IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wood, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 3rd October 1861, and dated the 9th April 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th-
April 1861.
I, WILLIAM WOOD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows, that is to say:-
These improvements consist in constructing fire-arms & ordnance with the
breech end of the barrel removable upon a rack or screw to a sufficient extent
to expose a chamber for the reception of the charge; this, in the case of small
arms or small ordnance, would be effected by hand, but for large guns by
means of a lever or other mechanical appliance. The Invention will be more
readily comprehended by reference to the annexed Diagram, which is intended
to show the action of the parts. The dotted lines in Fig. 1 representing
the barrel closed. (A) is a portion. of the barrel; (B), a screw or rack
wormed or toothed upon two quarters and plain upon the other. two
quarters of the circumference of the charging chamber; (C), the breech

page_text: .
with an internal screw or rack corresponding to that upon the charging
chamber; (d), a slot similar to a bayonet slot; (E), a steady pin working
in the said slot; (f), a plug for forcing the charge into the exploding
chamber; (g), a thumb piece. The action is as follows:-The breech,
when closed, is secured in its proper place up to the barrel by the racks
or screws engaging in each other, and the steady pin (E) entering the
cross cut in the bayonet slot (d); when it is required to charge the piece,
a quarter turn of the breech releases the racks or screws, causing the toothed
or wormed portion of the one screw to meet the plain part of the other, and
thus allowing the breech to be drawn back sufficiently to disclose the charging
chamber (h). The charge being inserted, a motion of the hand precisely
similar to that employed in fixing bayonets brings the breech up home to the
barrel, the plug (f) advances the charge into the exploding chamber, and the
quarter turn of the breech locks the piece.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
Wood, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
the said William Wood, Her special license that I, the said William
Wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Wood, 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 AND ORDNANCE," upon the con-
dition, amongst others, that I, the said William Wood, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: 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 William Wood, 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 fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
These improvements consist in constructing fire-arms and ordnance with
the breech end of the barrel removable upon a rack or screw to a sufficient
extent to expose a chamber for the reception of the charge; this, in the case
of small arms or small ordnance, would be effected by hand, but for large guns
by means of a lever or other mechanical appliance. Upon two quarters of the
circumference of the charging chamber a screw or rack is wormed or toothed,
the other two quarters being plain. An internal screw or rack is formed
upon the breech corresponding to that upon the charging chamber, and upon
the under side of the breech a slot is cut similar to a bayonet slot, in which
slot works a steady pin or stud fixed upon the. under side of the charging
chamber. The action is as follows:-The breech, when closed, is secured in
its proper place up to the barrel by the racks or screws engaging in each
other, and the steady pin or stud entering the cross cut of the bayonet slot
keeps them in position. When it is required to charge the piece, a quarter
turn of the breech releases the racks or screws, causing the toothed or wormed
portions of the one screw to meet the plain part of the other, and thus allow-
ing the breech to be drawn back sufficiently to disclose the charging chamber.
The charge being inserted, a motion of the hand precisely similar to that
employed in fixing bayonets brings the breech up home to the barrel. A plug
attached to the breech-end advances the charge into the exploding chamber,
and the quarter turn of the breech locks the piece.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a portion of a rifle constructed according to these
improvements; the dotted lines shew the position of the breech when the
charging chamber is exposed for the insertion of the charge. Figure 2 is a
side view of the breech and charging, chamber with a portion of the barrel
detached from the stock; Figure 3 shews a top view of the same; Figure 4,
an under side view, and Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the same
parts; Figure 6 represents a transverse section of the charging chamber.

page_text: I will now proceed to describe the several parts and their action more in
detail, referring, in the first place, to (Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6,) in which the
parts are more clearly illustrated. It will be seen that a screw or rack (6) is
cut upon two quarters of the circumference of the charging chamber (h), the
other two quarters being left plain with an aperture in the upper one for the
admission of the charge. The breech (c) is also wormed or toothed upon two
quarters with an internal screw or rack, and left plain upon the other two
corresponding to the surfaces upon the charging chamber (h), and upon this
charging chamber (h) is fixed a steady pin or stud (y), which works in the
bayonet slot (d) in the breech (c); (f) is a plug for the purpose of forcing
the charge up into the exploding chamber (a) of the barrel (a); this plug is
turned conical at the end to fit accurately the conical sinking (m), (Fig. 5), in
the barrel, preventing, when the piece is fired, the rearward escape of any
explosive gases, and by this means I am enabled to dispense with the wads at
the rear of the charge, and so render the piece capable of being loaded either
'at the breech or the muzzle. This would be impossible if the wad were used
in muzzle-loading, for after loading at the muzzle and firing, the wad would
remain in the gun, and a succession of discharges would choke the explosive
chamber, rendering the piece useless until the wads were removed. To charge
.the gun,
it is merely necessary to give a quarter turn of the breech by the
thumb-piece (9), and sliding the breech back from the barrel, to expose the
charging chamber, into which the charge can be inserted, and the piece locked
again by the forward motion and quarter turn of the breech, the plug by the
same action driving the charge up into the exploding chamber.
1
The worm or rack upon the outer circumference of the charging chamber
and the inner circumference of the sliding breech acts partly in the manner of
a screw; tightening the breech up to the barrel, the one screw or rack
engaging in this position closely with the other, and being locked together by
the steady pin and bayonet slot action already described, the breech is com-
pletely secured.
It will be seen by the preceding description in what manner my improve-
ments are applicable to constructing breech-loading ordnance for light field
pieces and small cannon. The breech may be turned and worked by hand
only; for heavier guns a lever applied to the breech would afford suffi-
cient power to open and secure the charging chamber. I have described
the screws or racks by which the breech-end is made removable as being two
in each case, but one may be employed, or more than two, if preferred.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner

page_text: in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not confine myself to these precise details, but that which I claim, and desire
to have secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
the improvements in the construction of breech-loading fire-arms and ordnance,
by making the breech-end of the barrel or tube removable by means of the
adjusting action of the screw or rack, as herein more fully set forth and
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
WILLIAM WOOD. (L.S.)