full-
cock the gun is ready for discharge; on pulling the trigger the hammer k fulls
and the bolt h is driven through the rear end of the chamber c into the hole g
in the rear of the block b, and holds or fastens down the said block during
the discharge of the gun. The end of the bolt h after it has entered the
block 6 strikes upon the rear end of the pin or striker e, and forces its front
end through the front of the block into the cartridge in the end of the barrel,
and discharges the gun; the parts of the gun being in the positions repre-
sented in Figure 1. By arranging and constructing the parts in the manner
described and illustrated in the Drawing the breech block is fastened down
and the cartridge discharged nearly simultaneously by the action of a bolt
worked by the hammer of the gun. On raising the hammer k to half-cock,
and lifting the hinged block b from the chamber c, in the manner represented
in Figure 2, the metallic case; of the exploded cartridge is extracted from the
barrel by the said lifting of the block by means of the cartridge case extractor
herein next described.. The said cartridge case, extractor consists of-two
plates, 7, 7, situated respectively on either side of and outside the breech end

page_text: of the barrel a (or.working in slots in the said sides), and turning loosely upon
the joint pin 6 to which the block 6 is hinged. The parts of the hinged
plates 1, 1, project beyond the joint 6, and when the block is shut down also,
above the top of the barrel a (see Figure 1). Each of the plates 1, 1, is
provided with a projection or hook (see Figures 2, 5, and 6) situated at
right angles to the said plates. These hooks are recessed to receive the rim
or flange of the cartridge when placed in the barrel. On opposite sides of
the breech end of the barrel recesses a² are made, into which the books of
the extractor enter when the block b is shut down. The ends of the hooks
when engaged in their recesses in the ends of the barrel cannot be blown out
on discharge in consequence of the support afforded by the shoe, as will be
understood by reference to Figure 5. After the gun has been discharged
the block 6 is lifted from the chamber c, and thrown back on to the top of
the barrel, as illustrated in Figure 2. The part of the hinged end of the
block 6 in descending on to the barrel a strikes against and depresses the
projecting or tail pieces of the hinged plates 1, and thereby causes the said
plates to raise or advance those ends carrying the hooks or extractors 1³,
from their places in the breech of the barrel into the breech chamber c, in
the manner represented in Figure 2,-and thus start or extract the exploded
cartridge case from the barrel. In introducing a fresh cartridge into the
barrel its rim or flange rests against the projecting hooks of the extractor,
and when the block b is raised from the tail pieces the extractor is free to
move, and on the shutting down of the said block the said extractor, together
with the cartridge, are pushed into the barrel by the said block b. Instead
of using two plates and hooks ³, one on each side to form the extractor,
one plate and hook only may be used. When cartridges with expanded bases
are used which are capable of being extracted by hand, the cartridge case
extractor described is unnecessary. In using cartridges with expanded bases
a recess is made in the front of the hinged block 6 for the expanded base to
lie in when the said block is shut down. Instead of hinging the block b to
the top of the barrel; so as to make it move in a vertical plane, it may be
hinged to the side of the barrel so as to move in a horizontal.plane. In the
Drawing the Llock 6 is represented as being hinged to a lump forged on the
shoe or breech chamber, but in converted breech-loading guns the said block
may be hinged to a separate ring shrunk upon or brazed to the breech end
of the barrel. The said separate ring is divided at bottom, and is slipped
into its place from the muzzle end of the barrel.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which-the-same-is-to-be-performed, we wish it to be understood that we do

page_text: not limit ourselves to the precise details herein described, as the same may
be varied without departing from the nature of our Invention; but we claim
as our Invention,―
Firstly, the improvements herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing in breech-loading fire-arms in which the breech ends
are opened for charging and closed for discharge by means of a block or
closer hinged to the top or side of the barrel, the said fire-arms being dis-
charged by the use of self-ignition cartridges having metallic cases or cases
that require to be removed from the barrel, that is to say, the arrangement
or combination of parts described and represented for fastening down the
block or closer of the said fire-arms, and advancing the pin or striker to
discharge the fire-arms by the action of a bolt worked by the hammer of
the fire-arm.
Secondly, the arrangement or combination of the parts herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing of a cartridge case
extractor to be used with breech-loading fire-arms in which the end of the
block or closer is hinged to the top or side of the barrel.
Thirdly, hinging the block or closer to a ring shrunk upon or brazed to the
breech end of the barrel, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Augustus Braendlin, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
FRANCIS AUGUSTUS BRAENDLIN. (L.S.)
Witness to the signature of
Francis Augustus Braendlin,
GEORGE SHAW.