IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1865

page_text: ´LETTERS PATENT to John Millar, of Bethnal Green, in the County of
Middlesex, Physician, and Bethel Burton, of Hackney, in the same
County, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 29th March 1866, and dated the 5th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Millar and Bethel..
Burton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 5th October 1865.
We, JOHN MILLAR, of Bethnal Green, in the County of Middlesex,
Physician, and BETHEL BURTON, of Hackney, in the same County, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-.
This Invention consists in improvements upon an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to the said Bethel Burton, 19th August 1864,
No.: 2059.
The objects of the improvements are, first, to prevent the gun being
discharged until the breech is closed; and, second, to cause the case of the
exploded cartridge to leave the breech chamber on the breech bolt being
withdrawn after the discharge of the gun.
This latter improvement is applicable to other breech-loading arms where
cartridge cases are used; and are withdrawn from the bore- of the arm into a
breech chamber.

page_text: Our first improvement consists in so grooving or slotting the outside of the
breech bolt that the finger worked by the trigger for discharging the arm
cannot enter the groove to act until the bolt is home and the breech thoroughly
closed.
Our improvement for effecting the throwing out of the cartridge case after 5
it has been withdrawn consists in fitting near the edge of the face of the
breech bolt a pin or stud, which being protruded while the bolt recedes tilts
the cartridge case and drives it out of the breech chamber. Sometimes we
use a spring in place of a nin::-
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Millar and Bethel Burton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th April 1866. ....
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
MILLAR, of Bethnal Green; in the County of Middlesex, Physician, and BÈTHEL
BURTON, of Hackney, in the same County; Gentleman, send greeting.....
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Millar and Bethel Barton, Her special licence that we, the said
John Millar and Bethel Burton, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Millar and Bethel Burton, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said. John Millar
and Bethel Burton, or one of us, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one of their hands a
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 date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 'we, the said John Millar and Bethel Burton, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: F
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, that is to say:-.
This Invention consists in improvements upon an Invention for which Letters
Patent for Great Britain were granted to the said Bethel Burton, 19th
August 1864, No: 2059.
:
:
The objects of the improvements are, first, to prevent the gun. being
discharged until the breech is closed; second, .to. cause the case of the
exploded cartridge" to leave the breech chamber on the breech bolt being
withdrawn after the discharge of the gun.
This latter improvement is applicable to other breech-loading arms where
cartridge cases are used, and are withdrawn from the bore of the arm into a
breech chamber.
Our first improvement consists in so slotting or grooving the breech bolt
that the finger worked by the trigger for discharging the arm cannot enter the
slot to act until the bolt is home, and the breech thoroughly closed.
..Our second improvement for effecting the throwing out of the cartridge
case after it has been withdrawn, consists. in fitting near the edge of the face
of the breech: bolt & pin or stud, which being protruded while the bolt recedes
tilts the cartridge case and drives it out of the breech chamber. Sometimes
we use a spring in place of a-pin..
.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of so much of a fire-arm as is necessary to
show our Invention: This view exhibits the piece with the bolt turned partly
round from right to left and ready to be drawn back previous to loading;
Figure 2 is a similar view with the breech bolt drawn back ready for the
insertion-of a cartridge; Figure 8 is also. a similar view, showing the breech
bolt pushed home, and secured by being turned partly round from left to right,
and with the spring held back by the finger, ready for being discharged...
Figures 4, 5, and 6, are detached views of the breech bolt to show more
clearly its construction.
Figure 7 shows detached views of the breech closer, and Figure 8 a view
of the pin, which passes through the breech closer; Figure 9 is an end and
sectional elevation of the thimble in which a spring is inserted, and by. which
pin is struck; this spring also tilts the cartridge case as hereafter described.
In Figure 10 are detached views of a finger which holds the thimble.back,.
and in Figure 11 views of a spring, which is acted on by the trigger at each.
lischarge of the arm.
a is the barrel secured to the stock 6; the upper part of the barrel at its
reech end is removed at. c, c; to admit of a cartridge being passed into the,

page_text: breech chamber d of the bore. When the cartridge is at rest in the chamber
the bolt e is pushed home and turned to the right until arrested by a stop on
the end of the chamber; this turning of the bolte causes the threaded portion g
of the bolt to enter corresponding threads in the breech piece, whereby the
bolt is held tight during the discharge. The bolt é is formed with a slot i,
and a corresponding slot is cut in the rear of the chamber; the combined
length of these two slots is equal to the opening cut in the chamber to admit
of the insertion of the cartridge. On pushing home the bolt as just explained
the finger h, which rides in the slot i in the bolt and slot in the chamber, is
forced up in front of the thimble ; and holds it, whereby the spring k within
it is compressed until the finger h is released by the trigger las hereafter
described. In front of the breech bolt is a breech closer m furnished with
two projections n, n, which ride on the chamfered edge of the opening of the
chamber and prevent it turning when the bolt is turned; one end o is smaller
than the body m to pass into the bolt, and has two other projections p, p,
which enter a circular groove in the bolt to prevent its being disconnected
when the bolt and closer are drawn back. At right angles to the slot i; and at
the rear end thereof, we cut a slot y to allow of the bolt é being turned; this
slot is provided with a projection z. As soon as the bolt is commenced 'to.be
turned to the right, the finger presses inside or rides in the projection z, which
holds it and prevents it being withdrawn until the bolt is quite home and the
breech thoroughly closed. The projection is chamfered off at the left side
to allow the finger to slide over and outside it when the bolt is again turned:
in the reverse direction previous to its being drawn back. The closer has a
hole through it, in which we fit a pin ġ loosely for the purpose hereafter
explained. It has also a spring claw r secured by a screw, which serves to
hold the pin q in its place. On the under side of the barrel is fitted a springs,
provided with a tail t and a projecting pin u, over which the finger h is free
to move and adjust itself during the opening or closing of the breech; the
portion of the finger through which the pin u passes is provided with a
spring v, which presses with sufficient force to hold the finger in any position
it may be moved to. In the interior of the thimble j a pin x is fitted to act
as a guide to the spring k.
The following actions take place after each discharge of the arm. The
bolt e is turned partly round from right to left to bring the lever f on the head
into a vertical position to release the screwed portions from the threads on
the breech; the bolt is then drawn back bringing the empty cartridge case
with it; the pressure of the spring k forces the thimblej against the head of
the pin q, and pushes its point out against one side and near the edge of the

page_text: rear of the cartridge case, whereby the cartridge case is tilted, released from
the spring claw r, and ejected from the breech chamber. During these
movements the finger h by means of the spring s rests against the under side
of the closer in an inclined recess provided for it. A fresh cartridge is now
inserted into the breech part d of the chamber; the bolte and closer m are
then pushed forward and force the cartridge into its seat in the barrel; the
pressure thus exerted compels the clawr to open out and catch hold of the
rim at the rear of the cartridge case; the action of the springs causes
the finger to ride up the inclined recess of the closer and abut against the
shoulder w of the thimble, as seen in Figure 3, to prevent its going forward
with the breech bolt; by this means the spring k is contracted and the
thimblej held back until the tail t of the spring s is acted on by the trigger l.
In this arrangement the pin 9 serves to explode the cartridge as well as to
tilt and expel the case. Where a central-fire cartridge is used; if the pin for
discharging the cartridge does not sufficiently tilt it and eject it from the
chamber, we use an additional pin or a spring. When we use an additional
pin, we connect it to the exploding pin so that they work together in separate
apertures in the bolt e.
When we employ a spring we fit it as represented
at a', Figure 12.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim as our
Improvements in Breech-loading Fire-arms,"
First, slotting or grooving the breech bolt of the fire-arm, for which Letters
Patent were granted to the said Bethel Burton as aforesaid, in such manner
that the finger worked by the trigger for discharging the arm cannot enter the
slot to act until the bolt is home and the breech thoroughly closed, substantially
as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the employment of a pin or stud or of a spring, substantially as
herein-before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings for
tilting the cartridge case and driving it out of the breech chamber.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Millar, for myself and on behalf
of the said Bethel Burton, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Laxil One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JNO. MILLAR. (L.S.)