IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND PROJECTILES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND PROJECTILES."-A communication from abroad
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th September 1862.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND PROJECTILES," a communication from abroad
by Louis Michel Descoutures, of Paris, in the Empire of France, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in fire-arms, which are
partly applicable to breech-loaders, and partly to muzzle-loaders, whether rifled
or smooth-bored, and also to a peculiar form of bullet suitable for rifled fire-
arms of all kinds.
These improvements consist, firstly, of a novel construction of elevation
sight, applicable to all fire-arms. This is formed of a cross-piece of metal,
having the usual sighting slot or niche made therein, and guided at one end by

page_text: a vertical spindle sliding in a socket, whilst its opposite end is connected
with the milled head of a vertical adjusting screw. By turning this screw the
"sight" may be raised or lowered, and will be permanently retained at any
desired elevation by the action of the screw, consequently there is no liability of
the "sight" becoming displaced when once adjusted by the shock or concussion
arising from the discharge of the piece.
Another improvement consists in the application and use of two inclines
or cam surfaces formed upon the breech piece, such breech piece being
made to open or close the rear end of the charge chamber by turning
laterally upon a stud centre pin below the central axis of the chamber.
The object of the inclines is to force home the cartridge when inserted by
the simple act of turning the breech piece in closing the breech. The
reverse motion, when opening the breech, effects also the partial withdrawal
of the cartridge case from the chamber after the gun has been discharged,
the edge of the case being so formed as to engage between the two inclines
above referred to.
It is important that certain relative proportions be maintained between
the dimensions of the spindle which secures the breech piece, the thickness
of the moveable breech piece, and the relative position of the socket in which
the spindle is fitted. The dimensions of the charge chamber being given,
the diameter of the rod or spindle should exceed that of the chamber.
This spindle should be as close as practicable to the orifice or bore of the
chamber. The thickness of the moveable breech piece should be at least
equal to the distance between the centres of the charge chamber and the
spindle.
The improved projectile consists of a cylindro-conoidal shot or bullet, having
two or more raised rings formed upon its rear end, which rings only take
into the rifle grooves, as the front portion of the bullet is of smaller diameter
than the rings. The first ring is made wider but of less diameter than the
second ring, so that it will penetrate partially only into the grooves, whilst the
ring which follows, being of larger diameter, enters fully therein to the bottom
of the rifle grooves. Behind these rings there is a cylindrical portion of less
diameter than either of the rings, which portion is enclosed in the end of the
cartridge, and is surrounded by a packing of hemp, steeped in tallow or suet,
such packing being contained in an annular groove, and serving to clean out
the barrel at each discharge, the rear end of the bullet being chambered out
so as to expand by the explosion of the charge, and force the packing into the
rifle grooves.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Jonn
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gen-
tleman, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 FIRE-ARMS AND PROJECTILES," a communication from
abroad by Louis Michel Descoutures, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
hand
and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the samo to be filed in the Great
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declaro
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 follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to tho
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to certain improvements in fire-arms, which
improvements are partly applicable to breech-loaders, and partly to muzzle-
loaders, whether rifled or smooth-bored, and also to a peculiar form of bullet
suitable for rifled fire-arms of all kinds.
The improvements in fire-arms consist, firstly, of a novel construction of
elovation sight, applicable to all descriptions of fire-arms. This is formed of

page_text: a cross piece of metal, having the usual sighting slot or nick made therein,
and guided at one end by a vertical spindle sliding in a socket, whilst its
opposite end is connected with the milled head of a vertical adjusting screw.
By turning this screw the "sight" may be raised or lowered, and will be
permanently retained at any desired elevation by the action of the screw,
consequently there is no liability of the "sight" becoming displaced when
once adjusted by the shock or concussion arising from the discharge of the
piece.
Another improvement consists in the application and use of two inclines or
cam surfaces formed upon the breech piece, when such breech piece is made
to open or close the rear end of the charge chamber by turning laterally upon
a stud center pin below the central axis of the chamber. The object of tho
inclines is to force home the cartridge when inserted by the simple act of
turning the breech piece in closing the breech. The reverse motion, when
opening the breech, effects also the partial withdrawal of the cartridge case
from the chamber after the gun has been discharged, the edge of the caso
being so formed as to engage between the two inclines above referred to.
It is important, in order to obtain a really serviceable arm, that certain
relative proportions be maintained between the dimensions of the spindle
which secures the breech piece, the thickness of the moveable breech piccc,
and the position of the socket in which the spindle is fitted. The dimensions
of the charge chamber being given, the diameter of the rod or spindle should
exceed that of the chamber. This spindle should be as close as practicable to
the orifice or bore of the chamber. The thickness of the moveable breech
piece should be at least equal to the distance between the centres of the charge
chamber and the spindle. The socket which receives the spindle and its
nut should moreover in all cases extend beyond the front end of the charge
chamber.
The improved projectile consists of a cylindro-conoidal shot or bullet, having
two or more raised rings formed upon its rear end, which rings only take
into the rifle grooves, as the front portion of the bullet is of smaller diameter
than the rings. The first ring is made wider but of less diameter than the
second ring, so that it will penetrate partially only into the grooves, whilst the
ring which follows, being of larger diameter, enters fully therein to the bottom
of the rifle grooves. Behind these rings there is a cylindrical portion of less
diameter than either of the rings, which portion is inclosed in the end of the
cartridge, and is surrounded by a packing of hemp, steeped in tallow or suet,
such packing being contained in an annular groove, and serving to clean out
the barrel at each discharge, the rear end of the bullet being chambered out

page_text: so as to expand by the explosion of the charge, and force the packing into the
rifle grooves.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
corresponding Figures.
In Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings is represented the improved" sight."
It consists of a cross piece a, in which is formed the nick b. This piece a is
supported on one side by a spindle c, capable of sliding vertically in the socket
or guide d, whilst its opposite side or end is supported by the milled head of a
vertical screw c. In order to raise the sight, the screw e is turned, and its
bead raises the sight to any desired extent, and maintains it at any elevation,
without the risk of its accidentally falling again from the repeated shocks in
firing. The head of the screw is connected with the sighting bar a, in any
well known manner, so as to draw down the bar a with it when the screw is
lowered.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, illustrate the arrangement of the apparatus for
withdrawing the cartridge case in a single-barrelled fire-arm. Upon the
turning breech picce A are fitted or formed two eccentric portions or cam
surfaces i, k, so that when the cartridge is placed inside the chamber of the
gun it is pushed slightly, but not sufficient to force it home; the surface i,
when the breech piece is turned to close the breech, acts upon the rear end of
the cartridge, and forces it gradually and steadily home into the chamber of tho
gun, the edge of the cartridge being placed between the two eccentric portions
or cam surfaces i and k. When it is desired to withdraw the cartridge caso
it is simply requisite to turn the breech round in the opposite direction,
whereupon the edge of the cartridge will be acted upon by the eccentric
portion or cam surface k, which withdraws the cartridge case partially from
the chamber. It will thus be obvious that the effectual insertion and with-
drawal of the cartridge is accomplished solely by the action of the breech
piece itself without the intervention of a separate rammer and withdrawing
instrument.
In double-barrelled fire-arms it is proposed to adopt the arrangement
shewn at Figures 7 and 8. There are two eccentrics or cam surfaces for
each barrel, and they operate in such a manner that when one of them disengages
the cartridge from the one barrel, the other effects the insertion of the cartridge
into the second barrel, consequently one of the barrels is always charged ready
for firing

page_text: Figures 9 and 10 represent in elevation and section the improved bullet
or projectile herein-before referred to, which is made of various diameters
at different parts, so as to take into the rifle grooves in a gradual manner.
At the rear of this bullet are formed two rings or zones b, a, of larger
diameter than the body d of the bullet. The forward ring a is wider, but of
rather smaller diameter than the rear ring b. Annular grooves r, s, and t sepa-
rate the different diameters of the bullet, the groover containing a packing of
hemp or other suitable material 2, steeped in tallow, suet, or other good lubri-
cant. The rear end of the bullet is of smaller diameter than the rest, and is
chambered or hollowed out, as shewn in Figure 10, so that on the firing of the
charge it will be expanded, and force the greased packing into the rifle
grooves, and against the interior of the bore, thereby effectually removing
any deposit or fouling from the barrel at each discharge of the arm.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
1st. The general construction and arrangement of fire-arms, as herein-before
described.
2nd. The peculiar construction of bullet or projectile, as herein-before
described.
3rd. The peculiar construction and arrangement of adjustable "sight"
for fire-arms, as herein-before described.
4th. The application of two eccentric portions or cam surfaces to the breech
piece, for the purpose of inserting home the cartridge and withdrawing the
case, by the act of opening and closing the breech, as berein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.