IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE- ARMS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Thompson, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-
ARMS." A communication from abroad by Charles Edward Sneider,
of the City and County of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, in the
Sealed the 1st August 1865, and dated the 14th February 1865.
PROVISIONAI SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
February 1865.
I, BENJAMIN THOMPSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to make a breech-loading shot gun, or to
convert an ordinary muzzle-loading shot gun or musket into a breech-loading
arm, and to this end it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of
parts, whereby the movement of a lever in one direction is made to force the
stock away from the barrel at the butt end, so as to admit of the charge being
introduced into the gun at the breech, and the movement of this lever in the

page_text: opposite direction is made to draw the stock and barrel together, and firmly
lock and secure them against casual movement, independent of each other,
while the piece is being discharged.
The Drawing annexed represents the parts forming the action of a breech-
loading gun, constructed according to this Invention, such parts being shown
as unlocked for the operation of charging.
(A) is the barrel provided with a lug bar (D); secured to the barrel (B)
is the breech; (C) is the lever, provided with a cam like head (E) and
wedge (F) to give the desired motion. When the lever is moved in a forward
direction the cam-like head (E) of the lever (C) comes in contact with the
frame and stud (G), and forces the stock from the barrel sufficiently to dis-
engage the hook-shaped lug (H) from the frame, when the stock drops down
and allows the charge to be inserted. The reverse motion of the lever draws
both barrel and stock together, and they are locked by the wedge (F), the
inclined plane (I) and friction roller (K) serving to make the motion more
easy; (L) is an extractor, with a hook on its end, serving, if necessary, to
remove the cartridge case after discharge; it is so placed that when the
gun is opened, the hook which is behind the flange of the cartridge
.bottom will force the case out and admit of its being readily withdrawn by the
hand. The projecting tongue (M) on the lug (N) serves to keep the barrel
in the proper position when open, and guards against pinching the band when
the gun is to be locked.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
THOMPSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Benjamin Thompson, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin
Thompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Benjamin Thompson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said;
Benjamin Thompson, by an instrument 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 Benjamin Thompson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the.
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to make a breech-loading shot gun, or to
convert an ordinary muzzle-loading shot gun or musket into a breech-loading
arm, and to this end it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of
parts, whereby the movement of a lever in one direction is made to force the
stock away from the barrel at the butt end, so as to admit of the charge
being introduced into the gun at the breech, and the movement of the lever in
the opposite direction is made to draw the stock and barrel together, and
firmly lock and secure them against casual movement, independent of each
other, while the piece is being discharged.
I will now proceed to describe the Invention more fully in detail, by the aid
of the annnexed Drawings. Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the
Invention, with the barrel in position for being discharged, a portion of the
stock and frame being removed to shew more clearly the working parts.
Figure 2 represents a similar view of the Invention with the barrel in position
for being loaded at the breech. (A) is the barrel of a shot gun of the common.
kind now in use, and to apply such a barrel for a breech-loading gun, the
barrel (A) is provided with what is termed the lug bar (D.) To fasten this
lug bar (D) to the barrel a portion of the lower rib is taken off so as to get all
the necessary room for the lug bar (D), and secure it to the barrel by means
of screws (1, 2, 3, 4). These screws pass between the junction of the barrel
near to the upper rib; (B) is the breech which extends under the barrel in a
forward direction, so as to form the frame in which the barrel rests, and the
other parts work; (C) is the lever provided with a cam-like head (E) and
wedge (F), to produce the desired motion. When the lever is moved in a
forward direction, the cam-like head (E) of the lever (C) comes in contact,

page_text: with the frame and stud (G), and forces the stock from the barrel sufficiently
to disengage the hook-shaped lug (H) from the frame, when the stock drops
down and allows the charge to be inserted at the breech end of the barrel.
The reverse motion of the lever draws both barrel and stock together, and they
are locked by the wedge (F), the inclined plane (I) and friction roller (K), which
serves to make the motion more easy. To permit the cartridge to be taken out
an extractor (L) is employed with a hook on its end. This extractor (L) is
secured firmly on both sides of the frame, and fits with its hook into a cavity
on the lower end of the chamber of the barrel, so that when the gun is opened,
the hook which is behind the flange of the cartridge bottom will force the
cartridge out, which when grasped by the hand is easily withdrawn. The
projecting tongue (M) on the lug (N) serves to keep the barrel in the proper
position when open, and guards against pinching the hand in the recess when
the gun is to be locked, or I can dispense with the extractor by cutting in the
breech piece a recess the same size as the barrel, so as to admit the cartridge
which projects from the barrel when the gun is loaded, and after discharge
upon opening the gun the rear part of the cartridge extends sufficiently out of
the barrel to permit of its being taken hold of by the fingers and withdrawn,
thus avoiding the use of an extractor.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I claim, without limiting myself to these
precise details,-
Firstly, making the lug bar (D) detachable from the barrel (A), securing
the same to the barrel with screws, (1, 2, 3, 4), or their equivalent, so as to
dispense with the old mode of forging or soldering the lugs to the barrel, and
thereby lessening the cost of construction of barrel for breech-loading double
or single guns, as well as to enable the alteration from muzzle-loader into
breech loader, and also make it possible to harden the lugs before the gun is
finished.
Secondly, I claim the particular construction of the lever (C), having an
eccentric or cam (E) on one end, and attached to the barrels by the lug (0)
and pin (5) for the purpose of starting the barrels from their seat, sliding the
same forward and lifting them, when the cam (E) comes into contact with
the stud (G) in the manner described.
Thirdly, the wedge (F) on the lever (C), friction roller (K), in combination
with the hook-shaped lug (H) to draw the barrel and stock together, and lock
the same firmly in manner shewn.
Fourthly, the combination of the lever (C), wedge (F), hook-shaped lug (H),
and extractor (L), for the withdrawal of the empty cartridge case, by the

page_text: forward movement of the barrel, so as to permit the cartridge case to be
grasped by the finger.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
BENJAMIN (L.S.) THOMPSON.