IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE, AND IN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING PART OR PARTS THEREOF, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO WHAT ARE CALLED SMALL ARMS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Ambler, of Halifax, in the County of York,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE, AND
IN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING PART OR PARTS THEREOF, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO WHAT ARE CALLED SMALL ARMS."
Sealed the 26th July 1859, and dated the 16th March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Ambler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th March 1859.
I, HENRY AMBLER, of Halifax, in the County of York, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
ORDNANCE, AND IN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING PART OR PARTS THEREOF, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO WHAT ARE CALLED SMALL ARMS," to be as
follows:-
The improvements relate to that description of ordnance and small arms
called breech-loading; and consist in a combination of means by which to
give efficiency to the operations of such descriptions of guns. For this purpose
1 form the moveable breech of a spherical form, or partially so, and of strength
much in excess of that given to the barrel of the gun, proportioned to strain
calculated to be exerted by any increase of powder desired to be employed
under different circumstances; the velocity sought to be obtained, or the extra
strain produced by the use of elongated or other specially formed shot. The

page_text: breech is bored to contain shot and powder, and the powder chamber, which
is, by preference, in the centre of the breech, I form larger than the bore for
the shot. The bore may be grooved, rifled, or of other desired form. The
breech is at the junction with the barrel of the gun, ground, or otherwise
caused to fit tightly to it, and when the gun is otherwise formed of iron, the
rubbing surfaces in contact, or one of them, may be formed of brass, copper, or
other metal not so liable to corrosion, and the breech is connected to the
barrel by strong links with screws, or other suitable means to admit of such
breech turning on its axis of motion for loading, and then of being brought
tight up to the gun.
I propose as one method of producing such spherical or such like
breeches, especially when of very large size, first to combine together rings or
hoops of wrought metal of various sizes, interlocking each other in such
manner as to combine their strains in a spherical form, and then to, when
highly heated, unite the whole by pouring thercon cast metal in suitable
moulds; but I do not confine myself to these means, or to the metal of which
the parts are composed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Ambler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th. September 1859.
TO ALL. TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, HENRY
AMBLER, of Halifax, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
1er reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Ambler, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Ambler,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Ambler, 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 ORDNANCE, AND IN THE MEANS OF PRODUCING PART OR PARTS
THEREOF, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO WHAT ARE CALLED SMALL
'ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Ambler,

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Ambler, do hereby declaro
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 following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
The improvements relate to that description of ordnance and small arms
called breech-loading, and consist in a combination of means by which to give
efficiency to the operations of such description of guns. For this purpose I
form the moveable breech of a spherical form, or partially so, and of strength
much in excess of that given to the barrel of the gun proportioned. to strain
calculated to be exerted by any increase of powder desired to be employed
under different circumstances; the velocity sought to be obtained, or the extra
strain produced by the use of elongated or other specially formed shot. The
breach is bored to contain shot and powder, and the powder chamber, which
is, by preference, in the centre of the breech, I form larger than the bore for
the shot. The bore may be grooved, rifled, or of other desired form. The
breech is at the junction with the barrel of the gun, ground or otherwise
caused to fit tightly to it; and when the gun is otherwise formed of iron, the
rubbing surfaces in contact, or one of them, may be formed of brass, copper,
or other metal not so liable to corrosion, and the breech is connected to the
barrel by strong links with screws, or other suitable means, to admit of such
breech turning on its axis of motion for loading, and then of being brought.
tight up to the gun.
But that the nature of my improvements and the means which I adopt
in carrying the same into effect may be more fully understood, I will.
proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawing, to explain the same more
in detail.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a side view, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 an end view of
a gun constructed according to my improvements; Figure 4 is a sectional
view of the main parts, to show the internal form thercof. In each of these
views the same letters are employed to indicate like parts.
a is the barrel; b, the moveable breech, which is of a spherical form, with.
ears b', acting as axes, upon which it may turn in the links c, c, which embrace

page_text: the trunnions a' of the barrel a, as well as the ends d' of the cross bar d,
which is formed to receive the screw e; and the point of this screw e is
intended to bear in a recess formed for it in the moveable-breach b, and by the
pressure exerted upon its being tightly screwed of holding the breech close up
to the end of the barrel during the firing. It will be seen that the moveable
breech is much stronger in proportion to the size of the bore than that
usually adopted, and the powder chamber therein is considerably larger
than the bore for the shot; 6 is the touch-hole. When it is required to turn
the breech upon its axis of motion b', for the purposo of supplying a fresh
charge, or otherwise, I first give a few back turns to the screw e, so as to
withdraw its point from the breech, and then I give partial rotary motion to
the breech by the application of a key to the square end 6 of the axis b³, or
by other suitable means.
I have not thought it necessary to show a gun carriage, or any grooving to
the barrel, as these are matters of detail which will be varied at pleasure.
And in some cases when desired, in place of the breech 6 being made to
partially revolve as described, for the purpose of supplying the charges, it may
be fixed to the barrel by screwing or otherwise, and the breech bored through
from the chamber be backwards, so as to give facility for filling in the charge
from behind, as also for seeing that the parts are properly cleaned after cach
firing. That portion of the bore behind the chamber 6 will, after filling in
the charge, be closed by a suitable screw or other plug, as in other breech-
loading guns. Or the bore through the breech may be adopted when the
breech is capable of revolving, in which case I should prefer to form the
screw hollow (as shown by Figure 5), to facilitate looking through the
barrel, and such screw may also serve to hold the plug y or other suitable plug
at the back part of the breech, as well as to keep the breech close up to the
end of the barrel. I do not confine myself to the form of the plug y shown,
as this may be varied; f is a steel lining to part of the bore within the breech,
and this lining I prefer to be cut with grooves corresponding with those of
the barrel.
I propose as one method of producing such spherical or such like breeches,
especially when of very large size, first to combine together rings or hoops of
wrought metal of various sizes, interlocking each other in such manner as to
combine their strains in a spherical form, and then when highly heated, to
unite the whole by pouring thereon cast metal in suitable moulds; but I do
not confine myself to these means, or to the metal of which the parts are
composed.
"
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the means I

page_text: have found to answer in carrying the same into effect, I would have it under-
stood that that I do not confine myself to the precise details referred to, so long
as the peculiar character of the improvements be retained, substantially as
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Ambler, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
73, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agent.
HENRY AMBLER. (L.S.)