IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING CART-
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles William Lancaster, of New Bond Street, in
the County of Middlesex, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING CART-
カラ
Sealed the 3rd October 1865, and dated the 5th April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William Lancaster
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1865.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM LANCASTER, of New Bond Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING
CARTRIDGES AND CARTRIDGE CASES THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
My Invention refers chiefly to military needle guns. Hitherto these guns
have been fired by a pointed needle, which when the trigger is pulled is
forced by a spring through an aperture in the fore end of the breech plug or
closer, so as to enter the rear end of the cartridge, and strike against detonating
composition in a recess in the back of the bullet or fore part of the charge of
powder.
Now my improvements in fire-arms consist in the combination of a bolt for
exploding the charge, and of an instrument for extracting the cartridge or
cartridge case as hereafter described. The bolt takes the place of, and is
acted upon in the same manner as the ordinary pointed needle; it is only of
sufficient length to strike the rear end of the cartridge, whereby I am enabled

page_text: to use cartridges with metal cases, or metal sockets with the detonating com-
position placed in the rear end thereof.
My apparatus for extracting cartridges and cartridge cases consists of a
semi-annular plate corresponding to the bore of the piece, and carried on the
front end of a bar free to slide backwards and forwards in a groove in the
bottom of the breech. The rear end of the bore has a portion removed to
form a space, into which the semi-annular plate fits when the breech is closed.
The plate and rear end of the bore have a recess cut in them to receive the
rim on the rear end of the cartridge case. The lower side of the breech closer
is formed with a groove, in which a projection on the bar of the extractor
rides. When the breech closer is drawn back after the gun has been fired,
the fore end of the groove in the breech closer comes against the projection
on the bar of the extractor, and draws it back, together with the cartridge
case, the metal end of which is held by the recess of the extractor; the
cartridge case is then removed by hand. When a fresh cartridge has been
placed in the breech, the breech closer is pushed forward, taking the cartridge
and extractor with it, and the breech is then locked in the ordinary manner
ready for firing,
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 5th October 1865.
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 Fifth day of April, 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 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 Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING CARTRIDGES AND

page_text: CARTRIDGE CASES THEREPROM," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Charles William Lancaster, my executors or administrators, by an instru;
ment 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 imme
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles William Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
My Invention refers chiefly to military needle guns. Hitherto these guns
have been fired by a pointed needle, which when the trigger is pulled is
forced by a spring through an aperture in the fore end of the breech plug or
closer, so as to enter the rear of the cartridge, and strike against detonating
composition in a recess in the back of the bullet or fore part of the charge of
powder.
Now my improvements in fire-arms consist in the combination of a bolt for
exploding the charge, and of an instrument for extracting the cartridge or
cartridge case as hereafter described. The bolt takes the place of and is
acted upon in the same manner as the ordinary pointed needle; it is only of
sufficient length to strike the rear end of the cartridge, whereby I am enabled
to use cartridges with metal cases or metal sockets with the detonating com-
position placed in the rear end thereof.
My apparatus for extracting cartridges and cartridge cases consists of a
semi-annular plate corresponding to the bore of the piece, and carried on the
front end of a bar free to slide backwards and forwards in a groove in the
bottom of the breech. The rear end of the bore has a portion removed to
form a space, into which the semi-annular plate fits when the breech is closed.
The plate and rear end of the bore have a recess cut in them to receive the
rim on the rear end of the cartridge case. The lower side of the breech
closer is formed with a groove, in which a projection on the bar of the
extractor rides.
My Invention will be fully understood by the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of a portion of a
military needle gun with the breech closer removed; Figure 3 is a side
elevation, and Figure 4 an end view of the breech closer; Figure 5 is a face
view, Figure 6, a .longitudinal section, and Figure 7 a plan of my extractor.

page_text: a is the exploding bolt, which I make only of sufficient length to protrude
about of an inch, more or less, from the fore end of the breech closer, in
order that it may explode the detonating composition in the rear end of the
cartridge case b. Figures 5, 6, and 7, is a semi-annular plate, corresponding
to the bore of the gun, aud carried on the front end of a bar c, free to slide in
a grooved in the bottom of the breech. The rear end of the bore has a
portion removed to form a space e, into which the plate 6 fits. The plate b
and rear end of the bore have a recess f, f, cut in them to receive the metal
end of the cartridge case. The lower side of the breech closer is formed with
a groove g, in which a projection h on the bar c of the extractor rides.
gun
The action is as follows:-When the breech closer is drawn back after the
has been fired, the fore end of the groove g in the breech closer comes
against the projection on the bar of the extractor, and draws it back
together with the cartridge case, the metal end of which is held by the recess f
of the extractor; the cartridge case is then removed by hand. When a fresh
cartridge has been placed in the breech, the breech closer is pushed forward,
taking the cartridge and extractor with it, and the breech is then locked in the
ordinary manner ready for firing.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the combination in fire-arms of a bolt for exploding the charge and of
an instrument for extracting the cartridge or cartridge case, substantially as
herein-before described, and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, constructing apparatus for extracting the cartridge or cartridge
case from fire-arms, substantially as herein-before described, and represented
in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Lancaster, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.
CHARLES W. LANCASTER.
(L.S.)