IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Spence, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by Edward
Maynard, of the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia, and
United States of America.
Sealed the 26th April 1861, and dated the 10th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Spence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th November 1860.
I, WILLIAM SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," (communicated to me from abroad
by Edward Maynard, of the City of Washington, in the District of Columbia,
and United States of America,) to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is to economise the construction of breech-
loading fire-arms, and to facilitate the conversion of muzzle-loading arms into
breech-loading arms. For this purpose the opening in the breech portion of
the barrel is closed by the nipple seat, which is formed so as to fit the said
opening, and is hinged to one side of the opening, so that the aperture can be
freely opened and closed. The external surface of the nipple seat corresponds
with that of the barrel, and its front end solidly closes the mouth of the
loading chamber of the barrel, its other end resting against the solid plug at the

page_text: hinder end of the breech. The breech portion of the barrel is also chambered
to receive a thin sided metallic chamber cup containing the charge, such
chamber cup forming a tight joint by the expansion of its sides at the instant
of firing. This chamber cup has also a thick end of sufficient strength to
admit of its being combined with an arm or handle, or a looped thong or
cord, by which it may be readily withdrawn after the discharge. This chamber
cup is brought into communication with the priming vent of the nipple by the
closing down of the nipple seat. The nipple seat is kept in its closed position
by means of a spring holder, or otherwise. In some cases the nipple seat is
combined with a breech-piece, which latter is screwed to the butt of the
barrel. The nipple seat and its hinge are so formed and arranged as to give
the nipple seat some degree of longitudinal play, whereby it can be readily
opened and closed, and the recoil at the instant of firing will be exerted
against the breech plug without straining the said hinge. An expansible
stopper may be inserted in the loading chamber, by means of which
charge, or a charge in a paper cartridge may be used. This stopper consists
of a nut with a female screw thread on a part of its interior, by which it is
screwed on to a pin projecting from a plug, such pin having a screw thread on
a portion of it, and between the plug and the nut an elastic washer is placed
on the pin. By this arrangement when the discharge takes place, the nut will
be forced back on the smooth portion of the pin, and cause the elastic washer
to spread out in diameter, and form a tight packing for the joint between the
mouth of the loading chamber and the face of the nipple seat. There is a
perforation through the plug and pin for communicating between the nipple
and the chamber containing the charge.
loose
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Spence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SPENCE, of 50, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing -date the Tenth day of November, 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
me, the said William Spence, Her special license that I, the said William

page_text: Spence, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Spence, 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 Bri-
tain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," being a communication from
abroad by Edward Maynard, of the City of Washington, and United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Spence, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-.
ticularly 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 Spence, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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 Breech-loading Fire-arms" is intended
to economize the construction of such fire-arms, and to facilitate the conversion
of muzzle-loading arms into breech-loading arms. For this purpose the
opening in the breech portion of the barrel is closed by the nipple seat, which
is formed so as to fit the said opening, and is hinged to one side of the
opening, so that the aperture can be freely opened and closed. The external
surface of the nipple seat corresponds with that of the barrel, and its front end
solidly closes the mouth of the loading chamber of the barrel, its other end
resting against the solid plug at the hinder end of the breech. The breech
portion of the barrel is also chambered to receive a thin-sided metallic
chamber cup containing the charge, such chamber cup forming a tight joint
by the expansion of its sides at the instant of firing. This chamber cup has
also a thick end of sufficient strength to admit of its being combined with an
arm or handle, or a looped thong or cord, by which it may be readily with-
drawn after the discharge. This chamber cup is brought into communication
with the priming vent of the nipple by the closing down of the nipple-seat.
The nipple seat is kept in its closed position by means of a spring holler, or
otherwise. In some cases the nipple seat is combined with a breech-piece,
which latter is screwed to the butt of the barrel. The nipple seat and its
hinge are so formed and arranged as to give the nipple seat some degree of

page_text: longitudinal play, whereby it can be readily opened and closed, and the recoil
at the instant of firing will be exerted against the breech plug without straining
the said binge. An expansible stopper may be inserted in the loading chamber,
by means of which a loose charge or a charge in paper cartridges may be
used. This stopper consists of a nut with a female screw thread on a part of
its interior, by which it is screwed on to a pin projecting from a plug, such
pin having a screw thread on a portion of it, and between the plug and the
nut an elastic washer is placed on the pin. By this arrangement when the
discharge takes place the nut will be forced back on the smooth portion of the
pin, and cause the elastic washer to spread out in diameter, and form a tight
packing for the joint between the mouth of the loading chamber and the face
of the nipple seat. There is a perforation through the plug and pin for
communicating between the nipple and the chamber containing the charge.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed, by
the aid of the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the parts
above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the principal portions of the improved fire-arm ;
Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a section in the line w, w, of Fig. 2 ;
Fig. 4, a section in the line x, x, of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a section in the line y, y,
of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a side view of the removable metallic chamber cup; and
Fig. 7 is an underneath plan view of the same; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the
breech portion of the barrel, and some of the other parts of a slightly modified
form of the improved fire-arm; and Fig. 9 is a section in the line Z, Z, of
Fig. 8. The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Access is had to the chamber of the improved fire-arm by means of an
oblong aperture in the breech portion of the barrel thereof, which is operied
and closed by means of a hinged nipple seat B, the shape of which is such that
whilst its front end forms a solid support for the bottom of the metallic
chamber cup (which carries the ammunition into the arm), the after portion
of said nipple seat is capable of receiving and holding the nipple 6 in the same
position that it occupies in all muzzle-loading guns, and also of conducting the
priming fire to the small vent in the bottom of the said chamber cup. It will
therefore be perceived that the improved breech-loading fire-arm may be made
to correspond with the "Enfield rifle," or other muzzle-loading fire-arm; and
also that in order to change a muzzle-loading rifle into the improved breech

page_text: loader, all that is required is to carry out the following simple directions,-
viz., first, chamber the breech portion of its barrel for a suitable distance
inwards from its breech pin, and to such a width as will enable it to receive a
thin sided metallic chamber cup, then cut an oblong aperture in the exposed
side of the breech portion of the barrel of the said gun, of such dimensions that
a loaded metallic chamber cup f can be freely passed through the same to its
place within the chamber of the barrel, and then hinge to one side of the said
oblong aperture a nipple seat B, of the form represented in the accompanying
Drawings. The swelling offset a of the nipple seat B enables it to receive and
hold the nipple in the same position that it occupies in all muzzle-loading
guns; so that in changing a muzzle-loading gun into this improved breech-
loader, no change is required to be made in the lock of the gun. The wing c,
which projects to the right from the hinder end of the nipple seat B, enables it
to be more easily thrown into the open and closed positions represented in the
Drawings. With the exception of the offset a and the wing c, the outer
surface of the nipple seat B may be made to correspond with the shape of the
outer surface of the gun barrel; and therefore, in its external appearance, this
improved breech-loader almost exactly corresponds with that of a muzzle-
loading gun. The chamber cup f must be supplied with a thick bottom, so
that the arm g, which projects laterally therefrom, and serves as a handle for
the said cup will possess such a degree of stiffness and strength that the said
chamber cup, can be handled roughly without danger of injury, either to the
cup or its handle. Or, in place of the said rigid arm g, an angular or a curved
perforation may be formed in the edge of the thick bottom of the chamber
cup, for the reception of a flexible cord, thong, or wire k, as shown in Figs. 6
and 7, for the purpose of facilitating the handling of the chamber cup. A
notch must be formed at the right-hand front angle of the oblong aperture in
the breech portion of the barrel for the reception of the handle g of the chamber
cup f, when it is in its place within the chamber of the barrel, so that the front
end of the hinged nipple seat B may be able to pass smoothly behind the
bottom of the chamber cup, and bear evenly and uniformly against it, when
the nipple seat is in its closed position, shown in Figs. 3 and 9. The hinged
nipple seat B may be retained in its closed position by any suitable contrivance,
but a spring friction holder d, such as is represented in the accompanying
Drawings, is preferred. It is, however, to be remarked that the perforation
for the reception of the holder d may be formed within the nipple seat B, and
the cavity for the reception of the oval head of the said holder may be formed
in the face of the breech pin D, should such an arrangement of the said parts
be preferred.
".

page_text: The method of constructing the improved fire-arm, which is represented by
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings, is one by which muzzle-
loading guns can be converted into safe and efficient breech-loaders at a
trifling expense. In some cases, however, it will be preferable to combine the
nipple seat B with a breech-piece E, and then connect the said breech-piece
with the butt of the barrel by forming screws on the connecting parts in the
manner represented in Figs. 8 and 9. of the accompanying Drawings; but
when the breech-piece E is employed in the process of converting muzzle-
loading guns into breech-loaders, the said breech-piece must be of such a shape
that it can be received into the original stock of the gun.
In getting up new arms upon this improved plan, it will sometimes be
preferable to forge a lock plate F on to the right-hand side of the breech-piece
E, and to screw a side plate G to the opposite side of the same, substantially
in the manner represented in Figs. 8 and 9 of the Drawings.
In Fig. 9 of the Drawings, the chamber cup f is represented as being
charged with powder, and with what is generally denominated the "minié
ball, and in Fig. 3 the chamber cup is represented as being charged.
with powder and with an oblong projectile that has a solid butt, a form
of projectile which is greatly preferable to the "minié," for the reason that
with the same force it has a longer range, and it flies with more uniform
accuracy towards its mark. After an empty chamber cup has been secured
within the chamber of the improved fire-arm, it can be loaded from the muzzle
in the ordinary manner of loading muzzle-loading guns. The nipple seat B,
and the hinge that connects it to the barrel of the improved fire-arm are so
proportioned as to allow the nipple seat a slight degree of longitudinal play
within the opening in the barrel that receives the same, and by giving these
proportions to the nipple seat and its hinge, the following desirable results are
obtained: First, the nipple seat can be easily opened and closed; and, secondly,
the recoil of the nipple seat at the instant of firing the arm will be wholly
exerted against the breech pin, and without in the slightest degree straining
its hinge.
The front end of that portion of the nipple seat which shuts down into the
bore of the gun has its angles slightly rounded off, and a curved channel, the
inner periphery of which corresponds with the periphery of the chamber of the
fire-arm, is formed in the front end of the outer portion of the nipple seat, as
represented in Figs. 3, 9, and 10, of the Drawings. By giving the. aforesaid
shape to the front end of the nipple seat, a small channel is formed entirely
around the periphery of the bottom of the chamber cup f, when the nipple sent
is closed upon it, for the purpose of serving as a receptable for the accumulation

page_text: of the dirt that may be produced by repeated discharges of the arm, and which
would otherwise obstruct the movements of the said nipple seat.
Ammunition fixed in paper cartridges or in other cartridges of a similar
character, or loose ammunition, can be used in the improved breech-loading
fire-arm, by inserting an expansible stopper within the chamber of the barrel,
immediately behind the opened hinder end of one of the said cartridges or
immediately behind a charge of loose ammunition.
Figs. 11, 12, and 13 represent an expansible stopper that may be used for
the above-mentioned purpose. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of the stopper ;
Fig. 12, a side view of the main portion (l, m, n,) of the same, detached from
the other parts thereof; and Fig. 13, a detached section of the screw nut o,
which also forms a portion of the said expansible stopper. The screw 'thread
formed within the nut o extends from the inner end thereof only half way
through the perforation in the same, and the remaining portion of the perfora-
tion is somewhat enlarged. The screw threads on the end of the perforated
shank m rise entirely above the smooth surface of the remaining portion of the
said shank, and consequently it will be perceived that when the nut o has been
screwed on to the shank m far enough to carry the threads of the latter
entirely beyond the reach of the screw threads within the former (or to the
position shown by the red lines in Fig. 12), the said nut will have free play
upon the smooth portion of the shank m. The elastic washer p is held tightly
in its position between the head of the stopper and the nut o, when the latter is
in the position shown in Fig. 11. When the arm is fired the nut o will be
forced back against the washer p, and as the head 7 of the stopper is prevented
from yielding by the abutting face of the nipple seat B, it will be obvious that
from the elastic nature of the washer the pressure thereupon at the instant of
firing will increase its diameter, and thereby cause it, for the moment, to pack
tightly the joint between the mouth of the chamber of the barrel and the face
of the nipple seat. And as an additional protection, the periphery of the nut o
may be furnished with a lubricated packing, or the groove in the periphery of
the said nut may be filled with some lubricating substance. The small per-
foration which extends from the face of the head 7 of the stopper to the point of
the shank m conveys the priming fire from the outlet of the vent within the
nipple seat to the powder within the chamber of the arm.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, communicated to
me as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I do hereby
declare that what I claim as of the Invention is,―
First, the closing of the lateral aperture in the breech portion of the barrel
of the arm by means of the hinged nipple seat, when the proportions of the

page_text: said nipple seat, and the lateral opening which receives the same, are such that
a thin sided metallic cup (either .loaded or unloaded) can be readily placed
within the chamber of the barrel, when the nipple seat is in its open position,
and then be securely retained in the said chamber, and at the same time be
brought into connection with the priming vent from the nipple by throwing
the said nipple seat into its closed position, as herein-before described.
Secondly, the use of a thin sided metallic cup for carrying the ammunition
into the said chamber, when the mouth of the chamber is closed by the head
of a hinged block, which forms the nipple seat, as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the formation of the bottom of the thin sided metallic chamber cup
of such thickness and strength that either a laterally projecting arm or a looped
thong or cord may be safely combined therewith, for the purpose. of facilitating
the handling of the said cup, as herein-before described.
And, lastly, the proportioning of the hinges of the said nipple seat, so that
the recoil thereof at the instant of discharging the arm will be wholly exerted
against the breech pin or solid head opposite the hinder end of the said nipple
seat, when the lateral aperture in the breech portion of the barrel of a breech-
loading fire-arm is closed by a hinged nipple seat, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Spence, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of. our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
Geo. B. COULCHER,
50, Chancery Lane,
Law Stationer.
WILLIAM SPENCE. (L.s.)