IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas Cook, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, and John Thomas Cook, the younger,
of Birmingham, aforesaid, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.
" IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas Cook and
John Thomas Cook, the younger, at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 20th March 1865.
We, JOHN THOMAS COOK, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Manufacturer; and JOHN THOMAS COOK,, the younger, of Birmingham, afore-
said, Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIBR-ARMS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates, firstly,. to breech-loading. guns and pistols in which
the breech ends are opened and closed by a hinged, block, or closer;, the said
binged: block or closer being shut, down into or removed from, a. breech
chamber at the rear of the barrel;, and consists of the improvements. herein-
after describedi in fastening: down the said hinged blocks or closers. during
discharge,. and releasing them for re-loading,, and in mechanism. for. with-
drawing the exploded cartridge cases from the barrels' after discharge.
Our Invention consists, secondly, in applying the mechanism for with-

page_text: drawing the exploded cartridge cases from the barrels to breech-loading guns
in which the barrels turn in a vertical plane on a hinge or joint upon the fore
end of the stock.
We will describe the first part of our Invention with reference to a gun in
which the breech end of the barrel is opened and closed by a block or closer
hinged to the top of the breech end of the barrel, but our improvements may
also be applied to guns in which the block or closer is hinged to either side
of the barrel, whether the said guns be discharged by the action of a pin or
striker on a self-ignition cartridge, or by an ordinary percussion cap. We
lock down the block or closer by means of a horizontal bolt situated in a
recess or opening in the rear of the breech chamber of the gun, the said bolt
being pressed into the breech chamber by means of a spring. That end of
the bolt which enters the breech chamber is bevelled or inclined. In the
rear end of the breech block or closer, and in the axis thereof, an opening or
recess is made, the said opening corresponding in shape to the locking bolt.
When the block or closer is shut down, its bevilled face or end strikes against
the bevilled end of the bolt projecting into the breech chamber, and pushes
the said bolt back into the rear end of the breech chamber, and permits the
block to shut down. The block being shut down into the breech chamber,
the opening or recess in the said block comes opposite the end of the locking
bolt. When the said bolt is shot forward into the breech block by the action
of its spring, and the said block thus firmly held in its place for discharge,
the locking bolt is released from the block or closer in the following
manner At the rear end of the block or closer is a short lever turning on
a horizontal axis. The lower arm of the said lever passes through an inclined
slot in the block, and its end works in the opening or recess in the said block,
into which the front end of the locking bolt engages to hold down the block.
The upper arm of the lever projects from the top of the block, and is made
into a thumb plate, by means of which thumb plate the lever is worked, and
the block or closer raised from or lowered into the breech chamber. When
the block or closer is shut down, the end of the lower arm of the lever is
situated immediately in front of the end of the locking bolt. By pressing the
thumb plate of the lever towards the muzzle end of the barrel, the lever is
made to turn on its joint, and its lower arm to force back the bolt out of the
recess in the block into the rear of the breech chamber. The block can now
be raised for re-charging the gun. The mechanism for withdrawing the
exploded cartridge case from the barrel is constructed as follows:-On one
side of the hinged block or closer a longitudinal groove is made, in which
groove a bar or strip works freely endwise. That end of the bar or strip

page_text: nearest the hinge of the block or closer is provided with a cross stud, one side
of the said stud working in a slot made for a short distance in the inner side
of the breech chamber, and the other side of the said stud projecting somewhat
into the breech chamber; this last stud constitutes a hook, by means of
which the exploded cartridge case can be extracted from the barrel. As the
breech block is raised after discharge the free end of the bar or strip descends
in the groove in the block, and the other end is made to advance in its slot
towards the butt end of the gun, and cause the hook of the extractor to push
before it the exploded cartridge case, and extract it from the barrel. On
shutting down the breech block after the introduction of a fresh cartridge, the
free end of the bar or strip rises in the groove in the block, and completely
fills it up, the opposite end of the said bar or strip being forced into the breech
end of the barrel. The cartridge is pushed into the breech end of the barrel
by the block, and the hook of the bar or strip is situated behind the rim of the
cartridge case ready on the raising of the block after discharge to extract it
from the barrel. In place of using one sliding strip or bar two sliding strips
or bars, one on each side of the block, may be employed, each of the said
strips or bars being provided with a hook for extracting the cartridge case;
or the end of the strip or strips may be attached to an independent hook or
stud. Instead of flat strips or bars cylindrical rods may be used, a corresponding
shaped groove being made in the sides of the block.
In applying a cartridge case extractor of the kind described to guns in
which the barrels turn upon a hinge or joint, we make a projection on one or
both sides at the breech end of the barrel, the said projection having a groove
or slot in it, in which the pin or stud of the sliding bar or rod works. The
sliding bar or rod carrying the hook or extractor works in a groove in the body
of the gun. When the barrels are turned down for charging, the hook of
the extractor slides in the groove or slot of the projection, and withdraws the
exploded cartridge case from the barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Thomas Cook and John Thomas Cook, the younger, in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
THOMAS COOK, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer,
and JOHN THOMAS COOK, the younger, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Gun Maou-
facturer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of,
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto-
us, the said John Thomas Cook and John Thomas Cook, Her special.
licence that we, the said John Thomas Cook and John Thomas Cook,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
John Thomas Cook and John Thomas Cook, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the con-
lition (amongst others) that we, the said John Thomas Cook and John
Thomas Cook, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us
or them, 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 we, the said John Thomas Cook and John
Thomas Cook, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described.
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention relates, firstly, to breech-loading guns and pistols in which the
'breech ends are opened and closed by a hinged block or closer, the said hinged
block or closer being shut down into or removed from a breech chamber at
the rear of the barrel, and consists of the improvements herein-after described
in fastening down the said hinged blocks or closers during discharge and
sroleasing them for re-loading, and in mechanism for withdrawing the exploded
-cartridge cases from the barrels after discharge.
Our Invention consists, secondly, in applying the mechanism for withdraw-
äng the exploded cartridge cases from the barrels to breech-loading guns in
which the barrels turn in a vertical plane on a binge or joint upon the fore
end of the stock.
We will describe the first part of our Invention with reference to a gun
in which the breech end of the barrel is opened and closed by a block or
closer hinged to the top of the breech end of the barrel, but our improvements
may also be applied to guns in which the block or closer is hinged to either

page_text: side of the barrel, whether the said guns be discharged by the action of a
pin or striker on a self-ignition cartridge, or by an ordinary percussion cap.
Wo lock down the block or closer by means of a horizontal bolt situated in
a recess or opening in the rear of the breech chamber of the gun, the said
bolt being pressed into the breech chamber by means of a spring. That end
of the bolt which enters the breech chamber is bevilled or inclined; in the
rear end of the breech block or closer, and in the axis thereof, an opening or
recess is made, the said opening corresponding in shape to the locking bolt.
When the block or closer is shut down its bevilled face or end strikes against
the bevilled end of the bolt projecting into the breech chamber, and pushes
the said bolt back into the rear end of the breech chamber, and permits the
block to shut down. The block being shut down into the breech chamber
the opening or recess in the said block comes opposite the end of the locking
bolt when the said bolt is shot forward into the breech block by the action of
its spring, and the said block thus firmly held in its place for discharge. The
locking bolt is released from the block or closer in the following manner :-At
the rear end of the block or closer is a short lever turning on a horizontal axis.
The lower arm of the said lever passes through an inclined slot in the block,
and its end works in the opening or recess in the said block, into which the
front end of the locking bolt engages to hold down the block. The upper
arm of the lever projects from the top of the block, and is made into a thumb
plate, by means of which thumb plate the lever is worked and the block or
closer raised from or lowered into the breech chamber. When the block or
closer is shut down the end of the lower arm of the lever is suituated
immediately in front of the end of the locking bolt. By pressing the thumb
plate of the lever towards the muzzle end of the barrel the lever is made to
turn on its joint, and its lower arm to force back the bolt out of the recess in
the block into the rear of the breech chamber. The block can now be raised
for recharging the gun, the breech block is thus unlocked and raised from
the breech chamber by the same motion.
The mechanism for withdrawing the exploded cartridge case from the barrel
is constructed as follows:-On one side of the hinged block or closer a
longitudinal groove is made, in which groove a bar or strip works freely
endwise. That end of the bar or strip nearest the hinge of the block or
closer is provided with a cross stud, one side of the said stud working in a
slot made for a short distance in the inner side of the breech chamber, and
the other side of the said stud projecting somewhat into the breech chamber;
this last stud constitutes a hook by means of which the exploded cartridge
case can be extracted from the barrel. As the breech block is raised after.

page_text: discharge the free end of the bar or strip descends in the groove in the block,
and the other end is made to advance in its slot towards the butt end of the gun
and cause the hook of the extractor to push before it the exploded cartridge
case and extract it from the barrel. On shutting down the breech block after
the introduction of a fresh cartridge the free end of the bar or strip rises in the
groove in the block and completely fills it up, the opposite end of the said bar
or strip being forced into the breech end of the barrel. The cartridge is
pushed into the breech end of the barrel by the block, and the hook of the
bar or strip is situated behind the rim of the cartridge case ready on the
raising of the block after discharge to extract it from the barrel.
In place
of using one sliding strip or bar two sliding strips or bars, one on each side
of the block, may be employed, each of the said strips or bars being provided
with a hook for extracting the cartridge case; or the end of the strip or
strips may be attached to an independent hook or stud; instead of flat strips
or bars cylindrical or other shaped rods may be used, a corresponding shaped
groove being made in the sides of the block. In applying a cartridge case
extractor of the kind described to guns in which the barrels turn upon a
hinge or joint we make a projećtion on one or both sides at the breech end
of the barrel, the said projection having a groove or slot in it which the
pin or stud of the sliding bar or rod works. The sliding bar or rod carrying
the hook or extractor works in a groove in the body of the gun; when the
barrels are turned down for charging the hook of the extractor slides in the
groove or slot of the projection and withdraws the exploded cartridge case
from the barrel.
Having explained the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to describe, s
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, represent our improvements applied to
a breech-loading gun in which the barrel is opened and closed by a block or
closer hinged to the top of the barrel, the said gun being capable of discharging
self-ignition cartridges. Figure 1 represents the gun in side elevation, the
block or closer being fastened down ready for discharge; Figure 2 is a vertical
longitudinal section of the same (the stock and other parts being omitted);
and Figure 8 is a plan of the same, with the breech block or closer removed.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the breech block separately; and Figure 5 is
an end elevation of the breech chamber, into which the said block shuts down;
Figure 6 is a portion of the same; Figure 7 is an elevation of the opposite
side of the gun to that represented in Figure 1, the breech block or closer
being raised from the barrel ready for the introduction of a cartridge; and

page_text: Figure 8 is a horizontal section of the gun (without the stock) the parts being.
in position for firing. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts
in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
a is the barrel of the gun, and 6 the breech chamber, into which the breech
block or closer c shuts down, the said block or closer turning on a hinge or
joint d at the top of the barrel a. The breech block or closer c is locked
down by means of a horizontal bolt e. (shown separately in Figure 6) situated
in a recess or opening f, in the rear end 6 of the breech chamber b. The
said bolt e is pushed outwards when at liberty to move by the coiled spring g.
The rotation of the bolt e in its recess or opening f is prevented by a tooth or
projection on the bolt, working in a longitudinal slot in the breech end
65 of the barrel (see Figures 5 and 6). That end of the bolt e nearest the
breech chamber b is bevilled or inclined as represented. In the rear end of
the breech block or closer, and in the axis thereof, is an opening or recess h of
a size proper to receive the end of the bolt e. When the block or closer cis
shut down after the introduction of the cartridge into the barrel, the bevilled
face or free end of the said block strikes against the bevilled end of the bolt e,
and pushes the said bolt into its opening f in the breech end 62, and permits
the breech block to shut down. The breech block having been shut down to
its full extent, the opening h in the said breech block comes opposite the
end of the locking bolt e, and the said.bolt e is urged forward by the spring g,
and entering the said opening h securely fastens down the breech block in
its place for discharge. At the rear end of the breech block c is a short
lever i,, turning on the axis ³. The lower arm i of the said lever passes
through an inclined slot k, so as to cross the said block c, its end working in
the opening or recess h in the axis of the block. The upper arm of the
lever projects from the top of the block and is made into a thumb plate, by
meaus of which thumb plate the lever is worked, and the block or closer raised
from or lowered into the breech chamber b. After the discharge of the gun,
in order to raise the breech block c, it is only necessary to press the thumb
plate of the lever towards the muzzle end of the gun; the lower arm i of
the said lever is thereby made to force the bevilled end of the bolt e from
out the opening h in the breech block into. the opening f in the rear of the
breech chamber. The breech block c is thereby unfastened and can be
turned upon its joint d, and raised into the position represented in Figure 7.
On raising the block c, the bevilled end of the bolt e is projected into the
breech chamber (see Figure 3) by the spring 9 ready to be forced back, and
snap into the breech block when the latter is shut down preparatory to
the discharge of the gun. The thumb. plate for withdrawing the bolt, and

page_text: raising and lowering the breech block, is situated on one side of the block, and
the pin or striker 1 for discharging the self-ignition cartridge is situated at the
other side of the said block. Instead of placing the lever i, , in the block c,
and the bolt e in the end of the breech chamber, the positions of the said
parts may be reversed, that is, the lever i, , may be situated in the end,
and the bolt e slide in an opening in the breech block c. We prefer, however
to arrange the locking down mechanism in the manner herein-before described
and represented in the Drawings.
Our improvements in mechanism for withdrawing the exploded cartridge
case from the barrel are represented in Figures 4, 7, and 8 of the Drawings.
On one side of the breech block c a longitudinal dovetail groove m is made,
in which groove a flat bar or strip of metal n works freely endwise. The end
of the bar n nearest the hinge of the block c has a cross stud p upon it. One
end of this stud works in a slot q made in the inner side of the breech chamber
and the other side of the said stud projects somewhat into the breech chamber
(see Figure 8). The said stud p constitutes a hook, by means of which the
exploded cartridge case is extracted from the barrel. As the breech block c
is raised or lowered the free end of the bar or strip n rises or falls in the
groove m, the stud p on its opposite end working backwards and forwards in
the slot q. In order to load the gun the cartridge is introduced into the
barrel by hand, and on the descent of the block c the said cartridge is pushed
home into the breech end for discharge, the stud or hook p of the extractor
being situated behind the rim r of the cartridge cases, as represented in
Figure 8. The gun is now ready for discharge, the groove m in the breech block
being completely filled up by the bar or strip n. On raising the breech block c
after discharge the strip n descends in the groove m, and the stud or hook pis
made to advance in the slot g towards the butt end of the gun, and push before
it the exploded cartridge case, and extract or start it from the barrel. Two of the
strips or bars n may be used, one on each side of the breech block c, and instead
of making the book or stud p in one piece with the bar, the said bar may be
attached to an independent hook or stud. Or cylindrical or other shaped rods
may be used in place of the flat bars n, corresponding shaped grooves being
made in the sides of the breech block.
Figure 9 illustrates the application of our improved cartridge case extractor
to guns in which the barrels turn upon a joint; t is the barrel turning upon
the joint u. The breech end of the barrel has a projection von one or both
sides, the said projection having a groove w in it, in which the stud or hook.
of the extractor works. The sliding bar y carrying the book or stud a works
in a groove in the body of the gun. When the body of the gun or the

page_text: barrel is turned down for charging in the manner represented, the stud or
hook a of the extractor slides in the groove w, and withdraws the exploded
cartridge case from the barrel.
The improvements herein-before described may be applied to pistols.
Although we have described and represented our improvements for locking
down the breech block or closer, and for extracting the exploded cartridge
cases combined in the same gun, yet our several improvements may be used
separately.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of our Invention; but we
claim as our Invention of improvements in breech-loading fire-arms in which
the breech ends are opened and closed by a hinged block or closer,-
Firstly, the general arrangement or combination of the parts described and
represented in the accompanying Drawings for fastening down and releasing
the said hinged blocks or closers.
Secondly, a cartridge case extractor consisting of a bar or rod, or bars or
rods, working freely in the side or sides of the breech block or closer, one end
of the bars or rods carrying a stud or hook, which by the raising of the block
or closer is made to advance in a slot in the side of the barrel, and start or
extract the exploded case, essentially in the manner herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly, the application of the said cartridge case extractor to breech-loading
fire-arms in which the barrels turn upon a hinge or joint as herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Thomas Cook and John Thomas
Cook, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-five.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOHN THOMAS COOK.
(L.S.)
JOHN THOMAS COOK, JUNR. (L.S.)