IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Punshon, of Heatherleigh, Anerley Park,
in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 6th December 1875, and dated the 21st June 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Punshon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st June 1875.
I, ROBERT PUNSHON, of Heatherleigh, Anerley Park, in the County
of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING
ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the construction of ordnance with a
moveable breech capable of containing the charge of powder and the.
projectile, or of powder only, in order to give increased facility for rapid
firing, and proventing the escape of gas. For this purpose the moveable
breech consists of the breech end of the cannon enclosed within a ring

page_text: and supports fitted over the breech on to the barrel, such breech end
turning horizontally on a pivot fixed in the support. This moveable
breech has formed in it a chamber to receive the charge of powder
and the projectile, or of powder alone.
By making the moveable breech to contain the charge escape of gas
will be prevented and the rapidity of loading may be increased.
In some cases the moveable breech may be constructed so as to contain
two or more chambers, which may be turned into position as required
by moving the said breech on the pivot.
When a moveable breech with a single chamber is employed it is 1
fixed and secured in position as required for firing by means of a bolt at
the rear end of the supporting breech, and when there are two or more
chambers in the moveable brecch it is fixed and secured in position as
required for firing by means of two sliding bars fixed to a ring working
on the barrrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Robert Punshon in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
PUNSHON, of Heatherleigh, Anerley Park, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, send greeting.
1 WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Punshon, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Punstion, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Punshon, 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

page_text: IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Punshon, 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 data
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Punshon, 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 Drawing hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
My Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Breech-
loading Ordnance" has for its object the construction of ordnance with
a movable breech capable of containing the charge of powder and the
projectile, or of powder only, in order to give increased facility for rapid
firing, and prevent the escape of gas. For this purpose the movable
breech consists of the breech end of the cannon enclosed within an
outer breech forged to the barrel, and forming a support for the inner
breech, which turns horizontally or vertically on a kind of ball-and-
socket joint in the end of such outer breech. This movable breech has
formed in it a chamber to receive the charge of powder and the projectile,
or of powder alone.
By making the said movable breech to contain the charge, escape of
gas will be prevented and the rapidity of loading may be increased.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed
by reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which is represented a
gun constructed in the manner above referred to.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents the gun with the breech closed for firing; Fig. 2
shows the same with the breech opened to receive the charge.

page_text: In these several Figures the same letters of reference indicate corres-
ponding parts.
"
is
A is the outer breech, which is forged on to the barrel, as shown, and is
formed so as to receive the movable inner breech B, the rear end of which
8 convex, in order to fit into the concave socket formed by the interior
of the outer breech, within which it moves as on a ball-and-socket joint.
The front part of the movable breech B is formed so as to abut against
the correspondingly formed solid parts of the breech A, in order that
when the breech B is closed for firing it may be solid with the breech A,
as required. O is a slide fixed in the end of the breech B, and working 1
in a slot formed in the breech A, such slide being formed with a flange
or flanges fitting over the outer end of the breech A, and terminating in
a knob or handle D, by means of which the movable breech B may be
turned on the socket joint, in order to open the breech for loading; E is
a hinged stop, by means of which the slide O is fixed and secured against 1
any movement when the breech B is closed for firing; F is the charge
contained in the chamber formed in the movable breech B to receive it.
"
The movable breech B is opened as required for loading by releasing
the slide C from the stop E, and moving the said breech on the ball-and-
socket joint into the position shewn in Fig. 2, and it is closed after the
charge F has been inserted in the chamber of the said breech ready for
firing by turning it into the position shown in Fig. 1, and it is locked in
that position by means of the stop E, which is brought in contact with
the slide C, and fixed there.
•
If preferred the movable breech B may be formed so as to be screwed 2
forward into a recess formed in the breech A. to receive it, and blocked
in behind by means of a blocking piece of suitable form inserted at the
back of the movable breech B. The breech is then opened for loading
by removing the blocking piece and reversing the movement of the
screw, whereby the movable breech B will be withdrawn from the 3
cavity in the breech A, when the breech B can be raised as required to
receive the charge.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim
as of my Invention is,—
First. The construction of ordnance with an outer fixed breech and an
3

page_text: inner movable breech, respectively formed and adapted for the working
of the movable breech in the manner herein-before described.
And, Secondly. The construction of the movable breech with a
chamber to contain the charge, as herein-before described.
•
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Panshon, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane.
ROBERT PUNSHON. (L.S.)