IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OP BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS." THE CONSTRUCTION OP BRRECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Henry Burton, of Harrogato, in the County
of York, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OP BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
THE CONSTRUCTION OP BRRECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Henry Burton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd March 1866.
I, JAMES HENRY BURTON, of Harrogate, in the County of York,
Mechanical Engineer; do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMB," to
be as follows:-
In my improved construction of breech-loading fire-arms the solid moveable
breech piece which takes the recoil occasioned by the explosion of the charge
is mounted on a centre pin placed immediately below the rear end of the
barrel, which is of course open to admit of the introduction of the cartridge, as
is usual in breech-loading fire-arms. This moveable breech piece is pro-
vided at its under side with a handle, whereby the breech piece is pulled
down or moved on its centre in order to open the breech end of the barrel.
When in its place ready for firing the rear end of the moveable breech abuts
against and is supported by a fixed block, to which the barrel is screwed, and
it is held in its place by a spring catch which is adapted to the rear end of
the moveable breech, and takes into a notch in the fixed block behind. This

page_text: usual, and the moveable
catch is withdrawn by means of a finger lever or trigger which forms part
of the catch piece. The same action required for withdrawing the catch will,
when continued, carry down the moveable breech and open the barrel ready
for the new cartridge. When the cartridge is inserted in the rear end of the
barrel the moveable breech piece upon being brought up into its place will
push it home, and the breech piece itself will be secured by the spring catch
before mentioned. The cartridges I prefer to use with this description of
fire-arm are those made with flanged metallic bases, provided either with
central fire or flanged fulminate, as is well known. When the gun has been
discharged the hammer should be drawn back as
breech pulled down by its handle in one motion. In so doing a tooth or stud
on the boss of the moveable breech will come against the flange of the
cartridge and will force it partly out of the barrel. The empty case can
then be easily pulled back by the finger and will fall down through the opening
left in the body of the gun by the moveable breech when it is depressed.
When a new cartridge is inserted into the rear end of the barrel the flange
at its base will como against the extracting stud or tooth, beyond which it
cannot pass until the moveable breech piece is brought up into its place, which
movement will carry the extracting stud or tooth forward, and the face of the
moveable breech will then push home the cartridge simultaneously with the act
of closing the breech. The cartridges are exploded by means of a pin or bolt
which is inserted in a hole made through the moveable breech piece, and is
struck a hammer connected with a lock of the ordinary construction. This
pin or bolt is made with a projecting stud or tooth on its under side near its
rear end, and against this stud or tooth bears a corresponding one on the
upper end of the spring catch which locks the breech. Should the soldier
in the hurry of firing neglect to bring the breech piece fairly home and
lock it by the spring catch, the latter being provided with the projecting stud
or tooth before mentioned will engage the stud or tooth on the exploding
pin or bolt, and provent the latter from being driven forward by the hammer
should the trigger be drawn, thereby effectually preventing any possibility of
a premature explosion of the arm. No spring is required to bring back the
exploding pin into the position for firing, as this will be effected by the stud
or tooth on the spring catch, which on the act of opening the breech will
push back the bolt or pin into the required position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Henry Burton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HENRY BURTON, of Harrogate, in the County of York, Mechanical Engineer
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Henry Burton, Her special licence that I, the said
James Henry Burton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Henry Burton, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Henry Burton,
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 James Henry Burton, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The improved construction of breech-loading fire-arms which forms the
subject of my Invention is shewn in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section of one of my
improved breech-loading fire-arms, the moveable breech piece being shewn in
its place ready for the arm to be discharged; Fig. 3 is another sectional view
shewing the breech piece depressed for the purpose of opening the breech in
order to insert a cartridge. The solid moveable breech piece b, shewn detached
in plan and section at Figures 4, takes the recoil occasioned by the explosion

page_text: of the charge, and is mounted on a centre pin 61 placed immediately below the
rear end of the barrel a, which is of course open to admit of the introduction
of the cartridge. This movable breech piece b is provided at its under side
with a handle or lever e, whereby the breech piece is pulled down or moved
on its centre 6' in order to open the breech end of the barrel. When in its
place ready for firing the rear end of the moveable breech 6 abuts against and
is supported by a fixed block 6, to which the barrel is screwed, as seen in the
sectional views Fig. 5 and 6, and it is held in its place by a catch i, which is
adapted to the rear end of the moveable breech and projects into a notch i
in the fixed block 6* behind, as seen in Fig. 2. This catch i is actuated by a
helical spring inserted in a circular opening provided for that purpose in the
breech piece b. This opening is closed by the side plate and centre screw, as
shewn in the horizontal section Fig. 2. The catch i is withdrawn by means
of a 'finger lever or trigger, which forms part of the catch piece. The samo
action required for withdrawing the catch i will when continued carry down'
the moveable breech b, and open the barrel ready for the new cartridge.
When the cartridge is inserted in the rear end of the barrel the moveable-
breech piece b, upon being brought up into its place will push the cartridge
home, and the breech piece itself will be secured by the spring catch i before
mentioned. The cartridges I prefer to use with this description of fire-arm-
are those made with flanged metallic bases, provided either with central-fire
or flanged fulminate as is well known. When the gun has been discharged
the hammer should be drawn back as usual, and the moveable breech 6 pulled:
down by its handle e in one motion. In so doing a tooth or stud f on the boss'
of the moveable breech 6 (see Figures 2 and 3) will como against the flange of
the cartridge and will force it partly out of the barrel, as shewn in Fig. 3.
The empty case can then be easily pulled back by the finger, and will fall
down (as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 3,) through the opening left in the
'body of the gun by the moveable breech when it is depressed. When a new
-cartridge is inserted into the rear end of the barrel the flange at its base will
come against the extracting stud or tooth f, beyond which it cannot pass until
the moveable breech piece b is brought up into its place, which movement
will carry the extracting stud or tooth f forward, and the face of the moveable
breech will then push home the cartridge simultaneously with the act of
closing the breech. The cartridges are exploded by means of a pin or bolt 9,
Fig. 2, which is inserted in a hole made through the moveable breech piece,
as in the former instance, and is struck by a hammer connected with a lock of
the ordinary or any other convenient construction. This pin or bolt g is made
with a projecting stud or tooth g' on its under side near its rear end, (see Fig. 2)

page_text: and against this stud or tooth bears a corresponding one on the upper end
of the spring catch which locks the breech. Should the soldier in the hurry
of firing neglect to bring the breech piece b fairly home and lock it by the
spring catch i, the latter being provided with the projecting stud or tooth i³
before mentioned will engage the stud or tooth g' on the exploding pin or
bolt 9+ and prevent the latter from being driven forward by the hammer h,
even should the trigger release the hammer. By this means any possibility of
a premature explosion of the arm will be effectually prevented. No spring is
required to bring back the exploding pin g into the position for firing, as this
will bo effected by the stud or tooth on the spring catch i, which on the act
of opening the breech will push back the exploding bolt or pin 9 into the
required position.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Construction
of Breech-loading Fire-arms," I claim as the Invention secured to me,-
First, the arrangement of parts herein set forth for closing the breech of
breech-loading fire-arms, and securing the moveable breech in its place during
the explosion.
I also claim the mode herein shewn and described for preventing tho
discharging or exploding pin from being driven forward until the moveable
breech piece is properly secured.
In witness whereof, I, tho said James Henry Burton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.]
25 Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JAS. H. BURTON. (Ls.)