IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wilson, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 7th October 1859, and dated the 28th May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th May 1859.
I, THOMAS WILSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
My said Invention consists of the methods herein-after explained of con-
structing the breech end of fire-arms and the apparatus connected therewith
for the purpose of opening and closing the breech end, and introducing the
charge therein. I make the breech end of the barrel open, and place therein
a closely fitting plug, which said plug, though accurately fitting the barrel, is
capable of sliding easily therein. On the upper side of the barrel is an
opening, through which the cartridge may be dropped into the barrel when
the before-mentioned plug is withdrawn past the said opening. The charge
having been introduced, the plug is pushed up to its bearing, the said plug
forcing the cartridge into that part of the barrel where the ignition of the
charge is effected. A slot is made across the barrel and plug, and a cotter

page_text: being inserted in the said slot, the plug is held firmly in its place. The said
cotter may be hinged by means of a lever to the end of the plug, or to the
barrel, or other part of the fire-arm. I sometimes effect the fixing of the plug
in its place during discharge in the following manner:-On the end of the
plug, external to the barrel, is situated a hollow cylindrical cap, concentric
with the axis of the plug. When the plug is pushed into the barrel, the said
cap passes on the end of the barrel, that is to say, the end of the barrel
occupies the annular space between the plug and cap. In order to fix the
plug in its place during discharge, I adopt the following arrangement of
parts: On opposite sides of the barrel, and near the end, I place two snugs
or projections, and on the inside of the cap I make two grooves, so that when
the cap is pushed on the end of the barrel, the said snugs enter the said
grooves; that end of the cap which last passes on the barrel is of larger
diameter internally that the other part, and the before-mentioned grooves open
into the said larger part. When the cap has been pushed home, the snugs on
-the barrel enter the large part of the cap, and by the partial rotation of the cap
the said snugs engage behind the shoulder in the cap, and fix the said cap and
the plug in their places during discharge. Although for convenience of
description I have described my Invention as only applied to fire-arms, yet my
said Invention is also applicable to ordnance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th November 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WILSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Wilson, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Wilson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Wilson, 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Wilson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-.
ticularly 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 Thomas Wilson, do hereby declare.
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 fol-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of the method or methods herein-after particularly.
explained, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, of constructing the
breech end of breech-loading fire-arms and ordnance, and the parts connected
therewith, for the purpose of opening and closing the breech end, and.
introducing the charge therein. I will describe my Invention with reference.
to a rifle constructed according to my said Invention.
Figure 1 represents in plan the breech end of a rifle constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 2 represents a side elevation of the same; and
Figure 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the same; Figures 4, 5,
and 6 represent detached portions of the same, as herein-after described. The
same letters are employed to indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
and 6.
a is the barrel of the rifle, the breech end a of which is open. A plug b,
closely fitting the open breech end, is capable of a sliding motion therein. On⭑
the upper side of the breech end of the barrel, is an opening c, the said
opening having the form represented. When the plug bis withdrawn, as
represented in Figure 1, the cartridge may be dropped through the opening c
into the barrel, and on pushing forward the plug b, as represented in Figure 3,
the cartridge is forced into that part of the barrel where the ignition of the
charge takes place, and the bore of the barrel is closed immediately behind
the charge. In order to fix the plug 6 in its place during the discharge of the
rifle, slots are made across the barrel at d, as best seen in the separate view.
of the breech end of the barrel, Figure 6, and a slot is made across the plug b,
as shown at e, in the separate view, Figure 4. When the plug 6 is pushed
forward, so as to close the barrel preparatory to discharge, the slots at d in the
breech end of the barrel and the slot e in the plug 6 coincide, and a cotter f
shown separately in Figure 5, being passed through the said slots, the plug b

page_text: b
is held firmly in its place. After firing, the cotter f may be withdrawn, the
plug 6 pulled back, and another cartridge introduced. The plug 6 may be
pushed forward again, the cotter f inserted in the slots d, e, and another firing
effected, and so on with great rapidity.
Having described the general construction of the rifle made according to my
Invention, and represented in the Drawing, I will proceed to point out the
more important details of its construction.
The plug 6 carries a plate g, which said plate is connected with the plug in
a manner which will be understood by an examination of the Drawing. The
said plate g covers the opening c, when the plug is pushed forward and fixed
for firing, the free end of the said plate 9 engaging under the head of the
screw h. The plug is guided in its motion in the following manner :-On
the under side of the said plug is a groove i, extending nearly, but not quite,
from end to end of the said plug. A spring %, let into the stock 1, carries at
its free end a projection m, which said projection engages in the groove i of
the plug b, and limits the range of motion of the plug on the withdrawal of the
said plug. The upper side of the spring k is flush with the surface of the
stock at or about n, and when it is required to remove the plug b for cleaning
or other purpose, it is only necessary to press upon the spring k at or about n,
when the projection is depressed from the groove i, and the plug b may be
wholly withdrawn from the barrel. When the cotter f is pushed home, so as
to fix the plug 6, the said cotter is secured in its place by a spring catch
fastening, the construction of which will be understood by reference to the
Drawing.
In withdrawing the cotter f, the head t of the said cotter is grasped by its
upper and lower edges; the lower edge being attached to the spring o, the
grasping of the head t of the cotter releases the spring fastening and permits
of the withdrawal of the cotter f. When the cotter f has been withdrawn
the plug b is free to move. The cotter is prevented from being wholly
removed from the lock plate p, by a pin or projection 9 on the lock plate
engaging in a groove r, formed on the under side of the cotter and extending
álong nearly the whole length of the said cotter. From the position of the
cotter f with respect to the cocks of the rifle, it is impossible to raise the said
cock s until the cotter f has been pushed home, and the plug 6 fixed in its
proper place for the discharge of the rifle. When the cock s is raised to hal
or full cock, it covers part of the end of the cotter and prevents its withdrawal
it is bence impossible for the rifle to be discharged so long as the plug 6 is
unfixed, or for the cotter f to be withdrawn when the cocks is raised. The
head of the cotter f is placed on one side of the said cotter, in order that i
b

page_text: may be more readily reached and acted upon by the forefinger in pushing the
said cotter home. Although I prefer to construct and work the cotter f in
the manner described and represented, yet I do not limit myself thereto, as
the said cotter may be hinged by means of a lever to the outer end of the
plug b, or to the barrel or other part of the fire-arm. The plug 6 is moved by
taking hold of the grip formed on its end b, by the thumb and forefinger.
Although I prefer to make the cotter f work horizontally as described, yet it
may be made to work vertically with the same or nearly the same effect.
I sometimes effect the fixing of the plug in its place during discharge in the
manner illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, Figure 7 representing this part of my
Invention in longitudinal vertical section, and Figure 8 representing the same
in transverse vertical section; the same letters indicate the same parts in
Figures 7 and 8. On that end of the plug u which is external to the barrel x
is fixed a hollow cylindrical cap v, concentric with the axis of the plug u.
When the said plug is pushed into the barrel the said cap passes on the end
of the barrel, the said end of the barrel occupying the annular space between
the plug u and cap v. On opposite sides of the end of the cap v, snugs or
projections w, w, are made, and on the end of the barrel is a neck or
groove y. Portions of the snugs w, w, and of the collar constituting the side
of the neck or groove y, are cut away, so that when the cap v is pushed on the
end of the barrel a, the said snugs w, w, being opposite the cut away portions
of the collar forming the side of the neck or groove y, the said snugs enter
the said neck or groove y, as will be best understood by an examination of
Figure 8. By the partial rotation of the cap v, the snugs w, w, engage
behind the shoulders of the barrel, and fix the said cap and the plug in their
places during discharge. After discharge the plug u may be liberated by
turning the cap v in the direction proper to bring the snugs w, w, opposite the
cut away parts of the collar forming the side of the neck or groove y, when
the cap v may be withdrawn; the rotatory motion of the cap v is effected by a
handle or thumb plate 2.
Although the method of fixing the plug last described answers well in
practice, yet I prefer the method of fixing the plug herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the Drawing.
Although I have only described my Invention as applied to a breech-loading
rifle, yet my said Invention may also be applied to other fire-arms and ordnance;
but the application of my Invention to various kinds of fire-arms and to
ordnance differs in no essential respect from its application to rifles, and I
believe my Invention will be fully understood by reference to the description
herein given, and to the accompanying Drawing..

page_text: Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I
claim as my Invention,-
Firstly, the method herein-before described and illustrated in Figures
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the accompanying Drawing of constructing the breech
end of breech-loading fire-arms and ordnance, and the parts connected there-
with for the purpose of opening and closing the breech end, that is to say,
closing the breech end by means of a plug sliding in the said breech end of the
barrel, which said plug is fixed during discharge by a cotter passed transversely
through it and the sides of the barrel.
Secondly, the method, herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 7
and 8 of the accompanying Drawing, of constructing the breech end of breech-
loading fire-arms and ordnance, and the parts connected therewith for the
purpose of opening and closing the breech end, that is to say, closing the
breech end by means of a plug sliding in the end of the barrel, to which said
plug is connected a cap passing over the end of the barrel, the said cap
engaging with the barrel by means of snugs inside the cap entering a groove
on the outside of the barrel, the engagement and disengagement being effected
by giving the cap a partial rotation.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
THOMAS WILSON. (L.S.)