IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING GUNS AND RIFLES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wilkins, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING GUNS AND RIFLES."
Sealed the 5th July 1864, and dated the 13th January 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wilkins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
January 1864.
I, GEORGE WILKINS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING GUNS AND RIPLES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of the
breech chamber of fire-arms which are loaded at the breech, and in the
arrangements and mechanism connected therewith. The breech or loading
chamber is made either of one piece with the barrel, or separate therefrom,
as may be preferred. A hole is bored in the forward end of the chamber a
little larger than the bore of the barrel to be used therewith, the breech end

page_text: of the chamber being left solid. At the forward end of the chamber a
screw is formed for the purpose of attaching it to the barrel in the usual way.
The metal between the bore and the top of the chamber is cut away, and
a plug fitted into the recess thus formed, such plug having a slide formed
thereon and made solid therewith. The said slide works in a corresponding
groove in the top of the chamber or barrel, the plug itself sliding backwards
and forwards in the bore. The space between the solid breech and the sliding
plug is fitted with another or secondary plug, the two thus forming when the
breech is closed one continuous plug or breech. The rear or secondary plug is
attached to a lever working on the top of the chamber, such lever being hinged
to the first or sliding plug. On the under side of the lever is fixed a spring
catch or stud working in a recess formed in the solid part of the breech,
the object thereof being to keep the loading chamber securely closed during
the discharge of the gun. At the back of the rear or secondary plug
a spring either of metal or elastic material, or other analogous arrangement
may be fitted for the purpose of lessening the recoil of the gun during
discharge.
This Invention although described herein as applied to a single-barrelled
gun, is also applicable to double-barrelled guns and to ordnance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 2
by the said George Wilkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WILKINS, 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 Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Wilkins, Her special licence that I, the said George
Wilkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Wilkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
Я

page_text: 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 GUNS AND RIPLES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said George Wilkins, 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 George Wilkins, 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 said Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
the breech chamber of fire-arms which are loaded at the breech, and in the
arrangements and mechanism connected therewith. The breech piece or
loading chamber of fire-arms, constructed in accordance with my said Inven-
tion, is attached to the barrel in the usual manner, a groove being formed on
the top of the chamber, and a slide fitted therein, such slide having a plug
fitting the bore attached to it. The said slide is hinged to the lever or cover
to the chamber. On the under side of the lever or cover another plug is
fitted to fill up the space between the first-mentioned plug and the breech.
At the end of the breech a spring is placed so as to engage a catch which is
formed on the under side of the extremity of the lever or cover to the
chamber when the action is closed, thus keeping the loading chamber
perfectly gas-tight during discharge. A coiled spring, or other spring possessing
analogous properties, and formed either of metal or other suitable elastic
material or materials, is fitted at the back of the rear or secondary plug
before-mentioned, for the purpose of diminishing the recoil of the piece during
discharge.
My said Invention is applicable not only to single and double barrelled
fire-arms, but also to ordnance. In the latter case, however, the mechanism
for opening and closing the breech or loading chamber is placed at the side of
the gun.
In adapting the contrivance before-mentioned for diminishing
the recoil to heavy guns, I employ a piston working through the breech
end of the gun, a series of springs of compressed india-rubber. or metal,

page_text: or both combined, being placed, between the piston head and the end of the
gun.
I will now proceed to describe the annexed Drawings, from which the
nature of my said Invention will be more clearly understood.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a breech-loading gun con-
structed according to my Invention. a is the breech or loading chamber
fixed to the end of the barrel b; c is a lever or cover to the chamber a, having
a plug d attached to it, as shewn in section at Figure 8. The cover c is not
binged to the chamber, but to the slide g by the pin i; the slide g is shewn
separately at Figures 4 and 5, the same working in a groove on the top of the
chamber, and being hinged thereto by a screw pin h, see the plan represented
at Figure 2; e is the plug for closing the breech end, and is made of gun
metal, or other metal, and is screwed on to the sliding piece f, shewn separately
at Figures 6 and 7; j is a catch or stud made solid with the lever or cover c,
and working in a slot formed in the solid part of the breech, as shewn at 7 in
Figure 2, and being acted upon by the spring k for the purpose of keeping
the action closed during discharge. The end of the chamber a and of the
plug d are also inclined for the same purpose. Figure 2 is a plan of the said
described arrangements, the same letters referring to the same parts in the
several Figures; Figure 3 is a side view shewing the mode of opening and
closing the breech. The cartridge having been put into the recess formed
in the chamber is forced home by the plug e, and the cover being then shut
down, the gun is ready for discharging. Figure 9 shews another method of
keeping the breech chamber closed during discharge. It consists of a spring s
let into the cover c, and acts upon the plug d by forcing it back against the
end of the chamber. This arrangement is shewn in cross section at Figure 10,
and in longitudinal section at Figure 11. Figure 12 shews the method of
diminishing the recoil during discharge. m is a powerful coiled spring placed
in a recess made for the purpose in the rear plug d, as represented in this
Figure. Figure 13 is a section of a piece of ordnance or ship gun, shewing
the method of diminishing the recoil adapted to heavy.guns. a is a piston
working through the breech end of the gun, and being fixed thereto by the
screw knob b; c, c, is a series of springs of compressed india-rubber or metal,
or both combined.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which it is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion
that I do not claim the separate and distinct parts of the contrivances and
mechanisin herein-before described as being of my Invention, but what I

page_text: consider novel and original and therefore claim as constituting my said
Invention is, the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and
mechanism for effecting the purposes aforesaid, as herein-before substantially
set forth and described, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Wilkins, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
GEORGE WILKINS. (L.S.)