IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."--A communication from abroad by Theo-
dore Yates, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America, a Major
in the United States Army.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 1st August 1867, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent-for-the-same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been com-
municated to me from. abroad by Theodore Yates, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
United States of America, a Major in the United States Army.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings forming a part
of this Specification :—
The said Invention relates to certain improvements in breech-loading guns,
by which new arms may be constructed or muzzle-loading guns changed to
breech-loaders in a cheap, simple, and efficient manner.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a fire-arm with my improved
breech showing the same closed ready for firing; Figure 2 is a similar view
with the breech open; Figure 3 is a side view of the breech piece detached;
Figures 4 and 5 are a plan and side view of the firing pin; Figures 6 and 7
are a plan and side view of the lower tong and guard or trigger plate
combined; Figures 8 and 9 are a plan and side view of a cartridge retractor.
Like letters indicate the same parts in each of the Figures.
In constructing a gun on my improved plan I make the breech piece C in
the form shown in Figure 3, the front end being tubular, and having an
internal screw thread cut in it so that it may be screwed on to the rear end of
the barrel B, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The rear portion of the said breech
piece is made wedge-shaped, as shown in Figure 3, and its extreme rear end
serves as a tong for securing it to the stock A by the screw h, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2. The interior of this breech piece C is made hollow, a
rectangular opening being formed in the upper side, and extending from the
rear end of the barrel to near the rear end of the said piece to afford a seat
for the breech plug D, as shown in Figure 1. On the under side of the
piece C a similar opening is formed reaching from the rear end of the 'barrel
back ward about 'one-third of the distance toward the rear end, the remaining
portion of the under side of the pièce C being left in 'the forin of a solid wall,
as 'represented by I, Figures 1 and 2. A breech plug D is made of proper
size to work in the openings thus made, and is constructed in the form shown
in Figure 1, its upper portion filling the space in the top of the breech
piece C, and its lower arm D¹ being of proper length to fill the lower 'opening
in the breech 'piècė C, its 'rear end being inade to abut against the front end
of the wall I when the breech is closed. The front end of the plug D has a
vertical flat face of proper size to entirely 'cover 'and 'close the bore of the
barrel when in place. The plug D is 'pivoted at 'it's rear end in a socket

page_text: formed to receive it in the rear portion of the breech piece C, as shown at d..
Figure 1, this joint being arranged on the same horizontal plane as the-
upper wall of the bore, and the point where the arm D₁ abuts against the
wall I being on the horizontal line of the lower surface of the bore, by which
means the strain produced by the recoil is equally divided between the upper
and lower arms of the breech plug. The upper front corner of the plug D is.
bevilled, as shewn in Figure 1, and the front wall of the opening in the top
of the breech piece Ċ is formed with a corresponding overhanging bevel, by
which means the plug is prevented from being pressed or forced, upwards at
the time of explosion, and is thus held securely in place. By means of the
bevel on the plug two other objects are also secured, first, the cartridge, which
frequently fails to be fully inserted is pressed into its place, the inclined
portion of the plug acting on it as a wedge to force it in; and, second, it
prevents the premature discharge of the cartridge, which frequently occurs by
its being struck by the angle or front corner of the plug when suddenly closed
in cases where the plug or block is not thus bevelled.
A firing pin F, constructed as shown in Figures 4 and 5, is placed in the
front portion of the plug D, as shewn in Figure 1; this firing pin consists of
a small stem or pin projecting from the front end of a flat piece, u, a curved
piece o being attached to the side of the latter; the part o works in a recess
made for it in the side of the plug D, as shown in Figure 1, the part u
projecting laterally far enough to bring the pin 7 to the centre, of the plug,
where it protrudes through a small hole made for it, being held back by a
spring e when the hammer is raised or is not resting upon the end of the
part o. This arrangement is intended for firing central-fire cartridges, and in
case it is desired to use rim-fire cartridges then a simple flat bolt or pin may
be inserted in a recess in the side of the plug D, and so arranged as to have
its, front end strike against the rim of the cartridge.
The trigger or guard plate T is constructed in the form shown in Figures 6
and 7, the lower portion being of the usual style to form a support for the
trigger i and the guard L. In addition to this, I construct the said trigger
plate with vertical wails T on each side of such a height as to reach up to
the under side of the barrel when in place. The object of these vertical walls
is to form a support and guide for the sliding retractor E, which is con-
structed as represented in Figures 8 and 9, the side bars or body resting
and sliding on the ledges t which project from the inner surfaces of the
walls T, these latter being shown in plan in Figure 6. The retractor Ẹ has
also a laterally projecting-lip-m-on-each-side-which rests upon the top of the
vertical walls T', and thus supports the retractor E at its rear end, where the

page_text: explosion operates to force it downward by acting on the lip p which fits into a
recess cut for it in the rear end of the barrel as is necessary in order that the
lip p should engage against the front face of the rim of the cartridge to draw
it out after being fired.
To operate the breech plug D and the retractor E, I construct the trigger
guard L in the form shown in Figure 1, and arrange it to operate as a lever,
it being pivoted to the arm D¹ of the breech plug at 6 by means of the pro-
jections f. Near its front end another projection w is formed, as shown in
Figure 1, and through this a pin a projects transversely, which pin engages
in the slots formed in the retractor E, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the
object of the slots k being to permit the guard L to move far enough to draw
down the plug D before it moves the retractor, as the latter cannot move
backward until the plug D is drawn down out of the way, as shewn in Figure 2.
It will be observed that the lever guard L has no fixed journal or bearing
whereon to turn, but that during the first part of its movement in opening
the breech it turns on the pin a, by which it is connected to the retractor E;
this pin serves as its centre of motion until the plug D is drawn down, when
the pin becomes the centre of motion; the front end then recedes and draws
tlie rétractor back, the joint 6 continuing to move a little to permit the
retractor to move in a straight line parallel with the axis of the barrel. The
rear end of the, guard is provided with a spring catch 7 which serves to hold
it in place when the breech is closed, and thus secure the breech against
being accidentally opened. A spring G is secured to the under side of the
wall I of the breech piece C, and bas its rear end bent at a right angle to
protrude up through a hole in the part I, as shown at n, Figure 1. When
the plug D is drawn down it will rest on this point n of the spring G, which
will thus hold it up so that its upper surface will rest flush with the lower wall
of the bore and permit a cartridge to be inserted into the barrel with facility,
the spring G yielding to permit the plug D to be drawn further down when
necessary in order to force the retractor further back.
It is obvious that in making new guns on my improved plan the breech
piece C may be forged solid with or as a part of the barrel, and it is also
obvious that the rear end of old barrels may be swaged into this form, a rod
being inserted in the bore to protect the same from injury. In the alteration
of muzzle-loading to breech-loading guns on this plan, it will be seen that the
original barrel, lock, and stock may be preserved, it being only necessary to
construct the breech devices and attach them to the said barrel and stock,
the latter being cut away sufficiently to permit the parts to be inserted in
place. By these means I am enabled to construct a gun that is exceedingly

page_text: strong and therefore safe, no portion of the barrel being cut away to afford
room for the working parts; it is also very simple, compact, and efficient.
· Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practice, I claim,-
First, the breech piece C constructed and arranged for use in connection
with the barrel of a gun, substantially as shewn and described.
Second, the breech plug D having its front upper corner bevelled and
arranged to operate in combination with the breech piece C, as described.
Third, the trigger plate T'constructed with the vertical walls T¹, and
arranged to serve as a support and guide for the retractor E, substantially as
described.
Fourth, the combination of the lever guard L, breech plug D, and retractor E
when arranged to operate, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE.