IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Greener, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed. the 21st March 1865, and dated the 24th September 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Greener at. the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
September 1864.
I,. WILLIAM. GREENER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN;"
to be as follows:-
My Invention refers chiefly to shot guns and to those in which the
Lefaucheux cartridge is used; it consists in forming the cartridge chamber
only of such length as to receive the powder and its wad, the shot being
contained in the fore part of the cartridge case of the same diameter as the
bore of the gun. My Invention also consists in providing a guard in the
form of a metal shield on the barrel to protect the pin, stud,, or bolt projecting
from the cartridge case.
My improvements in cartridges consist in forming the case of different
diameters and in detachable parts, that part containing the shot being smaller.
than that holding the powder. On being fired the smaller part is discharged
from the barrel.

page_text: My Invention further consists in forming the cap or basin holding the
detonating composition of such small circumference that it will not allow of
any lateral play of the exploding pin therein, and in placing it out of metallic
contact with the disc forming the rear of the cartridge case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Greener in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th March 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM-
GREENER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Greener, Her special licence that I, the said William
Greener, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Greener, my executors; administrators, and assigns, should. at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Greener, 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 per-
formed, 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 William Greener, .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 follow-
ing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention refers chiefly to shot guns and to those in which the
Lefaucheux cartridge is used; it consists in forming the cartridge chamber.

page_text: .
'only of such length as to receive the powder and its wad, the shot being
contained in the fore part of the cartridge case of the same diameter as the
bore of the gun.
.
My improvements in cartridges consist in forming the case of different
diameters, and in detachable parts, that part containing the shot being smaller
than that holding the powder. On being fired, the smaller part is discharged
from the barrel.
My Invention further consists in forming the cap or basin holding the
detonating composition of such small circumference that it will not allow of
any lateral play of the exploding pin therein, and in placing it out of metallic
contact with the disc forming the rear of the cartridge case.
Figure 1 of the accompanying 'Drawings is a longitudinal section of a
protion of a breech-loading gun constructed according to my Invention, with
one of my improved cartridges therein. I form the cartridge chamber a, a,
only of such length as to receive the powder and its wad; the fore part of the
cartridge case containing the shot being of the same diameter as the bore b, b,
of the gun.
$
Figure 2 is a section of one of my improved cartridges with the case
formed of two different diameters. c, c, is the part of the case containing the
powder; and d, d, the part of the case of smaller diameter containing the
shot. In some cases I make the cartridges in two parts, as represented in
Figure.3, made to fit one into the other.
In order that the cap or basin holding the detonating composition may be
out of metallic contact with the disc e on the rear of the cartridge case, I in
some instances place it on the bottom of the cartridge case, as shewn at f
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6, and, fit the percussion ping at an angle, so as to be
acted on by the hammer near the rear of the cartridge. In other instances
I pass the percussion pin g through the rear of the cartridge to about the
centre of the gunpowder, where it meets a metal loop or bottom of a tube. h,
Figures 4 and 5, against which it percusses when acted upon by the hammer
to explode the charge.
:
For guns in which it is not advisable or practicable: to cut out breech
chambers I construct cartridges of uniform external diameter, but of two
different internal diameters, as represented in Figure 6; the powder is
contained in the portion c, c, of smaller internal diameter, and the shot in the
portion d, d, of larger internal diameter, equal to the diameter of the bore of
the gun less the slight thickness of the sides of the cartridge.
Figure 7 represents a section of a portion of a rifle with the breech

page_text: .chamber a, a, made only of sufficient length to receive the part of the cartridge
containing the powder.
Figure 8 is a view. of one of my cartridges for use in a rifle.
When I form cartridges of two separate parts, as represented in Figures 3
and 5, I prefer to employ for that part which contains the shot cotton, lint, or
other similar material previously submitted to the action of nitric or sulphuric
acid, or both, whereby when the gun is fired it becomes rapidly consumed and
is burnt and entirely dissipated.
manner
'
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, constructing breech-loading arms with the cartridge-chamber only of
such length as to receive the powder and its wad, the shot being contained in
the fore part of the cartridge case of the-same-diameter as the bore of
the gun, as herein-before, described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second, constructing cartridges for breech-loading arms with the case of
different diameters, that, part containing the shot being smaller than that
holding the powder, as and for the purpose herein-before described, and illus-
trated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third, constructing cartridges for breech-loading arms in detachable parts,
the part containing the shot being capable of fitting into the part holding the
powder, as herein-before described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings...
Fourth, constructing cartridges for breech-loading arms with the cap or
basin bolding the detonating composition out of metallic contact with the disc
forming the rear of the cartridge case, substantially as herein-before described,
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth, constructing cartridges for breech-loading arms as represented in
Figure 6 of the accompanying Drawings, and herein-before described.
-
In witness whereof, I, the said William Greener, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five..
WILLIAM GREENER. (L.S.)