IMPROVE- MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Brazier at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 80th January
1864.
I, RICHARD BRAZIER, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference to breech-loading fire-arms in which the barrels
turn in a vertical plane upon a joint on the body, the open breech ends of the
barrels being made to bear closely against the face of the break-off during
discharge, and raised from the said break-off for loading.
My Invention consists of mechanism constructed in the manner herein-after
explained for holding or locking down the open breech ends of the barrels of
the said fire-arms during discharge, and for releasing the said breech ends of
the barrels when they are required to be raised for loading. I connect the
bolt by which the barrels are locked and unlocked directly with the guard of
the gun, and work the said bolt by the said guard. The said guard is capable
of a limited sliding to-and-fro motion on the under side of the stock, and the
bolt is connected to the said guard at the end of the said guard most distant
from the butt end of the stock. The locking bolt passes horizontally through
the break-off; the said bolt and the guard to which it is connected are urged
forward towards the muzzle end of the barrels by a spring bearing against the
inner end of the bolt. The outer end of the bolt is bevilled or inclined on its
upper side, and when the barrels have been raised from the break-off the said

page_text: bevilled end is pressed by its spring into an opening in the body of the
break-off. When the barrels are shut down, the lump on the under side of
the said barrels bears against the bevilled end of the bolt, and forces it back
until the said bolt comes opposite a recess or opening in the said lump, when
the bolt springs forward and engages in the said lump, and locks or fastens
down the barrels. To unfasten the barrels the guard is pressed back towards
the butt end of the stock by pressure of the fingers on the front of the
said guard, when the bolt is withdrawn from the lump, and the barrels can be
turned on their joint for charging. In order to secure the locking bolt in its
place in the lump, a small vertical bolt situated in or parallel with the
break-off is made to enter an opening in the locking bolt when the end of the
said locking bolt has engaged with the lump, and thereby prevent the sliding
motion of the said locking bolt. The upper end of the small vertical bolt is
inclined, and the lower end is pressed into the opening in the locking bolt by
the end of a small slide working in a recess in the tang on the top of the body
of the gun pressing upon the inclined end of the said vertical bolt, and
forcing it into the locking bolt. When the end of the slide is withdrawn
from over the end of the vertical bolt, the said vertical bolt is raised from the
opening in the locking bolt by a spring, and the locking bolt is then free to
be withdrawn from the lump by pressure of the fingers on the front of the
guard, as before explained.
In order to make the lump when the barrels are shut down bear firmly
against the faces of the slot or opening in the body of the gun, I make one of
the said faces adjustable by means of a screw. When the lump no longer fits
accurately the slot or opening by the wear of the said slot, the said adjustable
face is moved by the turning of the screw, and the proper fitting of the lump
in the slot thereby renewed. My Invention may be applied both to single
and double barrelled breech-loading fire-arms.