IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN PROJECTILES AND CARTRIDGES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Wilson at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th June 1864.
I, THOMAS WILSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS, AND IN PROJECTILES AND
CARTRIDGES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of the following improvements in breech-
loading fire-arms:-I form a sliding charge chamber near the breach end of the
barrel, the said sliding charge chamber being sufficiently strong to resist the
force of the explosion on the discharge of the fire-arm. The said charge
chamber is open at both ends and slides in an opening in the enlarged breech
end of the barrel. Into the extreme end of the breech a rod is screwed,
which said rod carries a plug or piston, which enters and fits accurately in the
said sliding charge chamber. The said charge chamber slides upon the said
piston, the said piston closing the rear end of the charge chamber during
discharge and forcing out the cartridge case, when the charge chamber after
discharge is made to slide back upon it. The sliding motion of the charge
chamber is effected by a lever and strap. The cartridge is introduced into the
barrel at an opening in the top of the barrel, and after the introduction of the
cartridge the charge chamber is made to slide upon and enclose the cartridge
by the action of the lever. Instead of making the charge chamber work in the
rear or enlarged part of the barrel it may be made to slide on a separate
frame or. break off, and the barrel may be attached thereto afterwards by

page_text: screwing or otherwise. In this arrangement the percussioning and nipple
may be formed on the sliding breech and the gun fired by an ordinary
hammer and cap in the usual way; but I prefer in both the modifications
described to fire the piece by means of a bolt or striker working through the
axis of the fixed plug or piston. Instead of making the barrel and plug or
piston fixed, as described, and the charge chamber moveable, the charge chamber
may be fixed and the barrel and plug or piston made moveable, but I prefer
to make the barrel and plug or piston fixed. In applying the arrangement
described to double guns, I make the plugs or piston slide on a central rib
or on the break-off, the barrels in the case of double guns being always fixed.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in breech-
loading fire-arms :-I make the moveable charge chamber rise and fall vertically
in a frame or in bearings at the rear of the barrel. Besides the vertical motion
described, the charge chamber is capable of a rotatory motion in its frame or
bearings. A screw is formed on the rear or closed end of the charge
chamber, the said screw taking into a concave screw in the frame or bearing.
The frame or bearing carrying the charge chamber works in an opening
formed in the rear of the barrel, and a handle on the charge chamber serves
both to give a motion of partial rotation to the said charge chamber and to
raise the frame for the introduction of the charge into the charge chamber.
The charge is introduced at the front end of the chamber, which is made
slightly conical externally to fit a conical recess in the breech end of the
barrel, when the charge chamber is brought into a line with the barrel and by
being turned is screwed up against the barrel. The percussioning is fixed
on the charge chamber. The gun may be charged either with a cartridge
or with loose powder, either at the breech or at the muzzle.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in breech-
loading fire-arms:-I form at the open breech end of the barrel a cylindrical
lump, of about twice the diameter of the barrel. The axis of the said lump is
parallel with that of the barrel, but is not coincident therewith, being situated
in a line near the lower edge of the barrel. The said lump constitutes a
short cylinder, the upper edge of which is in a line with the upper edge of
the barrel, nearly one half of the said cylinder extending below the barrel.
The said lump is screwed externally, and has a hole of the same size as and
coincident with the bore of the barrel. On the said lump a cap is screwed, a
radial slot of the size of the bore of the barrel being made in the base of the
said cap; by turning the said screwed cap on the lump the slot in it may be
brought to coincide with the hole in the lump and barrel, or a solid part of
the cap may be brought opposite to the hole in the lump and barrel, and the

page_text: breech end of the gun closed. When the cap is in the former position, the
cartridge may be passed through its slot into the barrel; when it is in the
latter position the breech is closed and the gun is ready for firing. The
percussioning may be formed on the barrel, and the piece discharged by a
hammer in the usual way, but I prefer to form the percussioning on the cap,
by which means a more central fire and greater compactness of construction.
are secured. The rotatory motion of the cap is effected by a lever or thumb
plate. In place of closing the breech end of the barrel in the way last.
described the following method may be adopted :-I make a breech piece at
the rear of the open breech end of the barrel, and between the said open
breech end and the said breech piece I introduce a circular plate or closer,
the said plate or closer being capable of a rotatory motion on an axis which
screws into the breech piece. The said plate or closer is of about twice the.
diameter of the barrel, and its axis is nearly in a line with the lower edge of
the barrel. A radial slot is made in the said plate or closer, and by giving
a motion of rotation to the said plate or closer the said slot may be brought
into a line with the bore of the barrel, and the charge may be introduced
into the barrel through the said slot, or a solid part of the plate or closer may
be brought opposite the bore of the barrel and the breech thus closed for
firing. The motion of the plate or closer is effected by a lever or thumb plate,
and owing to the screwing motion of the axis of the said plate or closer it is
made to advance against the breech end of the barrel as it is turned in the
direction proper to close the said breech end of the barrel. The percussioning.
and nipple may be arranged in the manner explained with reference to the
last-described part of my Invention.
My Invention consists further of the improvements herein-after described,
in sliding and fixing double barrelled breech-loading fire-arms in which the
barrels have a longitudinal motion to and from the break-off. I form on the
body of the break-off a fixed vertical projection or upright, the said upright
working in a slot between the barrels, and projecting a short distance above.
the top of the said barrels. The slot or opening between the barrels is of a
length sufficient to permit the barrels to be moved the required distance from
the break-off for charging. To the top of the said rib a flat strap or lever.
is connected in the manner herein-after described, the free or rear end of
the said strap having a rectangular opening made in it, which opening when
the said strap is shut down, engages with two lumps or projections,. one
formed on the back of the break-off and the other on the extreme breech
ends of the barrels. When the open ends of the barrels are brought against
the face of the break-off, the strap shuts down upon the projection on the said

page_text: barrels and that on the break-off, and thereby binds the said barrels firmly to
the break-off. The end of the locking strap or lever is jointed to the barrels
and the said strap or lever is connected to the upright between the barrels by
a link or lever jointed to the said upright and to the said strap or bolt. By
raising or lowering the locking strap or lever, the barrels can be made to
retire from or advance against the break-off, and thus open or close the
breech ends for charging or discharging. Or the barrels may be fixed during
discharge in the following manner :-A horizontal tongue between the barrels
passes through a slot in the face of the break-off, and engages with a spring
bolt or fastening at the back of the break-off, which may be actuated by the
lever so as to release the barrels.
My Invention consists further of the following method of constructing and
making mechanically fitting projectiles for fire-arms:-Instead of forming the
projections which engage with the grooves in the barrels on the rear end
or on the whole length of the projectile as is usual, I form the said projections
near the front or forward end of the projectile. The centre of gravity is
thereby placed more in front of the projectile, and its accurate flight more
effectually ensured.
My Invention consists further in making mechanically fitting projectiles
of iron, steel, or other hard metal or alloy, and afterwards coating them with
copper or zinc or other soft metal or alloy.
My invention consists further in making projectiles of lead or soft metal
with cups or caps on the front, made of metal harder than that of the body of
the projectile. The front of the body of the projectile is of reduced diameter,
and fits in a hole formed in the cup or cap. The said cup or cap is
not forced quite home on the body of the projectile, an annular space
being left between the two, which said space is filled with wax or other
solid lubricant. On discharge, the front or reduced part of the body of
the projectile is forced home into the cup or cap, and the lubricant squeezed
out from between them into the inner surface of the barrel, or the cap
or front end of the projectile and body of the projectile may be connected
in the following manner:-At the back of the cap a slightly conical
stem is made, which takes into a slightly [conical hole in the projectile.
The lubricant is placed between the cap and body of the projectile, as before
described, and on discharge the body of the projectile is forced home on
the stem of the cap. The lubricant is thereby squeezed out, and the body
of the projectile is expanded. Or the projectile may be made solid, and pro-
'vided with a depression or cup at its front end, into which depression or
cup a series of radial slits are cut on the end of the projectile. The said

page_text: cup is filled with the lubricant, and on discharge, the pressure of the
atmosphere on the front of the projectile forces the lubricant through the said
slits on to the inner surface of the barrel.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in cartridges
for breech-loading fire-arms, I form a cartridge case of paper, and close one
end with a metal cap, having a hole in its centre, I place in the said cap a flat
disc of metal strong enough to resist the blow of the hammer. The said disc
has a small hole in its centre, smaller than that in the cap. I make a
percussion cap, having somewhat the shape of a bottle, or narrower at its
mouth than in the body, and I insert the neck of the said cap in the hole in
the disc. The percussion cap may be kept in its place by a piece of paper
secured over the hole in the cap of the cartridge. The percussion cap is
discharged by the hammer through the paper. Cartridges of this kind can
be readily refilled and provided with fresh percussion caps.
My Invention consists further in the following improvements in cartridges
for breech-loading fire-arms:-I make the case of paper, and close the rear end
of the cartridge by a thin metal cap; before fixing the said cap on the
cartridge case I put in the said cap a strong disc of metal as large in diameter
as the outside of the cartridge case. The said disc of metal is cupped at its
middle and has a small perforation at the cupped part. The cupped part is
filled with percussion powder before the disc is fixed in the cartridge. These
cartridges are discharged by a hammer or pin bolt striking the middle of the
outer thin cap; the blow is transmitted through the thin cap to the percussion
powder, which is ignited by being struck against the strong disc, and the
ignition is transmitted through the hole in the cup of the disc to the powder
of the cartridge. The several improvements described in projectiles and
cartridges are applicable to projectiles and cartridges for ordnance as well as
small arms.