IMPROVEMENTS BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Woodward, the younger, of St. James's
Street, in the City of Westminster, Gun Maker, and John Emme,
of Crown Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex, Breech-
loading Action Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Woodward and
John Emme at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 27th January. 1872.
We, JAMES WOODWARD, the younger, of St. James's Street, in the
City of Westminster, Gun Maker, and JOHN EMME, of Crown Street,
Soho, in the County of Middlesex, Breech-loading Action Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon the Invention for
which Letters Patent were granted to Edwin Charles Hodges, bearing
date the 31st day of January, A.D. 1871, No. 251.

page_text: The Invention therein described consisted, firstly, in the addition of
two horizontal projecting pins (the upper part of the face of each of
which was flat) to the sliding bolt, which had theretofore been used
alone for locking the barrels. These pins projected to about the centre
of the rear lump of the barrels, and were placed one on each side of the
sliding bolt and secured thereto by screws, and were provided merely
for the purpose of giving greater security in locking the barrels, the rear
lump at the under side of the rear of the barrels being provided with a
square key projecting out on either side, cach of which projections when
the breech of the barrels was closed by the breech plate, was held by
one of the pins; and as theretofore the rear notch of the lump was also
held by the nose or a projecting piece of the bolt, making thereby what
is known in the trade as a "triple bite," the bolt was kept pressed
forward in position by a spring through which the triggers passed.
The Invention consisted, secondly, in providing the bolt with a pro-
jecting incline on the upper surface of the bolt, which addition was for
the purpose of dispensing or getting rid of the unpleasant jerking
theretofore usual in that class of fire-arms when the breech of the
barrels was being closed. In order that this might by the above
arrangement be accomplished, it was necessary that the breech plate
should have a slot cut away or formed therein which corresponded to the
form of the incline projection of the bolt; and it was further necessary
that the rear of the rear lump of the barrels should be also provided
with a rounded incline, which during the action of closing the breech
acted or bore against the incline projection of the bolt and so gradually
forced the same backwards, so that during the time of closing the
breech there should be no jerking in that part of the action. This.
has always been a great desideratum, but the mode or manner in which
it was by the above means accomplished was clumsy and detrimental
and in a great degree impracticable, inasmuch as the strength and
solidity of the breech plate (which it is most desirable should be kept
solid to withstand the shock of the recoil of the fire-arm after being
discharged) was greatly weakened and impaired by forming or cutting
the slot therein for the reception of the bolt incline, and which in
addition added considerably to the cost or manufacture of the fire-arm,
and so greatly deteriorated the usefulness of the Invention.
The shinst of thin Thiamint
11

page_text: experienced, and to accomplish the desired objects by the following
improvements :-
In the first place we construct the face of the breech plate solid,
and do away with the incline on the lump and with the incline
projection on the sliding bolt, and substitute for the last a small box-
like projecting piece which we term a steadying piece," which works
in a shallow groove in the rear of the breech piece, and which piece we
provide for the purpose of steadying the action and working of the
sliding bolt, which is otherwise apt to get deranged. In a slot formed in
this piece the spring lever actuating the bolt works.
As a second, improvement we form the bolt and pins in one solid
piece, and make the pins considerably longer so as to reach to about
the centre of the front hook-like lump or projection by which the barrels
are hung to the body, and slightly curve the upper part of the face of,
each of them.
As a third improvement we form the projecting key of a somewhat
triangular section with curved faces and a flat top, and pass it through
the hook-like or front lump of the barrels, and so nearer the fulcrum
pin on which the barrels hang, and we make the slots in the body
for the reception of the triangular projections in a corresponding position
thereto.
The action in closing the breech of the barrels of a fire-arm
constructed according to this Invention is as follows:-From the
commencement and during the whole action of closing the barrels, the
rear curved faces of the projections of the triangular key bear against
the upper curved portions of the faces of the elongated pins of the bolt,
and so gradually force the same backwards till, the moment the breech,
is closed, they clear the same, and by the action of a spring placed in
front of the triggers the bolt is forced forward, and its face and
clongated pins fly across the rear notch of the rear lump and the tops of
the triangular projections on the fore lump respectively, and so securely
hold the barrels, whilst at the same time and by the same means the
desired object of closing the breech without the usual jerking is effected,
being with a less number of parts and without the manifest disadvantage
of cutting into and thus weakening the breech plate.

page_text: VI
filed by the said James Woodward and John Emme in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
WOODWARD, the younger, of St. James's Street, in the City of West-
minster, Gun Maker, and JOHN EMME, of Crown Street, Soho, in the
County of Middlesex, Breech-loading Action Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said James Woodward, the younger,
and John Emme, Her special licence that we, the said James
Woodward, the younger, and John Emme, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Woodward,
the younger, and John Emme, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thercafter 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
FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
James Woodward, the younger, and John Emme, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of our 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
IN BREECH-LOADING
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Woodward, the younger,
and John Emme, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, and on
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon the Invention for

page_text: which Letters Patent were granted to Edwin Charles Hodges, bearing
date the 31st day of January, A.D. 1871, No. 251.
The Invention therein described consisted, 1stly, in the addition of
two horizontal projecting pins (the upper part of the face of each of
which was flat) to the sliding bolt, which had theretofore been used
alone for locking the barrels, being pressed forward by a spring through'
which the triggers passed. These pins projected to about the centre of
the rear lump of the barrels, and were placed one on each side of the
sliding bolt and secured thereto by screws, and were provided merely
for the purpose of giving greater security in locking the barrels; the
rear lump at the under side of the barrels being provided with a square
key projecting out on either side, and each of which projections when
the breech of the barrels was closed by the breech plate, was held by
one of the pins; and (as theretofore) the rear notch of the lump was
also held by the nose or a projecting piece of the bolt, making thereby
what is known in the trade as a "triple bite."
The Invention consisted, 2ndly, in providing on the upper surface
of the bolt a projecting incline, which addition was for the purpose of
dispensing with or getting rid of the unpleasant jerking theretofore
usual in that class of fire-arms when the breech of the barrels was
being closed. In order that this might be accomplished by the above
arrangement, it was necessary that the breech plate should have a slot
cut away or formed therein, which corresponded to the form of the
incline projection on the bolt; and it was further necessary that the rear
of the rear lump of the barrels should be also provided with a rounded
incline, which, during the action of closing the breech continually acted
or bore against the incline projection on the bolt, and so gradually
forced the same backwards, so that during the closing of the breech
there should be no jerking in that part of the action. This has
always been a great desideratum, but the mode or manner in which it
was by the above means accomplished was clumsy and detrimental and
in a great degree impracticable, inasmuch as the strength and solidity of,
the breech plate (which it is most desirable should be kept, solid to
withstand the shock of the recoil of the fire-arm after being-discharged)
was greatly weakened and impaired by forming or cutting the slot
therein through the face thereof for the reception of the bolt incline,
and which in addition added considerably to the cost of manufacture

page_text: 'we pass it through the lump 3 (see Figure 2), and consequently nearer
the fulcrum pin 7 on which the barrels hang (see Figures 4 and 5), and
we make the slots 8 in the body 9 for the reception of the projections 5
in a corresponding position thereto (see Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6).
As a third improvement we do away with the incline projection on
the bolt and with the incline on the rear barrel lump, and substitute for
the former a small box-like projecting piece 10 (see Figures 1), which we
term a "steadying piece," and which works in a shallow groove 11 in
the rear of the body 9 (see Figure 7), and which piece we provide for
the purpose of steadying the action and working of the bolt 1, which is
otherwise apt to get deranged. The head of the spring lever 13
actuating the bolt 1 for unlocking the barrels works in a slot 14 formed
through the piece 10, and is kept [in position by the action of a turned
spring 15 placed in front of the triggers. A screw 20 is provided in the
rear of the slot 14, so that it may be adjusted as the head of the
lever 13 wears. By the substitution of the piece 10 for the projecting
incline on the bolt we are enabled to construct the face 16 of the breech
plate 12 solid (see Figure 8), and so cause the same without injury to
withstand the shock of the recoil of the fire-arm.
The working of the improved action is as follows:-Supposing the
breech of the barrels to be closed and it is desired to open them for the
extraction or insertion of a cartridge, &c., all that is necessary to be
done is to push or pull the lever 13 into the position shown in Figure 4,
which action draws the face of the bolt from engaging with the rear
notch 17 of the barrels, and also the pins 2 from the projections 5, and
so leaves the barrels free, when the latter by their own weight fall into
the position shown in Figure 5, and allow of what is wanted being done;
the force of the spring 15 pressing the lever 13 and bolt back into the
positions shown in the same Figure, so that the faces 4 of the pins bear
against the rear curved faces of the projection 5.
Supposing now that it is desired to close the barrels :-By either
elevating the barrels or the breech, or both, from the commencement and
during the whole action, the rear curved faces of the projections, (which as
above mentioned bear against the curved faces of the pins,) are caused
gradually to force the latter backwards (Figure 4 shows the breech
nearly closed) till the moment the breech is closed and the pins clear the
projections, when the action of the spring 15 on the head of the lever 13
causes the bolt 1 to be pressed forward with its face and elongated

page_text: pins 2 across the rear notch 17 of the rear lump 18 and the tops of the
projections 5 on the fore lump 3 respectively, so that the barrels are
securely held and the desired object of closing the breech without the
usual jerking is effected with a less number of parts, and without the
manifest disadvantage of cutting into and weakening the breech plate.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention
for "Improvements in Breech-loading Fire-arms," together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, we would remark in conclusion that we claim as our
Invention, the improvements in breech-loading fire-arms substantially as
herein-before described, and as illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Woodward, the younger, on
behalf of myself & of the said John Emme, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred & seventy-two.