IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wilson, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 5th June 1860, and dated the 15th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th March 1860.
I, THOMAS WILSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My said Invention consists of the improvements, herein-after explained, in
constructing the breech ends of breech-loading fire-arms, and the parts con-
nected with the said breech ends for the purpose of opening and securely
closing the same.
In constructing the breech end of a breech-loading fire-arm, according to
my first improvement, I proceed as follows:-I elongate the breech of the
barrel about three inches, and cut an opening in the top of the elongated part
for the introduction of the charge. The breech end is closed during discharge
by a plug, which slides in the elongated part. The said plug is moved by a
handle attached to its outer end. A portion of the upper part of the plug is
cut away, leaving the said plug at that part of a nearly semi-cylindrical figure.

page_text: In order to fix the plug during fire, I attach or hinge a cover to the side of
the breech or opening, which said cover when shut down covers or fills up the
opening in the breech. On the under side of the cover is a projection, which
when the cover is shut down fits in the cut away part of the plug, and holds
it firmly during fire. The said cover bears against the shoulder of the breech
of the barrel, and thus presents a solid resistance to the plug. The cover is
held down during firing by a spring or other fastening.
My second improvement consists in fixing the plug by means of a top piece
jointed to the front end of the plug. When the said top piece is shut down
its free end bears firmly against shoulders formed on the breech of the barrel,
and thus fixes the plug during fire. A handle on the top piece serves to raise
and lower it, and also to move the plug. It may be fastened during fire by a
spring or other fastening.
My third improvement consists in constructing the mechanism for opening
and closing the breech end, as follows:-To the side of the opening in the
prolongation of the barrel I hinge a cover, on the under side of which are
bearings which carry the plug for closing the breech end of the barrel. The
said plug is capable of both rotating and sliding in the said bearings. In the
end of the breech is a 'quick threaded screw pin, which may be turned by
means of a fly handle attached to it. When the cover carrying the plug has
been shut down the screw is turned to the right or driven home, when it
drives forward the plug and holds it to its bearing. After firing, the screw is
withdrawn, and the plug is thereby liberated. The screw may be made to
engage with the plug so as to give it a slight rotatory' motion, and make it
thereby fit closely on its bed or seat.
SPECIFICATION, in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by, the said Thomas Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th September, 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WILSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send s
greeting:
..!.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant 3
unto me, the said Thomas Wilson, Her special licence that I; the said

page_text: Thomas Wilson; my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,,
the said Thomas Wilson, 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 "Im-.
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Thomas Wilson, my executors or administrators, by an instru--
ment 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 Thomas Wilson, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
My said Invention consists of the improvements, herein-after particularly
explained and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in constructing the
breech ends of breech-loading fire-arms, and the parts connected with the said
breech ends for the purpose of opening and securely closing the same.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawing, represent a portion:
of a breech-loading rifle, constructed according to my first improvement;
Figure 1 representing a plan of a portion of the rifle, the several parts being.
in the positions they occupy when the rifle is ready for firing; Figure 2, a
transverse vertical section of the same taken through the line a; Figure 1 and
Figure 8, a longitudinal vertical section of the prolonged end of the barrel
with the plug fixed therein, as herein-after explained. The same letters are
employed to indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, and 3. The breech end
b of the barrel c is prolonged about three inches, as represented; and on the
top of the said prolonged part b, an opening is made for the introduction of
the cartridge or charge: The said opening is best scen in Figure 3: The
breech end of the barrel c is closed during discharge by a plug d, which slides
in the prolonged end b. The plug d is moved by a handle e, secured to its
outer end. A portion of the upper part of the plug is cut away, leaving the
said plug at that part of a nearly semi-cylindrical figure. The cut away
portion of the plug is best seen in the section, Figure and is marked f, and
is also indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2. In order to fix the plug d;
during, firing, and after it has been pushed home into the breech end of the

page_text: f
barrel c, as represented in Figure 3, I hinge a cover g at h, to the side of the
breech or opening in the prolonged part 6 of the barrel; the said cover g,
when shut down into the position represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3, covers
or fills up the said opening in the top of the breech or prolonged end b.. On
the under side of the said cover g is a projection i of nearly the shape and
size of the portion cut away in the plug d, which said projection i, when the
cover 9 is shut down, fits in the said cut-away part of the plug, and holds the
said plug firmly in its place during firing; the said projection i also fills up
that part of the prolonged end 6 into which it enters, as represented in
Figure 2. The posterior part 3 of the cover g bears against the shoulder k,
(see Figure 3), of the end 6 of the barrel, and thus presents a solid resistance
to the plug. The cover g may be held down during firing by a spring or other
fastening. In order to re-charge the rifle after firing the cover g is raised and
tbrown back, the projection i is thereby withdrawn from the recess in the plug,
which latter may now be withdrawn past the opening in the breech end. The
cartridge or charge can now be introduced through the said opening into the
barrel, and by sliding the said plug into the breech end the said charge
is forced into that part of the barrel where ignition takes place. The cover g
is shut down, the plug d is thereby fixed, and the rifle again ready for firing.
My second improvement is illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the
accompanying Drawing; Figure 4 representing a longitudinal vertical section
of a portion of a rifle constructed according to this part of my Invention, the
parts of the rifle being in the positions they occupy.when it is ready for firing,
and Figures 5, 6, and 7 are portions of the same, as herein-after explained. The
same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7. In this part
of my Invention I fix the plug 1, 1, sliding in the open prolonged end m of the
barrel n, by means of a top piece or arm o jointed at p to the front end of
the said plug 1, 12, as represented in Figure 4. The part of the plug is made
cylindrical, and the part is made flat at its sides, as best seen in the plan of
the said plug shewn separately in Figure 6, as well as in the transverse
section of the prolonged end of the barrel and plug represented in Figure 7.
The shape of the prolonged end m of the barrel n in which the plug 1, ², slides
will be best understood by referring to the horizontal section of the said end
represented in Figure 5. In the flat part of the plug and near the end
thereof an opening 9 is made, in which said opening when the top piece or
arm o is shut down as represented in Figure 4, a block or projection r on the
under side of the said top piece enters. The said block or projection r is
wedge shaped, the thickest part of the wedge being lowest, as represented, the
opening in the plug being made of a corresponding figure, and sufficiently

page_text: large at top to allow the said wedge to pass into the said opening. By the
shape of the said projection r the tendency of the top piece o to rise by the
.discharge of the rifle is counteracted. In addition to the plug 1, 2, being held
by the projection r on the top piece o, the part o' of the free end of the said
top piece bears firmly against shoulders at 's on the prolonged end of the barrel,
and thus fixes the plug during discharge.
To reload the rifle after firing the top piece or arm o is raised by its handle
03 sufficiently to lift the projection r from the opening and enable it to pass
over the shoulders s. The said plug can now be withdrawn from the end of
the barrel n and the charge introduced through the opening into the barrel.
The plug is now moved into the position represented in Figure 4, and the top
plate or arm o depressed or shut down, when the rifle is ready for discharge.
The top plate or arm o has a slight play upon its joint p, and its end also
turns loosely in the recess t in the plug. By these means the said joint as
well as the end of the armo are relieved from all pressure, the whole of the
pressure being borne by the projection r and shoulders s. The slight play the
joint and end of the arm possess enables the projection r on the arm o to be
readily raised from the opening in the plug. The end of the top piece or
arm o may be fastened down during firing by a spring or other fastening, but
there is no tendency in the said arm to rise.
:
The third part of my Invention is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the
.Drawing; Figure 8 being a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of a rifle
constructed according to this part of my Invention, the said rifle being ready
for firing, and Figure 9 is a transverse vertical section of the same taken through
the line u, Figure 8. At x on the side of the opening in the prolonged part 6 of
the barrel w, I hinge a cover y, the said cover having a similar external form
to that represented in Figures 1 and 2. The under side of the said cover has
a collar or bearing which fits in the prolonged end of the barrel, as repre-
sented. The plug 2 passes through and is carried by the said bearing or
collar, the said plug being capable of both sliding and rotating therein. In
the end 3 of the breech a quick threaded screw 4 works, which may be turned
by a fly handle 5, indicated in dotted lines, attached to it. When the cover y
carrying the bearing and plug 2 has been shut down in the position re-
presented in Figures 8 and 9, the screw 4 is turned to the right or driven
home, when it bears against the posterior end of the said plug 2, drives it
forward and holds its conical end 6 against the conical shoulder or bed at the
entrance of the barrel w. After firing the screw 4 is turned to the left, and
the pressure removed from the plug 2. A coiled spring 7 around the plug 2
bears at one end against the bearing or collar, and at the other end against

page_text: a shoulder on the plug 2. When the screw 4 is withdrawn from the plug the
pressure of the coiled spring 7 forces the said plug towards the said screw.
The conical end 6 of the plug is thus withdrawn from the end of the barrel w,
and the plug 2 can now be raised with the cover y. After introducing the
cartridge or charge the cover and plug are shut down, the screw 4 driven
home, as represented in Figure 8, and the rifle is again ready for firing. I
sometimes make the end of the screw 4 engage with the posterior end of the
plug 2, so as to give a slight rotatory motion to the plug, and thereby make it
fit closely on its bed or seat. The cover y may be fixed down by a spring or
other suitable fastening.
Although I have only described my improvements' in connection with a rifle,
yet my said improvements may also be applied to fire-arms generally.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my
Invention,-
Firstly, the arrangement or combination of parts for opening and securely
closing the breech ends of breech-loading fire-arins, herein-before described
and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly, the arrangement or combination of parts for opening and securely
closing the breech ends of breech-loading fire-arms, herein-before described
and illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly, the arrangement or combination of parts for opening and securely
closing the breech ends of breech-loading fire-arms, herein-before described
and illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September, in the year of our
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
THOMAS WILSON. (L.S.)