IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Desmond Gerald Fitzgerald, of Cambridge Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
Danse FALDING
Sealed the 2nd April 1861, and dated the 10th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Desmond Gerald Fitz-
gerald at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th October 1860.
I, DESMOND GERALD FITZGERALD, of Cambridge Street, 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:-
My Invention consists in constructing breech-loading fire-arms with the
following parts arranged and working in the following manner :-The breech-
loading parts of the fire-arm, to which alone my Invention applies, comprise
first, a fixed breech-piece, which screws into the rear end of the barrel, and is
bedded in the stock; secondly, a movable breech-piece, which contains the
charge chamber, and which lies in the fixed breech-piece when the gun is
charged and ready for firing, and opens out of the same transversely when a
fresh charge is to be inserted; thirdly, a lever, which when the arm is charged
is situated between the rear end of the movable breech-piece and a projection
or block springing from and formed in one with the rear end of the fixed

page_text: breech-piece, and which lever also serves for opening out the movable breech-
piece; and, fourthly, a rod or pin, which passes through the two ends of the
fixed breech-piece, or through lugs formed on each end of it, and at the same
time forms an axis, about which the movable breech-piece and the lever turn.
The movable breech-piece is formed with a cone at the front end, which cone
enters a recess in the fixed breech-piece, serving to prevent the escape of the
gas when the gun is discharged, as is well understood; it is therefore necessary
to give the movable breech-piece two motions, one parallel to, and one at
right angles to the axis of the arm. The first of these motions is obtained by
means of an inclined projection or surface or surfaces, formed upon what I
may call the hinge portion of the movable breech-piece, and of a corresponding
inclined groove or surface or surfaces formed on the hinge end of the lever,
and coming in contact with the projection or surface or surfaces aforesaid.
The inclined surfaces are so limited in extent, that on raising the lever
(supposing the gun to have just been discharged) from its position it first
draws back the movable breech-piece sufficiently only to clear the cone from
the fixed breech-piece, and then carries the movable breech-piece back with it
until the charge chamber is brought clear of the fixed breech-piece, so that the
charge may be inserted. This having been donc, on restoring the lever to its
position it first carries the movable breech-piece down into the fixed breech-
piece, and then the inclined surfaces coming into play, the cone of the movable
breech-piece is forced forward tightly into the fixed breech piece; at the same
time the body of the lever, which is formed with slightly inclined surfaces,
enters with a wedge-like action between the end of the movable breech-piece
and the block on the fixed breech-piece, and there firmly remains to receive
and withstand the shock of the explosion.
The above arrangement is that which I prefer, but I sometimes modify it in
the following manner :-I connect the lever loosely to the rear end of the
movable breech-piece, and impart the longitudinal motions to this movable
breech-piece by means of inclined surfaces formed upon it and upon the lever,
combined with pins or screw threads fixed in or formed upon both the movable
and the fixed breech-pieces, such pins or screw threads taking into a groove
formed around the circumference of the central part of the lever. In this
arrangement the inclined surfaces before mentioned come tightly together
when the piece is made ready for firing, and the body of the lever receives the
shock of the explosion (transmitted through those surfaces), as in the former
arrangement.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Desmond Gerald Fitzgerald in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DESMOND
GERALD FITZGERALD, of Cambridge Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Desmond
Gerald Fitzgerald, Her special licence that I, the said Desmond Gerald Fitz-
gerald, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Desmond Gerald Fitzgerald, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Desmond Gerald Fitzgerald, my exccutors 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 Desmond Gerald Fitzgerald, 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 fol-
lowing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in constructing breech-loading fire-arms with the
following parts arranged and working in the following manner:-The: breech-
loading parts of the fire-arm to which alone. my Invention applies, comprise,
first, a fixed breech-piece which screws into the rear end of the barrel, or the
barrel screws into it, and is bedded in the stock; secondly, a movable breech-
piece which contains the charge chamber and which lies in the fixed breech-
piece when the gun is charged and ready for firing, and opens out of the same
transversely when a fresh charge is to be inserted; thirdly, of a lever, which,
when the arm is charged, is situated between the rear end of the movable

page_text: breech-piece and a projection or block springing from and formed in one with
the rear end of the fixed breech-piece, and which lever also serves for opening
out the movable breech-piece; and fourthly, a rod or pin which passes through
the two ends of the fixed breech-piece or through lugs formed on each end
of it, and at the same time forms an axis, about which the movable breech-
piece and the lever turn. The movable breech-piece is formed with a cone at
the front end, which cone enters a recess in the fixed breech-piece, serving to
prevent the escape of the gas when the gun is discharged, as is well under-
stood. It is therefore necessary to give the movable breech-piece two motions,
one parallel to and one at right angles to the axis of the arm. The first of
these motions is obtained by means of an inclined projection or surface or sur-
faces formed upon what I may call the hinge portion of the movable breech-
piece, and of a corresponding inclined groove or surface or surfaces formed on
the hinge end of the lever, and coming in contact with the projection or sur-
face or surfaces aforesaid. The inclined surfaces are so limited in extent, that
on raising the lever (supposing the gun to have just been discharged) from its
position, it first draws back the movable breech-piece sufficiently only to clear
the cone from the fixed breech-piece, and then carries the movable breech-
piece back with it, until the charge chamber is brought clear of the fixed
brecch-piece, so that the charge may be inserted. This having been done, on
restoring the lever to its position it first carries the movable breech-piece down
into the fixed breech-piece, and then the inclined surfaces coming into play,
the cone of the movable breech-piece is forced forward tightly into the fixed
breech piece, at the same time the body of the lever, which is formed with
slightly inclined surfaces, enters with a wedge-like action between the end of
the movable breech-piece and the block on the fixed breech-piece, and there
firmly remains to receive and withstand the shock of the explosion.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan of so much of a breech-
loading gun as is necessary to illustrate the manner in which I carry my
Invention into effect, and in which the movable breech-piece is shewn closed;
Figure 2 is a similar view, with the movable breech-piece open; Figure 3 is
a plan of the fixed breech-piece detached; Figure 4 is a plan, and Figure 5
an end view, of the movable breech-piece detached; Figure 6 is a side, and
Figure 7 an end view, of the lever and wedge with which the movable breech-
piece is opened. The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in Figures
1 to 8.
a is the fixed breech-piece bedded in the stock b, into the fore part of which
the rear end of the barrel c screws. This breech carries lugs d, d', d', through
which a spindle e passes, secured by a nut f; a detached view of this spindle

page_text: is given at Figure 8. g is the movable breech-piece formed with a side block
g', which is bored or otherwise hollowed out throughout its entire length for
the purpose of the pin e being passed through it, in order that it may turn and
move on the pin e, as hereafter explained, and to prevent the movable
breech-piece from becoming detached from the gun. h is an inclined surface
or block on the rear end of the block g'; i is the conical or tapered end of the
movable breech-piece. The lever shown at Figures 6 and 7 is also free to turn
upon the spindle e, between the lugs d, d', as shewn at o, Figure 2; 1 is an
inclined fork, coming in contact with or embracing (when the lever is raised)
the inclined block h; m is a wedge on the lever, which, when the arm is
ready for firing, occupies the space between the rear end of the movable breech
and the part of the fixed breech-piece, and wedges the cone i tight in the
barrel; the bottom edge of this wedge m is bevilled to facilitate its action; n
is the finger piece of the lever. The action is as follows:-Supposing the arm
has just been discharged, the hammer raised, and the used cap removed, place
the finger or thumb beneath the lever n, raise the latter, whereupon the fork
embraces the block h, and causing the latter to follow the incline in the inte-
rior of the fork, draws back the movable breech-piece clear of the barrel and
fore part of the fixed breech. The raising of the lever being continued causes
the movable breech-piece to be turned over on the spindle e, as shewn at
Figure 2, when it is ready to receive a fresh charge, then pull over the lever,
whereupon the movable breech-piece 9 is turned over, and the cone i is wedged
tight into the rear of the barrel. Instead of a chamber being formed in the
movable breech-piece, it may be made solid and the charge may be inserted in
the barrel. In such case it need not be so long as is represented in the
Drawings.
The arrangement first described is that which I prefer, but I sometimes
modify it in the following manner:-I connect the lever loosely to the rear
end of the movable breech-piece, and impart the longitudinal motions to this
movable breech-piece by means of inclined surfaces formed upon it and upon
the lever, combined with pins or screw threads fixed in or formed upon both
the movable and the fixed breech-pieces, such pins or screw threads taking
into a groove formed around the circumference of the central part of the
lever.
Figure 9 is a plan, and Figure 10 is a view, of the rear end of a movable
breech-piece detached, made according to the modification just described;
Figures 11 and 12 are views of the lever detached for opening and closing the
movable breech-piece, showing the inclined surfaces.
a is a projection on the rear end of the movable breech-piece, to which the

page_text: lever bis loosely connected; c, c, are the inclined surfaces. on the movable
breech-piece, and d, d, are corresponding surfaces on the lever; f is a block
formed in a piece with the movable breech-piece, and free to turn about a pin
passing through it, as in the former arrangement; g is a slot for the reception
of the arm of the lever when the movable breech is drawn back and open; h
is a pin free to move in a groove i (shown by the dotted lines) formed by the
lever. The inclined surfaces c, c, and d, d, come tightly together when the
piece is made ready for firing. By raising the lever from the side of the arm,
the breech is drawn back by the action of the pin h on the inclined surface in
the groove i, and by throwing the lever over, the movable breech-piece is
turned back out of the fixed breech-piece through the lever abutting against
the termination of the groove g; the other parts are similar to the arrange-
ment before described. Breech-loading guns made in the manner before
described are capable of being loaded at. the muzzle as well as at the
breech.
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 as my improve-
ments in breech-loading fire-arms,―
First, opening and closing the movable breech-piece by means of an inclined
block or surface formed thereon, in combination with a fork on a wedge lever,
the sides of which fork are inclined and act on the movable breech-piece sub-
stantially in manner herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 8
of the accompanying Drawings.
Second, opening and closing the movable breech-piece substantially in
manner herein-before described and illustrated at Figures 9, 10, 11,. and 12 of
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Desmond Gerald Fitzgerald, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.
DESMOND G. FITZGERALD. (L.S.)
DESMOND G. FITZGERALD.
(L.S.)