AN IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Jules Manceaux, of Paris, in the French
Empire, Manufacturer, and Eugene Napoleon Vieillard, of the same
Place, Gunsmith, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE."
Sealed the 24th April 1857, and dated the 10th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Jules Manceaux
and Eugene Napoleon Vieillard at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 10th November 1856.
We, FRANÇOIS JULES MANCEAUX, of Paris, in the French Empire, Manu-
facturer, and EUGENE NAPOLEON VIEILLARD, of the same Place, Gunsmith,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Au IMPROVEMENT IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in a method of preventing the escape of gases from
the breech of breech-loading fire-arms and ordnance by means of a conical
plug fitting into a conical seat in or at the back end of the barrel. The plug,
as well as being conical on the outside, is hollowed out conically on the inside,
into which a conical solid plug is screwed in such manner that it only
enters the hollow plug for a portion of its length, and only comes in contact
with it at the mouth thereof. When the charge has been inserted in the arm
and the breech closed, the outer conical surface on the front of the plug abuts
against and fits into the conical seat in the rear of the barrel, consequently

page_text: the solid cone is slightly in advance of it. The effect of the explosion of the
charge is to force back the solid cone, spread out the mouth of the conical
plug, and thus prevent any escape of gas at the breech.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said François Jules Manceaux and Eugene Napoleon Vieillard
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANÇOIS
JULES MANCEAUX, of Paris, in the French Empire, Manufacturer, and EUGENE
NAPOLEON VIEILLARD, of the same Place, Gunsmith, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in tho year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
François Jules Manceaux and Eugene Napoleon Vieillard, Her special licence
that we, the said François Jules Manceaux and Eugene Napoleon Vieillard
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
François Jules Mancéaux and Eugene Napoleon Vieillard, our 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 BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
AND ORDNANCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said François
Jules Manceaux and Eugene Napoleon Vieillard, or one of us, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of
our or their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 we, the said François Jules Manceaux and Eugeno
Napoleon Vieillard, do hereby declare the nature of our 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, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
Our Invention consists in a method of preventing the escape of .gases

page_text: from the breech of breech-loading fire-arms and ordnance by means of a
conical or partly conical plug fitting into a conical seat in or at the back end
of the barrel. The plug, beside being conical at the outside, is hollowed out
conically in the inside, and into it is screwed a conical or tapering solid plug
in such manner that it only enters the hollow plug for a portion of its length,
and only bears upon or comes in contact with the mouth thereof. When the
charge has been inserted in the arm and the breech closed, the outer conical
surface on the front of the plug abuts against and fits into the conical seat 'in
the rear of the other, consequently the solid conical plug is slightly in advance
of it. The effect of the explosion of the charge is to force back the solid
conical plug, spread out the mouth of the hollowed conical plug, and thus
prevent any escape of gas at the breech.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed is represented one method of carrying
our Invention into effect. Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a breech-
loading fire-arm to which our improvement is applied. In this Figure the
breech is shewn closed. Figure 2 is a longitudinal view, chiefly in section, of
the same fire-arm; Figuro 3 is a view of the breech bolt E detached; Figure 4
represents the ring, afterwards marked C, detached; Figure 6 represents the
plug, afterwards marked D, detached. A, (Figures 1 and 2,) is the barrel,
threaded at a, and screwed into the breech piece B. In Figure 2 the breech
is shewn open.
At F is the conical or tapering recess, into which a plug G
enters. This plug G, which is shewn separately and in detail in Figure 5, is
made conical for a portion of its length, and has its tapering sides inclined at
a greater angle than that formed by the sides of the recess F, so that when
entered into that recess it shall bear only upon the outer end of the same.
The plug G is attached to the plug D by the screw b, shewn separately and in
detail in Figure 7. The head of this screw 6 is sunk into a recess in the plug
G, and between the head of the screw b, and the shoulder formed by the said
recess, is interposed a ring c, of copper, lead, or other soft metal, for preventing
the escape of gas around the screw b. This ring c is shewn separately and in
detail in Figure 8. The screw b is smooth where it passes through the plug G,
so that the latter may slide slightly but freely upon it when the force of the
explosion is received upon its plane face. The action of the parts is as
follows: When the charge of powder is exploded in the chamber H the plug
G is pressed backward into the recess F and expands the mouth of the same,
or the fore extremity of the plug D forcing it tightly against the ring C, and
thus effectually closing the said chamber I at its rear end.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we delare that we claim,-

page_text: First, the employment in breech-loading fire-arms and ordnance of conical
or tapered plugs, of which one is entered into a recess formed in the end of the
other, in such manner that on the firing of the charge, the recessed end of
the latter is expanded and pressed tightly against the barrel, or against the
breech piece of the same, or against a ring of steel or other metal fixed
between the two, as herein-before described.
And, secondly, we claim the employment in breech-loading fire-arms and
ordnance of the particular arrangement and combination of the conical or
tapered surfaces, herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Jules Manceaux, have hereunto
set my hand and affixed my seal, for myself and on behalf of the said
Eugene Napoleon Vieillard, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.