IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Adams, of Forest Hill, in the County of
Surrey, Gun Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 8th May 1868, and dated the 13th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Adams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th November 1867.
I, ROBERT ADAMS, of Forest Hill, in the County of Surrey, Gun Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The first part of this Invention relates to improved arrangements of
mechanism for extracting or withdrawing exploded cartridge cases from
breech-loading fire-arms, having hinged breech blocks for closing the breech
end of the barrel, the act of opening the breech being the means by which
the extractor is actuated to withdraw the cartridge case out of the breech
end of the barrel. For this purpose according to the arrangement of
mechanism which I prefer to employ in carrying out this part of my improve-
ments I mount the finger of the extractor (which acts upon the rim of
the cartridge case to withdraw it from the barrel) upon a slide mounted so
as to move to and fro in a groove formed in the breech piece in a parallel

page_text: line or nearly so with the barrel.
carries the extractor there is a
acted upon by an incline or curved cam surface formed on the breech block
when it is opened, so as to move the slide and extractor outwards from the
breech end of the barrel. When the breech block is closed the slide
carrying the extractor is moved back to its former position by means of a
spring or otherwise.
Upon the upper surface of the slide which
projection or antifriction roller which is
The second part of my improvements consists in forming the striker so
that it may act in a direct line upon the cap or instrument for exploding a
central-fire cartridge. For this purpose I form the striker carried by the
breech block in two parts, the part which acts on the cartridge to explode it
being arranged in a direct line with the centre or part where the cap or
explosive material is situated, and the striker is constantly pressed away from
the cartridge by means of a spring as is well understood. The other part of
the striker is mounted in an oblique direction in the breech block, so as to
present its outer end to the action of the cock or hammer. The lower or
inner end of this part of the striker is formed with an incline which comes in
contact with the end of the horizontal pin previously described, so that when
the hammer falls the incline on the end of the oblique pin forces out the
horizontal striking pin in a direct line in place of obliquely as heretof. re
in this description of fire-arins.
The third part of my improvements consists in mounting a moveable guide to
conduct the cartridge into the breech end of the barrel over the groove in the
breech piece formed to receive the breech block when closed. Heretofore the
guide or bridge across the breech block groove has been fixed or solid, and a
recess has been formed in the breech block for the guide to enter when the
breech block was closed, and this part of my improvements consists in mount-
ing the guide or bridge piece upon or causing it to be acted upon by a spring,
so as to raise it to a level with the upper surface of the groove when the
breech is opened, the bridge piece being forced down to the bottom of the
groove by the breech block when the breech is closed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
ADAMS, of Forest Hill, in the County of Surrey, Gun Maker, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of November, 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 Robert Adams, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Adams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Robert Adams, 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
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Robert Adams, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 I, the said Robert Adams, 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
thereof, that is to say:-
The first part of this Invention relates to improved arrangements of the
mechanism for extracting or withdrawing exploded cartridge cases from
breech-loading fire-arms having hinged breech blocks for closing the breech
end of the barrel.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a plan and Figures 2 and 8 are parts of side views of a
breech-loading rifle having my improvements applied thereto.
a is the extractor mounted upon a slide which is arranged so as to slide
to and fro in a groove a* formed in the breech piece in a parallel line with
the barrel. The point of the extractor a passes into a recess formed in the
end of the barrel in order when moved outwards to act on the rim of the
cartridge case to withdraw it from the barrel, as is well understood. Upon
the upper surface of the extractor slide a there is a projection or antifriction

page_text: roller a which is acted upon by the incline 6' formed on the breech block b
when it is opened so as to move the slide and extractor a outwards from the
breech end of the barrel. When the breech block b is closed the extractor a
is moved back to its former position by the spiral spring a (arranged to act
upon the projection as on the under side of the extractor), as shown at
Figure 4 of the Drawing, or by other suitable mechanism.
I will now describe the second part of my improvements, which consist in
so forming the striker for exploding a central-fire cartridge that it may act
in a direct line upon the cap or instrument which explodes the cartridge.
For this purpose the striker c carried by the breech block 6 is formed in two
parts, as shown at Figure 5 of the Drawing, the part c¹ which acts on the
cartridge to explode it being arranged in a direct horizontal line with the
centre or part where the percussion cap or explosive material is situated.
The other part c is mounted in an oblique direction in the breech block so as
to present its outer end to the action of the cock or hammer d. The ends
of the parts c and c where they come in contact within the breech block are
of conical form, the conical surface of the end of the part c (when struck by
the hammer) acting on the conical end of the part c¹ to force it outwards in
a direct line with the cartridge so as to ensure its explosion, the parts of the
striker being returned to their normal position by means of the spiral spring c³,
as clearly shown at Figure 5 of the Drawing.
The third part of my improvements consists in mounting a moveable guide
to conduct the cartridge into the breech end of the barrel over the transverse
groove in the breech piece formed to receive the under side of the breech
block b when closed. Heretofore the guide or bridge across the breech block
groove has been fixed or solid, and a recess has been formed on the under
side of the breech block for the guide to enter when the breech block was
closed; and this part of my improvements consists in mounting the guide or
bridge piece upon, or causing it to be acted upon, by a spring e, so as to
raise it to a level with the upper surface of the groove when the breech is
opened, the bridge piece or guide e being forced down to the bottom of the
groove by the breech block 6 when the breech is closed thereby, as will be
readily understood on examining Figure 5 of the Drawing.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is carried into practice, I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the exact details herein described; but what I
claim is,-
First. The improved arrangement of mechanism herein described and shown
in the Drawing for extracting or withdrawing exploded cartridge cases from

page_text: breech-loading fire-arms having hinged breech blocks, the extractor a being
mounted upon a slide moving to and fro in a parallel line, or nearly so, with
the breech end of the barrel.
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangement of parts herein described,
whereby the striking pin c¹ is caused to act in a direct line upon the cartridge
to ensure its explosion.
And, lastly. I claim the improved mode of arranging the guide or bridge
piece e so as to move out of the way of the breech block when closed, as herein
described and shown in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Adams, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight and sixty-eight.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings.
ROBERT ADAMS. (L.S.)