AN IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING GUNS, AND IN PROJECTILES FOR THE SAME
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Lancaster, of New Bond Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING GUNS, AND IN PROJECTILES FOR THE
SAME." A communication.
Sealed the 12th March 1858, and dated the 16th September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William
Lancaster at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 16th September 1857.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM LANCASTER, of New Bond Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING GUNS, AND IN PROJECTILES FOR
THE SAME," (communicated to me by a foreigner residing abroad,) to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in improvements upon an Invention for which
Letters Patent for Great Britain and Ireland were granted me the 28th
September 1854, the main feature in which consisted in causing the effect of
the discharge to be immediately taken by the bullet to be next fired from the
gun, whereby this bullet prevented any escape of gas at the breech, but owing
to the difficulty of propelling this bullet forward for the next discharge the
Invention has not been found of great practical benefit. The present im-
provement remedies this defect. As far as regards the gun, the improvement

page_text: consists in forming an annular groove or recess in the rear of the barrel, while
the improvement in the projectile consists in placing at the back thereof a wad
of felt, or other like suitable material. The effect of the explosion will be
to drive back the ball at the rear of the powder, and jam the felt into the
annular groove, and thus prevent any escape of gas at the rear of the barrel.
This Invention will be also found applicable to all breech-loading arms in
which the escape of gas is sought to be prevented by forcing back a ball or
projectile.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles William Lancaster in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WILLIAM LANCASTER, of New Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles William Lancaster, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
William Lancaster, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Charles William Lancaster, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING GUNS, AND IN PROJECTILES FOR
THE SAME," (communicated to me by a foreigner residing abroad,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles William Lancaster, 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 Charles William Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in improvements upon an Invention for which
Letters Patent for Great Britain and Ireland were granted me the Twenty-
eighth of September, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, the main
feature in which consisted in causing the effect of the discharge to be imme-
diately taken by the bullet to be next fired from the gun, whereby this bullet
prevented any escape of gas at the breech; but owing to the difficulty of pro-
pelling this bullet forward for the next discharge the Invention has not been
found of great practical benefit. The present improvements remedy this defect.
As far as regards the gun, the improvement consists in forming an annular
groove or recess in the rear of the barrel, while the improvement in the
projectile consists in placing at the back thereof a wad of felt, or other like
suitable material. The effect of the explosion will be to drive back the ball
at the rear of the powder, and jam the felt into the annular groove, and thus
prevent any escape of gas at the rear of the barrel..
This Invention will be also found applicable to all breech-loading arms in
which the escape of gas is sought to be prevented by forcing back a ball or
projectile.
4
In the annexed Drawings similar letters refer to similar parts in all the
Figures; and I desire to state that I do not confine myself to the arrangements
shewn for closing the breech chamber, or for driving forward the bullet to
insert a new cartridge preparatory to a fresh discharge, nor to any other of the
arrangements shewn in the Drawings, except the forming of an annular groove
or recess in the rear of the barrel for receiving a flexible or expansible pad at
the rear of a projectile, and thereby prevent the escape of any gas or product
from the firing of the charge from the breech.
Figure 1 is a plan of so much of a gun barrel, breech chamber, and parts
connected therewith as is necessary to explain my Invention. Figure 2 is a
longitudinal section of Figure 1; A is the barrel; B, breech chamber; C, bolt
for closing breech chamber, made hollow to receive the piston rod D, the piston
of which E forms the abutment against which the pad F on the back of the
projectile G rests; H is the annular recess or groove into which the pad
is forced by the explosion of powder driving back the bullet or projectile G ;
J is the nipple, which though shewn at the under side of the barrel may be
placed in any other suitable position. Figure 3 is a plan, and Figure 4 is a
side view, in which the breech chamber is open. Figure 5 is a longitudinal
section, in which the chamber is also open; here the piston rod is shewn

page_text: fitted with a helical spring for sending back the piston and rod after they have
been pushed forward to drive the projectile and wad into the barrel preparatory
to the insertion of a fresh cartridge. In Figure 6 the various parts are in
position for the discharge of the contents of the gun. In Figure 7 the piston
and rod are represented as having driven forward the projectile and wad from
the previous discharge; Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of a cartridge,
shewing powder, ball, and wad or pad; Figure 9 is a cross section through a, b,
of Figure 1.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the forming of an
annular groove or recess in the rear of the barrel of breech-loading fire-arms,
and the placing at or on the back of the projectile to be used in such breech-
loading fire-arms of a felt, or other expansible wad or pad, in manner and for
the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Lancaster, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
CHARLES W. LANCASTER. (L.S.)
CHARLES W. LANCASTER. (L.S.)