IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from James Edwin Halsey, of
the City of New York, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th August 1856.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," a communication from James Edwin Halsey,
of the City of New York, in the United States of America, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to the adaptation and use to and in various kinds of
fire-arms of a tubular channel of communication between the priming and the
charge of gunpowder which propels the ball or shot, which arrangement is
adopted for the purpose of igniting the charge from the front backwards, so
that all the powder in the charge is ignited and exploded. A tube is screwed
or otherwise secured in the breech of the fire-arm in such manner that its

page_text: axial line coincides with that of the gun's bore, the length of this tube being
such that it will extend nearly through the charge of gunpowder. The breech
end of this tube is in connection with an angularly disposed tube meeting the
tube of the nipple, so as to form altogether a continuous tube extending from
the nipple to or near the front or muzzle end of the charge of gunpowder.
In such arms as revolvers, where the nipple is placed in the rear of the barrel
and in the axis of the bore, a mere continuation of the nipple answers the
required end.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 FIRE-ARMS," a communication from James Edwin Halsey,
of the City of New York, in the United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the adaptation and use to and in various kinds of
fire-arms of a tubular channel of communication between the priming and the
charge of gunpowder which propels the ball or shot, which arrangement is
adopted for the purpose of igniting the charge from the front backwards, so
that all the powder in the charge is ignited and exploded. A tube is screwed
or otherwise secured in the breech of the fire-arm in such manner that its
axial line coincides with that of the gun's bore, the length of this tube being
such that it will extend nearly through the charge of gunpowder. The breech
end of this tube is in connection with an angularly disposed tube meeting the
tube of the nipple, so as to form altogether a continuous tube extending from
the nipple to or near to the front or muzzle end of the charge. In such arms as
revolvers, where the nipple is placed in the rear of the barrel and in the axis
of the bore, a mere continuation of the nipple answers the required end.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I
shall refer to the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout both the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a plan of the breech of a rifle with
the said improvements attached; and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the
same with a portion of the barrel (containing a charge) attached thereto.
A is a tube, which is screwed or otherwise fastened into the breech B, its axis
corresponding with that of the bore of the piece, whilst its length is such that
it will extend nearly through the charge of powder C. This tube communi-
cates at its rear end with an angular or inclined tube or passage D which opens
with the nipple E, thus forming a continuous tube extending from the nipple
to or near to the forward end of the charge.
In loading the piece, the tube A will become filled with powder, and this
powder will be ignited by the cap which is placed upon the nipple; the fire
will obviously be first communicated to the forward portion of the charge of
powder in place of if to the rear end, as is usually the case. By this means the
burning of the whole of the powder is ensured before any portion of it can be
blown out of the barrel, thereby giving a greater range and more penetrating
force to the ball.
With revolvers where the nipple is placed in the rear of the barrel and in
the same axial line, a mere straight continuation of the nipple tube a suitable

page_text: distance into the interior of the barrel will form the igniting tube A. The
arrangement of igniting tube herein-before described is equally and advan-
tageously applicable, with slight modifications, not only to small arms with
percussion and flint locks, but also to cannon and mortars of almost every
description with or without locks.
I may here observe, that I am aware that the charges of fire-arms have
already been exploded from the front end first, and therefore I wish it to be
distinctly understood that I lay no claim to the principle of exploding or firing
charges of gunpowder from the front end.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of the breeches of fire-
arms of all kinds for the purpose of exploding or firing the charge from the
front end, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use to and in various kinds of fire-arms or
ordnance of a tubular channel of communication between the priming and the
front end of the charge of gunpowder which expels the ball or shot, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of February, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-seven.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)