IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF REPEATING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Evans Reeves, of Edwards Street, Portman
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Doctor of Medicine, for the Inven-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Evans Reeves at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th August 1855.
I, CHARLES EVANS REEVES, of Edwards Street, Portman Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF REPEATING
FIRE-ARMS to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to an improved arrangement of parts for
facilitating the charging of breech-loading fire-arms, and securing of the
breech in its place when the charge is inserted; and, secondly, to an improve-
ment in the construction of the lock. The moveable breech fits into the end
of the barrel, and it is held in close contact therewith by the lateral pressure
of a wedge or stop piece, which is hinged to the lock frame, and drops between
the rear end of the breech and the lock frame. In order to charge the gun,
this stop piece is first raised, and the breech is then slidden back clear of the
barrel into the space vacated by the stop piece, by means of a finger, with
which the breech is provided at. its under side. The breech is then turned up
.

page_text: on end to receive the charge. When the charge has been inserted, the breech
is brought again into a line with the barrel, slidden forward, and secured in
position by the hinged stop piece.
The construction of the lock is simplified by causing the main spring to
bear (through the intervention of an antifriction roller) directly on the tumbler,
to which the hammer is attached, and by providing bearings for the tumbler
in the trigger plate (instead of the lock plate) which is on the under side of
the gun stock.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Evans Reeves in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
EVANS REEVES, of Edwards Street, Portman Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Doctor of Medicine, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Evans Reeves, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Evans
Reeves, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Evans Reeves, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF REPEATING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Evans Reeves, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Evans Reeves, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say).:-

page_text: My Invention of improvements in fire-arms relates, firstly, to an improved
arrangement of parts for facilitating the charging of fire-arms, so that a
repetition of discharges may be effected in quick succession. The present
improvements are adapted to what are usually denominated breech-loading
fire-arms, and one of the improvements has for its object the securing of the
breech in its place when the charge is inserted; and my improvements relate,
secondly, to a novel and improved mode of constructing the lock of the gun.
In reference to the first part of the Invention, the moveable breech fits into
the end of the barrel, and it is held in close contact therewith by the lateral
pressure of a wedge or stop piece, which is hinged to the barrel and lock frame,
and drops between the rear end of the breech and a false breech. In order
to charge the gun, this stop piece is first raised, and the breech is then slidden
back clear of the barrel (into the space vacated by the stop piece) by means of
a finger lever, with which the moveable breech is provided at its side. The
moveable breech is then turned up sufficiently to admit of the charge being
placed therein, and when this has been done, the breech is brought down again
into a line with the barrel, and then slidden forward and secured in position
by the hinged stop piece or wedge; before mentioned. The construction of the
lock is simplified by causing the main spring to bear (through the intervention
of an antifriction roller) directly on the tumbler, to which the hammer is
attached, and by providing bearings for the tumbler in the trigger plate (instead
of the lock plate), which is on the under side of the gun stock.
In order, however, that my Invention may be clearly understood, I have
shewn in the accompanying Drawing various views of my improved construc-
tion of fire-arms.
Fig. 1 is a side view, drawn full size, of that part of a rifle musket or fowling
piece to which my improvements are applied; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional
view of the same, shewing the interior construction and mode of operating the
working parts; Fig. 3 is a cross section, taken in the line 1, 2; of Figures 1
and 2; and Fig. 4 is a plan or top view of the gun, as seen from above. A
is the barrel, which is secured to the stock of the gun in any convenient
manner; B is the moveable breech piece in which the charge is placed.
The forward end of the moveable breech B is made conical, and fits into a
corresponding socket made in the end of the barrel, as shewn in Fig. 2. A
moveable stop piece or wedge C holds the breech piece B in position, and
keeps it firmly wedged up against the end of the barrel. This wedge or stop
piece C turns on a stud or hinge a,.secured to the rear end of the barrel and
lock frame, and is also provided with a lever handle b, whereby it may be
moved in or out of its place. This stop. piece C may be held fast in position

page_text: by a spring catch, or other like means if thought desirable. When the wedge
or stop piece C is lifted out of its place, the moveable breech piece may be
slidden back clear of the barrel, and raised up into a diagonal position, as
shewn by dots in Fig. 2. The moveable breech piece B is provided on its
under side with a tail piece c, which works in a slot cut in the under side of
the barrel, and thereby keeps the breech piece B steady, a cross pin or stud d
being passed through the tail piece, in order to prevent the same from being
accidentally moved out of its place. This moveable breech piece is operated
by means of a finger lever e, Fig. 1, which turns on a pin or stud f, fixed in
the nipple block g, which forms part of the breech piece. The lower end of
this lever bears against a pin h, fixed in the side of the barrel; and therefore
when the lever e is raised, it will, by bearing against the fixed pin h; force back
the moveable breech, which will be ultimately raised into the position shewn
by dots in Fig. 2, ready to receive the charge.
The hammer D is fixed on a spindle i (see Fig. 2), which also carries the
tumbler j, on the under side of which are made two notches to receive the end
of the trigger lever k, as shewn in Fig. 2. A strong spring with an anti-
friction roller m at the end tliereof, bears against the tumbler j and keeps it
always up to its work. A trigger spring n acts on the trigger k, and maintains
it in contact with the under side of the tumbler j.
Supposing the gun to have been discharged, and it be required to reload the
arm, the mode of operating the several parts for this purpose is as follows:-
The hammer is first drawn back to the position of "half cock," and the wedge
or stop piece C is then lifted by means of the handle 6 into the dotted position
of the cross section, Fig. 8. The moveable breech piece B. is next drawn
back by means of the finger lever e, and raised up into the position shewn by
dots in Fig. 2. When the charge has been placed in the chamber, the breech
piece is returned to its former position, and the wedge or stop piece C replaced,
to secure the breech piece. A cap being placed on the nipple, the arm will
then be ready for firing. These operations, it will be understood, may be
repeated in quick succession.
Although in the foregoing description I have described my improvements
as applied to a percussion cap lock, I would observe that I also propose to
adapt them to a needle gun, and the means of so doing will readily suggest
themselves to the mind of any intelligent gunsmith, as but very trifling altera-
tion in the construction of the parts is required.
In order, however, that this may be clearly understood, I have shewn.at
Fig. 5 the means I propose for effecting this purpose. The needle p is attached
to the upper end of the tumbler piece D, which works in a space cut out in

page_text: the gun stock for the purpose, and the point of the needle passes through the
false breech E, the stop piece or wedge C, and the rear end of the moveable
breech piece B, where it will penetrate the detonating mixture and explode
the charge, as in other needle guns. In order to draw back the needle, so as
to be enabled to raise the stop piece C and moveable breech piece B, a lever
is adapted at the outside of the stock to the spindle i of the tumbler piece.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
Construction of Repeating Fire-arms," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First, securing the sliding or moveable breech piece in position by means of
a hinged wedge-shaped stop piece, operated as above described, whether such
wedge-shaped stop piece be applied to guns discharged by the blow of a
hammer or the thrust of a needle.
Second, I claim the method, herein shewn and described, or any mere
nodification thereof, of constructing, arranging, and operating the various
parts of the lock of the gun. I claim particularly mounting the tumbler
in the trigger plate instead of adapting it to the lock plate, as is usually
the case.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Evans Reeves, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
5
CHARLES EVANS REEVES, B.A., M.D. (L.S.)
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.