IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, AND IN INSTRUMENTS AND APPARATUS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J,
FRANCOIS JULES MANCEAUX, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Gun
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
by Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster,
the Twenty-ninth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two, in the fifteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Francois Jules
Manceaux, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Francois Jules
Manceaux, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Francois Jules Manceaux, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick upon Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS,
AND IN INSTRUMENTS AND APPARATUS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH;" ia
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said.

page_text: Francois Jules Manceaux, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to
be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference, being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the
said François Jules Manceaux, hereby declare that the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are fully described and ascertained in and by the present Specification
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings annexed, that is to say:
My improvements consist, firstly, of a machine for rifling the barrels
of fire-arms of the construction represented in the Drawings annexed,
Figures 1, 2, 2, 3, and 4. In all machinery for rifling or grooving the
insides of barrels of fire-arms hitherto known, it has been necessary to
make use of a guide to determine the proper spiral twist to be given to
the rifling, whence it follows that for fire-arms, such as carbines and
pistols, the length and bore of which may be greatly varied, and which,
consequently, require corresponding variations in the spiral twist of the
rifling, a great number of different guides become requisite; now as
these apparatuses have to be made with peculiar accuracy, they form a
burdensome and costly item in the manufacture of rifled fire-arms,
besides delaying the process considerably. The rifling machine which
forms the subject of this part of my improvements imparts to the rifling,
without the assistance of any other instrument, any desired degree of
twist, from a straight line to the extent of four turns in three feet,
including all the intervening fractions; and, moreover, it is capable,
without any change in or addition to the apparatus, of rifling both in a
right and left hand direction, and either to an equal depth throughout
the whole length of the barrel, or else a varying depth, that is to say,
progressively diminishing from the breech to the muzzle. The advan
tages resulting from this latter method are such as are likely to make it
generally preferred, because the gradual reduction in the depth of the
rifling compresses the projectile more and more closely in its passage

page_text: towards the muzzle, imparts greater force or vigour to it in consequence
of the more perfect obturation or shutting up of the barrel, and the
greater consequent compression of the gases which expel it, and finally
ensures its more perfect rotary motion. The gradual decrease in the
depth of the groove, whereby the thinner and weaker parts of the
barrels are but slightly grooved or cut into, allows of all existing smooth
barrels being grooved or rifled without danger. Rifles may also be
made much larger than hitherto.
Figure 1, is a plan of this rifling machine; Figure 2, a side elevation;
Figure 8, a back end view; aud Figure 4, a front elevation.. A, is a
cast iron table or bed, similar to a lathe bed, which is mounted on three
legs B, B', B, each leg being composed of two standards b, b, joined by
a cross piece c, as shewn in Figures 3, and 4; C, is a support let in at
the middle of the bed to carry the end of a screw J, herein-after
mentioned; D, D, Figure 2, are brackets fixed under, the bed, which
carry an inclined bar or lever E, the inclination of which may be
changed at pleasure; it is centred at D'; and has on each side a
groove E', throughout its whole length. It is fixed at each end by
means of a split mortise F, to two stationary sectors G, G; one of these
sectors G, is fixed at one end to the underside of the bed A, and at the
other to the cross piece of the front leg B; the other sector G¹, has one
of its ends fixed to the under side of the bed and the other to the cross
piece of the leg B'. The bar may be made to rise and fall at pleasure
to the right or left, and is kept in any desired inclined position by
means of an adjusting screw H.
Figure 2, is a modification of this inclined bar or lever, in which a
sharp turn or sudden slope is given to it at one end, in order to impart a
sharp twist or angle to the rifling when desired. I, is a carriage which
slides on the bed A, from the front end as far as the support C. This
carriage has a brass nut in its lower end, into which works a four-
square-threaded screw J. This screw is centred at one end on the
support C, and at the other end fits into an aperture in the front
of the bed, through which it passes as far as the flange in the
collar K, at which point it is kept by a stay L, and two screws. The
screw. J, is actuated by a bevilled toothed wheel M. N, N', are two

page_text: parallel bevilled toothed wheels, which impart a to and fro motion to
the centre bevil wheel M, whereby the carriage I, is made to slide back-
wards or forwards. Each of these bevilled wheels is put in motion
by pulleys O, O', the pulley O driving the wheel N, and the pulley O',
the wheel N¹. A loose pulley P, is placed between the pulleys O, O',
on to which the driving band is thrown by means of a forked lever
while passing from one drawing pulley to another. The frame work Q
which carries these parts, is placed in front of the machine, as seen in
the Drawings Figures 1, 2, and 4. A recess is hollowed out in the
centre of the carriage I, and covered by a plate; in this recess a
pinion a, works, the axis of which projects out on both sides of the
carriage, driving at one end (by means of a boss h) a rod which carries
a grooving tool, to be herein-after described, and at the other end
working an index hand T, which registers its revolutions on a dial
plate S, fixed in front of the carriage. A toothed rack R, passing
through the recess (on the right hand side) works the pinion a, and is
set in motion (through studs at its lower end) by the inclined bar or
lever E, in the lateral grooves E', of which the studs on the lower end
of the rack travel. The inclined bar or lever E, having been fixed by
the sectors G, G', in the position or at the degree of inclination desired,
which of course will depend on the spiral twist intended to be given to
the rifling, the carriage I, is set in motion by the screw J, and carries
with it the rack R, which, receiving an upward impulse from the
inclined bar or lever E, imparts a rotary motion to the pinion, which
determines the degree of twist to be obtained. U, is a moveable puppet
which slides along the table or bed A; a boss V, is centred in this
puppet. A passage large enough to admit the rod of the grooving tool
carrier (to be herein-after described) is hollowed out through the boss V,
and on the back end of the boss is a rectangular recess which receives
the muzzle of the barrel to be rifled (W), and which is held to the shaft
of the boss by square headed adjusting screws working into metal
wedges or blocks round the barrel; an adjusting screw X, in the top of
the puppet keeps the boss in any particular position which may be
requisite. Y, is another puppet, constructed similarly to the puppet U,
excepting that the boss Z, of this puppet is turned in an opposite

page_text: direction, so as to receive the breech of the barrel. This boss has a
collar furnished with teeth, so arranged as to correspond with the
degrees marking the spaces between the rifling; a paul takes into and
stops the teeth. A', is a third puppet, which is placed at the back end
of the bed, and also provided with a boss carrying a divider b', which
revolves on its own axis and can be stopped at pleasure by an adjusting
screw c, as in the puppets before described. In the axis of this divider
is a square passage, through which slides a square rod d, the length of
which should be at least two fect more than that of the barrel to be
rifled. e, is a boss with a moveable guide, having a square slot through
which the rod d, passes; this boss is carried by a bracket f, of the
peculiar shape shewn in the Drawing, Figure 2, and serves to keep the
rod d, from vibrating. g, is a rod, held at its front end by a boss 7,
worked by the axis of the pinion (2) of the carriage 1; this rod should
be a little longer than the barrel to be rifled. To the back end of the
rod g, is screwed a cylinder i, of the same diameter as the barrel to be
rified. A top view of the cylinder i, is shewn in Figure 5, a horizontal
section in Figure 6, and a section shewing the internal arrangements
in Figure 7; a rod j, is screwed into the other end of the cylinder.
At the end of the rod j, (within the cylinder i) is a button which takes
into a split socket or cap 1, where it is held by a screw.
This socket
carries an inclined or wedge-shaped piece m; all these parts are within
the cylinder, as shewn in Figure 7. The furthest end of the rod j, is so
contrived as to fit into the other end of the square rod d, where it is
held by a screw. o, is a mortise or recess cut away in the cylinder to
hold a grooving tool n, one end of which o³, is centred on a screw a²,
which passes through the cylinder. The to and fro movement of the
rod j, actuating the wedge-shaped piece m, lifts the grooving tool up
and down, as may be required. When the apparatus is ready to work
the barrel to be rifled W, is passed through the bosses V, and Z, and
the rod g, (which works the grooving tool) is inserted into the barrel by
the muzzle and comes out at the breech. The square rod d, (actuated
by the divider 6') works the rod j, which drives the lever or wedge-
shaped piece m, under the grooving tool n, thereby raising its cutting
edge as much as the depth to be given to the commencement of the

page_text: rifling may require. The rod g, is then drawn back by the carriage I,
drawing the cutter with it, and by its peculiar elliptical motion it
gradually unscrews itself from the rod j, which is kept stationary by the
square rod d, which follows the rod g, without turning. The reverse
movement is produced when the cylinder is drawn towards the breech.
The shavings from the barrel fall into the mortise o, which holds the
grooving tool. It will easily be understood that this movement imparts
to the rifling a diminishing progression precisely corresponding to the
length of the barrel.
The advantages resulting from the construction of the machine, and
the manner in which it works, are,-
in
First, that the rifling produced may be of any desired degree of twist,
any required direction, and effected with mathematical precision.
Second, that the rifling will be cylindrical, or in any degree of
diminishing progression required.
.
Third, that the process is much accelerated and the rifling so perfectly
accomplished that when the barrel is withdrawn from the apparatus it
will be quite smooth and require no further finish.
Secondly, my Invention consists in the improvements in "sights" (or
"bridges"), represented in Figures 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 11, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 22", and 22b, of the Drawings annexed.
In rifled fire-arms the sight is one of the most important accessaries for
securing the requisite precision of aim, and the more simple its con-
struction the better will it answer its purpose. A "sight," moreover,
should be made sufficiently strong to resist any shock, blow, or accident
to which it might be exposed, so that the fire-arm may not be deprived
of this important appendage in critical moments.
A "sight" applied to a pistol is shewn in Figure 8, Figure 8",
Figure 8, Figure 9, and Figure 10. Here, in order to avoid taking
up too much space on the barrel, the moveable plate is placed vertically,
it takes into and is free to slide up and down in a groove cut in the
tail piece of the breech (see section Figure 10), a clutch spring, shewn
detached in Figure 11 (plan) and Figure 11ª (side view), keeps the
plate in the required position for shewing the distance to be reached.
In order to simplify the movement of the plate when the marksman

page_text: fires point blank, a "pusher" or piston with projecting top is placed in
front of the trigger guard and through the trigger piece. This "pusher,"
when pressed by the finger, raises the moveable plate at pleasure, and
when the top of the plate is once released and leaves its original position
it can easily be raised by the thumb and finger to the top of its range.
By this arrangement the piston will hit at distances of four hundred or
five hundred yards, and at the same time the "sight" is so contrived as
not to incumber the barrel.
The advantages of this plan are, that the sight is all in one piece,
that it presents only one sight piece or notch, which may be raised or
lowered with mathematical accuracy to the required degree (shewing
the distance to which the projectile is to be sent), where it will
remain quite stationary, and is, moreover, of simple yet particularly
solid construction.
Another of my improved "sights," which is represented in Figure
12 (a plan) and Figure 13 (side view), is constructed in the fol-
lowing manner-An iron or steel bridge (shewn in Figure 14, plan,
and Figure 15, side view) is soldered to the barrel at such a distancè
from the breech as may be determined by the line of sight. The
top of the bridge is notched, so as to mark the proper graduations of
the range of the fire-arm; there are three holes in the bridge.. To
this bridge is fitted a steel spring, split lengthwise so as to clutch the
bridge; this spring (a plan of which is shewn in Figure 16, and a side
view in Figure 17) is strengthened at bottom and tapers gradually
towards the end, so as to facilitate its action; it is fastened at the back
of the bridge by a pin (d, Fig. 22ª). A moveable steel plate of the
peculiar forked form (shewn in plan Figure 18, in section Figure 19,
and back view Figure 20), and curved according to the maximum elé-
vation to be given to the sight for the longest distance, clutches the
bridge; each of the legs of this plate terminate in a loop or eye; one of
these eyes is smooth inside and slightly enlarged, so as to receive the
head and neck of a screw (e, Figure 22b,) which passes through the
other eye (the inside of which is threaded) and then into the upper-
most of two holes in the bridge, where it serves as a pivot on which
the plate rests. The lower of these-holes is intended to receive (when

page_text: requisite) à pin, which stops the play of the spring and allows the screw
to be taken out and the moveable plate to be unshipped. The legs of
the plate are graduated to shew the different distances of the range,
and the plate is kept in the required position by means of an index
slide, with a spur point, shewn in plan Figure 21, and side view
Figure 21, which takes into the notches on the bridge corresponding
to the graduations on the plate. A screw a, at the top of the plate
(shewn at Figure 22) acts as a stop to the slide. At the end of the
plate is a sight notch, which serves for all distances. When firing
point blank the plate rests on the middle of the legs of the spring
where it is held by the spring. When it is desired to fire at a greater
distance, all that has to be done is to raise the plate and push the slirle
towards the mark on the scale shewing the distance in question, where-
upon the spur point of the slide will catch into the corresponding notch
on the bridge, where it will be kept by the pressure of the spring.
The advantage of this sight is, that it takes to pieces, is of simple con-
struction, and may be handled by any one even in the very coldest
.weather.
.
Thirdly, my improvements relate to the manufacture of projectiles,
acting by the expansion of gases resulting from the explosion of the
powder employed, and are represented in Figures 23, 24, 25, 26, 27,
28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34 of the Drawings annexed. Figure 23,
is a side view, and Figure 24, a vertical section of one of these projec-
-tiles, which I call the "throat" ball. It is made in one piece and is
slightly hollowed out at back, in order to receive and concentrate the
action of the gases; in front it is of the form represented in the
Figures. Round this projectile is an angular groove furrow or recess
.a, a. The gases concentrated behind it act directly and instantane-
ously on its base, which not finding any resistance owing to the
peculiar position of the angular recess a, a, collapses (lengthwise), and
the two sides of the angle in righting themselves expand, and enlarge
the perimeter of the ball, so as to let it take into the groove of the
rifling. The ball being solid, and not having any opening into its
centre, which might disturb its equilibrium, will not lose its shape
before firing nor splinter while firing, and its effects will be found

page_text: identical. A modification of this projectile, adapted for military or such
other fire-arms as are loaded by cartridges, is shewn in Figure 25,
(vertical section) and Figure 26, (horizontal section on the line a, b,
of Figure 25). Here the object in view is to remedy the inconvenience
which might arise from the paper of the cartridge getting entangled in
the grooves of the ball when it collapses. c, c, c, c, are four slender
longitudinal ribs in the throat or recess, which serve to hold up the
cartridge paper and prevent it from creasing and being entangled in
the recess, the ribs collapse, of course, with the rest of the projectile.
As a greater expansion of the ball is necessary when it is employed for
military purposes, the hollow at the back of the ball should also be
made deeper, but not so deep as to reach the centre. Figure 27, is a
vertical section of another projectile, which I call the crosial hollow
ball; Figure 28, a bottom plan; and Figure 29, a section on the
line c, d, of Figure 27. This ball is hollowed out at back to about one
third of its height; the recess or cavity a, thus formed, which is shaped
like the frustrum of a cone, serves to concentrate the gases. At the
bottom of this recess are two slots b, b, (Figure 29,) which cross one
another at right angles, so as to form a cross, as shewn; these slots
begin at the bottom of the recess a, and reach to the centre of the ball.
The effect of this arrangement is, that greater solidity is imparted to
the projectile, while at the same time the sides being more slender at
the bottom of the slots b, b, the action of the gases compressed in these
slots expands the ball throughout its cylindrical part, and the ball takes
into the grooves with much regularity and without danger of its being
cracked or splintered, while its thickness prevents any likelihood of its
losing its shape. Figure 30, is a vertical section; Figure 31, an end
view; and Figure 32, a cross section of another projectile of an elon-
gated form, which I call the "cellular" ball. At the back there is a
recess which extends beyond the cylindrical part and is divided by two
partitions a, a, crossing one another, as shewn in the section, thus
forming four distinct compartments or cells b, b, b, b. These partitions
gradually increase in thickness towards the bottom of the recess so as
to impart a sharp pointed shape to the compartments (see Figure 30).
The effects of this arrangement are, firstly, that although the outer:

page_text: sides of the ball are not very thick, and the ball therefore more easily
expands, they are, however, supported by the four interior partitions and
consequently keep their shape. Secondly, the gases entering a deep
space, which is very wide at its base and narrow at its apex, are consi-
derably compressed at the centre of the ball, and taking as a fulcrum
the nucleus formed by the thicker parts of the interior partitions, they
force the outer sides, which are thinner, to expand in the grooves of
the barrel.
Figures 33, and 34, are sections of another of my improved projec-
tiles, which I call "the cylindrico-flat hollow ball." The hollow of this
ball is circular from its base to about the eighth of an inch upwards,
when by means of two parallel curves it changes into a flat and slightly
conical form and terminates at top in a slot, as shewn in the Drawing.
The objects here are, to enable the sides of the ball to maintain a strong
resistance, to have a wide opening for the ready admission of the gases,
and to compress them gradually up to the centre of the projectile, so as
to effect the requisite expansion without splintering or distorting the
ball. The general result of the improvements before described is, to
simplify the construction of the fire-arms where precision is an object,
to dispense with the necessity of expanding the ball in the rifling before
firing, to allow of the ball being withdrawn from the barrel by an
ordinary worm screw, to do away with the employment of expensive
appendages in using rifled fire-arms, to simplify and accelerate rifle
firing, and afford convenient means of rendering this description of fire-
arms accurate and efficient while retaining their simplicity of construc-
tion and rapidity of discharge. It is proper to observe that such
arrangements as tend to permit of the projectile being made in one
piece, to render it strong and prevent its splintering and becoming dis-
torted, are among the most effectual means of arriving at perfection in
the use of fire-arms.
.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First, the machine for grooving or rifling the barrels of fire-arms, as
herein-before described and represented in the Drawings hereunto
annexed.

page_text: Second, the improved bridges or sights for fire-arms, as herein-before
described and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
And third, the several improved projectiles herein-before described
and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francois Jules Manceaux, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July,
eight hundred and fifty-two.