IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM BUSH, of Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
late at Westminster, the Twentieth day of May, in the third year of
Her reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Bush, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said William Bush, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Bush, my
exors, adors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES," communi-
cated to me by a certain foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said William Bush, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said William Bush, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon (that is to say):
The Invention relates, first, to a mode of constructing the breech, and
apparatus connected therewith, in order more conveniently to load at
the breech. And, secondly, the Invention relates to a mode of con-
structing cartridges for such fire-arins as are discharged by an instru-
ment passing through the breech. And in order to give the best
information in my power, I will proceed to describe the Drawing
hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
1, shews the gun complete; 2, is the barrel, with an opening or slit
at the back end to receive the apparatus for the breech, at the end of
which slit or opening are two pieces, brazed on, each having a hole
through which a screw passes and fixes a short connecting rod (8)
between the lever (6) and the breech (3); together producing a parallel
motion to the breech, and whereby the breech acted upon by the lever
(6) slides backwards and forwards out and again into the barrel (2);
3, 3, a side and top view of the breech with screw and plate, which
connect it to the barrel; 5, a screw made of thin shear steel, to be
screwed into that part of the breech which enters the barrel, the whole
of the centre being hollow to be filled with pewter, having a hole through
its centre where a needle passes, which by perforating the cartridge, as
hereafter described, ignites the charge. The advantage of the pewter
for the centre of the breech is that it does not oxidise. And, secondly,
the steel screw casing is made sufficiently thin to be elastic, that when

page_text: the gun
is discharged the concussion is sufficiently strong to so far act
upon the pewter as to fill up any cavity that may be formed by the
friction of the needle or the sliding of the breech. 6, 6, sile and top
view of lever with screw which attaches it to the breech, which when
lifted or moved up and down causes the breech to slide backwards and
forwards as described; 8, a small rod connecting the lever 6, at æ, with
the end of the barrel at, ; 9, represents the side and top view of the
needle which passes through the breech, which when struck by the
hammer (20) is propelled with such velocity through the breech into
the cartridge where the percussion powder is placed as by-its friction to
cause immediate ignition; 11, a side, bottom, and top view of the plate
which retains the breech in its place in the barrel; 14, top and side
view of the breech plate which is screwed on the stock, and to which
the barrel is attached as in the ordinary gun, the further end having
a mortice to receive the spring and ketch (15). This ketch with its
spring are attached to the end of the lever (6), to keep it secure in its
place when down. 16, is a top and side view of of the lock, the lock
plate shewn with its fittings making the lock complete; 17, side view
of the trigger guard; 18, side view of the trigger; 19, side view of the
seer; 20, 20, the hammer and tumbler in one piece; 21, a safety guard
tó stop the action of the hammer upon the needle when not in use;
21", a different description of safety guard more particularly adapted
to soldiers' muskets; 22, the main spring; 23, a side view of the spring
acting upon the seer; 24, a gun complete as altered from either a flint
or percussion gun retaining the stock, lock, barrel, and furniture, with
'such modifications and alterations as are hercin-after described; .25, the
old gun barrel prepared to receive the new end as herein-after described;
26, the new end of a gun barrel made to braze on to the end of 25, or
an old gun barrel prepared for that purpose with openings.as above
described may be used; 27, the barrel complete, having been, brazed
together; 28, the side view of the breech; 29, side view of the lever;
30, side, top, and end view of a piece of steel dovetailed, which when
screwed under the breech maintains in its. position the breech and
Secures the parallel motion when acted on by the lever, as described in
respect to lever (6); 31, a lock complete, as altered from either flint or

page_text: percussion; 32, right and left hand and front view of the outside
hammer with its various screws; 33, is a connecting rod between the
outside hammer and the internal hammer, described in respect to 35,
and which strikes the needle; 34, a crank attached to the internal
hammer 35, as well as the connecting rod 33, which gives the impetus
to the internal hammer, thereby causing it to strike the needle; 35, is
a side and back view of the internal hammer; 36, is a safety guard to
prevent the action of the hammer when not in use; 87, a top and
side view of a screw top in which the safety guard reposes when brought
into usc.
Description of the cartridge applicable to the above described gun,
and which forms the second part of the Patent :-
38, end and side view of the end of the cartridge case, composed of
card board, containing the friction or percussion powder as herein-after
described; 39, is a piece of card board in the shape of a top of a pill
box; 40, a similar piece of card board sufficiently small to fit tightly
into 39, with a hole in the centre to receive the powder herein-after
described; 41, a piece of cloth, calico, or linen to be pasted over the
percussion or friction powder in 40, to keep it in its place and to prevent
ignition by detonation; 42, a view of a percussion case made in wood
with a hole in the centre, in which is to be placed the percussion or
friction powder; 43, a square piece of wood with an outside round case
in card board; 42, a side view of the same; 45, end and side view of
the end of a cartridge case, containing the percussion powder in a metal
cap, composed of either copper or any other metal; 46, a similar piece
of card board to 39; 47, a similar piece of card board to 40; 48, to
top and end view of a metal cap, in which is placed the percussion or
friction powder, to be placed between the cards 46 and 47; 49, the
inside and outside view of a musket cartridge complete; 50, the inside
and outside view of a sporting cartridge complete.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is, first, the mode of constructing the hinder end of the barrels of fire-
arms in combination with the means of constructing and moving the
breech, as herein shewn and described; and, secondly, I claim the mode

page_text: of constructing cartridges and applying percussion powder to the interior
of the cartridge, and at the back of the charge of powder, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bush, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty.