IM- PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Shakespeare Manton, of Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from
abroad by Joseph Manton, of Montreal, in the Dominion of Canada,
Gun Manufacturer.
Sealed the 14th November 1871, and dated the 23rd May 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Shakespeare
Manton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd May 1871.
I, JOHN SHAKESPEARE MANTON, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for ' IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
The nature of this Invention will be more readily understood by a
description of the operation of the improved parts, and a reference to
the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Figure 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of such
portions of a breech-loader to which the improvements refer.
(C) is the breech block which descends in a vertical slot formed in
the breech, and is actuated by a lever forming the trigger guard (D)
which has a downward movement, and is put in motion by a thumb
piece. The breech block (C) in its descent in the slot takes down one
arm of a short lever (H) working freely in a cavity in the breech block,
the other end of the short lever (H) in rising presses upon the tumbler
cam (F) forcing the hammer or dog (B) upwards. When the breech
block (C) is at its lowest point the trigger sear (I) springs into a
notch in the tumbler (F), and the hammer (B) remains fixed at full
cock.
The cartridge having been inserted in the barrel the breech block (C)
is raised by drawing the lever guard (D) upwards, the trigger sear (I)
being pressed takes the sear end out of the notch in the tumbler (F) and
the hammer descends pushed by the mainspring (E) which expands
and regains its original form, out of which it had been bent and confined
by the action of the short lever (H) raising the end of the tumbler
cam (F). The piston or striker (J) is enclosed in the breech block;
the hammer in its descent strikes the head of the piston (J) driving
the point of the piston against the cap at the base of the cartridge, and
thus explodes it.
The cartridge is extracted in the descent of the breech block (0) by
an angular or forked extractor (K), one arm of which is caught by the
descending breech block (C) and the other arm pressing upon the rim
of the cartridge forces it forward and partly out of the barrel.

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Shakespeare Manton, Her
special license that I, the said John Shakespeare Manton, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Shakespeare Manton, 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
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," being a com-
munication to me from abroad by Joseph Manton, of Montreal, in the
Dominion of Canada, Gun Manufacturer, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Shakespeare Manton, 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 John Shakespeare Manton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention refers to certain improvements in breech loaders
constructed upon what is known as the falling block principle, and the
Invention will be more readily understood by referring to the annexed
Drawings and the letters and figures marked thereupon.
Figure 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of such
portions of a breech loader to which the improvements refer.
(A) is the stock iron and breech frame; (C) is the breech block which
descends in a vertical slot formed in the breech, and is actuated by a
lever forming the trigger guard (D), which has a downward action, and
is moved by a thumb piece (D¹). The lever or trigger guard (D) is so
formed as to exclude all dirt or rain from the working parts when the

page_text: breech block is closed or the fire-arm turned guard uppermost. The
breech block (C) in its descent in the slot takes down one arm (¹) of a
cocking lever (H) working freely in a cavity in the breech block; the
other end (h) of the cocking lever (H) in rising presses upon the tumbler
cam (F), forcing the hammer or dog (B) upwards. To facilitate the
raising of the tumbler cam (F) I arrange a small friction roller in the
end of the arm (²) of the cocking lever (H), as shewn in Figure 2.
When the breech block (C) is at its lowest point the trigger scear (I)
springs into a notch in the tumbler (F), being assisted by the action
of the mainspring (E), and the hammer (B) remains fixed at full
cock. The cartridge having been inserted in the barrel the breech
block (C) is raised by drawing the lever guard (D) upwards. The trigger
scear (I) being pressed takes the scear end out of the notch in the
tumbler (F), and the hammer descends, pushed by the mainspring (E),
one end of which engages in the tumbler swivel (G), and the spring (E)
expands and regains its original form out of which it had been bent and
confined by the action of the short lever (H) raising the end of the
tumbler cam (F). The piston or striker (J) is enclosed in the breech
block. The hammer in its descent strikes the head of the piston (J),
driving the point of the piston against the cap at the base of the
cartridge and thus exploding it. The cartridge is extracted in the
descent of the breech block (C) by an angular or forked extractor (K),
one arm of which is caught by the descending breech block (C) and the
other arm pressing upon the rim of the cartridge forces it forward and
partly out of the barrel (P). (L) is a spring for facilitating the lowering
or raising of the block by engaging in the hinge part of the trigger
guard (D); (M) is the axis or screw of the cocking lever (H); (N) is
the screw of the tumbler (F); and (O) is the trigger screw..
By the improvements herein described the rise of the hammer (B) will
be effected simultaneously with the descent of the breech block (C)
vertically by means of the lever guard (D), or the hammer (B) may be
worked independently of the breech block (C) and may be put at half or
full cock at will, and when the hammer (B) is at full cock the breech
block (C) may be operated independently of the hammer.
Having thus described the nature and object of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, I claim
without being limited to these precise details the several improvements

page_text: in breech-loading fire-arms, substantially in manner as herein more fully
set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Shakespeare Manton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
JOHN SHAKESPEARE MANTON. (L.S.)