IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

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."— A
communication from abroad by Theodore Thaddeus Sobrieski Laidley,
of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 8th May 1866, and dated the 24th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th February 1866.
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," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists in a novel mode of locking the moveable breech
block of a breech-loading fire-arm, so as to prevent it from being forced open
when it has been loaded by any pressure brought against it from within the
barrel of the arm, and also in a certain novel arrangement for opening the
breech at pleasure. The barrel is screwed into the frame in the usual manner,
and has cut in it in rear of the end of the barrel a longitudinal mortise for the
reception of the moveable breech block, which opens and closes with a

page_text: swinging movement about the horizontal pin which has suitable bearings in
the two sides of the frame. On another strong pin in rear of the first the
brace moves freely, its lower end being pressed by a spring so as to throw
its upper end forward and cause it to bear against the cam or bring it under
the breech block. The hammer works on the same pin that the brace does,
but it is entirely independent of the brace. The cam plays on the other
pin, and when drawn back the brace is forced from under the breech block,
and a shoulder on the cam by coming against the breech block forces it open
and exposes the end of the barrel for the insertion of the cartridge. The
moment the breech block is closed the spring throws the brace forward under
the rear end of the breech block, and locks it at once securely. Should
the spring by any accident fail to perform its functions the hammer in its
descent would force the brace under the breech block, or the brace would
prevent the hammer from striking the firing pin, so that it is impossible to
fire the arm unless the breech block be locked securely.
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 24th August 1866.
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 Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the 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," being a com-
munication to me from Theodore Thaddeus Sobrieski Laidley, of Springfield,
Massachusetts, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors or adminis-

page_text: trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands 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 I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in a novel mode of locking the moveable breech
block of a breech-loading fire-arm, so as to prevent it from being forced open
when it has been loaded by any pressure brought against it from within the
barrel of the arm, and also in a certain novel arrangement for opening the
breech at pleasure.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 represents the arm with the
breech closed, as after firing; Fig. 2 represents the breech block as drawn
back or open, and the cartridge partially inserted in the chamber; Fig. 8
represents the arm with the breech or side plate removed to show the interior
arrangement; Fig. 4 is another sectional view of the arm with the breech
or side plate removed and breech as closed, and represents a modification
of the plan of throwing back the brace which is effected by means of a
pawl and pin, instead of by a cam as in the other Figures; Fig. 5
represents a top view of a portion of the arm, showing tho mortice in
the frame; Fig. 6 represents a cross section through the line y, y, of
Fig. 5.
A is the frame or body of the arm, having the barrel H screwed into it in
the usual manner, and having cut in it in rear of the end of the barrel a
longitudinal mortice for the reception of the moveable breech block B, which
opens and closes with a swinging movement about the horizontal pin p, which
has suitable bearings in the two sides of the frame A. On another strong
pin
9 in rear of the first, the brace D moves freely, its lower end being pressed
by the spring g, so as to throw its upper end forward and cause it to bear
against the cam C or bring it under the breech block B, as represented in
Figures 3 and 4.
The hammer K works on the same pin q that the brace D
does, but it is entirely independent of the brace. The cam C turns on the
pin p, and when drawn back by pressing with the thumb on the part / the
brace D is forced from under the breech block B, and the shoulder or notch h

page_text: on the cam, by coming against the breech block forces it open, as represented
by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, and thereby exposes the end of the barrel for
the insertion of the cartridge. The moment the breech block is closed the
spring 9 throws the brace D forward under the rear end of the breech block,
and locks it at once securely. Should the spring 9 by any accident fail to
perform its functions the hammer K in its descent would force the brace D
under the breech block; or the brace D would prevent the hammer from
striking the firing pin, so that it is impossible to fire the arm unless the breech
block be locked securely.
I am aware that arms have been constructed in which the breech
block, something similar to mine, is locked either by the hammer or by
the tumbler, but the arrangement just above described in which the breech
block is locked by piece separate and distinct from either the hammer
or tumbler presents important advantages over the others named.
8.
In the first place the breech block by this improvement is locked as soon
as it is closed, so that if by any accident the arm be discharged the explosion
cannot blow open the breech block and allow the gas to escape to the rear, as
would be the case with those arms in which the hammer or the tumbler locks
the breech block.
Secondly, the whole force of the main spring L is brought upon the firing
pin, and no part of it is consumed in overcoming the friction of the hammer
or tumbler against the breech block. I believe it to be a correct principle
in fire-arms, as well as in other machines where certainty of action is
important, that each piece should have only one function to perform. In
this arm it can be seen when the gun is loaded whether the breech block is
locked, and it is then known certainly that there is nothing to prevent the
bammer from performing its appropriate office to fire the cartridge. This is
more than can be said of those arms in which the breech block is locked by
the hammer or the tumbler.
Thirdly, I am also enabled to load the arm at "half-cock," a consideration
of great importance for safety in using it, particularly when large bodies of
men are operating together. Instead of throwing back the brace D by means
of the cam C it may be thrown back by means of a pawl S, Fig. 4, attached
to its lower end, and operated by a pin V on the hammer or tumbler K when
it is drawn back to the half-cock. The breech block on being opened detaches
the pawl by striking against the end t, and the brace D is then free to be
moved by the spring, as in the case already described.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First, locking the moveable breech piece in the manner above described

page_text: by means of a piece independent and separate from the hammer or tumbler,
but moving on the same axis, and the same operated or brought into place
as soon as the breech piece is closed, irrespective of the extent to which it
may have been opened.
Second, the arrangement of a cam on the same axis with the breech piece
for the purpose of throwing back the locking piece, so that by means of a
stop on the cam the breech piece may be opened by the simple motion of the
cam.
Third, the arrangement of a pawl attached to the locking brace, and
operated by the hammer or tumbler for the purpose of throwing back the
locking piece.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
5
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)