IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Clarence Shepard, of Springfield Lodge,
Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Clarence Shepard
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th February 1864.
I, EDWARD CLARENCE SHEPARD, of Springfield Lodge, Regent's Park, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention of improvements in breech-loading fire-arms relates to
certain improvements upon an Invention for which Letters Patent bearing
date August 27th, 1863, No. 2120, were granted to William Edward Newton.
That Invention consisted in so constructing and combining the moveable
breech piece and the hammer of a breech-loading fire-arm that the hammer
by the act of falling to fire the charge is caused to lock the breech securely
against the rear end of the barrel, and to brace it together, so that it may
resist the force of the explosion of the charge. A metallic cartridge provided
with a hollow rim or shoulder containing a suitable - detonating composition
for exploding the charge when struck by the hammer is used in combination
with the fire-arm patented by William Edward Newton.

page_text: The present Invention has for its object to adapt a similar combination of
moveable breech piece and hammer to the ordinary ammunition used in the
British army, or any other ammunition or cartridge that is exploded by means
of a percussion cap, or other analogous contrivance separate from the cartridge
itself. In the former Invention the metallic case of the exploded charge. is
withdrawn from the rear end of the barrel by means of a spring hook or
catch connected with the moveable breech piece, so that when the latter is
moved back the catch by coming against the flange or shoulder of the
cartridge case will pull it out of the barrel. According to the present Inven-
tion the spring hook or catch is dispensed with, and the charge is exploded
by means of an ordinary percussion cap, which is placed on a nipple screwed
into a nipple lump on the rear end of the barrel. A notch or opening is cut
out of the moveable breech piece, in order to receive the nipple, and also to
leave room for the cap to be placed on the nipple, and allow the hammer to
reach the cap through the breech piece. By forming the opening or notch in
the breech piece slightly conical, or providing it with a projecting pin or flange,
it I may be made to draw off the exploded cap from the nipple when the breech
piece is drawn back ready to place another charge in the barrel.
As a modification of this construction of lock the moveable breech piece
may be secured by means of a bolt or projecting piece acting with or attached
to the hammer, but not forming part of the hammer proper, that is, the
hammer to strike and explode the cap may be of the construction usually
employed in percussion locks, with the addition at one side of the same of the
bolt or projecting piece for securing the moveable breech piece.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Clarence Shepard in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
CLARENCE SHEPARD, of Springfield Lodge, Regent's Park, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Clarence Shepard, Her special license that I, the said Edward
Clarence Shepard, my executors. administrators, and assigns, or such others as

page_text: I, the said Edward Clarence Shepard, 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 Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Clarence Shepard, 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 Clarence Shepard, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being bad to the Drawings hereunto aunexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Improvements in Breech-loading Fire-arms" relates to
certain improvements upon an Invention for which Letters Patent bearing
date August Twenty-seventh One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three,
No. 2820, were granted to William Edward Newton. That Invention
consisted in so constructing and combining the moveable breech piece and the
hammer of a breech-loading fire-arm that the hammer by the act of falling to
fire the charge is caused to lock the breech securely against the rear end of
the barrel, and to brace it together, so that it may resist the force of the
explosion of the charge. A metallic cartridge provided with a hollow rim or
shoulder containing a suitable detonating composition for exploding the charge
when struck by the hammer is used in combination with the fire-arm patented
by William Edward Newton.
The present Invention has for its object to adapt a similar combination of
moveable breech piece and hammer to the ordinary ammunition used in the
British army, or any other ammunition or cartridge that is exploded by means
of a percussion cap or other analogous contrivance separate from the cartridge
itself. In the former Invention the metallic case of the exploded charge is
withdrawn from the rear end of the barrel by means of a spring hook or catch
connected with the moveable breech piece, so that when the latter is moved
back the catch by coming against the flange or shoulder of the cartridge case
will pull it out of the barrel.
According to the present Invention the spring book or catch is dispensed

page_text: with, and the charge is exploded by means of an ordinary percussion cap, which
is placed on a nipple screwed into a nipple lump on the rear end of the barrel.
A notch or opening is cut out of the side of the moveable breech piece in order
to leave room for the nipple, and for the cap to be placed on the nipple, and
also to allow the hammer to reach the cap. By forming the opening or notch
in the side of the breech piece slightly conical, or providing it with a pro-
jecting pin or flange, it may be made to draw off the exploded cap from the
nipple, when the breech piece is drawn back ready to place another charge in
the barrel. The moveable breech piece may be made simply to close the end
of the barrel, and thus act simply as a plug, or it may be provided with a
chamber which will form a continuation of the barrel, in which case the
nipple will be adapted to the breech chamber, which will form the rear end of
the barrel, instead of to the barrel itself.
As a modification of this construction the nipple may be adapted to the
back of the moveable breech piece, so that the fire from the cap will pass
through the breech piece and reach the rear, end of the cartridge or charge in
the barrel. Instead of the plan already referred to for securing the moveable
breech piece, this object may be effected by means of a bolt or projecting
piece acting with or attached to the hammer, but not forming part of the
hammer proper, that is, the hammer in order to strike and explode the cap
may be of the construction usually employed in percussion locks, with the
addition at one side of the same of the bolt or projecting piece for securing
the moveable breech piece and holding it firmly against the rear end of the
barrel when the hammer has fallen on the cap to explode the charge.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shown various views of three
different forms of lock and moveable breech, in which arrangements the
charge is exploded by means of an ordinary percussion cap placed on a
nipple screwed into the fixed part of the breech in the ordinary manner, or
on to the moveable breech piece.
Fig. 1 is an external side elevation of so much of the breech part, stock,
and lock of a gun as is necessary to understand the present improvements,
and represents one mode of carrying out the Invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional
elevation of the same, the hammer (which is, of course, outside the lock
plate) being cut away, but its position being shewn by red lines in the Figure,
so that the action of the various parts may be more clearly understood; Fig. 3
is a plan or bird's-eye view of the same, and Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical
section taken through the barrel just in front of the nipple.
The principal working parts are the hammer a, which turns on its centre
pin 1, and is worked or propelled forward by the strong flat spring a'. The

page_text: next most important piece is the moveable breech piece 6, which is mounted
on the centre pin 2, and is provided with a projecting face piece or block,
which fits into a countersunk socket made in the rear end of the barrel as
seen best in Fig. 2. The trigger c, with its guard, is of the ordinary kind,
and acts on the notches of the tumbler d in the usual manner. The upper
part of the moveable breech is made in the form of a hemispherical block,
and is provided with a comb b', whereby it may be pulled back when required.
On the face of this block is formed a projecting shoulder 6, which is mado to
fit a countersink at the end of the barrel, and thus form a gas-tight joint, as
seen in Fig. 2. The lower end or heel of the moveable breech piece b bears
against a spring e, which keeps the breech piece up against its sent at the
rear end of the barrel. The back part of the breech piece is cut away at 3,
Fig. 2, so as to form a face to receive the blocking piece f, which is cast on
the inner side of the hammer, as seen best in the detached view of the
hammer at Fig. 5. It will be seen or referring to Fig. 2 that the barrel g of
the fire-arm is screwed into the block h, which is secured to the stock of the
in any convenient manner, and on the upper part of this block the nipple
lump i, Figures 1, 3, and 4 is placed, and receives the square and nipple j.
The touch-hole is bored through the block and barrel g, as indicated by dots
in Fig. 4; and in order that the holes through the two parts should be always
coincident, the barrel is provided with a shoulder 4, Figures 2 and 3, so that
it may always be screwed up exactly to the same place.
gun
Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a modification of the above, the principal
difference being that the moveable breech piece is provided with a chamber
to receive the charge. This chamber in fact forms a continuation of the
barrel, and the nipple lump is formed thereon to receive the nipple. Fig. 7
is a sectional elevation of the moveable breech detached, shewing its charging
chamber, with the nipple lump and nipple thereon; Fig. 8 is an end or back
view of the same.
Fig. 9 is a plan view, and Fig. 10 a side view of another modification, in
which the nipple lump and nipple are placed on the back part of the moveable
breech piece. By the arrangements shewn in Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, the
hammer a may be made smaller and shorter than in the other, and the flash
or fire from the detonating cap on the nipple may be conveyed to the rear
end of the cartridge, and made to strike through a central hole made for that
purpose in a metal disc placed at the rear end of the cartridge, and which
disc will lie in the countersink at the end of the barrel, and when held in by
the moveable breech will prevent the escape of gas from this joint.
In order to load and discharge the piece, the operation of the several parts

page_text: is as follows-The hammer a is first brought to full cock, as indicated by
lots in Fig. 1, and by red lines in Fig. 2; the moveable breech b may then
be drawn back on its centre 2 by its comb b', and will thus be brought into
the position shewn by black dots in Figures 1 and 2; the cartridge may then
be inserted and the breech again closed, when a cap may be placed on the
nipple and the hammer brought to half-cock, as indicated by the red lines in
Fig. 1, until it is required to be discharged. In this position the locking
block of the hammer will effectually prevent the moveable breech piece
from being drawn back either by accident or by design. When it is desired
to discharge the piece the hammer must be brought to full cock, and upon
being released by the trigger will fall with force upon the cap and explode the
charge, and in so doing the block f on the hammer will be brought firmly up.
against and in rear of the face 3 on the back of the breech piece b, and will
effectually prevent it from being driven back by the explosion of the charge.
If a metallic disc be employed at the rear end of the cartridge then a spring
catch must be attached to the moveable breech piece for-the purpose of
withdrawing the metallic disc previous to reloading, as described in the
Specification of William Edward Newton's Patent above mentioned. It will
now be understood that upon reloading the arm the hammer must be again
brought to full cock, and upon drawing back the moveable breech piece the
spring hook or catch just mentioned will catch against the flange or shoulder
of the disc of the exploded cartridge, and will draw it out of the countersink
of the barrel, leaving the latter open to receive a fresh cartridge. The object
of the arrangement shewn at Figures 9 and 10 is to admit of the ordinary
service ammunition or even loose powder and ball being used, for which
purpose it will be seen that the inovcable breech piece 6 is enlarged, and a
chamber o is made therein to receive the charge. The nipple lump is made
receives the nipple in the
on the chamber part of the breech piece and
ordinary manner, and the touch-hole is made to extend from the nipple to the
rear end of the chamber o. A block f, Fig. 6, on the hammer a, as in the
other arrangements, abuts against the face 3 at the back of the breech piece b,
and prevents it from being thrust back by the explosion of the charge. The
curved face of the breech piece guides it steadily as it turns on its centre of
motion 2; a spring e is made to bear against the heel of the moveable
breech piece b, and keep the chamber up to its seat at the end of the
barrel.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Breech-loading
Fire-arms," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-

page_text: The combination with a barrel, provided with a nipple to receive a percussion
cap, of the moveable breech piece b and hammer a, the whole being constructed,
combined, and arranged substantially as herein set forth.
I also claim constructing the moveable breech piece b with a chamber to
receive the ordinary service ammunition or even loose powder, as herein set
forth.
And, lastly, I claim adapting to the moveable breech piece b a nipple to
receive the cap, so that when the latter is exploded the fire may pass down
the touch-hole made through the breech piece, and reach the rear end of the
charge or cartridge, as above shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Clarence Shepard, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of August, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
year of
(L.S.) EDWARD CLARENCE SHEPARD.