AN IMPROVEMENT OR IM- PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Grainger, of Handsworth, in the County of
Stafford, Gunmaker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 12th September 1860, and dated the 22nd March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Grainger at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
March 1860.
I, JOHN GRAINGER, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, Gunmaker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the following method of constructing the breech
end of breech-loading fire-arms, and the parts connected therewith for opening
and closing the said breech end. The breech end of the barrel is prolonged
behind the part where the detonation of the powder takes place. An opening
is made in the side of the said prolonged end, at which opening the cartridge
is introduced and pushed into that part of the barrel where detonation of
the powder takes place. The barrel is closed behind the charge in the

page_text: following manner :-The prolonged end of the barrel terminates with a solid
breech, to which is jointed a plug or bolt turning in a horizontal plane. The
said bolt may be turned into or out of the side opening in the barrel, so as
either to close the said opening or leave it open. When the said bolt is in
the opening it is made to advance and embed its conical end firmly on the end
of the chamber, where the discharge takes place. The advance motion of
the said bolt is thus effected :-The said bolt consists of two parts, that is to
say, of a solid cylinder jointed to the breech, and a cap or hollow cylinder
closed at one end, screwing upon the solid cylinder. A lever or handle on
the said cap or hollow cylinder serves to move the bolt upon its joint, and
also to turn the cap or outer part upon the inner part. When the lever or
handle of the bolt is in a horizontal position the bolt may be turned upon its
joint into or out of the opening in the barrel, and when the said bolt has been
turned into the said opening, the cap or outer part is made to advance by
turning the said lever down into a vertical position. The opening and closing
of the plug or bolt is assisted by a spring acting on the joint, which somewhat
resembles the joint of a pocket knife. The lever or handle of the plug or
bolt may be fixed during discharge by a small sliding bolt.
My Invention is applicable to all kinds of small arms, I place the lock on
the left-hand side of the gun or other fire-arm.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Grainger in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GRAINGER, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, Gunmaker, send 2
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto 3
me, the said John Grainger, Her special licence that I, the said John
Grainger, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Grainger, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, 3

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IM-
PROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Grainger, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 John Grainger, 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 follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of the method or methods herein after described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings of constructing the breech end of
breech-loading fire-arms and the parts connected therewith for opening and
closing. the said breech end.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a portion of a single barrelled breech-
loading rifle constructed according to my Invention, the several parts being
in the positions they respectively occupy when the rifle is ready for firing, and
Figure 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the same; Figure 3
represents a side elevation of the rifle; Figures 1 and 2, the several parts
being in the positions they respectively occupy when the cartridge or charge
can be introduced at the breech end preparatory to firing, and Figure 4 repre-
sents a plan of the same; Figures 5 and 6 represent in side elevation and
section respectively, a portion of the same as herein-after explained. The
breech end a of the barrel bis prolonged behind the part where the detonation
of the powder takes place as represented. An opening c is made in the side of
the prolonged end a, as best seen in Figures 3 and 4, at which said opening
c, the cartridge or charge is introduced and pushed into the part b² of the
barrel b, where the detonation takes place. The prolonged end a is of greater
diameter internally than the barrel b, as seen in the section Figure 2. The
barrel 6 is closed behind the charge in the following manner:-The prolonged
end a terminates with a solid breech d to which is jointed at e, a plug or
bolt f, f, turning in a horizontal plané upon the said joint. The said plug or
bolt f, f, is shown separately detached from the rifle in side elevation in
Figure 5, and vertical section in Figure 6. The said plug or bolt f. f' may

page_text: be made to lie in the axis of the breech end a, as represented in Figures 1 and
2, or be turned out of the said end through the side opening c, as represented
in Figures 3 and 4, so as either to close the said opening or leave it open.
When the bolt or plug f, f2, is in the prolonged end a, as represented in
Figures 1 and 2, it is made to advance and embed its conical end f firmly on
the conical shoulder g, at the entrance of the barrel b, where the discharge
takes place. The advance motion of the said plug or bolt into the barrel is
thus effected. The said plug or bolt consists of two parts, f. f2, the part f, is
hollow and is screwed internally, and the part f², consists of a solid cap or end
provided with a quick threaded screw f³, which said screw f³ works in the
concave screw in the part f of the plug or bolt. The construction of the plug
or bolt ff, is best seen in the sections, Figure 2 and 6. To the cap
or part f, a handle or lever is fixed, which serves to turn the plug or bolt
upon its joint and also to turn the cap or part f2 into or withdraw it from the
other part f. When the plug or bolt has been turned upon its joint and
made to lie in the breech end a, the handle h, of the said plug or bolt is in a
horizontal plane. By now depressing or moving the said handle into a
vertical position, as represented in Figures 1 and 2, the cap or outer part f,
of the plug or bolt is made to advance and embed itself against the conical
shoulder g of the barrel b. When the handle is turned down, it enters an
opening or recess in the stock. By sliding the small bolt k over the handle h,
the said handle is fixed and the rifle ready for discharge. After firing in order
to reload the rifle, the small bolt k is withdrawn and the handle / raised into
a horizontal position, the end f2 of the plug or bolt is thereby made to retire or
screw into the part f, and to shorten the said plug or bolt sufficiently to allow it
to be turned out of the opening c in the breech end into the position represented
in Figures 3 and 4, that is to say, at right angles to the said breech end. The
opening c is thus clear and the cartridge or charge can be introduced into the
part 2 of the barrel b. After the introduction of the charge, the plug f, f
is turned into the breech end a, the handle or lever h turned down, the small
boltshot forward when the rifle is again ready for firing. The opening and
closing of the plug or bolt f, f2, is facilitated, and the said bolt fixed by the
spring, (see Figure 4) at the opposite side of the breech end to that at which
the opening c is made. The said spring is fixed at m, to the side of the
breech end, its free end being provided with a tail piece n, which presses upon
and engages in depressions o, o, in the joint e, and thereby temporarily fixes
the bolt or plug either in its open or closed position.
Instead of placing the cock and percussioning at the left hand side of the

page_text: rifle as represented in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, I sometimes place the cock at
the right hand side of the rifle near the opening in the prolonged end of the
barrel the percussioning being placed on the side of the barrel instead of at the
top.
Figure 7 represents a side elevation of a portion of a rifle with the cock
and percussioning at the right hand side of the rifle, and Figure 8 represents
a transverse section of the same. p is the cock, (constructed as herein-after
described,) turning on the joint q, on the lock plate 1. The percussioning s
is placed at the side of the barrel t, as represented. When the cock p is used
I dispense with the sliding bolt k for fixing down the handle h, Figures 1, 2,
3 and 4, and use in place thereof a spring u fixed to the lock plate. When
the handle v is depressed in order to drive home the plug, the head u² of the
said spring u passes through and engages in a notch at the top of the slot w in
the said handle, and thereby fixes the said handle during firing. To raise the
handle v, the head u² of the spring u is pressed back and the said head
disengaged from the top of the slot, when the handle can be raised.
The cock p and lock of the rifle, Figures 7 and 8, are shown separately in
side elevation in Figure 9, and front elevation in Figure 10. The said cock
has the form represented, and its lower end is provided with a tail piece x upon
which the long end y of the tumbler bears. On depressing the cock the end y
of the tumbler is raised, the lever engaging with sears on the tumbler in
the ordinary way. The action of the trigger on the said lever z and tumbler
resembles that of an ordinary lock.
The lock last described and illustrated in Figure 7, 8, 9 and 10, is espe-
cially applicable to double-barrelled breech-loading guns or rifles constructed
according to my Invention, but the said lock may also be applied to single
barrelled guns or rifles.
My Invention is applicable to all kinds of small arms.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my
Invention,--
Firstly, the arrangement or combination of parts for opening and closing
the breech end of breech-loading fire-arms herein before described and
represented in Figures 1, 2 3, 4, 5 and 6, of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly, applying to single or double barrelled breech-loading fire-arms
of the kind herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 34, 5

page_text: and 6, of the accompanying Drawings, a cock or hammer constructed and
actuated in the manner described with respect to Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10,
the said cock as well as the percussioning being placed at the side of the fire-
arm.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Grainger, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw.
JOHN GRAINGER. (L.S.)