AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND MEANS FOR EXTRACTING CARTRIDGE CASES FROM BREECH-LOADING
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cole, of Great Portland Street, in the County
of Middlesex, and George Stephens Melland, of 38, Lime Street, in the
City of London, Gun Manufacturers, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MODE OF AND MEANS FOR EXTRACTING CARTRIDGE CASES FROM BREECH-LOADING
Sealed the 9th November 1866, and dated the 10th May 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cole and George
Stephens Melland at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 10th May 1866.
We, JOHN COLE, of Great Portland Street, in the County of Middlesex,
and GEORGE STEPHENS MELLAND, of No. 38, Lime Street, in the City of
London, Gun Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND MEANS FOR EXTRACTING CARTRIDGE
CASES FROM BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates more especially to "drop-down" breech-loading
sporting or fowling pieces, and consists chiefly in an arrangement of parts
whereby the cartridge case is expelled from the barrel by the forward movement
of the latter away from the extractor, and also in a peculiar method of con-
structing the said extractor, whereby the drilling or perforating the lump of
the barrel and consequent weakening of the keel thereof is entirely obviated,
while a direct pulling action upon the cartridge case being extracted is

page_text: ensured, and the durability of all portions of the mechanism is greatly
increased.
The barrels are supported upon a fulcrum or centre fixed in the stock
frame, and secured thereto in the usual manner, and the breech is opened
and closed by the turning of the barrels upon the said fulcrum. The
lump of the barrel is also similarly formed to those of other pieces of this
description.
The extractor consists of a flat piece of steel or other suitable metal having
a slot or opening formed lengthwise in its centre, through which the lump of
the barrels projects. The extractor is also provided with horns or projections
at its forward end, and with a flange or lip at its rear end to take hold behind
the rim of the cartridge case. The said horns fit into recesses formed in the
end of the groove or channel in which the extractor slides a little to the rear
of the fulcrum pin upon which the barrels are hung. These recesses are of
such a form and in such a position that they retain the horns of the extractor
and prevent its following the circular movement of the barrel as the latter is
thrown up or down. The extractor is thus fixed endwise, while the end of
the barrel recedes from the end of the said extractor, the cartridge case being
retained by the latter, and so drawn out of the barrels. The surface of the
end of the barrels is recessed or cut away to correspond with the shape of the
flange or lip of the extractor, and when the barrels are thrown up
into position to discharge the piece the lip of the extractor fits into the said
recess and forms an even surface with the end of the barrels for the rim of the
cartridge to fit up to.
This method of construction allows the extractor and barrels to be
readily separated from each other and from the stock of the gun when
required. The wearing of the end of the extractor and face of the breech
piece is also avoided, as they do not work in contact, as in guns of ordinary
construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 30
the said John Cole and George Stephens Melland in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
COLE, of Great Portland Street, in the County of Middlesex, and GEORGE
STEPHENS MELLAND, of No. 38, Lime Street, in the City of London, Gun 35
Manufacturers, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Cole and George Stephens Melland, Her special licence that we, the
said John Cole and George Stephens Melland, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Cole and George Stephens
Melland, our 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 "AN IMPROVED MODE OF
AND MEANS FOR EXTRACTING CARTRIDGE CASES FROM BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Cole and George
Stephens Melland, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or their, or one of our or 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 John Cole, 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 accompanying Sheet of Drawings making a part of
this Specification:-
The said Invention relates more especially to a "drop-down" breech-
loading sporting or fowling-piece, and consists chiefly in a novel arrangement
of parts whereby the cartridge case is expelled from the barrel or barrels by the
movement of the latter away from the extractor, and in a peculiar construction
of the said extractor, whereby drilling or perforating the lump of the barrels
and consequent weakening of the keel is entirely obviated, while a direct
pulling action upon the cartridge case is ensured, and the durability of all
portions of the mechanism is greatly increased.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a part of a double-barrelled fowling-piece
with my improved extractor attached; Figure 2 is a plan of the under side of
part of the barrels with the extractor in position; Figure 3 is a plan of the
breech piece or stock frame; Figure 4 is a plan of the extractor detached;

page_text: Figure 5 a side elevation; and Figure 6 an end elevation of the same. Like
letters refer to corresponding parts in the several Figures.
The barrels A of the fowling-piece, Figures 1 and 2, are supported upon
the fulcrum or centre pin B fixed in the stock frame or breech piece C,
and are secured to the said breech piece in the usual or any convenient
manner. The barrels A are locked to the breech piece or stock frame C by
means of a cam or catch D fixed on the stud E, the latter being also fixed to
the lever F. The breech is opened by first turning the lever F at right
angles to the barrels, and then turning the barrel downward upon the
fulcrum B, as shown in Figure 1. The breech is closed by turning the barrel
upward, and is firmly locked to the breech piece C by turning the lever F in
a line with the barrels A. The lump G of the barrels A is similar in form to
those of ordinary pieces of this description, but has a groove H, as shown by
dotted lines in Figure 2. The extractor I, shown detached in Figures 4, 5,
and 6, is formed of a piece of steel or other suitable metal, and has an
opening J, Figure 4, through which the lump of the barrel projects, as shown
in Figures 1 and 2. The said extractor is also provided with horns or
projections K at its forward end, and with a flange or lip L at its rear end,
which flange or lip is forced against the rim of the cartridge as the breech is
opened. The horns K fit into recesses M formed in the breech piece Ca
little to the rear of the fulcrum pin B, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The
recesses M are formed in such a position and of such a shape that the front
edges of said recesses act on the projection K as a cam to force the extractor
away from the barrels A as the latter are lowered to open the breech while
the rear edges act against the said projection to return the extractor I into its
place flush with the end of the barrels A as the said barrels are raised to close
the breech. Thus the end of the barrels A are separated from the lip L of
the extractor, as shown in Figure 1, while the cartridge cases are held by the
said lip, and by this means drawn out of the barrels. The end of the barrels
has a recess N, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, corresponding in form
with the lip of the extractor I, and into which the lip L of the said extracto
fits flush with the surface of the end of the barrels when the breech is closed
and the barrels are in position to discharge the piece. This method o
construction and arrangement of parts allows the extractor I and barrels A
to be readily separated from each other and from the breech piece or stock
frame C when desired. The wearing of the lip of the extractor I and the
face of the breech piece C is avoided, the extractor I being operated by the
edges of the recesses M acting on the projecting horns K of the extractor
in the manner herein-before described.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention, and shown how the same
may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, we do not
confine ourselves to the exact details berein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings; but we claim, the extractor I constructed,
arranged, and operating for the purpose and substantially in the manner set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cole, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE,
International Patent Office,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.
JOHN COLE. (L.S.)