IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE, AND IN CART- RIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th May
1865.
I, THOMAS WILSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Me-
chanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND ORDNANCE, AND IN CART-
RIDGES FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, firstly, of the improvements berein-after explained in
opening and securely closing the breech ends of breech-loading fire-arms for
discharging self-igniting cartridges. I hinge to the top or upper side of the
breech of the barrel a metal block or closer, the said closer when shut down
filling the opening in the breech of the barrel and also closing the bore of the
gun for discharge. I secure the said hinged block in its place by means of a
bolt sliding in the break-off or rear of the breech, the said bolt being urged
forward by a spring at its rear. The end of the block is notched or recessed,
and when the block is shut down it pushes back the bevilled end of the bolt
until the said notch comes opposite the said bolt, when the said bolt is urged
forward by its spring and suaps into the said notch, and thus holds the block
or closer firmly in position during discharge. I release and raise the block
for recharging the gun by a lever jointed to the rear of the breech block. The
said lever on being raised first forces back the sliding bolt out of the notch in
the block, and then lifts the said block and opens the breech for loading.
Instead of the lever described, a lever or arm worked from the side of the
block may be employed for releasing and raising the said block. The last

page_text: described lever or arm passes across the block and is bent or cranked at either
end. One end constitutes the thumb plate by which the lever is worked, and
the other an arm for pushing back the sliding bolt. Instead of the sliding
bolt working in the break-off as described, it may work in the hinged breech
block, and take into a notch or recess in the break-off. The gun is discharged
by an oblique striker or piston in the closing block, which striker is struck by
the hammer and driven against the cap in the rear of the cartridge, and
ignites it and discharges the gun. I prefer to use for extracting the exploded
cartridge cases from the barrel a cartridge extractor of the construction
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, dated the First
day of September 1864, No. 2145.
I modify the parts of the gun so that the motion of the cartridge extractor
is made to force back the sliding block, raise the breech block, and draw out
the exploded cartridge case at one operation in the following manner :-The
sliding bolt in the break-off is connected at the rear of the said break-off with
a cranked rod or stem which passes under the breech end of the gun, and is
fixed to the arm of the cartridge extractor. The said rod works in a guide
under the breech end. By giving a sliding motion to the thumb plate of the
extractor the sliding bolt is first withdrawn from the block and the said block
raised, and afterwards the exploded cartridge case is withdrawn from the
barrel. Instead of actuating the cartridge extractor directly by the hand a
lever may be employed for that purpose. The cartridge extractor used in this
arrangement is constructed in the manner described in the Specification of the
Patent before referred to. In double breech-loading guns I make the hinged
block wider, so as to close both barrels and carry two strikers or pistons. I
connect the cartridge extractor to one rod or stem, and operate the sliding
bolt in either of the ways herein-before described. Instead of a striker working
obliquely in the closing block, the striker may be made to work in the axis
of the block, and be struck by a bolt or hammer working in the axis of the
barrel at the rear of the block, and actuated by a coiled spring, as described
in the Specifications of the Letters Patent granted to me, bearing date the
18th August 1864, No. 2048, and the 1st September 1864, No. 2145,
respectively.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in breech-
loading fire-arms. I construct the breech of the gun with a hinged breech
block or closer similar to that herein first described, but without a cartridge
case extractor, and I form the forward end of the piston or striker into a
needle, so that on being struck by the hammer the said needle penetrates the
base of the cartridge and explodes a percussion cap situated therein, and fires

page_text: the gun. The cartridge used with this gun constitutes part of my Invention,
and is herein-after described.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in opening
and closing the breech ends of breech-loading fire-arms having longitudinal
sliding plugs or closers. I joint a lever to the top of the barrel and at the
front of the breech end, the said lever having projecting ends or arms, which
are situated on either side the barrel. I joint straps to the said ends or armis,
the opposite ends of the straps being connected to the sliding plug or closer.
On raising the lever the side straps are forced back towards the butt end of
the gun, and carry with them the sliding plug or closer, and thus open the
breech for loading. The lever is hollowed out on its under side and closes
over the sides of the breech; it has also an opening and a solid end near its
rear, so that when it is shut down the said solid end passes over the end of
the barrel and forms a stop for the plug or closer, and supports it in its
position during discharge. The front edge of the opening in the lever also
bears against a shoulder on the barrel and thus supports the said lever. In
this arrangement I connect the cartridge case extractor with the sliding closer
by a jointed strap or hook, by which said hook the extractor is drawn out of
the chamber as the plug or closer is forced back by the lever. When the
exploded case has been extracted from the chamber a sufficient listance the
hook is made to disengage itself, and the extractor is forced back by its coiled
spring, and the chamber is ready for the introduction of a fresh cartridge.
Two motions only are thus required for operating the gun. The cartridge is
exploded in this arrangement of my Invention by a piston or striker and
hammer working in the axis of the closer in the rear of the breech chamber,
the said piston or striker and hammer being actuated in a manner similar to
that described in the Specifications of Letters Patent herein-before referred to.
In double guns the lever may be made to work between the two barrels and
closers, instead of outside, as described with reference to a single gun. The
improvements herein-before described are applicable to the construction of
breech-loading pistols as well as to fire-arms in general.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in fixing the
sliding plugs of breech-loading fire-arms in their place during discharge. I
joint to the under side of the breech box a steel plate or flap, having motion
in a vertical plane. The said flap has a tongue or projection upon it which
passes through a slot in the bottom of the breech box, and takes into a slot
or mortice formed in the breech plug. The steel tongue of the hinged flap
bears firmly against a shoulder on the breech plug, and also against the
shoulder of the slot in the breech box, and thus sustains the plug in position

page_text: during fire. The tongue is pressed upwards and kept to its work in the slot
by a spring, and the said tongue is pressed down on withdrawing the plug
from the barrel by a handle or lever, the short arm of which is made to bear
upon the tongue and depress it in its slot, so as to permit of the withdrawal of
the plug.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in breech-
loading fire-arms. I attach to the stock a metal frame or break-off, the said
break-off having a rib or bar extending some six or eight inches along the
stock and embedded in it. To the foreward end of the said rib I hinge.or
joint the barrel, so that the breech of the barrel is capable of being raised from
and lowered to the break-off by means of the said hinge or joint. Underneath
the breech of the barrel, and on its rear end, I form a short rib or projection,
the said rib or projection, when the barrel is shut down, fitting into a slot in
the frame or break-off, and abuts against the end of the said slot, and sustains:
the barrel firmly against the face of the break-off during fire. The barrel is
raised and lowered on its joint by a crank on a cross spindle under the barrel.
The end of the spindle has a handle attached to it for rotating it, and thereby:
raising and lowering the barrel, and the barrel is held down firmly by a
spring or by a spring and bolt during fire. When I use a bolt it is liberated
from the barrel by the action of the lever or crank. The extreme rear of the
breech of the barrel is made conical outside, so that the flange of the cartridge
case projects a little beyond it, and may be easily drawn out by the fingers.
The hammer for discharging the gun works in the rear and centre of the
break-off, and is pointed at its nose or face, so as to strike through a small bole
in the break-off and ignite the cartridge.
.
My Invention consists further of the improvements herein-after described in
sliding and fixing double-barrelled breech-loading fire-arms, in which the
barrels have a longitudinal motion to and from the break-off. 'I form on the
body of the break-off a fixed vertical projection or upright, the said upright
working in a slot between the barrels, and projecting a short distance above
the top of the said barrels. The slot or opening between the barrels is of a
length sufficient to permit the barrels to be moved the required distance from
the break-off for charging. To the top of the said rib a flat strap or lever is
connected in the manner herein-after described; the free or rear end of the
said strap having a rectangular opening made in it, which opening, when the
said strap is shut down, engages with two lumps or projections, one formed on
the back of the break-off, and the other on the extreme breech ends of the
barrels. When the open ends of the barrels are brought against the face of
the break-off, the strap shuts down upon the projection on the said barrels

page_text: and that on the break-off, and thereby binds the said barrels firmly to the
break-off. The end of the locking strap or lever is jointed to the barrels, and
the said strap or lever is connected to the upright between the barrels by a
link or lever, jointed to the said, upright and to the said strap or bolt. By
raising or lowering the locking strap or lever the barrels can be made to
retire from or advance against the break-off, and thus open or close the
breech ends for charging or discharging; or the barrels may be fixed during
discharge in the following manner :-A horizontal tongue between the barrels
passes through a slot in the face of the break-off, and engages with a spring
bolt or fastening at the back of the break-off,, which may be actuated by the
lever so as to release the barrels.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in breech+
loading ordnance in which the breech is opened and closed by a sliding block
working across the bore of the cannon. I form the sliding block with a
series of teeth on its upper and rear edge, into which teeth two or more
pinions are made to gear, the said pinions working on studs or. axes in the
rear and upper side of the bore of the gun. The pinion furthest from the
sliding block has a handle or lever formed upon or attached to it. By turning
the said handle or lever from right to left, or the reverse, the block may be
moved backwards or forwards across the bore of the cannon, and the breech!
opened or closed. The lever by which the sliding block is moved is made to
lie in a recess mado for its reception in the extreme end of the breech. and
on either side the bore, so as thereby entirely to protect it from injury.
.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in breech-
loading cartridges carrying their own ignition. I form the case of the
cartridge of a short tube or hollow cylinder of sheet metal. I turn up the
edge or end of the said tube to form a slight shoulder or flange, or I enlarge
the tube for a short distance at its rear end, for the same purpose.. I fit or
press into the base or rear end of the metal case or tube a paper block or
cushion. I secure the said paper block to the rear of the case by perforating
holes therein, the burr of the holes entering the paper and attaching the case
to the paper block; or the paper block may be fixed in a separate short
flanged tube, and the latter secured in the cartridge case made of plain tubing.
I fix in the centre of the paper block a small metal tube, with a flange at its
top or rear end, and a fine hole or perforation in its centre or bottom end. I
put a metal peg or pin into the said tube, the said peg or pin being drilled,
cupped, or hollowed out at its front end sufficiently to contain the requisite
amount of detonating powder. On striking the solid end of the peg or pin
its forward end is driven against the bottom of the tube, and the charge

page_text: thereby ignited; or the percussion powder may be put in the bottom of the
tube, and detonated by the pin or peg. In this modification the tube passes
through the paper block, and has cross openings, through which the fire is
communicated to the gunpowder. Instead of forming the base of the cartridge
with a paper block for carrying the tube and percussion cap as last described,
I sometimes prefer to form the base of the cartridge separate from and of a
stronger metal than the tubular part, and attach the parts together by soldering,
or brazing, or otherwise.
My Invention consists further of the following improvements in self-igniting
cartridges. I make or form the cartridge of thin paper with a felt wad, the
said cartridge being somewhat similar in appearance to the ordinary breech-
loading cartridges, but I place a percussion cap in the base of the cartridge,
by which it is ignited. In arranging the parts of the cartridge the percussion
cap is first inserted in a hole in a disc of thin pasteboard, the said disc being
rather smaller than the diameter of the cartridge. The disc. carrying the
percussion cap is then placed upon the top of the powder, and upon this a felt
or other wad, the said wad closing the end of the cartridge. The gunpowder
and projectile are arranged in the usual way. The needle of the gun herein-
before described is driven through the base of the cartridge on being struck
by the hammer, and ignites the percussion cap, and thus fires the cartridge.
Instead of using a paper disc to carry the percussion cap, the said cap may
have a flange sufficiently broad to support it against the powder, and instead
of loose powder, the cartridge may be made of solid or caked powder, and the
percussion cap may be fixed in a recess or hole in the base thereof with the
same or nearly the same effect.