IMPROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE, FIRE-ARMS, AND AMMUNITION
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Whitworth, of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ORDNANCE, FIRE-ARMS, AND AMMUNITION."
Sealed the 24th February 1860, and dated the 29th August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Whitworth at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th August 1859.
I, JOSEPH WHITWORTH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN ORDNANCE, FIRE-ARMS, AND AMMUNITION," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to breech-loading apparatus applicable to
ordnance and small arms, wherein a moveable screwed breech-piece is employed
for closing - the breech end of the gun. The breech-piece consists of a hollow
cylinder closed at one end and screwed in its interior, which fits on the screwed
end of the gun.
In the case of ordnance it is supported in a hoop working on a joint con-
nected with the piece; also to a cartridge shaped externally so as to fit the
rifled surface of the bore, and adapted for breech-loading fire-arms. The said
case may be made of thin metallic or pulpy, or fibrous substances; also to a
cartridge adapted for muzzle-loading fire-arms, it consists of a case whose
interior is made to correspond with that of the projectile, and is so constructed
as to be arrested at the muzzle of the piece, while the charge is passed
through it into the barrel without its being removed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Whitworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
WHITWORTH, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Whitworth, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Whitworth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Whitworth, 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 ORDNANCE, FIRE-ARMS, AND AMMUNITION," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Whitworth, by an instru-
ment 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 Joseph Whitworth do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
These improvements relate to breech-loading apparatus applicable to ord-
nance and small arms, wherein a movable screwed breech-piece is employed
for closing the breech end of the gun. The breech-piece consists of a hollow
cylinder closed at one end, and screwed in its interior, which fits on the
screwed end of the gun.
The arrangement and combinination of parts forming my improved breech-
loading apparatus as applied to cannon and large ordnance, are still further
described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section, and Figure 2 is a plan of the arrangement
in which A is the barrel; B is a hollow cylinder closed at one end, and

page_text: screwed in its interior, which I call a breech-piece; C is a handle; D is a
movable joint hoop working on a joint pin E and a fixed joint hoop F, which
is screwed on the barrel A. The fixed joint hoop F may be prolonged if
desirable towards the rear so as to cover like a case the screwed end of the
barrel A, a space being left to admit the working of the breech-piece B; G is
the powder case; H, the wad; and I, the projectile. The outside of the barrel
A at the breech end is screwed a sufficient length to receive the fixed joint
hoop F which is permanently attached to it, and also to receive the breech-
piece B which may be screwed on and off the barrel A by means of the
handle C. The breech B and fixed joint hoop F are both screwed in their
interior to fit the screw on the barrel, and through a hole in the centre of the
breech-piece B is screwed the pin J, in which is made a small hole serving
as a vent and for the insertion of the friction fuse, by which the piece is
discharged when the cartridge is inserted in the barrel. In working the gun,
the breech B is unscrewed by the handle C from the barrel A, and swivelled
back in the movable joint hoop D to the position shewn in Figure 2. The
projectile I is then inserted in the barrel, and afterwards the case G containing
the powder and the wad H. The case G is prevented from entering entirely
into the barrel by having an enlarged outer end, which protrudes slightly
beyond the end of the barrel. There is a recess made in the breech-piece B
corresponding with the protruding end of the case. The breech B while in
the position shewn in Figure 2, is supported by the movable joint hoop D.
When the charge has been inserted in the gun the breech-piece B is swivelled
so as to come opposite to the end of the barrel A. It is then screwed on to
the barrel (as shewn in Fig. 1) by the handle C, the friction tube is then
inserted in the vent pin J, and the piece is ready to be discharged. When
the piece is discharged, the breech-piece B is unscrewed and swivelled back
as shewn in Fig. 2. The protruding end of the cartridge case G is then seized
and removed by hand or by a suitable gripping instrument, and with it are
removed the fouling deposits left by the explosion.
The principle of construction herein-before described as applicable to breech-
loading ordnance, may be easily adapted to breech-loading small arms. The
rear end of the barrel may be closed when the piece is charged by the breech-
piece or cap screwed internally, and fitting on the screwed end of the barrel.
The breech-piece or cap may be unscrewed by hand, its outside being suitably
fluted. It may be attached to the barrel or stock by a chain, or it may be
received into a hoop connected by a joint to the end of the barrel, and working
similarly to that above described in connection with the breech-loading.ord-
nance, the size being proportionally reduced. The touch-holo. I place (by

page_text: preference) in the centre of the breech-piece, and I employ a hanımer working
horizontally to effect the discharge, so that the cartridge may be easily
inserted.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, represent my improved cartridges or cartridge' cases
used for containing the powder and lubricating wad, and suited to breech-
loading ordnance and fire-arms, the external shape of the cartridge case being
made of a spiral figure so as to fit the rifled interior of the barrel. They
are made by preference of tin, copper, or other thin metal, but stiff paper or
other suitable substance may be used.
The case A is made upon a mandril of the proper shape, and an air-tight
joint B is formed along one side, one end is closed by the cap C, which is
knocked up and soldered, or otherwise united to the case A in the usual way.
The cap C has a small perforation in the centre, or the case may be perforated
to correspond with the vent, and allow the piece to be discharged. The other
end of the case A is closed by the lubricating wad D, which keeps in the
powder E with which it is previously filled.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, represent my improved cartridges or
cartridge cases as used for muzzle-loading guns. The powder, lubricating
wad, and shot are placed in the cartridge case in the relative position which
they occupy in the rifle when loaded. The cartridge case A is by preference
made of paper, and united together by such compounds as are not bygro-
metric, such as wax and resinous substances applied in a heated state, or
metallic or other substances may be used. The paper case A is formed upon
a mandril, and may be cylindrical in its interior as shewn in Figures 9, 10,
and 11; or when mechanically fitting projectiles are employed, it is shaped
internally to correspond therewith as shewn in Figures 6, 7, and 8, the exte-
rior of the case being most conveniently made of a shape corresponding to the
interior. The upper end of the case A is prolonged beyond the end of the
shot B, by which the latter is protected from injury in storage, and into
the prolonged end the ramrod C, (see Figure 12) is inserted when the piece
is being charged. To prevent the shot from falling out of the cartridge case A
the part D is contracted sufficiently for that purpose, but not so as to prevent
the ramrod C from passing through the case A. The other end E, of the
case A is extended a little beyond the powder F, so that the case may be
entered into the muzzle of the barrel G (see Figure 12) which is slightly
coned or enlarged for that purpose. At this end of the case A a slotted
opening is made, through which is passed the movable valve 'or diaphragm H
(made by preference of parchment) which prevents the powder from coming
out until the valve or diaphragm is withdrawn. The diaphragm H has a long

page_text: and short projecting end, and when the cartridge is made up for being stored,
these ends are made to fold close to the sides of the case by a belt of thin
paper I gummed over them. When the cartridge is about to be used, these
ends are stripped from the thin paper belt I by simply pulling them down, and
they then stand at right angles to the sides of the case or nearly so, and the
valve or diaphragm H is ready to be pulled out of the case by the fingers.
In loading with this cartridge the belt I is first stripped off, the end E is
placed in the muzzle of the barrel G (see Figure 12), and the diaphragm H is
then pulled out, the ramrod C is then inserted at the upper end of the case,
and the contents of the case are then pushed down into the barrel G. The
case may then be laid aside and refilled again for use.
When a mechanically fitting projectile is used, the end of the cartridge
case which is inserted in the muzzle is shaped externally (see Figures 7
and 8), so as to fit properly therein, and ensure that the projectile enters the
barrel in proper position; this object may be effected by making notches in
the end of the barrel, or making it fit the shaped exterior of the case.
Having now described my Invention, I claim the combination of parts
forming the breech-loading apparatus constructed and applied as herein-before
described.
Also, the mode of constructing and using cartridges and cartridge cases
shaped externally to fit the rifled interior of the bore, applied to breech-loading
pieces as herein-before described.
Also, the mode of constructing and using cartridge cases applied to muzzle-
.loading pieces as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Whitworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOSEPH WHITWORTH (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Joseph Whitworth,
in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent, Manchester.