AN IMPROVE- MENT IN OR ADDITION TO CERTAIN KINDS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Rock Cooper, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN OR ADDITION TO CERTAIN KINDS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND
ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 14th June 1861, and dated the 13th April 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Rock Cooper at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th April 1861.
I, Josɛги ROCK COOPER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN OR ADDITION TO CERTAIN KINDS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of an improvement in or addition to the cylindrical
plugs or closers with which the open breech ends of various kinds of breech-
loading fire-arms and ordnance are closed during the discharge of the said
fire-arms or ordnance; but besides being applicable to all such breech-
loading fire arms and ordnance as have their breech ends closed by the intro-
duction of a plug into the open breech end of the barrel, my Invention is also
applicable to all such breech-loading fire-arms and ordnance as will permit of
the employment of a short cylindrical piece inserted in the open breech end of
the barrel.

page_text: In constructing the said plugs or closers, according to my Invention, I place
a washer or disk of vulcanized india-rubber on the fore end of the plug, that
is, on the end which first advances into the open breech end of the barrel. The
said washer of vulcanized india-rubber is of about the same size as that of the
circular face of the plug. Upon the said washer is a disk of iron or brass or
other metal of the same diameter as the plug, and a pin with a screw on its
end is passed through the iron or metal disk and washer of vulcanized india-
rubber and screwed into the front face of the plug. The disk and washer are
held against the face of the plug by the head of the screwed pin, and as that
part of the pin on which the disk and washer are situated has no screw upon it,
the said disk is capable of a slight sliding motion on the said pin.
When the fire-arm or ordnance is discharged the first action of the ignited
gunpowder is to press upon the metal disk, which slightly yields and com-
presses the washer of vulcanized india-rubber between it and the face of the
plug or closer; the said washer is thereby expanded laterally, and is pressed
into close contact with the cylindrical surface of the bore of the firm-arm or
ordnance; the breech of the fire-arm or ordnance is thus effectually closed,
and all escape of gaseous matter prevented. After the explosion, the pressure
being removed from the metal disk, the washer of vulcanized india-rubber con-
tracts to its original diameter, and does not impede the withdrawal of the plug
from the barrel. The metallic disc in front of the washer may be dispensed
with, but I prefer to employ it.
Breech-loading fire-arms and ordnance, the plugs or closers of which are
constructed according to my Invention, can be used as muzzle-loading fire-arms
or ordnance without addition or alteration. When loaded from the muzzle!
the action of the addition to or improvement in the plug or closer is the same
as already described, and the escape of gas is wholly prevented.
Although I prefer to construct the washer herein-before described of
vulcanized india-rubber, yet unvulcanized india-rubber or other elastic material
or composition may be employed in place of vulcanized india-rubber.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Rock Cooper, Her special licenco that I, the said.
Joseph Rock Cooper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Joseph Rock Cooper, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN OR ADDITION TO CERTAIN KINDS OF
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst.
others) that I, the said Joseph Rock Cooper, 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 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 Joseph Rock Cooper, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of an improvement in or addition to the cylindrical
plugs or closers with which the open breech ends of various kinds of breech-
loading fire-arms and ordnance are closed during the discharge of the said
fire-arms or ordnance; but besides being applicable to all such breech-loading
fire-arms and ordnance as have their breech ends closed by the introduction of
a plug into the open breech end of the barrel niy Invention is also applicablo
to all such breech-loading fire-arms and ordnance as will permit of the
employment of a short cylindrical piece inserted in the open breech end of the
barrel.
open
In constructing the said plugs, closers, or cylindrical pieces according to my
Invention, I place a washer or disk of vulcanized india-rubber on the front
end of the plug, that is, on the end which first advances into the breech
end of the barrel. The said washer of vulcanized india-rubber is of about the
same size as that of the circular face of the plug. Upon the said washer is a
disk of iron or brass or other metal of the same diameter as the plug, and a
pin with a screw on its end is passed through the iron or metal disk and

page_text: washer of vulcanized india-rubber, and screwed into the front face of the plug.
The disk and washer are held against the face of the plug by the head of the
screwed pin, and as that part of the pin on which the disk and washer are
situated has no screw upon it the said disk is capable of a slight sliding motion
on the said pin. When the fire-arm or ordnance is discharged the explosion
of the gunpowder acts upon the said metal disk and india-rubber washer and
presses the edge of the said washer into close contact with the cylindrical
surface of the bore of the barrel and prevents the escape of gaseous matter at
the breech end, as herein-after more fully explained and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, a plug or closer constructed according
to my Invention, the said plug or closer being represented in connection with
breech-loading mechanism of the kind described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to me bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty; Figure 2 represents the
said plug and mechanism attached to the breech end of a rifle, and closing the
breech of the said rifle; Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the plug
or closer; and Figures 4 and 5 represent portions of the same.
The same
letters indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
In
a is the plug or closer fitting in the cylindrical chamber of the rifle; b is
the washer of vulcanized india-rubber (shown separately in front and edge
view in Figure 5) placed on the fore end of the said plug or closer a.
front of the said washer b is a metal disk c (shown separately in front and
edge view in Figure 4) of the same diameter as the plug a. The said disk c
and washer bare fixed to the end of the plug or closer a by the screwed end
of the pin d being passed through the said disk and washer, and made to
engage in the front face of the plug or closer, as seen in the section Figure 3,
the head of the said screwed pin d bearing against the face of the metal disk c.
That part of the screwed pin d upon which the disk c and washer b are situ-
ated is cylindrical and unscrewed, as represented, so that the said disk and
washer are capable of a slight sliding motion on the said pin. On the discharge
of the fire-arm the ignited gunpowder first acts upon the metal disk c, which
moves upon the pin d and compresses the washer 6 between it and the face of
the plug or closer a. The said washer is thereby expanded laterally, and its
edge is pressed into close contact with the surface of the bore of the barrel of
the fire-arm. The breech of the fire-arm is thus effectually closed and all
escape of gaseous matter prevented. After the explosion, the pressure being
removed from the metal disk c, the washer b contracts to its original diameter
aud does not impede the withdrawal of the plug or closer a from the barrel in

page_text: order to reload the rifle. The metal disk c in front of the washer b may be
dispensed with, but I prefer to employ it. When a washer of vulcanized
india-rubber only is used I generally fix it to the end of the plug by the
screwed pin d, the head of which bears on the said washer; or the washer of
vulcanized india-rubber may be attached to the rear end of the cartridge used
with the fire-arm instead of to the front of the plug or closer, as represented
in Figure 6, which represents a longitudinal section of an ordinary cartridge
for breech-loading fire-arms provided with a washer e of vulcanized india-
rubber at its rear end, the said washer being connected by glue or other
adhesive matter. Figure 7 represents the said cartridge in the breech end of
a barrel of a breech-loading rifle and in front of the plug or closer f of the
breech mechanism of the rifle. On the discharge of the fire-arm provided
with a cartridge of the kind represented in Figures 6 and 7 the explosion of
the powder forces the washer e against the face of the plug or closer f and
expands the said washer laterally into close contact with the bore of the barrel
and prevents the escape of gas at the breech, as herein-before described with
reference to the plug a, Figures 1, 2, and 3; or the washer of vulcanized
india-rubber, which constitutes the essence of my Invention, may be placed
loose in front of the plug or closer, and be pushed before the said plug or
closer into the charge chamber; or the said washer of vulcanized india-rubber
may be introduced into the muzzle end of the barrel and pushed by means of
a ramrod to its place in front of the plug or closer. When the washer of
vulcanized india-rubber is placed loosely in front of the plug or closer, or is
attached to the end of the cartridge, the fore end of the said plug is made flat,
as illustrated in Figure 7.
In applying my Invention to the plugs or closers and cartridges of breech-
loading ordnance the washer of vulcanized india-rubber is connected to or
placed in front of the said plugs or closers and cartridges in essentially the
same ways as described and represented with respect to the plugs or closers'
and cartridges of breech-loading small arms.
Although I have only represented in the accompanying Drawing my
Invention as applied to one kind of plug or closer for breech-loading fire-arms,
yet my Invention is equally applicable, as herein-before explained, to all kinds
of plugs, closers, or cylindrical pieces by which the breech ends of breech-
loading fire-arms and ordnance are closed during discharge. Breech-loading
fire-arms and ordnance, the plugs or closers of which are constructed in the
manner illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, can be used as muzzle-loading
fire-arms or ordnance without addition or alteration. When loaded from the
muzzle the action of the washer attached to or placed in front of the plug or

page_text: closer is the same as already described, and the escape of gas is wholly
prevented. Although I prefer to construct the washer herein-before described
of vulcanized india-rubber, yet unvulcanized india-rubber or other elastic
material or composition may be employed in place of vulcanized india-rubber.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be generally understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and represented in the
Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature or
essence of my Invention; but I claim ás my Invention the improvement in or
addition to certain kinds of breech-loading fire-arms and ordnance herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing; that is to say;
attaching a washer or disk of vulcanized or unvulcanized india-rubber or other
elastic material or composition to, or placing the said washer or disk in front
of the plugs, closers, or cylindrical pieces of breech-loading fire-arms and
ordnance by any of the methods herein-before described and illustrated in the
Drawing; which said washer or disk, on the discharge of the fire-arm or
ordnance, is expanded laterally and its edge forced into close contact with the
bore of the barrel of the said fire-arm or ordnance, and the escape of gas at
the breech end thereby prevented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Rock Cooper, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOSEPH ROCK COOPER. (L.S.)