IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, ORDNANCE, CARTRIDGES, AND PROJECTILES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Macintosh, of North Bank, Regent's Park, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, ORDNANCE, CARTRIDGES, AND PROJECTILES."
Sealed the 13th November 1860, and dated the 25th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Macintosh at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th May 1860.
I, JOHN MACINTOSH, of North Bank, Regent's Park, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, ORDNANCE, CARTRIDGES, AND PROJECTILES,"
to be as follows:-
יכי
This Invention relates, firstly, in arranging the hammer or striker so that
by one action part of the hammer will close the breech, while another part
explodes the copper cap or other detonating primer, and on cocking the
hammer opens
the breech to admit the cartridge. The hammer I employ to
close and open the breech of fire-arms and ordnance is made with a thick.
plate of metal projecting from the under side of the hammer, fitting securely
into an opening or recess made in the under side of the breech, the
being cut away; or the opening or recess may be made in the stock, the
whole forming a solid abutment.
upper
side
Secondly, the cartridge is rendered waterproof by a compound of collodion,

page_text: which ignites the charge, which may be gunpowder or gun cotton, or other
explosive material, through the above covering, without the necessity of
puncturing or removing such covering; and in constructing a base or capsule
of soft substance, forming a perfectly tight joint. The base or capsule may be
drawn from the barrel by means of a cavity and rough points made in the
plate which closes the breech.
Thirdly, the projectiles are made hollow, to fit the barrel of a smooth or
rifled bore. Each projectile or hollow cylinder is furnished with metal or hard
wood washer, which separates the charge contained in the projectiles. A series
of projectiles may be attached together, and fired consecutively, or otherwise,
as described in Specifications of Patents granted to me, numbers 14,041, A.D.
1852, and 638, A.D. 1852.
Another part of my improvements in projectiles are applicable to projectiles
having a cavity at the base, into which I insert a cone of combustible material,
which increases the range, and is capable of igniting inflammable material
after discharge, as described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me,
No. 404, A.D. 1857. In preparing an inflammable projectile for rifled or
other cannon, make a projectile of any required length of gutta percha, or
compounds of gutta percha in combination with explosive compounds, and
made so as not to be injured by the driving charge; by this means projectiles
may be made to carry masses of gunpowder, shot, or incendiary materials.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Macintosh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MACINTOSH, of 40, North Bank, Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty
year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Macintosh, Her special licence that I, the said John Macintosh,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Macintosh, 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,

page_text: 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, ORDNANCE, AND PROJECTILES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Macintosh, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Macintosh, do hereby declare the
.nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to arranging the hammer or striker so that
by one action part of the hammer closes the breech while another part
explodes the cap or other detonating primer, and on cocking the hammer the
breech opens to admit the cartridge. The hammer I employ to open and
close the breech of fire-arms is made with a thick plate of metal projecting
from the under side behind the part which explodes the cap, fitting securely
into an opening or recess made in the under side of the breech, the upper side
being cut away. It is desirable that a thick piece of metal be attached to the
under side in which the opening or recess is made, the whole forming a solid
abutment. In some cases a piece of metal fitting into the breech is attached
to the hammer by a link in front of the thick plate of metal on the under side
of the hammer, so that on cocking, the piece of metal is drawn back, and the
breech opened, and on firing it is pushed into the breech, and held securely by
the metal plate attached to the under side of the hammer, which fits into the
opening or recess made in the under side of the breech. The same arrange-
ments are applicable to opening and closing the breech of ordnance.
Secondly, this Invention relates to the construction of cartridges of collodion,
(as described in my Patent, No. 2791, A.D. 1859,) with the addition of
forming cartridges of gun cotton covered with a skin of collodion, which
renders them impervious to moisture, and which readily ignites by the fire of
the cap or other detonating primer, leaving no residue after firing. Also in
forming at the rear end of the cartridge a thick base or cap, which expands
on the explosion of the driving charge, preventing escape; when desired the
base may be so made as to be consumed after the discharge, or it may be
withdrawn from the breech by under cuts or rough surfaces in a slight cavity
formed in the piece of metal which closes and opens the breech.

page_text: Thirdly, to the application of my hollow projectiles (as described in my
Specification, No. 633, A.D. 1852,) to consecutive firing, (described in my
Specification, No. 14,041, A.D. 1852.) I employ a hard wood washer to
separate the projectiles of sufficient thickness to withstand the driving charge,
and furnished with "fuse composition" in the form of a V. My projectiles
may be fired singly by placing one containing the driving charge furnished
with discs or washers at both ends, and containing the fulminates necessary
for exploding the charge behind one having no charge.
Another part of my Invention is applicable to projectiles having a cavity at
the base, into which I insert a cone of combustible material, which will expand
the projectile and increase the range. In preparing an inflammable projectile
for rifled or other cannon, I make a projectile of any required length of gutta
percha, or compounds of gutta percha in combination with incendiary materials;
in the interior of the projectile a bursting charge may be inserted and fired
by a time fuse, which on bursting scatters the composition.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Macintosh, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOHN MACINTOSH. (L.s.)