AN IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE- ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS." A communication from abroad by Silas Crispin, of the City of
New York, in the United States of America.
-
Sealed the 28th May 1867, and dated the 16th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th March 1867.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of a solid rocking breech block
and cartridge extractor combined, its axis of motion being at its anterior
inferior portion, and being entirely unconnected with the lock mechanism.
The barrel is open at the rear to receive its charge in the form of a metallic
cartridge. The solid portion of the lock frame below the breech is segment-.
shaped, and it is grooved to receive a tooth or catch which projects from the
frout of the breech block; this block is hung on a stud or axle carried by the
lock frame, and it is formed with a long curved handle or lever to which is
pivoted a catch or pawl provided with a spring adapted to catch over a cross

page_text: bar of the lock frame or metallic portion of the stock. The projection or
tooth on the curved portion of the breech block acts as an extractor, rising as
the tail of the breech block or breech closer is depressed, and taking hold of
the flange of the cartridge case and withdrawing it from the barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office ou
the 14th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
.Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special dicence that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," being a communication to me
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
tioularly 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Drawing hereunto aunexed, and to
.the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say.):→
In breech-loading guns (adapted to the use of metallic cartridges) the
following conditions of parts and their arrangement and operation together

page_text: practical experience has shown to be most desirable, viz., 1. A solid breech
block (which is certainly the simplest) so arranged; as to rock toward and
from the rear of the chamber of the gun, this kind of motion in the breech
block possessing less liability than other arrangements to derangement from
rust, dirt, or any of the numerous obstructions which are likely to occur in the
working parts of a gun in service or use. 2. The rotating breech block
entirely separate from or unconnected with the lock or any of its attachments,
since thereby the lock is closed and sealed free from rust and dirt to which it
is exposed where it is in the breech block or any part of it connected thereto,
besides which the point of support can be placed further from the axis of
motion than it can be in that class of arms in which the support is afforded by
a part of the lock or by some device connected therewith. To embody in a
compact and in every way practical and desirable method these leading
featurss of construction is the object of the present Invention, which consists
in the employment of a solid rocking breech block with its axis of motion at its
anterior inferior portion, and being entirely unconnected with the lock
mechanism; also in the employment in connection with such a breech block
of a vibratory catch lever and spring arranged and operating as will be
presently described; also in the combined arrangement of the solid breech
block and lever and spring catch with the cartridge extractor, all as bereiu-
after more fully explained.
To, enable those skilled in the art to make and use the improved arm I
will proceed to describe more particularly its construction and operation,
referring by letters to the accompanying Drawing forming a part of this
Specification.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of so much of the improved fire-arm
as will serve to explain the nature of the Invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view
showing the working parts in a different position, and Fig. 8 is a cross
section taken in the line a, a, of Fig. 1. In the several Figures I have denoted
the like parts by corresponding letters of reference.
A is the barrel of a gun, and B its rear open end, into which the cartridge
is inserted; H is the stoek, and E the solid reciprocating breech block, which
is bung on a stud or axis at D; this breech block E is formed with a long
curved handle or lever G, to which is pivotted at fa catch or pawl F pro-
vided with a spring g and adapted to catch over the bar h of the lock frame
or metallic portion of the stock. On the curved portion of the breech block
E. is formed or arranged a projection d, which acts as an extractor, taking
hold forward of the flange of the cartridge case C and extracting or with-
drawing the latter as the breech block is thrown into the position seen at

page_text: Fig. 2 (for reloading); I is the hammer, which is intended through the
medium of a pin or in any well-known or approved manner to explode the
cartridge. At Fig. 1 the parts are shown as the arm would be loaded and
ready for firing. After the discharge the breech block E is thrown down into
the position seen at Fig. 2 (by unlatching the catch E and depressing the
lever G in a manner familiar to those skilled in the use of breech-loading
guns), whereby the extractor d is caused to pull back and throw out of the
gun the empty case; the chamber may then be reloaded and the breech
block again moved back, as seen at Fig. 1. It will be understood that by
the use of the solid breech block Ę having a vibratory.motion around its axis D
and entirely disconnected from the lock mechanism the simplest and most
desirable movable breech is afforded, for it is less liable to clogging. than
any other kind of moving breech, while having no motion of translation it
must open and close very freely. By there being no connection between the
breech block and the lock mechanism the latter may be entirely closed or
sealed, which is a great desideratum.
Another advantage is that the point of support is placed further from the
axis of motion than it can be in an arm wherein the breech piece is supported
by some portion of the lock.
It will be understood that in the improved arm the breech piece may be
most readily worked by the swinging lever G, and that by the arrangement
of parts shown the empty cartridge case may be most effectually withdrawn
and discharged by the action of the extractor d operated by means of the
breech block lever.
66
In a gun constructed as shown and described there is no liability of the
points of support being forged," as in guns where the distance between point
of support and axis of rotation is short, owing to having lock support. I
am aware that a solid breech block has been used, as, for instance, in the
Peabody" and "Cochran " guns, but in these the block is hinged at its
posterior portion, and hence there is more or less friction or wedging motion
where the face of the breech block comes against the rear end of the barrel or
chamber, which of course is disadvantageous. In the "Burnside"
66
gun (though
not adapted to the use of metallic cartridges) there is a breech piece hinged
somewhat like the breech block E, but his breech block contains a portion
of the chamber, and besides the bottom of said chamber has a motion of
translation.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improvement in
Breech-loading Fire-arms," as communicated to me from abroad, and ex-
plained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood

page_text: that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim the combined
breech block and cartridge extractor, constructed and operating as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFAtt,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.B.)