IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS. AND THEIR PROJECTILES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Marson, of Livery Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS. AND THEIR PROJECTILES."
Sealed the 12th September 1861, and dated the 15th March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Marson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
March 1861.
I, JOHN MARSON, of Livery Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND THEIR PROJECTILES," to be as
follows:-
These improvements consist in the application of mechanism that will open
the breech end of the fire-arm by one motion of the hand, and when closed (by
one motion also) it shall increase the power of pressure against the cartridge.
so that when ready to fire the mechanism is in a straight line and consequently
in the strongest position to resist the percussion.
This contrivance consists of a flap (which has a thumb or finger piece to
lift it up by), and there is connected to it a jointed leg of the same action
(nearly) as the human leg, having hip joint, knee joint, and ancle joint. The
hip joint is fixed to a grooved parallel guide on the breech end of the barrel in
which the foot part of the leg slides. The flap moves on the same radial
centre as the hip, and is fastened at the knee, so that when it (the flap) is raised

page_text: it lifts up the knee, and consequently draws the foot towards the hip joint.
The cartridge is dropped in between the foot and the breech end of the gun,
the flap is shut down, and covering the whole of the mechanism straightens
the leg, the foot being flat at the end closes up the breech by fitting into it,
and the arm is ready to cap and fire.
My improved projectile is to fit a smooth round bore, and is of an oblong
form with a conical end. There are five passages in its length, four are
through it and are spiral or rifled about a quarter of a turn in their length.
These passages are round a centre one which is open from the base but does
not extend quite to the end; this allows the projectile when of soft metal to
expand when fired, whilst the other four give it a rotatory motion in its passage
through the air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Marson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
13th September 1861.
the
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MARSON, of Livery Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me; the
said John Marson, Her special licence that I, the said John Marson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Marson, 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 AND THEIR PROJECTILES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that. I, the said John Marson, 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 calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Marson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, that is
to say:
:
My Invention consists of mechanism in connection with fire-arms whereby
loading at the breech is made to be comparatively easy and safe, the
appearance neat; and the effect strength and tightness.
fire-arm having part of my improve-
Figure 1A is a transverse section of
Figure 1 represents that portion of a
ments as it appears when ready to fire.
the breech through the dotted line a, shewing the guide pin and guides n, n,
the position of the guide pin is shewn at the dotted line a in Figure 2, which
said Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the extended breech, shewing the
mechanical parts in their depressed state. The principle of the Invention is
shewn by the dotted line b; Figure 2, which it will be observed is at an angle
with the line of the barrel, so that if the pressure against the plug c should
tend to force the jointed bar d out of a straight line, it would be in a downward
direction, and this being prevented by the bottom e forms the security, the
cover or flap k has its centre of motion from the pivot f, but the pressure or
concussion is received. by the pivot or pin g; the catch h serves further to keep
the leg d in its straight position, and to shew when the flap or cover is quite
closed; the said catch is shewn more fully in Figure 3 at h, as it appears
when the breech is open, the catch when releasing the cover has to be drawn
towards the handle j. I sometimes fix the catch, on the cover k, but do not
prefer this method. Another mode of fastening the jointed bar d in a hori-
zontal position is, the cover k, having a latch or catch m, which is fastened
and loosed by the handle j, this is partly shewn in each of the Figures refering
to the fire-arm. Figure 4 shews the position of the handle when the catch is
fast, the dotted lines when it is loosed; the handle j serves also for raising and
depressing the cover k; the plug c and leg d are of the diameter of the bore of
the barrel, and the plug c is kept in a line with the barrel by two grooves, one
of which is shewn at n, Figure 3, and in section Figure 1A, in these two
grooves the ends of the pin slide, which connects the foot or plug c to the
leg d.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of my improved projectile, having slightly
helical passages; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section; Figure 7, the base;
Figure 8, the conical end; this projectile, as will be seen, is represented with
four passages through it; but though I prefer that number, I claim to make
the said projectile with any convenient number, the projectile is cast in a mould,

page_text: the half of which is shewn at Figure 9 with the prongs and core bar in their
.respective positions; when the projectile is cast, the core bar is withdrawn,
and the collar on which are the prongs is lodged upon the edge of a hole, and
the projectile being in the hole is driven off the prongs by a suitable bar, the
end being of the form of the core Figure 10; Figure 11 is the collar with the
prongs..
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying it into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details herein described; but what I claim in my Invention for
breech-loading fire-arms is so constructing them in the manner shewn that
they shall have a tendency to keep down the moveable parts when discharged;
and I also claim the manufacture with or without either of the catches m or h,
or with one groove (as at Figure 1B) in the bottom of the breech, to guide the
plug c, instead of the two shewn in Figure 1 A. In my projectile I claim
helical or winding passages around a central cavity, and through the length of
the said projectile, as shewn and described. I claim these improvements for
either smooth or rifled small fire-arms.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Marson; have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
JOSEPH COOKE,
2, Bennett's Hill,
Birmingham.
JOHN MARSON. (L.S.)