IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1865

page_text: 142
LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald, Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by Samuel
17.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th March 1865.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London," Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for" IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
i
This 'Invention is 'for' improvements 'in' that class of breech-loading "small
arms' in which a metallic cartridge is employed, and which cartridges
usually exploded by a detonating plug made to strike the rear "edge of the
cartridge. In the use of these arms and cartridges a perfectly tight closing
of the breech plug is not required, since the metallic casing of the cartridge
forms a gas check, and therefore it is only necessary, so far as safety in firing
is involved, that the cartridge should be held firmly forward in its place. A
variety of devices has been resorted to in order to accomplish this. A prin-

page_text: cipal merit of the present Invention is that it enables an ordinary Enfield or
Springfield musket or rifle to be very cheaply and effectively altered to a
breech-loading gun.
b
In the annexed Drawings a portion of the rear end of an Enfield or
Springfield rifle barrel is shown as at a, which has been cut off just forward
of the usual breech screw, but only about half way down. The thread in the
remaining part 6 has been cut away, so that the bore or semicircular groove
of that part is larger in diameter than the bore of the barrel. A small
recess a¹ is made at the rear of the bore of the barrel, and it then receives
the ordinary metallic cartridge in the usual manner.
To retain the cartridge in place when fired and to effect the withdrawal of
the empty case are the objects of this Invention. At c is a plate lying upon
the barrel, and hinged to it at c¹; this is turned down at a right angle to
cover the rear of the bore, as at d, and extends through an opening in the
bottom of the part b, as in Figures 1 and 3. If the opening were of the
same size as d that would not enter by reason of the arc of vibration a,
Figure 1, of its lower end, which are has its centre at c. The opening is
therefore made large enough to pass d in upon that arc; upon the face of it
is a sliding piece e, which is held down by an interior spring, but which may
be raised by the hand along d to the position shewn in dotted lines in
Figure 1, when d can be withdrawn, though it is obvious that it would be
locked while e was down in place. A strong projection f on the lower side
of c takes into a groove across the barrel, and thus relieves the strain upon
the hinge c when the cartridge is fired. To withdraw the case after firing
there is a slide h let into the side of the barrel, the rear end of which extends
into the line of the bore, as at i, Figure 2, in order that it may reach beyond
the flange on the base of the cartridge case. This slide, if moved to the rear
when dis raised, thus takes against that flange, and pushes the empty case
out. It is operated by an arm ? affixed upon the hinge pin of c, and moves
along outside of h. It takes against a latch piece n on h, and when c is
raised h will be moved out, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. As c is still
farther raised will escape over the top of n, when h may be returned to its
normal position. On again closing the breech the arm 7 passes the latch
piece, which may be made to retire into h, or 1 may be allowed to spring out,
as preferred.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS," (communicated to me from abroad by Samuel Maynard, of New York,
United States of America,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
This Invention is for improvements in that class of breech-loading small
arms in which a metallic cartridge is employed, and which cartridges are
usually exploded by a detonating plug made to strike the rear edge of the
cartridge. In the use of these arms and cartridges a perfectly tight closing
of the breech plug is not required, since the metallic casing of the cartridge
forms a gas check, and therefore it is only necessary, so far as safety in firing
s involved, that the cartridge should be held firmly forward in its place. A

page_text: A prin-
variety of devices has been resorted to in order to accomplish this.
cipal merit of the present Invention is that it enables an ordinary Enfield or
Springfield 'musket or rifle to be very cheaply and effectively altered to a
breech-loading gun.
In the annexed Drawings a portion of the rear end of an Enfield or
Springfield rifle barrel is shown as at a, which has been cut off just forward
of the usual breech screw, but only about half way down. The thread in
the remaining part 6 has been cut away, so that the bore or semicircular
groove of that part is larger in diameter than the bore of the barrel. A small
recess a is made at the rear of the bore of the barrel, and it then receives
the ordinary metallic cartridge in the usual manner.
To retain the cartridge in place when fired and to effect the withdrawal of
the empty case are the objects of this Invention. At c is a plate lying upon
the barrel, and hinged to it at c¹; this is turned down at a right angle to
cover the rear of the bore, as at d, and extends through an opening in the
bottom of the part b, as in Figures 1 and 3. If the opening were of the
same size as d, that would not enter by reason of the arc of vibration *,
Figure 1, of its lower end, which are has its centre at c'. The opening is
therefore made large enough to pass d in upon that are; upon the face of it
is a sliding piece e, which is held down by an interior spring, but which may
be raised by the hand along d to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1,
when d can be withdrawn, though it is obvious that it would be locked while e
was down in place. A strong projection f on the lower side of c takes into a
groove across the barrel, and thus relieves the strain upon the hinge c¹ when
the cartridge is fired. To withdraw the case after firing there is a slide, h let
into the side of the barrel, the rear end of which extends into the line of the
bore, as at i, Figure 2, in order that it may reach beyond the flange on the
base of the cartridge case; this slide is moved to the rear when d is raised,
thus takes against that flange, and pushes the empty case out; it is, operated.
by an arm / affixed upon the hinge pin of c, and moves along outside of h; it
takes against a latch piece n on h, and when c is raised h will, be moved, out,
as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. As c is still farther raised 7, will, escape.
over the top of n, when h may be returned to its normal position. On again
closing the breech, the arm 7 passes the latch piece, which may be made to
retire into h, or may be allowed to spring out, as preferred. In operation
the breech is opened by lifting the latch piece e, and when that reaches the
position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 the piece d. will have become
unlatched at the bottom, and can then follow the movement until the bore is
entirely uncovered. The metallic cartridge is then inserted, and the breech
"

page_text: covered by pressing down on c; as soon as the lower end of e comes into
contact with the rear edge of the opening in 6 it will be arrested, but d will
continue on to the vertual position, when e will at once drop into place, and
complete the locking of d against the cartridge. On again raising c the arm
which moves with it causes the discharging slide to move out, as shown in
dotted lines in Figure 8, and carrying with it the cartridge or the empty case.
The gun is fired by a detonating plug or a rod made to strike by a lock of
ordinary construction.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the "Improve-
ments in Breech-loading Fire-arms,"
First, the combination of the slide latch e with the breech covering piece d
in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and represented in
the accompanying Drawings.
Second, combining the withdrawing slide h with the covering piece d,
substantially in the manner herein-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings for the purpose of working such slide.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of September,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.