Britain 942
A.D. 1860, 14th April. N° 942.
Rotating Breech Fire-arms.
(This Invention received Provisional Protection only.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alfred Vincent Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th April 1860.— A communication from abroad by Edward Savage, of Cromwell, in the County of Middlesex, and State of Connecticut, United States of America.
I, ALFRED Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for “Improvements In Rotating Breech Fire Arms,” to be as follows:—
This Invention relates to the employment of moveable cylindrical bushings or thimbles in rotating breech cylinders. These bushings are fitted into cavities formed round the front portions of the chambers of the rotating “cylinder” or breech in such a manner as to fit to a face or seat at the rear end of the barrel, the force resulting from the explosion of the charges being used to drive them forward against the barrel, and make a tight joint between the chambers and the barrel during the discharges of the chambers. For securing in its place the pin on which the breech cylinder rotates a novel arrangement is adopted, the object being to provide for the easy withdrawal of the breech pin when it is desired to take out the cylinder. The breech pin is held in place by a screw passed transversely through the frame which carries the barrel. A notch is made in the breech pin to receive the screw, and the screw is cut away at one portion of its periphery to allow of the withdrawal of the breech pin without removing the screw from its seat. Lapped round a portion of the breech pin that passes through the cylinder is a helical spring, which has a tendency to give the cylinder an endway motion and keep it free of the end of the barrel. This movement of the cylinder takes place preparatory to its rotary motion to present the chambers successively in line with the barrel. The forward motion of the breech cylinder is effected by a toggle arrangement, which forms part of the subject matter of Letters Patent granted to the present applicant, and bearing date July 8th, 1856, (No. 1608), but other means of producing the forward movement may be employed as thought desirable. The breech pin is fitted tightly into a bole provided for it in the front part of the lock frame, and fitted easily into a hole in the central steel bush of a rotating recoil shield. The central bush is driven very tightly into a central cavity provided to receive it in the front of the recoil shield. An adjustable connection is effected between the recoil shield and the toggle arrangement by means of a regulating screw forming a portion of the toggle arrangement. Through a small hole in the bush a set screw passes and enters a tapped hole in the centre of the regulating screw. By screwing up this set screw the regulating screw is held very tightly, and prevented working out of its place by the frequent revolution of the breech cylinder and repeated tiring of the piece.
The lever ramrod, with which this class of arms is usually provided, it is proposed to attach to the head of the breech pin. For this purpose the head is formed with a cylindrical cavity running entirely through it, parallel with the axis of the pin and with the chambers of the cylinders. A longitudinal slot is made above this cavity and a similar slot below the cavity. These slots extend from the extremity of the bead nearly the whole length of it, but the lower one extends a little further back than the upper one. The plunger or ramrod slides in the cylindrical cavity, and the lever by which it is worked fits into the slots in the head of the breech pin.