BREECHING, APPLICABLE TO ALL KINDS OF GUNS AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS, WHEREBY THE POWDER IS FIRED OFF IN THE CENTRE AND MUCH QUICKER, AND THE CHARGE THROWN CONSIDERABLY STRONGER, AND THE GUNS AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS WILL CONTINUE TO FIRE MUCH LONGER WITHOUT CLEANING THAN BY ANY OTHER METHOD HERETOFORE CONSTRUCTED OR USED
Year: 1787

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, HENRY
NOCK, of Ludgate Street, in the Parish of Saint Martin, Ludgate, in
the City of London, Gun Maker, sendeth greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the twenty-seventh year
of His reign, hath, for Himself, His heirs and successors, given and
granted unto the said Henry Nock, his exors, adñors, and assigns, His
especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and authority to make, use,
exercise, and vend, within that part of Great Britain called England,
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, his new invented
"BREECHING, APPLICABLE TO ALL KINDS OF GUNS AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS,
WHEREBY THE POWDER IS FIRED OFF IN THE CENTRE AND MUCH QUICKER, AND
THE CHARGE THROWN CONSIDERABLY STRONGER, AND THE GUNS AND OTHER
FIRE-ARMS WILL CONTINUE TO FIRE MUCH LONGER WITHOUT CLEANING THAN
BY ANY OTHER METHOD HERETOFORE CONSTRUCTED OR USED," together with
the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time
coming, growing, accruing, and arising by reason of the said Invention,
for and during the term of fourteen years, according to the form of the
Statute in such case made and provided; in which said Letters Patent,

page_text: amongst other things, it is provided, that if the said Henry Nock
shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of his said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under his hand and seal, and cause the same to
be inrolled in the High Court of Chancery within one calendar month
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that
then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages what-
soever thereby granted, sho'd utterly cease, determine, and become void,
anything therein-before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise
notwithstanding.
NOW KNOW YE, that he, the said Henry Nock, in pursuance of
the intention of the said Letters Patent, and in compliance with the
.proviso therein contained, doth hereby declare that the nature of his said
Invention of a new breeching as above set forth, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, is as follows (that is to say):
Figure 1, is a section of the breeching, applicable to all kinds of guns
and other fire-arms for the purpose heretofore specified; this section.
is of itself sufficiently: plain to render the principle obvious to every
workman, though it will be rendered more so by the following descrip-
tion: Take a piece of solid iron, or other strong metal proper for the
purpose, and of such dimensions that when fitted in its place it will
admit being reduced to the shape and size of the barrel for which it is
intended. A hole is to be drilled through the centre of the aforesaid
piece, and the outside to be turned down, and a proper screw cut upon
it to fit to the barrel; this screw is represented at A, A.. The centre
hole above mentioned must be so enlarged as to form a proper chamber
(vide letter C) for the piece to which it is to be applied. Letter D, is
the anti-chamber, which is a hole forming an angle with said chamber
C; it is here represented as at right angles with the chamber C, and
communicating with it. At letter F, is a screw adapted to reach to the
centre hole. This screw may either be rivetted fast to the breeching,
or be made to take in or out at pleasure to examine the anti-chamber
and inside of the touch-hole. Letter G, is a screw adapted to meet the
said cross screw of the anti-chamber, which screw may be taken out at
pleasure to examine the inside of the barrel. The breeching being then a

page_text: centre.
put in or fixed to the barrel the outside circumference B, B, B, B, may
be made into any convenient shape, and be case-hardened or left soft
at pleasure. Figure 2, is an elevation of the breeching. Figure 3, is
a perspective view of the breeching. Figure 4, is a breeching with
the anti-chamber D, made obliquely, which also fires the powder in the
Or the breeching may be made in the following manner to
fire the powder in the centre:-Figure 5, is an elevation of section 6,
and 7. The part A, A, is a representation of section 6, where a part
of the breeching A, A, is left plain without a screw, the whole going
into the barrel. The part B, B, represents section 7, where the breeching
is screwed the whole length, the whole going into the barrel. Figure 6,
is a section of a breeching by which the powder may be fired in the
centre, the part A, A, being left plain without a screw, and the other
part B, B, being screwed, and the whole length from C, to C, going
into the barrel. Figure 7, is a section of a breeching on the same
construction as Figure 6, only screwed the whole length from C, to C,
which goes into the barrel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Nock, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of May, in the twenty-
seventh year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the
Third, by the grace of God of Great Britain, France, and
Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, and in
the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty-
seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered (being first
duly stampt) in the presence of
BENJN EVERINGHAM.
THо. JOHNSON, Ely Place.
0 AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of
May, in the year of our Lord 1787, the aforesaid Henry Nock came
before our said Lord the King, in His Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained

page_text: and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification afore-
said was stampt according to the tenor of the Statutes made for that
purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
1