IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Needham, of Piccadilly, in the County
of Middlesex, Gunmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 4th April 1871, and dated the 8th October 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Needham at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th October 1870.
I, JOSEPH NEEDHAM, of Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
Gunmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading
fire-arms, and relates to a novel combination and arrangement of parts
whereby simplicity of operation and efficiency are obtained. For this
purpose I form on the breech end of the barrel a lug or lugs, through
which a hole or holes are bored to fit a pin or axis formed or fixed in
the "head" or breech piece, so as to form an axis of motion for the

page_text: barrel in a line parallel with the barrel of the gun. The hammer is
mounted upon an axis of motion passing through the "head" or breech
piece and having upon one end thereof an arm or lever projecting
forwards towards the barrel. A stud or projection carried by the barrel
acts, when turning the barrel into position for reloading, upon the arm
or lever to throw the hammer back to half or full cock. The hammer
is received into a suitable space formed for it in the head of the gun
and is provided with a pin or "needle," which passes through a hole
in the "head" or breech piece. An extractor turning on an axis of
motion at right angles to the barrel of the gun is acted upon by an
incline formed on or fixed to the "head" or breech piece. By these
means as the barrel is turned on its axis into position for reloading
the hammer is simultaneously placed at half or full cock and the
extractor is operated to withdraw the spent cartridge, whilst by turning
the barrel on its axis in the contrary direction the breech end of the
barrel is effectually closed, the extractor is forced forwards, and the
hammer left free to act when the trigger is pulled.
A lump formed on or fixed to the end of the barrel is provided with
a projection at right angles thereto, which when the gun is in a position
for firing is received into a suitable recess formed for it in the "head"
or breech piece and assists in locking the barrel thereto; or this
arrangement may be reversed. A suitable catch is provided, as will
be well understood, to prevent the barrel turning on its axis of motion
except when desired.
These improvements are applicable to rifles and
to single or double fowling pieces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Needham in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th April 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
NEEDHAM, of Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Gunmaker, send a
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Joseph Needham, Her special Licence that I,
the said Joseph Needham, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Joseph Needham, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Needham, 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 Joseph Needham, 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 Drawings hereunto
annexed and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-
arms, and relates to a novel combination and arrangement of parts,
whereby simplicity of operation and efficiency are obtained in that
description of fire-arm in which the barrels are mounted on an axis
parallel therewith carried by the head of the gun, and consist, —
Firstly. In a mode of strengthening the breech action and providing
for adjustment of the parts as wear takes place.
Secondly. In a mode of actuating the hammer or pin.
And thirdly. In a mode of operating the cartridge extractor.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and Figure 2 is a side view of so
much of a breech-loading rifle as will enable me to explain the applica-
tion of my improvements thereto; Figure 3 is an end view and Figure 4
is a plan of the breech end of the barrel; and Figure 5 is a sectional
plan and Figure 6 is an end view of the "head" or breech piece
separately.

page_text: The barrel a, it will be seen, is mounted upon a pin or axis & parallel
therewith fixed in the head or breech piece c, but instead of such pin
or axis being short and the barrel having only one lug or lump fixed
thereon bored to fit the pin or axis b, as heretofore, I make the pin or
axis 6 longer, and I employ two lugs or lumps a¹ fixed on the barrel,
whereby I obtain greater strength and rigidity of the parts than hereto-
fore; and in order to provide for adjustment as wear takes place I form
on the end of the pin or axis b a screw or worm 6', and I apply a nut d
thereto, which after being screwed up to the required extent is held fast
in position by a set screw d¹. The hammer e having the pin e¹ fixed
thereto works in a recess or space formed for it in the head or breech
piece c, and is mounted upon an axis of motion e³, on the end of which
is fixed an arm or lever e³, which when the barrel is being turned on its
pin or axis b into position for reloading is acted upon by a lump or pro-
jection a carried by the barrel a to turn the axis e², and thereby "cock"
the hammer e which is acted upon by the trigger fand spring 9, as is
well understood. h is the extractor which is mounted upon pins or
studs at h³, and is provided with an inclined tail piece h³, which is acted
upon when turning the barrel a into position for reloading by a stud i
(or it may be an incline) fixed to the "head" or breech piece to extract
the cartridge case, but when turning the barrel a into position for firing
an incline c¹ formed on the head or breech piece c acts on the extractor h
to close it against the breech end of the barrel a. The forward end of a
catch mounted upon an axis j', and acted upon by a spring j³, acts
within a recess as formed in the end of the barrel to lock the barrel in
position and prevent it turning on its axis of motion except when
desired, whilst if desired another sliding catch or bolt k may be employed
to lock the trigger and at the same time lock the barrel by being passed
into a hole a formed in one of the lumps or projections a¹.
If desired in order more securely to lock the barrel to the head or
breech piece I sometimes form or fix a lump to the end of the barrel,
and I provide such lump with a projection at right angles to the barrel,
which projection when the barrel is turned into position for firing is
received into a suitable recess formed for it in the "head" or breech
piece, or this arrangement may be reversed. I have not thought it
necessary to show the application of this part of my Invention in the
Drawings, as it will be readily understood with the aid of the description
given.

page_text: A projection a formed on or fixed to the breech end of the barrel acts
as a stop thereto to prevent the barrel turning beyond the position
required for firing, and at the same time covers up and protects the
incline c¹ on the head piece c.
At Figures 7, 8, and 9, I have shown the application of my Invention
to a double-barrelled fowling piece; Figure 7 is an end view seen from
the front of the head or breech piece, and Figure 8 is a sectional back
view thereof; and Figure 9 is an end view of the breech end of the
barrels. Similar parts are marked with similar letters of reference
to those employed in the previous Figures.
It will be seen that the hammer e is mounted on a pin or axis e³
passing through the hollow axis e** of the hammer e*. On the outer end
of the axis e is formed or fixed the arm or lever e³, and on the outer end
of the hollow axis e** is formed or fixed the arm or lever e***, by which
means both the hammers e, ex, are simultaneously cocked by the arms
or levers e³, e***, being acted upon by the lump or projection a² whilst
each hammer is capable of turning with its axis independently of the
other. The extractors are provided with prolonged tail pieces h²,
which at their ends project backward into a recess ¹ formed for them in
the "head" or breech piece c, and when the parts are near the extremity
of their motion for opening the breech the tail pieces h² are acted upon
by an inclined piece or rise in the groove to turn the extractors h
on their axes and thereby to throw out the cartridge cases.
Z is a
projection on the breech end of the barrels to fit a recess or hollow c*
in the "head" or breech piece c, and to act as a stop to the parts. By
these means as the barrel is turned on its axis into position for reloading
the hammer is simultaneously cocked and the extractor is operated to
withdraw the spent cartridge, whilst by turning the barrel on its axis
in the contrary direction the breech end of the barrel is effectually
closed, the extractor is forced forwards, and the hammer left free to act
when the trigger is pulled.
I would here remark that since filing my Provisional Specification
I have discovered that the use of a pin or axis on the head or
breech piece parallel with the barrels has before been proposed to be
employed as the axis on which the barrel is revolved to open and close
the breech end thereof, I do not therefore claim the use of such pin or
axis separately considered.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
mode in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood
that what I claim with reference to that description of fire-arm in which
the barrels are mounted on an axis parallel therewith, as described, is,―
First. The mode herein described of strengthening the breech action &
by making the pin or axis b longer than heretofore and employing two
lugs or lumps a¹ fixed on the barrel; also the mode of providing facility
for adjustment of the parts and of locking the barrels to the "head"
or breech piece, substantially as herein shown and described.
Secondly. I claim the modes of operating the extractors of single and 1
double guns, substantially as herein shown and described.
And thirdly. I claim the mode of operating the hammers of single
and double guns to cock them, substantially as herein shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Needham, have hereunto 1
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
JOSEPH NEEDHAM. (L.S.)
Witness,
B. J. B. MILLS,
Patent Agent,
35, Southampton Buildings,
London.