IMPROVEMENTS IN REPEATING MILITARY RIFLES, CARBINES, AND PISTOLS, AND IN CARTRIDGES TO BE USED THEREWITH
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Greener, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick Gun Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REPEATING MILITARY RIFLES, CARBINES, AND PISTOLS, AND IN CARTRIDGES TO
BE USED THEREWITH,"
Sealed the 15th June 1855, and dated the 21st December 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Greener, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st December 1854.
I, WILLIAM GREENER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN REPEATING MILITARY RIFLES, CARBINES, AND PISTOLS, AND IN CARTRIDGES
TO BE USED THEREWITH," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in a novel construction of repeating fire-arms,
whereby I cause the chambers containing the charge to make a retrograde
movement and a partial revolution by the motion of a supplementary
trigger. I employ under the barrel or barrels of a single or double rifle,
carbine, or pistol an additional tube or tubes, of light metal, or other
suitable material, formed to contain a certain number of cartridges at
the time of discharging the repeating chambers, being in close contact
with and inserted into the breech end of the barrels. The under tubes
supply the under chambers with a fresh charge. After the discharge,
by a motion of the supplementary trigger, before named, the chambers
recede from the barrels, partially revolve, and bring up those under
chambers to the barrels, the arm being again ready to discharge, and
those last used being replenished with a fresh charge. I also employ a

page_text: simple arrangement of self-priming, causing a cap to be placed on each
nipple at the time of charging.
My improvements in cartridges consist in making the cartridge cases
of a thin metal, composed of lead, zinc, and bismuth, similar to that
used in making the fusees of Moorsom's shells, which at a low heat
becomes reduced. At the bottom of this case I perforate a number of
small holes. The nipple I use differs from those at present employed,
in having the aperture in the form of a slit instead of round, and in
being much larger at the top than at the base. On the explosion of the
cap the flame is forced through the perforations in the bottom of the
cartridge case, thoroughly destroying it, and preventing the slightest
particle remaining in the chamber, or any deposit being left therein.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Greener in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, WILLIAM
GREENER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Greener, Her special license that I, the said
William Greener, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Greener, 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 REPEATING MILITARY RIFLES,
CARBINES, AND PISTOLS, AND IN CARTRIDGES TO BE USED THEREWITH," (upon the
condition amongst others)
others) that I, the said William Greener,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particu-
larly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said William Greener, 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 Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon), that is to say :-
My Invention consists, firstly, of improvements in the construction of
repeating military rifles, carbines, and pistols of the description termed
breech-loading, by causing the barrel or barrels to advance from the
breech for the purpose of loading.
And, secondly, of improvements in the construction of metal cases for
cartridges to be used therewith.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Sheet A, Figure 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 a section, of a repeating
rifle made according to my Invention.
Sheet B, Figure 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 a section, of a carbine.
Sheet C, Figure 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 a section, of another
single barrel piece, shewing another mode of advancing the barrel.
I will now proceed to describe the construction of the repeating rifle
shown in Sheet A. (a) is a series of revolving chambers, made upon
any ordinary and suitable plan, and provided with a cone (6) on each
chamber, which cone fits into a corresponding conical chamber (c) on
the end of the barrel; the grooves (d, d,) sunk round the cones (b) and
the chamber (c), are for the following purpose:-I find a body of gas
the best medium for resisting the retropulsive force of the gas generated
by the explosion of gunpowder, and I therefore construct these grooves
for the purpose of retaining a certain portion of gas to resist that which
will be generated by every discharge, and thus prevent any escape and
loss of power consequent thereon at the junction of the cones. After
each discharge the barrel is caused to slide forward in the telescope
tube (d), releasing the barrel from the cone by the following means:-
A rod (e) passes through the axis of the chambers (a), and is connected
at one end to a system of links (F, F, F",) on each side of the telescope
tube (d'); the pin on which the link (F) works is secured to the barrel,
and moves in a slot (g), cut through the telescope tube (d'). The rod (e)
is jointed also at the other end to a second rod (H), which terminates
in a small lever handle (H') working on an eccentric guide, the rod (H)
and the eccentric being sunk in a groove cut in the stock of the gun;
by depressing the lever handle (H'), the barrel is slid along the telescope
tube d', the links (F, F¹, F") assuming the position shewn in (Figure 2);

page_text: by raising the lever (H'), the barrel is brought back on to the cone, and
the links (F, F',) being in a horizontal line, assist in maintaining the
barrel in the same position. The same mechanism can be employed in
the construction of repeating carbines and pistols.
Sheet B shews an elevation and section of a single barrel carbine, con-
structed according to my Invention, and as a breech-loading piece. (a)
is the exploding chamber, sunk into a case in the stock of the arm as
usual, and kept in position by a retaining spring (6), the spring c being
for the purpose of throwing up the chamber into the position required
for charging; (d) is the telescope tube, into which the barrel e slides; F
is a lever with a connecting link (g), pinned as at (h, h, h,) to a block
piece (I) on the under side of the barrel, which block piece slides freely
between two cheek pieces (k), attached to the under side of the telescope
tube d; the breech end of the barrel has a conical chamber (as in the
gun last described) formed to receive the cone (l), which with the
chamber has the grooves (m, m,) cut for the purpose I have already
described. Figure 1 shews the arm in a state of rest. By lowering the
lever (F) into the position shewn in (Figure 2), 1 draw the barrel forward
in the tube (d), until it is clear of the cone (l), when, by touching the
retaining spring (b), the exploding chamber will be thrown up by the
spring (c) into the position shewn in Figure 2, ready for charging.
Having charged, I shut the chamber down into its case, and bring the
barrel up to its position by raising the lever (F) into a horizontal position,
in which state it secures the barrel to the breech. By the butt (n)
taking into a groove cut to receive it in the sliding block piece (I),
and the two cheeks (k), I can also throw up the chamber by
the action of the lever F, attaching a rod to the sliding piece (I),
which rod terminates in a small arm under the chamber, which will
throw the latter up when the cone is released, and thus the springs may
be dispensed with. The form of arm shewn in Sheet (c) differs only
from that I have described in employing the system of links and pins
(already described in reference to the Drawings in (Sheet a); but con-
necting them to the lever (F), the action will be the same as that
described in (Sheet B). I can also work the barrel of the repeating
arm shewn in (Sheet A) by means of a lever in place of the
connecting rod through the axis, should I find it desirable
to do so. Either of the contrivances shewn in Sheets B and C are
equally applicable to double and single barrel arms. I can also employ
stuffing boxes in the telescope tube in which the barrel shall work, and
thus avoid too great friction between the barrel and the tube.

page_text: The second part of my improvements consists in making the cases of
cartridges of thin metal, a mixture of lead, zinc, and bismuth, similar
to that used in making the fusees of Moorsom's shells, and which becomes
reduced at a low heat. The bottom of this case I perforate with a
number of small holes, and to prevent the dirt from getting in I employ
a thin cap of vulcanized india-rubber, or other suitable material, which
cap can readily be removed by the teeth; on explosion, this case will
leave no residue in the barrel, every particle being blown off.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner
in which the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be clearly
understood that I do not confine myself to these precise details; but
that which I claim as of my Invention, and desire to have secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
Firstly, the improvements in the construction of repeating military
rifles and other fire-arms, by causing the barrel to advance for the purpose
of loading, as herein described; and also the constructing the grooves
on the cones intended to act as gas chambers.
Secondly, I claim the improvements described in the manufacture of
cartridges, by making the cases of thin metal with perforations, which
metal is reducible at, a low heat, in manner herein fully set forth and
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Greener, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
WILLIAM (L.S.) GREENER.