IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Archibald Brooman, at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd December 1864.-A communication from abroad by Charles
Rochaz, of Paris, France.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORTABLE FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES," to be as
follows:-
The improvements in cartridges consist in constructing them as hereafter
described. I use a case with the edges of the rear end flanged out, and I
attach thereto a base of felt or other suitable plastic material. This base is
pierced with a central hole, closed at top and bottom by a thin disc, preferably
of paper, to the upper disc, that next the charge, I cause a fulminating com-
position to adhere; the thickness of the base is such that no shock can bring
the lower disc in contact with the composition at the moment of ignition,
produced by a needle which pierces the two discs. The surface of the hammer
which carries the needle is pressed forcibly against the base and prevents all
escape of gas from the rear of the cartridge.
The improvements in portable fire-arms apply to the locks and rear of
the barrels, and are intended specially to be used with the improved cart-

page_text: ridges before described, though each part of this Invention may be used
independently.
Figure 1 represents the rear of a barrel with a block and pivot. d', d³, are
two stops which serve to maintain the barrel in the two positions it is made
to assume; p, p, are two grooves (one only shown in the Drawings) for
receiving the forked arms i, i, of a lever h hereafter described.
Figures 2 and 3 are detached views of the breech block. e is a socket for
the reception of the pivot of the barrel, and j is an aperture to receive the
axis of the lever and hammer, it is also bored out as shown in dotted lines,
Figure 2, to receive the rear of the barrel and the base of the cartridge; an
opening is also made for the passage of the face of the hammer and the needle
which is jointed to it.
Figures 4 and 5 are views of the lever h forked at i, i, part of it forming a
guard, while another part 9 prevents the user of the arm from getting his
finger on to the trigger.should he have omitted to close the lever.
Figure 8 is a detached view of the hammer .k, the face of which has a
needle jointed to it at bottom; there is a hole for the reception of a pin and a
projection m; the other end which takes the place of a tumbler is formed with
a notch V; and the part k² which unites the tumbler to the head of the
hammer is made sufficiently thin to be flexible and elastic, and act as a spring.
This spring may, however, be independent. The lever h, the hammer k,
placed between the forked arms of the lever and the breech-plate f, are united
by a pin passing through the hole j, Figure 2.; this pin may be a simple
stud, or it may be made with an elastic tongue, as at Figure 10. Figure 6
shows the position of the parts when the gun is put together, and Figure 7
that of the cartridge at the moment of firing. To load the gun, first open the
lever h. This motion, by causing the arms to leave the grooves in the pivot,
frees this latter; and, at the same time, the projection m on the hammer
meeting the full part between the arms of the lever compels the hammer to
turn upon its axis until the notch of the tumbler engages in the stop in the
guard in which the tumbler moves; then disengage the rear of the barrel
from its lodgement, cause the barrel to make a quarter_of_a_turn, withdraw
the discharged cartridge case, which can readily be performed with the fingers
on account of the bevil at the end of the barrel, insert a fresh cartridge, return
the barrel to its place, and close the lever, the forked arms of which are so
shaped as to exert a gradual and strong pressure upon the grooves in the
pivot, and consequently upon the base of the cartridge. The discharge takes
place by pressing the tumbler as soon as the notch is free, the spring brings
up the hammer and the needle pierces the two paper discs and fires the

page_text: fulminating powder, while the face of the hammer presses against the base of
the cartridge. The stock properly hollowed and fixed in the ordinary manner
covers the lock.
For double-barrel guns I modify the bead of the lever to make it answer
for two hammers instead of one.