IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Waller Prince, of 15, Wellington Street,
London Bridge, in the County of Surrey, Gun Maker, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE,"
Sealed the 20th November 1860, and dated the 24th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic Waller Prince
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th May 1860.
I, FREDERIC WALLER PRINCE, of 15, Wellington Street, London Bridge, in
the County of Surrey, Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in the first instance, of a new means for raising
and fastening the breech end of fire-arms, so as to receive the charge and be
safely held in its place when returned to its original position, the same arrange-
ment is applicable to move a chamber only or the entire barrel.
My improved means for effecting this are to have a tube (with a female
screw) attached with a knuckle or eccentric joint to the under part of the
chamber or barrel; a corresponding male screw is secured on a pivot to a frame
under such chamber or barrel, and by means of a lever attached to the said
male screw the said chamber is moved up and down. The point of contact
between the chamber and the barrel may be countersunk, and a bushing
introduced composed of copper with an interior ring of steel. A steel or other
metal ferrule may be introduced into the chamber, which being acted on by
the explosion becomes forced forward against the copper and thus makes a
tight joint. A self primer may be made of the chamber gun by causing
the nipple to come opposite a reservoir of caps when the chamber is
opened.

page_text: The second part consists of a breech-loader formed by a jointed lever
working in the place of an ordinary break off, which when raised draws back
a piston, and opens a cavity sufficiently to insert the cartridge, and by pushing
the lever back to its place, the piston, and with it the cartridge, is forced into
the barrel, and the necessity of pressing it into its seat with the thumb or
finger obviated.
A further improvement consists in attaching a short rest to the fore end of
the stock somewhat like the swivel ramrod to a pistol, so that men in a re-
cumbent position may by freeing the same be enabled to rest the muzzle of
their arms while firing extended on the ground.
My improvements in ordnance consist in a hinged breech piece tapped through
its centre, and the breech end of the gun tapped to correspond.
The plug
that fills up the same is formed of a corresponding male screw connecting the
two parts, and having a conical front attached by a loose swivel or universal
joint; on withdrawing the same from the gun, the plug which is retained in the
hinged part folds over, the cartridge is then inserted, and the hinged joint
raised and the plug screwed in again.
The cartridge can either be formed as usual or with a metal case, and the
ignition in the former case be in the usual place, but in the latter in the centre.
In the event of a metal case being used, a slight cutting may be made in the
face of the cone so that the metal base of the cartridge shall be pressed into
the same by the force of the explosion and be partially withdrawn on turning
out the plug so that its entire withdrawal will be facilitated.
A second improvement in ordnance consists, in arranging the muzzles of
cannons so that a lever or wheel and pinion may be attached for the purpose
of forcing in tight fitting projectiles.
projectiles. A lever may be used together with a
rammer formed with teeth or projectiles like a ratchet. The lever has a
double spring catch attached, which drops into a fresh tooth of the ratchet
each time the lever is moved forward. Or the forcer and rammer may be
formed on the screw principle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederic Waller Prince in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
WALLER PRINCE, of 15, Wellington Street, London Bridge, in the County of S
Surrey, Gun Maker, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Frederic Waller Prince, Her special licence that I, the said
Frederic Waller Prince, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Frederic Waller Prince, my 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Frederic Waller Prince, 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 the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in thGreat 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 Frederic Waller Prince, 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 in writing and on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say:
My improvements relate firstly, to that class of breech-loading fire-arms
wherein the barrel is mounted on a hinge, and is tilted so as to expose the
breech end for loading, and consist of a new means for raising or tilting the
breech end of the barrel to receive the charge, and for returning the same to
its original position, and fixing and holding the same safely when so returned.
My improved means for effecting this, are to have a tube (with a quick
threaded female screw) attached with a knuckle or eccentric joint to the under
part of the breech end of the barrel, a corresponding male screw is secured on
a pivot to a frame under the breech end of the barrel, and on turning the said
male screw by means of a lever attached thereto the breech end of the barrel
is moved up and down.
My improvements relate secondly, to that class of breech-loading fire-arms
wherein a chamber only at the breech end is raised for loading, the remainder
of the barrel being a fixture, and consist in applying the previously described
arrangement for the purpose of raising, lowering, and fixing the said chamber.

page_text: The point of contact between the chamber and the barrel may be counter-
sunk, and a bushing introduced, composed of copper, with an interior ring of
steel or other suitable material. A steel or other metal ferrule may be intro-
duced into the chamber which being acted on by the explosion becomes forced
forward against the copper, and thus makes a tight joint. A self-primer may
be made of the chamber gun by causing the nipple to come opposite a reser-
voir of caps when the chamber is opened.
The third part of my improvements consists, of a breech-loader, formed by a
jointed lever working in the place of an ordinary "break off" which when
raised draws back a piston, and opens a cavity sufficiently to insert the
cartridge, and by pushing the lever back to its place the piston and with it the
cartridge is forced into the barrel, and the necessity of pressing it into its seat
with the thumb or finger obviated. The nipple may be fixed either on the
upper part of the barrel or underneath in front of the trigger guard.
I may here remark that in the Provisional Specification filed with my appli-
cation for Letters Patent, I described a rest for fire-arms, but since filing such
Specification I have discovered that the said rest is not so novel in its applica-
cation as, at the time of filing my said Provisional Specification, I believed it
to be, and I therefore hereby disclaim such part of my Invention.
My improvements in ordnance consist firstly of a hinged breech piece
tapped through its centre, and the breech end of the gun tapped to correspond.
The plug that fills up the same is formed of a corresponding male screw con-
necting the two parts, and having a conical front attached by a loose swivel
or universal joint. On withdrawing the same from the gun the plug which is
retained in the hinged part folds over, the cartridge is then inserted, and the
binged joint raised and the plug screwed in again.
The cartridge can either be formed as usual, or with a metal case, and the
ignition in the former case be in the usual place, but in the latter in the centre.
In the event of a metal or other case being used a slight cutting may be
made in the face of the cone so that the base of the cartridge case shall be
pressed into the same by the force of the explosion, and be partially withdrawn
on turning out the plug, so that its entire withdrawal will be facilitated.
A second improvement in ordnance consists in arranging the muzzles of
cannons so that a lever or wheel and pinion may be attached for the purpose
of forcing in tight fitting projectiles.
A lever may be used together with a rammer formed with teeth or pro-
jections like a ratchet. The lever has a double spring catch attached which
drops into a fresh tooth of the ratchet each time the lever is moved forward;
or the forcer and rammer may be formed on the screw principle.

page_text: Such being the nature and object of my said Invention of "Improvements
in Fire-arms and Ordnance," I will proceed to describe more in detail the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect. And in order that the same may be readily understood I have
annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked
the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof.
Figure 1, is a partial section of a double-barrelled gun, constructed ac-
cording to the first part of my Invention, showing the barrel in its locked
position, and Figure 2 is a similar view showing the barrel tilted for loading.
a, a, represents part of the stock, and b, b, part of the barrel. The barrel is
capable of tilting on a hinge or pin at c, and its breech end is connected by a
pin d (working in a slot e) to a tube f, the interior of which is tapped with a
quick-threaded female screw in which a corresponding male screw 9 works ;
this screw g has a lever h, h, fixed on its lower squared end, by turning which
lever sideways the screw g raises the breech. end of the barrel for loading, as
shewn in Figure 2, and on restoring the lever to its longitudinal position the
barrel is brought into its original position as shewn in Figure 1. The lever
is made of a spring temper and springs on to a small catch i on the trigger
guard, so as to lock the barrel perfectly secure. Figure 3 illustrates the
application of this same arrangement to another class of gun, wherein the
barrel is a fixture and only the breech chamber is tilted' for loading; similar
letters of reference being placed on the parts of this Figure corresponding with
Figures 1 and 2, no further description is necessary, excepting. that 6*,
represents the breech chamber, which is tilted for loading.
ر
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the third part of my Invention; Figure 4 being
a partial section of the gun with the breech closed, and Figure 5 a
similar view with the breech opened for the insertion of the cartridge.
a, a, is part of the stock, and b, b, part of the barrel; c, c, is a conical plug
or piston which fits closely into the breech, and is hinged to the lever
d, d, by a pin e. The lever d, d, is also connected to a fixed pin ƒ by
the link g. It will be evident that upon raising the lever d, d, as shown in
Figure 5, the piston c, will be withdrawn from the breech, leaving a cavity
for the introduction of the cartridge, and that upon pressing down the same.
the piston will be driven forwards, pushing the cartridge before it into the
breech and at the same time effectually closing the latter as shewn in Figure 4.
Figure 8 is a sectional view illustrating the first part of my improvements
relating to ordnance. a, a, is the barrel of the gun; b, b, is a hinged breech
piece tapped through its centre, the breech end c, c, of the gun being also

page_text: tapped to correspond therewith; d, d, is the plug, the exterior of which is
tapped with a corresponding screw, which connects the parts b and c together.
The front of the plug d, is furnished with a cone e, e, of copper, attached thereto
by a swivel or universal joint f, and fitting closely into the breech. To load
this cannon at the breech all that is necessary is to unscrew the plug d, d
till it is clear of the breech end c, c, when the breech piece and plug may be
turned over on the hinge as shewn in dotted lines. When the cartridge has
been inserted, the breech piece with its plug is turned back again and a few
turns of the screw render all secure. Figure 7, illustrates an improved method of
forcing home a tight fitting projectile in a muzzle or breech-loading cannon,
allowing in the latter case the breech-loading ammunition to be used at the
muzzle. Near the mouth of the cannon a, a, are two lugs b, b, in which the
hooked ends of the levers c, c, are inserted; d, d, is the rammer, the sides of
which are notched or furnished with teeth as shewn in Figure 8. It will be
evident that by means of these levers c, c, acting on the teeth of the rammer
d, d, a very tight projectile may be rammed home, or the same end may be
effected by means of a rack and pinion or a screw.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in Fire-arms and Ordnance," together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect,
I would remark in conclusion that I do not confine myself to the precise
details above described, but I claim as my Invention the general construction
and arrangement of parts as shewn in the Drawings and above particularly
described, reserving to myself the right of using other mechanical
equivalents.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Waller Prince, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Sol and Patent Agent,
1, Serle St., Lincoln's Inn.
F. W. PRINCE. (L.S.)