IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Headly Williams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th October 1865. Partly a communication from abroad by Albert
Rolide, of Fürstenbrunn, Prussia.
I, HENRY HEADLY WILLIAMS, of Buckingham Street, in the City
of Westminster, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows
66
This Invention is for improvements in those fire-arms known as needle
guns, and consists in the following arrangements:-I fit in the interior of
the breech bolt a plunger, carried on the fore end of a hollow rod,
embraced by a spiral spring; the rear end of the rod is threaded to receive
a screw in which the needle is fitted; the needle passes through the hollow
rod and plunger. The screw also holds in place a thimble which fits over
the spiral spring and hollow tube; the thimble is formed with a longi-
tudinal slot, the rear of which joins another slot at right angles thereto;
a screw or projection on the inside of the breech bolt rides in these slots.
The rear end of the thimble carries a lever; another lever is also fitted to
the rear part of the breech bolt. The breech bolt carries two lugs, which
bear against the face of a ring on the rear of the barrel when the piece is
ready for firing, and hold the bolt tight; the inside of the ring is grooved
to allow the lugs on the bolt to pass when the bolt is being drawn back or
pushed forward. A screw is passed through the ring on the rear of the

page_text: barrel, and rides in a recess of
shape on the bolt, to prevent the bolt
falling out when drawn back; or, instead of a screw a spring may be used.
The bolt is also formed with a longitudinal slot for a main spring secured
to the plunger to ride in; the rear of the main spring has a catch which
takes against the rear end of the bolt and holds the plunger back when the
gun is at half or full cock. The action is as follows:-Suppose a charge
has been inserted, the breech bolt and other parts are pushed forward by
the bolt lever, and turned partly to the right, bringing the lugs on the
bolt against the face of the ring on the rear of the barrel, whereby the bolt
is held secure; the catch of the main spring by this movement is
brought over the trigger, and is now at half cock. To bring it to full
cock push forward the thimble by the lever thereon, whereby the spiral
spring is compressed, and move the thimble partly to the right, so that the
screw on the inside of the breech bolt may enter the transverse slot in the
thimble and hold the thimble; the gun is now ready for firing. After
the discharge, and a fresh cartridge is to be inserted, move the thimble to
the left by means of its lever, and draw it back, together with the hollow
tube, spiral spring, main spring, needle, and plunger; then move the bolt
to the left by means of its lever, to disengage the lugs, and draw the bolt
back and the cartridge may be inserted. The bottom of the rear end of
the barrel has a portion removed for one of the lugs on the bolt to work in.
In some cases I dispense with the lever on the breech bolt, and perform
all the movements by means of the lever on the thimble, and in such cases
I form a recess on or cut away a portion of the rear of the breech bolt for the
thimble lever to work in. I form the cup on the fore end of the bolt
separate from the bolt, and secure it thereto by means of the screw through
which the needle passes, so that the cup may be removed when worn out,
and replaced by another. I pack the plunger with copper or other soft
metal, in which the needle works, whereby the needle is cleaned after
every discharge. I sometimes form the faces of the ring on the rear of
the barrel against which the lugs on the breech bolt work of hardened
steel, which may be removed when worn, and replaced by fresh hardened
steel.