IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
May 1867. A communication from abroad by E. S. Allin, of Springfield,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "Internatioual Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, do bereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," a communication, to be as
follows:-
The said improvements relate more especially to the conversion of muzzle-
loading muskets and rifles into breech-loaders, which is effected in the
following manner :-The rear upper part of the barrel is first cut away to form
an opening or chamber for the breech block; this block consists of a solid
piece which fills up the said opening as well as the bore of the barrel, and is
hinged at its front end to a piece firmly attached to the barrel over the rear.
end of the same. When the cartridge is to be inserted the breech block is..
swung upwards and forwards exposing the end of the bore in which a chamber
is formed sufficiently large to allow the cartridge to enter. The device for
locking the breech block at its rear end consists of a cam mounted upon a
shaft, the end of which projects from the side of the barrel. The projecting.
end of this shaft carries a lever which operates the cam, the said lever, being
usually worked by the thumb of the soidier; by turning back this lever the end

page_text: of the cam enters a notch in the breech pin, and by turning the said lever
upward and forward the cam is withdrawn from the notch and the breech
block is free to be raised.
The cartridge is exploded by a blow from a hammer arranged in the
ordinary manner, the force of the blow being received, however, through the
medium of a firing pin arranged in the upper part of the breech block. The
forward end of this pin rests upon the centre of the rear of the cartridge, and
the rear end of the said pin projects from the rear end of the breech block to
receive the blow of the hammer. In order to prevent the possibility of the
hammer's falling upon the firing pin when the breech block is not down and
locked a projection is arranged upon the end of the lever operating the cam
lock in such a manner that when the said lever is up the hammer shall strike
this projection and is kept from reaching the firing pin, and when the lever is
partially down the nose of the bammer shall strike over this projection forcing
the lever quite down and locking the breech block. For the purpose of pre-
venting the hammer from striking the firing pin before the block is properly
down a projection is arranged on the rear end of the breech block first below
the projecting end of the said pin to receive the blow of the hammer.
To assist the operation of quickly opening and throwing forward the breech
block a spring is arranged beneath the lower portion of the breech chamber
through which a vertical piece projects, and is operated by the said spring;
this spring throws up the breech block when the latter is unlocked, having
been pressed down when the breech block was closed. A spring latch is also
arranged behind the cam lock, so that by pressing the breech block down in its
seat it locks itself. The front end of the breecli block, which when the same is
closed forms the rear of the cartridge chamber, is bevelled slightly so as to
project forward at its lower part, and the end of the barrel at this part being
correspondingly formed, the block is held firmly in place when down, even
though the hinge should give way.
An extractor for removing the cartridge shells is formed by extending a small
projection on the breech block in front of the hinge; when the said block is
raised and thrown forward this projection which passes through a groove
formed for it catches in front of the rim of the cartridge shell at the top of the
same and starts the cartridge back. When the breech block is closed
the projection is above the line of the bore and out of the way of the
cartridge.
An extractor and ejector combined is formed in the following manner :-
On the outside of the barrel to the right of the hinge, and just below the
same, is placed a slide which consists of a guide bar attached at one end to a

page_text: spring loop, the latter being also placed outside the barrel, and having the
bore extending downwards; the front end of this loop is hinged to the rear
end of the sliding guide bar, and the other end is turned over at right angles
forming an elbow, the end of which projects through a lateral slot cut through
the barrel in the rear of the charge chamber; the extremity of this elbow
projects past the line of the bore just far enough to catch the rim of the shell
in front, the forward end of its slot extending past the rim of the shell. The
forward end of the loop projects up above its joint with the end of the guide
bar, and is operated so as to be moved forward or backward by a notch at the
right hand side of the hinge upon the breech block, the sliding bar only
acting as a guide for it. On the side of the rear end of the grooved frame in
which the said loop and guide work a flat spring is fastened; this spring is
formed with a notch which presses upon the rear end of the loop, and holds
the latter while the other end is being pressed back by the breech block
catching the projection on the front end of the loop as the said block is
raised. The rear end of the loop is held by the notch in the flat spring, while
the front end of the said loop is forced back till a lateral projection formed on
the same pushes aside the front end of the said flat spring, which then allows
the rear end of the loop to escape and throw out the cartridge; in this manner
while the breech block is being raised the two ends of the spring loop are
being, pressed together to accumulate power. The projection on the rear end
of the loop catches in front of the rim of the cartridge shell, but is prevented
from moving by the notch in the flat spring which only holds it until the
breech block is raised to the proper degree, and the rear end of the loop
pusbes aside the flat spring and allows the rear end to fly and eject the said
shell. In closing the breech block the spring loop is pushed forward to its
proper place, the front end being moved by the said block and the rear end
by the rim of the shell catching behind it as the block forces it into the
chamber. The slot in the barrel in which the projection or elbow on the rear
end of the loop works is made to taper, the widest part of the slot being on
the inside of the barrel; the said projection is made wedge-shaped so as to fit.
the slot, thus forming a dovetail which it is impossible to blow out.
An ejector may be also constructed by placing a sliding piece in the side of
the barrel behind the cartridge chamber; this piece has a spring attached to
it, so that when pushed forward and released it will fly back with sufficient
force to throw out the cartridge shells. The said piece has a head upon the
front, and which projects inward past the line of the bore at the rear of the
chamber, and operate by the rim of the shell forcing it forward as the breech
block is closed, but when the latter is raised the head springs back and throws

page_text: out the shell; this sliding piece works in a groove out in the inside of the
barrel in rear of the chamber..
In order to reduce the bore of an old muzzle-loading gun or rifle to adapt
the same to the metallic cartridges now used a tube of metal is inserted in
the barrel in the following manner :-The barrel is first bored out and left
slightly taper of the desired decrease from the breech to the muzzle; into this
barrel a tube is forced, which is also made to fit the bore of the barrel. This
inner tube is fastened in as follows:-A slot is cut through the exterior tube
or barrel to the surface of the inside one; both tubes are then heated and
brass wire is inserted in the slot, borax or other suitable flux being used; the
wire then melts and the molten brass runs in between the outside and inside
tubes, filling up the slight space between them in the neighborhood of the
slots; any number of these may be used as desired. The brazing is per-
formed at the muzzle in a different manner; a ring of brass wire is placed
around the extended end of the inside tube, and is melted down between the
said tube and barrel. This brazing holds the tube firmly in place, uniting it
with the barrel, and forming practically a solid barrel of the two, which is
afterwards bored and rifled, as in the ordinary method.