IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Pierre Camille Lafont, of Pamiers, in the Depart-
ment of Ariège, in the Empire of France, and temporarily of Great
Windmill Street, Haymarket, in the County of Middlesex, Railway
Traffic Superintendent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Pierre Camille Lafont
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th May 1865.
I, PIERRE CAMILLE LAFONT, of Pamiers, in the Department of Ariège, in
the Empire of France, and temporarily of Great Windmill Street, Haymarket,
in the County of Middlesex, Railway Traffic Superintendent, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED
WITH BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus which either forms altogether an improved
cartridge, or part of it forms an appliance with which a cartridge proper or
cartridge case or tube may be connected. The said part or appliance which
is intended for receiving the percussion cap and certain means of exploding it
is a receptacle or chamber formed with two compartments, in one of which
is placed the cap, and in the other is fitted a spring. The receptacle also
contains a pin or striker, which is connected with the spring, and is capable of

page_text: moving to and fro; it projects from the receptacle to present itself to the blow
of the hammer or cock. The cartridge, or case, or tube which contains the
charge is screwed or attached to the receptacle or chamber, the bottom of the
case or tube separates the spring from the charge, and a conical or otherwise
shaped passage is formed in such bottom for communicating fire from the cap
to the charge. One end of the receptacle opens and closes for the insertion of
the cap. When the cock or hammer strikes the pin or striker, the latter is
propelled against and strikes the cap, and explodes it, and thereby fires the
charge. The pin is restored to position by the spring ready for the next
discharge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Pierre Camille Lafont in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIERRE
CAMILLE LAFONT, of Pamiers, in the Department of the Ariège, in the Empire
of France, and temporarily of Great Windmill Street, Haymarket, in the
County of Middlesex, Railway Traffic Superintendent, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Pierre Camille Lafont, Her special licence that I, the
said Pierre Camille Lafont, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Pierre Camille Lafont, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should in any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, 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 APPARATUS TO BE USED WITH
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Pierre Camille Lafont, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Pierre Camille Lafont, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
n
My Invention relates to apparatus which either forms altogether an improved
cartridge, or part of it forms an appliance with which a cartridge proper or
cartridge case or tube may be connected. The said part or appliance which
is intended for receiving the percussion cap and certain meaus of exploding it
is a receptacle or chamber formed with two compartments, in one of which is
placed the cap, and in the other is fitted a spring. The receptacle also contains
pin or striker, which is connected with the spring, and is capable of moving
to and fro; it projects from the receptacle to present itself to the blow of the
hammer or cock. The cartridge or case or tube which contains the charge
is screwed or attached to the receptacle or chamber, the bottom of the case
or tube separates the spring from the charge, and a conical or otherwise
shaped passage is formed in such bottom for communicating fire from the cap
to the charge. One end of the receptacle opens and closes for the insertion of
the cap.
When the cock or hammer strikes the pin or striker the latter is
propelled against and strikes the cap and explodes it, and thereby fires the
charge. The pin is restored to position by the spring ready for the next
discharge.
This cartridge differs from ordinary constructions by its extremity or end
piece (culot). This end piece or bottom is formed of brass or other ductile
and resisting material.
The accompanying Drawings represent, Fig. 1, an exterior longitudinal
view of the cartridge with end piece; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the
same by the line A, B, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the end picce
separate by the line C, D, of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a cross section through the centre
of the same by line E, F, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a hind view of the same in plan,
the moveable part of the end being shown open by the dotted lines; Fig. 6 is
ȧ transversal section of the end piece by the line A, B, of Fig. 7, with a
modification in the cap chamber or cavity; Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the
same by the line C, D, Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 a plan view of the hinder part of
the same modified. In these Figures the same letters of reference indicate
similar parts.
The end piece is composed of two principal parts, the spring A and the
piston b. The combined working of these two organs allows of charging the
cartridge immediately after its explosion without the use of any instrument,
and without any previous preparation. The end piece is solid, and of a

page_text: cylindrical form; its thickness varies between about 3 to 6 lines (6 to 12 milli-
metres), according to the calibre of the arm with which it is to be used either
as a complete cartridge when adapted to a tube, or as an end piece for
receiving a paper tube, or, again alone, without any tube whatever.
The accompanying Drawing is taken on the No. 16 bore of Lefaucheux's
guns, but may be made according to circumstances.
In this end piece are formed two compartments d, separated by a partition e,
of about 1 line (2 millimetres) in thickness. The length of the first com-
partment is about 3 lines (7 millimetres), and its depth about 2 lines
(5 millimetres). The second compartment is two lines and a half (5 mill.)
long, by 2 lines (5 mill.); these dimensions may be increased by about to
1 line (2 millimetres) for larger calibres. The first of these compartments
receives the spring a, the second the detonating cap. The spring a is fixed to the
piston 6, and acts on it in a vertical direction only, without friction; it has a
spiral form, and is coiled around the piston in order to give it a movement up
and down under the action of the cock. The piston is of tempered steel, so
as to receive without deterioration the shocks of the hammer, and is about
6 lines (12 millimetres) long; it is perpendicularly placed to the axis of the
end piece, and corresponds directly to the percussion cap when in its normal
position, so as to allow of placing it by hand, and also permit the necessary
play on the spring, its stroke being equal to the height of the cavity which
receives the cap. At the end opposite to the entrance of this cavity is formed
an opening or port f, of conical form, where the rays of the fulminating part
of the cap converge in order to communicate the said fire to the charge.
The end piece is closed behind by a double bottom, so as to protect the spring
from the effects of the explosions. This double bottom is divided into two
parts, the upper part g which covers the spring is fixed, the part g' which
shelters the cap is moveable. This latter part g' opens and shuts by means
of a button, to allow of placing the cap, which is done by hand without
difficulty, after having previously charged the cartridge. The tube h adapted
to the end piece is made of brass, and may also be made of iron or any other
suitable metal sufficiently hard and resisting; it is about 2 inches (5 centi-
metres) long, and its thickness at the base is about half a line (1 millimetre);
it is screwed to the end piece (culot), so as to allow of cleaning. From
the use of this permanent cartridge a saving of 50 per cent, will be found to
result. This saving is caused by the suppression of the old tube and the
smaller quantity of powder employed for the charge. With the end piece
alone, without tube, the arm may be loaded from the end or muzzle, like the
ordinary gun, which advantage is not found with the old form of cartridge.

page_text: The spring a may be suppressed; in this case the piston b, being a simple pin,
is raised by hand. The cavity or place for the cap may be moveable, as seen
Fig. 6, 7, & 8. In this modification the cavity or receptacle is formed in the
moveable part I, which turns over on a pivot. The place for its spring is
formed in the thickness of the end piece, and not outside its circle, which
arrangement dispenses with the double bottoms above mentioned for pro-
tecting the spring or the cavity for the cap. The end piece employed without
tube bas only about two-fifths of an inch (1 centimetre) of thickness.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into effect, what I claim and wish to secure
by Letters Patent is the improved construction of cartridge or cartridge end
piece (culot), combining a place for percussion cap with a pin or spring piston
for exploding the same, substantially as above described, and represented in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Camille Lafont, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
P. C. LAFONT. (L.S.)