IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Albrecht de Neviers at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th July
1860.
I, ALBRECHT DE NEVIERS, of New Cremorne Road, Chelsen, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in breech-loading fire-arms consists of an
arrangement of parts whereby I am enabled to place a great number of
cartridges in a chamber, which are successively transferred into the breech
chamber, and discharged from the barrel by simply cocking and pulling the
trigger; the rifle or other fire-arm being held in an inclined or vertical
position at the time of half-cocking; thus some fifty or sixty shots may be dis-
charged in a very short space of time. For this purpose I mount a chamber
or tube, by preference; along the top of the barrel,-which tube receives the
number of cartridges all placed with the powder and ball or shot in position,
the same as if in the barrel of the gun and in a continuous line. The movable
breech chamber is mounted on a slide moving transversely to the barrel in an
upward direction (supposing the barrel to be in a horizontal position). It is
raised to its highest position and in line with the cartridges in the supply
chamber when the hammer is moved to half-cock. In placing the gun at full-
cock, the breech chamber is caused to descend to the line of the barrel (having
received the charge while in the highest position and at half-cock), and may
now be fired immediately. Part of the charge tube nearest the breech has a

page_text: jointed piece forming a continuation of the channel, but which partially col-
lapses when the breech chamber is down, so that this collapsing part receives
one cartridge only, when the gun is held in a position to cause them to fall
towards the breech, which cartridge it grips. In "balf-cocking," this collapsing
or contracting piece is raised so as to release the cartridge, but at the same
time, by a horn or lever on the opposite side of its joint, the next cartridge in
succession is held, thus holding up all the cartridges but one, which falls or
slides into the breech chamber. The breech chamber then descends on full-
cocking, & is fired as before explained; a small thumb lever is mounted on
the contracting piece before mentioned, whereby the cartridge may be forced
into the breech chamber; should it stick from any cause, I place a locking
slide to fix the hammer at full or half-cock, to prevent accidental discharge
when not in the act of shooting.
I also use a spring cap to close the channel containing the several charges
or cartridges. If a needle gun is used, I project it through the back of the
charge chamber in the breech, the cock or hammer having a face to fit close
thereto, and thereby prevent as much as possible any escape of gas that may be
emitted at the needle aperture. The nipple and percussion cap or other means of
discharging may be adopted, but in the former case it will be necessary to place
the cap on the nipple at each time of loading as usual; suitable springs and
other appliances are used to assist in effecting the different actions of the parts
herein-before described; and as will be readily understood, this Invention
is applicable to rifles, pistols, and other fire-arms.
Breech-loading fire-arms constructed according to my Invention and as
herein-before described, may also be used for loading single shots by hand at
the breech, instead of making them self-supplying as described, by simply
dispensing with the charge reservoir or chamber and parts connected
therewith.