IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, of the Firm of
Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the
City of London, Patent Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by
Laurent Bovy, of Liège, Belgium.
Sealed the 11th December 1868, and dated the 25th September 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Clinton Edgcumbe
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 25th September 1868.
I, CLINTON EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman,
and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in closing the breech by means of a vertical
sliding block worked by the trigger guard, which in the same movement
cocks the gun, raises the sliding block to allow of the insertion of a
cartridge, and acts on an extractor. The sliding block has an opening

page_text: at the lower part, while its upper part is solid and carries the exploding
pin. A transverse pin in the lower part of the block takes into a slot
in a plate at the front end of the trigger guard; the guard is pivoted on
the hammer pin, and a spring catch secures it when in place. The
extractor is a vertical piece pivoted near its centre, and its lower end has
a tail piece or back projection; a spring presses the tail back and keeps
the upper end or extractor proper in position. The "tang" has tenons
or projections to enter corresponding holes in the breech end of the
barrel, and is recessed at the top to guide the cartridge.
The action is as follows:-On lowering the guard the slot acts on the
pin of the block and raises the block so as to bring its opening in a line
with the barrel; the guard at the same time cocks the gun by means of
a stud on the plate, before mentioned, which stud lifts the hammer, and
a part of the guard near the front presses forward the tail of the
extractor, thereby moving back the extractor proper and withdrawing
the empty case. A fresh cartridge is then inserted, and the guard
returned to position, thereby lowering the block until its solid part is in
a line with the bore. The lower end of the block is bevelled for the
purpose of pushing the cartridge home. By removing the exploding pin
and substituting an ordinary nipple the gun may be used as a muzzle-
loader.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 18th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CLINTON
EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company,
of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman,
Her special licence that I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said

page_text: Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS,"
(communicated to me from abroad by Laurent Bovy, of Liege, Belgium,)
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe
Brooman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should par-
ticularly 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 Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, 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, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in closing the breech by means of a vertical
sliding block worked by the trigger guard, which in the same movement
cocks the gun, raises the sliding block to allow of the insertion of a
cartridge, and acts on an extractor. The sliding block has an opening
at the lower part, while its upper part is solid and carries the exploding
pin. A transverse pin in the lower part of the block takes into a slot
in a plate at the front end of the trigger guard; the guard is pivoted
on the hammer pin, and a spring catch secures it when in place. The
extractor is a vertical piece pivoted near its centre, and its lower end has
a tail piece or back projection; a spring presses the tail back and keeps.
the upper end or extractor proper in position. The "tang" has tenons
or projections to enter corresponding holes in the breech end of the
barrel, and is recessed at the top to guide the cartridge.
The action is as follows-On lowering the guard the slot acts on the
pin of the block and raises the block so as to bring its opening in a
line with the bore, the guard at the same time cocks the gun by means
of a stud on the plate, before mentioned, which stud lifts the hammer,
and a part of the guard near the front presses forward the tail of the

page_text: extractor, thereby moving back the extractor proper and withdrawing
the empty case. A fresh cartridge is then inserted and the guard
returned to position, thereby lowering the block until its solid part is in
a line with the bore. The lower end of the block is bevilled for the
purpose of pushing the cartridge home. By removing the exploding pin
and substituting an ordinary nipple the gun may be used as a muzzle-
loader.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation of the breech
portion of a fire-arm constructed according to this Invention.
a is the vertical sliding block, it is shown separately in front and back
views respectively in Figures 2 and 3, there is an opening 6 at its lower
part, the upper part, which is solid, carries the exploding pin c; in the
lower part of the opening of this block a transverse pin d is fitted, this
pin takes into a slot of a plate in the front end of the trigger guard e, in
the manner shown in Figure 1. The guard is pivotted and works on the
hammer pin f. A. spring catch g in the back end of the guard enters an
aperture in the under side of the stock and secures it in place when the
block is home. The outer end of the pin is enlarged to receive the
blows of the hammer h; a pin i passing through the block keeps the
exploding pin in place. This hammer is somewhat like an ordinary
hammer, and is fixed on the pin f outside of the lock plate in the usual
manner. Two cheeks j, k, one on each side of the block a fit into two
slots 1, 1, in the lump or breech block m, as shown in Figures 4 and 5,
to enable the block to be moved up and down vertically. The lump has
a projection depending from it, it has a hole formed in it for the pin
of the extractor o to pass through. The extractor, shewn in detached
views in Figures 6 and 7, is operated by the forward end of the guard
plate when the block is raised so as to bring its opening 6 in line with
the bore, when the front end of the guard plate strikes against and
forces inwards the tail p of the extractor, whereby the upper or half-ring
portion is thrown outwards and caused to withdraw the empty cartridge
case from the barrel. The rear face of the lump is formed with holes
for the pins or studs q, q, on the end of the tang or head plate, as seen
in Figure 8; these pins q, q, when the tang is screwed down hold the
rear end of the barrel in position in the stock. Figure 9 is an inside
view of the lock; the sear r, Figure 10, of which is operated by the
triggers, Figure 11. Figure 12 represents a plan view of the hammer
or tumbler pin, with the tumbler and mainspring claw on it. Figure 13

page_text: is a view of the inner side of the trigger guard, and Figures 14 and 15,
side and plan views of the trigger plate.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, the
general arrangement and combination of parts forming a breech-loading
fire-arm, in manner herein-before described and represented in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
C. E. BROOMAN. (L.S.)