IMPROVEMENTS IN AND PERTAINING TO BREECH-LOADING GUNS AND FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ebenezer Erskine Scott at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
February 1860.
I, EBENEZER ERSKINE SCOTT, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, in
Scotland, Actuary and Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND PERTAINING TO BREECH-LOADING GUNS AND
FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The breech-piece of the gun is formed of a solid block of metal imbedded
in the stock as usual. The front of this piece is shaped as the frustum of a
cone, and ground to fit accurately into the hollow conical recess in the breech
end of the barrel, to be afterwards described. The nipple for the percussion
cap is fixed at one side of the after part of the breech-piece, and the vent by
which the fire from the percussion cap communicates with the charge so as to
explode it, proceeds in the first place obliquely downward from the nipple to
the centre of the breech-piece or axis of the cone, and thereafter along the
axis to the centre of the front part of the conical frustum.
The lower part of the breech-piece is shaped into a flat longitudinal tongue,
on each side of which is screwed or otherwise fastened a thin cheek of metal.
These cheeks stretch forward parallel to each other in the body of the stock,
so as to contain the apparatus for loading to be afterwards described.
The bore of the barrel is shaped at the breech end into a hollow conical
recess fitting accurately on the conical frustum in front of the breech-piece,
when pushed home thereon. In front of this conical recess there is a

page_text: chamber of a diameter and length proper to receive the cartridge, to be after-
wards described, and the remainder of the bore consists of a hollow cylinder,
either plain, as in the case of shot guns, or in the case of rifles, rifled
according to any of the modes approved of or in general use; the mode of
rifling described by Mr. John Boucher in his recent work on the subject of
rifles, shewing in section a modified pentagon with rounded angles, being
preferred. The barrel externally resembles those in ordinary use, with the
following two exceptions:-First, a short way from the breech end it is fitted
at its lower part with a parallel fin or lump of metal, either welded or or
brased to it, which fin fits accurately betwixt the two parallel cheeks already
described as attached to the breech-piece; and, secondly, further out under the
barrel there is fitted another similar fin, but of less size. The use of the first
fin is to afford an attachment to the connecting rod betwixt the barrel and the
eccentric camb, to be afterwards described, and also by means of a slot in its
front part in which a firm pin fixed in both the cheeks works to hold the
barrel firmly down in its seat while the piece is being discharged, and to
regulate the opening of the piece and separation of the breech-piece and breech-
chamber when the gun is being loaded. The second fin further out works
betwixt two short checks of metal attached to the front part of the wooden
stock, and has a longitudinal slot in which works a metal pin or screw
passing through these cheeks, and its use is to hold the barrel firmly in the
stock while firing, and to admit at same time of the motions of the barrel
forwards and upwards at the breech end necessary in the act of loading tho
gun. The fin or lump in the fore part of the barrel may be dispensed with
by using instead thereof a band round the barrel in the usual way, said band
being attached by a pin or screw, so that the forward and upward motions of
the barrel necessary in loading are effected in the first place by the barrel
sliding forward through the band, and in the second place by motion of the
band itself round the pin or screw already described. Betwixt the two
cheeks attached to the breech-piece, and at a. convenient place close below
the breech-piece, is fastened a circular eccentric camb. This camb is keyed
on a steel spindle which works in holes perforated to receive it in the cheeks,
and projects through these holes on each side and through the wood of the
stock
There is a connecting rod betwixt this circular eccentric camb and the
after part of the first fin or lump on the barrel, formed at its breech end into
a ring embracing the camb, and at its fore end into a forked hinge attached
by a stout pin to the fin. The parallel cheeks are either widened apart at
the place where this forked hinge comes on them so as to admit the. binge

page_text: when the gun is ready for firing, or they may be cut away at that part to
produce the same effect.
The trigger guard at its front part, instead of being attached below the stock
as usual, is divided into two parts, which stretch up on each side of the stock,
and are furnished at their upper ends with two holes, arranged so as to key.
the guard firmly on the spindle projecting on each side of the stock, which
spindle being fastened firmly on the eccentric camb before described, the
movement of the trigger guard regulates and works the connecting rod
attached to the camb. The trigger guard, at its back end, is furnished with a
catch working in the lower part of the stock, so that when the guard is in its
place, and fixed with the catch, the eccentric camb operates in holding, by means
of the connecting rod, the breech end of the barrel firm against the conical
frustum on the breech-piece, and thus keeps the breech part air-tight during
the discharge of the gun.
The lock is what is known as a back-actioned lock, and the hammer only.
differs from those in ordinary use in respect that at its striking part it is bent
inwards, so as to suit the peculiar direction of the nipple and nipple hole.
already described.
"
The cartridge specially suited to this Invention is composed at its front part
when in its place in the barrel either of a conical leaden projectile or of a
cylinder filled with shot, such as are in common use.
The leaden bullet is either made exactly to fit the cylindrical portion of the
barrel, or made slightly greater in diameter, so as to do. away with windage
during the discharge. Round the bullet or shot cartridge there are pasted
one or two folds of thin cartridge paper, stretching backwards in a hollow
cylinder, and forming a chamber to contain the charge of powder. The hinder
part of this chamber is closed by a thick greased wad, attached by glue or
otherwise to the cartridge, and perforated in the middle by a round hole
adapted to admit the fire of the percussion cap at once from the vent in the
front part of the conical frustum on the breech-piece to the charge, so as to
ignite the same. This hole in the back end of the cartridge is, while the
cartridge is not in use, closed by a percussion cap, so as to keep all tight.
The action of loading the piece is thus performed:-The after part of the
trigger guard being relieved from its catch in the stock, the guard is swept
forward until the bifurcation in its front part comes in contact with the lower
part of the stock; by this motion the eccentric and connecting rod force
the barrel (under regulation of the slot in the first fin below the barrel) at
first forward in its seat in the stock, and then upwards at the breech, and
exposes the hollow conical recess at its end for reception of the cartridge. A

page_text: cartridge being now taken in the right hand, the percussion cap thereon is
applied to and left on the nipple. The cartridge is turned round in the hand
and inserted in the cartridge chamber. The piece is then at once shut, so as
to be ready for firing by a reverse motion of the trigger guard, which is
attached by its catch to the stock, the effect being in the first place to bring
down the breech end of the barrel so that its axis is continuous with that of
the conical frustum on the breech-piece, and in the second place to pull it
longitudinally home on the said frustum, the conical frustum in its progress
into the barrel pushing before it the greased wad at the back end of the
cartridge, which being slightly larger in diameter than the chamber into which
it is pushed, effectually cleans in its progress the hollow conical recess on
which the frustum fits. After the discharge, the greased wad remains behind
in the barrel, and is pushed forward by the next cartridge in' loading, and
further pushed forward through the barrel at the next discharge, so as to keep
the inside of the barrel constantly free from fouling.
The cartridge described is that best adapted to his Invention for rapidity
and ease in loading and firing, but at the same time a rifled gun constructed
as described, and of suitable bore, is capable of being equally well used as a
breech loader with the ordinary Government ammunition, or with detached
powder and bullets, the greased wads being either used in these cases or not,
as their use, though desirable, is not indispensable. Further, such a rifled
gun may be with as good effect as a common rifle used as a muzzle-loading
piece with ordinary ammunition.