IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME, ALSO IN THE MODE OF MOUNTING BAYONETS THEREON
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Garrett Tongue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
November 1864.-A communication from abroad by Florencio Redondo,
residing at Alcolea del Pinar, Province of Guadalajara, in the Kingdom
of Spain.
I, JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent
Agents and Engineers, 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME, ALSO IN THE
MODE OF MOUNTING BAYONETS THEREON," to be as follows:-
This Invention' has for its object several improvements in fire-arms and in
the cartridges used therewith, part of such improvements being applicable not
only to small arms such as rifles, fowling pieces, pistols, and revolvers, but also
to artillery.
The first part of, these improvements relate to breech-loading fire-arms, the
nature of which will be better understood by reference to Figure 1 of the
accompanying Drawing.
A, is the barrel shown detached; B, the frame or carriage upon which it
and other parts of the piece are mounted; C, the chamber for charging; D,
lever for opening and closing same; E, guard plate to gun lock; F, top
plate for fixing to stock; G, main spring; H, cock to lock acting on the pin or
needle I for exploding the charge; K, L, projections on gun barrel and screw.
or other pins for fixing same to stock; M, trigger. The barrel A is attached

page_text: to the frame or carriage B by means of the two connecting parts K, K, the
latter being fastened to the fitting by means of the two screw pins L, L, at
the part where the ring of the musket sling is usually fastened. The part B
of the frame is connected by means of screws to the top plate F, and to the
guard E. The opening and closing lever D of the loading chamber is fixed
by a screw or otherwise to the upper part of the loading chamber causing it
to move upon a hinge or axis attached to the frame or carriage. The striking
part of the lock is carried by and moves on the screw or axis N and is acted
upon by the trigger M which indents with it. The piece being mounted and
arranged as previously described, in closing the opening lever the percussor
strikes against the pieco of steel called conductor (I) which strikes and ex-
plodes a cap placed in the cartridge formed partly of metal as herein-after
described. Figure 3, represents a complete gun; Figure 4, represents a
carbine with mounted bayonet, the loading chamber being open for recoiving
the cartridge.
The second part of the Invention relates to the mode of mounting the
bayonet upon rifles or other small fire-arms. For this purpose from the
centre to near the mouth of the barrel, shown at Figure 2, there is a groove
(a, b,) on which the tube of the bayonet fits, keeping it always close to the
gun, it is mounted and dismounted by means of the spring C which fastens
and impedes the movement, only allowing it to rise and descend at pleasure.
Figure 5 shows a cartridge constructed according to the third part of the
Invention charged with small shot. Figure 6 and 7 show other cartridges
charged with ball. The said cartridges are cylindrical and are composed of
an envelope of "cartuline," or cartridge paper with metal bottom. This
bottom, as seen in the plan, has a small orifice, in which is placed the cap and
the interior is charged with powder, small shot, or ball. The piece p serves
to facilitate the handling of the cartridge when loading or removing the
exploded shell. Besides the said cartridges there are two metallic tubes
altogether similar to the anterior, except that the last have in the centre of the
bottom a tube or hollow for placing the cap. This renders it capable of being
charged with cap and common ammunition when special cartridges cannot be
obtained.
Figure 8 shows a revolver having improvements applied thereto according
to this part of the Invention, and differs from that of Lefaucheux' system,
(the one in most general use at présent) in this respect that the hammer A
strikes direct upon the cap placed upon B at the base of the cartridge. This
revolver is constructed and charged on the same principle as the other arm
herein described, a suitable cartridge being represented in Figure 9, in which

page_text: C is the tube; D, the bottom in the centre of which the cap is placed in its
tube or recess, and M is the ball. The said cartridges are of cast steel, and
the tube is charged with powder having the ordinary cap. Each revolver has
its mould for casting the balls, and one of its legs serves to beat down the ball
into the tube or tubes so that those who make use of this arm are able easily
to charge six or more cartridges, avoiding those inconveniences which are
observed in those which are sold already charged. This revolver besides
presenting in all its parts an elegant form, is lighter than the revolvers now
in use, its stock is better adapted to the hand and having a longer cylinder it
has a greater reach.
The advantages which the present improvements offer are the following:-
1st. Solidity of these arms in all their parts.
2nd. Precision in aim.
3rd. Celerity in charging and discharging.
4th. Facility for inserting the projectile in the chamber, preventing acci-
dents, which frequently happen with the aŕms now in use, namely, when the
charge is imperfectly inserted in haste.
5th. Dispensing with the use and inconvenience of the ramrod.
6th. Facility in dismounting and cleaning the gun quickly and con-
veniently.
7th. That with the supplementary tubes it may be always easy to use these
arms, observing that the cartuline or special cartridges afford the advantage
of using them twice or more.