IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John
Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication
from abroad by Benoit-Dulin, of 39, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris,
France.
Sealed the 10th July 1868, and dated the 14th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th January 1868.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son,
of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," a
communication to me from abroad by Benoit-Dulin, of 39, Faubourg
St. Martin, Paris, France, to be as follows:-
The accompanying two Sheets of Drawing, forming part of this
Provisional Specification, illustrate the improvements the subject of
this Invention applied to a double-barreled fowling piece. It is com-

page_text: posed of two barrels a, a', and of a carriage or grooved piece (see Fig. 2,
Sheet II.) mounted on a wooden stock b (Sheet I.). The barrels are
provided beneath with a longitudinal slotted support C (Sheet II.)
serving to fit and keep the barrels on their carriage while permitting
them to slide for loading. A tenon d serves to hold the barrels aided by
a spring e placed under the support C and the two steel pieces f, f',
fixed to the grooved carriage by two screws g, g', (see Fig. 2, Sheet II.).
Two notches made in the grooved piece permit the penetration of the
two pieces ff, to fix the barrels on their carriage. The key I permits
the mounting or dismounting of the barrels on to or from their carriage
by causing them to turn on the pivot pin by the simple pressure of the
thumb. The breech-bearing plate is furnished with two catches J, J',
which when the barrels are brought close take into the notches K, K¹,
(see Figs. 2 and 3, Sheet II.). These catches are intended to hold the
bottom and remains of the cartridge cases, which by the pressure of the
cocks on the pins are left exposed when the barrels are moved away
from the hammers. A lever key L oscillating on a pin m serves to lock
the tenon d aided by the spring e; this key is provided at its upper end
with a spring, and another key o or safety key placed beneath the lever
key slides at will between the two pallets P, P', of this latter so as to act
on the spring n (see Sheets I. and II.). An advantage results from the
hollow q', q, made under the cocks, namely, that the pin can no longer
fly under their pressure. This arm is capable of receiving a cartridge
chamber, or more properly a moveable breech (see Fig. 4, Sheet I.), per-
mitting the gun to be charged by the muzzle. A pivoting nipple S fits
on to the false breech for the placing of the caps.
This Invention is based upon the principle of opening and closing the
breech by sliding the barrels to and fro, while preserving their horizontal
position on their carriage by means of the mechanical arrangements
herein set forth.

page_text: Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
year of
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence
that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Gedge, 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, usc, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," a communication to me
from abroad by Benoit-Dulin, of 39, Faubourg St. Martin, Paris, France,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward
Gedge, 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 William Edward Gedge, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing
hereunto annexed and forming part of this Specification, and to the
figures and letters of reference marked thereon:-
The improved fire-arm of this Invention is composed of two barrels a
(Figs. 1 and 2) and of a carriage or grooved piece fixed to a stock b.
The barrels are provided underneath in their middle with a longitudinal
slotted support c serving to fit the barrels on their carriage and to keep
them in the groove while permitting them to slide for breech-loading.
A transverse tenon d of cylindrical form brased under the breeches of the
barrels serves to fix them close to the bearing piece or fulcrum. The
support c is provided underneath with a spring e intended to secure
the sliding of the barrels on their carriage and to keep them horizontal.

page_text: while sliding. The carriage is composed of a grooved piece (Fig. 3)
intended to receive the supports and tenons fitted under the barrels
for the adjustment of these latter on their carriage. The support c is
kept in the groove by means of two steel catches f, f, fixed to the inner
sides of the grooved piece by two screws g, g' (Fig. 3). Two notches
or recesses h formed on each side of the support or slide c permit its
introduction between the two catches f, f; to mount the barrels on their
carriage. A key I fixed to the upper end of the groove piece by means
of a screw pin determines the traverse of the barrels on their carriage,
and also permits their being mounted on or dismounted from their
carriage, the key being made to turn on the pin by a simple pressure of
the thumb and finger. The breech bearing plate or fulcrum is furnished
with two catches J, which when the barrels are brought close lodge
in the notches K made in the interior of the chambers; these catches
are intended to hold after the discharge the bottoms or residue of the
cartridges, which by the pressure of the hammers on the pins or caps
bear on the catches. Now in sliding the barrels on their carriage for
reloading the bottoms or rests of the cartridges remain in the open
space on the groove piece, and it is only necessary to cock the hammers
to get rid of them (Fig. 1). This is already a great advantage over the
"Le Faucheux" gun, hitherto the most improved fire-arm. A lever
key L working on a pin m serves in catching the tenon d by the aid
of the spring C to fix the barrels close to their bearing piece or fulcrum,
and on being lowered, as shewn, Fig. 1, permits the sliding of the barrels
on their carriage, it being only necessary to lower the end of the gun
to effect this purpose and to load by the breech. This lever is furnished
at its upper end with a spring n¹ working under the simple pressure of
thumb and finger to secure the lever to the fire-arm before firing, forcing
the barrels against their bearing piece or fulcrum, and for lowering the
lever after the discharge to effect the sliding of the barrels. A second
key o, termed the safety key, placed under the lever key, slides at will
between the two pallets P, P', of this latter (Fig. 5) in such a way as to
tighten the spring n', and thereby insure the fastening of the lever key
so that it cannot be displaced either by the explosion or by any shock;
this safety key must always be thus slid between the pallets when
loading with ramrod, as herein-after mentioned.
A second advantage of this Invention consists in that the lever key
when closed forces the barrels against the bearing piece or fulcrum,

page_text: and thereby prevents any loss of smoke or gas which would lessen the
force of the discharge.
A third advantage results from the hollows or recesses q, q', formed
under the heads of the hammers, and which are intended to keep the pins
or caps in their position when striking them, whereas when the heads
have an even surface underneath it often happens that at the moment
of firing the pins or caps slide, fly, and sometimes wound.
The Inventor has added to his improved fire-arm a second method of
loading, that is to say, that of loading by the muzzle with ramrod, for
which purpose he substitutes in lieu of the cartridges two false breechies
in steel (Fig. 6) placed in the chambers of the barrels and held against
the bearing piece by two iron pins or gudgeons x (Fig. 5), occupying the
place of the pin or cap of the cartridges. Each of the false breeches
has a hollow touch-hole which enters the bearing piece, and to this
touch-hole corresponds a nipple S fixed by screwing in the axis of each
of the thumb plates T, T. The weight of the whole united is from
5 to 6 lbs.
In this improved fire-arm, which may be loaded by the breeches or
from the muzzles, are combined facility and handiness in loading and
firing, saving of the time generally lost in withdrawing the remains of
the cartridges, safety in handling the fire-arm and when firing, econo-
mical manufacture, and two methods of loading in one apparatus, the
whole without increase in the weight of the arm.
In order that the ramrod may not in any way impede the movement
of the barrels it is made with joints.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.