IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND PROJECTILES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Haslewood, of Tufnel Park, Hollo-
way, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND PROJECTILES."-A communication.
Sealed the 9th March 1853, and dated the 12th January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Haslewood
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th January 1853.
I, EDWARD HASLEWOOD, of Tufnel Park, Holloway, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND PROJECTILES" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in that class of fire-
arms which are loaded at the breech, and also in the projectiles or balls
used therewith. The improvements in the fire-arms consist of surround-
ing the cylinder in which the charging chambers are formed with a
metal band, which when acted on by an excentric tightly embraces the
cylinder, and forces it up against the end of the barrel. The charging
chambers or breeches are each made with a shoulder, the outer diameter
being larger than the immer diameter, and it is slightly bell-mouthed...
The ball or projectile is cast with an enlargement or ring at one end.

page_text: which fits into the larger diameter of the charging chamber. The smaller
diameter of the ball enters the smaller diameter of the charging cham-
ber or breech, and when the whole of the charging chambers are
charged with powder and balls the cylinder is introduced into a metal
ring or hoop, which being tightly contracted by a screw will cause all
the balls to be tightly compressed within their respective charging
chambers or breeches. The bore of the barrel is somewhat smaller
than those of the smaller diameter of the breech, and the inner end of
the barrel is formed to enter into the bell mouth of the breech. The
projecting ring on the ball will consequently be tightly pressed between
the end of the barrel and the shoulder in the charging chamber or
breech, and when discharged the projecting ring of metal on the ball is
left in the breech, the other part of the ball being driven by the force of
the powder through and separated from the ring of projecting metal,
which, as before explained, was cast with and formed part of it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Haslewood in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
EDWARD HASLEWOOD, of Tufnel Park, Holloway, in the County of:
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in.the.
year of our Lord One thousand.eight hundred and fifty-three, in'
the sixteenth year of Her reign, 'did, for Herself, Her heirs and s
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Haslewood; Her?
special licence that I, the said Edward Haslewood; my.executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Haslewood,
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: Inven-..

page_text: tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND PROJECTILES," communicated
to me from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Haslewood, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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 Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Haslewood, 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 thereof (that is to say):
The Invention has for its object improvements in that class of fire-
arms which are loaded at the breech, and also in the projectiles or balls
used therewith. The improvements in the fire-arms consists of surrounding
the cylinder in which the charging chambers are formed with a metal®
band, which (when acted on by an excentric) tightly embraces the
cylinder, and forces it up against the end of the barrel. The charging
chambers or breeches are sach made with a shoulder, the outer diameter
being larger than the inner diameter, and it is slightly bell-mouthed.
The ball or projectile is cast with an enlargement or ring at one end,
which fits into the larger diameter of the charging chamber; the smaller
diameter of the ball enters the smaller diameter of the charging chamber
or breech, and when the whole of the charging chambers are charged
with powder and balls the cylinder is introduced into a metal ring or
hoop, which being tightly contracted by a screw will cause all the balls
to be tightly compressed within their respective charging chambers or
breeches. The bore of the barrel is somewhat smaller than the smaller
diameter of the breech, and the inner end of the barrel is formed to
enter into the bell mouth of the breech. The projecting ring on the
ball will cousequently be tightly pressed between the end of the barrel
and the shoulder in the charging chamber or breech, and when dis-
charged the projecting ring of metal on the ball is left in the breech,
the other part of the ball being driven by the force of the powder
through and separated from the ring of projecting metal, which, as before

page_text: explained, was cast with and formed part of it. And in order that the
said Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the Invention as practised by the
inventor.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING..
Figure 1, is a longitudinal section. Figure 2, shows an under side
view of some of the parts. Figure 3, shews a longitudinal section.
Figure 4, shows two views of the ring or hoop for compressing the balls
in the charging chambers or breeches. Figure 5, shows an enlarged
view of a section of one of the charging chambers and part of the lock
separately. Figure 6, shows three enlarged views of parts for turning
the cylinder with the charging chambers; and Figure 7, shews three
views of parts for retaining, for forcing, and retaining the cylinder up
to the barrel. In each of these Figures the same letters are used to in-
dicate the same parts. Figure 8, shews one of the balls or projectiles
with an enlargement or ring.
. «, is a cylinder, having several charging chambers or breeches b, b
formed in its periphery, and shape of the charging chambers or
breeches which is preferred is shewn in the Drawing. c, is the barrel,
the bore of which is somewhat smaller than the outer end of the
breech, where the smaller diameter of the ball or projectile enters.
The outer end of each breech is formed with two steps or enlarge-
ments; one of them receive the projecting ring of the projectile or
ball, that the other receives the end of the barrel c, so that in dis-
charging a ball through the barrel c, the ring or projection or the ball
will be held between the end of the barrel c, and the charging chamber,
and the other part of the ball will be driven through it. The cylinder a,
revolves with an axis d, on which it fits by corresponding teeth; and the
axis d, revolves in a slot in the plate e, which is fixed by the screw f, to
the screw socket g, in which the end of the barrel screws. The socket
g, has formed with it the loop or ring g', which encloses the periphery
of the barrel a; and the ring g', being open at back, admits of its being
contracted in diameter, and thereby to force the cylinder ȧ, up towards
the barrel
and this is accomplished by means of the axis h, which is

page_text: within the ends of the ring g'. And by its turning it contracts the
diameter of the ring by means of inclines h', h', on the outer surfaces of
the ends of the ring g', which are acted on by inclines i, on collars ??;
fixed on the axis h; and motion is communicated to the axis h, by means
of the handle j, which slides in a slotted opening at ; and it has a
locking tooth at 7, pressed out by a spring, which, when the handle j, is
pressed forward, locks into the catch at, which retains it for a time;
and thus is the ring contracted in its diameter, and the cylinder a, forced
up to the barrel c; and the handle j, by means of the connecting rod k,
moves the cylinder round a distance between two charging chambers,
when it is moved back after having discharged the charge in one of
them. For this purpose the connecting rod K, is attached to a lever
K', which is fixed to a plate K, on the face of which are inclined teeth.
corresponding with the teeth of the place fixed on the axis of the
cylinder a, and these toothed plates are kept up towards each other by a
spring. The charges may be ignited in various ways; it is, however,
preferred to employ the means shewn in the Drawing., To each breech b,.
is formed a passage into which a sliding bolt e, is placed, being struck by
the hammer m, discharges a ball of detonating powder, which is put
into the passage when charging, and before the bolt is put into its
place. The lock employed may be varied in its form. The one shown
consists of the hammer n, on the lever o, which moves on its axis at o²,
and the hammer has at all times a tendency to be against the end of the
bolt 7, by reason of the spring p, which acts as the mainspring of the
lock. The hammer is drawn back, and cocked by means of the handle
, which acts on a shoulder on the lever 2, which is attached at one end
to the lever of the hammer, as shown, and its other end to, and is acted
on by the trigger r, so that when the lever j is moved back it will
draw back the lever q; and consequently the hammer also and the notch
2, will be received and held by the fixed tooth q³, till acted on by the
trigger; and the lever g, has at all times a tendency to be up against the
tooth g, by reason of the spring s, pressing it upwards. t, is a sight.
In charging the several chambers b, the proper charge of powder and
a ball is to be placed in each breech of the cylinder a, which is to
be removed from the fire-arm for that purpose; a quantity of detonating

page_text: powder is to be introduced into the passages leading to the touchholes,
and the bolts are to be replaced; the cylinder is to be placed in the de-
tached hoop or ring u; and by means of the screw that hoop is to be
contracted, by which the balls will be pressed very strongly into the
several breeches; the cylinder a, is then to be placed on its axis, and the
fire-arm will be in a condition to be used.
I would remark that in the above description I have shown and
described the barrel c, as being fixed, and the axis of the cylinder a, as
being moveable to and from the barrel c; but this may be varied, and
such is the case with other details.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is the combination of apparatus for receiving the charges and
discharging them through a barrel.c, common to them all; and I also
claim the construction of bell or projectile, and the so arranging the
breeches and barrel through which they are discharged that the pro-
jecting parts or rings formed on the balls or projectiles may be removed
and remain behind.
⚫ In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Haslewood, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
D. Manly
EDWARD HASLEWOOD. (L.S.)