IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication
from abroad by Robert Errett Stephens, of Owensound, in the
Dominion of Canada, Gentleman, James Ferrier, the younger, of
the City of Montreal, in the Dominion of Canada, Merchant, and
George Davis Ferrier of the same Place Merchant
Sealed the 16th November 1869, and dated the 1st July 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st July 1869.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," a communi-
cation from abroad by Robert Errett Stephens, of Owensound, in the
Dominion of Canada, Gentleman, James Ferrier, the younger, of the

page_text: City of Montreal, in the Dominion of Canada, Merchant, and George
Davis Ferrier, of the same Place, Merchant, to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing and arranging a breech-loading
fire-arm which by the action of cocking throws open the breech and
dislodges the shell of the exploded cartridge simultaneously and auto-
matically. The breech piece consists of a block of metal or steel, which
is thrown on the right-hand side of the barrel by cocking the hammer,
and when the charge is in the chamber the breech is closed by com-
pressing a thumb bit connected therewith to its position against the
barrel by the left hand of the operator, and the arm is again ready for
firing. The breech piece fits into a shoe, which is provided with a slot
for the movement of the cartridge extractor. The object of this part of
the apparatus is to remove the shell of the exploded cartridge, which it
does by the action of a cam rod and spiral spring. The cam rod is
actuated by the cocking of the hammer through the intervention of a
curved extension of the tumbler with a latch, which is attached by a
pivot to the upper end of an elbow on the cam rod. To the upper end
of this elbow, on its inner side, there is attached a short bolt for the
purpose of securing the breech piece in its position in the shoe. A flat
link is secured by a pivot at its lower end to a projection on the trigger,
and at its upper end works against and lifts the latch above referred to
by coming against a pin in such latch, and detaches it from the curved
extension of the tumbler when the trigger is pressed. This, motion is
used for the purpose of cocking without opening the breech. A shiffer
or adjustable incline composed of steel is attached to the case of the
fire-arm, and detaches the latch from the curved extension of the
tumbler, when the motion of the various parts brings the latch in contact
with the inclined or curved end of the shiffer. The mainspring is
attached to the tumbler by a swivel, and the ordinary trigger spring is
used. An internal lock plate serves for holding and securing the lock
mechanism in place. A spindle is placed on the outside of the gun in
suitable bearings, and passes through the breech piece, and is secured
to it by a screw, enabling the two to partially rotate together. Near
the centre of this spindle is arranged a spiral shoulder placed under a
centre bearing. On the extreme or outer end of this spindle is attached
the thumb bit, herein-before referred to, for the purpose of operating the
breech piece by the left hand. The object of the spiral shoulder is to
receive motion from a cam attached to the cam rod, which in turn

page_text: is actuated by the latch, the curved extension of tumbler, and the
hammer. The movement of the spindle consequent on the spiral
shoulder and cam serves to throw open the breech simultaneously with
the drawing of the hammer to half-cock. A spiral spring throws the
cam rod and extractor back into position when the latch is relieved from
the curved extension by the action of the shiffer. The ordinary
exploding needle is used in the breech piece for firing the cartridge.
The various parts having been arranged substantially as described and
ready for loading with the cartridge, the hammer is raised to half-cock;
this has the effect of throwing back the breech piece by the action of
the tumbler, which is attached to and moved by the hammer. The curved
extension being in contact with the latch draws it and the cam rod
backwards, at the same time withdrawing the locking bolt. The cam
rod in turn gives motion to the cam which works against the spiral.
shoulders, and causes asserted rotation of the spindle, and at the same
time throws open the breech piece before referred to. As the hammer-
reaches half-cock, the latch coming in contact with the shiffer is detached'
from the curved extension of the tumbler, and is returned to its position
by the action of a spiral spring. The cartridge is then inserted into the
shoe and passed into its chamber by the thumb of the right hand, this
being done the fingers of the left hand, by means of the thumb bit, bring
back the breech piece into its position in the shoe, where it is securely
locked by the bolt before referred to under the action of a spiral spring..
The gun is then put at full-cock, and is ready for firing. The fire-arm.
is discharged by pulling the trigger as in ordinary cases, and forcing. the
needle into the cartridge; the curved extension of tumbler coming back:
into its position engages with the latch again.. In operating the gun,
if rapid firing is required, it may be brought at once to full-cock. To
remove the exploded cartridge prior to re-loading the operation of
opening the breech, as already described, is repeated, a shoulder on the
cam rod comes in contact with another shoulder on the extractor at the
instant the breech piece clears the chamber, this contact of the two
shoulders loosens the shell of the cartridge, which is immediately ejected
by the action of the spiral spring, which had been previously compressed
between projections on the cam rod and on the extractor respectively.
The fire-arm is then ready for re-loading, as before described.

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 1st January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third 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 exe-
cutors, 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 law-
fully 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," a communi-
cation from abroad by Robert Errett Stephens, of Owensound, in the
Dominion of Canada, Gentleman, James Ferrier, the younger, of the
City of Montreal, in the Dominion of Canada, Merchant, and George
Davis Ferrier, of the same Place, Merchant, 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,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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 accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar combination and arrangement
of the several parts of a breech-loading fire-arm whereby the act of

page_text: cocking the arm is made to throw open the breech and dislodge the
shell of the exploded cartridge simultaneously and automatically.
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 shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a top plan of the improved gun
with breech open; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the gun with the
breech closed; Figure 3 is an elevation of the lock action and section
of the barrel and stock; Figure 4 is a detail of the breech opening and
shell extracting apparatus; Figure 5 is a plan of the same; Figure 6
is a detail side view of the breech block and needle; Figures 7 and 8
are end views of the same. The breech piece A consists of a block of
metal or steel of the general form shown in the Drawings, which is
thrown on the right-hand side of the barrel B by cocking the hammer C,
and when the charge is in the chamber the breech is closed by com-
pressing the thumb bit D connected therewith to its position against the
barrel by the left hand of the operator, when the arm is again ready for
firing. E is the shoe into which the breech piece fits, and which is
provided with a slot e for the movement of the cartridge extractor F of
steel, and constructed in the form shewn in Figures 3, 4, and 5; the
object of this part of the apparatus is to remove the shell of the ex-
ploded cartridge, which it does by the action of the cam rod G and spiral
spring H. The cam rod G is actuated by the cocking of the hammer
when being cocked through the intervention of the curved extension I
of the tumbler K with a latch L, which is attached by a pivot to the
upper end of the elbow G' on the cam rod G. To the upper end of this
elbow G, on its inner side, there is attached a short bolt G for the
purpose of securing the breech piece A in its position in the shoe E.
m' is a flat link secured by a pivot at its lower end to a projection n'
on the trigger n, and at its upper end works against and lifts the latch L
above referred to by coming against a pin n² in such latch, and detaches
it from the curved extension I of the tumbler K when the trigger is
pressed. This motion is used for the purpose of cocking without
opening the breech. The trigger is of the form shewn in Figure 3,
and differs from the ordinary form of trigger in being provided with the
extension to which the link or bar m' is attached. o is a shipper or

page_text: adjustable incline composed of steel and attached to the case of the fire-
arm by a screw; it detaches the latch L from the curved extension I of
the tumbler K when the motion of the various parts brings the latch L
in contact with the inclined or curved end of the shipper o. The
shipper o may be adjusted in its proper position by a slotted screw hole,
as shewn in Figure 3. o¹ is the mainspring attached to the tumbler K
by a link o os is the ordinary trigger spring; p is an internal lock
plate of the form shewn in Figure 3, which serves for holding and
securing the lock mechanism in place; q is a spindle placed on the
outside of the gun in suitable bearings; it passes through the breech
piece and is secured to it by a screw, enabling the two to partially rotate
together. Near the centre of this spindle is arranged a spiral groove
q' placed under a centre bearing q². On the extreme or outer end of
this spindle q is attached the thumb bit, herein-before referred to, D, for
the purpose of operating the breech piece by the left hand. The object
of the spiral groove q¹ is to receive motion from a cam g' attached to
the cam rod G, which in turn is actuated by the latch L, the curved
extension I of the tumbler K, and the hammer C. The movement of
the spindle a consequent on the spiral groove q' and cam serves to
throw open the breech simultaneously with the drawing of the hammer
to half-cock. is a spiral spring for the purpose of throwing the cam
rod G and extractor F back into position when the latch L is relieved from
the curved extension I by the action of the shipper o; 8 is the cartridge;
t is the ordinary exploding needle in the breech piece A for firing the
cartridge.
With the foregoing general description of this Invention, to which the
Inventors have given the name of "the Stephens gun," I will now
proceed to describe more particularly its mode of action:-The various
parts having been arranged substantially as described, and ready for
loading with the cartridge, the hammer C is raised to half-cock; this has
the effect of throwing back the breech piece A by the action of the
tumbler K which is attached to and moved by the hammer. The curved
extension I being in contact with the latch L draws it and the cam rod
G backwards, at the same time withdrawing the locking bolt G. The
cam rod in turn gives motion to the cam q³, which working against the
spiral groove q' causes a partial rotation of the spindle q, and at the
same time throws open the breech picce A before referred to. As the
hammer reaches half-cock the latch L coming in contact with the

page_text: shipper o is detached from the curved extension I of the tumbler K, and
is returned to its position by the action of the spiral spring . The
cartridge is then inserted into the shoe E and passed into its chamber by
the thumb of the right hand; this being done the fingers of the left hand,
by means of the thumb bit D, bring back the breech picce A into
its position in the shoe E, where it is securely locked by the bolt G³
before referred to, Figures 3, 4, and 5, passing into the hole G, shewn
in Figures 6 and 7, by the action of the spiral spring r. The gun is
then put at full-cock, and is ready for firing. The fire-arm is discharged
by pulling the trigger as in ordinary cases and forcing the needle into
the cartridge; the curved extension I of the tumbler K coming back into
its position engages with the latch L again. In operating the gun, if
rapid firing is required, it may be brought at once to full-cock. To
remove the exploded cartridge, prior to re-loading, the operation of
opening the breech, as already described, is repeated, the shoulder " on
the cam rod G comes in contact with another shoulder on the
extractor F at the instant the breech piece clears the chamber, this
contact of the two shoulders u and u¹ loosens the shell of the cartridge,
which is immediately ejected by the action of the spiral spring H, which
had been previously compressed between the projection u² on the cam
rod G and the projection us on the extractor F respectively. The fire-
arm is then ready for re-loading, as before described.
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,―
First. The peculiar combination and arrangement of the breech picce
A, spindle q, spiral groove q', cam q', and cam rod G for the purpose of
effecting the automatic opening of the breech by the cocking of the gun
in the manner herein-before described and illustrated by the annexed
Sheet of Drawings.
Second. The combination of the thumb bit D and spindle a for the
purpose of closing the breech piece by the action of the fingers of the
left hand, as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Third. The combination of the bolt G with the cam rod G and
spring for the purpose of locking the breech piece A, when closed, as
herein before described and illustrated by the Drawings.

page_text: Fourth. The combination of the latch L, extension I of the tumbler,
and shipper o, as and for the purpose herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
Fifth. The combination of the extractor F, shoulders u and u', cam
rod G, and spiral spring H, for the purpose of automatically extracting
the cartridge case in the manner herein-before described and illustrated
by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of
December One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)