IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Gwyn, of Islington, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by Henry Gross,
residing in Ohio. U. S. A.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Gwyn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
June 1859.
I, EDWARD GWYN, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex, Gas Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," (communicated to me from abroad by Henry
Gross, residing in Ohio, U. S. A.) to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that description of breech-loading arm in which
the breech chamber for containing the charge moves backwards and out-
wards from the rear of the barrel for the purpose of inserting the charge, and
the Invention consists in improved means of withdrawing and moving this
chamber. The motions are imparted to the chamber through the ordinary
.trigger guard, which is made to act as a lever, and is so connected at its inner
end to a bed, upon which the breech chamber is free to slide, that on pressing the
outward end of the trigger guard forward, that is, from the stock towards the
barrel, it first withdraws the mouth of the chamber free from the rear of the
barrel; then on being still pushed forward it causes the bed to tilt, and with it
the chamber, in such manner as to raise the mouth thereof clear for the recep-

page_text: tion of the charge. On restoring the trigger guard to its position it first places
the bed parallel to and the chamber in the same plane with the barrel, and then
drives the chamber forward and holds the mouth thereof engaged in the rear
of the barrel.
..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Gwyn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
December 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
GWYN, of Islington, in the County of Middlesex; Gas Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant.unto me, the
said Edward Gwyn, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Gwyn, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Gwyn, 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
terin 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," a communication from abroad by Henry Gross, residing in Ohio,
U. S. A., upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Gwyn,
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 Edward Gwyn, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
:
This Invention relates to, that description of breech-loading arm in which
the breech chamber for containing the charge moves backwards and outwards
from the rear of the barrel for the purpose of inserting the charge, and the
Invention consists in improved means of withdrawing and moving this chamber.

page_text: D being the base piece. connecting said cheeks in rear, and firmly secured.to
stock S; E is the bed piece connected with cheeks C, C, by a pin p passing
through an opening a in .its. forward extremity, so that said bed piece will
move about this attachment and carry, with it the chamber F, by reason of the
connection formed by the headed pin 6 and flanged slot c. In the side of the
bed piece E is a cavity d, which, when the chamber F is drawn back upon.
the bed piece, connects with and forms part of the curved groove 9 in the side;
of the chamber, the whole groove then being concentric with pin p, about.
which the moveable portion of the arm turns. Projecting from the inner face
of cheek C is a roller r (Figure 4), which, when the chamber F reaches the
limit of its retraction, passes from cavity d. where it had previously rested,
into the groove g, and permits the movement about pin p until the 'roller
reaches the head of the groove, as shown in Figure 2. When the bed piece is.
moved up between the cheeks after loading, the roller r, traversing in groove g,.
prevents any longitudinal movement of the chamber until it enters cavity d.
Then the chamber is free to obey the impulse given by the operating lever
and move forward. The two parts of groove g, d, have the relative-position
shown in Figure 3, when the chamber is in position of Figure 1, the roller r
then resting in the cavity d, which constitutes the lower portion of said
groove g, d. The chamber F and bed piece E are slotted in rear, as shown
at f, f', in Figures 5 and 6, for the reception of the head of the operating
lever L. This lever is connected with the chamber by pin m, and with the.
bed piece by pin n passing through opening h in lug 7 of bed piece and slot i
of the chamber. The action of pin n is that of a fulcrum, while pin m
constitutes the attachment of the lever and chamber. The head of the lever
is formed with two eccentrics q, q', the former of which wedges against the
rear of the chamber, and the latter against an adjustable pressure piece t, both
bearings being in the line. of the bore, so that when the discharge takes place
all pressure is removed from the pins. The projecting thimble T is shrunk,
into the end of the chamber F, and formed so as to fit tight into the base of
the barrel, its extremity being ground so as to fit accurately against its seat s¹,
so that when forced thereon a perfectly tight joint is produced.
The joint operation of the several parts above described is as follows:-
Commencing with the position shown in Figure 1, by depressing lever L. it is
made to turn about pin n, causing pin m to draw chamber F backward upon
the bed piece E, until the two portions of groove g, d, connect, and the passage
of roller r, as before described, permits the entire system to turn about pin p
into the position shown in Figure 2. After the insertion of the cartridge by
moving lever L backward, the chamber and bed piece will be turned up to a

page_text: position between the cheeks C, C¹, since roller r and the upper part of groove
9 prevents any movement of the chamber upon its bed. When the roller r
reaches cavity d the chamber is free to move forward on the bed piece, by the
connection of pin m and the chamber, the slot i passing over pin n. The
chamber is thus thrust firmly against seat s¹, and held by the excentrics q, q',
pressing against their respective bearing surfaces. When by wear of excentric
q' it might become loose, it is only necessary to turn the screw R and advance
the bearing surface t.
The simplicity of construction of this fire-arm renders it easy to operate,
and not liable to become deranged, both of which are essential requisites for
military service.
This fire-arm may be so modified as that the cartridge will be inserted in
the barrel instead of in the moveable chamber, as herein described. In which
case the moveable portion will be shortened, and the chamber inade to con-
stitute a base piece in rear of the barrel. Its retraction and revolution to
permit the loading will, however, be effected by the same means as herein
described, with such modifications as the nature of the case will require.
What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,―
First, giving the chamber its longitudinal motion upon a bed piece which
remains fixed during such motion, and in revolving carries with it the chamber,
substantially as specified.
Second, the roller r or its equivalent upon the cheek piece, and its com-
bination with the groove g, d, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Third, the double excentric head of the lever L, and the manner of con-
necting the same with the chamber and bed piece, substantially as described.
Fourth, the adjustable bearing piece for the excentric q' of lever L.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Gwyn, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
E. GWYN.
(L.S.)
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.