IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by
Christian Sharps, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Horace Edward
Dimick, of St. Louis, Missouri, both in the United States of America.
Sealed the 11th September 1866, and dated the 16th March 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
16th March 1866.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," a communication to me
from abroad by Christian Sharps, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Horaco
Edward Dimick, of St. Louis, Missouri, both in the United States of America
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the breech-loading fire-
arm, known as "Sharps' rifle," for which Letters Patent were granted to

page_text: Christian Sharps, dated 11th November, 1852, No. 712, and has for its object
the rendering the said fire-arm suitable for use with the ordinary metal-cased
cartridges.
In carrying out this Invention the frame of the fire-arm has an opening
made therein for the reception of a vertically sliding breech piece, and the
bore of the barrel is recessed at its rear end so as to receive the flange of the
metal-cased cartridge, against the end of which the face of the breech piece
is arranged to slide. A semicircular groove or channel is formed in the
upper end of the sliding breech piece, which when the breech piece is drawn
down or opened forms a continuation of a similar channel in the top of the
frame, both channels being then in a line with the bore of the barrel. A
spring catch is fitted to the breech piece and engages with a notch in the sido
of the opening in the frame, its object being to check the further downward
movement of the breech piece when fully opened, whilst the movement of
the actuating lever is still continued. The actuating lever above referred to
serves also as the trigger guard, it is hung to a pin passing transversely through
the frame near its under side, and on this pin is hung loosely a vertical arm
provided on its boss with a shoulder or notch, into or against which the end
of a spring plate secured to the lever engages when the said lever has been
moved forward a certain distance. This has the effect of causing the arm to
turn on its axis, and in doing so it pushes back a spring slide which is provided
with a notched projection engaging into the flange of the metal case of the
cartridge, and thereby withdraws it from the barrel, the breech piece having
been already opened by the movement of the actuating lever. By continuing
the forward motion of this lever the end of the spring plate is caused to slide
along a curved or inclined portion of the frame, and is thereby thrown off or
released from the shoulder or notch, whereupon the arm is forced back again
to its original position by the spring slide in readiness for the insertion of the
next cartridge. The vertical sliding motion of the breech piece which effects
the closing and opening of the breech is obtained from the actuating lever
above referred to in the following manner :-A slot or opening is made in the
lower portion of the sliding breech piece, in which works an arm formed on
the said lever, such arm being provided with two lateral pins at its extremity,
which engage with two shoulders formed inside the said slot or opening when
the lever is being turned back to its normal position over the trigger, and
thereby draw down the sliding breech piece and open the breech. When
opened the breech piece is prevented from being accidentally raised again by
a hooked projection on the said lever overlapping a lip on the breech piece.
The raising of the breech piece in order to close the biecch is effected by the

page_text: end of the arm on the lever pressing against the top of the slot or opening in
the lower part of the breech piece. In order to afford a communication
between the hammer and the metal cartridge for the purpose of discharging
the same a moveable block is fitted loosely into the upper part of the sliding
breech piece, which block is struck by the hammer in its descent, and trans-
mits the blow to the cartridge. A small spring serves to keep this block
always out of contact with the cartridge excepting at the moment of impact
of the hammer.
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
15th September 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN HENRY
JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the 29th 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 Jobn 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 there-
after 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," a communication to me from abroad by Christian
Sharps, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Horace Edward Dimick, of
St. Louis, Missouri, both in the United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors or administrators, 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 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, 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 :-
The said Invention relates to certain improvements in the breech-loading
fire-arm known as "Sharps' rifle," for which Letters Patent were granted to
Christian Sharps on the 11th of November 1852, No. 712, and has for its
object the rendering the said fire-arm suitable for use with the ordinary metal-
cased cartridge.
In carrying out this Invention the frame of the fire-arm has an
opening made therein for the reception of a vertically-sliding breech piece,
and the bore of the barrel is recessed at its rear end, so as to receive the
flange of the metal-cased cartridge, against the end of which the face of the
breech piece is arranged to slide. A semicircular groove or channel is formed
in the upper end of the sliding breech piece which when the breech piece is
drawn down or opened forms a continuation of a similar channel in the top
of the frame, both channels being then in a line with the bore of the barrel.
A spring catch is fitted to the breech piece, and engages with a notch in the
side of the opening in the frame, its object being to check the further down-
ward movement of the breech piece when fully opened, whilst the movement
of the actuating lever is still continued. The actuating lever above referred
to serves also as the trigger guard; it is hung to a pin passing transversely
through the frame near its under side, and on this pin is hung loosely a vertical
arm provided on its boss with a shoulder or notch into or against which tho
end of a spring plate secured to the lever engages when the said lever has
been moved forward a certain distance. This has the effect of causing the
arm to turn on its axis, and in doing so it pushes back a spring slide which
is provided with a notched projection engaging into the flange of the metal
case of the cartridge, and thereby withdraws it from the barrel, the breech
piece having been already opened by the movement of the actuating lever.
By continuing the forward motion of this lever the end of the spring plate is
caused to slide along a curved or inclined portion of the frame, and is thereby
thrown off or released from the shoulder or notch, whereupon the arm is
forced back again to its original position by the spring slide in readiness for
the insertion of the next cartridge. The vertical sliding motion of the breech
piece which effects the closing and opening of the breech is obtained from tho
actuating lever above referred to in the following manner:-A slot or opening
is made in the lower portion of the sliding breech piece, in which works an
arm formed on the said lover, such arm being provided with two lateral pins
at its extremity which engage with two shoulders formed inside the said slut

page_text: or opening when the lever is being turned back to its normal position over the
trigger, and thereby draw down the sliding breech piece and open the breech.
When opened the breech piece is prevented from being accidentally raised
again by a hooked projection on the said lever overlapping a lip on the breech
piece. The raising of the breech piece in order to close the breech is effected
by the end of the arm on the lever pressing against the top of the slot or
opening in the lower part of the breech piece. In order to afford a commu-
nication between the hammer and the metal cartridge, for the purpose of
discharging the same, a moveable block is fitted loosely into the upper part
of the sliding breech piece, which block is struck by the hammer in its descent,
and transmits the blow to the cartridge. A small spring serves to keep this
block always out of contact with the cartridge excepting at the moment of
impact of the hammer.
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 several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figuro 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings is a side viow, partly in section,-
of the improved breech-loading fire-arm; Figure 2 is a similar view, showing
the operating parts in a position differing from that shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a section of part of the fire-arm in a position the reverse of that'
seen in Figures 1 and 2, showing the breech piece lowered; Figure 4 is.
another section of the same part of the fire-arm; Figure 5 is a sectional
plan on the line 1, 2, Figure 1; Figure 6 is an inverted plan view of part
of the fire-arm; Figure 7 is a transverse section on the line 3, 4, Figure 1;
Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged views illustrating one feature of the improve-
ment; and Figure 10 is a view of the sliding block forming the medium'
through which the bammer is caused to strike the flange of the cartridge.
A represents the barrel, and B the frame of the fire-arm, which is pro-
vided with a breech piece C arranged to slide vertically in an opening formed
in the frame for its reception.
It will be observed on reference to Figures 4 and 5 that the bore of the
barrel is so recessed at the rear as to receive the flange or a portion of the
flange of the metal-cased cartridge against the end of which the face of
the breech is arranged to slide. In the upper end of the sliding breech is
a semi-circular groove a, which under the circumstances described hereafter
forms a continuation of the channel 6 of the frame (see Figures 4 and 5).
Secured to the under side of the breech piece, and projecting upwards into

page_text: the opening in the frame B, is a spring catch c, the end of which is adapted
to a notch d in the frame (see Figure 3). A lever D, which also serves as
a trigger guard, is hung to a pin E which passes through the frame, and on
this pin is hung loosely an arm F, having a shoulder or notch e for a purpose
rendered apparent hereafter. To the lever D at the point f is secured a
spring plate G, which is cut away so as to form a projection 9 arranged to
bear against the arm F (see Figure 6).
It will be seen on reference to the dotted lines in Figures 8 and 9 that
the part of the frame B through which the pin E passes is rounded, and
forms a segment of a circle described from the centre of the pin E, the said
segment meeting a hollow curve h, the purpose of which will be explained
hereafter. To a chamber formed in the frame is adapted a sliding bar II,
the front end of which, owing to the spiral spring i, is always in contact with
the arm F, and which has a projection j adapted to a recess cut in the rear
of the barrel, the said projection baving a notch to receive a portion of the
flange of the metallic cartridge. Supposing a cartridge to have been dis-
charged, and its metal case to be still in the barrel, the lever D is depressed
from the position shown in Figure 1, and moved forward towards that shown
in Figure 2, thereby drawing down the breech piece C, as herein-after
described, until the end of the spring catch centers the notch d of the frame
(seo Figure 3) and prevents the further descent of the breech piece, the semi-
circular groove or concavity a in the top of the breech piece now coinciding with
and forming a continuation of the groove 6 in the frame. There is on the
lever D an arm m (Figures 3, 4, and 7) which projects into an opening in
the breech piece, the arm having at its outer end and on each side a pin n.
During the above-described movement of the lever D, the two pins n bear
on shoulders p formed in the opening of the breech piece, hence the descent
of the latter until arrested by the spring catch c, at which point (see
Figure 3) the pins n passed the ends q of the said shoulders p. The breech
piece being now stationary the lever is moved forward, the projection g of
the spring plate G catches against the notch of the arm F, and moves the
latter and with it the spring bar H back, thereby withdrawing the cartridge
case from the rear of the barrel, as seen in Figure 2, along the channel
formed by the groove a in the top of the breech piece and that in the frame.
As the lever D approaches the limit of its forward movement the portion g¹
(Figure 5) of the spring plate G comes in contact with that portion of the
frame where the hollow curve h previously alluded to occurs, and as the
edge g' of the plate traverses this curve the latter is the means of moving
the outer end of the said spring plato away from the lever, and the projection

page_text: g of the plate away from the notch e of the arm F, which owing to the action
of the spring i against the bar H is moved forward into a recess & formed in
the frame (see Figure 2) while the notched projection j of the bar H takes
its place in the recess u at the rear of the barrel.
It will be seen on reference to Figure 4 that when the lover has been
moved forward to its utmost extent its hooked projection w overlaps a lip y
on the breech piece, and prevents the latter from being accidentally elevated.
A fresh cartridge having now been inserted into the rear of the barrel the
lever D is drawn back towards its former position, the sliding breech
remaining stationary until the outer end of the arm m reached the top v of
the opening in the breech piece, when on the further movement of the
lever D, the breech released from the control of the hook w, will be elevated
until it reaches the position illustrated in Figure 1, the outer end of the lever
being now in contact with the under side of the stock, and serving as a trigger
guard. After the cartridge has been discharged the lever is again depressed
and moved forward, the pins n of the arm m bearing on the shoulders p, and
consequently depressing the sliding breech, as before. It has not been
deemed necessary to illustrate the mechanism of the lock, or to describe the
operation of the hammer and trigger, as these parts may be similar to those
of other fire-arms. A moveable block a arranged in tho sliding breech, as
shown in Figures 1, 7, and 10, affords a communication between the hammier
and the metal cartridge for the purpose of discharging the latter, the block
being maintained free from contact with the cartridge by a spring at all other
times excepting when struck by the hammer. The bar II may, when desired,
be manipulated by the aid of its projecting rod, Figures 1, 2, and 4.
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 what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
berein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the vertical sliding breech C combined with the rear of the barrel.
when the latter is recessed for the reception of the flange or a portion of the
flange of the metal-cased cartridge, substantially as herein-beforo described.
Second, the block x, arranged in the sliding breech substantially as set
forth, and forming a medium whereby the hammer is caused to discharge the
cartridge, as specified.
Third, the combination of the sliding breech C, the lever D, and the
devices herein described, or the equivalents to the same, whereby the descent

page_text: of the sliding breech may be arrested while the movement of the lever is
continued for the purpose specified.
Fourth, the combination of the lever D, its arm m, and pins n with the
sliding breech C, the opening for the reception of the said arm m, and the
shoulder p, the whole being arranged and operating substantially as and for
the purpose herein set forth.
Fifth, the combination of the sliding breech C and its spring catch c with
the notch d in the frame.
Sixth, the combination of the hooked projection w or its equivalent on the
lever D with the lip y or its equivalent on the sliding breech for the purpose
specified.
Seventh, the combination of the lever D and arm F with the spring bar II
and its notched projection j, the whole being arranged and operating
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Eighth, the combination of the spring plate G on the lever D, the
notch on the arm F, and the portion h of the frame, by which the said
spring plate is released from the notch on moving forward the said
lever D.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my
Specification hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of
September One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)