IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest Nillus, of Havre, France, Engineer, f
IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE."
the Invention of "
Sealed the 5th September 1871, and dated the 14th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest Nillus at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th March 1871.
I, ERNEST NILLUS, of Havre, France, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
ORDNANCE," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in an improved method of working the breech
block of such breech-loading ordnance in which the breech block is
moved to and fro by means of a hollow screw piece at the rear end of
the piece of ordnance.
By my improvements the breech block at its upper part is connected
to one end of a rod or axis which passes through the screw at the end of
the piece of ordnance, the said rod being furnished with a suitable
handle at its other end In the piece of ordnance under the breech

page_text: block is cut a vertical hole which serves for the play of the breech block
and for the discharge of the water and the products of the explosion
when the gun is sponged out.
To open the breech and charge a piece of ordnance constructed as
herein-before described the handle of the closing screw piece is turned
through about one-third of a circle, and withdraws the breech block a
certain distance from the breech of the bore; the handle of the brecch
block is now turned and moves the breech block downwards from the
breech into the vertical hole herein-before described, the charge is intro-
duced through the hole in the centre of the screw piece, the upper
part of the breech block being so shaped as to serve as a guide for the
charge; the breech block is now moved upwards by means of its
handle, and the handle of the screw piece being turned in the opposite
direction to that herein-before described, the screw piece is moved
forward, and with it the breech block, the conical part of the latter 1
fitting into the breech of the bore and completely closing it. Stops
or buffers are suitably placed to regulate the play of the breech block.
The vent hole passes through the breech block and the upper part of
the rear end of the piece of ordnance so that it cannot be fired until
the breech is properly closed. The handle of the screw piece is furnished 2
with a suitable stopper for holding it in position when closed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ernest Nillus in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 13th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ERNEST
NILLUS, of Havre, France, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Ernest Nillus, Her special
licence that I, the said Ernest Nillus, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ernest Nillus, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,

page_text: 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 ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Ernest Nillus, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ernest Nillus, 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 tho
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereto annexed,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:—
This Invention consists in an improved method of working the breech
block breech-loading ordnance of the kind in which the breech block
is moved to and fro by means of a hollow screw piece at the rear end of
the piece of ordnance.
By my improvements the breech block at its upper part is connected
to one end of a rod or axis which passes through the screw at the end
of the piece of ordnance, the said rod being furnished with a suitable
handle at its other end, and under the breech block is cut a vertical hole
which serves for the play of the breech block and for the discharge of
the water, and the products of the explosion when the gun is sponged.
out.
To open the breech and charge a piece of ordnance constructed
according to my Invention the handle of the closing screw piece is
turned through about one third of a circle, by which the breech block
is withdrawn a certain distance from the breech of the bore; the handle.
of the breech block is then turned and moves the breech block down-
wards from the breech into the said vertical hole, the charge or cartridge.
is introduced through the hole in the centre of the screw piece, the
upper part of the breech block being so shaped as to serve as a guide for
the charge, the breech block is then moved upwards by means of its.
handle, and the handle of the screw piece being turned in the opposite.
direction to that herein-before described the screw piece is moved.

page_text: forward and with it the breech block the conical part of the latter fitting
into the breech of the bore and completely closing it. Stops or buffers
are suitably placed to regulate the play of the breech block. The vent
hole may either pass through the breech block and the
upper part of
the rear end of the piece of ordnance, so that it cannot be fired until
the breech is properly closed, or the vent hole may be vertical. The
handle of the screw piece is furnished with a suitable stopper for holding
it in position when closed.
To make my Invention better understood I will now proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 a transverse section of a
piece of ordnance with the breech constructed according to my Invention;
Figure 3 end elevation of same shewing the breech closed, and Figure 4
an end elevation shewing the breech open.
In the gun represented by these figures the vent hole is shewn passing
obliquely through the breech block, the gun being constructed for firing
a cartridge such as that used with the French rifled cannon. Figure 5
longitudinal section, and Figure 6 end view of the breech end of the gun,
shewing the method of extracting the cartridge. Figure 7 longitudinal
section of the breech end of a piece of ordnance similar to that shewn
in the preceding figures but having a vertical vent hole to permit of an
ordinary cartridge being used therewith. Similar letters in all the
figures represent similar parts.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, a is the breech block connected at its upper
part to one end of the rod or axis b, which passes through the closing
screw c formed with a central hole g; the other end of the rod is
furnished with the handle d, for moving the breech-block a; e is the
vertical hole cut in the gun under the breech-block; f is the handle
of the screw c; h, stop or buffer for regulating the play of the breech-
block;, vent hole passing through the rear end of the piece of
ordnance, and through the breech-block in an oblique direction; j, screw
for holding the handlef of the screw'c in its position, when the latter
is closed; n, stop to arrest the motion of the screw.
To open the breech and charge the gun thus constructed (the parts
being in the position shewn in Figure 3), the handle f of the screw c
is turned through about one-third of a circle into the position shewn
in Figure 4, thus withdrawing the screw and with it the breech-block a,

page_text: a short distance from the breech of the bore; the handle d is now
turned until it occupies the position shewn in Figure 4, by which the
breech-block will be moved downwards into the vertical hole c, as shown
in Figure 6. The cartridge is now introduced through the central hole g,
the upper part of the breech-block being so shaped (as seen in Figure 2)
as to serve as a guide for the cartridge; the handles d and fare then
moved back into the position shewn in Figure 3, and the cartridge will
be forced home, and the breech completely closed; the conical part of
the breech-block fitting into the breech of the bore, as shown in Figure 1,
and the gun is ready to fire.
The cartridge I use with this gun is similar to that used for the
French rifled cannon, and known by the name of the de Reffye cartridge,
and shewn in section Figure 1.
The extractor I employ is shewn in Figures 6 and 7, applied to the
breech of a gun ready to extract the cartridge. This extractor consists
of a rod k, furnished at its outer end with a cross handle ; the inner
end of this rod k is pointed and cut with a screw. The rod of the
extractor is provided with a circular guide boss m, through the centre
of which the rod passes, so as to move freely therein. The guide boss
is made so that it will fit into the rear end of the central hole g of the
screw.
The gun having been fired and the breech opened as hercin-before
described, the extractor is passed into the hole g of the screw, the point
of the rod piercing the metal bottom of the exploded cartridge; the rod
is then turned by means of its handle 1, and its screw will pass into and
take firm hold of the cartridge bottom, as shewn in Figure 6, the
extractor is then withdrawn and draws with it the empty cartridge case.
The collars 8, 8¹, regulate the play of the rod k.
The gun shewn in Figure 7 is constructed and worked in a similar
manner to that herein-before described, except that the vent hole is
vertical, thus allowing of the employment of an ordinary cartridge, which
may be made in two different ways. The first as for ordinary breech-
loading pieces, provided with a safety washer fixed to the breech block,
permits the destruction of the case made of a textile material; the
second is made of cardboard, metal, or of a textile fabric or other like
material, but provided with a metallic bottom capable of completing
the closing by the force of the explosion.

page_text: Having now described my Invention, and the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying the same into effect, what I claim is,―
Firstly. The general arrangement by which the breech block is
adapted to the breech screw, and moved substantially as herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The arrangement and mode of action of the breech screw,
by which the breech screw is turned only part of a circle, and the thread
is prevented from leaving the breech, as herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The vertical hole under the breech block for facilitating the
discharge of the refuse of the explosion in the cleaning operation, as
herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest Nillus, have hereto set my'
hand and seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.