IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, IN THE METHOD OF DISCHARGING THEM, AND IN THE CARTRIDGE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Cameron Macartney Harwood Downing, Lieu-
tenant in Her Majesty's Royal Regiment of Artillery, now residing
at No. 36, Gloucester Terrace, Hyde Park, W., in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, IN
THE METHOD OF DISCHARGING THEM, AND IN THE CARTRIDGE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cameron Macartney
Harwood Downing at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 23rd June 1868.
I, CAMERON MACARTNEY HARWOOD DOWNING, Lieutenant in Her
Majesty's Royal Regiment of Artillery, now residing at No. 36, Gloucester
Terrace, Hyde Park, W., in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS,
IN THE METHOD OF DISCHARGING THEM, AND IN THE CARTRIDGE," to be as
follows:-
Within a nipple, rather similar in shape to the percussion cap nipple
in ordinary use, I cause a piai to play freely and move backwards and
forwards within certain limits. One end of the said pin is flat and

page_text: receives the blow of the hammer of the lock of the piece on the trigger
of the same being pulled; the other end is tapering in order to pierce
the cartridge, as herein-after described. The pin is of such a shape
as not to fall out of the nipple and to perform easily the requisite
actions. The pin and nipple are made in pattern of such a size as to be
readily inserted in an ordinary.revolver or other suitable weapon, which
is then prepared for the use of my Invention; and should, through any
circumstances, the supply of cartridges for this Invention fall short,
by removing the above-mentioned nipple one of the percussion cap
nipples in common use can be inserted, and the weapon used in the
ordinary way with powder and percussion caps.
The ball cartridge consists of a conical or other shaped bullet having
a flat base, behind which base is attached the gunpowder in the usual
way. In the base is cut or impressed a depression or circular groove
or cavity in which is placed a detonating compound, and to the back
of the said bullet base with its compound is attached the gunpowder in
a cartridge.
Now the way in which the Invention acts is, as the pin plays freely
backwards and forwards as soon as the ball and cartridge is inserted
it presses back the pin until the pin is stopped by its shape and can
go no further back through the nipple; but as the cartridge continues
to be pressed down, the pin now in position penetrates the cartridge
until the said cartridge reaching the bottom of the chamber can be
pressed home no further. The tapering end of the pin is now imbedded
in the powder but separated from the detonating compound by
gunpowder. Upon the trigger being pulled the hammer strikes the
pin, driving it forward through the cartridge against the detonating
'compound explodes the cartridge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Cameron Macartney Harwood Downing in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CAMERON
MACARTNEY HARWOOD DOWNING, Lieutenant in Her Majesty's Royal
Regiment of Artillery, now residing at No. 36, Gloucester Terrace, Hyde
Park, W., in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
3

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Cameron Macartney Harwood Downing,
Her special licence that I, the said Cameron Macartney Harwood
Downing, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Cameron Macartney Harwood Downing, 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, IN THE METHOD OF DISCHARGING THEM, AND IN THE CARTRIDGE,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Cameron Macartney
Harwood Downing, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar.
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Cameron Macartney Harwood
Downing, 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 thercof, that is to
say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in fire-arms, in the
method of discharging them,, and in the cartridge. Within a nipple
rather similar in shape to the percussion cap nipple in ordinary use,
I cause a pin to play freely and move backwards and forwards within
certain limits. The outer end of the said pin when the trigger is pulled
receives the blow of the hammer; the inner end of the pin tapers to,
a point in order to pierce the cartridge, as herein-after described. The,
nipple is inserted in the same way as in an ordinary revolver, and it may:
be applied not only to revolvers but also. to other fire-arms adapted,
to receive the nipple in a similar manner at the back of the chamber...
.

page_text: The ball cartridge consists of a conical or other shaped bullet having
a flat base, behind which base is attached the gunpowder; it is enveloped
in a thin membrane, skin, or paper in the usual way. In the base of
the bullet is cut or impressed a depression or circular groove or cavity,
in which is placed a detonating compound.
Now the way in which the Invention acts is as follows:-As soon as
the cartridge is inserted it presses back the pin until the pin is stopped
by its shape and can go no further back through the nipple; then as
the cartridge continues to be pressed down the pin penetrates the
cartridge until the said cartridge reaches the bottom of the chamber, and 1
can be pressed home no further. The tapering or pointed end of the
pin is now embedded in the powder, but separated from the detonating
compound by gunpowder. Upon the trigger being pulled the hammer
strikes the pin, driving it forward through the cartridge against the
detonating compound, and explodes the cartridge.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the chamber of a revolver to which
The nipple a
a pin nipple is applied according to my Invention.
is similar to the ordinary percussion cap nipple except that the
it is not necessary that it
passage through it is larger, and as
should be coned I consider it better to continue the square to its outer
end, as thereby additional strength is obtained. The nipple is shown
separately at Figures 2. c is the pin; it is made of steel and its stem
is of a size just to fit easily the passage in the nipple. The stem at its
outer end receives a head which screws on to it, and at its inner end
it is enlarged and then tapered to a point. These parts are shown
separately at Figure 3. The head of the pin is milled, so that it may
be readily screwed off when it is desired to remove the pin for the
purpose of cleaning its stem and the passage in the nipple.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a cartridge constructed according
to my
Invention and adapted to be discharged by my improved method.
a is the bullet; it is flat at the base except a shallow groove or cavity
into which a fulminating priming material, such as is used for priming
percussion caps, is placed. A disc of thin metal or stout paper is then
placed over the base of the bullet so as to cover the priming, and the

page_text: cartridge is then made up in the ordinary way of making skin or paper
cartridges. Should through any circumstances the supply of such
cartridges fall short the arm is not thereby rendered useless, for by
removing the pin nipple and substituting an ordinary percussion cap
nipple the weapon is very readily fitted to be used in the ordinary way
with powder and percussion caps.
What I claim is, the improvements in fire-arms, in the method of
discharging them, and in the cartridge, substantially as herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Cameron Macartney Harwood
Downing, have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-first
day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-eight.
C. M. H. DOWNING. (L.S.)