IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Brown Roden, of Usk, in the County of
Monmouth, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 28th April 1868, and dated the 1st November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Brown Roden
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st November 1867..
I, RICHARD BROWN RODEN; of Usk, in the County of Monmouth, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms using self-ignition
cartridges, and consists of a combination of parts constituting an improved
mode of construction by which increased safety and security against accidents..
is attained; and whereby, also a more efficient and ready mode of ejecting the
expended cartridge cases than has hitherto been employed is provided...
The first part of these, improvements relates; to a new mode or method of
arranging a locking bolt for securing the breech block or closer from being...
blown open by a faulty cartridge, which locking bolt is operated; in conjunction 1
with the piston for discharging the cartridge, whether, such discharging: piston
is acted upon directly by the dog or hammer; of the fire-arm, or whether an
additional percussing or transmitting piston. be employed for the purpose of

page_text: operating both the locking bolt and discharging piston. Such improve
ments are applicable to all systems in which the recoil of the explosion is
received upon a breech block or closer, and by it transmitted to a solid recoi
bearing surface of the fire-arm, whether such breech block or closer be
hinged at the side or in a line parallel to or in the direction of the axis of the
barrel, or at right angles to the same or thereabouts, or is free to slide in an
upward or other direction so as to close the breech end of the barrel or
chamber for the reception of the cartridge.
In applying this portion of the present Invention to systems of breech-
loading fire-arms having a hinged breech block or closer, as the "Snider"
system, it is preferred to dispense with the present oblique discharging piston,
and to use a piston to receive and transmit the blow from the dog or hammer
to the locking bolt and discharging piston, which two latter in these improve-
ments are preferably horizontal. From the rear side of the breech block and
concentric with the bore of the barrel a hole or chamber is drilled or formed
coinciding in size with the larger diameter of the locking bolt intended to be
employed, to within a short distance of the front face of the breech block; the
hole is continued through the remaining portion of the block, but of a
reduced diameter for the forward end of the discharging piston. On the
"lock" side of the block and in a line with the fall of the hammer a hole is
drilled or formed to receive the percussing or transmitting piston, which
piston may be held in position by a nipple or screw cap or set screw, or
otherwise, and either with or without a spiral or other spring to assist its
return motion. The discharging piston has its forward part arranged to
percuss and ignite the cap or igniting medium of the cartridge, and its rear
position to receive the blow of the oblique. transmitting piston, and the
locking bolt in its head or larger diameter corresponds with the hole or
chamber in the block, and has a shaft of reduced diameter which passes
through the headless screw or other means of retaining them in position.
The pistons and locking bolt may be of any convenient form, and have each
a spiral or other spring to return. them into position when the hammer is
withdrawn from the transmitting piston. The heads of the discharging
piston and locking bolt are so arranged that the latter is first operated by the
action of the hammer through the transmitting piston, and is thus driven into
a hole prepared for its reception in the recoil surface of the fire-arm, thus
locking or securing the breech block firmly in position before the, discharge of
the cartridge is effected; the transmitting piston being then free to act upon
the discharging piston, while in the act of so doing it retains the locking bolt
protruded from the rear face of the breech block, and so maintains it until

page_text: the discharge has taken place, the hammer been removed from the trans-
mitting piston, and the discharging piston returned entirely into its original
position. The additioual transmitting piston may be dispensed with, and the
locking bolt operated by a discharging piston, oblique or otherwise, either for
central-fire or rim-ignition cartridges; this discharging piston with the breech
block and holes or chambers in it being in such case modified to suit the.
altered requirements, or the herein-before described means of locking and
securing the breech block in position during the discharge of the cartridge.
may be varied in any way that may be necessary to suit the form of
breech block or closer with. which this improved system of locking bolt may
be employed. In systems using a latching arrangement the position of the
latter must, if required, be varied to admit of the introduction of these
improvements.
The second part of these improvements relates to a new mode or method of
arranging the chamber of the fire-arm into which the breech block closes in
all systems in which the expended cartridge case is withdrawn from the
chamber of the arm after explosion by an extractor operated in a line with or
at right angles to the axis of the barrel, and by which a more ready means is
attained of ejecting the expended cartridge case from the fire-arm after its
withdrawal from the cartridge or charge chamber.
In applying the second part of these improvements the usual form of the
chamber of the fire-arm into which the breech block closes is varied, whether
such chamber be formed in the portion of the breech action or apparatus
usually called the "shoe," or whether it be formed in the barrel itself. In
place of retaining the walls or sides of this chamber of an equal height or
thereabouts, as in the "Snider" and other systems in which the extractor is
operated by or in connection with the breech block, the side of the chamber
opposite to that on which the extractor operates or is operated is lowered, cut
away, or formed to such a height only as may be necessary to guide the
cartridge head parallel during the process of extraction, and to avoid the
extractor slipping over it, and thus releasing it from its grasp, whilst it is
otherwise so arranged as to offer the least possible opposition to the expended
cartridge case being readily ejected, which it will be on being smartly
retracted from the cartridge chamber by the head coming in contact with a
stud or projection placed or formed in a suitable position near the rear end of
the breech block chamber on the same side as the extractor. On striking the
stud its backward motion will be suddenly checked and the expended case will
thereupon tilt over the reduced or lowered side and fall from the fire-arm
without entailing the necessity of its removal by the hand, or the fire-arm

page_text: being turned over for the purpose. The breech block is also modified in its
configuration to suit the altered requirements, as also is the stock which may
or may not be cut away for the purpose as may be required.
The third part of these improvements, relates to a combination of parts
forming a new mode or method of latching the breech block in the chamber of
the fire-arm.
In applying the third part, of these improvements to systems of breech-
doading fire-arms having a hinged breech block or closer, as the "Snider," it
is preferred to dispense with the present latching stud, and in lieu thereof to
form an ear or projection on the barrel or shoe, or band of the shoe, on the
side opposite to that on which the breech block is hinged, and in front of the
opening or breech block chamber. In this ear or projection a hole or
chamber is drilled or formed to receive a latching stud passing through a
headless screw which retains it in position together with a spiral or other
spring, by which its return motion is operated, and its forward end driven into
a hole for its reception in the breech block on the latter being closed down
into its chamber.
The herein-before described mode of retaining the latching stud in the ear
or projection may be varied without departing from the essential features of
this part of these improvements, as also the position of the same, and the
latching stud may in some instances be placed in the breech block itself, and
latch or close into the barrel or shoe, or band of the shoe, or ear, or projection.
formed in either for that purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Brown Roden in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
BROWN RODEN, of Usk, in the County of Monmouth, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date. the First 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 Richard Brown Roden, Her special licence that I, the said Richard.
Brown Roden, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or. such others as I;:
the said Richard. Brown. Roden, my executors, administrators; and assigns,.

page_text: 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Richard Brown Roden, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Richard Brown Roden, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 annexed Drawings, and to the figures.
and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the construction of breech-loading fire-arms™
using self-ignition cartridges, and consists of a combination of parts constituting.
an improved mode of construction, whereby increased safety and security
against accidents, and also a more efficient and ready mode of ejecting the
expended cartridge case are attained, as herein-after described.
The first part of my said improvements relates to a new mode or method of
arranging a locking bolt for securing the breech-block or closer from being
blown open by a faulty cartridge, which locking bolt is operated in conjunction
with the piston for discharging the cartridge, whether such discharging piston
is acted upon directly by the dog or hammer of the fire-arm, or whether an
additional percussing or transmitting piston be employed for the purpose of
operating both the locking bolt and discharging piston. Such improvements
are applicable to all systems in which the recoil of the explosion is received
upon a breech block or closer, and by-it transmitted-to-a-solid recoil-bearing
surface of the fire-arm, whether such breech block or closer be hinged at the
side or in a line parallel to or in the direction of the axis of the barrel, or at
right angles to the same or thereabouts, or is free to slide in an upward or
other direction, so as to close the breech end of the barrel or chamber for the
reception of the cartridge.
. The second part of my said improvements relates to a new mode or method
of arranging the chamber of the fire-arm into which the breech block closes,
in all systems in which the expended cartridge case is withdrawn from the

page_text: chamber of the fire-arm after explosion by an extractor operated in a line
with or at right angles to the axis of the barrel, by which improvements a
more ready means is attained of ejecting the expended cartridge case from the
fire-arm after its withdrawal from the cartridge or charge chamber.
The third part of my said improvements relates to a combination of parts
forming a new mode or method of latching the breech block in position in the
chamber of the fire-arm at other times than during the discharge of the
cartridge, or when the locking bolt is in operation..
In applying the first part of my said improvements to systems of breech-
loading, in which a hinged breech block or closer, with rear and forward faces
vertical, as in the "Snider" system are employed, I prefer to dispense with
the present obliquè discharging piston, and to use a piston to receive and
transmit the blow from the dog or hammer to the locking bolt and discharging
piston, which two latter in these improvements are preferably horizontal and
concentric with the bore of the barrel. From the rear side of the breech
block I drill or form holes or chambers of suitable forms and dimensions for
the reception of the locking bolt and discharging piston intended to be em-
ployed to within a short distance of the front face of the breech block, a hole
being continued through the remaining portion of the breech block, but of a
reduced diameter suitable for the forward end of the discharging piston. On
the lock side of the breech block, and in a line with the fall of the hammer, a
hole or chamber is drilled or formed to receive the percussing or transmitting
piston, which piston may be of steel and of any convenient form, and be held
in position by a nipple, a screw cap, or set screw, or otherwise, and either
with or without a spiral or other spring to assist its return motion. The
locking bolt and discharging piston may be of steel and of any convenient
form, with heads of a diameter adapted to the chamber in which they are to
be employed, the locking bolt having a shaft of somewhat reduced size to
receive the spring for operating its return motion, and the discharging piston
in addition to the shaft for receiving the spring has its forward portion of
reduced diameter and arranged to percuss and ignite the fulminate of the cap
or igniting medium of the cartridge, the shoulder formed by the difference in
diameter of the shaft and forward portion acting as a stop against the end of
the chamber to limit the extent of travel of the piston. The discharging piston.
with its spring is first placed in the breech block, its reduced diameter working
in and through the front face of the block; the locking bolt is then placed
with its head or larger diameter towards the head of the discharging piston,
the spring. being upon the shaft, and the whole are retained in position in the
block by a headless screw through which the shaft of the locking bolt works,

page_text: The relative positions of these pistons and locking bolt will be readily under-
stood on reference to the Drawings hereunto annexed..
I prefer to form the heads of the percussing and discharging pistons and
locking bolt of a somewhat conical form, and so arranged that on the per-
cussing piston being driven forward by the blow of the dog or hammer its
conical head acting upon the conical head of the locking bolt causes the latter
to recede into the chamber, in doing which the shaft or reduced diameter of
the bolt is forced outwards beyond the surface of the breech block, and into a
hole or chamber prepared for its reception in the recoil surface of the shoe or
breech plug, thus locking down and securing the breech block firmly in position
before the discharge of the cartridge is effected; the transmitting piston
retains the locking bolt thus firmly in position, while by its continued. motion
forward it operates the discharging piston, and thereby ignites and explodes
the powder charge of the cartridge. After discharge, and on the hammer
being removed from the transmitting piston, the return motion of the pistons
and locking bolt is effected by the springs, the discharging piston being first
returned to its original position before the locking bolt is released and
withdrawn into the block.
By the adoption of these improvements, the discharge of the fire-arm cannot
be effected until not only are all the parts in their proper positions, but the
breech block securely and efficiently locked in position, and all risk of accidents
from the bursting of a cartridge on explosion entirely avoided, thus rendering
a breech-loading fire-arm with these improvements equally as safe as a
muzzle-loader. The additional transmitting piston may be dispensed with,
and the locking bolt operated by a discharging piston, oblique or otherwise,
either for central-fire or rim-ignition cartridges; this oblique discharging
piston with the breech block and holes, or chambers in it being in such case
modified to suit the altered requirements, or the herein-before described means
of locking and securing the breech block in position during the discharge of
the cartridge may be varied in any way that may be necessary or to suit the
form of the breech block with which this improved system of locking bolt may-
be employed. It is not essential that the hole or chamber for the reception
of the discharging piston and locking bolt should be drilled or formed from the
rear side of the breech block, as I sometimes drill or form the same from and
use the headless screw in the front face of the breech block, nor is it important
that the chambers for the locking bolt and discharging piston should be con-
centric with each other, or with the bore of the barrel, as I sometimes form
one eccentric to the other, and alter or vary the same to meet special require-
ments, and I sometimes interpose an intermediate or rocking lever to operate

page_text: -the discharging piston and locking bolt, instead of the direct action of the
transmitting piston. In systems using a latching arrangement the position of
the latter may, if required, be varied to admit of the introduction of these
.improvements.
In applying the second part of these improvements the usual form of the
chamber of the fire-arm into which the breech block closes is varied whether
such chamber be formed in the portion of the breech action or apparatus
usually called the "shoe,". or whether it be formed in the barrel itself. In
place of retaining the walls or sides of this chamber of an equal height, or
thereabouts, as in the "Snidér," or systems in which the extractor operates by
or in connection with the breech_block, the side of the chamber opposite to
that on which the extractor operates or is operated. is lowered, cut away, or
formed to such a height only as may be necessary to guide the cartridge head
parallel during the process of extraction, and to avoid the extractor slipping
over the head or rim, and thus releasing the cartridge from its grasp, while
otherwise being so arranged as to offer, the least possible opposition to the
expended cartridge case being readily ejected, which on being smartly
extracted from the charge chamber it will be by the head or rim coming in
contact with a stud or projection placed or formed in a suitable position near
the rear end of the breech block chamber on the same side as the extractor;
on striking this stud its backward motion will be suddenly checked, the
direction of its motion changed, and the expended case will thereupon tilt
over the reduced or lowered side and fall from the fire-arm without entailing
the necessity of its removal by the hand or the fire-arm being turned over for
the purpose. The breech block is modified in its configuration to suit the
altered requirements, as also the stock, which may or may not be slightly cut
away to more readily effect this object.
The foregoing arrangements may be varied as required to adapt them
to the several systems of breech-loading fire-arms, to which they may be
applied.
In applying the third part of my said improvements to systems of breech.
loading fire-arms having a binged breech block or closer, as the "Snider,"
I prefer to dispense with the present latching stud, which would require to
be modified in position to admit of the introduction of the herein-before
described improvements, and in lieu thereof I form an ear or projection on
the barrel, or shoe, or band of the shoe, on the side opposite to that on which
the breech block is hinged, and in front of the opening or breech block
chamber. In this ear or projection a hole or chamber is drilled or formed to
receive a latching stud passing through a headless screw which retains it in

page_text: position, together with a spiral or other spring, by which its return motion is
operated, and its forward end driven into a hole formed for its reception in
the breech block, and into which it enters on the latter being closed down into
its chamber, the breech block being arranged as may be necessary to meet
the altered requirements.
The foregoing arrangement of the latching stud in the ear or projection
may for convenience be varied, together with the position of the same, and
the latching stud may in some instances be placed in the breech block itself,
and latch or close into the barrel or shoe, or band of the shoe, or into a pro-
jection formed in either of such parts for this purpose.
I will now proceed to refer to the annexed Drawings, from which the
nature of my said Invention will be more clearly understood. In these
Drawings similar letters of reference apply to like parts in all the Figures.
A is the stock, a¹ is the portion of the stock lowered for the more ready
ejection of the expended cartridge case; B is the barrel; 6', the charge
chamber; C, the breech block or closer; c³, the thumb-piece; c, the hinge lump;
c³, the nipple lump; c, the lump or projection to receive the projecting end of
the latching stud to retain the breech block in position; D, the discharging
piston; d, the oblique discharging piston; d³, the head; d³, the shaft ; d', the
spring to operate the return motion of the discharging piston; ds, the chamber
or hole in which the discharging piston works; E is the locking bolt; 'e',
the head; e, the shaft; e, the spring to operate its return motion; e, the
headless screw; e, the chamber or hole in which it works; F is the percussing
or transmitting piston; f¹, the head; f, the shaft; f³, the nipple; f, the screw
cap; f5, the set screw; f, the hole or chamber in which this piston works; f",
the rocking lever; fs, the rocking lever pin; G is the dog or hammer; H, the
extractor; h¹, the extractor tube; h², the guide to the extractor tube; h³, thumb-
piece to extractor; J is the breech tang; j¹, the hole in the recoil surface of
the breech tang to receive the locking bolt; j, the breech nail; K is the
trigger guard; k¹, the trigger; L, the lock plate; M, the sight; N, the latching
stud; n', the headless screw; ², the spring which operates its return motion;
P is the stationary pin or bar; p³, the set screw; p², the spiral spring for
operating the return motion of the breech block; p³, the covering to this spring;
S is the shoe; s', the screw for attaching the barrel; s2, the chamber into which
the breech block closes; s³, ears for the stationary bar or pin to which the
breech block is hinged; s, the latching stud, lump or projection; s, the side
wall of the chamber for the breech block on which the extractor slides; so, the
side of the breech block chamber of shoe lowered for ejecting the cartridge
case; s, the stud or stop against which the head or rim of the cartridge case

page_text: strikes on its withdrawal from the charge chamber; T is the cartridge case;
t, the rim or shoulder of the head of the cartridge.
In Sheet 1 of the annexed Drawings the seven Figures illustrate on an
actual scale one mode of applying these my improvements to the "Snider"
system of breech-loading of the calibre of the Enfield rifle, but the several
parts may be varied as required to adapt these improvements to fire-arms of
any other calibre.
In Sheet 1; Figure 1 is a side view of the right or lock side of the arm;
Figure 2 is a top view; Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section; Figure 4
is a side view of the left side of the arm, and Figure 5 is a transverse vertical
section on the lines W, X, looking towards the butt end of the gun,. .all
shewing the breech block closed into its chamber in the shoe, and the several
parts in a state of rest, the hammer being at the half-cock; Figure 6 is a
transverse vertical section on the line Y, Z, looking towards the muzzle of
the arm, the breech block being raised from the chamber of the shoe, and
Figure 7 is a longitudinal vertical section shewing the several parts as they
would appear after or upon the discharge of the cartridge, the breech block
being in this case secured in position by the locking bolt.
In the mode employed in these illustrations I use both the locking bolt and
discharging piston concentric with the bore of the barrel, and drill or other-
wise form holes or chambers in the breech -block of suitable sizes and forms
for the reception of the locking bolt and discharging piston, with, the springs
for operating their return motion. These springs may be of any convenient
form, and either of wire, spiral or helical; or of flat or sheet metal; a small
hole only being made through the front face of the breech block for the forward
or striking portion of the discharging piston to percuss and ignite the igniting
medium of the cartridge; and this locking bolt and piston are held in position
in the breech block by the headless screw, through which the shaft of the
locking bolt passes. The percussing or transmitting [iston is held in position
in the hole or chamber formed for it in the breech block by a nipple screwed
into the nipple lump. The heads of the percussing piston, the locking bolt,
and the discharging piston are conical in form, and on the percussing piston
being driven forward by the blow of the dog or hammer, its conical head,
acting upon the conical head of the locking bolt, gives the locking bolt a back-
ward motion, by which, the shaft is protruded beyond the rear face of the
breech block into the hole prepared, for it in the breech tang, while the trans-
mitting piston retains the locking bolt in this position during its continuous
motion, and on reaching the head of the discharging piston drives this
piston forward, and by percussing the ignition medium of the cartridge explodes

page_text: the powder charge. On raising the hammer the spring of the discharging
piston returns this piston into. position together with the transmitting piston,
until the latter is relieved from the locking bolt, when its spring also returns
it into position, all parts being thus ready for again discharging the arm on
its being reloaded.
Figures 3 and 7 of the Drawings clearly shew the portion of my Invention
as above described.
My said improvements further consist in forming one side of the chamber
of the shoe into which the breech block closes lower than the opposite side or
that on which the extractor is operated, and this lowered side is now formed
of such a height only as is rendered necessary to guide the head or rim of the
cartridge case parallel, and to retain it in the grasp of the extractor during its
withdrawal from the charge chamber. This portion of my said improvements
is for convenience more fully described and illustrated in Figures 15, 16, and
17, Sheet 2. The modified form of shoe and breech block are clearly shewn
in the several Drawings of Sheet 1, as are also by Figures 4, 5, and 6, the
altered requirements or construction of the stock.
My said improvements also further consist in operating the latching stud at
the forward face of the breech block instead of the rear face or through the
recoil surface of the shoe or barrel. For this purpose I form a projection on
the shoe immediately in front of the opening for the breech block. The
position of this projection is shewn in Figures 2, 4, and 6, as is also the
projection formed on the breech block, and into which the protruding end of
the latching stud closes. The car or projection on the shoe has a hole or
chamber formed in it of size and form suited to the reception of the latching
stud and the spiral, or other spring by which it is operated, and the forward
end of this chamber is closed by a headless screw, through which the head of
the latching stud protrudes..
..:
Figures 8, 9, and 10, Sheet 2, shew modifications of the herein described
arrangements of operating the locking bolt. I accomplish this in: some
instances as by Figure 8, which is a longitudinal vertical section through the
breech block and shoe, by means of an oblique discharging piston, and for
convenience sake I place the locking bolt eccentric to the bore of the barrel,
the discharging piston with its spring being retained in the chamber of the
breech block by a nipple.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal vertical section through the breech block and
shoe, shewing the locking bolt horizontal but eccentric to the bore of the
barrel, the discharging piston being also horizontal but concentric; both are

page_text: operated by a transmitting piston, which is slightly modified in form from that
already described to suit the altered requirement.
Figure 10 shews in longitudinal vertical section of breech block and shoe
the locking bolt and discharging piston, both horizontal and concentric with
the bore, and both are operated by the transmitting piston through a rocking
lever working on a pin or pivot passing partially or entirely through the breech
block, the percussing piston being retained in the chamber of the breech block
by a screw cap.
The application of these my improvements to a breech block hinged at the
top of the shoe instead of at the side as herein-before described is shewn in
longitudinal vertical section by Figure 11, in side view of the right or lock
side of the fire-arm by Figure 12, in top view by Figure 13, and by Figure 14
in transverse vertical section looking towards the butt end of the fire-arm and
recoil surface of the shoe. A horizontal discharging piston which with the
locking bolt is concentric to the bore of the barrel is shewn operated by an
oblique discharging piston the shaft having an enlarged head which is milled
on its outer edge; this piston is retained in position by the lifting or thumb.
piece which is screwed into the nipple lump and answers the purpose of a set
screw. The latching stud is shewn operated through the rear end of the
shoe, its return, motion being effected by an upright spring. Two ears or
projections are formed upon the shoe to receive a bar or pin which may be
screwed to the same or otherwise maintained in position, and upon this bar
the extractor, now modified in form to suit the altered requirements, and
operated independently of the breech block by means of a thumb-piece, which
may be solid therewith or screwed or otherwise attached thereto, is free to
slide, being guided upon and by the side wall of the shoe. After discharge
the pistons and locking bolt are returned into position (on the hammer being
raised from the transmitting piston), and the breech block is now free to be
raised and thrown over towards the muzzle of the barrel. By sharply drawing
back the extractor the expended cartridge case is withdrawn from the charge
chamber, and on the head or rim coming in contact with the stud or stop the
cartridge case is tilted over the lowered side of the shoe and ejected clear of
the arm.
The extractor may be returned into position by the hand, or on
being released its return motion may be effected by a spiral or other spring
(covered or otherwise) working upon the stationary bar, the holes or cham-
bers in the breech block being modified in each case to meet the altered
requirements.
The manner and method of ejecting the expended cartridge case is shewn

page_text: on Sheet 2 by Figure 15, which is a top view of the shoe with part of the
barrel, the breech block being omitted; by Figure 16 in longitudinal ver-
tical section of the same parts; and in Figure 17 by a left-hand side view,
the breech block raised from its chamber, and all parts in actual position.
After discharge on raising the hammer the breech block is released, as before
described; on being lifted from its chamber and smartly drawn backwards
operates the extractor, which is maintained in a parallel position by the guide
upon the fixed bar. The expended cartridge case is thus withdrawn from the
charge chamber, and on the head or rim coming into contact with the stud or
stop placed in the shoe for that purpose, receives a sudden check which
changes the direction of its motion, whereby the mouth of the case is tilted
over the reduced or lowered side of the shoe, and the velocity imparted in the
act of extraction is sufficient to cause the case to fall clear of the fire-arm, as
will be readily understood by reference to the Drawings.
.
I sometimes vary the herein-before described arrangements. as to the
covering of the spring by which the return motion of the breech block with
extractor is effected after the withdrawal of the expended cartridge case from
the charge chamber, and in place of any separate and independent covering
I modify the form of the shoe or barrel and breech block for this purpose, as
shewn by Sheet 3, in which Figure 18 is a side view of the right or lock side
of the fire-arm; Figure 19 is a top view; Figure 20 a vertical transverse
section looking towards the butt end of the fire-arm; and Figure 21. a vertical
transverse section looking towards the muzzle, the breech block in this figure
being raised from its chamber. In this arrangement I form the ear or pro-
jection at the rear end of the shoe which receives the fixed bar of a somewhat
increased length, and drill or chamber it out for a portion of its length to
receive the spiral or other spring used for operating the return motion of the
breech block, its extreme rear end retaining the fixed bar as heretofore. The
upper portion of the hinge lump of the breech block is continued to such a
distance as may be required to slightly overlap the ear of the shoe which it is
formed to pass over and partially surround so as not to impede the free motion
of the breech block on the extraction of the cartridge case until the hinge of
the breech block or the extractor guide reaches it, when the latter is suddenly
checked, and the cartridge head thereby becoming free from the grasp of the
extractor the cartridge continues the motion imparted by its withdrawal from
the charge chamber until it reaches the stud or stop in the shoe and is ejected
as previously described.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention.

page_text: and the manner in which it is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion
that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein-before described and
illustrated in the annexed Drawings, as the same may be varied without
departing from the essential features of my said Invention, neither do I claim
the whole of the parts when taken separately and. independently of each
other; but what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as con-
stituting the Invention secured to me by the said herein before in part recited
Letters Patent are,―
First. The combinations for operating a safety or locking bolt contained in
the breech block or closer either in conjunction with the discharging piston or
otherwise, and having its motion produced from or by the blow of the hammer,
but at the same time being independent of and not in any way attached to
the hammer or to the lock, or to the mechanism of the lock, substantially as
herein-before described and set forth.
1. Secondly. The arrangements, substantially as herein described, for ejecting
the expended cartridge case from the chamber of the fire-arm into which it
has been withdrawn after explosion by an extractor operated in a line with or
at right angles to the axis of the barrel.
Thirdly. Placing the latching stud in front of the chamber or opening in
the barrel or shoe into which the breech block closes, substantially in the
manner described.
And, fourthly. The arrangements and combinations of parts and mechanism
herein-before described as and for the purposes aforesaid or any mere modi-
fications thereof.
In witness whereof I, the said Richard Brown Roden, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
E. P. H. VAUGHAN;
Patent Agent,
-54, Chancery Lane.
R. B. RODEN. (L.S.)