IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING Guns, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING GUNS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Witney, of Kensington, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING Guns,
AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING GUNS."
Sealed the 15th May 1866, and dated the 20th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Witney at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th November 1865.
I, CHARLES WITNEY, of Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING GUNS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING GUNS," to be as
follows:-
I first make a barrel with the proper substance of metal at the breech end,
and forge or braze on the under side of the breech end a tang having at its
back end a boss for making a hinge or joint for a lever and its fulcrum. The
breech end is now bored the proper size and length to allow the cartridge to
pass into the breech of the barrel, and the back part of the breech end is
enlarged for a chamber by a cutter which hollows out the upper side of the
tang at the same time, and after these operations an opening is made in the
top of the barrel at a suitable distance from the breech end for the purpose of

page_text: admitting the cartridge. I then form a cylinder of iron or steel to fit into the
chamber, which cylinder is slightly bevelled at the front end to fit a cor-
responding bevel made by the cutter in the barrel, so as to form a good tight
joint and not allow the escape of the gases at the time of explosion. The
cylinder is bored to within a short distance of its front end for the purpose of
allowing the insertion of a piston or plunger and also a spiral spring, and in
the under side of the cylinder there is a slot to admit of a sliding sere or
catch. The open end of the cylinder is then tapped for receiving a short
plug in which there is a slot perpendicular with the barrel, through which
slot is passed a lever for drawing the cylinder in and out; this lever is of a
circular shape where it passes through the slot, and one end of the lever has
a boss which is hinged to the boss on the tang, and the other end of the lever
is formed to fit into the opening in the barrel where the cartridge is inserted.
On the under side of the tang of the barrel I fix a piece of steel, to which is
jointed a small under latch or lever, having one of its ends passing through a
hole in the tang and its other end turned down so that it may be acted on by
the trigger, there being a small spring to keep the end which passes through-
the tang always up in position to hold the sere or catch, which arrangement
is for the purpose of dispensing with the ordinary gun lock. The small
piston or plunger to be placed in the cylinder is made of steel and turned
down at each end, leaving a portion in the centre to fit the bore of the
cylinder, the end being used as a striker for the cartridge, and the other end
as a stay or guide which passes through the interior of the spiral spring;
this piston or plunger is inserted into the cylinder, and the spiral spring put
in after it, and then the plug is screwed in the back end of the cylinder, and
to the piston or plunger is attached the before-mentioned sere or catch con-
sisting of a piece of flat steel having a bend or catch for the under latch or
lever to catch in. The lever, one end of which covers the opening for the
cartridge, is passed through the slot in the plug of the cylinder placed in the
chamber in the barrel, and then the pin is inserted into the joint of the lever
to keep the lever in its place. When the cartridge is inserted through the
opening in the top of the barrel, and motion given to the circular portion of
the lever, a forward motion is given to the cylinder so as to push the cartridge
forward, and at the same time the under latch catches in the catch of the
sere, thereby holding back the piston or plunger, and cramping the spiral
spring as the motion of pushing is continued, the sere sliding along the slot in
the under side of the cylinder, and then the lever is pushed home and secured
by a catch or other suitable fastenings. The gun thus remaining cocked

page_text: ready for firing is released by the trigger raising the opposite end of the
under latch, thus freeing the piston or plunger, and enabling the cramped
spring to drive forward the small end of the piston or plunger through a hole
in the centre of the cylinder and strike the pin of the cartridge, and thus
explode it. When opening to admit another cartridge the lever fastenings
are released, and as the lever is pulled up the circular portion of the lever
pulls back the cylinder the required distance to insert the cartridge. It is
evident the lever can be worked from the side in a horizontal instead of a per-
pendicular position if desired.
The cartridge which I employ in connection with the foregoing improve-
ments is also applicable to other guns. I first make conical bullets, each
having a recess in the base thereof, and fit a small piece of sheet iron or other
hard material into the bottom of the recess; I then place on the top of the
piece of iron a percussion cap with the hollow side outwards, and place the
head of a brass or copper pin into the hollow of the cap, the said pin being of
sufficient length to reach to the end of the gunpowder or gun cotton. The
pin is now passed through a perforated lubricating wad and the case of the
cartridge, formed of skin or combustible paper, and filled with gunpowder or
gun cotton, and the end of the case turned so as to leave the small end of
the pin either exposed or enclosed at option. When the end of the pin is
violently struck by the front end of the piston or plunger in the cylinder the
cap is ignited in the base of the bullet, and the powder is ignited at the fore
end, thereby giving a perfect ignition and a greater velocity to the bullet, and
the larger end or head of the pin being in front of the wadding, the pin is
carried out of the barrel with the wadding, so that nothing remains in the
barrel after the charge has exploded.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Witney in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WITNEY, of Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: me, the said Charles Witney, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Witney, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles Witney, 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 GUNS, AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR BREECH-
LOADING GUNS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Witney, 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.
per-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Witney, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Figures on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon (that is to
say):
I make a barrel with the proper substance of metal at the breech end, and
forge or braze on the under side of the breech end a tang having at its back
end a boss for making a hinge or joint for a lever and its fulcrum. The breech
end is now bored the proper size and length to allow the cartridge to pass into
the breech of the barrel, and the back part of the breech end is enlarged for
a chamber by a cutter which hollows out the upper side of the tang at the same
time, and after these operations an opening is made in the top of the barrel
at a suitable distance from the breech end for the purpose of admitting the
cartridge. Or I modify this arrangement by making the breech piece of a
separate piece of metal and screwing it to the breech end of the barrel, and
joint the lever to the metal at the back of the breech piece; and it is this
modification and the other parts of my improvements that are illustrated in
the Drawings, of which Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are longitudinal sections of the
main part of one of my improved breech-loading guns; Figs. 4, 5, and 6,
detached views of some of the parts; and Figs. 7 and 8 longitudinal sections
of my improved cartridges..
a, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, represents the back part of a barrel of an Enfield rifle,

page_text: or one of any other construction, and 6 the breech piece screwed to it. The
breech end is bored to allow the cartridge to pass into it, and the breech
piece b is hollowed out as a chamber d, there being at the top of the breech
piece an opening e at the proper distance from the breech end for the admis-
sion of the cartridge. I form a cylinder f, Figs. 2, 3, 4, & 5, of iron or
steel to fit into the chamber, which cylinder is slightly tapered at the front end
to fit a correponding taper g, so as to form a good tight joint and not allow the
escape of the gases at the time of explosion. The cylinder is bored to within
a short distance of its front end for the purpose of allowing the insertion of a
piston or plunger h, and also a spiral spring i, and in the under side of the
cylinder there is a slot k, Figs. 2, 3, and 4, to admit of a sliding sere or catch 7.
The open end of the cylinder is then tapped for receiving a short plug m, in
which there is a slot n perpendicular with the breech piece, through which
slot is passed the lever o, Figs. 2, 3, and 6, for drawing the cylinder in and
out. This lever is of a curved shape where it passes through the slot n, and
one end of the lever is hinged to the back end of the breech piece, and the
other end of the lever is formed to fit into the opening in the breech piece
where the cartridge is inserted. On the under side of the breech piece I fix
a piece of steel p, to which is jointed a small under latch or lever q, having
one of its ends passing through a hole in the breech piece and its other end
turned down so that it may be acted on by the trigger, there being a small
spring to keep the end which passes through the breech piece always
up in position to hold the sere or catch 1; which arrangement is for the pur-
pose of dispensing with the ordinary gun lock. The small piston or plunger h
to be placed in the cylinder is made of steel, and has fixed to it the pin t, to
be used as a striker for the cartridge, and at the back of the piston or plunger
there is the spiral spring i. This piston or plunger is inserted into the cylinder
and the spiral spring put in after it, and then the plug m is screwed in the
back of the cylinder; and to the piston or plunger is attached the before-
mentioned sere or catch 1, consisting of a piece of flat steel having a bend or
catch for the under latch or lever q to catch in. The back end of the lever o
is passed through the slot n in the plug m of the cylinder placed in the
chamber d, and then the pin v is inserted to hold the lever to the back of the
breech piece. When the cartridge is inserted through the opening e in the
top of the breech piece and the lever o pressed down the said lever gives
forward motion to the cylinder so as to push the cartridge forward, and at
the same time the under latch q catches in the catch of the sere l, thereby
holding back the piston or plunger aud cramping the spiral spring i as the

page_text: motion of pushing is continued, the sere / sliding along the slot in the under side
of the cylinder, and then the lever o is pushed home and secured by the pro-
jection w, passing into the slot in the breech piece and cylinder; but when
desired I secure the lever by an additional catch or fastening. The gun thus
remaining cocked ready for firing is released by the trigger raising the opposite
end of the under latch g, thus freeing the piston or plunger and enabling the
cramped spring i to drive forward the pint of the piston or plunger through
a hole in the centre of the cylinder and perforate the percussion cap y, and
thus explode it. When opening to admit another cartridge the lever is
pulled up and pulls back the cylinder the required distance to insert the
cartridge, and then the operations before described are repeated. It is
evident the lever o can be worked from the side in a horizontal instead of a
perpendicular position if desired.
The cartridges which I employ in connection with the foregoing improve-
ments are also applicable to other guns, and one arrangement is shewn in
Fig. 7. I make conical bullets, each having a recess in the base thereof,
and fit a small piece of sheet iron or other hard material into the bottom of
the recess.
I then place on the top of the piece of iron a percussion cap y
with the hollow side outwards, and place the head of a brass or copper
pin a into the hollow of the cap, the said pin being of sufficient length to
reach to the end of the gunpowder or gun cotton. The pin is now passed
through a perforated lubricating wad b¹ and the case c¹ of the cartridge,
formed of skin or combustible paper and filled with gunpowder or gun cotton,
and the end of the case turned so as to leave the small end of the pin either
exposed or inclosed at option. When the end of the pin a¹ is violently struck
by the front end t of the piston or plunger in the cylinder the cap is ignited
in the base of the bullet and the powder is ignited at the fore end, thereby
giving perfect ignition and a greater velocity to the bullet, and the larger
end or head of the pin being in front of the wadding the pin is carried out of
the barrel with the wadding, so that nothing remains in the barrel after the
charge has exploded.
In Figs. 2 and 8 I shew a modification of my improved cartridge, in which
the percussion cap is placed in a wad at the back end of the cartridge,
instead of in a recess in the bullet; f¹ represents the bullet; g', the cart-
ridge case; h, the wad; and y, the percussion cap; and when the piston or
plunger is pushed forward by the spiral spring i and the sharp pointed end t
pierces the cap ignition takes place and the gun is discharged.
Having now fully described my Invention, I desire it to be understood that
I claim the improvements in breech-loading guns, and in cartridges for

page_text: breech-loading guns, as herein described and illustrated on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Witney, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
CHARLES WITNEY. (L.B.)