IM- PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Herbert Wenham, of Effra Vale Lodge,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 7th April 1854, and dated the 1st February 1854.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Francis Herbert Wenham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 1st February 1854, pursuant to the 9th section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
HERBERT WENHAM, of Effra Vale Lodge, Brixton, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," 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):-
In the following description of my Invention the letters of reference apply
to the same parts in each of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
This Invention is applied to breech-loading fire-arms to be constructed in
accordance with the following description.
Figure 1 is an elevation; Figure 2 is a section; and Figure 3 is a plan.
The back end of the moveable breech a turns on a crank pin b, and is fixed
thereto by means of the cap c screwed on to the end of the breech. The

page_text: forward end of the breech is made in the form of a truncated conc, which
fits into a corresponding cone made in the inner end of the breech case or
barrel.
The shaft of the crank is of larger diameter than the crank pin, and rotates
in two opposite openings made in the sides of the breech case. The breech
case is made of iron, brass, or gun metal, and is so formed that the barrel e
may be screwed into it, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
To the end of the crank shaft which projects through the breech case is
firmly fixed a handle f. g is a spring catch for keeping the handle down in
place when firing. Figure 4 is a plan of the crank and handle; and Figure 5,
a sectional elevation of the same.
Figure 2 shews the breech tilted up in the proper position for loading. The
method of bringing it into this position is as follows:-Unlock the handle by
pressing back the spring catch, then turn the handle in an upward direction,
which will draw the breech backwards; this effect is produced by the crank
form of the breech axis; when the handle has been turned about a quarter
round, or at right angles to its normal position, it will have drawn the fore end
of the breech out of the cone in the breech case, and on further turning the
handle the breech will travel with it and rise into the position shown by
Figure 2, and by still further pressing down the handle the breech will be
forced against the tail piece h, and be firmly fixed into the position for
loading.
The breech is returned to its place by simply returning the handle to its first
position.
The second part of my Invention relates to a method of self-priming, and
which I shall term the "direct action primer," and describe as follows:-
a', Figure 2, is the nipple, which by the tilting of the breech is placed into
a cavity made to receive it in the tail piece h. The position of the nipple for
priming must be below the upper surface of the tail piece; a hole is bored
in the wooden handle of the gun of the proper diameter for admitting the caps
endways. The caps are forced through a hole in the tail piece in a direct
line upon the nipple by means of the rod c', which is urged forward by the
spiral spring d¹ contained in a larger hole bored in the butt end of the stock.
A slit e' is cut in the side of the stock to allow a pin to pass through, which
pin is screwed into the base of the sliding rod for the purpose of drawing it
back by means of the external stud fi; when the end of the rod is drawn
back past the hole g', Figure 1, the primer is filled with caps by dropping
them into the hole separately, and allowing them to fall forward till the primer
is full.

page_text: The caps are kept back till required simply by means of a spring h¹, shown
in Figures 1, 2, and 3, which catches against the lower edge of the cap; tlie
end of the spring projects through the side of the breech case, as shown in
Figures 1 and 3. When the breech is brought into the exact position for
charging, the projecting end of the spring his pressed down by a stud i,
forming part of the disc a screwed on to the flat end of the crank; this
causes a cap to be released, and thrust directly on to the nipple, and when
this, together with the cap, is raised out of the cavity in the tail piece the
spring will return, and keep back the next cap till required.
The third part of my Invention consists of a method of preventing the
breech from being unlocked while the hammer is down, and also of preventing
the hammer from reaching the nipple, unless the breech and handle are in the
proper and safe position for firing.
This is effected by what I shall term the "safety disc," the action of which
is as follows:-a², Figures 1 and 3, is a disc or plate screwed and fixed firmly
on to the flat end of the crank shaft. The part of the disc near to the
hammer b, is cut away so as to allow the projecting part of the hammer
just to pass close when the hammer is let down. This will prevent the breech
handle from being turned when the hammer is in this position.
If when the hammer is raised the crank handle is not locked in place, and
consequently in an unsafe position for firing, the projecting part c² of the
hammer will not pass the disc, but strike on the edge of it, and thus prevent
the hammer from striking the priming.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the method of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention is as
follows:-
First, securing the breech so as to turn with and rotate on a crank, so as to
produce the effect of turning it down and forcing it forwards towards the barrel
for the purpose of locking it fast, in the manner herein described.
Secondly, I claim the method of priming when the nipple is placed in a
position in a groove or cavity below the surface of the tail piece or stock, so
as to enable the caps or other priming to be thrust from their containing tube
straight forward upon the nipple by the direct action of a spiral spring. I
also claim the releasing of the cap by the deflection of a springing piece
which secures the caps in this tube by catching against their edges, as above
described.
I am aware that self-primers for guns in which the caps are contained in a
tube bored in the stock and forced up by a spiral spring have been in use for
many years. I therefore give it to be understood that I limit my claim to the

page_text: method herein described, which, from the circumstance of the axis of the
nipple and priming tube being in the same line, and the caps being thrust
directly thereon, I shall term "the direct action primer."
Thirdly, I claim the application of a disc or plate of metal attached to the
tilting breech or breech axis which shall prevent the breech from being raised
when the hammer is down on the nipple, and which will also prevent the
hammer from striking the priming when the breech is not locked or in an
unsafe position, and which I term "the safety disc."
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Herbert Wenham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
.S. CARPMAEL.
F. H. WENHAM. (L.S.)