IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Townsend, of 13, King Henry Street,
Ball's Pond, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 18th September 1868, and dated the 18th March 1868,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Townsend at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th March 1868.
I, ROBERT TOWNSEND, of 13, King Henry Street, Ball's Pond, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in fire-arms, and is
applicable where the barrels turn on a transverse horizontal axis so as
to raise the breech ends of the barrels clear of the breech plate for
the cartridge to be introduced. In such fire-arms it is usual to secure
the barrels in position for firing by means of a bolt catching into a
projection on the under side of the barrels, and in some cases the locking
bolt has been made to catch into a projection from the upper part of the
barrels.

page_text: According to my Invention I dispense with such locking bolts by
making the breech plate moveable on the body and by forming
cylindrical projections upon it of a size just to fit into the breech ends
of the barrels. The breech plate is moved to and fro by an excentric
or cam on an axis actuated by a lever handle, so that by turning the
handle partly round the breech plate is moved a short distance towards
or from the barrels; then after loading, when the barrels have been
returned to the position for firing, the breech plate is moved forward,
and the cylindrical plugs upon it entering the breech ends of the barrels
at once lock the barrels in position whilst the plugs form firm abutments
for the cartridges. In order that the gun may not be fired when the
barrels are not securely held each lock is provided with a pin or rod
which as the hammer falls is thrown forward, and it then enters a hole
formed for it in the eccentric or cam, or if this excentric or cam is
not correctly placed the fall of the hammer is prevented. In addition
to the cylindrical plugs entering within the barrels the breech plate
may also have rings upon it embracing the exterior of the barrels at
their breech ends, or these rings may be substituted for the plugs, but
less advantageously.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Robert Townsend in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
TOWNSEND, of 13, King Henry Street, Ball's Pond, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Townsend, Her special licence that
I, the said Robert Townsend, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Townsend, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no

page_text: 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Robert Townsend, 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 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 Robert Townsend, 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 :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in fire-arms, and is
applicable where the barrels turn on a transverse horizontal axis, so as
to raise the breech ends of the barrels clear of the breech plate for the
cartridges to be introduced. In such fire-arms it is usual to secure the
barrels in position for firing by means of a bolt catching into a
projection on the under side of the barrels, and in some cases the locking
bolt has been made to catch into a projection from the upper part of the
barrels.
According to my Invention I dispense with such locking bolts by
making the breech plate or plates moveable on the body and by forming
projections or plugs upon them of a size just to fit into the breech ends
of the barrels. The breech plates are moved to and fro by excentrics or
cams on an axis actuated by a lever handle, so that by turning the
handle partly round the breech plates are moved a short distance towards
or from the barrels. Then after loading, when the barrels have been
returned to the position for firing, the breech plates are moved forward
and the plugs upon them entering the breech ends of the barrels at once
lock the barrels in position, whilst the plugs form firm abutments for the
cartridges. In addition to the plugs entering within the barrels the
breech plate may also have rings upon it embracing the exterior of
the barrels at their breech ends, or these rings may be substituted for
the plugs, but less advantageously.

page_text: In the Drawings hereunto annexed is shewn a double-barrelled gun
constructed as above described with a moveable breech piece to enter the
ends of the barrels.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken through the centre of one of
the barrels; Figure 2 is a plan view, and Figure 3 a side view of the
gun.
In these Figures a, a, are the moveable breech plates which are
received in holes in the body b; the forward ends of these breech plates
are formed with plugs a¹ upon them, which are fitted accurately into the
rear ends of the barrels; the barrels are jointed to the forward end of the
body by the hinge c, as is usual. Through each of the breech pieces an
oval hole is bored, as is shewn by the section, Figure 1; into these holes
excentrics d¹, d, on an axis d are received; the ends of the axis are
received into holes at the sides of the body, as is shewn by the plan
view, Figure 2, and on one end of the axis is a lever handle d³, as is
shewn by the plan view, Figure 2, and side view, Figure 3. In these
Figures the breech pieces a are shewn to be forced forwards by the
excentrics to enter the rear ends of the barrels and so lock them in
position. To release the barrels the lever handle is turned down to
w draw the excentrics from the ends of the barrels, and then the
els can be turned down on the hinge c to expose their rear ends for
resh cartridges to be inserted into them. In the arrangement shewn in
the Drawings each of the breech pieces a is shewn to carry an oblique
striker e for exploding what are known as central-fire cartridges. The
upper end of the striker passes up through a short slot in the top of the
body, which allows of the breech pieces being moved to and fro by their
excentrics to release or lock the barrels. The upper ends of the strikers,
when the breech pieces have been moved forward to lock the barrels,
being in a position to be acted upon by the hammers of the locks, when
the cartridges in the barrels have been exploded, and the breech pieces
a are drawn back by the excentrics to unlock the barrels the strikers in
the arrangement shewn are simultaneously withdrawn by the excentrics
acting against collars e¹ upon them. The action of thus moving back
the strikers might at the same time be employed for simultaneously
moving back the hammers, and the locks of the hammers might be so
arranged that at the end of this movement the hammers might be
retained at half cock, so that they should not again descend without
being previously raised. In place, however, of this arrangement, other

page_text: arrangements might be adopted for exploding the cartridges in the
barrels. It is evident that in place of the plugs which enter the barrels
being carried by separate breech pieces, as shewn by the Drawings, they
might both be carried by one plate actuated by cams or excentrics, as
above explained.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would state that I am aware that
moveable breech plugs actuated by wedges or by screws have before been
employed for locking or holding the rear ends of the barrels; but that
what I claim is, the actuating such moveable breech pieces or plugs by
excentrics or cams on an axis, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Townsend, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-eight.