IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING GUNS OR ORDNANCE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,.
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING GUNS OR ORDNANCE."-A communication,
from abroad by Daniel Treadwell, residing in the United States of
America.
Sealed the 6th April 1863, and dated the 2nd December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd December 1862.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING GUNS OR ORDNANCE," to be as
follows:-
.This Invention relates to the construction of apparatus for discharging guns
or ordnance, and is designed to obviate certain difficulties attending the mode
of construction now usually employed, which will be briefly noticed in order to
afford a better understanding of the conditions to which the improvements
more particularly apply.
In the guns now used the fire for igniting the charge is communicated to it
through an orifice in the walls of the chamber in which the charge is placed,"
called the "yent" or "touch-hole" by means of priming, which is ignited by
fulminating powder of some kind, or by the direct application of some

page_text: incandescent body to the priming powder. When the explosion of the charge
takes place, the vent being open, permits a portion of the gas produced from
the charge to escape through it during the whole time that the projectile is
within the gun. This gives rise to certain difficulties, which it is the object of
this Invention to remove. The gases within the gun thus escaping through
the vent at the moment of explosion under an enormous pressure, and perhaps
also by their chemical agency, produce corrosion of the surface of the metal
within the vent, and rapidly wear and enlarge it so as to require it to be
replaced after a few hundred discharges by an operation well known as
'bouching." The vent when new has to be sufficiently large to ensure it
being easily kept free from clogging, and from its further rapid enlargement
the proportion of the charge that escapes through it becomes very considerable
in guns firing the ordinary round shot with windage, and the evil is greatly
aggravated both as to the amount of waste of charge and wear of vent, by the
greater pressure of the gases in the gun when an elongated projectile is fired
without windage, as is the case with modern rifled guns.. The escape of this
amount of gas from the vent in addition to the wear and waste produced is also
very prejudicial when the gun is fired with the breech in some confined space,
such as the casemate of a fort or the between decks of a ship-of-war, where the fire
is dangerous, and the smoke becomes a serious inconvenience to the gunners.
These difficulties are obviated by the employment in combination with the
vent of a gun of the means hereafter described for closing it before firing
by means of devices that can be readily displaced and replaced for the
purpose of priming, and made strong enough to resist the pressure of the
gases within the gun, and when thus closed to ignite the primer by a blow
imparted to it by a lock or otherwise, so that substantially the whole effect of
the charge will be exerted upon the projectile, and the enormous velocity of
the discharge of the gas through the vent prevented, thus avoiding its rapid
wear and enlargement, and the danger and inconvenience of the escape of gas
to the gunners, as before stated.
The principle of the Invention is embodied in the accompanying
Drawings.
:
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the breech of a gun with
the mechanism for closing the vent and igniting the primer attached thereto;
Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 an end elevation of the same; Figure 4, is an
elevation of the opposite end, and Figure 5 a separate view of the primer in
section.
A represents a portion of the breech of a gun containing the "touch-hole"
or "vent," as it is called, and to which the apparatus for closing the vent and

page_text: igniting the primer is attached; B is a steel plug screwed into the gun,"
as shown, forming a "vent piece," through which the vent a, a, is bored,
and which also extends through the walls of the gun to the calibre. The
upper or outer part of the vent is enlarged to form a recess or chamber b, into
which the priming cap j is placed (Figure 1), as will be hereafter more
particularly described; C is a strong lever, which I call a "set stock," which
is jointed at one end to the stud D. This stud is screwed into the gun, as
represented in the Drawings, or it may be otherwise connected with it so as
to permit the other end of the "set stock". to be turned back from the vent
out of the way. In that part of the "set stock" that comes over the vent is
fitted a steel "set" or bolt or punch c, the lower end of which fits close in the
socket 6 of the vent piece, as shown, and the other end of which passes up
through the set stock, and is secured thereto with a screw washer e. The
set A, which serves the double purpose of a vent stopper and a striker for
igniting the primer, is made with a shoulder that bears against the under side
of the set stock, and is fitted into it loosely, so as to have a little play to enable
the set to adapt itself to the socket 6 of the vent piece and the primer when
it is fastened down upon them. This end of the set stock is held down by the
button E, which is a disc of steel, having a segment cut off from one side, as
shown, and rotating upon a steel bolt F as a centre, which secures it firmly to
the gun. This button rests upon a lock piece G, which is either fastened
upon the gun, as shown, or made in one piece with it if preferred. Upon its
under side it is made for a part of its circumference in the form of a helical
wedge, or inclined like a portion of square screw thread, as is shewn at 9.
When the button is turned by the handle f the inclined surface 9 passes over
the lip of the set stock, which is also bevilled transversely to correspond to
it, and forces the set e down upon the priming cap j, and bolds it firmly
against the force of the discharge of the gun. I is the hammer by which the
blow is given to the set c to ignite the primer; it is jointed at i to the stud K,
which is screwed into or otherwise attached to the gun, and is worked by a
lanyard L in the same manner as the lock in common use. j is the primer,
which is also shown separately in Figure 5. It is made of two discs of copper,
the upper one of which j, is made thin, and has its edge turned down outside
of the lower one k, fitting closely to it. Between these discs the fulminate n
is placed. In the centre of the disc k is a small hole, into which the quill or
paper case is fixed for holding the priming powder in the usual way, which is
inserted into the vent. The outside of the discj is made of a diameter to fit
piece, as is shewn in Figure 1, where the parts are.
shown in position, and when the gun is fired (by striking the top of the set c.
the recess 6 of the vent

page_text: with the hammer I or otherwise) the explosion of the fulminate n expands the
flange of the discj against the sides of the recess, and effectually closes the
joint to the escape of the gas. After firing the gun the handle f of the
button F, is turned to the position shown in Figure 1, releasing the set stock,
which is then thrown back out of the way, and the discs j and k of the exploded
primer are removed by the priming wire or other instrument for the purpose,
carried by the gunner by thrusting it through the centre of the upper disc, and
through the hole of the lower one, in which the quill 7 was fixed, by which
they may be removed with facility.
Figure 6 is a view (enlarged) of another form of primer, which may be
employed in place of the one described above; Figure 7, a section through the
same inverted. a² is a cup of thin sheet copper or other suitable metal, by the
expansion of which the joint between the "recess," and the set bolt is closed
at the instant of firing; 62 is a short cylinder of paper, which serves as a
packing between the cup a² and a stout cylinder c² of copper or other metal,
the object of which is to explode the percussion pellets f³. The powder h² is
kept in place by a disc of paper g².
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County of
Surry, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year of our Lord
1862, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield,
Her special license, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Tomlinson Bousfield, 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DISCHARGING GUNS OR ORDNANCE," a communication to me from
abroad by Daniel Treadwell, a person resident in the United States of

page_text: America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Tomlinson Bousfield, 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 calender months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW. YE, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say).:-
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the breech of a gun with
the mechanism for closing the vent and igniting the primer attached thereto.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same;
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the opposite end, and Fig. 5 is a separate view of
the primer in section.
.
The subject matter of the Invention relates to the construction and mode
of operation of the apparatus for discharging guns or ordnance, and is designed
to obviate certain difficulties attending the modes of construction now usually
employed, which will be briefly stated in order to afford a better understanding
of the conditions to which the improvements more particularly apply. In
the guns now used when the explosion of the charge takes place, the vent
being open permits.a portion of the gas produced from the charge to escape
through it during the whole time that the projectile is within the gun. This
gives rise to certain difficulties which I will mention. The gases within
the gun thus escaping through the vent at the moment of explosion under
an enormous pressure, and perhaps also by their chemical agency, produce
an erosion of the surface of the metal within the vent, and rapidly wear and
enlarge it so as to require it to be replaced after a few hundred discharges by an
operation well known as "bouching." The vent when new has to be sufficiently
large to insure its being kept free from clogging and from its further rapid
enlargement the proportion of the charge that escapes through it becomes very
considerable .in guns firing the ordinary round shot with windage, and the evil
5 is greatly aggravated both as to the amount of waste of charge and wear of
vent by the greater pressure of the gases in the gun, where an elongated
projectile is fired without windage, as is the case with modern rifled guns.
The escape of this amount of gas from the vent, in addition to the wear and
-waste produced, is also very prejudicial when the gun is fired with the breech

page_text: in some confined space, such as the casemate of a fort or the between decks of
a ship of war, where the fire is dangerous and the smoke becomes a serious
inconvenience to the gunners. These difficulties I obviate by the employment
upon the exterior of the gun of certain devices which inclose the vent and
primer with sufficient strength to retain the gases of the discharge, and which
can be readily removed and replaced to permit all the operations of loading
and priming, or to enable the vent to be used in the usual manner in case of
accident to the vent stopper or the absence of proper primers. These devices
consist substantially in forming upon the exterior of the vent a recess or
receptacle for containing a fulminating primer, and employing therewith a
sett or plug, which I call a vent stopper, which closes it, and is confined thereto
by some efficient means, as will be hereafter described, and a fulminating
primer provided with a casing of thin copper or other suitable material, that
by its expansion against the sides of the recess or vent closes the joint to the
escape of the gas. The primer. being ignited by a blow applied to the exterior
of the sett by a lock or otherwise.
In the Drawings the letters represent the same parts in all the Figures.
A represents a portion of the breech of the gun containing the touch hole or
vent, as it is called, and to which the apparatus for closing the vent and
igniting the primer is attached. B is a steel plug screwed into the gun as
shown, forming a vent piece through which the vent a, a, is bored, which also
extends through the walls of the gun to the calibre as is shown. The upper or
outer part of the vent is enlarged to form a recess or chamber b, into which
the priming cap J is placed, as is seen in Fig. 1 which will be hereafter
more particularly described. C is a strong lever which I call a sett stock,
which is jointed at one end to the stud D, which is screwed into the gun as
shown, or otherwise connected with it, which permits the other end of the
sett stock to be turned back from the vent out of the way. In that part of
the sett stock that comes over the vent is fitted a steel sett or bolt or punch c,
the lever end of which fits close in the socket 6 of the vent piece as shown,
and the other end of which passes up through the sett stock and is secured to
it by a screw collar e. The sett is made with a shoulder that bears against
the under side of the sett stock as shown, and is fitted into it loosely so as to
have a little play to enable the sett to adapt itself to the socket b, and the
primer, when it is fastened down upon them. This sett serves the double
purpose of a vent stopper and a striker for igniting the primer. This end of
the sett stock is held down by the button E, which is a disk of steel having
a segment cut off from one side as shown, and rotating upon a steel bolt F
as a centre, which secures it firmly to the gun. This button rests upon a lock

page_text: piece G, which is either fastened upon the gun as shown, or made in one
piece with it if preferred. Upon its under side it is made for a part of its
circumference in the form of a helical wedge or incline like a portion of square
screw thread as shown at g. When the button is turned by the handle f, the
inclined surface 9 passes over the liph of the sett stock (which is also bevelled
transversely to correspond to it) and forces the sett e down upon the .priming
cap J and holds it firmly against the force of the discharge of the gun. I is
the hammer by which the blow is given to the sett c to ignite the primer.
It is jointed at i to the stud K, which is screwed into or otherwise attached
to the gun, and is worked by a lanyard L in the same manner as the cannon
lock in common use. J is the primer, which is also shown separately in
Fig. 5. It is made of two disks of copper, the upper one of which,-j, is
made thin and has its edge turned down outside, the lower one k fitting closely
to it. Between these disks the fulminate m is placed. In the centre of the
disk k is a small hole into which the quill or paper is fixed for holding the
priming powder in the usual way, which is inserted into the vent. The
outside of the disc j is made of a diameter to fit the recess b, of the vent piece,
as is shown in Figure 1, where the parts are shown in position, and when
the gun is fired (by striking the top of the sett c with the hammer I, or
otherwise), the explosion of the fulminate m expands the flange of the disk j,
against the sides of the recess b, and effectually closes the joint to the escape
of the gas. After firing the gun the handle f of the button E is turned to the
position shown in Figure 1, releasing the sett stock, which is then thrown
back out of the way, and the disks j and k of the exploded primer are removed
by the priming wire or other instrument for the purpose carried by the gunner,
by thrusting it through the centre of the upper disk, and through the hole of
the lower one, in which the quill is fixed, by which means they may be
removed with facility.
Fig. 6 is a view enlarged of another form of primer, which may be
employed in place of the one described above. Fig. 7, a section through
the same inverted. a² is a cap of thin sheet copper or other suitable metal
by the expansion of which the joint between the recess and the sett bolt is
closed at the instant of firing; 62 is a short cylinder of paper which serves
as a packing between the cap a³ and a stout cylinder c² of copper or other
metal, the object of which is to explode the percussion pellets f³, the
powder h² is kept in place by a disk of paper 9³.
I am aware that heretofore mechanism has been devised for closing the
vent of the gun before or at the time of firing it, but in all instances that
have come to my knowledge the vent in the first place was so modified that

page_text: it could not be used in the ordinary way, and in the second place that the
joint of the inclosure was made tight by the accurate fitting of valves or pistons
in the vent which the corrosive action and residuum of the powder would
soon render inoperative. By this Invention the vent if necessary may be used
in the usual way, and the copper casing of the primer forms an expanding
packing, that fits itself to the form of the cavity that incloses the primer and
effectually closes the joint although their surfaces may be considerably corroded.
The ability to use the vent with ordinary priming I regard as of great im-
portance in connection with the apparatus for closing it.
Having now set forth the nature of this Invention and explained the
manner of carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood, that under the
above recited Letters Patent I claim, the employment in combination
with the vent of a gun of a recess or receptacle upon the exterior thereof,
for containing a primer, and a vent stopper for closing the same, and a
primer with an expanding case, which serves as a packing to close the joint
and prevent the escape of the gás substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth