IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Dearing Granville, of Stokenchurch,
in the County of Oxford, Schoolmaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND CARTRIDGES FOR THE SAME."
Sealed the 16th November 1855, and dated the 18th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Dearing
Granville at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th May 1855.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DEARING GRANVILLE, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND CARTRIDGES FOR THE
SAME" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the construction of a stock or butt to contain the
cartridges in chambers or tubes rotating or revolving on a spindle, having end
plates with a click and ratchet. The cartridges, after having been placed in
the chambers, which are made to open to receive them, are pressed forward by
spiral springs, placed at the end of the stock or butt, and fitted with expanding
and contracting telescope rods working inside the spiral springs, and furnished
with fastenings to keep the springs contracted when required to be so by
means of a sliding wedge working in connexion with the lock, which removes
the wedge as soon as one discharge has taken place. The next cartridge is
permitted to enter from the chambers into the breach of the barrell, and.

page_text: restored to its proper position as soon as the cartridge has passed into its place,
thereby cutting off all connexion between the cartridge so placed and the
succeeding one; the barrel of the gun, in order to secure the cartridge in such
position, being made with a sunk ledge at the proper distance from the breach.
The nipple of the gun is capped by means of a tube containing the caps, and
worked in connexion with the lock, and the cartridges are perforated by means
of a hollow needle, also worked by the lock, and having a chamber at the thick
end to receive the percussion caps from a tube, having a spiral spring to press
the caps forward. The hammer of the lock when raised acts as a lever
upon the springs, presses them back, and draws out the wedge for the
entrance of the cartridge, and replaces the wedge again in its position by
the springs being again set at liberty when the lock is at full cock.
The cartridge to be employed in my improved fire-arms consists of a conical
bullet, with a hollow to receive a belt of tow or leather outside the cartridge,
and a metal cap fitting on the end of the cartridge, which is left in the breach
on the explosion of the cartridge, thus effectually preventing any escape of fire.
The metal cap of the preceding cartridge is pushed on by the next cartridge
and fired out with the bullet of the succeeding cartridge, each cartridge being
separated from the succeeding one by the iron wedge drawn out and inserted
into its place again by the action of the lock, as above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Dearing Granville in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY DEARING GRANVILLE, of Stokenchurch, in the County of Oxford,
Schoolmaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Lighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Henry Dearing Granville, Her special licence that I, the
said William Henry Dearing Granville, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry Dearing Granville, 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

page_text: 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 AND CARTRIDGES
FOR THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Henry Dearing Granville, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 dato of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Dearing Granville, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My Invention consists in the construction of a stock or butt, which is mado
to open so as to receive the chambers in which the cartridges are contained.
These chambers consist of one or more tubes rotating or revolving on a centre,
having end plates with a click and ratchett. The cartridges, after having been
placed in the chambers or tubes, are pressed forward by spiral springs placed
at the end of the tube or tubes, which tubes are furnished with fastenings
to keep the springs contracted when required to be so; also a sliding wedge,
working either in connexion with the lock or by means of a lever independent
of the lock, which removes the wedge as soon as one discharge has taken
place. The next cartridge is permitted to enter from the chambers into the
breach of the barrell, and the wedge is restored to its proper position as soon
as the cartridge has passed into its place, thereby cutting off all connexion
between the cartridge so placed and the succeeding one; the barrel of the gun,
in order to secure the cartridge in such position, being made with a sunk
ledge at the proper distance from the breach. This wedge is provided with a
primer, which cuts through the end of the cartridge as the wedge passes in and
with scrapers, which remove the deposit after each explosion when the wedge
is drawn out.
The gun is fired by means of percussion balls, which are contained in a tube,
which tube is worked in connection with the lock. The balls are pressed
forward by a spring or forcer. In the action of working the gun, one of such
balls is deposited in a receptacle where it is exploded by the hammer in the
action of firing.
The cartridge to be employed in my improved fire-arms is furnished with a
conical bullet, made with a shoulder, which stops it at the countersunk ledge in
the barrel; and when shot is used, the shoulder is placed on the case containing

page_text: the shot, which may be of metal or paper. The cartridge is made with a belt
of oiled tow or leather for cleaning the barrell, and which also secures the
bullet or shot case to the cartridge.
The accompanying Drawing shews the parts above referred to of fire-arms
and cartridges constructed according to my Invention. As to the fire-arms, as
follows:-A, A, the cartridge chambers, shewn in section; a, a, centres of
motion of cartridge chamber; B, B, B, the butt of fire-arms and stock; C, C,
end plates; D, D, spiral springs; E, E, rods for fastening springs when con-
tracted; F, F, ratchet and click; G, the sliding wedge; H, H, the primer
fixed on wedge; I, the lever for drawing out and replacing the wedge; J,
cartridge stopped at the ledge N, N; K, K, the barrel; L. breech screw; M,
cartridges in chambers; N, N, the ledge; 0, 0, the scrapers; P, P, the cover
of the butt open. And as to the cartridge for the same, as follows:-a, a, the
shoulder; b, b, the belt of oiled tow or leather; c, c, cartridge.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I
claim as improvements intended to be secured by the said Letters Patent is,
the construction of fire-arms to be supplied with cartridges and discharged as
above described.
Secondly, I claim a cartridge constructed as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Dearing Granville, havo
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
WILLIAM HENRY DEARING GRANVILLE. (L.S.)