IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE AND FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1860

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 ORDNANCE AND FIRE-ARMS."-A commu-
nication from abroad by Charles Frederick Brown, of Warren, State
of Rhode Island. in the United States of America.
Sealed the 12th September 1860, and dated the 27th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th April 1860.
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 Inver ion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE AND FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention of improvements in ordnance and fire-arms consists, firstly,
in applying to a piece of ordnance or a fire-arm a sliding plunger-like breech
pin, which is operated in a peculiar manner, and provides for the loading at
the breech; a sliding plunger-like bolt is made to work within the said
breech pin, and constitute a hammer for the explosion of the charge.
The Invention also consists in a certain improved mode of mounting a
picce of ordnance in its carriage and providing for its elevation.
And it further consists in an improved construction of wrought-iron
wheels for gun carriages.

page_text: In carrying out this Invention the body of the piece of ordnance or arm is
bored throughout, and a moveable breech piece is made to slide therein likea
piston or plunger in a cylinder. The breech piece is provided at its after part
with a projecting flange, which fits against a shoulder made in the borcof the
gun, and it is kept back by means of a coiled spring in such a manner as to ex-
pose an opening in the top of the gun through which the charge is supplied.
Inside this sliding breech piece at its centre is a sliding bolt, whichisprovided
with a strong spring for forcing it forward when required. This bolt acts as a
hammer to explode some detonating compound to be placed at thehinder part
of the cartridge. A lateral pin is adapted to this bolt or hammer and passes
through a slot made in the side of the arm, so that it may be controlled by
means of a lever. The body of the gun is supported at its hinder end by the
axle of a single wheel, which also carries a cain or excentric that bearsagainst
the end of the moveable breech piece or plunger, so that when the wheel is
turned on its axis it carries round with it the cam or excentric, which by its
rotation will force forward the plunger, and thereby push into the gun the
cartridge or charge that has been placed in the breech through the opening
made therein for the purpose. The axle of this hinder wheel also carries
another cam, which bears against the end of the lever which controls the
action of the hammer pin. These parts are so constructed and arranged that
by the rotation of the cam, as the wheel rotates when the gun is pushed
forward, the lever is forced back and the hammer pin liberated, so as to allow
the hammer by the force of its spring to be propelled against the detonating
composition of the charge and explode the same. The body of the gun is
further supported by being suspended in an open framing, which forms the
axletree of a pair of running wheels. The body of the gun rests on a strong
coiled spring in this framing, and it is levelled and aimed by means of au
elevating screw and hand wheel. The axle of the single hinder wheel turns
in bearings in a rectangular frame connected in front with the axletree of the
running wheels and provided behind with a handle, whereby the gun can be
conveniently moved about. It will now be understood that as the hinder
wheel moves over the surface of the ground the cams on its axle will be
caused to rotate and actuate the breech plunger and hammer, so that if
charges are supplied to the breech through the opening therein, a continu-
ous cannonade may be kept up while advancing or retreating from an
enemy. It will be evident that an analogous mode of constructing the
breech piece and plunger and operating the same, as well as the hammer,
may be applied to fire-arms.
Another improvement relates to the mode of making the wheels of iron.

page_text: The felloe is made of iron and has a groove cut therein to receive a disc or
circular plate, to the centre of which is secured the hub or nave of the wheels.
This hub or nave is formed of two parts which screw one into the other, the
disc being between shoulders formed on the pieces for the purpose. The disc
is made thicker at the centre than at the edge, which is made to fit the groove
cut in the inner surface of the felloe which is shrunk on. To facilitate this
operation and to hold the disc securely, one edge of the groove cut in the
felloe is made higher than the other and consequently acts as a shoulder
for the disc to rest upon during the shrinking operation.
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 27th October 1860.
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-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special license 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 ORDNANCE AND FIRE-ARMS," being a commu-
nication 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 1, 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

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say): :-
This Invention of "Improvements in Ordnance and Fire-arms" consists,
firstly, in applying to a piece of ordnance or a fire-arm a sliding plunger-like
breech pin, which is operated in a peculiar manner, and provides for the
loading at the breech; a sliding plunger-like bolt is made to work within the
said breech pin and constitute a haminer for the explosion of the charge.
The Invention also consists in a certain improved mode of mounting a
piece of ordnance in its carriage, and providing for its elevation.
And it further consists in an improved construction of wrought-iron wheels
for gun carriages.
In the accompanying Drawings the Figures in Sheet I. represent a light
field piece and its carriage, with all the improvements adopted thereto, and
the Figures in Sheet II. illustrate the construction of the iron wheels.
In Sheet I. Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of the piece; Fig. 2 is a
plan of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same.
A represents the gun, having its bore continued right through the breech, and
counterbored from the breech of a size larger than the regular bore c, c, as
shown at a, a, in Figures 1 and 2, and having a narrow slot b, b, cut vertically
through the counterbored portions. Some distance in front of the counter-
bore a, a, there is an aperture f,f, in the top of the gun for the admission of
the cartridges. B is the plunger-like sliding breech pin, fitted to work snugly
but easily within the rear portion of the bore c, c, and having near its rear end
a flange d, d, which fits easily but snugly to the counterbore a, a, and in rear
of this flange a slot e, e, extending to its rear end, the slot being of the same
width as the slot b, b. In the front portion of this slot e, e, there is arranged
a roller g, which is fitted to turn freely on a fixed pin or axle h, which is
inserted transversely through the breech pin across the slot. This breech
pin B is also bored from the front end nearly through, to receive the sliding
cylindrical plunger-like bolt C, which constitutes the hammer, and in the rear
portion of the bore there is placed behind the bolt Ca spiral spring i, which
serves to drive the bolt forward to effect the explosion of the cartridges, which
are intended to contain in their rear ends a portion of fulminating compound
to be exploded by the blow of the bolt. From one side of the bolt C there
projects a pinj, which passes through a slot k in the side of the breech pin,
and a slot in the side of the gun; s is a helical spring, coiled round the
breech pin B within the counterbore a, a, between the flange d of the breech
pin and the shoulder that is formed at the front of the counterbore, and
exerting a constant tendency to force back the breech pin by its
pressure

page_text: against the flange. D, D), are the main wheels of the gun carriage fitted to
axles E, E, which are forged in the same piece with or otherwise firmly
secured to the sides of a wrought iron frame F,of elliptical form, and through
which iron frame the gun passes, and is secured to this frame by means of a
screw m, which is attached to the top of the gun, and stands up therefrom
perpendicular to the bore. A nut n is fitted to the screw, which passes freely
through a hole in the top of the frame F, and the nut n fits the screw above
the frame, and rests on the top thereof. To the under side of the gun,
opposite to and in line with the screw m, there is secured a pin 2, which
passes freely through a hole in the bottom of the frame F, and between this
frame and the gun there is coiled round the pin p a helical spring q. G, G, H,
is a wrought-iron frame, having the front ends of its parallel sides fitted
loosely to the axles E, E, inside of the wheels D, D, and having handles "", "",
at its rear end, by which the gun may be laid hold of by men to push or draw
it along; I is a shaft fitted to bearings in the sides G, G, of the frame G, G, H,
and passing transversely through the slotted rear portion of the gun; Jis a
wheel of the same size as D), D, or thereabouts, and is secured to the shaft I,
close to one side of the gun. This wheel J and the wheels D, D, support the
gun, and the frames F and G, G, H, axles E, E, and shaft T, constitute the
carriage; and in running over the ground the wheels all revolve, and the
revolution of the wheel J causes the shaft 1 to revolve in its bearings in the
frame G. G, H. The shaft I has secured to it a cam K, which works in the
slots b and c of the gun A and breech pin B, and is held in contact with
the periphery of the roller g in the slote of the breech pin by the back
pressure of the springs on the breech pin. The cam serves by its revolution
to drive forward the breech pin beyond the aperture f.f, so as to close the
breech for firing,and the spring serves to force it back behind the aperture fif,
so as to permit the insertion of the cartridges through the aperture. The
shaft I has also secured to it a laterally operating cam u to operate on a
roller won the rear end of a lever L, which works on a fulcrum pin v
attached to one side of the gun, and which has in front of the fulcrum pin a
slot w, in which is received the pin that is attached to the firing bolt C.
Behind the fulcrum pin there is applied between the gun and the lever La
helical spring, which is kept in place by a pin y, the spring a serving to
press out the rear portion of the lever toward the cam K, and keep the slot w
on the pin j.
The operation of the various parts is as follows:-The gun is brought to
the proper elevation by turning the nut n on the screw m, leaving the front

page_text: part suspended from the upper part of the frame F by the nut and screw,
while the rear part rests upon the shaft I, but until it is desired to fire the
nut is screwed up so far as to leave it clear of the top of the frame F, and
leave the gun resting upon the spring q, and thus prevent any jar of the
carriage or mechanisin in travelling over uneven ground. As the gun is
moved from place to place the revolution of the shaft I with the wheel J
causes the cam K by its revolution to drive forward the breech pin B beyond
the aperture ff, and close the breech once during every revolution of the
shaft, but the pin is driven back by the springs as the cam recedes from its
roller g, in each revolution opening the aperture f,f, to permit the insertion of
a cartridge. As the breech pin B advances, the bolt C moves with it for a
certain distance, its pinj being held in contact with the front end of the slot k
in the breech pin; but at a certain point in advance of the breech pin the pinj
comes in contact with the front end of the slot w in the lever L, and is thereby
arrested, causing the arrest of the bolt C during the continued advance of the
breech pin, and causing its spring to be compressed by such continued
advance. Just as the breech pin completes its advance, and after it has closed
the aperture ff. the can, which up to this point has left the lever L
stationary during the advance of the breech pin, forces the rear end of the
lever laterally toward the gun, and so causes the slotted front part to move
outward far enough to liberate the pin and leave the bolt C under the
uncontrolled influence of the spring i, which suddenly drives it forward in the
breech pin with great force so far that its front extremity protrudes through
the front of the breech pin. As the breech pin recedes again, the bolt C
comes back with it, and the pin coming back with them arrives opposite the
slot w before the cam u permits the lever L to be moved back by the spring a
far enough to interfere with it, so that when the lever L arrives at the first-
mentioned position, represented in Fig. 2, the pinj will be in a condition to
be again arrested by the lever the next time the breech pin moves forward.
The inner face of the front end of the lever may, however, be so bevilled that
the pin jin moving back may pass it independently of the action of the cam u.
In advancing toward an enemy or in retreating the same action of the breech
pin and firing bolt C is produced, and one of the men attending the gun has
in readiness a ball cartridge to drop into the aperature f, f, every time the
breech pin is drawn back, and as the breech pin advances the cartridge is
pushed forward by it beyond the aperture, and after the aperture has been
closed by the breech pin, the bolt C being liberated from the lever L as above
described, and driven forward by the spring, effects the explosion of the

page_text: charge in the cartridge, and causes the ball to be discharged. In this way
8 rapidly repeated fire is kept up so long as cartridges are supplied on the
withdrawal of the breech pin beyond the aperture f, f.
Instead of supplying the cartridges one by one to the aperture f.f, by hand
as above described, a number of cartridges may bearranged one above another
in an upright fixed magazine above the aperture, and they will drop into and
through the aperture one by one as the aperture is opened by the retreat of
the breech pin during each revolution of the shaft I. The same rapid
repetition of the fire may be effected, while tho gun is stationary by raising the
rear end of the carriage high enough for the wheel J to clear the ground, and
applying a crank to one or to each end of the shaft I to give it and the cam K
a rotary motion. The same mode of applying and operating the breech pin
and firing bolt or hammer C, to effect a rapid repetition of the fire, may be
adapted to rifles or other small arms by fitting the shaft I to turn in hearings
in the breech or stock and keeping up a rotary motion of the shaft by hand.
In such application of this Invention it is obvious that it will be desirable to
have a magazine of cartridges above the aperture ff, as before described with
reference to the cannon.
In Sheet II. of the Drawing, Fig. 4 represents a central section of one of
the wheels; Fig. 5 represents a side view of the saine; and Fig. 6 is a
sectional view, illustrating the manner in which the parts are put together.
A is the rim made of a single piece; B, C, is the hub made in two pieces,
and D is a single plate which unites the hub with the rim. The plate D is
made thicker in the centre than at the edges, and is turned up perfectly true,
and bored out centrally, and has a screw thread cut in its central bore to
enable the inner piece B of the hub to which the axle is fitted to be screwed
into it. This portion of the hub fits up to the plate with a shoulder; the
other piece C of the hub consists simply of an internally screwed band which
screws on to the protruding screwed portion d, d, of the piece B and up to the
plate, which is thus clamped between the two pieces. The rim A has a
groove a turned in its interior at about the middle of its width to receive
the margin of the plate D, and of such depth that when the rim and plate
are of the same temperature the plate fills the groove perfectly as shown in
the section, Fig. 4. The rim is put on by making it hot enough to expand
sufficiently for the plate D to enter the groove, and allowing it to shrink upon
the plate. To provide for the easy application of the rim to the plate the
former is made with a greater thickness of metal on one side 6, 6, of the
groove, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, than on the other c, c, the thickness
on the side c, c, being just sufficient to allow the plate to pass the

page_text: edges of the groove on that side when the rim is expanded by heat and
the plate is cold as shown at Fig. 6. The edges of the rim may be both
of the same thickness. By making the metal thicker on the side b, b,
of the groove that side forms a bearing to lay the plate upon when the rim is
expanded so that as the rim shrinks the plate will not fail to enter the groove
a properly, and this constitutes the most important feature of this part of the
Invention; the plate is more casily inserted in the rim ina horizontal position.
I
The wheel constructed in this way has the character of a solid wheel.
prefer to make the whole wheel of wrought iron, but the whole hub or the
portion B may be made of cast iron if desired.
Having now described this Invention of "Improvements in Ordnance and
Fire-arms" as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the
Invention secured by mo by Letters Patent as aforesaid the mode herein
set forth. of constructing ordnance and fire-arms.
I also claim the mode set forth of hanging or suspending the gun and
providing for the adjustment of the piece of ordnance by means of a screw and
nut in combination with a frame as set forth.
I further claim the mode herein set forth of constructing the wheels of gun
carriages.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFatt,
66, Chancery Lanc.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)