IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Restell, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES."
Scaled the 6th June 1871, and dated the 10th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Restell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th March 1871.
I, THOMAS RESTELL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES," to be as
follows:-
These improvements relate,-
Firstly. To military and sporting breech-loading fire-arms, double and
single, in which a drop block is employed.
Secondly. To those arms in which the block or blocks move to one
side to expose the bore for loading purposes, and'to apparatus by which
such blocks can be held secure previous to actuating the trigger.

page_text: And, thirdly. To cartridges of special construction, whereby the breech.
block can be made much shorter than can be done with the present
make of cartridge.
With regard to drop-block guns, I employ a knobbed or other shaped
lever one end of it carries or is in connection with a plate, the fore end
of which serves as a bolt to lock the block when it is closed. The plate
is connected to the stem of the striker pin, so that it can be drawn
back to cock it by the knob. The back of the striker is acted upon by
a spring which finds an abutment against a plate forming part of the
trigger. The striker has a long slot or bent for the trigger claw to
take into, and to allow for a little play for the bolt to move to the front
by the action of the spring to enable the bolt to lock the block without
discharging the cartridge. The front of the block is slotted vertically
nearly to the top to permit of the block descending clear of the barrel
before the extractor is acted upon, the slot being out of the centre so as
not to interfere with the action of the striker.
The trigger is pinned in the block, and its loop rises into the stock
when the breech is opened, and the block is steadied in its downward
motion by riding against a plate (spring or otherwise) fitted at the rear
of the barrel.
For some kinds of guns the knob or lever can be on the top or on the
side of the block.
With regard to side-moving blocks I use the same kind of trigger and
striker pin and knob or lever to cock it by, as well as to open the breech,
but in this case the knob or lever is always on the top or at the side.
If it is arranged on the top it requires a slight twist of the hand to move
the block to one side, but if arranged at the side the block opens
naturally because the pull is on the side of the pivotting pin; the trigger
in this case moves sideways with the block.
When the block is opened by the pulling back of the plate, the plate
passes a stud or pin of the extractor, and when the handle is released
the spring takes it a slight distance to the front, and remains there until
the closing takes place. On the closing of the block the edge of the
plate comes against an incline on the stud, and is forced back again;
this compels the plate to get behind for holding the block firmly in its
place until it is requisite to fire the gun, when the plate can go to the
front through the action of the spring, when the trigger claw is released.

page_text: By this means the firing spring answers as a fastener for the block, a
trigger spring, and a striker spring.
Guns made as above described are more than usually safe, as they
cannot be discharged until the breech block is quite home, because the
plate being in a piece with the striker pin must enter its locking
aperture to permit of the striker acting upon the cartridge base. For
greater security, however, a pivotted lever can be arranged behind the
trigger loop, but this lever will be of greater service to the Snider and
other similar systems in which the ordinary lock is employed, as i
prevents the trigger moving whether at full or half cock.
it
The cartridges are made in two parts, the metal case containing the
powder and percussioning forming one part, the bullet and its envelope
the other part. The end of the bullet envelope is twisted and passed
through a wad which is inserted into the mouth of the powder case after
being filled, and before the top edge of the case is turned or burred
inwards upon the wad. In first making the powder case (which is like
a thimble with parallel or tapered sides) I insert a wad for retaining
the anvil and the cap, or one of them, and press it down upon the base
of the thimble.
The connection between the bullet and the case is of a flexible
character, and permits of the cartridge being bent at that part so that
it can be inserted freely into the barrel; it also admits of the block being
much shorter than is usual.
The base of the cartridge case has a hole in its centre, this hole being
of larger diameter than the hole in the wad which is forced down upon
the inside of it. The base proper with the projecting flange is made of
a separate piece, and its fore end is flanged so that it can hold itself in
place in the wad after it is forced through it, the wad being clastic
to permit the flanged end to pass through it upon a little pressure
being applied, when it will contract and grip the neck of the base piece
and prevent its being removed afterwards. The central portion of the
base piece is hollow for the reception of the cap and anvil. The anvil
may be formed in a piece with the base proper.
The space where the enveloped bullet meets the powder case also
serves to hold the lubricating material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Restell in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RESTELL, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer; send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Restell, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Restell, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Restell, 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 AND IN CARTRIDGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Restell, 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 Thomas Restell, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 :-
These improvements relate,―
Firstly. To military and sporting breech-loading fire-arms (double and
single) in which a drop block is employed.
Secondly. To those arms in which the block or blocks move to one

page_text: by which such blocks can be held secure previous to actuating the
trigger.
And, thirdly. To cartridges of special construction, whereby the breech
block can be made much shorter than can be done with the present
make of cartridge.
In the case of drop block guns, as first referred to, I employ a knobbed
or other shaped lever a, such as I have shewn in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawings; one end of it carries or is in connection with
a plate b, which also serves as a bolt to lock the breech block c of the
arm when the block is closed; the plate 6 is connected to the stem d of
the striker pin e, so that it can be drawn back to cock it by the knob a.
The back of the striker is acted upon by a spring which finds an abut-
ment against a plate g forming part of the trigger h. The striker has
a long slot or bent i for the trigger claw j to take into and to allow for a
little play for the striker to move to the front by the action of the
spring to enable the plate bolt 6 to lock the block c without discharging
the cartridge, which it does by entering a recess formed in the lump
under the barrel k.
In some cases the front of the block c is slotted vertically nearly to
the top to permit of the block descending clear of the barrel before
the extractor is acted upon, the slot being out of the centre so as not to
interfere with the action of the striker; this allows the top of the block
to clear the bore before the extractor 1 is acted upon. The trigger / is
pinned in the block c, and its loop or finger pull rises into the stock m
when the breech is opened, and the block is steadied in its downward
motion by riding against a plate n (spring or otherwise) fitted at the
rear of the barrels, as shown in Figure 3.
In the Drawings I have shewn a double-barrelled arm, but any
practical gunsmith can easily understand that with single-barrelled arms
the same arrangement of mechanism can be adapted thereto with
facility. With double-barrelled arms fitted in this manner each breèch
block and its mechanism are distinct, and can be opened and closed
without influencing the other, the blocks either working upon the same
nail" o or on separate "nails."
For some kinds of guns, such as those fitted with "throw-over"
breech blocks the knob or lever d can be on the top or on the side of
the block. The knob may also be fitted on the top of a block which

page_text: falls, the knob being in conjunction with the other mechanism before
explained.
With regard to side-moving blocks, I use the same kind of mechanism
as illustrated in Figures 4 to 12 of the Drawings, with the knob or
lever a to cock the "piece" -by, as well as to open the breech, but in
this case the knob or lever is always on the top or at the side. If it
is arranged on the top, as shown in the sectional view, Figure 12,
it requires a slight twist of the hand to move the block to one side,
but if arranged at the side the block opens naturally, because the pull is
on the side of the pivotting pin; the trigger in this case moves sideways
with the block. This will be understood by referring to Figures 4
to 11, which represents a side pull action arranged in a single-barrelled
arm, Figure 4 being a side and Figure 5 a plan view with the block in a
closed state; Figure 6 is a view with the block open and a fresh cartridge
as being inserted into the bore end with the face of the block slightly
across the same, so that it has to be pushed a little further open by the
side of the cartridge acting against it before the rim can pass to clear
it, as will be more clearly seen in Figure 7, which represents the cartridge
as being nearly home.
The modus operandi for operating this gun will be gathered from
the following:-When the block c is opened by the pulling back of the
plate the plate passes a stud or pin p of the extractor, and' when
the handle or knob a is released the spring f takes it a slight distance to
the front and retains it there until the closing of the block; the edge
of the plate b comes against an incline on the stud, and is forced back
again; this compels the plate to get behind the stud to hold the block c
firmly in its place until it is required to fire the gun, when the plate b
can go to the front through the action of the spring f when the trigger
claw is released. By this means the firing spring f answers as a
means of fastening the block, a trigger spring, and a striker spring. The
under side of the block is grooved, as shewn at g, for the pin p to ride in
without being acted upon until the side lip of the block has passed
the bore in opening the breech, and then the pin p is struck suddenly to
cause the extractor to withdraw and eject the empty cartridge case or
the metal base of one, as the case may be.
Guns made as above described are more than usually safe as they
cannot be discharged until the breech block is quite home, because the
plate 6 being in a piece with the striker pin e must enter its locking

page_text: aperture or behind the pin p to permit of the striker acting upon the
cartridge base. For greater security, however, a pivotted levers (springy
or not) can be arranged behind the trigger loop in the manner represented
in Figure 13, but this lever will be found of greater service to the Snider
and other similar systems in which the ordinary lock is employed, as it
prevents the trigger moving whether at full or at half cock. The lever
has a projection against which the thumb can act to push it in one
direction and the forefinger to push it in the other direction, the
operation not detracting in the least against the aim of the firer
although he may leave the movement until after he has sighted the
object.
The next part of my Invention relates to cartridges made in two parts,
the metal casc containing the powder and percussioning forming one
part, the bullet and its envelope the other part, the two parts being
connected to form a complete cartridge. The end of the bullet envelope
is twisted and passed through a wad which is inserted into the mouth
of the powder case after being filled and before the top edge of the case
is turned or burred inwards upon the wad.
In first making the powder case (which is like a thimble with parallel
or tapered sides) I insert a wad for retaining the anvil and the cap, or
one of them, and press it down upon the base of the thimble.
Figures 14 and 15 represent a cartridge constructed as just recited.
The base a of the cartridge case 6 has a hole in its centre, the hole being
of larger diameter than the hole in the wad c which is forced down upon
the inside of it. The base a with the projecting flange d is made of a
separate piece, and its fore end e is flanged, so that it can hold the
wad in place, the wad being slightly elastic to permit it to pass the
flange. The central portion of the base piece a is hollow for the recep-
tion of the cap g and anvil h, which anvil may be formed in a piece with
the base proper if found desirable. The envelope i which is wrapped
round or pinched upon the bullet j is preferably of flexible material, and
its neck when twisted is inserted into a wad 7, and there secured in
any suitable manner, the wad 7 being afterwards inserted into the case 6,
and the edge burred down to hold the wad firm.
The flexible character of the connection permits of the cartridge being
bent at that part so that it can be inserted freely into the barrel; it also
admits of the block of the arm being very short, whereby a longer
length of barrel can be gained.

page_text: The
space where the envelope bullet meets the powder case also serves
to hold the lubricating material.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
Firstly. The construction of the breech portions of fire-arms sub-
stantially as herein-before described and shewn in the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly. I claim the general arrangement of mechanism enclosed in
the blocks. of fire-arms whether such mechanism be fitted to drop block
or to side motion blocks, as described and shown.
Thirdly. I claim the combination of striker, locking plate, and trigger
in or to the blocks of breech-loading fire-arms when arranged and
acting in the manner described and shewn in Figures 1 to 12 of the
Drawings.
Fourthly. I claim the automatic locking of the blocks of breech-
loading fire-arms behind the pins of extractor levers, as described and
shown.
Fifthly. I claim the fitting of a pivotted lever or thumb piece behind
the trigger or triggers of breech-loading fire-arms when employed in the
manner and for the purposes set forth.
And, sixthly. I claim the construction of jointed cartridges in the
manner described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Restell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of September One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.
THOMAS RESTELL. (L.S.)