IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Kenneth Henry Cornish, of South Molton Street,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 5th January 1867, and dated the 12th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Kenneth Henry Cornish
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th July 1866.
I, KENNETH HENRY CORNISH, of South Molton Street, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in military breech-loading
fire-arms, particularly such as employ cartridges carrying their own percussion ;
it applies equally well to the manufacture of new guns or the conversion of
old ones from muzzle into breech loaders. A solid breech piece is screwed to
or forged on the barrel, of which it is a prolongation ending at the hindmost
and lower portion in a tail piece which is secured to the stock, and also serves
to line the groove along which the cartridge slides into the barrel. A trans-
verse groove is made and sunk in the breech piece near its external junction

page_text: with the bariel, or in other words, in a line with the point at which the nipple
is usually placed. Hinged in this groove on one side and embedded in it is a
stop lever, which need not be more than three-eighths of an inch in thickness
in a military rifle or carbine, this stop lever is pierced by a hole or slot
suitably placed for a striker to pass through, or it may be arranged to carry a
nipple of either of the kinds to be hereafter described, or of any other suitable
kind
It may be held down when closed by any suitable catch The stock bas a
suitable groove cut at the back part and parallel to the lock for the reception of
the tail piece which guides the cartridge into the bore of the barrel The empty
cartridge case is thrown out by an extractor. The lock may be constructed
on any approved pattern. Unless a nipple is used the cock or hammer has a
suitably shaped striker screwed into it, which passes through the slot in the
stop lever. The breech-loader made on this principle may be converted into
a gas-proof muzzle-loader by the insertion of a metal case very similar in
shape and construction to the cartridge case used, into which a nipple is
screwed, passing through the slot in the stop lever.
In altering and converting guns care must be taken to slope the tail piece
upwards and backwards in such a manner that it shall not encroach upon the
space required for the look or the pins by which the lock plate is secured to
the stock
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Kenneth Heury Cornish in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, KENNETH
HENRY CORNISH, of South Molton Street, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Iler
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Kenneth Henry Cornish, Пer special licence that I, the said
Kenneth Denry Cornish, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Kenneth Henry Cornish, 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

page_text: of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Kenneth Henry Cornish, my ex-
ecutors 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 Kenneth Honiy Cornish, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in military breech-loading
fire-arms, particularly such as employ cartridges carrying then own percussion,
it applies equally well to the manufacture of new guns or the conversion of
old ones from muzzle into breech loaders. A solid breech piece is screwed
to or forged on the barrel, of which it is a prolongation, ending at the hindmost
and lower portion in a tail piece which is secured to the stock, and also
seives to line the groove along which the cartridge slides into the barrel. A
transverse groove is made and sunk in the breech piece near its external junction
with the barrel, or in other words, in a line with the point at which the nipple
is usually placed Ilinged in this groove and embedded in it is a stop
lever, which need not be more than three-eighths of an inch in thickness in a
military rifle or carbine; this stop lever is pierced by a hole or slot suitably
placed for a striker to pass through, or it may be arranged to cany a nipple
of either of the kinds to be hereafter descubed, or of any other suitable kind.
The stop lever may be held down by any suitable catch. The stock has a
suitable groove cut at the back part, and parallel to the lock for the reception
of the tail piece which guides the cartridge into the bore of the barrel. The
The lock may be
empty cartridge case is thrown out by an exti actor.
constructed on any approved pattern. Unless a nipple is used the cock or
hamnier has a suitably-shaped striker screwed into it, which passes through
the slot in the stop lever. The breech-loader made on this principle may
5 converted into a gas-proof muzzle-loader by the insertion of a suitable breech
plug or of a metal case very similar in shape and construction to the cartridge
case used, into which a nipple is sciewed, passing through the slot in the stop
lever
be
In altering and converting guns care must be taken to slopo the tail piece

page_text: upwards and backwards in such manner that it shall not encroach upon the
space required for the lock or the pins by which the lock plate is secured to
the stock.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will now more particularly
describe the same, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan, Figures 2 and 3 are side views, Figure 4 Is
part of a longitudinal section, and Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sections of
a military bieech-loading rifle arranged and constructed in accordance with
my improvements. The other Figures show separate views of some of the
parts, the nature of which is written thereon. a is the barrel, and 6 the
solid breech piece screwed or forged thereon, thus forming a prolungation to
the back end of the barrel, the tail piece 6 of the breech being secured to the
stock by means of a screw b. The upper surface of the stock, above and
behind the tail piece, is hollowed as shown to form a longitudinal groove, along
which the cartidge is slid when being introduced into the breech end or
bore of the bariel. c is a stop lever or breech block which closes the breech
end of the barrel when charged, this stop lever descends into and is embedded
in a transverse groove formed or sunk in the breech piece b, being hinged
therein so as to move on a pin joint or axis placed a little above the bore of
the barrel. By this arrangement of the parts the back of the breech block is
effectually supported by the back portion of the breech piece, and all risk of
blowing the breech open is avoided by the position in which it is placed and
secured. is a "striker" for exploding the cartridge, this striker is placed
in an inclined passage formed through the stop lever c, being pressed upwards
by a spinal spring as is well understood. In some cases in place of employing
a stiker of this character I use an improved striker constructed as follows:-
I joint a curved lever to the stop lever or breech block c, whereby a direct
blow is given to the percussion cap or detonating material employed for
exploding the cartridge, and Figure 9* shows several views of the bicech
block or stop lever c separately, furnished with a lever striker c' arranged
in accordance with this part of my improvements. The lever c¹ is connected
to the upper part of the breech block c by a pin Joint, the lower end being
formed with a point, which passes into an opening formed in the breech
block c opposite the centre of the bore of the barrel, c is an inclined projection
upon the lever c', the upper end being in a position for receiving the blow of
the hammer, whereby the lower pointed end of the lever c¹ is duiven through

page_text: the central opening in the breech block c to explode the cartridge. On
raising the hammer the lever c¹ is moved back again (into position for being
struck) by means of a spring c³. When the stop lever or hinged block c is
closed it is retained by the spring d fixed on the under side of the bicech
piece. The end of the spring d presses the pin upwards into a recess or
hollow suitably formed to receive it in joint of the block c when closed down,
and it also acts to retain the block c in a vertical position when open; but
when the stop lever or block c is acting upon the extractor the pressure of
the spring dis removed by allowing the end of the pin d' to pass into a groove c*
cut in the joint of the block c. I employ an improved extractor for throwing
out the exploded cartridge case, constructed and arranged to act as shown in
Figure 10, where e is an extracting lever moving on the pin e¹, and is let into
a groove formed in the breech piece b. The outer end of the lever e is formed
with an inclined surface thereon, upon which the upper surface x, x, of the
stop lever or block c acts when it is opened and pressed back. The lever or
extractor e is moved back into position again by means of the spring e³.
Having thus fully described the nature of my improvements in bicech-
loading fire-arms, I claim the improved breech-loading apparatus arranged
and acting as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Kenneth Henry Cornish, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-soven
Witness,
5
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
KENNETH HENRY CORNISH. (L.S)
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.