IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Castle Dodge, of Washington, D.C.,
United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME."
Sealed the 19th June 1866, and dated the 27th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Castle Dodge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th December 1865.
I, WILLIAM CASTLE DODGE, of Washington, D.C., United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME," to be
as follows:-
The said improvements are applicable to either rifled or shot guns,
which may be either single or double barrelled as desired. The barrel is
hinged or pivoted at the front end of the stock or frame in such a manner
that the portion of the said barrel in front of the hinge shall slightly
overbalance the rear portion of the said barrel. Under the barrel at
the rear end thereof a sliding arm or rod is placed. This arm or rod has
a flange or lip resting against the said rear end of the barrel in such a
position that when a cartridge shell, having a flange on its rear end, is
inserted in the bore the said flange will rest against the rear face of the
said lip or flange of the sliding arm, so that when the latter is pushed back

page_text: it will force the cartridge shell out of the gun. The guard is constructed
to form a pivoted lever, whose front end is connected to the sliding arm
by a pin passing through a slot in the sliding arm or retractor. This lever
is connected to the said sliding arm in such a manner that when the said
lever is thrown down it will first elevate the rear end of the barrel, and by
continuing its motion will also move the retractor and throw out the
cartridge shells all by one movement. All these parts with the locks and
stock are united to a metal frame, which may consist of a single piece.
I construct the metallic cartridge shell with a metallic disc secured in
the flange thereof. The fulminate is placed in a recess at the centre of
the said disc or anvil, and the hammer is arranged in a suitable manner to
ignite the said fulminate at that point. I also propose to plate the copper
sheils or cases of the cartridge with molten tin or other suitable metal, to
prevent the said shells or cases from oxidizing, and thus preserve the same
for a long time without injury to the said cases or their contents..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Castle Dodge, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM-
CASTLE DODGE, of Washington, D.C., United States of America, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Castle Dodge, Her special license that I, the
said William Castle Dodge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as 1, the said William Castle Dodge; my executors, adminis
trators, 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 BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND IN
CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Castle Dodge, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, sliould

page_text: 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 William Castle Dodge, 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
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
making part of this Specification.
Fig. 1 being a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line of
Figs. 2 & 3; Fig. 2 is a top plan view, and Fig. 3 is a transverse
vertical section taken on the line of y-y of Fig. 1.
My Invention relates to that class of arms which are loaded at the breech,
and has for its object so constructing the arm that it can be used with fixed
or loose ammunition at will, and in which a single movement of the lever
guard shall both open the breech and remove the cartridge shells or cases;
and in constructing the arm in such a manner that the stock and all the
moving parts shall be connected to a frame consisting of a single piece.
It also further consists in a novel construction of the cartridge to be used
with the arm.
To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my improved
arm I will proceed to describe it. I first construct a frame of metal con-
sisting of a breech-block B with an arm extending therefrom forward, as
represented by B¹, and backward as shown by B", and which may also
have a stem b extending back through the stock F longitudinally, as shown
in Fig. 1. To this frame all the other parts of the arm are attached as
herein-after explained.
A represents the barrels, which may be single or double, and rifled or
smooth, as preferred, according to the purpose for which the arm is intended.
The barrels A (the Drawings representing a double-barreled gun) are
pivoted to the front end of the arm B₁ of the frame, as shown at c of
Fig. 1, the length of the arm B¹ being so proportioned to the length and
weight of the barrels that the portion of the barrels in front of the joint o
shall slightly overbalance the rear portion of the same, for the purpose of
causing the rear open end of the barrels to tip up above the breech block B
when released, to permit the ready insertion of the charges in reloading
the gun.
C
It is intended to use in this arm a metallic cartridge case, pro-
vided with an annular projecting rim or flange, having the fulminate located

page_text: at the centre of its base; or in lieu thereof, when it is desired to use the
ordinary loose ammunition a métallic tube, constructed as shewn in section
in Fig. 4. To remove these cartridge cases or tubes from the barrel after
the gun has been fired I provide the retractor C, which consists of a stem
extending longitudinally under the barrels, as shown in Fig. 1, and having
a flange at its rear end and turned up at a right angle to the stem, and fitted
to lay in a recess cut for it in the rear end of the barrels, its rear or outer
surface being flush with the end of the barrels, as shown in Fig. 3. This
flange must be cut circular on its upper edge, so as to correspond with the
bore of the barrels, and may cover the entire end of the barrels or only a
portion thereof, as shown in the Drawings. The stem of the retractor C
passes through two lugs o, o, secured firmly to the under side of the barrels
A, and on its front end, in front of the lug o, is placed a spiral spring, as
shown in Fig. 1. The object of this spring is to keep the flange of the
retractor pressed against the end of the barrels, and to return it to that
position after it has been forced back to remove the cartridge cases or
shells.
D represents the guard for protecting the triggers, and which I construct
so as to constitute a lever and pivot it to the frame B¹, a short distance in
front of the breech block B, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, its front end being
extended a short distance in front of the point at which it is pivoted, as
there shown. The object of forming the guard D into a lever is twofold,
first, to elevate the rear end of the barrels, and second, to operate the
retractor C for ejecting the cartridge shells. It is obvious that the retractor
cannot be shoved back until it is raised with the end of the barrels above
the breech block B; and for the purpose of effecting these two objects
with a single movement of the lever guard D, I connect the front end of
D to the stem of the retractor C by means of a pin passing through a
slot m formed in the latter, as shown in Fig. 1. The length of the front
arm of lever D and of the slot m are so proportioned that the lever is
permitted to move far enough to elevate the rear end of the barrels and
the retractor even with or slightly above the top of breech block B,
when the pin l, having arrived at the rear end of slot m, forces the retractor
C back with it as the lever D continues its movement. By this construc-
tion and arrangement of the part the rear ends of the barrels are elevated
and the shells or cases thrown out by a single movement of the lever D,
as shown in red and blue lines in Fig. 1. As soon as this is done the hand
is released from the lever D, when the spiral spring immediately returns
the retractor to its place ready for the insertion of fresh charges.

page_text: A catch n is pivoted to the rear portion of lever D in such a position
that as the lever is returned to its place the point of n enters a hole in the
under side of the frame, where it is held by a spring, thus securing the lever
in position, and the lever in turn holding the barrels down. The catch n
being thus located is in proper position for being released by the thumb
as the lever D is taken hold of for the purpose of operating it. The lugs
o, o, in addition to forming guides for the retractor C, also fit into recesses
in the frame B', and thus lock the barrels firmly to the frame and prevents
them from being driven forward at the time of the discharge. In order to
lock the barrels more firmly to the breech the rib on top is extended back
of the end of the barrels, and is there formed into the hook e, which fits
into a recess cut in the upper face of breech block B, thus locking the
barrels and breech block B together, as shown in Fig. 1, though this I do
not consider essential.
To ignite the charge a sliding bolt a is fitted into a hole bored through
the breech block B-in such a position as to bring its front end in line with
the centre of the barrel at its rear, where it will hit the cap on the nipple
of tube L(or the fulminate of the cartridge. if fixed.ammunition be used:),
the hammer H being arranged to strike-the-rear end of said bolt a. The
front end of said bolt a is enlarged, as shown, to prevent it being driven
back by the explosion of the charge, it being provided with a small point
at its front end-to properly strike the cap or metallic cartridge case. .A
spring may be applied to said bolt a to keep it back out of the way when
not forced forward by the hammer, and prevent it from catching on or
interfering with the movement of the barrels.
In rear of the breech block B the frame is made .hollow, or consists
simply of two tangs-or straps, one above and one below, forming a recess
in which the locks are located, as shown in Fig. 1, I representing the main-
spring. For a short distance back of B.the central portion of the frame is
left solid, forming a central vertical-division wall L, which serves as a sup-
port to block B, and also as a bearing for pivoting the hammers H to, as
shown in Figs. 1 & 2. In rear of the locks the two straps or tangs of
the frame are united, as shown at B", from which point it extends in the
form of a stem or bolt through a hole bored longitudinally of the stock F,
as-shown in Fig. 1, the stock being secured to the frame by having its front
end dovetailed so as to be wedged under the plate i, secured to the sides of
the frame on each side over the tumblers, as shown in Fig. 2, & by the
-screw d at the butt which passes through the butt plate and is secured into

page_text: .
the end of stem b, as shown in Fig. 1. By this arrangement it will be
'perceived that the stock is secured very firmly to the frame and can be
readily removed therefrom at any time by simply removing the single
'screw d. The barrels, lever guard, locks, and stock are all secured to a
.frame consisting of a single piece, by which means the parts are held firmly
in place and made to retain their proper relative positions.
In order to give strength to the frame at that point where the front part
.B¹ joins the breech block B, the arm B¹ for a short distance in front of B
is left of a width equal to B, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, the front end of
the shoulders s being beveled or cut under, as shown, to hold the wooden
⚫ portions of the stock which covers the arm B' in place, the front end
being secured by one or more screws to the arm B¹.
Fig. 5 represents the style of metallic cartridge case intended to be used
with my gun. P is a copper case formed up in the usual manner, and g
represents a metallic disc placed inside of the case and secured therein by
having its periphery or edge enclosed within the recess of the annular
flange or rim of the case P. The disc, g has a small circular recess formed
, centrally in its rear face. to receive the fulminating powder, a small per-
foration extending through the disc at the centre to permit the fire from
the fulminate to pass through and ignite the powder in front. This disc
may be inserted and secured in the case in either of these ways:-First, it
.may be made thinner at its edge than elsewhere, and pressed into a cup
..form, as shown in section at g¹, by which means its diameter will be so
reduced that it will pass down into the case P, when it can be readily
pressed out flat, which will force the edges out into the recess in the flange
and secure it firmly in place. Another plan, and which is the plan that I
prefer, is to form the disc or anvil g rigid and flat, of a diameter equal to
- the inside of the case, measured across its head or flange, and drop it into
the case P, the latter of course having previously been formed of that
diameter throughout its entire length. After the disc is thus inserted the
case P is then drawn down to the proper size to fit the gun, thus leaving a
flange with the disc g firmly secured therein, as before, it being understood
that the same or similar means are provided for the reception of the fulmi-
. nate as in the former case. By this method of inserting and securing the
anvil or disc g the copper is far less likely to be cracked or broken than
when the flange is formed by crushing down the end of the case P after it
has been made of the proper size to fit the gun, as in the usual mode.
The third plan for securing the disc is to construct it of a diameter equal

page_text: to that of the interior of the case P, and drop it in, and then secure it
the only
there by simply indenting the copper case in front of the disc. g₁
requisite being that the disc shall be held in place sufficiently tight to resist
the blow of the hammer and ensure igniting of the fulminate, and prevent
the anvil or disc g from being driven out of the case into the bore of the
gun, as that would tend to injure the barrel by scratching its inner surface,
especially in the case of rifles.
As it is well known that copper cases are liable to oxidize rapidly, espe-
cially when brought into contact with grease, of which more or less is
always used as a lubricant, and also when stored for any length of time
where it is warm and moist, as in tropical regions, and as such oxidizing
injuriously affects the powder and fulminate and thus destroys the utility
of the ammunition, I provide a remedy for this evil by thoroughly plating
my cartridge cases with tin or other metal, or alloy of metals, not so easily
affected as the copper. The tin may be applied to the case after it is
formed by immersing it in molten tin in the usual manner, or it may be
applied to the copper while in the sheet and previous to forming it into
cases. It may also be applied by galvanic action, but the first method is
preferred as being most certain of coating the copper thoroughly over all
its parts.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim as new and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,-
1st, the frame constructed substantially as described for securing the
barrels, locks, and stock in position.
2nd, hinging the barrels to the frame in such a position that while that
portion which is in front of the hinge shall slightly overbalance that por-
tion which is in rear of the hinge, whereby the barrels are made to assume
a proper position for receiving fresh charges, at the same time but very
little power
will be required to bring the barrel into position and close the
breech ready for firing.
3d, I claim the double retractor arranged to operate in connection with
the barrels and remove both shells simultaneously, substantially as shown
and described.
4th, I claim the lever guard D arranged to tilt the barrels and operate
the retractor by a single movement, substantially as set forth.
5th, the cartridge case P, composed of metal or partially of metal and
partly of paper, or other similar substance, and having the anvil or disc g
secured therein, with the fulminate located at its center, substantially as
herein described.

page_text: 6th, I claim' coating metallic cartridge cases or shells with tin or other
metal or alloy "of metals less liable to oxidize than the case itself, for the
purposes herein described:
In witness whereof, I, the said William Castle Dodge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, A.D. 1866.
WILLIAM CASTLE DODGE. (L.S.)