A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF SECURING RAMRODS TO FIRE-ARMS."
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ebenezer Hollis, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Maker, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
METHOD OF SECURING RAMRODS TO FIRE-ARMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ebenezer Hollis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
June 1855.
I, EBENEZER HOLLIS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED METHOD OF SECURING RAMRODS TO FIRE-ARMS " to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in introducing a spring carrying at its end a roller
into that portion of the stock into which the ramrod enters when not in use.
When the ramrod is introduced into the stock, the end of the said ramrod
passes over the said roller, and by the said spring the said ramrod is held
securely in its place, at the same time that the ramrod is capable of being
readily removed and replaced. By my Invention the sticking of the ramrod in
the stock on the one hand, and the looseness of the said ramrod in the stock
on the other hand, are entirely obviated, while the roller enables the said
ramrod to be easily introduced and removed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ebenezer Hollis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th December 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EBENEZER
HOLLIS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Ebenezer Hollis, Her special licence that I, the said Ebenezer Hollis,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Ebenezer Hollis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-.
after 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 "A NEW OR
IMPROVED METHOD OF SECURING RAMRODS TO FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Ebenezer Hollis, by an instrument 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 Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ebenezer Hollis, 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 thereof (that is to say): :-
My Invention consists of the use, in the manner herein-after particularly
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, of a spring carrying a
roller at its end, the said spring and roller being introduced into that portion
of a stock of a fire-arm into which the ramrod enters when not in use.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation (partly in section) portion of a
musket to which my Invention is applied; Figure 2 represents in plan that
portion of the stock of a musket into which the barrel fits; the said plan,
Figure 2, also containing a representation of my Invention. Figure 3 repre-
sents in side elevation, and Figure 4 in plan, the spring and roller, which con-
stitute the main feature of my Invention, the said Figures 3 and 4 being of
full size.

page_text: a, Figures 1 and 2, is the stock of the musket; b is a cavity made therein, in
which said cavity the head of the spring and roller, Figures 3 and 4, are
situated. The spring is marked c and the roller d in the several Figures.
The spring has a slightly curved figure, as indicated by the dotted lines e,
Figure 1. When the barrelf is put in its place it presses the spring against
the stock a, so as to bring it into the position represented in continuous lines.
When the ramrod 9 is withdrawn from the stock, the roller d assumes the
position indicated by dotted lines at h, Figure 1. The spring c is fixed to the
stock a by a pin i, which passes through the stock and over the fixed' end
of the spring, in a manner which will be understood by an examination of
Figures 1 and 2. When the ramrod is introduced into the stock, the end
of the said ramrod comes in contact with the roller d, and the said ramrod
must be pressed and made to force back the roller d and spring c into the
position represented in Figure 1 before the end of the ramrod can pass the
roller d, and the ramrod assume its customary place in the stock. During
the time that the ramrod remains in the stock, the spring c presses the roller d
against the said ramrod, and holds it securely in its place; the said ramrod
may, however, be readily removed and replaced. By the use of my Invention
the "sticking" of the ramrod in the stock on the one hand, and the looseness
of the said ramrod in the stock on the other hand, are entirely obviated, while
the said ramrod may be easily introduced into and removed from the said stock.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied with-
out departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
Invention the use of a spring and roller situated on the stock of a musket or
other fire-arm, for the purpose of retaining the ramrod in its place in the said
stock while permitting its ready introduction and removal, as herein-before
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ebenezer Hollis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw.
EBENEZER HOLLIS. (L.S.)