IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN KINDS OF Dan
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Middleditch Scott, of the Firm of W. and
C. Scott and Son, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manu-
facturers, and Thomas Baker, of Aston, near Birmingham aforesaid, Gun
Action Maker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN KINDS OF
Dan
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Middleditch Scott
& Thomas Baker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
8th February 1882.
WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT of the Firm of W. and C. Scott and Son of
Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Manufacturers and THOMAS BAKER
of Aston near Birmingham aforesaid Gun Action Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CERTAIN KINDS OF BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR
SMALL ARMS."
Our Invention relates to breech loading small arms having internal or concealed
hammers, and has for its object to prevent the corrosion of the lock mechanism by
the gases produced by the detonation of the percussion cap. Our said Invention
consists of the construction hereinafter described of the face of the break off and
the head of the cartridge case, whereby a means of ready escape is provided for
the gases produced by the detonation of the percussion cap. In small arms and
cartridges as ordinarily constructed, the said gases have no means of escape except
between the striker and the tubular guide in which it works and in taking this
course they come into contact with and corrode the lock mechanism.
In constructing according to our invention, a breech loading small arm having
internal hammers we make in the face of the break off an annular depression
immediately surrounding the hole through which the striker is projected to
discharge the gun. We also make one or more grooves or channels in the face of
the break off, the said grooves or channels opening at their inner ends into the
said annular depression, their outer ends opening into the atmosphere. We also

page_text: make in the head of the cartridge case, a series of grooves or channels opening at
their inner ends into the small chamber in which the percussion cap is situated
their outer ends opening at the edge of the head.
By means of the annular depression in the face of the break off and the
grooves or channels in the break off and head of the percussion cap, a free passage
for the escape of the gases produced by the detonation of the percussion cap is
provided.
Instead of grooves in the face of the break off and in the head of the cartridge
case, holes or covered grooves may be drilled or made immediately below the face
of the break off and below the surface of the cartridge case, the said holes opening
into the annular depression of the break off and the percussion cap chamber in the
manner described with respect to grooves. We prefer however open grooves as
first explained.
Instead of straight grooves, curved grooves may be employed.
We believe however that straight grooves are best.
Small arms with concealed hammers made according to our invention may be
used with ordinary cartridges, and cartridges made according to our invention may
be used with small arms having break off's with plain or ungrooved faces.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Middleditch Scott and Thomas Baker in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 22nd July 1882.
WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT of the Firm of W. and C. Scott and Son of
Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Manufacturers and THOMAS BAKER
of Aston near Birmingham aforesaid Gun Action Maker. " IMPROVEMENTS IN
CERTAIN KINDS OF BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS AND IN CARTRIDGES FOR
SMALL ARMS."
Our invention relates to breech loading small arms having internal or concealed
hammers and has for its object to prevent the corrosion of the lock mechanism by
the gases produced by the detonation of the percussion cap. Our said invention
consists of the construction hereinafter described of the face of the break off and
the head of the cartridge case, whereby a means of ready escape is provided for
the gases produced by the detonation of the percussion cap.
In small arms and cartridges as ordinarily constructed the said gases have no
means of escape except between the striker and the tubular guide in which it
works and in taking this course they come into contact with and corrode the lock
mechanism.
In constructing according to our invention a brooch loading small arm having
internal hammers, wo make in the face of the break off an annular depression
immediately surrounding the hole through which the striker is projected to discharge
the gun. We also make one or more grooves or channels in the face of the break
off, the said grooves or channels opening at their inner ends into the said annular
depression their outer ends opening into the atmosphere. We also make in the
head of the cartridge case a series of grooves or channels opening at their inner
ends into the small chamber in which the percussion cap is situated, their outer
ends opening at the edge of the head.
By means of the annular depression in the face of the break off and the grooves
of channels in the break off and head of the cartridge a free passage for the escape
of the gases produced by the detonation of the percussion cap is provided.
Instead of grooves in the face of the break off and in the head of the cartridge
case holes or covered grooves may be drilled or made immediately below the face
of the break off and below the surface of the cartridge case, the said holes opening
into the annular depression of the break off and the percussion cap chamber in the
manner described with respect to grooves.
We prefer however open grooves as first explained.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in side elevation and Figure 2
partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, a portion of the breech
end of an internal hammer drop down gun together with a cartridge constructed
according to our invention; Figure 3 is an elevation of the face of the break off
of the gun and Figures 4 and 5 represent a modification of the same Figure 6
represents in side elevation and Figure 7 in end elevation the cartridge detached
from the gun.
a is the break off of the gun against which the face of the barrels b shuts down. The
gas escape channels or passages in the face of the break off a are best seen in the end
elevation Figure 3. The said gas escape channels or passages.consist of the annular
depressions c surrounding the hole d through which the striker is projected to dis-
charge the gun, the said hole d opening at it back into the chamber in which the
internal hammers and cocking mechanism are situated. Opening at its inner end into
the annular depression c is a straight groove or channel e, the said channel e passing
across the break off and opening at the edge of the break off. Instead of the single

page_text: straight channel e two or more radial channels may be used; ƒ is the cartridge in
the face of the metallic head of which the gas escape passages or channels are made.
They consist of the radial passages or channels g. opening at their inner ends
into the small chamber in which the percussion cap is situated their outer ends
opening at the edge of the cartridge head as will be understood by an examination
of the end elevation Figure 7. Instead of making open channels or passages e in
the face of the break off, covered channels or holes may be inade; that is to say,
a passage or channel may be drilled from the edge of the break off into the annular
depression c in the face of the break off as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, where
the covered channels or holes are marked k. The head of the cartridge may also be
provided with covered passages or holes instead of the open passages or channels
represented in the Drawing; and instead of straight passages or channels curved
passages or grooves may be employed. We believe however that straight grooves
or passages are best.
When the gun is discharged, the gases produced by the explosion of the percussion
caps readily escape by the passages described and represented in the face of the
break off and in the head of the cartridge, to the edge of the break off, instead of
between the strikers and the holes or guides in which they work as usual. The
corrosion of the lock mechanism is thereby effectually prevented.
Small fire arms with concealed hammers made according to our invention may
be used with ordinary cartridges and cartridges made according to our invention
may be used with small fire arms having break offs with plain or ungrooved
faces.
When our grooved headed cartridges are used with firearms having plain break
offs, the gas escape passages which are provided in the head of the cartridge case
cause the gases generated at the percussion cap chambers to rapidly escape from
the said cap chambers through the said passages and to be diffused between the
face of the break off and the face of the barrels and from thence the said gases
escapo into the atmosphere.
Having now described the nature of our invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed We wish it to be understood that We claim as our
invention :-
First Making in the faces of the break offs of breech loading small arms having
internal or concealed hammers, grooves or channels for the purpose of providing
a means for the ready escape of the gases produced by the detonation of the
percussion caps of the cartridges substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly-Making in the faces of the metallic heads of the cartridges to be used
with breech loading small arms having internal or concealed hammers, grooves or
channols for the purpose of providing a means for the ready escape of the gases
produced by the detonation of the percussion caps of the cartridges substantially
as bereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Willian Middleditch Scott have hereunto
set iny hand and seal this Twenty first day of July in the year of our
akt hundred and sighty two
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
37 Temple Street,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT. (L.S.)