IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lanc, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
Sealed the 25th March 1854, and dated the 6th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 6th December 1858.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE" to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of cannon and small arms,
by combining with the rear and open end or breech of the barrel &
hinged breech plate, by the turning of which the bore of the barrel will
be opened to receive the charge; the said breech plate being firmly
secured and held in place in cannon by a hinged strap or bridle, or as
the equivalent therefor in small arms a movable wedge operated by
a lever.

page_text: The breech plate of the cannon has a raised part that fits into the
breech, and the inner face of the breech plate of both field pieces and
small arms is furnished with a projecting pin which enters the bore of
the barrel, and pierces the cartridge at the moment the breech plate is
brought to its bearing against the breech. Elastic packing is interposed
between the rear end of the barrel and the surface of the breech plate,
to prevent. the escape of fire and gas between the contact surfaces at
the time of the discharge.
The Invention also relates to an improved arrangement of self-
primer, in which a sliding carrier connected by a link to the hammer
receives disc primers in succession from a magazine tube, and by
the act of cocking the hammer transfers it to and inserts it between
lips on each side of the face of the hammer, that it may be carried
to and exploded on the nipple or touch hole, when the piece is
required to be discharged.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
giver and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her 'special
license that I, the said. Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree witli, and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter
during the term 'therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
consists in combining with the rear and open end or breech of the
barrel of cannon and of small arms a hinged breech plate, by the
turning of which the bore of the barrel will be opened to receive the
charge; the said breech plate being firmly secured and held in place in
cannon by a hinged strap or bridle, or as the equivalent therefor in
small arms a moveable wedge operated by a lever.
And this Invention also consists in making the breech plate of the
cannon with a projection to enter the bore of the barrel, and with elastic
packing interposed between the rear end of the barrel and the surface
of the breech plate, to prevent the escape of fire and gas at the junction
of the barrel and breech plate at the time of the discharge.
And this Invention also consists in an arrangement of parts for
priming fire-arms, wherein a carrier, which receives disc primers in
succession from a magazine tube, by the act of cocking, is caused to
transfer a primer to and insert it between lips on each side of the faco
of the hammer, that it may be carried to and exploded on the nipple or
touch hole when the piece is required to be discharged.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevation of a cannon
on the improved plan; Fig. 2, a plan, and Fig. 3, a longitudinal

page_text: vertical section; Fig. 4 is a plan, and Fig. 5, a side elevation (with the
side plate removed) of this Invention as applied to small arms; Fig. 6,
a longitudinal vertical section, and Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, are
separate views of the detached parts.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, a represents a cannon, the bore 6 of which
passes entirely through the breech, that the charge may be inserted at
the rear. The rear end is made flat, and to the upper edge is hinged a
breech plate c, with its face plate so that when turned down it will fit
close against the rear face of the cannon.
This breech plate is formed with a short cylindrical projection d,
which enters and fits the bore of the cannon closely. And in the centre
of this projection there is a pointed punch e, which pierces the rear
end of the cartridge to liberate the powder by the act of closing the
breech.
The better to prevent the escape of lateral fire between the breech
plate and the cannon at the time of the discharge, an annular groove f
is formed in the rear face of the cannon, concentric with and around
the bore, to receive a packing of vulcanized india-rubber g, or other
elastic substance which will not be materially injured by the heat and
the gases induced by the discharge, so that when the breech plato is
shut down close it shall compress the packing, and insure a tight joint.
At the back of the usual trunnions h, h, there are two other trunnions
i, i, to which are fitted, so as to turn thereon, the two ends of a strong
metal strap or bridle j, which passes around back of the breech plate,
so that after the breech plate has been let down, this strap or bridle is
forced down over it, and effectually confines it in place to resist the force
of the discharge.
This strap or bridle should be of sufficient strength to resist the
discharge without flexure.
The inner face of the strap or bridle j is provided with an adjust-
able wedge k, fitted thereto by screws passing through elongated holes,
by means of which it can be shifted and adjusted whenever by wear or
by any other cause the strap or bridle does not force the breech plate
sufficiently tight against the rear end of the barrel.
The rear end of this strap j should be formed to receive the end of a

page_text: handspike or lever 1, to enable the gunner to operate the strap with
sufficient power to ensure the closing of the breech.
The strap or bridle should have a chain m extending to the brecch
plate, so that in throwing up the strap the breech plato will be drawn
up to open the rear end of the barrel for the reception of a charge.
And for the purpose of locking or holding down the strap when forced
down over the breech plate, two catch springs n, n, are employed, one on
each side that catch, and hold it in place.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 shew the mode of applying the
Invention to small arms, such as muskets. a' represents the barrel with
the bore open at the rear end, and connected with the stock by a metallic
case 6', cut out or otherwise made hollow for the reception and working
of the breech plate c', and its appendages.
The breech plate c', the face of which fits close against the rear end
of the barrel, turns on a fulcrum pin d' below the barrel. The face is
provided with a punch c' that enters the barrel to punch the rear end of
the cartridge, and its rear face, which is slightly oblique to the front
face, is provided with a stomf, which projects from it near the lower
end, and then turns up and extends to or nearly to the top in a line
parallel with the rear face. The nipple g¹ is secured to this breech
plate.
At the back of this breech plate, and fitted to slide inside the case b',
is a moveable wedge h³, shewn detached and in perspective at Fig. 7.
The front face of this wedge is grooved as at i', to receive the stem f¹ of
the breech plate, and at the top the two sides of the groove are connected
by a piece, which works between the breech plate and its stem f^, so
that when the wedge is drawn down it does not act on the breech plate
until towards the end of its downward motion, and then the piece
comes in contact with the lower part of the stem f, and turns back the
breech plate to open the rear end of the barrel for the insertion of a
charge. The wedge is connected with a lever ¹, by a joint link which
works in the groove i of the wedge; and m³, are the two fulcrumi pins
by which it is connected with the wedge and with the lever. The lever
turns on a fulcrum pin n', in the under part of the case b', and its for-
ward end works against a spring catch o', to hold the lever, when either

page_text: thrown up to close or down to open the barrel; or the rear end of the
lever may be held by a spring catch on the stock or trigger plate.
From the foregoing it will be seen that when the lever is pushed
down, the wedge h', by reason of its connection, is drawn down, which
liberates the breech plate c', and when the piece reaches the bottom
of the stem f¹, the breech plate is drawn back to open the rear end of
the barrel to receive a charge. The lever is then drawn up, which forces
up the wedge, and the wedge acting on the rear face of the breech
plate forces that plate against the rear end of the barrel to enclose the
charge. The inclination of the wedge, although sufficient to force the
breech plate against the barrel, is not sufficient to yield to the force of
the discharge. If desired, the front face of the breech plate can be
provided with a projecting piece to enter the rear end of the barrel, as
in the case of the cannon.
In the upper part of the stock, and adjacent to the cock, there is a
tube or channel p', for the reception of the primers, with a follower q',
fitted to slide therein, and provided with a helical spring 1, which forces
it forward. The primers s' are made of two concavo-convexo discs of
thin sheet copper united at the edges, and holding the fulminating
compound in the hollow space between them. The primers thus formed
are inserted in the tube or channel p', in front of the follower q', which
is drawn back to admit them. They are forced forward by the follower
and spring, and prevented from escaping when the arm is at rest by a
stop t', that turns on a pin (shewn detached at Fig. 11). When held in
the position represented in Fig. 5, it prevents the primers from escaping.
Below the front end of this tube or channel there is a sliding carrier u¹
(shewn detached at Fig. 10), the upper end of which is notched to
receive the lower edge of the forward primer, and its lower end is. .pro-
vided with a pin fitted to an elongated hole in the end of a lever v', that
turns on a stud pin to', and the said lever has another elongated hole or
mortise, in which works a pin on an arm of the cock y', so that
when the cock is drawn back the lever is elevated, and with it the
carrier with one of the primers on its upper end, and as the cock
reaches the end of its back movement the carrier reaches the end of
its upward movement, and their relative positions are such that the
-

page_text: primer is forced up in front of the face of the hammer of the cock,
and between two lips, 2, (see the detached views 8 and 9,) one on
each side of the hammer, which holds it until the discharge takes
place, when it is carried by the hammer to and exploded on the
nipple, the explosion of the fulminating powder forcing the flame
through the thin disc of copper into the touch hole. Whilst the
carrier is up, its rear face is against the end of the tube or channel
which prevents the primers from escaping, and as it descends (and
towards the end of its downward motion) a lip or projection a², Fig. 10,
on its upper and front edge, comes in contact with a shoulder b³,
Fig. 11, on the turning stop, which turns it back to the position repre-
sented at Fig. 5, so that its face shall permit the primers to be forced
forward so far only as to bring the foremost one over the carrier to bo
transferred to the hammer at the next cocking operation. If desired,
one of the lips on the hammer may be a spring, or provided with
a small spring, the better to ensure the holding of the primer when
transferred from the priming tube.
Having now set forth the nature and object of the Invention of
"Improvements in Fire-arms and Ordnance," as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, and described the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the special construction of the parts herein specified; but I claim
under the above in part recited Letters Patent,-
First, combining with the rear open end of the barrel a hinged
breech plate substantially, such as herein specified, to open and closo
the rear end of the bore to admit and enclose the charge, when this is .
secured by a strap or bridle, or the equivalent therefor, as specified.
Secondly, I claim making the said breech plate with a cylindrical
projection to fit into the rear end of the bore, as described, in combi-
nation with elastic packing interposed between the face of the breech
plate and the rear face of the barrel, as described, to prevent the escape
of gases, as set forth.
Thirdly, I claim the method of priming by means of a carrier in
combination with the priming tube, and the hammer provided with lips,
or their equivalent, as described, by means of which the primers are

page_text: one by one discharged from the tube or magazine, and received on
the end of the carrier, and by the act of cocking transferred to and
inserted between the lips of the hammer, to be transferred to and
exploded upon the nipple, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have i
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Sixth day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
Gift Cou
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.B.)