IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE- ARMS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Herbert Maberly, of Stowmarket, in the
County of Suffolk, Clerk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-
ARMS."
Sealed the 23rd November 1855, and dated the 26th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Herbert Maberly
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th May 1855.
I, FREDERICK HERBERT MABERLY, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARDS" to be as follows:-
Figure 1 shews the nature of the Invention, which is that of loading from
the but of the gun and at the breech of it, namely, by a number of properly
prepared charges properly fixed on an endless band or chain, and brought into
the breech of the gun by the same chain or band, turned by two rollers cogged
or otherwise, and turned themselves by the drawing back of the cock or other-
wise, through the medium of another cogged wheel or otherwise, and by means
of which the charges are forced into the breech of the gun and are ready for
firing, either by percussion caps, or by a pin striking upon proper matter within
the charges, &c.

page_text: The artificial breech or portal of the gun is intended to be kept down by a
spring and catch or some proper contrivance when the gun is loaded, which
artificial breech or portal is brought up and held up by the cock for the loading
of the gun. Thus, the pulling back of the cock does all that is needful to load
the gun, and the pulling of the trigger all that is needful to fire it, though these
may be assisted by an extra contrivance in so doing; a second band may be
similarly placed on the same or other rollers within the but, and so may be simi-
larly made to bring another set of charges into the gun. It may be also formed
with another barrel similarly loaded, to constitute a double-barrelled gun. The
charges may be put on the band or chain either at an opening at the but end
of the but or at its side. It is evident that in this case the but of the gun
must be hollow, and may be best made of sheet iron or steel. Again, a great
gun or cannon may be similarly loaded from the breech with some similar
casing for the charges, and brought forward into the breech of the gun simi-
larly by a sweep or lever.
The Figure 2 simply shews how the barrel may be fastened, so as to be
lifted up to load it, or clean it, or to draw the ramrod, if needful. I contem-
plated this Invention years back, as I can prove, if needful, but brought it not
forward till the application of steam to the propelling of ships and carriages had
destroyed our insular situation; and so it may be called one of my Inventions
for my country's protection and safety against invasion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Herbert Maberly in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
HERBERT MABERLY, of Stowmarket, in the County of Suffolk, Clerk, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Frederick Herbert Maberly, Her special licence that I, the said
Frederick Herbert Maberly, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Frederick Herbert Maberly, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from

page_text: 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," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Frederick Herbert Maberly, 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 Frederick Herbert Maberly, do hereby
declare the nature of Diy said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and forming part of this my Specification, and to the
letters of reference marked thereon in each of the Figures or Diagrams
respectively, similar letters being placed on similar parts where such parts
appear or can be seen in the several Diagrams:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gun or musket fitted with my Invention;
Figure 2, a longitudinal section of the same; Figure 3, a plan view of ratchet
wheels and front roller; Figure 4 shews the interior of the butt on an enlarged
scale; Figure 5 is a plan view of needle spring; Figure 6, a section, shewing
the charges (or cartridges) on the band as they appear in the gun; Figure 7
shews a section of a cartridge. The mechanism by which numerous charges
are to be propelled from fire-arms with great rapidity and without taking the
arm from the shoulder is as follows, the cartridges being placed within the butt
of the gun, and the butt peculiarly formed for this purpose, as exhibited in the
Drawing (Figures 1 and 2):-The charge troughs a, a, are to be made of
steel, as the best material, and to open at the side for the introduction of the
charges, as shewn (at Figure 1); the charges being placed upon the band with
stops upon it to keep the charges in their places (Figures 2 and 6), so as to be
brought forward as required; the band revolving on two rollers 6, 6, Figure 2,
one in front and the other behind, being plain rollers, spiked or otherwise
made to prevent the band c slipping, while to the fore roller is attached, (one
on each side of the same, two small ratchet wheels d, d, in the hinder part of
which (one in each wheel) work spring catches e, e, fixed to the side of the
frame work, to prevent these wheels and also the roller to which they are
attached from running back; these wheels and roller are loose upon their

page_text: common axle. In these two ratchet wheels work two other spring catches f.f.
attached to the back of the hand lever or cock 9, which is itself fixed on the
same axle as the three wheels run upon, by moving which forward the fore
roller which carries the band is also moved forward, and so the charges, one of
which is forced thus partly (if not wholly) into the breech of the gun; but to
make certain, however, of this, a feeding piece h (attached to the front of the
hand lever g) acts also against the tail of the charge, and so pushes the same
completely into the breech of the gun. The hand lever, which is kept back by
the spring catch (Figures 1 and 3), is attached on each side to the axle of the
aforesaid wheels, and by its spring catches moves the whole forward suitably; it
likewise depresses the portal i to which it is attached, and which portal works
beneath the barrel and through the underneath part of it, as at Figure 4,
having a portion of the breech of the gun behind it, but which part of the
breech has still a hole in it to admit the charge from behind, and on the
depression of the portal it is opened to receive the charge; and this is done (as
has been said) by the forward motion of the lever handle g, while by the back-
ward motion of the handle the portal is raised again and closes this hole, and
the gun is ready for firing, the handle having also set the spring j, carrying the
needle, percussion hammer, or whatever is necessary, ready for firing the gun,
to do which nothing is now required but to pull the trigger, to releive the
spring j, and to reload the gun; all that is required is to depress the spring
catch z, push the lever handle forward, and bring it back again to its place. In
every case the charge is peculiarly prepared, being enclosed in a strong casing,
(I prefer a metallic one,) copper being the best, and composed of powder, per-
cussion powder, or gun cotton, with a cap at the foremost end attached to the
sides of the case, and the ball or shot either within or without the cap, as may
bo found most advantageous, but yet within the case, the case invariably being
open at the hinder part or end, or only closed by the thinnest rag or paper, and
the same incorporated with or as firmly attached as possible to the powder,
percussion powder, or gun cotton, so that the whole charge, case and all, may
be blown out together, leaving the gun perfectly clear of its contents.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the means by
which I carry it into practical effect, I desire it to be distinctly understood
that I do not confine myself to the proportions of parts of mechanisın herein
described and shewn in the Drawing, as such may be varied to suit particular
cases; nor do I lay any claim to the exclusive use of any of the parts or portions
of such mechanism or apparatus taken seperately as parts or portions, and not
in combination or for the purposes of my Invention, which I declare to be, and I

page_text: claim, the mechanical arrangements herein-before described and shewn in the
Drawing, by which the charge or charges for fire-arms is or are carried from
the butt to and into the breech of the gun, and by which the cartridge is
delivered from the gun simultaneously with the explosive material, forming
when so combined "Improvements in Fire-arms."
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Herbert Maberly, have here-
unto affixed my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
> Witness,
JOHN GEDGE, Patent Agent,
4, Wellington Street South, Strand,
London.
F. H. MABERLY. (L.8.)