IMPROVEMENTS. IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES TO BE USED THEREWITH, AND WITH OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Henkel at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th November 1868.-A communication from abroad by Gustav
Bloem, of Dusseldorf, in the Kingdom of Prussia, and Ernst
Scheidt, of New York, in the United States of America.
I, HENRY HENKEL, of Upper Thames Street, in the City of London,,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS.
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES TO BE USED THEREWITH,
AND WITH OTHER DESCRIPTIONS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," (communicated
to me from abroad by Gustav Bloem, of Dusseldorf, in the Kingdom.
of Prussia, and Ernst Scheidt, of New York, in the United States of
America), to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-
arms and in cartridges to be used therewith, and with other descriptions
of breech-loading fire-arms, and relates,―
Firstly. To improvements in breech-loading fire-arms, whereby great
simplicity of parts is obtained. For this purpose a suitable cylindrical
..

page_text: chamber is fixed to the breech end of the barrel to receive a plug or
moveable breech piece which is capable of being moved to and fro
therein by means of a handle or knob fixed thereto, the cylindrical
chamber being formed with a suitable opening to receive the cartridge
when the breech piece or plug is moved back, so as to leave the breech
end of the barrel open.
This cylindrical chamber is also formed with a
suitable slot to permit of the to-and-fro motion of the plug or moveable
breech piece, and to hold such plug or moveable breech piece in either
position as required, the knob or handle coming against suitable stops
for this purpose. Within the plug or moveable breech piece is a suitable
chamber to receive a bolt, to the forward end of which is fixed the
igniting needle, there being a suitable hole in the forward end of
the plug or moveable breech piece to permit of the igniting needle
passing therethrough. In the rear end of the plug or moveable breech
piece is an opening through which the bolt with the igniting needle is
inserted into the chamber formed in such plug, and in order to secure
such bolt and igniting needle in position a screw plug is employed which
takes into a screw thread formed within the plug or moveable breech
piece. A recess is formed within such screw plug to receive the rear
end of the bolt carrying the igniting needle and to act as a guide thereto.
The screw plug has a large head in order that any gas which might pass
between the plug or moveable breech piece and the breech case may be
prevented passing in that direction, and the screw plug is prevented
from turning or becoming detached by means of a catch or stop, which
is capable of turning on an axis of motion carried by the head of the
screw plug, and is acted upon by a spring to hold it in the required
position, the lower end being capable of entering a notch formed in the
end of the breech case; or when it is desired to hold the parts secure
against an accidental discharge of the gun when loaded the upper end
of such catch or stop is pressed forward so as to enter the slot in the top
of the breech case. In the breech case a groove or recess is formed to
receive the cartridge extractor and a safety catch, and at the same time
permit of their moving to-and-fro with the plug or moveable breech
piece, a suitable circular groove being formed around the front end of
the plug or moveable breech piece to receive a projection from the
cartridge extractor, and thereby communicate motion thereto in the to-
and-fro motion of the plug or moveable breech piece. There is also an
inclined groove or recess in the plug or moveable breech piece to give
motion to the safety catch when it is required to withdraw the end of

page_text: the igniting needle within the moveable breech piece, and thereby
prevent the accidental discharge of a cartridge in the act of loading,
a projection on such safety catch coming against the forward end of
the bolt carrying the igniting needle. When the plug or moveable
breech piece is forced up to the breech end of the barrel and turned
on its axis such safety catch is moved forward by the inclined groove
or recess acting upon a projection thereon, so as to permit of the igniting
needle moving to its full extent when the trigger is pulled, a spiral
spring being employed to act upon the bolt carrying the igniting needle
and force it forward to ignite the cartridge. The trigger is attached by
pin joint to a spring fixed underneath the breech case, and has a
projection thereon bearing against such breech case; there is a catch
or stop attached to such trigger, so that when the moveable breech piece
is moved back to withdraw the spent cartridge case in readiness for
reloading a projection on the bolt carrying the igniting needle passes
over the catch or stop on the trigger and is retained thereby, so that
in the forward motion of the plug or moveable breech piece in the act
of reloading the spiral the spiral spring is compressed; thus when the
trigger is pulled and the catch is released from the bolt the igniting
needle is forced powerfully forward against the rear end of the cartridge
by means of such spiral spring. And in order to prevent the discharge
of the gun until the parts are in the proper position the catch last
described is formed with an undercut recess into which a projection from
the plug or moveable breech piece passes so as to prevent the action of
the trigger until the plug or moveable breech picce is turned into the
proper position. When the upper end of the catch or stop at the rear
end of the moveable breech piece is pressed forward into the slot in the
breech case the moveable breech piece is turned slightly round so as to
bring the catch and projection just described into the position to prevent
the discharge of the gun until the parts are again placed in the proper
position. In the front end of the moveable breech piece is a slight
recess to receive and collect any dirt formed by the gases caused by
the explosion. And in order to prevent any danger to the user from
a defective cartridge there is a recess formed around the interior of tho
breech case close to the end of the cartridge to receive any gases arising
from the explosion, such gases being caused to escape through a slit
or opening in the breech case communicating with such recess and
directed forward so as to prevent such gases coming backwards towards
the user.
The rear end of the slot in the breech case is bevilled off so

page_text: as to facilitate the entrance of the parts. The ordinary lock and hammer
are dispensed with. By the use of this Invention upon an emergency
arising the action can be removed and the gun left useless on the
field.
The Invention relates, secondly, to improvements in cartridges to
be used with such and with other descriptions of breech-loading fire-
arms, whereby such cartridges are rendered more secure and more
certain in their action, and if desired they can be made to ignite the
charge at either end or in the middle of the charge. For this purpose
the case is formed either of metal or of paper, as desired, and a
paper wad is employed at the rear end as usual, but such wad is
according to the present Invention strengthened inside the outer case
with a metal thimble or cup completely covering the end and passing
a short distance up the side thereof. In the centre of the paper wad
is fixed a metal tube or chamber closed at its forward end and having
two or more openings in the side thereof near the front end to permit
the flash from the percussion cap or detonating material to pass to
the charge; such tube is formed with flanges to bear against the
rear end of the paper wad, and has placed therein at its front end a
percussion cap or a suitable quantity of detonating material, and at
its rear end a pointed anvil. The metal end and rim of the cartridge
is entire, having no hole formed therein as is commonly the case
with central-fire cartridges, but being entirely closed, so as to offer
an effectual protection against any accidental discharge, and pre-
vent the escape of gas at that point. The metal tube or chamber in
the centre of the cartridges and the anvil therein may be made of
any length desired, thereby enabling cartridges to be made so that
the charge of powder may be ignited either at the middle, or at the rear,
or at the fore end thereof, or at any desired part.
Metal case cartridges constructed as above described are perfectly
impentinue to moisture