IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street, in
the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by George
White of New York. United States of America.
Sealed the 16th May 1862, and dated the 19th November 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th November 1861.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," (communicated to me from
abroad, by George White, of New York, United States of America) to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, in a manner of opening and closing the
breech, and, secondly, in the introduction of a peculiar self-adjusting clearing
and gas-stopping plate within the rear opening. of the barrel. The improve-
ment-in-the-mode-of-opening and closing-the-breech, consists in-a-combined-
revolving plug and shear plate, whereby the opening and closing of the breech,
and the shearing off of the end of the cartridge is accomplished by a semi-
revolution performed twice, or of a whole revolution once performed of the

page_text: said plug. The breech plug is a cylinder of larger diameter than the bore of
the gun, it is fitted in a socket formed in the stock, and immediately in the
rear of the barrel, and is as represented at A. There is a groove cam cut
completely around the plug, which has a slant or inclination at such angle as
is necessary to give the plug such a length of movement as to withdraw its top
below the opening leading to the barrel, and as shown at b. The top of the
plug is not square, but is both bevelled and hollowed out upon the surface of
that bevel; the upper part of the plug is shown in section, and at c is shown
the direction of the bevel at the bottom of the hollow, the circumference of the
plug at the top is thus formed into a sharp edge, which acts against the sharp
corner of the opening into the barrel, and thus forms a shear by its revolving
and upward movement. At d is the nipple, from which there is a touch-hole
leading to the charge, as shown. At e is a fixed pin or stud entering the
cam groove b, and at f is a handle attached to A, by which it is revolved.
The Figure shows the breech plug as elevated and the barrel closed; by turning
this handle to the position shown in dotted lines, the. plug will-be partially
revolved, and from the action of the pin e in the cam b, it will also be partially
withdrawn from the socket, bringing the slant or lowest part of the bevel,
as at c", opposite to the end of the barrel and below it, as indicated by the
dotted line, when the charge may be inserted. As the handle or arm f is
returned to its place, the plug will, while revolving, also rise up and bring its
shear edge to cut sharply across the end of the barrel (which is hollowed out
to form a segment with the plug socket, and conform to its internal shape),
the end of the cartridge is thus cut off and the powder exposed to the fire.
The second part of my Invention is shown at g, this consists of a flanged
ferrule, and is intended to form a self-adjusting shear plate and gas joint. The
end of the barrel is bored out to form a socket to receive this ferrule, the
inner edge of the ferrule bevels off to a fine edge, as shown, the back edge
terminates in a flange, which comes out flush with the end of the barrel all
round the upper part, but on the lower it is prolonged, so as to terminate near
the bottom-of-the-socket,-as-at-g. This-piece-has-a-slight-play-in-the-socket-
formed in the barrel, so that at each explosion of a charge it is driven back
hard against the plug, and the flange portion is that which forms the other
half of the shear in connection with the sharp upper end of the plug. When,
therefore, this wears away, it is easy to replace the part by a new ferrule. In
order to be made gas-tight, the thin inner edge expands under fire, and thus
closes up against the socket and makes a tight joint. The removal of the plug
is effected at any time by the withdrawal of the pine from the cam groove.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th May 1862.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special. licence that I,
the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman; my execu
tors, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," (com
municated to me from abroad, by George White, of New York, United States
of America) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bé
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
.:
This Invention consists, firstly, in a manner of opening and closing the
breech, and secondly, in the introduction of a peculiar self-adjusting, clearing,
and gas-stopping plate within the rear opening of the barrel. The improvė-
ment in the mode of opening and closing the breech consists in a combined
revolving plug and shear plate, whereby the opening and closing of the breech
and the shearing off of the end of the cartridge is accomplished by a
semi-revolution, performed twice, or if. a whole revolution. once-performed of
:
:

page_text: the said plug. The breech plug is a cylinder of larger diameter than the
bore of the gun; it is fitted in a socket formed in the stock and immediately
in the rear of the barrel, and is as represented at A in the accompanying
Drawings. There is a groove cam cut completely around the plug, which has
a slant or inclination at such angle as is necessary to give the plug such a
length of movement as to withdraw its top below the opening leading to the
barrel, and as shewn at b. The top of the plug is not square, but is both
bevelled and hollowed out upon the surface of that bevel; the upper part of
the plug is shewn in section, and at c is shewn the direction of the bevel at
the bottom of the hollow; the circumference of the plug at the top is thus
formed into a sharp edge which acts against the sharp corner of the opening
into the barrel and thus forms a shear by its revolving and upward movement;
d is the nipple, from which there is a touch-hole leading to the charge, as
shown. e is a fixed pin or stud entering the cam groove b, and f is a handle
attached to the plug A by which it is revolved. Figure 1 shows the breech
plug elevated and the barrel closed; by turning this handle to the position
shown in dotted lines the plug will be partially revolved, and from the action
of the pin e in the cam 6 it will also be partially withdrawn from the socket,
bringing the slant or lowest part of the bevel opposite to the end of the
barrel, and below it as indicated by the dotted line, when the charge may be
inserted. As the handle or arm f is returned to its place the plug will, while
revolving, also rise up and bring its shear edge to cut sharply across the end
of the barrel (which is hollowed out to form a segment with the plug socket
and conform to its internal shape) the end of the cartridge is thus cut off and
the powder exposed to the fire.
The second part of my Invention is shown at g, this consists of a flanged
ferrule, and is intended to form a self-adjusting shear plate and gas joint.
The end of the barrel is bored out to form a socket to receive this ferrule;
the inner edge of the ferrule bevels off to a fine edge as shown; the back
_edge_terminates in a flange which comes out flush with the end of the barrel
all round the upper part, but on the lower it is prolonged so as to terminate
near the bottom of the socket as at g': This piece has a slight play-in-the-
socket formed in the barrel, so that at each explosion of a charge it is driven
back hard against the plug, and the flange portion is that which forms the
other half of the shear in connection with the sharp upper end of the plug.
When, therefore, this wears away it is easy to replace the part by a new
ferrule. In order to be made gas-tight the thin inner edge expands under
fire, and thus closes up against the socket and makes a tight joint. The
removal of the plug is effected at any time by the withdrawal of the pin e

page_text: frem the cam groove. At the rear of the plug A there is a wedge-shaped
block of metal h extending upwards from the lower side, it is hollowed out
to correspond with the shape of the plug A, and partially surrounds it as
shown in Figure 2. This arrangement is intended to obtain a hermetically
closed joint at the rear end of the barrel as the plug wears, and it is for this
purpose that the piece is made wedge shaped. A screw regulates and keeps
it in position. The piece h and the ferrule g are by preference made of metal
or of some non-corosive or anti-frictional alloy.
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,―
First, opening and closing the breech of breech-loading fire-arms by means
of a plug having a rotary and sliding motion and of a wedge piece capable
of adjustment when worn, all substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the employment in breech-loading fire-arms of a self-adjusting,
clearing, and gas-stopping plate within the rear opening of the barrel,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)