ROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE BAME
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francois Jules Manceaux
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th July 1869.
I, FRANCOIS JULES MANCEAUX, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE
BAME," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists principally in constructing the
barrel proper, the breech portion, and the tang of the barrel in one piece
of metal.

page_text: The barrel may be bored to any diameter, and rifled or grooved with
six grooves, which divide the circumference into twelve equal parts, and
with a complete twist in about three-fourths of its length. The barrel
is octagonal on its exterior at the breech end, and has a rectangular slot
or side opening for a lump on a hinged lever bolt to drop into to hold
the closing bolt securely in place. The slot is provided with inclined
faces corresponding to the faces of the lever bolt, to facilitate its lodgment
with freedom. The rear end of the lever bolt is hinged or connected
to a pin within a recess formed in the rear end of the closing bolt, which
is free to be turned and drawn to and fro by the lever bolt when it is
drawn back or opened for loading and when it is pushed home for
closing. The lever bolt is held firmly in place either in the opened or
closed position by means of a spring acting against its tail; its rear end
is slotted so as not to interfere with the action of the striker pin which
passes through the slot, but a heel of the lever bolt on opening the
breech is caused to act against the striker pin to set it in position for
the next charge. The extreme rear end of the barrel is formed with an
abutting portion into which a ring screw is placed, and through which
the striker pin passes and by which it is steadied. The outer face of the
abutment is recessed conically for the nose or striking portion of the
hammer to enter and come into contact with the head of the pin.
The hammer is formed with a chequered comb which projects beyond
the side of the arm to facilitate a better purchase or grip of the thumb
in cocking to be obtained. When the arm is cocked the nose of the
hammer rests below the line which the bottom of the closing bolt takes
when drawn back. The front end of the closing bolt is provided with a
socket or ferrule to act as a guide to the striker pin and to receive the
thrust of the explosion. The face of the socket is of the same diameter
as the closing bolt, and works in a recess cut somewhat deeper in the
breech of the barrel than the chamber which receives the charge. The
socket has at its front a circular projection for the rim of the cartridge
base to lie in when the arm is loaded, and a small bolt or slider which
passes through the face; this small bolt is kept in its hole and flush
with the face by the base of the cartridge when the breech is closed, but
as the breech is opened after the charge has been exploded the small
bolt is forced outwards by coming in contact with a screwed pin, and
strikes against a portion of the empty case, forcibly removes it from the
circular projection, and ejects it through the side opening of the breech
automatically. The socket is prevented turning by a pin passing into a

page_text: hole provided for it. This construction of socket is very essential to
making the arm gas-tight, as by the force of the explosion the base of
the cartridge is caused to fill up the recess or chamber formed by the
circular projection as well as the inside of the charge chamber, and the
expansion of the socket by the heat and force of the explosion causes it
to fill out and make that portion secure against escape of gas. The
socket is made of finely tempered steel. The under part of the closing
bolt is furnished with a lug which when the breech is being opened and
closed rides against an incline on the barrel and causes the closing bolt
to move in a circular direction. By this means the lever bolt is moved
slightly to one side and out of the way of the hand of the operator while
loading.
The second part of my Invention consists in constructing cartridges
which are specially adapted for the arm described above. I roll paper,
preferably that known as whitey brown, on to a mandril, a portion of
which is conical. The paper as it is rolled on is pasted all over on one
side, so that cach roll becomes secured to the previous one, and thus I
form a case.
I then put a bullet point foremost into the widest end of
the case, and force it through the other or conical end until the broadest.
part of the bullet is pinched or held firmly thereto. I then place a
conical wad of compressed pasteboard previously saturated with grease
or other lubricant upon the base of the bullet. There is a wire passed
or looped into the wad, and has its ends twisted spirally, which project
beyond the end of the case for the purpose hereafter explained. The
case is then filled with the regulation charge of powder, and its end
drawn together towards one side and tied with a thread or fine twine,
the twisted wire being tied in with it. The ends of the wire are opened
out and bent round or made to assume a circular shape, the extremic
ends being flattened on an anvil and cause to adhere together; they
stand out beyond the end of the cartridge. The paper case thus
prepared is inserted into a metal thimble or base; its length is formed
of two diameters and a conical portion which is between them. The
outer end of the thimble which forms the base is provided with a cup
for holding the percussion cap and anvil or striker block. I place a wad
or ring inside the base, preferably of vulcanized rubber, and upon that
I fit a flat metal ring or washer. The inside of the cup is pierced with
a hole for the passage of the fire from the cap. It is upon the washer
that the bent wire bears when the cartridge is complete. The object of

page_text: the bent ring end of the wire is that it shall at the time of the explosion
carry the rear end of the paper case out of the muzzle, and by scraping
against the inside of the barrel remove the soot, and thus no deposit is
left within the barrel to interfere with the proper loading or discharge of
the next cartridge.
The method of making the metallic thimble is an important feature in
this Invention, and is as follows:-I take a thimble of corresponding
diameter from one end to the other and place a vulcanized rubber disc
and a slightly conical metal washer into its open end. I then pass the
thimble on to a die or matrix formed with a central plug which as the
thimble is pressed in causes the disc and washer to go up to the end of
it. I then cause a hammer head or plunger to descend with sufficient
force as to spread out the base portion of the thimble to the shape of the
die and to compress the disc and washer to the required degree. A hole
is next cut through the base, the disc, and the washer for the cap cup
to be lodged in. The end of the make-up paper case is then coated-
with varnish and introduced into the metallic thimble which secures it
thereto.
Some of the details of my improved arm as first described are
applicable to the arm known as the "Chassepot." In the first place the
socket or ferrule which fits over the breech closer is somewhat of the
same shape and form and serves as a guide for the striker, which passes
through it. The striker is formed of a rod with a blunt end to strike
the base of the cartridge instead of a needle with a sharp point to
penetrate it. The socket or ferrule carries a small bolt or slider as in
the previously described arm and is actuated in the same manner. The
interior of the breech-closer contains three spiral springs kept apart by
washers placed between them. These springs form an important portion
of my improvements in the "Chassepot," as by their combined action
I attain all the force and efficiency of the one spring now generally
employed with less liability of fracture as it is easier to temper a wire of
only a few coils of steel to a great nicety than it is a wire of a large
number of coils.
The cartridge constructed as above described is applicable for the
Chassepot" in its improved form.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Francois
Jules Manceaux in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th August
1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCOIS
JULES MANCEAUX, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Gun Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Francois Jules Manceaux, Her special license.
that I, the said Francois Jules Manceaux, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francois Jules Manceaux,
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 "IMFEGVEMENTS IN
BREECH LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Francois Jules Manceaux, 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 on or before the Sixteenth day of August One thousand
eight hundred and seventy next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francois Jules Manceaux, 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
The first part of my Invention consists principally in constructing the
barrel proper, the breech portion of the barrel, and the tang in one piece
of metal. The barrel may be bored to any diameter and rifled and grooved
with six grooves, which divide the circumference into twelve equal parts

page_text: and with a complete twist in about three-fourths of its length. The
barrel is octagonal on its exterior at the breech end, and has a
rectangular slot or side opening for a lump on a hinged lever bolt to
drop into to hold the closing bolt securely in place. The slot is provided
with inclined faces corresponding to the faces of the lever bolt to
facilitate its lodgement with freedom. The rear end of the lever bolt is
hinged or connected to a pin within a recess formed in the rear end of
the closing bolt, which is free to be turned and drawn to and fro by the
lever bolt when it is drawn back or opened for loading and when it is
pushed home for closing. The lever bolt is held firmly in place either
in the opened or closed position by means of a spring acting against its
tail; its rear end is slotted so as not to interfere with the action of the
striker pin which passes through the slot, but a heel of the lever bolt on
opening the breech is caused to act against the striker pin to set it in
position for the next charge. The extreme rear end of the barrel is
formed with an abutting portion, into which a ring screw is placed, and
through which the striker pin passes, and by which it is steadied. The
outer face of the abutment is recessed conically for the nose or striking
portion of the hammer to enter and come in contact with the head of
the pin. The hammer is formed with a chequered comb which projects
beyond the side of the arm to facilitate a better purchase or grip of the
thumb in cocking to be obtained. When the arm is cocked the nose of
the hammer rests below the line which the bottom of the closing bolt
takes when drawn back. The front end of the closing bolt is provided
with a socket or ferrule to act as a guide to the striker pin and to receive
the thrust of the explosion. The face of the socket is of the same
diameter as the closing bolt, and works in a recess cut somewhat deeper
in the breech of the barrel than the chamber which receives the charge.
The socket has at its front a circular projection for the rim of the cartridge
base to lic in when the arm is loaded, and a small bolt or slider which
passes through the face. This small bolt is kept in its hole and flush
with the face by the base of the cartridge when the breech is closed, but
as the breech is opened after the charge has been exploded the small bolt
is forced outwards by coming in contact with a screwed pin and strikes
against a portion of the empty case, forcibly removes it from the circular
projection, and ejects it through the side opening of the breech
automatically. The socket is prevented from turning by a pin passing
into a hole provided for it. This construction of socket is very essential
to making the arm gas tight, as by the force of the explosion the base of

page_text: circular projection as well as the inside of the charge chamber, and the
expansion of the socket by the heat and force of the explosion causes it
to fill out and make that portion secure against escape of gas. The
socket is made of finely tempered steel. The under part of the closing
bolt is furnished with a lug which when the breach is being opened and
closed rides against an incline on the barrel and causes the closing bolt
to move in a circular direction. By this means the lever bolt is moved
slightly to one side and out of the way of the hand of the operator while
loading.
The second part of my Invention consists in constructing cartridges
which are specially adapted for the arm described above. I roll paper,
preferably that known as whitey brown, on to a mandril, a portion of
which is conical; the paper as it is rolled on is pasted all over on one
side so that each roll becomes secured to the previous one, and thus
I form a case. I then put a bullet point foremost into the widest end
of the case and force it through the other or conical end until the
broadest part of the bullet is pinched or held firmly thereto. I then
place a conical wad of compressed pasteboard previously saturated with
grease or other lubricant upon the base of the bullet. There is a wire
passed or looped into the wad and has its ends twisted spirally, which
project beyond the end of the case for the purpose hereafter explained.
The case is then filled with the regulation charge of powder and its end
drawn together towards one side and tied with a thread or fine twine, the
twisted wire being tied in with it. The ends of the wire are opened out
and bent round or made to assume a circular shape, the extreme ends
being flattened on an anvil and caused to adhere together; they stand
out beyond the end of the cartridge. The paper case thus prepared is
inserted into a metal thimble or base; its length is formed of two
diameters and a conical portion which is between them. The outer end
of the thimble which forms the base is provided with a cup for holding
the percussion cap and anvil or striker block. I place a wad or ring
inside the base, preferably of vulcanized rubber, and upon that I fit a
flat metal ring or washer. The inside of the cup is pierced with a hole
for the passage of the fire from the cap. It is upon the washer that the
bent wire bears when the cartridge is complete. The object of the hent
ring end of the wire is that it shall at the time of the explosion carry
the rear end of the paper case out of the muzzle, and by scraping against

page_text: the inside of the barrel remove the soot, and thus no deposit is left
within the barrel to interfere with the proper loading or discharging of
the next cartridge.
The method of making the metallic thimble is an important feature
in this Invention, and is as follows;-I take a thimble of corresponding
diameter from one end to the other, and place a vulcanized rubber disc
and a slightly conical metal washer into its open end; I then pass the
thimble on to a die or matrix formed with a central plug, which as the
thimble is pressed in causes the disc and washer to go up to the end of
it; I then cause a hammer head or plunger to descend with sufficient
force as to spread out the base portion of the thimble to the shape of the
die, and to compress the disc and washer to the required degree. A hole
is next cut through the base, the disc, and the washer for the cap cup to
be lodged in. The end of the made-up paper case is then coated with
varnish and introduced into the metallic thimble, which secures it
thereto.
Some of the details of my improved arm as first described are
applicable to the arm known as the "Chassepot." In the first place
the socket or ferrule which fits over the breech closer is somewhat of the
same shape and form, and serves as a guide for the striker which passes
through it. The striker is formed of a rod with a blunt end to strike
the base of the cartridge instead of a needle with a sharp point to
penetrate it. The socket or ferrule carries a small bolt or slider as in the
previously described arm, and is actuated in the same manner. The
interior of the breech closer contains three spiral springs kept apart by
washers placed between them; these springs form an important portion
of my improvements in the "Chassepot," as by their combined action
I attain all the force and efficiency of the one spring now generally
employed with less liability of fracture, as it is easier to temper a wire
of only a few coils of steel to a great nicety than it is a wire of a large
number of coils.
The cartridge constructed as above described is applicable for the
"Chassepot" in its improved form.
The first part of this Invention is represented in Sheet 1 of the
accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of
so much of an arm as is necessary to shew the same; Figure 2 a side
view, and Figure 3 a plan of the same arm with the breech closed
and the hammer upon the striker; Figure 4 is a sectional plan with

page_text: A is the stock and B the barrel which is secured to the stock by a
screw a which passes through the tang in the ordinary manner, and by a
lump 6 on the under side of the barrel, taking into a recess provided for
it in the stock; it is also held steady by hands which encircle it and the
stock at different parts as is usual. The breech D is moved to and fro in
the chamber at the rear of the barrel B by the lever bolt C, which can
be raised by hand to obtain a sufficient grip for doing so. The back of
the lever bolt C is centred upon a pin d lodged in the breech closer D in
such a manner that when it is lifted out of its slot it projects above the
top line of the barrel; the under side of the tail is chamfered off and
rests upon a flat spring c, so that its flat sides press upon the spring, and
is thereby retained either in an opened or a closed position. The top of
the closer is slotted to receive the lever, so that when the lever is down
its top is flush and conforms with the shape of the block. The block is
likewise formed with a recess for the tail of the lever to pass into, so that
the pin may hold one to the other in a firm manner and yet. give
sufficient play to the lever. The tail of the lever is also slotted for the
striker e to pass through, the slot being formed of a sufficient depth to
clear the striker stem f in the working. The striker with its stem is
about the same length as the block, and its rear end which passes
through a ring g projects from one face of it, so that it can be struck
and driven forward by the hammer head h when the arm is fired. The
hammer head is rounded and tapered towards its face to admit of it
entering the conical opening i in the extreme rear end of the block.
The hammer is formed with a cone j which projects beyond the side of
the arm, so that it can be drawn back to cock the piece with facility, the
comb being chequered to obtain a firm pull upon it, when the hammer
is drawn back to full-cock the striking portion is brought below the
bottom line of the block, so as not to interfere with the proper working
of the breech mechanism. The fore part of the block is fitted with a
socket, whose stem lodges in the same, as shewn in Figure 1. This
socket is made of finely tempered steel, and the diameter of its front
portion corresponds with the diameter of the block, and exactly fits the
chamber at the rear of the barrel to prevent any escape of gas; it is
made of sufficient thickness to resist the back thrust of the charge, and
forms an abutment for the base of the cartridge to impinge against when

page_text: the arm is loaded.
The face of the socket is recessed at its central parts,
the edge is undercut and slightly inclined (as shown in the detached
sectional view at Figure 5) for the base of the cartridge to take into at
the time of the explosion. This recess is an important feature in my
Invention, as when the base of the cartridge case is forced into it by the
explosion it remains in it while the block is being withdrawn to open the
breech, but as the block is being drawn back a slider bolt m strikes
against a screw pin n, and its action striking suddenly upon one side of
the cartridge base forces it from the recess, and throws it clear of the
block, it passing through an opening at the side of the breech end of the
barrel.
The side opening also serves for a lump on the lever to lodge in,
so that no opening is shewn when the lever is down. The under side of
the block has a projection o on it for working in a curved slot p in the
bottom of the chamber, as seen in Figures 7 and 8, in order that the
block as it is being drawn back may receive a partial rotation to bring
the lever slightly to the side of the arm, and out of the way of the
operator's hand during the insertion of a cartridge. The socket is
prevented getting loose by a pin which is passed into a hole to
receive it.
Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 3, show another form of arm in which some
improvements are made for rendering the "Chassepot" rifle more simple
in its manufacture, and also of greater utility as a military weapon.
The barrel is cut or formed with the usual chambers or spaces at its rear
to allow of the to-and-fro movement of the closing bolt, and for receiving
the block which receives the recoil or back thrust of the explosion. The
extreme rear portion is grooved or chambered in a helical manner to
admit of a pin or stud on the striker stem working in it to prevent the
accidental discharge of the arm unless the breech is completely closed,
when the pin is free to travel a greater distance. The striker pin moves
in a slot in the under side of the block, the length of which determines
its forward movement when the outer end is struck by the hammer.
The handle of the closing bolt is hollow, and is provided with a spring
for keeping a projecting pin outwards, so that it can when the bolt is
closed find a lodgement in a hole in the rear face of the barrel to hold
the bolt in a safe manner. A button which projects through a hole in
the handle serves to release the pin when it is acted upon by the fingers
in the act of opening the breech. The hammer of this arm is placed in the

page_text: centre of the stock and strikes a direct blow upon the striker, when the
trigger is acted upon to release the mainspring; it is held in position
between two cheeks of the trigger plate which is dropped into the stock,
and secured by a screw or screws, as shewn in the Drawings.
The
cheeks also carry the mainspring, the sear, the sear spring, and the
trigger, the whole of which can be removed as one piece for the purposes
of repair, cleaning, or otherwise. Above the cheeks and resting upon the
side walls of the aperture in the stock is a kind of shield for protecting
the lock from the action of wet, the back end of it has a tang through
which a screw passes not only to hold it in place but to bind the
bottom or base plate of the two cheeks and the stock firmly together,
while the front end serves for resting the rear of the barrel upon.
The detached views will clearly shew the various parts in their several
forms and need not be explained, as they are comprehensive to any
practical gun maker.
My improvement in cartridges is represented in Sheet 2 of the
Drawings. This cartridge is specially applicable for use in the arm,
as above described, and with certain modifications or slight alterations
of nearly all arms where the breech bolt is drawn back my cartridge
may be made available. The construction of the cartridge will be easily
understood on referring to the Figures.
Figure 1, Sheet 2, is a sectional view, and Figure 2 an exterior view
of a cartridge in its complete form; Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are views of
parts of the cartridge detached.
I make the paper portion a of the case of what is known as
whitey brown paper," on account of its toughness and its non-liability
to crack and break; this I roll upon a mandril or tool of a tapered form
after pasting it all over on one side, so that all parts of it are brought
into close contact in the rolling. Both ends of the paper case are left
open, and in making up the cartridges I first insert the bullet 6 point
foremost into the case from the back, and then push it forward until its
shoulders touch the paper at its tapered end, whereby it is held secure.
I then insert a wad of the form shown, that is, one with a conical edge,
pushing it down with the smallest face first until it presses upon the
bullet. This wad is made of pasteboard compressed into shape, and is
thoroughly saturated with grease or other lubricant beforehand; it has
a wire c passed through holes in it, which is doubled to bring the two

page_text: ends together when they are twisted or twined one upon the other, so
that they become one. The extreme ends of the wires project beyond the
back end of the paper case, and after the powder is placed in it the back
end is screwed up or drawn together and tied with a thread or cord, the
wire being tied in with it, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5. The projecting
portions of the wire are then separated and made to assume a ring shape,
the ends being brought one upon the other, and flattened on an anvil or
by pressure in any other suitable manner. The back end of the case
thus prepared is inserted into a metallic base or thimble d, the barrel or
body of which reaches about half way up the paper to obtain a sufficient
bearing for it. The metal base or thimble may be of the ordinary
construction, only shorter in length, but I prefer to employ my improved
base, as previously described and as shewn in the Drawings, it is made of
two diameters and a tapered portion, which is between them. I make
the thimble. of a short piece of tubing with one end closed, and I insert
a wad into the open end and place it over a plug e formed in the solid
portion of a press bed plate f until the wad rests upon the plug; I then
cause the press head or plunger g to descend with sufficient power to
compress the wad, and force the metal base into the opening in the top
part of the bed plate, which is of the shape and form the base is intended
to be when the case is finished. A projection on the press head enters
the cavity and compels the base to assume the shape. The wad is
ferably composed of vulcanized rubber, which is prevented reassuming
its original shape, first, by the great pressure it has undergone, and,
secondly, by the grip which the metal has upon it by its tapered portion.
The base of the case and the wad is then pierced with a hole of sufficient
size for the insertion of a perforated metal cup h for holding the
percussion cap or other detonating appliance, the cap being of such a
size that it is held therein securely on simply pushing it in. I place an
anvil or block for the striker to act upon to produce the explosion, as
is usual.
pre-
In some cases I insert a metal disc, either in the thimble before the
wad is placed in it or afterwards, so that it rests upon the wad, or I may
place a washer or disc on each side of the wad, as shewn in Figure 6, in
which case I obtain great strength and rigidity at the base; when the
paper cartridge is inserted into the thimble the ring or circular-shaped
ends of the wire bear upon the wad or upon the disc, as the case may be,

page_text: and when the explosion takes place the whole of the paper residue is
drawn through the barrel of the arm by the ring as the wad is forced
through with the bullet. By this means the bore is thoroughly cleaned
at the time of each discharge.
In some cases the paper case is varnished by dipping or otherwise
to render it impervious to water, to protect thee powder from injury
from damp.
In order to simplify the cartridge and to render its manufacture more
easy and economical I can dispense with the twisted wire, which unites
the wad placed at the base of the bullet to the thread which closes the
cartridge case, the object of which is to give consistency and rigidity to
the cartridge. To obtain the same rigidity I re-cover the conical case
forming the envelope of the cartridge with a second case of the same
form and of double the thickness; after the projectile has been
introduced into the first conical tube or case the greased wad is fitted
upon the base of the bullet by means of a mandril, the second case
is then placed over the first in such a manner as that the tapered
extremity of the projectile may project from both cases; the cartridge
being reversed and then filled with powder is closed by twisting the end
up. The cartridge thus made is introduced into the copper base or
thimble, and cemented or glued thereto.
The cement or glue used is preferably clear gum lac varnish, similar
to that which covers the charge of fulminate in percussion caps; the
employment of this varnish, which is unaffected by damp, prevents the
decomposition resulting from the use of paste and animal glue.
The improvements referred to in the construction of the arm, as first
herein-before described, are particularly applicable to the "Chassepot"
gun, as exemplified in Figures 9, 10, and 11, on Sheet 2 of the Drawings.
The socket on the front end of the breech closer is of the same shape, or
nearly so, as the socket first described. The striker is forced forward
when released by a compound spring formed of three separate pieces
with a washer between them, whereby I attain as much efficiency of a
powerful spring by their combined action as could be obtained by one
spring, and without the liability to fracture under the sudden impulse
which latter gets at the time of firing, as by empering a short
spring of only a few coils great sensitiveness is produced. The compound

page_text: spring is enclosed in the breech block and encircles the stem of the
striker pin; it is set by drawing back the block to a given distance, when
it is held secure by the sear or spring plate fitted in a slot in the bottom
of the barrel in the usual manner.
At Figure 11 I have shown a detached view of the block to show the
bayonet joint-like slot for the pin to work in, to compel the block to
receive a partial rotation while being drawn back by the handle k.
It will be observed in Figure 9 that the obturator or slide bolt is
actuated in a similar manner to throw the empty thimble or cartridge
case out at the side opening in the barrel.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. The construction of the breech parts of fire-arms, in the
manner first herein-before described and represented in Sheets 1, 2,
and 3 of the Drawings annexed.
Secondly. The construction and mode of fitting and working the
levers of breech-loading fire-arms, as herein-before described and shewn.
Thirdly. The construction and employment of a hammer to breech-
loading fire-arms, as herein-before described and shown.
Fourthly. The formation of a recess in the face of the socket with
undercut sides, in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Fifthly. The manufacture and employment of cartridge cases specially
designed for use in breech-loading arms of the constructions before
mentioned and shown.
Sixthly. The construction of metallic bases for cartridge cases, in the
manner herein-before described and shewn in Sheet 2 of the Drawings
annexed.
Seventhly. The employment of a compound spring fitted with washers
for acting on the striker of breech-loading fire-arms, as described and
represented.
And, Eighthly. I claim the modifications of both the arms and the
cartridges, substantially as described and represented in the Drawings.

page_text: No claim is made to the sliding bolt for ejecting the cartridge case
automatically.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francois Jules Manceaux, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July One
thousand eight hundred and seventy.
F. J. MANCEAUX. (L.S.)