IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Lindner, of New York, in the United
States of America, now temporarily residing at Hamburg, Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND
Sealed the 24th June 1864, and dated the 28th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Lindner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
December 1863.
I, EDWARD LINDNER, of New York, in the United States of America, now
temporarily residing at Hamburg, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND
ORDNANCE AND IN APPARATUS FOR LOADING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
The object of the first part of my Invention is to render the breech of fire-
arms and ordnance gas-tight. This part of my Invention consists in forming
a chamber or recess behind a movable piece in front or forming part
of the breech block, which chamber is made to contain quicksilver, india-
rubber, or other suitable elastic body, a conical or tapered ring with a flange
at its rear end embraces the movable piece. When the gun is fired the
movable piece is forced back against the elastic body, which in its turn acts
against the rear of the conical ring, drives it forward against the front of the
breech chamber, and thus renders the breech gas-tight.
ว
My Invention consists, secondly, in the employment of a strong hollow or
solid screw, which passes into the rear end of the gun, and the forward end of

page_text: which is hollowed to receive a flange on the rear end of the breech block,
whereby the breech block can be moved forwards or backwards as required.
When I use a hollow screw, I form undercut projections on the rear of the
breech block which fit into corresponding recesses in front of the screw, by
giving the screw a partial turn the projections on the block are released from
the recesses in the screw, and the block may then be withdrawn. In ordnance
constructed on what is known as the Wahrendorf system, I form a screw on
the outer end of the plug ordinarily employed in these guns, which takes into
a corresponding screwed block on the side of the gun.
My loading apparatus consists of a cylindrical case, open at one end and
closed at the other, excepting an aperture through which a rod or rammer
passes. The charge is placed in the case, which is then inserted in the gun,
and the rod or rammer is made to force the charge out of the case into position
for firing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Lindner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
LINDNER, of New York, in the United States of America, now temporarily
residing at Hamburg, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Lindner, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Lindner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Lindner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
LOADING THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Lindner, 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

page_text: 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 Edward Lindner, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
The object of the first part of my Invention is to render the breech of fire-
arms and ordnance gas-tight. This part of my Invention consists in forming
a chamber or recess behind a movable piece in front, and forming part of the
breech block, which chamber is made to contain quicksilver, india-rubber, or
other suitable elastic body; a conical or tapered ring with a flange at its rear
end embraces the movable piece; when the gun is fired the movable piece is
forced back against the elastic body, which in its turn acts against the rear of
the conical ring, drives it forward against the front of the breach chamber,
and thus renders the breach gas-tight.
My Invention consists, secondly, in the employment of a strong hollow or
solid screw, which passes into the rear end of the gun, and the forward end of
which is hollowed to receive a flange on the rear end of the breech block,
whereby the breech block can be moved forwards or backwards as required.
When I use a hollow screw, I form under-cut projections on the rear of the
breech block, which fit into corresponding recesses in front of the screw, by
giving the screw a partial turn the projections on the block are released from
the recesses in the screw, and the block may then be withdrawn. In ordnance
constructed on what is known as the Wahrendorf system, I form a screw on
the outer end of the plug ordinarily employed in these guns, which takes into
a corresponding screwed block on the side of the gun.
My loading apparatus consists of a cylindrical case open at one end and
closed at the other, excepting an aperture through which a rod or rammer
passes. The charge is placed in the case, which is then inserted in the gun,
and the rod or rammer is made to force the charge out of the case into position
for firing.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, I proceed fully to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
The chief feature of my Invention consists in obtaining a tight joint by the
power of the explosive gases from gunpowder made to act upon a movable
breech piece, which receives its pressure upon a fluid or elastic body her-
metically enclosed inside the breech piece. This fluid or body distributes the

page_text: pressure it receives from the gases, and reacts upon a movable ring provided
with a conical edge, which is forcibly pressed into a corresponding conical seat
at the rear of the bore of the barrel, and forms a gas-tight joint. The more
powder used, and the greater the calibre, the tighter the joint will be.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent, in longitudinal section, side elevation, and
cross section, a gun with my breech-tight arrangements applied thereto;
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent parts of the arrangements detached, and on an
enlarged scale; Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 shew the different parts of my
breech block.
As seen at Figure 1, the gun at the breech B is strengthened by a greater
body of metal in order to give more solidity. The rear end of the gun is cut
with a screw thread C, into which a hollow screw D is fitted. This screw D
has a round head E, in which a groove F is turned; G is a tappet fastened
upon the head E. The thread of the screw D is turned out smooth at the
fore end, where one half is cut away, as seen at a, b, Figure 4, to fit on to
the rear end a¹, 6, of the breech piece, see Figure 7; by turning the screw D
a back and forward movement of the breech piece is produced. To facilitate
the movement of the screw D a lever K, Figure 6, is fitted into the head E;
the lever is formed with two shoulders, which striking against the tappets
move the screw D according to will. To prevent the entering of dirt and wet
between the screws, a packing L, L, composed of or containing oily or fatty
substance is inserted, which at the same time causes the screw D to work
easily. The rear end of the bore of the barrel A is turned conical, as shewn
at d, d, forming a seating, into which the fore end of the breech piece H,
coned to correspond, fits; N, N, is a chamber in which the breech piece H is
capable of being moved to and fro. The breech piece H, see Figure 7, 8, 9,
10, and 11, is a solid piece of forged iron or steel, the body of which is turned
out at h, h, and made cylindrical from i, i, outwards; P, P, is a flanged ring
fitted in the hollow cylindrical portion of the breech piece; O, O, is a ring
screwed into the breech H at R, it defines the place of the ring P; Q is a
cylinder made of solid steel, fitted with exactness in the ring P, P, and
forming an even surface with the ring on the outer as well as the inner
side; n, n, is a copper ring, which closes the joint between the ring P, P, and
cylinder Q, and at the same time prevents the penetration of gas into the
space h, h. The cylinder Q is formed with a groove, for the purpose of con-
taining tallow or other lubricant. At the rear end of the cylinder Q and
ring P, P, a groove may also be turned as well, and filled with lead or other
packing. I fill the space h, h, with a fluid not liable to freeze, for instance,
quicksilver, or with india-rubber, or any elastic substance, giving quicksilver

page_text: the preference, and I enclose it in an india-rubber cushion; upon this cushion I
set the ring P, P, with its cylinder Q, and screw it down firmly by the ring O
as far as desirable, and the breech piece H is then complete. R', Figure 1,
is a handle, for the purpose of drawing the breech piece H to and fro in the
chamber N. To protect the breech piece as well as the chamber from dust,
dirt, and wet, I fit a hinged door S, S, to the gun, through which the handle
passes. A small groove is turned at the front of the cylinder Q, and in the
inner edge of the ring P, P, into which a packing is laid, and upon it a
copper ring n is either hammered or screwed to close the joint between the
cylinder and ring, and thereby prevent any gas from penetrating. At the
rear part of this cylinder Q, or ring P, P, a small groove may be turned and
packed, by which means the cylinder Q and ring P, P, may be also very
closely connected in the rear. On firing, the effect produced upon the various
parts of the breech piece is as follows:-The explosive gases press in full
force upon the cylinder Q, which in turn presses upon the quicksilver in the
space h, h, and this fluid presses with increased force upon the ring P, P, and
drives its conical edge f, f, into close contact with the conical seat d, d, at the
rear end of the bore of the barrel A. The inner surface of the ring P, P,
being so much larger than the outer surface which comes into contact with
the explosive gases, the pressure from within is immense; the copper ring n, n,
is pressed so tightly into its seat by the explosive gases, that it completely
protects the space or joint between the cylinder Q and the ring P, P, from
any penetration of gas or smoke. The greater the pressure of the explosive
gases, or the larger the calibre, the more tightly will the conical edge f, f, of
the ring P, P, be pressed into contact with the conical seat d, d.
My loading apparatus is shewn in longitudinal section at Figure 2 3.
R¹, R¹, is a cylindrical metal case open in front, and the edges coned, as
at O, O. It contains a piston W, the rod of which passes through an aperture
in the rear of the case. This loading apparatus is used in the manner of a
syringe, and places the cartridge in its proper place in the gun; the diameter
of this apparatus is just less than that of the bore of the screw D, and the
length of it is such that when in place for inserting the charge, the coned
edges o, o, abut against the conical seat d, d. After having inserted the
charge, and placed the breech piece behind it, the screw D turned by the
lever K presses the breech piece H, and drives the conical edge f, f, into close
contact with the conical seat d, d, of the barrel A. The conical ring P, P, is
pressed inwards upon the quicksilver, which brings the pressure it has thus
received to bear upon the cylinder Q, which moves slightly towards the front,

page_text: and thus the breech piece is restored to its proper state for receiving the
shock of the explosion of the charge, and for rendering the breech tight.
In order to apply my breech piece, whether to improve all breech-loaders in
use or to convert muzzle-loaders into breech-loaders, I find no agent so well
adapted for pressing the breech piece into a conical seat in the rear of the
barrel as the screw. For this reason I construct the wedge or plug of the
Wahrendorf gun so as to give it the movement of a screw.
Figure 12 represents the breech of a Wahrendorf cannon altered according
to my Invention and provided with my breech piece. I have made an improve-
ment upon the wedge, plug, or cylinder u, u, giving it forward and backward
movement by means of a screw b, e, on the outer end of the plug, which takes
into a corresponding screwed block on the side of the gun, whereby the breech
piece is firmly closed.
Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16 represent the manner in which old muzzle-
loaders can be altered in the simplest way into breech-loaders. Figure 18
shews a barrel A with the rear solid portion of it cut off. On the rear of the
barrel I turn a flat screw thread f, and fit to work on it a screw sleeve D,
formed with an aperture E, Figure 14, through which the breech piece H
with its handle F, Figure 13, passes. In order to prevent the breech piece
being brought out too far, I form a groove 9 in the breech piece H, Figures
13 and 16, in which a screw h, Figure 18, fits; this screw h passes through a
portion of the screw sleeve D. The rear of the barrel A is formed with a
conical seating, and the construction of the breech piece I may be the same as
herein-before described with reference to Figure 7. The threaded sleeve,
Figures 13 and 14, with its aperture E, Figure 14, is movable upon the
barrel A instead of within it. A handle F is fixed to the breech piece H, in
order to turn the screw sleeve D with ease. The breech piece H fits in the
aperture E of the screw sleeve D, and can be drawn out and in; the screw
sleeve D moves the breech piece H forward and backward. The breech
piece H can be drawn from the aperture E as far as the stationary screw h
will permit. After inserting the cartridge through the hollow screw to its
place, the handle F is used to cause the screw sleeve D to press the conical
edge of the breech piece into close contact with the conical seat on the barrel.
Figures 17, 19, 20, and 21 represent the application of a solid screw in
connexion with my breech piece. I cut off the rear part of the barrel, as a
described before, shrink a wrought-iron collar R, Figure 17, on the outside of
the barrel in order to strengthen it, bore through the rear solid part, and cut
a flat screw thread i, i, for the reception of a solid screw L; I connect this

page_text: screw with the breech piece H, upon which I turn a cone to fit into the
conical seat in the barrel. In order to conveniently draw out the screw L,
Figure 17, I cut out a portion of the screw thread within the barrel, as well
as of the screw, as shewn at m', m', Figure 19. After having made one-
fourth or half of a turn, the screw with its breech piece may be readily drawn
out, and held by means of a door upon a hinge, by which the opening for the
insertion of the cartridge is attained.
Figure 22 represents a complete cartridge of my Invention. Upon the
ball U a woven or other textile fireproof material is drawn, and is firmly held
by lead rings cast around the ball. Behind the ball there is a wooden plug O,
which fits in the rear of the ball; upon the other end of this plug is a felt
ring p, which is somewhat larger than the bore, and is soaked in tallow;
behind this felt ring is the powder bag Q, which is fastened to the wooden
plug, thereby connecting the various parts. A felt ring may also be laid
immediately behind the ball, and will be found highly useful for cleansing the
barrel after every discharge.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ments in breech-loading arms,-
First, constructing the breech piece of such arms with an inner chamber
for containing a fluid or elastic substance, substantially in manner and for the
purpose herein-before described.
Second, imparting to and fro motion to breech blocks in breech-loading
arms by means of a screw connected to and acting on such blocks, in manner
herein-before described.
And, third, constructing apparatus for loading breech-loading arms, in
manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Lindner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of June One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.