IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND THE MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING PROJECTILES FOR SMALL ARMS
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Bentley and Herman
James Sillem, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 10th October 1859.
I, JOSEPH BENTLEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gun Manu-
facturer, and HERMAN JAMES SILLEM, of the Firm of Fawcett, Preston, & Co.,
of Liverpool, aforesaid, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS AND THE MACHINERY
FOR MANUFACTURING PROJECTILES FOR SMALL ARMS," to be as follows (that is
to say):
The first part of this Invention has for its object certain arrangements for
the purpose of opening and closing the breech or rear end of the barrels of
rifles, muskets, and other fire-arms, for introducing the charge, and consists
in arranging a sliding piece in the rear of the barrel, on the front of which is
fitted or formed a suitably shaped plug or breech which takes into and closes
the rear of the barrel. This sliding piece works within (or partially within) a
semicircular groove in line with and at the rear of the barrel. The whole
or a portion of the groove in which the sliding piece works is enclosed by a
jointed cover which opens backwards, either upwards or laterally when the
rear of the barrel is open for the introduction of the charge. The sliding
breech piece is actuated by the folding covering picce to which it is connected
by a link joint or rod, and the covering piece may be fitted with a bolt or
other fastening to secure it in position when folded down. Or this sliding
breech may be advanced into and withdrawn from the bore of the piece by

page_text: means of a cam motion which may be actuated by a small lever which is held
in its position when the rear of the barrel is closed by the sliding breech by
means of a suitable bolt or other fastening.
The applicants having ascertained for themselves that small arms projectiles,
either spherical or elongated, when cast from molten lead or other soft metal
or amalgamation of metals, as commonly practised, are not generally of equal
density throughout, by reason of the want of solidity in the metal when cool,
and without such solidity the projectile being unequally poised, accurate
shooting cannot be effected with them, they therefore propose to manufacture
the projectiles to be used with their improved breech-loading fire-arms from
cold metal by pressure, by means of a simple and inexpensive arrangement of
machinery, which consist of a lever of the first order, one side of the outer end
of which works in close contact with the upright standard of a screw press,
which supports the fulcrum of the lever. An horizontal transverse hole is
formed through the outer end of the lever, and a recess is formed in the side
of the vertical standard of the press, which receives the end of a bar of drawn
lead or other soft metal which is fed thereto by hand or any other convenient
means through the hole in the outer end of the lever. The length to be cut
off at each alternate stroke of the lever. being gauged by a set screw which
regulates the distance, the end of the bar may enter the slot in the upright.
As the bar is being cut up, the pieces fall into a suitable receptacle, these
pieces of metal are then formed into elongated or other shaped projectiles by
means of a female die divided into two or more parts, and which are placed
on the bed of the screw press, and which can be held together by a strong
metal collar, into which they may be fitted, or other available appliances.
Upon the piece of metal to form the bullet being introduced into the die
form is given to it by means of a male die or piston, the lower end of which
is of the required shape to form the hollow or rear end of the projectile being
acted upon by the screw of the press. It will be readily seen that this
apparatus is also applicable to the manufacture of pressed bullets for general
purposes.