IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE AND FIRE-ARMS, AND IN THEIR PROJECTILES
Year: 1855

page_text: nry Jonnson, 47, Lincoln's Inn Jelds,
in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE AND
FIRE-ARMS, AND IN THEIR PROJECTILES."-A communication from William.
Pratt, of the City of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, in the United
States of America.
Sealed the 22nd January 1856, and dated the 24th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th July 1855.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING ORDNANCE
AND FIRE-ARMS, AND IN THEIR PROJECTILES," a communication from William
Pratt, of the City of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, in the United
States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements
of the breeches of breech-loading ordnance and fire-arms, whereby the sticking

page_text: or clogging of the breech after repeated firing is obviated, the wear of the parts
compensated for, and the movement of the parts greatly simplyfied.
Another portion of the Invention relates to certain improved constructions
and arrangements of projectiles, whereby iron bullets, shot, and shell may be
used in rifled ordnance or fire-arms without injury to the bore, and dispensing
with excessive windage, whilst the necessary rotatory motion of the projectile
on its axis is secured. A suitable recess or slot of sufficient size to admit the
charge is made in the breech of the gun, and this recess is closed by the two
parts forming the moving breech, which consist either of two wedges or a
male and female screw.
When wedge-shaped, these two parts slide either in or upon one another to
release or slacken them, and then both draw out, or one wedge only slides,
whilst the other swings back or to one side. These parts are formed or
arranged to move slightly one in advance of the other, so that the first motion
of either the wedge or screw by a suitable actuating lever releases the breech
from lightly filling the bore at its base, whilst a further continuance of the
motion in the same direction opens the breech ready for charging. The same
effect takes place in closing the breech, that is, one piece moves back slightly in
advance of the other, and when closed, the second piece follows up and tightens
the breech. In arms of large calibre a secondary or jointed lever is used,
exerting great power on the wedge, so that however tightly the breech may
stick, it can be released and then easily opened, the reverse motion closing and
securing it. The lever is jointed and pulls down the back wedge piece by a
short fulcrum being attached to the wedge by a link. During this motion, a
stiff spring slips into a recess in the long joint of the lever, thus rendering this
joint rigid whilst the lever continues its movement on the longer fulcrum
to open the breech. These arrangements of breeches may be applied either to
breech-loading ordnance or small arms, being suitably modified, of course,
accordingly. The improved shot for rifled ordnance or guns of large calibre
is cast in two or more pieces; the front or conoidal end of the shot has a shank
formed on the back of it, to allow the base of the shot to slide upon it and
turn round with it. The base is made slightly inclined on the end towards
the conoidal part, and both the base and cone have longitudinal grooves cast
therein, which grooves may either be straight or spirally inclined. The shot
is clothed by wrapping a sufficient thickness of canvass, cloth, leather, felt, or
other suitable material round it to make the shot fill the bore. The explosive
force of the charge pushes forward the base or dise of the shot on the shank,
and the inclined or tapering portion of the disc pushes the clothing tightly into

page_text: the bore so as to fill the grooves. In rifles or guns of small bore the shot may
be made in one piece only, but instead of being cast they are cut from rods of
iron, which are first drawn through a plate to equalize the diameter and surface,
then again through another plate, which cuts small longitudinal grooves upon
the rod, either by a lathe or rotatory cutters. It is then clothed with leather,
cloth, or pasteboard, so as to fill both the grooves of the barrel and bullet or
shot. When cement is used to attach the clothing to the shot or bullet, an
alcoholic solution of gum benzoin is preferred for that purpose. The clothing
in all cases should be coated thoroughly with tallow, or a mixture of bees-wax
and tallow, which diminishes the friction of the bullet or shot in the barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of July, 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 John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 ORDNANCE AND FIRE-ARMS, AND IN THEIR
PROJECTILES," a communication from William Pratt, of the City of Baltimore,
in the State of Maryland, in the United States of America, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instru-
ment 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

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say —
The said Invention relates, first, to an arrangement for preventing the
sticking or clogging of the breech of breech-loading ordnance and small arms
under repeated and rapid discharges by facilitating the opening of the same.
Secondly, to a mode of compensating for the wear of the breech parts when
in use.
Thirdly, to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements of the moving
breech, whereby one continuous motion shall first release or slacken the breech
in its seat, and then open and expose the bore of the arm to receive the
charge; and one continuous motion, the reverse of that used in opening
the breech, shall close and secure the parts firmly in position to resist the
force of the explosion.
Fourthly, to the employment of iron bullets, shot, or shells in rifled
ordnance or fire-arms, whereby all injury to the bore of the arm and excessive
windage are avoided, whilst the necessary rotatory motion of the projectile
upon its axis to secure accuracy of flight is obtained.
In carrying out the first part of this Invention, a recess or slot is made in
the breech of the gun transversely to the bore thereof, and this recess is filled
with the parts forming the moveable breech, such parts being composed either
of two wedges or a male and female screw. These parts when wedge-shaped
slide either upon or in one another to release them, and then both draw out,
or one part slides and allows the other to swing to one side. These parts are
so formed and arranged, that the first motion of either the wedge or screw by
its appropriate lever releases the breech pieces from tightly fitting the recess
containing them, and a continuance of motion in the same direction exposes
the bore for charging the arm. In arms of large calibre I use a secondary or
jointed lever, exerting great power upon the tightening wedge, so that however
tightly the breech may stick, it can be released or slackened, and then easily
opened, the reverse motion closing and securing it.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,

page_text: the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all
the Figures.
Fig. 1 of the Drawings represents a longitudinal section of a cannon
with the breech wedges both sliding; and Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan
of the same.
In this arrangement both wedges slide in the vertical opening or recess
formed for that purpose in the breech portion A of the gun. B is the front or
breech wedge, forming when closed the base or end of the bore; and C is the
back or tightening wedge, for firmly closing the breech; D is a secondary or
compound jointed lever, working on the fixed fulcrum E, and connected by
the two links F and G to the corresponding wedges B and C. The joint H
in this lever forms a second or moveable fulcrum, which is called into action
when the greatest power is required, that is, when the tightening wedge C has
to be either started from or forced into its seat, according as the breech is
being opened or closed. On depressing the lever handle, which is broken
away in the Drawing, the lever will first turn on the fulcrum H, and will exert
great power in withdrawing the tightening wedge c; this motion causes a
strong spring or stop I to enter the notch J in the lever, thus rendering the
joint at H ridged; hereupon the entire lever moves on the fixed fulcrum E,
which affords suflicient traverse to entirely draw down the two wedges and
open the breech. As the front wedge B is connected by its link to the fulcrum
I, it will not move until the lever works on the fixed fulcrum E, or until the
breech has been slackened by the starting of the back wedge C. The reverse
motion of the lever in closing the breech first elevates the wedge B into its
place by the fulerum E, and then by the fulcrum Hit forces the tightening
wedge C into its place, effectually closing the breech, the strong spring I
moving back again into the back notch, as shewn in the Drawing.
I may here observe that I am aware that sliding wedges have hitherto been
used for closing the breeches of ordnance and fire-arms, and therefore I claim
the use of such wedges only when they are entirely disconnected from each
other, and are independant of each other for their relative movements which
they obtain from a compound or jointed lever, in the manner shewn in the
Drawings.
Fig. 3 represents another modification of the arrangement of wedges as
applied to a breech-loading musket, one wedge or brecch-piece sliding in the
other, which opens to one side; and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the lock side of
the arm.
A is the breech; B, the piece corresponding to the front wedge in
the arrangement herein-before described. In the back portion of this piece

page_text: (see details, Figs. 5 and 6,) a wedge-shaped groove or channel is made, and in
this channel slides the back wedge C (Fig. 5.) The front piece B, instead of
sliding, turns on one side, being hinged or jointed on to the pin D (Fig. 7),
this pin being held in its place by the screw heads E, E; the back or sliding
wedge C is moved backwards or forwards by the lever F, on the end of which
is a cam-shaped piece G, which, on pressure being applied to the lever, with-
draws the back wedge sufficiently to release the front portion or wedge B.
This pressure on the lever continued in the same direction throws the front
wedge over on its pin D, and exposes the bore of the arm. The reverse of
these movements closes the breech, and wedges the whole fast in the recess,
any wear of the parts being compensated for by simply pressing the wedge
farther in. In order to reduce as much as possible the surface liable to be
covered with the residuum of explosion, a channel or smoke groove H,
(Fig. 6) is turned in the front wedge on its face, suitable communications I, I,
allowing the gas to escape by the passage 1'. A small space J is cut in the
breech to receive the fouling or residuum when closing the breech.
Figs. 8 and 9 represent two side elevations of a breech A, formed by an
external and internal screw B and C. In this arrangement the head of the
screw B, shewn in detail at Figs. 10, 11, and 12, forms the base of the bore
or breech-piece.
The nut or internal screw C, which is attached to the lever D, shewn in
detail at Figs. 13 and 14, is the means of tightening the breech and of re-
leasing and opening it. The breech-piece B is hinged to one side of the gun,
in the same manner as the breech-piece B in Figs. 3 and 4, when the breech
is tightly closed. The head of the screw B abuts firmly against the rear end
of the barrel at A, and the nut C abuts also against the back abutment of the
recess at F, holding the parts firmly in place. In order to open the breech,
the lever D is turned slightly, which releases the nut from pressing against the
back abutment, and presses it instead against the back of the screw head; and
by continuing the motion of the lever in the same direction, the whole will
then turn back upon the joint pin at the side and expose the bore, when the
arm can be readily charged. The reverse motion closes and fastens the breecli
securely in position, and should any wear take place, by turning the nut a little
farther it will be effectually compensated for.
In rifled small arms the ordinary rifle barrel is used, screwed at its base into
the breech-piece; the rear end of this is chambered out in such a manner that
the grooves of the rifle are cut away, leaving the bore smooth to a sufficient
depth to receive the cartridge or charge. The upper end (towards the muzzle)

page_text: of this chamber is tapered slightly. In arms of large calibre I prefer rifling
with an increased twist, so that the projectile velocity and the rotation upon
the axis shall be proportioned to each other. The rifling in ordnance should
be from one-tenth to one-fourth of an inch deep, and from three-tenths to
one-half inch broad. I prefer also using an odd number of grooves, so that
a groove on one side is always opposite to a plane surface. The nipple in
small arms may be placed either in the moving breech or in the barrel, as may
be most convenient. In ordnance also the priming or vent may either be on
the piece forming the moveable breech or on the main body of the gun.
I shall now proceed to describe the fourth part of this Invention, whereby
heavy shot may be thrown from rifled ordnance without excessive windage or
injury to the grooves or bore.
Figs. 15 and 16 represent, in side and end elevation, of my improved form
of shot, as cast for a rifled cannon. The shot is cast in two or more pieces.
The front or conoidal end A of the shot has a square, triangular. or such form
of shank B cast upon it, as will allow the base of the shot C to slide upon it
and to turn with it. The disc or base C is made slightly inclined or tapering
on the side towards the conoidal portion of the shot, and both the base and
conc are cast with longitudinal grooves, from one-tenth to one-fourth of an
inch deep, on their surfaces, such grooves being either straight or spirally
inclined. The object of these grooves, represented at Fig. 16, is that the
clothing of the shot, herein-after to be described, may, by compression into the
grooves of the gun and the grooves in the shot, be the means at once of pre-
venting windage, and communicating the rotatory motion to the shot upon its
axis. In heaving for guns of large calibre, the wedge-shaped disc or base C,
which moves upon the shank B, must have a suflicient end motion to allow it
to press the clothing tightly against the bore of the arm by the action of the
explosive force; but in smaller arins the shot may be cast in one piece, since
the clothing, by being forced or compressed into the grooves as the shot moves
from the enlarged chamber into the main or rifled bore of the gun, makes it
sufficiently tight to produce the effect desired, namely, the obtainment of a
rotary motion, and the prevention of windage.
Figs. 17 and 18 represent, in elevation and section, the shot clothed, by
wrapping round it a sufficient thickness of canvass, cloth, leather, felt, or other
convenient material to increase the size of the shot (which is always cast
rather smaller than the bore of the arm) till it fits the bore, and will easily
The explosive force of the charge forces
pass into the chamber at the breech.
forward the disc C upon the shank B, and the inclined or tapering portion of

page_text: A
the disc presses the clothing tightly into the bore so as to fill the grooves.
small pin in the shank, shewn in Fig. 15, prevents the disc C from entirely
slipping off the same.
In rifles or guns of small bore it is unnecessary to form the bullet in more
than one piece. Fig. 19 represents the best form for rifle bullets. These
bullets instead of being cast are cut from rods of iron, which are first drawn
through a plate to equalize the diameter and surface, and again through
another plate, which cuts small longitudinal grooves upon the rod. The bullet
is then cut into form from the rod either by the lathe or rotary cutters. It is
then clothed with leather, cloth, or pasteboard, of such thickness as will fill
both the grooves of the barrel and those of the bullet, the clothing being com-
pressed as it passes from the chamber into the barrel. Where cement is used
to attach the clothing to the bullet, I prefer an alcoholic solution of gum
benzoin. The clothing should in all cases be coated thoroughly with tallow,
or a mixture of bees-wax and tallow, which diminishes the friction of the
ball in the barrel.
Fig. 20 represents an elevation and section of a shell to be used in the
same manner, as regards clothing, as the shot for large guns. A is the body
of the shell; B, the moveable disc; C, a bolt, which is placed in the shell at the
time of charging; on the inner end of this bolt is a large cap, which, when the
shell strikes, is exploded by the action of the bolt C being driven against it,
and, communicating with the powder in the cavity of the shell, bursts it. The
shell must always be so formed that the centre of gravity shall be nearer the
point or head than the base, which is attained by hollowing the base, as shewn
by the sectional clevation.
Although I have herein-before described and illustrated certain arrangements
of breeches for ordnance and fire-arms, yet I wish it to be distinctly under-
stood that I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise applications shewn
in my Drawings, as it will be obvious to the practical man that by suitable
modifications the whole of the arrangements of moveable breeches herein-
before described may be applied either to orduance or to small arms indis-
criminately.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what

page_text: I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general constructions and arrangements of the breeches of breech-
loading ordnance and fire-arms, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of opening and closing the breech of breech-
loading ordnance and fire-arms by means of a compound or double-jointed
lever, whereby greater power is obtained than by an ordinary lever, such
system or mode being herein-before described, and illustrated by Fig. 1 of
the Drawings.
Third, the system or mode of slackening and tightening the breech of breech-
loading ordnance and fire-arms, as herein-before described, and illustrated by
Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the Drawings.
Fourth, the application and use of shot, shells, and other projectiles having
longitudinal grooves formed thereon, constructed and clothed in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)