IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Eugène Schneider, of Paris, France, and
Jacob Snider, junior, of the United States of America, both now
residing at 25. Walpole Street. New Cross, in the County of Surrey
Sealed the 16th December 1862, and dated the 21st June 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Eugène
Schneider and Jacob Snider at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 21st June 1862.
We, FRANÇOIS EUGÈNE SCHNEIDER, of Paris, France, and JACOB SNIDER,
junior, of the United States of America, both now residing at 25, Walpole
Street, New Cross, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to that kind of breech-loading fire-arms having
a portion of the barrel at the breech cut away for the introduction of the
charge and reception of a solid breech-piece, which is shaped by two concentric
semicircles, one fitting the bottom of the interior of the barrel and the other
following the upper part of the outer circumference of the barrel, and thus has
no entire separation of the barrel at the breech or otherwise.

page_text: Our improvements consist in fixing a tube on the side of the barrel or
made of the same piece therewith, in which we insert an iron or steel pin,
fitting but turning freely therein. This pin carries a tube with a small
projection which serves to draw the case of the expended cartridge, and to the
end of the pin is also fastened the solid breech-piece. The tube fixed to the
side of the barrel serves as a guide when drawing back the breech-piece, as a
hinge when turning it on one side, and as a guide in withdrawing the case of
the expended cartridge, and the projection on the tube which acts as the
cartridge case drawer is kept in place by a projection outside, which slides in a
groove on the outside of the barrel. When the breech-piece is turned down
or closed it is secured by a spring catch which enters a notch made in the
opposite side of the barrel to that on which the tube is fixed. The solid breech-
piece carries in it a piston which being struck by the hammer percusses and
explodes the cartridge, and the head of this piston instead of being flat, as is
ordinarily used, we make round or conical. That part of the solid breech-
piece which receives the end of the iron or steel pin which moves in the tube
on the side of the barrel is held in place by a screw passing through it and
part of the pin, and also is enlarged outside so as to form a shoulder, that in
opening the breech said shoulder may rest against the side of the barrel and
maintain the breech-piece in position, so as to draw back free of the hammer
when operating the draw cartridge, or is so maintained in place by an interior
shoulder in that part of the tube on the solid breech-piece, and a similar
provision on the projection serving as the draw cartridge. The solid breech-
piece is made so to adjust as that in action to have no friction or abrasion of
parts. And also that the arm cannot be fired unless properly closed, and all
in place for so doing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said François Eugène Schneider and Jacob Snider in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th December 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANÇOIS 3
EUGENE SCHNEIDER, of Paris, France, and JACOB SNIDER, junior, of the United
States of America, both now residing at 25, Walpole Street, New Cross, in
the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord 3
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her

page_text: "
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said François Eugène Schneider and Jacob Snider, junior, Her special licence
that we, the said François Eugène Schneider and Jacob Snider, junior,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
François Eugène Schneider and Jacob Snider, junior, our executors, admini-
strators, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said François
Eugene Schneider and Jacob Snider, junior, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, 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 Jacob Snider, junior, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
These improvements relate to that kind of breech-loading fire-arms having
a portion of the barrel at the breech cut away for the introduction of the case
containing the charge, and reception of the solid breech-piece which is shaped
by two concentric semicircles, one fitting the bottom of the interior of the
barrel, and the other following the upper part of the outer circumference of
the barrel, and thus has no entire separation of the barrel at the breech or
otherwise.
Our improvements consist in fixing a tube on the side of the barrel, or
made of the same piece therewith, in which we insert an iron or steel pin,
fitting but turning freely therein. This pin carries a tube with a small
.projection, which serves to draw the case of the expended cartridge, and
to the end of the pin is also fastened the solid breech-piece. The tube
fixed to the side of the barrel serves as a guide when drawing back the
breech-piece, as a hinge when turning it on one side, and as a guide in
withdrawing the case of the expended cartridge, and the projection.on the
tube, which acts as the cartridge case drawer, is kept in place by a pro-
jection outside of the barrel. When the breech-piece is turned down or
closed, it is secured by a spring catch which enters a notch made in the

page_text: T
opposite side of the barrel to that on which the tube is fixed. The solid
breech-piece carries in it a piston which, being struck by the hammer, percusses
and explodes the cartridge, and the head of this piston, instead of being flat as
is ordinarily used, is made round or conical. Also, instead of this piston,
which is used to explode the cartridge, we insert a long nipple to receive an
ordinary capsule, containing fulminate to ignite the charge contained in a
cartridge case adapted therefore, so that the arm may be used with a cartridge
carrying the igniting fulminate in it or with the ordinary "cap," containing
the igniting fulminate. That part of the "solid breech-piece which receives the
end of the iron or steel pin which moves in the tube on the side of the barrel
is held in place by a screw passing through it and part of the pin, and also is
enlarged outside so as to form a shoulder, that in opening the breech said
shoulder may rest against the side of the barrel and maintain the breech-pièce
in position so as to draw back free of the hammer when operating the draw
cartridge, or is so maintained in place by an interior shoulder in that part of
the tube on the solid breech-piece, and a similar provision on the projection
serving as the draw cartridge. The solid breech-piece, and in conjunction
with the form of the spring catch, is made so to adjust as that in action to
have no friction or abrasion of parts, and also that the arm cannot be fired
unless properly closed and all in place for so doing.
And that the Invention may be fully understood I will proceed to

page_text: and it projects a little above the nipple P and finishes flush the opposite end
of the breech-piece. When the hammer strikes it forces this piston down and
drives the farther end into the fulminating cap placed in the interior of the
cartridge O, when the rifle discharges the end of this pin which is struck by
the hammer is made round or conical, so that if bulged or damaged in
striking it will easily enter the tube; we do not claim the use of the piston as
novel, or of our Invention, but only the rounding or tapering of the end. The
breech-piece H is secured when it is turned down, as shewn in Fig. 1, by
means of a spring catch, see Figs. 3 & 4; R is a spring flush with the breech-
piece, which presses against the thumb piece S, turning on a pivot; when the
breech-piece is pressed down in its place a small tongue on the thumb-piece
S enters a groove in the barrel and is kept there by the pressure of the
spring R; to open the breech the thumb-piece is pressed upward and the
tongue is released. The means used to keep the breech-piece in position
when thrown back, and so as to clear the hammer in drawing the cartridge is
shewn partly in Figure 2. A small shoulder projects from the piece F,
marked V, which enters a suitable cavity provided in the socket B, which
forms part of the breech-piece, so that the breech-piece can be turned back a
suitable distance.
When using a fulminating cap on the nipple, instead of a piston and cap
in the interior of the cartridge, we adopt the cartridge shewn in Fig. 5, the
flash from the cap passing through a hole U made in the end of the
cartridge, and sufficiently small to prevent a grain of powder passing through;
this hole is countersunk, as shewn in the Drawing, in order that should the
hole not quite coincide with the hole down which the flash passes it would
still be effective.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacob Snider, junior, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
Jos. WILLCOCK,
Patent Agent,
89, Chancery Lanc,
London, W.C.
(L.S.) JACOB SNIDER, JUN".