IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1865

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 FIRE-ARMS."—A
communication from abroad by Cyprian Chabot and George Joseph
Richardson, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
Sealed the 9th February 1866, and dated the 27th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th October 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that class of fire-arms in which the charge is
inserted at the breech and the empty cartridge case ejected by the act of
opening up the breech or bore of the gun to receive a fresh cartridge. The
breech block swings upward and forward to open up the breech of the gun
for the receipt of the cartridge. This plan is more particularly adapted for
the alteration of muzzle-loading guns (already constructed) to breech-loaders.

page_text: The cartridge case ejector may, however, be applied to other breech-loaders
as well as to this particular form and construction.
The Invention consists, first, in combining a slightly moving lever latch
with the breech block, and a spring catch with the frame, so that the breech
block will be firmly locked and fastened when down in its seat, and so that
the first slight motion of the lever when seized to open up the breech block
will detach the latch and catch, and a continuation of the same motion will
raise up the breech block, thus by one single motion unlocking the breech
block and opening up the bore of the gun for the receipt of the cartridge.
The Invention further consists in combining the breech block locking bolt
with the cartridge striker, or exploding point, pin, or rod, so that when the
breech block is not entirely down and bolted or locked the striker or exploding
point or rod shall be locked out, and an accidental or other letting down of the
bammer will fail to explode the cartridge..
The Invention further consists in causing the blow of the hammer upon the
striker or exploding pin to shoot the bolt into its keeper and lock it there,
(should it by any casualty fail to shoot home,) and before the striker reaches
the cartridge or before the recoil from the explosion takes place.
The Invention further consists in the working of the cartridge case extractor
by a pinion or gear, or a segment of the same, in combination with a straight
rack which is adapted or affixed to the extractor. The pinion is mounted on
the axle of the breech block, so that the extractor shall be worked by the same
motion used to open up the breech of the gun.
The Invention further consists in combining an escapement or trip motion
and a retracting spring with the pinion or toothed segment and straight rack
which works the cartridge extractor, so that when the extractor shall have
pushed or drawn out the empty cartridge case the trip mechanism shall
detach the pinion or segment from the straight rack, and will allow the
retracting spring to move or throw back the extractor into its original position
ready for a fresh cartridge to be inserted in the bore.
The Invention further consists in combining with the cartridge extractor an
ejector; the extractor will push or draw out the empty cartridge case from the
barrel, and the ejector will throw it out of the gun or loading chamber. The
ejector consists of a curved bar pivotted or placed in the loading chamber
below the cartridge case. The ends of the ejector are alternately thrown
down and up by the movements outwards of the extractor and the cartridge
case as they pass over them, so that one end of the ejector will rise and eject
or throw the cartridge case out of the loading chamber.

page_text: 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 27th April 1866..
.
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-seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth 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, administrators, 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 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors 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 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 that class of fire-arms in which the charge is
inserted at the breech. The empty cartridge case is ejected by the act of
opening up the breech or bore of the gun to receive a fresh cartridge. The
breech block swings upward and forward to open up the breech of the gun for
the receipt of the cartridge. This plan is more particularly adapted for the
alteration of muzzle-loading guns (already contructed) to breech-loaders.
The cartridge case ejector may, however, be applied to other breech-loaders
as well as to this particular form and construction. I-do not, therefore, limit

page_text: the use of the cartridge case ejector to the construction of gun shown in the
Drawing, but I claim it in connexion with any other breech-loading gun to
which it may be applicable.
The Invention consists, first, in combining a slightly moving lever latch
with the breech block, and a spring catch with the frame, so that the breech
block will be firmly locked and fastened when down in its seat, and so that
the first slight motion of the lever when seized to open up the breech block
will detach the latch and catch, and a continuation of the same motion will
raise up the breech block, thus by one single motion unlocking the breech
block and opening up the bore of the gun for the receipt of the cartridge.
The Invention further consists in combining the breech block locking bolt
with the cartridge striker or exploding point, pin, or rod, so that when the
breech block is not entirely down and bolted or locked the striker or exploding
point or rod shall be locked out, and an accidental or other letting down of the
hammer will fail to explode the cartridge.
The Invention further consists in causing the blow of the hammer upon the
striker or exploding pin to shoot the bolt into its keeper and lock it there
(should it by any casualty fail to shoot home), and before said striker reaches
the cartridge, or before the recoil from the explosion takes place.
The Invention further consists in the working of the cartridge case extractor
by a pinion or gear, or a segment of the same, in combination with a straight
rack.
The Invention further consists in so combining the extractor and its
operative connections with the breech block that the extractor shall be worked
by the same motion used to open up the breech of the gun.
The Invention further consists in combining an escapement or trip motion
and a retracting spring with the pinion or toothed segment and straight rack,
so that when the extractor shall have pushed or drawn out the empty cart-
ridge case the trip mechanism shall detach the pinion or segment from the
straight rack, and will allow the retracting spring to move or throw back the
extractor into its original position ready for a fresh cartridge to be inserted in
the bore.
The Invention further consists in the use of a combined extractor and
ejector; the extractor will push or draw out the empty cartridge case, and the
ejector will throw it out of the gun or loading chamber.
The Invention further consists in so arranging an ejector with regard to
the path of the extractor and the location of the empty cartridge case that
the ends of the ejector shall be alternately thrown down and up by the
movements of the extractor and the cartridge case, as they pass over them.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a side view of a portion
of the gun; Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical
section through the portion of the gun shown with the hinged breech piece
opened up; Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent more particularly the operation of
the cartridge case ejector; and Figures 7, 8, and 9 represent modifications of
and ejector.
the gun
A is the stock; B, the barrel; and C, the hammer of a gun. The barrel. B
at its rear upper portion is cut away, as shown in the Drawings, Figures 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, and 8, to form a space into which the cartridge may be dropped and
through which it is passed into the bore of the gun, and the empty shell
drawn out when the breech piece is opened or thrown back. Immediately
in front of this cut-away portion a sleeve or reinforcing boss D is shrunk on
or otherwise securely fastened around the barrel. This boss or block D
strengthens that portion of the barrel where the cartridge lies and is exploded,
and also furnishes a base for hinging the breech block E to. The breech
block E is made to neatly fit and close the cut-away portion of the barrel;
and is hinged by its arms F to the two sides of the sleeve D by pivots G
upon which it can freely swing. To the breech piece is united a lever H
pivotted at a, and allowed a slight motion independent of the motion of the
breech piece by means of a pin 6 passing through a slot c for that purpose:
On the lever H there is a latch d, which when the breech piece is brought
down to close the bore of the gun shuts under the spring bolt or catch e
arranged in the frame of the gun and securely locks it down, or the latch or
bolt may shoot into a recess or keeper as shown in Figures 7 and 8, either
plan serving the purpose. When the breech is to be opened for recharging,
the operator simply seizes the lever H and raises it upward, its independent
motion first pushes back the bolt or catch e or draws back the bolt d, as in
Figures 7 and 8, and the same motion continued raises up the breech piece E
to the desired position, so that the gun may be reloaded. Through the breech
piece or block E a spring rod f passes, which when struck by the hammer
conveys the force of the blow to the cartridge at its flange (or at its centre if
so preferred, or when centre-fire cartridges are used) and explodes it. If it be
an altered gun the same hammer and location will answer, an oblique direction
being given to the rod to carry the blow to the cartridge. When the hammer
is raised up to the half cock notch the spring retracts the rod f within the
breech block, and the latter can then be readily raised up for the discharge of
the empty case and for recharging the gun. The cartridge extractor 9 is
arranged within the sleeve or frame in a mortice or opening, but is protected
by metal all around it. It has upon it a straight rack h with which a pinion

page_text: gear, or segment of the same i, placed for security and convenience under one
of the arms, lugs, or ears F of the breech block works, and which segment or
gear forces the extractor towards the rear of the gun when the breech block
is in the act of being swung or thrown open, as shown by red lines in
Figures 4, 5, 7, and 8, and forces out the empty case. As the extractor is
forced back to throw out the discharged cartridge case a coiled spring j is
wound up, the recoil of which carries back the extractor into its recess in
readiness for the next similar operation. The spring j is detached by à certain
device connected with the breech block, so that it will be tripped when the
extractor has pushed out the empty shell, and will carry back the extractor
suddenly or quickly whilst the breech block may remain open, or in other
words, the opening up of the breech block throws the extractor into action,
but after the breech block is thrown back it has no further influence upon
the extractor until it has again been shut down tight and again raised. This
is accomplished as follows:-On the lug, ear, or arm F there is a curved
spring and forked arm k, and on the segment i there are two studs or pins
1, 2. Now the fork of the arm k takes against the stud 1, and causes the
segment i to turn, which segment by gearing with the rack h forces or pushes
out the extractor. But as the segment i continues to turn, the other stud 2
comes against the forked spring arm k and pushes it away from the stud 1,
and the spring being now released by the force that compressed it recoils
and carries back the segment i, which in turn carries back the extractor g,
whilst the breech block may remain up or be brought down as may be
desired.
Although only one plan of disconnecting the extractor from the breech block,
so as to allow it to return to its normal position without bringing down the
breech block, is shewn, other devices for doing the same thing may be
employed, as, for instance, a spring tooth for throwing the extractor or its rack
out of gear with the toothed segment would accomplish the same result.
There are many ways of disconnecting a rack and segment and many kinds
of escapements known, I do not, therefore, limit myself to the exact devices
shown, but claim any mechanism that disconnects the extractor from the
device that backs it out, so that a spring may shoot it back into its normal
or inactive position, and allow a charged cartridge to be inserted into the
bore of the gun. The only thing of importance to be guarded against in
using a disconnecting apparatus or device is that it should connect of itself
again when the next empty case is to be pushed out.
In Figures 7 and 8 I have shown in connection with the extractor g an
ejector m, the object of which is to throw the empty cartridge case out of the

page_text: loading chamber, and thus avoid the necessity of using the fingers or turning
the gun over to allow it to drop out. This ejector m is a curved piece of
metal, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, and is pivotted at or near its centre,
as at 3, so that it may vibrate thereon. The two ends 4, 5, of the ejector m.
are so arranged that one (4) may project through the bottom of the loading
chamber I, and the other end (5) project through the ledge n or way on
which, the extractor moves in going out and returning, so that as the cartridge
case is backed out it will on passing over the projecting end 4 of the ejector.
push down that end, and consequently force up its other end 5, and when the
extractor g has been tripped or detached, and is suddenly drawn in by the
rétraction of its spring it in passing strikes the end 5 of the ejector, which
suddenly throws up its other end.4, upon or over which the empty cartridge case
lies, and the force will be sufficient to throw the empty shell or case clear out
of the gun.
The striking pin or bolt f in the arrangement shown in Figures 7 and 8
is so located and moves in such proximity to the locking bolt d, and is so
formed with a shoulder or projection 6 that when the breech block is down
far enough to receive the blow of the hammer upon its striker, but not actually
locked by the bolt, the striker.f.will be prevented by the bolt d from reaching.
the cartridge or causing an explosion which might otherwise be dangerous to
the user from the failure of the bolt to shoot within its catch or keeper.
And further, if by any accident or otherwise, the bolt d should fail to fully and,
completely shoot into its keeper 7 the blow of the hammer C upon the pin or
striker would force the bolt into its catch, and by means of the shoulders or
projections on the striker and bolt will lock it there, and this forcing in and
locking of the bolt would take place before the striker reached the cartridge,
or before the recoil from the explosion took place.
Having now described the Invention, which has been communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent as aforesaid, 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, combining a slightly moving lever latch with the breech block, and
a spring catch with the frame, so that the breech block will be firmly locked
and fastened when down in its seat, and the first slight motion of the lever
when seized to open up the breech block will detach the latch and catch, and
a continuation of the same motion will raise up the breech block, thus by one
single motion unlocking the breech block and opening up the bore of the
gun for the reception of the cartridge.
I also claim so combining the breech block locking bolt with the cartridge

page_text: striker or exploding point or pin, that when the breech block is not entirely
down and locked the striker or exploding point shall be locked and prevented
from reaching the cartridge by an accidental or other letting down of the
hammer when in that condition.
I also claim causing the blow of the hammer upon the striker or exploding
pin to shoot the bolt into its keeper and lock it there, (should it by any
casualty fail to shoot home,) and this before the striker reaches the cartridge
or before the recoil from the explosion takes place.
I also claim operating the cartridge case extractor by a pinion or gear, or a
segment of the same, and a straight rack.
I also claim so combining the extractor and its operative connections with
the breech block that the extractor shall be worked by the same motion used
to open up the breech of the gun.
I also claim combining an escapement trip or detaching motion and a
retracting spring with the pinion or toothed segment and straight rack so
that when the extractor shall have pushed out the empty cartridge case the
trip mechanism shall disconnect the pinion or segment and the straight rack,
and allow the retracting spring to bring in the extractor so that a fresh
cartridge may be inserted in the bore of the gun.
I also claim the use of a combined extractor and ejector, the first to push
out the empty cartridge case, and the latter to throw it out of the gun or
loading chamber.
I also claim so arranging an ejector with regard to the paths over which
the extractor as well as the cartridge moves that the ends of the ejector shall
be alternately thrown down and up by the movements of the ejector and the
cartridge case as they pass over them.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)