IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

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 BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A
communication from abroad by Edwin Forbes Gunn, of Charleston, in
the State of South Carolina United States of America
Sealed the 20th December 1867, and dated the 4th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th July 1867.
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 BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the use of a lever and a sliding extractor so
combined with a chambered breech block hinged at one side that the lever
not only serves as a thumb piece whereby the breech block may be turned.
laterally from the breech receiver to unclose the breech, but may also be
used to operate the extractor to expel the empty cartridge shells from the
:barrel.
The Invention further consists in a novel arrangement of such lever with
reference to a notch or recess formed in the rear end. of the breech receiver,

page_text: whereby the lever may also be employed to securely lock the breech block in
position to close the breech. The lever is pivoted to the breech block which
is hinged at one side to the barrel, and is made to act on the extractor which
slides in grooves made on the under side of the breech block, which is
chambered to receive the cartridge.
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 3rd January 1868...
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 Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first 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 there-
after 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," being a communication to me from Edwin Forbes
Gunn, of Charleston, in the State of South Carolina, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
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 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):-

page_text: This Invention consists in the use of a lever and a sliding extractor so
combined with a chambered breech block hinged at one side that the said
lever not only serves as a thumb piece whereby the breech block may be
turned laterally from the breech receiver to unclose the breech, but may
also be used to operate the extractor to expel the empty cartridge shells from
the barrel.
3
The Invention further consists in a novel arrangement of such lever with
reference to a notch or recess formed in the rear end of the breech receiver,
whereby the lever may also be employed to securely lock the breech block in
position to close the breech.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view and partial section
of a fire-arm constructed according to this Invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse
section of the same taken in the line x, x, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of
the same.
'
The barrel A is securely fixed in a breech receiver B, which is open at the
top and at one side, and is attached to the stock C in any suitable manner.
The breech block D is hinged to the bottom of the breech receiver at the open
side thereof, as shown at a, and has formed and extending entirely through it
a longitudinal chamber b, which when the breech is closed is in line with the
bore of the barrel with its rear end closed by the recoil bearing c of the breech
receiver, the aforesaid rear end furthermore having formed in it an annular
rebate for the reception of the flange of the metallic cartridge shell.
The extractor is shewn at E, and slides in a longitudinal slot provided for
its reception within the outermost side of the breech block. The head d of
the extractor (when the block is in its place and closes the breech) is situated
forward of the rebate just mentioned in such manner as to catch upon the
flauge of the cartridge shell in ejecting the same. This extractor is furnished
at one side with a shoulder a', which is acted upon by a spur 6' formed upon
a lever F, which is pivotted in a suitable recess c¹ communicating with the
slot in which the extractor is placed, and the upper end of which projects
upward when the breech block is closed, as shewn in Fig. 1. The lever F is
also constructed with an angular corner d', which when the breech is closed
fits into a notch e. formed in the rear end of the breech receiver near the outer
edge of the recoil bearing so as to prevent the accidental opening of the
breech, as will be presently further set forth. The firing pin is shown
plainly in dotted lines at f, and is pressed back by a spring 9; the hammer G
which actuates the firing pin to ignite the cartridge may be of any suitable
construction.
In loading the fire-arm the upwardly extending arm of the lever F is first

page_text: pulled back to bring the angular corner d¹ of the lever out of the notch e, and
the breech block is then turned laterally outward upon its hinge a, thus
bringing it entirely out of the breech receiver, as shown in Fig. 3, the lever
serving as a thumb piece or knob in, so doing; this being done the upper
portion of the lever is forced forward, whereupon the spur ¹ thereof by
striking the shoulder a¹ of the extractor, forces the extractor back, as shown
in Fig. 3, and expels the cartridge shell from the chamber of the breech
block. A fresh cartridge is then pushed into the open rear end of the
cbamber, the flange thereof as it moves inward striking the head of the
extractor and returning the same to its place; the breech block is then turned
back into the breech receiver, and is locked therein by pushing the upper arm
of the lever E slightly forward to bring the angular corner d¹ into the notch e,
as herein-before explained..
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated to me
as aforesaid, and having explained. the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as
aforesaid,-
First, the lever F and sliding extractor E in combination with the
chambered breech block. D hinged at one side, as herein described for the
purpose set forth.
Second, the lever F pivotted to the breech block which is hinged at one
side and arranged with reference to the notch e in the rear end of the breech.
receiver, substantially as herein described for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof,. I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Second day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight..
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)