IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Brown Roden, of Usk, in the County of
Monmouth, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 21st January 1868, and dated the 24th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Brown Roden
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th July 1867.
I, RICHARD BROWN RODEN, of Usk, in the County of Monmouth,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms using self-ignition
cartridges, and consists of a combination of parts constituting an improved
mode of construction as herein-after described.
These improvements whilst they are applicable to all systems having
vertical faced breech blocks are more especially intended as further improve-
ments upon the Inventions for which Letters Patent were granted as follows:-
No. 1828, 1862, to François Eugène Schneider and Jacob Snider, junior ;
No. 2145, 1864, to Thomas Wilson; No. 2741, 1864, to Jacob Snider,
junior; No. 2912, 1864, to Jacob Snider, junior; No. 188, 1865, to Jacob
Snider, junior; No. 2275, 1865, to Jacob Snider, junior; and consists of
the following arrangements :-Instead of placing the lock on the side of the
stock as now generally practised it is inserted in the middle of the same, and
directly over or in connection with the trigger guard, which may or may not
be modified to suit the particular form or construction of lock. The lock, may

page_text: be of any suitable construction, and so arranged as to operate or function a
striker or bolt, which can be used either for percussing the piston or striker,
which produces the ignition of the cartridge, or for holding the breech block
against accidental explosion, or both. Instead of the ordinary dog or hammer
a lever thumb piece is used, by which the striking or locking bolt is retracted.
The breech tang and tail pin are also modified so as to clear the mechanism
of the lock.
These improvements further extend to a method of and arrangement for
extracting the expended cartridge case, whether such extractor be operated in
connection with the breech block or otherwise. This is effected by arranging
the extractor and its bed so as to operate on the rim of the cartridge case at
or a little below its diameter, the diameter corresponding with the horizontal
axis of the barrel, and by forming or placing an inclined plane on the bed of
the shoe, either elastic or otherwise, by which means the cartridge case may
readily be ejected from the shoe. In the case of existing arms a stud or stop
is placed in the shoe at any suitable point, and by drawing back the extractor
sharply, when the bead or rim comes in contact with such stud or stop, it will
cause the case to fly out in a similar manner. This stud or stop may be made
rigid or elastic as most convenient.
This Invention further consists in constructing a ridge or flange on the
under side of the breech block, which ridge or flange fits into a corresponding
groove in the bed of the shoe, its object being to retard any escape of gas
backwards in case of the bursting of a cartridge on explosion, but this is only
used in the absence of a locking bolt.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Brown Roden in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th January 1868
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
BROWN RODEN, of Usk, in the County of Monmouth, Gentleman, (send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Brown Roden, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Brown Roden, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such 'others as I,

page_text: the said Richard Brown Roden, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Brown Roden, 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 Richard Brown Roden, 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 :-
My said Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms using self-ignition
cartridges, and consists of a combination of parts constituting an improved
mode of construction as herein-after described.
These improvements whilst they are applicable to all systems having
vertical faced breech blocks are more especially intended as further improve-
ments upon the Inventions for which Letters Patent were granted as follows:-
No. 1828, 1862, to François Eugène Schneider and Jacob Snider, junior;
No. 2144, 1865, to Thomas Wilson; No. 2741, 1864, to Jacob Snider,
junior; No. 2912, 1864, to Jacob Snider, junior; No. 188, 1865, to Jacob
Snider, junior; No. 2275, 1865, to Jacob Snider, junior; and consist of the
following arrangements :-Instead of placing the lock on the side of the stock
as now generally practised it is inserted in the middle of the same, and
directly over or in connection with the trigger guard, which may or may not
be modified to suit the particular form or construction of lock. The lock may
be of any suitable construction, and so arranged as to operate or function a
striker or bolt, which can be used either for percussing the piston or striker
which produces the ignition of the cartridge, or for holding the breech block
against accidental explosion, or both. Instead of the ordinary dog or hammer
a lever thumb piece is used by which the striking or locking bolt is retracted
after the discharge of the arm. The breech tang and tail pin are also
modified so as to clear the mechanism of the lock.
These improvements further extend to a method of and arrangement for

page_text: extracting the expended cartridge case, whether such extractor be operated in
connection with the breech block or otherwise. This is effected by arranging
the extractor and its bed so as to operate on the rim of the cartridge case at
or a little below its diameter, the diameter corresponding with the horizontal
axis of the barrel, and by forming or placing an inclined plane on the bed of the
shoe, either elastic or otherwise, by which means the cartridge case may readily
be ejected from the shoe. In the case of existing arms a stud or stop is
placed in the shoe at any suitable point, and by drawing back the extractor
sharply when the head or rim of the cartridge comes in contact with such
stud or stop it will cause the case to fly out in a similar manner. This stud
or stop may be made rigid or elastic as most convenient.
My said Invention further consists in constructing a ridge or flange on the
under side of the breech block, which ridge or flange fits into a corresponding
groove in the bed of the shoe, its object being to retard any escape of gas
backwards in case of the bursting of a cartridge on explosion, but this is only
used in the absence of a locking bolt.
I will now refer to the annexed Drawings from which the nature of my
said Invention will be more clearly understood. In these Drawings similar
letters of reference apply to like parts in all the Figures.
A is the stock; B, the barrel; b¹, the charge chamber; C, the breech block;
c, the thumb piece; c, the hinge lump; c, the nipple lump; c, oblique
discharging piston; c, ridge or flange; D, the discharging piston in the breech
block; D', the spring to discharging piston; d, the tubular screw; E, the
extractor; e¹, extractor tube; e², extractor guide; F, breech tang; G, breech
nail; H, trigger guard; I, elastic inclined plane; K, striking or locking bolt;
³, set screw; L, the lock with its parts; l', the tumbler; &, the main spring;
P, the swivel;, the trigger; 1, the trigger pin; 6, the trigger spring; F, the
trigger spring screw; &, the side plates; P, the under side plate; 70, the side
plate screws; M, the stud or stop in shoe; N, the latching stud; P, the
stationary pin or bar; p¹, the set screw; R, screw to secure lock plate; S, the
shoe, screw for attaching barrel; &, breech block chamber; ³, the stud
upon the shoe; s*, groove for the elastic inclined plaue; , groove for the flange
on the breech block.
Fig. 1 is a side view; Figure 2 a top view; Figure 3 a longitudinal
vertical section on the line W, X, with the breech block in position for firing
looking towards the butt end of the gun, and Figure 5 a transverse vertical
section on the line Y, Z, with the breech block thrown open, looking towards
the muzzle of the gun, shewing the first part of my Invention, being an
arrangement or combination for operating the discharge of the cartridge and

page_text: holding down the breech block against accidental explosion by the mechanism
of a lock inserted in the centre of the stock directly over the trigger guard;
and with a lever thumb piece for retracting the striking or locking bolt after
the discharge of the fire-arm.
I do not claim as new or of my Invention any of the parts of the mechanism
by which this arrangement is effected, as the lock in its several parts, of
tumbler which may also in the mode delineated act as a striker to advance and
retract the bolt which locks down the breech block and operates the discharging
piston, and connected to the mainspring by a swivel in the ordinary manner,
the tumbler working upon an axle passing through the two side plates of the
lock, and completely through the head of the gun working in gudgeons let
into the stock, and carrying on one side the lever thumb piece which is secured
to it in the usual manner, and on the reverse side retained in position by a
screw similar to a tumbler pin or otherwise. The trigger acts direct upon the
tumbler and a spring similar to au ordinary sear spring operates the trigger,
this trigger spring being attached to the side plate of the lock by a screw and
stud in the ordinary manner. One side plate of the lock may for convenience
be constructed in a piece with the under side plate to which the trigger guard
is attached, and the other side plate held firmly in position by side screws. The
striking or locking bolt may be of any convenient form, and have a set screw
or other arrangement to maintain it in a parallel position.
It will be seen on reference to the Drawings that the head of the discharging
piston is sunk somewhat below the rear face of the breech block, so that the
locking bolt enters the tubular screw in the rear of the breeeh block, and
which serves to maintain the discharging piston with the spring for operating
its return motion in position, and securely locks down the breech block before
the ignition of the cartridge is effected. The shoe which carries the breech
action and is screwed or otherwise attached to the barrel may be constructed in
any convenient mode, as also the breech block and arrangements for extracting
the expended cartridge case, and a latching stud may be used in any convenient
position to retain the breech in position when the locking bolt is not in opera-
tion. On the under side of the shoe a stud is formed to receive a screw passing
through the under side plate of the lock and through the stock. The breech
tang is made of an additional length to allow the breech nail to clear the
mechanism of the lock, and arranged as required for the motion of the striking
or locking bolt. The trigger guard may be of any convenient form and
arrangement; an ordinary dog or hammer may be used for percussing an
oblique or other discharging piston for igniting the cartridge, and the herein-
before described arrangements applied as a locking bolt only.

page_text: The second part of my Invention is partly shewn by Figures 4 and 5
already referred to, Figure 6 which is a transverse vertical section (looking
towards the muzzle of the gun) through the shoe, with breech block thrown
open, and Figure 7 a longitudinal vertical section of a shoe shewing the
arrangements of the cartridge extractor and the bed of the shoe on which it
slides for operating on the rim of the cartridge case at or a little below the
horizontal axis of the barrel, as also the elastic inclined plane in the bed of
the shoe for ejecting the expended cartridge case on its withdrawal from the
charge chamber. In this part of my improvements the sides of the shoe may
be formed of or cut down to any convenient height so as to avoid the rim of
the expended cartridge case slipping away from the grasp of the extractor, and
in such case the extractor with its tube and guide, as also the position of the
stationary pin and the form of the breech block and other parts, would
be modified to suit the altered requirements, as also the sides of the stock.
In the bed of the breech block chamber of the shoe I form a groove in which
is placed an elastic inclined plane of any convenient length and form, or as a
flat spring secured at one end in the groove of the shoe, the other being free
to move a certain distance. On sharply drawing back the extractor the rim
or head of the cartridge case in passing over it depresses the elastic inclined
plane into the groove of the shoe, and on the extractor being returned into its
normal position the elastic inclined plane is free to exert itself upon the
cartridge case and ejects it clear of the shoe; a rigid inclined plane may be
used in a similar position, but in such case the head or rim of the cartridge
case would on coming in contact with the forward portion be diverted from
the horizontal motion given to it by the extractor, and rising up the incline
fall over the side and out of the shoe; the breech block in either case would
be grooved as required.
Figure 8 is a transverse vertical section of a shoe (looking towards its rear
end); Figure 9 is a top view, and Figure 10 a longitudinal vertical section of
a shoe, shewing the application of a stud or stop to existing arms for the
purpose of ejecting the expended cartridge case from the breech block chamber
of the shoe on its withdrawal from the charge chamber. This stud or stop
may be of any convenient form, and either rigid or elastic, and secured or
otherwise to the shoe; when elastic its operation is very similar to the elastic
inclined plane herein-before described, but when rigid the head or rim of the
expended cartridge case on its being retracted by the operation of the extractor
comes in contact with the stud, which changes the direction of its motion and
ejects it from the shoe.
The third part of my Invention is shewn by Figure 11, which. is a longi-

page_text: tudinal vertical section, and Figure 12 a transverse vertical section of a breech
action with a ridge or flange formed on the under side of the breech block,
and fitting into a corresponding groove in the bed of the shoe, the object of
this arrangenient being to retard the backward action of the gas in case of
any escape from the bursting of a cartridge on explosion, and to avoid the
accidental blowing open of the breech block where a locking bolt is not
used.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the essential
features of my Invention, but at the same time I do not claim the whole of
the parts when taken separately; but what I consider novel and original and
therefore claim as constituting the Invention secured to me by the said
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent are,-
First, the said improvements, parts, and mechanism when combined
substantially in the manner herein-before described and illustrated in the
aunexed Drawings.
Secondly, forming and placing an elastic inclined plane or a rigid or elastic
stud or stop in the bed of the shoe as and for the purposes substantially herein-
before set forth and described.
Thirdly, the several improvements, combinations, and modifications of parts
and mechanism herein-before described, being further improvements upon
the Inventions for which the Letters Patent herein-before referred to were
granted.
And, fourthly, the application of any or all of the said improvements,
combinations, and modifications of parts and mechanism to any or all
systems of breech-loading fire-arms having vertical faced breech blocks.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Richard Brown Roden, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
HENRY NICHOLAS,
Usk,
Monmouthshire.
R. B. RODEN. (LS.)