IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Henry, of Edinburgh, in the County
of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 5th November 1869, and dated the 11th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Henry at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th May 1869.
I, ALEXANDER HENRY, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows, that is
to say:
This Invention has reference to certain arrangements of the breech
apparatus of breech-loading fire-arms, whereby increased simplicity of
action and efficiency are obtained, together with a reduction in the
number of parts.

page_text: The first arrangement consists in employing a hollow breech cavity,
similar to those specified under Letters Patent, previously granted to me,
No. 1071, 17 April 1865, and in my two applications for Patents,
Numbers 88, 12 January 1869, and 511, 19 February 1869, but in place
of the breech piece being arranged as therein set forth under the present
Invention an opening is made in one side of the breech cavity through
which the breech piece, which is hinged or jointed to the bottom of the
breech cavity, protrudes, the protruding part constituting a thumb or
finger piece by which the breech is opened or closed. The extractor is
arranged to lie flush with the end of the cartridge chamber, a recess
being formed in the cavity to receive it, and it is actuated by means of
the breech, which when opened out bears against a projecting toe on the
extractor forcing it out, and extracting the spent cartridge case. A recess
may be formed either in the end of the chamber or in the adjacent face
of the breech to receive the disc at the base of the cartridge. A spring
is by preference applied to the breech piece for the purpose of drawing
it as well as the extractor back into such position as allows of a fresh
cartridge being inserted.
Under a second arrangement the breech piece slides vertically, and an
opening is formed in one side of the cavity, through which a thumb or
finger piece protrudes, and by depressing or raising which the breech is
either opened or closed.
Under a third arrangement the breech pieco slides horizontally, an
opening being made in one or both sides of the breech cavity to enable
it to be moved, and the movement is effected by a thumb and finger
piece at the bottom or at one end. In connection with these arrange-
ments either a lever extractor or a bar extractor may be employed, and
on the front of the body a lug or projection of metal is formed to which
the fore part of the stock will be attached by a pin or screw.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
HENRY, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
send greeting.
3

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the 32nd year of
Her reign, did, for Herself,. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alexander Henry, Her special license that I, the said
Alexander Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alexander Henry, my executors, administrators,
or 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 FIRE-
ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Henry, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Alexander Henry, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in, and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
My said Invention has reference to certain arrangements of the breecli
apparatus of breech-loading fire-arms, whereby increased simplicity of
action and efficiency are obtained, together with a reduction in the
number of parts.
The first arrangement consists in employing a hollow breech cavity,
sunilar to those specified under Letters Patent previously granted to me,
but in place of the breech piece being arranged as therein set forth under
the present Invention an opening is made in one side of the breech
cavity through which the breech piece, which is hinged or jointed to the
bottom of the breech cavity protrudes, the protruding part constituting
a thumb or finger piece by which the breech is opened or closed. The
extractor is arranged to lie flush with the end of the cartridge chamber,
a recess being formed in the cavity to receive it, and it is actuated by

page_text: means of the breech, which when opened out bears against a projecting
toe on the extractor, forcing it out and extracting the spent cartridge
case. A recess may be formed either in the end of the chamber or in
the adjacent face of the breech to receive the disc at the base of the
cartridge. A spring is by preference applied to the breech piece for the
purpose of drawing it as well as the extractor back into, such position as
allows of a fresh cartridge being inserted.
Under a second arrangement the breech picce slides vertically and an
opening is formed in one side of the cavity, through which a thumb or
finger piece protrudes, and by depressing or raising which the breech is
either opened or closed.
Under a third arrangement the breech piece slides horizontally, an
opening being made in one or both sides of the breech cavity to enable it
to be moved, and the movement is effected by a thumb and finger piece.
at the bottom or at one end. In connection with these arrangements
either a lever extractor or a bar extractor may be employed, and on
the front of the body a lug or projection of metal is formed to which
the fore part of the stock will be attached by a pin or screw.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried
into effect, that is to say :-
Figure 1 is a part longitudinal section; Figure 2 is a transverse section,
Figure 3 another longitudinal section reverse to Figure 1 and partly in
elevation taken on the line B, B, Figure 4, and Figure 4 a plan showing
the first arrangement above referred to. In these Figures the details of
the lock are omitted as the new parts refer to the breech only.
On examining the Drawings the form of the breech A is apparent as
well as the manner in which it is united by the hinge joint B to the
bottom of the breech cavity by the tail or link C; Figure 2 shows in red
dotted lines the position of the breech piece A when opened back for
the purpose of inserting a cartridge, and the several Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4 show the position of the extractor D which is sunk into the face
of the breech cavity flush with the end of the cartridge chamber. The
extractor D is moveable upon a pin a so that when the breech piece A
is drawn forwards into the position shown in red lines at Figure 2 the
part of the breech piece marked C acts upon the toe D of the extractor,

page_text: which it depresses and consequently throws the upper part of the
extractor forward, thus drawing out the spent cartridge case. The
breech piece A is provided with a spring which may be either spiral,
elliptical or flat (not shown in the Drawings) and which is so arranged
that it draws the breech piece back as well as causes the extractor to
lie flush with the face of the breech cavity in such position that a
fresh cartridge may be inserted. The piece marked a in Figure 2 con-
stitutes a bearing for sliding the cartridge into the chamber when the
breech piece is opened out as shown by the dotted lines.
Figure 5 is a part side elevation, and Figure 6 a transverse section of
the second breoch arrangement above referred to. In this case the
breech A is arranged to slide vertically in the cavity B, and in one side
of the cavity an opening C is made through which the thumb or finger
piece D attached to the breech piece protrudes. On applying the thumb
or finger to the projecting piece D, and forcing it downwards, the breech
piece A is depressed, and its acting upon the toe a of the extractor E
causes it to be thrown forward and the cartridge case extracted, the
spring F causes the breech piece A and the extractor to be returned
into position for inserting a fresh cartridge. After which the breech is
clevated to the top of the cavity by the pressure of the thumb and
finger.
In both of the arrangements described a retaining catch is applied
to the breech piece for the purpose of holding the breech piece in
position during the act of firing the arm, but as various arrangements
of retaining catches may be used they are omitted in the Drawings.
The actions herein described can be fitted with locks which are self-
cocking, in manner similar to those described in the Specification of
Letters Patent formerly granted to me.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is,--
First. The arrangement of breech piece and extractor herein-before
set forth and illustrated by Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Drawings
hereunto appended.

page_text: Second. The breech arrangement herein-before described and shown
at Figures 5 and 6 of the Drawings hereunto appended.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Henry, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of November One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine.
ALEX. HENRY. (L.S.)