IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE- ARMS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Edmond Green, of 13, Blandford Street,
Portman Square, in the County of Middlesex, and John Green, of
Windermere Cottage, Winchmore Hill, Edmonton, in the said County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS."
Sealed the 30th December 1862, and dated the 12th July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Edmond Green,
and John Green at, the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
.their Petition, on the 12th July 1862.
We, CHARLES EDMOND GREEN,. of 18, Blandford, Street, Portman Square,
in the County of Middlesex, and JOHN GREEN,. of Windermere Cottage,
Winchmore Hill, Edmonton, in the said. County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention. for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH
LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows t-
Our improvement and invention claims to be an entire new method of
making or converting the present Enfield or other fire-arms into breech-loading
guns which can be charged with the greatest possible rapidity without
interfering with the customary muzzle loading, and fully retaining all their
original.strength and security without disfigurement to the
gun.
Our improvements and invention consist in removing the present breech or
screw plug and screwing therein a tube or cylinder of sufficient length and

page_text: strength to receive the cartridge through an aperture or opening cut at the
top side, this opening being again closed when charged by means of a slide
attached by a collar or other fastening to a bolt or piston which works within
the tube or cylinder, both sliding backward and forward at same time, thereby
forcing the cartridge to the exact position within the barrel; this is done by a
lever attached to the bolt or piston, and on the bolt or piston we have a stud
or studs, which is revolved by the lever, and locking the bolt or piston firmly
into a groove or grooves cut into the side. or end of the tube or cylinder which
can only be removed by reversing the action of the lever.
We further claim the advantage of being enabled to withdraw our bolt or
piston and slide from the breech tube or cylinder instanteously by the action
of a spring bolt, thereby leaving the barrel open from end to end; the gun rod
will then pass from the breech or muzzle for cleansing purposes. We also
claim through our improvement the great advantage of keeping the barrel
cool.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Edmond Green and John Green in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 12th January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
EDMOND GREEN, of 13, Blandford Street, Portman Square, in the County of
Middlesex, and JOHN GREEN, of Windermere Cottage, Winchmore Hill,
Edmonton, in the said County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Charles Elmond Green and John Green, Her special licence, that we,
the said Charles Edmond Green and John Green, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles Edmond
Green and John Green, our 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 we, the said Charles Edmond Green and John Green, our executors or

page_text: administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us or them; 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 Charles Edmond Green, on behalf
of myself and the said John Green, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our Invention consists in a new combination and construction of mochanism
peculiarly applicable when converting Enfield or other rifles and other muzzle-
loading fire-arms already constructed into breech-loading arms; the Invention
is however also applicable when constructing new breech-loading fire-arms.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of part of a fire-arm having our
improvements applied thereto; Figure 2 shows separately a plan; and Figure 3
a side view of part of the barrel with a breech chamber applied to it;
Figure 4 is a transverse section of the breech chamber taken at the dotted
line 1, 1, in Figure 3. The breech chamber is composed of a tube, the top.
of which is cut away, as shewn at Figures 2, 3, and 4, and is fixed by a screw
on the exterior of its forward end to the rear end of the barrel, the screw
screwing into the female screw in the barrel into which the breech plug of
muzzle-loading guns is ordinarily screwed, as is shown in Figure 1. Within
the chamber is a sliding piston or bolt by which the cartridge is driven from
the breech chamber into the barrel, and connected to the sliding bolt is a
cover which when the bolt is in its forward position covers the opening in the
breech chamber.. Figure 5 shews the piston or bolt and the cover of the breech
chamber separate from the other parts; Figure 6 shows a transverse section
of the cover of the breech chamber and piston or bolt taken at the dotted
line 2, 2, in Figure 5; and Figure 7 shows a transverse section of the breech-
chamber together with the cover and piston or bolt taken at the line 3, 3,
in Figure 1. In all the Figures the same letters of reference indicate the
same parts.
a; a, is the breech chamber, which is screwed to the breech end of the
barrel in the manner above described; 6 is the piston or bolt which is capable

page_text: of sliding to and fro in the breech chamber a. The piston or bolt can also
turn in a bearing, o', fixed on the under side of the cover c, and in. an
'end plate. c, which is formed at the back end of the cover c. this end
plate serves as a cover to the back end of the breech chamber; the bolt or
piston is so formed that it cannot move endwise in its bearings. The bolt or
piston is formed at its forward end with a circular disc or enlargement b',
which fits accurately into the breech end of the barrel, it is also formed - with
a projection 62, and in the side of the breach chamber is a notch or recess a¹
to receive this projection when the disc or enlarged end 6¹ has been pushed
into the end of the barrel and the piston has been turned partly round by the
lever. handle e fixed at its end; the bolt will by this means be securely held
from moving back when tho charge in the fire-arm is fired. The return of
the piston is further guarded against by forming an inclined projection e', on
the boss of the lever handle e, and this when the handle is turned down to
secure the piston enters a corresponding notch a' at the rear end of the
chamber; f is a stop furnished with a spring f, tending at all times to force
the stop upwards into the breech chamber so as to be in position to stop the
cover c and the piston' or bolt 6 from being drawn too far back, there being a
groove in the piston which the end of the stop fenters, and when the
extremity of the groove comes against the stop it prevents the piston being
further moved in an outward direction.
In order to prevent the fire-arm from being discharged, unless the projection
6 on the piston or bolt is turned down into the notch or recess a', a pin g
is attached to the trigger by a pin joint, which pin, if the bolt or piston be in
the correct position, will when the trigger is pulled enter the hole 6 in the
stem of the bolt or piston b. If, however, the piston or bolt be not in its
correct position the pin g will be unable to enter the hole &, and the trigger
cannot therefore be pulled back sufficiently to discharge the gun. The trigger
spring presses the trigger constantly back so that the end of the pin will only
enter the hole in the piston or plunger when the trigger is pulled. In using
a fire-arm having this Invention applied thereto the piston or bolt is freed by
turning the handle e and is drawn back, a cartridge is then introduced into
the breech chamber, the piston or bolt, and with it the cover, is then slidden
forward. the end of the piston forcing forward the cartridge into the barrel;
lastiy, the lever handle is turned down as shewn by red lines in Figure 1, and
the loading is completed (with the exception of the capping). The descrip-
tion of cartridge which it is preferred to use with the fire-arm is that made
in a case of thin membrane or skin with a felt wad saturated with lubricating
inaterial fixed at its back end, the wad being of a size to fit closely in the end

page_text: of the barrel by which all escape of gas at the joint will be prevented. This
lubricating wad is forced out by the next discharge; thus the barrel will be
kept constantly clean.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we are aware that it
has before boen proposed to construct breech-loading fire-arms in such manner
that the breech is closed by a plug which can be slidden to and fro, and which
can be also secured by being turned partly round, we do not therefore claim the
same. But what we claim is the peculiar construction of the breech chamber
and of the cover and piston or plunger combined therewith as above described.
Also the arrangement herein described for preventing the fire-arm being
discharged if the sliding bolt is not securely locked in position.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Edmond Green, havo hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of January in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
CUSCREEN
T