AN IMPROVED GUN
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Moreton Hassall Phillips, of Shrewsbury, in the
County of Salop, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
GUN."
Sealed the 2nd August 1858, and dated the 16th May 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Moreton Hassall
Phillips at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis
Petition, on the 16th May 1858.
I, MORETON HASSALL PHILLIPS, of Shrewsbury, in the County of
Salop, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED GUN" to be as follows:-
I employ as the propulsive force for projecting the missile from the
barrel of my improved gun the elastic retractile power of a tube
or strips of vulcanized india-rubber, caoutchouc, or other suitable
elastic material, secured at one end to a button in the muzzle of a
second or independent barrel, and drawn back or stretched by a rod
passing thro' a catch attached to the other end of the tube. This catch,
when drawn back to the breech of the gun, is retained in its position by
means of a second catch in connection with the trigger, the pull of

page_text: which disengages the two catches, and admits of the elastic force of the
india-rubber tube to project the ball or other missile which has
previously been placed in the barrel for its reception. The Drawings
hereunto annexed represent my improved gun. Figure 1, is an ex-
ternal clevation. Figure 2, a section shewing the gun previous to being
charged, and Figure 8, a similar section representing the gun as ready
to be discharged. A, is the stock and B, the barrel for containing the
india-rubber tube C. D, is a button secured in the muzzle of the
barrel B, by a pin or other suitable contrivance, and to which the india-
rubber tube is attached. E, is a catch secured to the iudia-rubber
tube C. F, is a rod which is attached at one end to an inner piece of
india-rubber G, which is also attached to the button D. The other
end of this rod F, passes through the catch E, and also through the
breech of the gun, where it terminates in a handle a, for the purpose of
drawing it back. b, is a button on the rod F, which, as the rod is
drawn back, comes against the catch E, and carries it back with it, at
the same time stretching the india-rubber tube C, and piece G. The
catch E, is drawn back until it comes over the catch H, in connection
with the trigger, by which it is retained. Upon releasing the handle
u, of the rod F, it is drawn back by the elastic force of the india-rubber
piece G, into the barrel B, and so prevented from interfering with the
sight or discharge of the gimm. K, is a second barrel placed upon thic
top of the barrel B, and communicating with it by a slot c, c, to allow
of the transverse backwards and forwards of the piston L, attached to
the catch E. The missile to be projected is placed in the barrel K, by
-sliding back a plate d, and placing it in front of the piston L, when it
is drawn back. The plate:d, is then replaced, and by pulling the
trigger I,-the catches E, and H, become disengaged, thereby admitting
of the sudden contraction of the india-rubber tube C, which carriés
with it the catch E, and piston L, and projects the missile from the
muzzle of the barrel K. By drawing back the handle'
gun
again prepared for reloading.
",
the
is

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters.Patent,
filed by the said Moreton Hassall Phillips in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 16th November 1853.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, ' ],
MORETON HASSALL PHILLIPS, of Shrewsbury, in the County of Salop,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the 'six-
teenth year of Her reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Moreton Hassall Phillips, Her
special licence that I, the said Moreton Hassall Phillips, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Moreton Hassall Phillips, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any tinic 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 "AN IMPROVED GUN," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Moreton Hassall Phillips, 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 Moreton Hassall Phillips, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:
My Invention consists of an improved gun, in which I employ as the
propulsive force for projecting the missile from the barrel the elastic
retractile power of a tube or strip of vulcanized india-rubber or other
suitable elastic material. This tube or strip is secured at one end to a

page_text: button in the muzzle of a second or independent barrel, and is drawn back
or stretched by a rod passing through a catch attached to the other or rear
end of the tube, or it is forced hack by a ramrod introduced at the muzzle
of the barrel. The catch is connected to a slide in the discharging barrel,
and when drawn or forced back to the breech of the gun is retained in
its position there by means of a second catch in connection with the
trigger, the pulling of which disengages the two catches and the slide,
and thus allows the clastic retractile force of the extended india-rubber
tube or strip to project the ball or other missile which has been
previously placed in front of the slide in the discharging barrel.
The Drawings hereunto annexed represent my improved gun.
Figure 1, being an external clevation. Figure 2, a section shewing
the gun previous to being charged; and Figure 3, a similar section
representing the gun as ready to be discharged. A, is the stock and B,
the barrel for containing the india-rubber tube C, by which the pro-
jection of the missile is to be effected. D, is a button to which one end
of the india-rubber tube C, is attached by the ordinary means of a wire
or cord which is wound round the tube after the end of it has been
slipped over the button, and compresses it into the groove d, as shewn.
This button is secured in the muzzle of the barrel B, by a pin or
other suitable contrivance. E, is a catch which is secured to the other
end of the india-rubber tube C, in the same manner as described with
reference to the button D. F, is a rod or wire which is attached at its
inner end to another tube or strip of india-rubber G, which is also
secured to the button D, but inside of the tube C. The outer end of
the rod or wire F, passes through the catch E, and also through the
breech of the gun, where it terminates in a knob or handle a, for the
purpose of enabling it to be drawn back. b, is a button on the end of
the rod or wire F, which, as the rod or wire is drawn back, comes
against the catch E, and carries it back with it, at the same time
stretching the india-rubber tube C, and the tube or strip G. The
catch E, is drawn back until it comes over the catch H, in connection
with the trigger I, by which it is retained till the trigger is drawn.
Upon releasing the knob or handle a, of the rod or wire F, the latter is
drawn back by the elastic force of the india-rubber tube or strip G, into

page_text: the barrel B, and so prevented froin interfering with the sight or dis-
charge of the gun. K, is a second barrel placed along the uppermost side
of the barrel B, and communicating with it by a slot e, c, to allow of the
traverse backwards and forwards of the slide or piston L, which is
attached to the catch E. The missile to be projected is introduced into
the barrel K, through the muzzle, or by sliding back the plate d, and
placing it in front of the slide or piston L, when it is drawn back.
The plate d, is then replaced, and by pulling the trigger I, the catches
E, and H, become disengaged, thereby admitting of the sudden con-"
traction of the india-rubber tube C, which carries with it the catch E,
and piston or slide I, and projects the missile in front of the slide
from the muzzle of the barrel K. By drawing back the handle a, the
gun is again prepared for reloading.
Figures 4, and 5, shew another method of securing the ends of the
india-rubber tube C, to the button D, in the muzzle of the barrel B,
and to the slide E. The button is made in the form of a tube, having
a contracted aperture at one end, the mouth of which is protected by
a ring soldered thereto, as seen at d, or by the edge of the metal being
turned over so as to produce a smooth rounded edge, and prevent chafing
or laceration of the india-rubber tube. This is secured in the button
by introducing its end through the contracted aperture, and drawing it
through to a suflicient distance to allow a pellet or ball e; to be placed
in the mouth of the tube which is then tightly tied or bound round
with cord or wire. On drawing the tube back again the ball e, will
hold it firmly in the button. The opposite end of the tube is attached.
to the catch E, in a precisely similar manner, the body of the catch
being made tubular, and furnished with a contracted aperture equivalent
to that in the button D. Solid strips of india-rubber' may also be
secured by the use of similar tubular pieces, the end being introduced
through the contracted aperture, and bound tightly round with wire or
waxed cord so as to prevent its being withdrawn.
When I employ a solid strip of india-rubber instead of a tube, as
before described, I dispense with the rod F, with its appendages for
drawing back the india-rubber, and force it back by means of a ramrod
acting against the slide in the discharging barrel. The use of a ramrod

page_text: may also be adopted when a tube of india-rubber is employed to project
the missile, in which case also the rod F, and its appendages may be.
dispensed with.
Instead of arranging the two barrels of the gun as shewn in the
Figures 1, 2, and 3, I propose, alsó, in some cases to place the two
barrels side by side, as shewn in Figure 6, or one within the other, as
shewn in Figure 7..
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 as of
my Invention,-
First, the improved gun represented in the Drawings, and herein-
before described, in the general arrangement and adaptation of the
parts of which the same consists.
Second, the employment in my improved gun. of the modes of
fastening or securing the ends of the india-rubber tube or strip, respec-
tively described and represented (in so far as regards the tube) in
Figures 4, and 5, of the Drawings annexed; and,
Third, the arrangement of the barrels of my improved gun, as repre-
sented in Figures 6, and 7, of the Drawings, and before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moreton Hassall Phillips, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
MORETON H. PHILLIPS. (L.S.).