IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND CARTRIDGES
FOR THE SAME."-A communication.
Sealed the 1st November 1858, and dated the 25th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th May 1858.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND CAR-
TRIDGES FOR THE SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in breech-loading fire-arms and cartridges
for the same consists,―
Firstly, in the employment in breech-loading rifled fire-arms of a brecch
which closes by a forward movement towards the rear of the barrel, or by a
backward movement of the barrel towards the breech in combination with
a ball, which fits with its bare lead in contact with the bare metal of the
barrel, so that by the act of closing the breech, the ball will be forced forward
in the chamber and started into the grooves of the barrel.

page_text: Secondly, in arranging or placing the lock within a hinged unchambered
breech piece, whereby the construction of breech-loading fire-arms is much
simplified.
Thirdly, in the employment of an adjustable screw or block applied at the
rear of the moveable breech to operate against a suitable bearing in the stock,
so as to cause the breech to be forced up to a tight joint with the rear of the
barrel by the act of closing it, and to permit the wear of the joint to be com-
pensated for.
Fourthly, in the construction of the vent plug with a spring lip or lips or an
elastic mouth, which enters into or communicates with the barrel, and which
will be opened by the explosion of the priming, to allow the fire of the
priming to be communicated to the charge, but so that said mouth will be
closed by the force of the explosion of the charge, and prevent a loss of force
by the escape of gases at the vent.
Fifthly, in constructing an elastic metal lip to the breech or barrel, which
lip will be caused by the force of the explosion to close perfectly the joint
between the barrel and breech, and prevent gas or fire from issuing therefrom.
Sixthly, in providing for a tight joint at the breech by applying a piece of
india-rubber or other elastic substance of similar character in the form of a
piston packing within the rear portion of the barrel, and properly protected
from the fire, so that it will be compressed against the breech by the force of
the explosion, and thereby caused to expand itself laterally against the barrel
closely enough to prevent any escape of gas.
Seventhly, in an improved metallic cartridge to be used in a breech-loading
fire-arm, which has its chamber constructed in a suitable manner for firing
paper cartridges repeatedly. The metallic cartridge is made of a slightly
conical form, so as to fit the breech, and is provided at its rear end with a
flange or enlargement, whereby it may be withdrawn from the barrel after the
charge has been fired.
The eighth and last improvement relates to a contrivance which is attached
to a moveable breech, for the purpose of withdrawing the shells of the
exploded metallic cartridges from the barrel by the act of opening the breech.
This contrivance is simply a spring tooth or click which is attached to the
moveable breech, and when the breech is closed it takes hold of the flange of
the cartridge, so that when the breech is opened or removed it will pull
or push out the cartridge case from the barrel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engiucer, send greeting.
WHEREAS IIer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho
said William Edward Newton, 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 CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME,"
being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 per
formed, 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 Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexe I,
and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Improvements in Brecch-loading Fire-arms and Car-
tridges for the same," consists, firstly, in the employment in breech-loading
rifled fire-arms of a breech which closes by a forward movement towards the
rear of the barrel, or by a backward movement of the barrel towards the
breech, in combination with which is employed a ball, which fits with its bare
lead in contact with the bare metal of the barrel, so that by the act of closing
the brecch the ball will be forced forward in the chamber and started into the
grooves of the barrel.

page_text: The Invention consists, secondly, in arranging or placing the lock within a
hinged unchambered breech piece, whereby the construction of breech-loading
fire-arms is much simplified.
The Invention consists, thirdly in the employment of an adjustable screw
or block applied at the rear of the moveable breech to operate against a
suitable bearing in the stock, so as to cause the breech to be forced up to a
tight joint with the rear of the barrel by the act of closing it, and to permit
the wear of the joint to be compensated for.
The Invention consists, fourthly, in the construction of tho vent plug with
a spring lip or lips or an elastic mouth, which enters into or communicates
with the barrel, and which will be opened by the explosion of the priming to
allow the fire of the priming to be communicated to the charge, but so that
the said mouth will be closed by the force of the explosion of the charge, and
prevent a loss of force by the escape of gases at the vent.
The Invention consists, fifthly, in certain methods of constructing an elastic
metal lip to the breech or barrel, which lip will be caused by the force of the
explosion to close perfectly the joint between the barrel and breech, and
prevent gas or fire from issuing therefrom.
The Invention consists, sixthly, in providing for a tight joint at the breech
by applying a pieco of india-rubber or other elastic substance of similar
character in the form of a piston packing within the rear portion of the barrel,
and properly protected from the fire, so that it will be compressed against the
breech by the force of the explosion, and thereby caused to expand itself
laterally against the barrel closely enough to prevent any escape of gas.
The Invention consists, seventhly, in an improved metallic cartridge to be
used in a breech-loading fire-arm, which has its chamber constructed in a
suitable manner for firing paper cartridges repeatedly.
The eighth and last improvement relates to a contrivance which is attached
to a moveable breech for the purpose of withdrawing the shells of the exploded
metallic cartridges from the barrel, by the act of opening the breech.
The whole of the improvements are illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, which forms part of this Specification. The first, second, third,
fourth, and fifth parts of the Invention above referred to are illustrated in
Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4; Fig. 1 being a longitudinal section of a breech-
loading rifle; Fig. 2, a side view of the vent plug detached; Fig. 3, a front
view of the said vent plug; and Fig. 4, a central section of a modification of
the vent plug, shewn at Figs. 2 and 3. Similar letters refer to like parts
in all these Figures.
A, in Fig. 1, is the barrel; B is an unchambered breech-piece working with a

page_text: hinge joint on a transverse pin a, which occupies a fixed position under the
rear portion of the barrel. The hole c, provided in the breech-piece for the pin
a is elongated, to allow the breech-piece to move directly forward towards the
barrel during the latter part of the closing movement. The opening of the
chamber of the barrel is effected by pulling down the handlo C, with which
the breech-piece is furnished, and the closing of the same by moving the said
handle up towards the stock. C¹ is a spring catch for holding the handle C
up to the bottom of the stock when the breech is closed; b is the adjustablo
screw before referred to, which is screwed into the rear portion of the breech-
piece, and is caused during the latter part of the closing movement of the
breech to come in contact with an inclined plane c in the stock, and thereby
to force the breech-piece forward toward the barrel. It is this forward move-
ment which is intended to be provided for by the elongation of the hole c,
before mentioned. The screw 6 serves to adjust the closing of the breech, so
that it may make a tight joint with the barrel, and serves also to set up the
breech closer to the barrel in case of wear between them. The rear portion
of the barrel, that is to say, the chamber is to be enlarged conically or other-
wise, so that a ball and cartridge or a loaded ball may pass easily into it,
nearly far enough to permit the closing of the breech, and that by the full
closing of the said breech, the ball (which, if in a cartridge, must have its
cartridge so constructed as to permit the bare lead of the ball to come in con-
tact with the bare metal of the barrel) will be forced tightly into the front
part of the chamber where the latter commences to diminish in size, and by
this means the ball will be caused to indent itself into the grooves of the
barrel. A ball cartridge (of which d is the ball; f, the shell or case; and j, the
the charge of powder), is shewn in Fig. 1, in the position to which it has been
forced by the closing of the breech, and it will be seen that the bare lead of
the ball is in contact with the bare metal of the barrel. The ball can bo
forced into the barrel in the same manner, and caused to indent itself into the
grooves thereof by the closing of the breech, if the breech is closed by a move-
ment of the barrel in a rearward direction toward the breech, instead of by
the movement of the breech itself, or by any other method than that repre-
sented in the Drawing, of applying the breech to move toward the barrel.
The hinged unchambered breech-piece B contains the whole of the lock;
E, (Fig. 1,) is the hammer, consisting of a straight plunger working in a hole
bored in the ceutre of the breech-piece; F is a handle attached to tho
hammer to draw it back for the purpose of cocking it; this handle works
through a slot in the bottom of the breech-piece; G is the trigger which holds
back the banner by engaging in a notch in a plate G', which slides in a

page_text: groove between the handle C of the breech-piece, and the bottom of the
breech-piece, and which is connected with the handle F of the haminer.
9, (Figs. 1, 2, and 3,) is the vent plug, the outer end of which constitutes
the nipple i, to receive the percussion cap, but it may be otherwise constructed
to receive a priming of any other character. The inner end of the plug is
provided with an elastic lip h to cover the mouth of the vent; this lip may
either be made of a separate piece, and soldered or brazed to the plug, as
represented, or made from the same piece of steel as the plug itself. This lip
is caused to spring open by the force of the explosion of the cap or priming, so
as to permit the escape of fire to the charge, but it is closed by the force of
the explosion of the charge, and thus prevents the escape of gas by the vent.
The vent plug, shown in Fig. 4 in section, has its front end or mouth con-
structed with two elastic lips k, k, made from the same piece of metal. These
lips are caused to spring apart (to allow the fire to escape) by the force of the
explosion of the priming, and are caused to close by the action on their
exterior of the force of the explosion of the charge.
m, (Fig. 1,) is a steel ring, which is secured to the breech-piece by the vent
plug, and fits a short distance into the rear of the barrel. The part of this
ring which enters and fits the barrel is turned very thin and to a sharp edge
or nearly so, so as to forin an elastic lip n, which, when the breech is closed,
is capable of being forced outwards against the barrel by the explosion of the
charge, and thus making the joint between the barrel and breech perfectly
tight at the time of firing the gun. The lip n may be formed from the solid
metal of the breech, but it is more convenient to form it on a ring, in the
manner represented. Fig. 5 exhibits a modification of the method of applying
the elastic lip, showing a lip n' similar to n, formed on the rear of the barrel
to enter into a cavity provided for it in the breech. This lip n' is acted
upon by the explosion of the charge in a similar manner to the lip n, that is
to say, it is forced outward against the interior of the cavity p in the breech
II. Fig. 6 exhibits a lip n, formed on the face of the breech H', by turning
out a cavity ', into which, when the explosion of the charge takes place, the
resulting gases enter, and by their expansive force drive the lip n³ close up to
the barrel.
Fig. 6 exhibits the sixth part of the Invention. I is the barrel; J is the
movable breech entering a short distance into the barrel; q is the vent plug
screwing into the breech from the interior, and furnished at its inner extremity
with a head q larger than the screw, and with a plain neck q between the
head and the screw thread, to receive an india-rubber collar or piston
packing, which in its normal condition fits easily into the barrel, and a disc

page_text: of metal s, which fits, like a piston into the barrel. The disc s is placed in
front of the india-rubber collar r, to protect it from the fire of the charge.
The force generated by the explosion of the charge acting upon the disc s
drives it back against the india-rubber collar, which is thereby caused to.
expand laterally against the barrel, and make a perfectly tight joint between
the barrel and breech.
The metallic cartridge which constitutes the seventh part of the Invention
is illustrated in Figs..7, 8, 9, and 10, of which Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional
view of the chamber of a breech-loading gun constructed for firing paper
cartridges, and exhibiting a paper cartridge in it; Fig. 8 is a similar view of
the same chamber containing one of the improved metallic cartridges; Fig.
9 is a longitudinal section view of the cartridge detached; Fig. 10 is a
longitudinal sectional view of the case of the metal cartridge empty. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all these Figures.
The object of this part of the Invention is to obtain a metallic cartridge.
that can be used in a breech-loading fire-arm, having its chamber constructed:
in a suitable manner for firing paper cartridges repeatedly. The chamber
suitable for this purpose should be not merely enlarged in a conical shape
from the bore or lands of the barrel toward the breech, but made in that
form and considerably larger than the bore at its front and small part, so as to
leave a shoulder a, a, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in order to prevent the
debris from the exploded cartridges from obstructing the passing into the
chamber of succeeding cartridges. Metallic cartridges as..heretofore con-
structed, i. e., of cylindrical form, cannot be used with advantage in a.
chamber of this form, for the reason that they will burst when fired. In:
view of the above considerations, this part of the Invention consists in making
the body of the cartridge of conical form, with the front and smaller portion;
of the cone larger than the neck of the cartridge, so that it may fit the
chamber formed as above described, and permit the neck which encircles the
ball to enter into the bore of the barrel a short distance. This part of the
Invention also consists in making the neck of the cartridge of a circumference
externally not greater than the full circumference of the ball, so that it may
pass beyond the enlarged chamber of the barrel, and enter snugly into the
bore in front of the chamber, where the ball fits tightly. In Figs. 7, and 8,
A represents the barrel, and b, b, the conically enlarged chamber; B in Figs.
8, 9, and 10, is the metallic shell of the cartridge fitting the enlarged conical
chamber b, b, and C is the ball. The ball is made of a size to drive tightly
into the bore beyond the chamber, but its rear portion is slightly reduced in
size, as shown at c, c, in Fig. 9, in order that it may be received into the short

page_text: neck d of the cartridge, the external circumference of which neck should be
very slightly smaller than the full circumference of the ball, in order that it
may enter into the bore of the barrel without driving, but not small enough to
prevent its fitting snugly into the bore. The shoulder a, a, (Figs. 7 and 8,) in
front of the enlarged chamber of the gun should not be square, but bevilled, as
shown in the Figures, and the corresponding shoulder e, e, on the cartridge
inust be of a corresponding form. The breech f of the cartridge is made with
a flange g, g, extending laterally beyond the exterior of the body of the
cartridge, for the purpose of laying hold of and withdrawing it from the gun
by the thumb and finger, or by other means after it has been fired. The disc
of metal constituting the breech f of the cartridge, and the flange g, g, is
soldered or brazed to the body of the shell.
Fig. 8 also exhibits the eighth and last part of the Invention. D is the
front part of the hinged breech-piece, which is similar to that represented in
Fig. 1; t is a small tooth attached to the breech-piece by a pin u, and having
applied to it a spring v, by which it is permitted to pass the flange g. 9, of the
cartridge as the breech closes, but by which it is thrown up in front of the
said flange, as shown in the Figure when the breech is closed. The tooth t
being in the position last mentioned relatively to the flange of the cartridge,
will, as the breech is opened after the discharge of the gun, draw out the
discharged shell of the cartridge.
Having now described the Invention of improvements in breech-loading
firc-arms, and cartridges for the same, as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,
First, the employment in breech-loading fire-arms of a breech, which is
closed by a forward movement of the breech toward the barrel, or by a back-
ward movement of the barrel toward the breech in combination with a ball,
which fits with its bare lead in contact with the bare metal of the barrel, in
such a manner that by the act of closing the breech, the ball shall be forced
tightly into the barrel and started into the grooves thereof, as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
Second, the arrangement of the lock within the hinged unchambered
breech-piece, as and for the purpose herein specified.
Third, the adjustable screw b applied at the rear of the breech in com-
bination with the inclined plane c in the stock, for the purpose herein
described.
Fourth, the construction of the vent plug in such a manner that the
mouth that enters or communicates with the barrel will be opened by the

page_text: explosion of the priming, and closed by the explosion of the charge, as herein
described.
Fifth, I claim the elastic lip in its several modifications exhibited in Figs. 1,
4, 5, and 6, operating as and for the purpose set forth.
Sixth, the employment of india-rubber in the form of piston packing, to
close the joint between the barrel and breech by the action upon it of the force
of the explosion of the charge, as herein set forth.
Seventh, making the body of a metallic cartridge for breech-loading fire-
arms of a conical form, with the front and smaller portion of the cone larger
than the neck which receives the ball, so that the body may fit snugly within
a chamber of the form and construction herein specified; and also I claim
making the exterior of the neck of a metallic cartridge which encircles the
exterior of the ball no larger than the full circumference of the ball, for the
purpose set forth.
Eighth, I claim the use of the tooth t applied to the movable breech, for
the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)