IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
ORDNANCE."-A communication from abroad by Nathan Thompson,
of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America.
Scaled the 4th June 1872, and dated the 21st March 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 21st March 1872:
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
5 Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
ORDNANCE," to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of a breech-loading
piece of ordnance, whereby the movable breech portion may be, even in
pieces of the heaviest calibre, removed from and returned to the position

page_text: in which it closes the bore by the application of a very small amount of
power.
It consists, firstly, in constructing the movable portion or breech
proper of cylindrical form, and in the provision of a suitable
opening with guides or ways in the body of the gun, whereby the
movable portion or breech proper may have a rolling motion in a
direction lateral to the bore; and it consists, secondly, in the combina-
tion with such rolling movable breech portion of a spur gear or pinion
upon its periphery, and a toothed rack on the body of the gun, whereby
the movement may be facilitated and regulated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th September 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 " IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE," being a
communication to me from abroad by Nathan Thompson, of Brooklyn,
in the State of New York, United States of America, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under

page_text: 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 William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
This Invention relates to a novel construction of a breech-loading
piece of ordnance, whereby the moveable breech portion may be (even
in pieces of the heaviest calibre) removed from and returned to the
position in which it closes the bore by the application of a very small
amount of power.
The Invention consists, firstly, in constructing the moveable portion
or breech proper of cylindrical form, and in the provision of a suitable
opening with guides or ways in the body of the gun, whereby the
moveable portion or breech proper may have a rolling motion in a
direction lateral to the bore; secondly, in the combination with such
rolling moveable breech portion of a spur gear or pinion upon its peri-
phery, and a toothed rack on the body of the gun, whereby the movement
may be facilitated and regulated.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a side view of a gun constructed according to the Invention,
showing it mounted on a carriage; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the
gun; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the gun taken in front of the
moveable breech-piece, looking towards the latter; Fig: 4 is a transverse
section in the plane indicated by the line x, x, in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a
rear view.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
Figures.
A represents the body of the gun bored throughout, and having in one
side of it in rear of the chamber a horizontal opening a, a', communi-
cating with the bore, and extending back through the base f of the

page_text: breech; this opening having a depth greater than the bore 6 for the
passage within it of the moveable breech piece B, the diameter of which
is greater than that of the bore. On the bottom of this horizontal
opening there is a straight track or groove a¹ for the moveable breech
piece B to roll upon, and a tooth rack c. The moveable breech piece B
is of cylindrical form, constructed with a projecting band d, which is
capable of rolling like a wheel on the track or groove a', and it is also
surrounded with spur teeth j, constituting a spur wheel or pinion gearing
with a rack c. The back part of the opening a, a, is reduced in depth
to form a recoil shoulder e, against which the back of the band d formed
on the breech piece may have its bearing when the breech is closed, this
shoulder extending round the interior of the body opposite to the
opening a, a¹. The rear portion of the moveable breech piece B extends
through the base of the breech, and is furnished with suitable handles
or levers g, g, to which power is applied to roll it. In the periphery of
the breech piece there is a groove h for the reception of the point of a
stationary check screw i, which is inserted into the body of the gun to
serve as a stop to prevent the breech piece from rolling too far outward.
The closing and opening movements of this breech piece are produced by
applying power to the handles or levers g, g, to roll it to and from the
position in line with or opposite to the bore, shewn in Figures 2 and 3
(and in bold outline in Fig. 4), and the position shewn in Fig. 5 (and in
dotted outline in Fig. 4), the power required being very small, as there is
no weight to be lifted and very little friction having to be overcome.
In order to make a tight joint at the breech of the gun, the rolling
breech piece B may have a screw C screwing within or through it, and
having attached to its front end a plug D, which closes like a valve into
a seat k provided around the bore, as shown in Fig. 2.
The firing of the charge in a gun fitted with the rolling breech piece
may be effected by a firing pin working through the said breech piece,
and actuated by a spring as in other breech-loading ordnance.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me
by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
First. The rolling breech-piece applied to work within a lateral

page_text: the rolling breech-piece and lateral opening in the body of the gun,
substantially as herein set forth..
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-two.