IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF DOUBLE-BARREL BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Parsons, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gun Barrel Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF DOUBLE-BARREL BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 14th July 1868, and dated the 20th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Parsons at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th January 1868.
I; JOHN PARSONS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Barrel Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF DOUBLE-BARREL BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS," to as follows:-
In most double-barrel breech-loading fire-arms for sporting purposes
the breech closing mechanism requires a projection underneath and
between the barrels. This projection is called the "lump" and is
ordinarily made separate from the barrels and attached thereto by

page_text: brazing. Accidents frequently occur by the brazing giving way under
the force of the explosion.
The object of my Invention is to prevent the liability to such accidents,
and my improvements consist in constructing the said lump in the
following manner:-I weld to each of the barrels a piece of iron or
steel of the size of one half of the lump, the said pieces being welded
on the sides of the barrels and in such positions that when the barrels
are put together the said pieces or half lumps are brought into contact
and together form a mass of iron or steel of the required size. The
said half lumps may be connected together by brazing or by screwing
or rivetting; or instead of making the lump of two half lumps a
lump of the required size may be welded on one of the barrels in such
a position that when the barrels are put together it occupies the proper
place between the barrels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Parsons in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PARSONS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Barrel
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Parsons, Her special licence
that I, the said John Parsons, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Parsons, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF
DOUBLE-BARREL BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Parsons, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands

page_text: 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 immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Parsons, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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, that is to say:-
In most double-barrel breech-loading fire-arms for sporting purposes
the breech closing mechanism requires a projection underneath and
between the barrels. This projection is called the "lump" and is
ordinarily made separate from the barrels and attached thereto by
brazing. Accidents frequently occur by the brazing giving way under
the force of the explosion.
The object of my Invention is to prevent the liability to such
accidents, and my improvements consist in constructing the said lump
in the following manner :-I weld to each of the barrels a piece of
iron or steel of the size of one-half of the lump, the said pieces being
welded on the sides of the barrels and in such positions that when
the barrels are put together the said pieces or half lumps are brought
into contact, and together form a mass of iron or steel of the required
size. The said half lumps may be connected together by brazing or
soft soldering or by screwing or rivetting; or instead of making the
lump of two half lumps a lump of the required size may be welded
on one of the barrels in such a position that when the barrels are put
together it occupies the proper place between the barrels.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will procced to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in plan of under
side, and Figure 3 in end clevation, a barrel provided with a half lump
according to my Invention.
a is the barrel, and the piece of iron or steel or half lump welded
to that side of the barrel which is to form the inner side when the
two barrels are put together. I take two of the said barrels a provided
with pieces or half lumps 6 and having shaped the sides of the half

page_text: lumps after the forging process, I present the half lump of one barrel
to the half lump of the other barrel in the manner represented in
Figure 4, and bringing the inner faces of the said half lumps into
contact I braze them together into one mass of iron or steel and form
a lump of the required size as represented in Figure 5. The lump
thus formed on the under side and between the double barrel a, a, is
marked d. Instead of brazing the half lumps together as described
the said half lumps may be connected together by soft soldering, or by
screwing, or by rivetting, but I prefer to braze them together. The
lump d of the double barrel a, a, is finished by giving it the figure re-
presented in side elevation in Figure 6, or other required figure. The
shaping of the lump d may be effected either before or after the barrels
are brazed or connected together. The double barrel is finished by the
brazing of the rib e between the barrels as usual. The shaping of
the lump d for the joint pin and breech closing mechanism and brazing
of the rib e are effected in the ordinary manner and constitute no part
of my Invention. Instead of making the lump of the double barrel
of two pieces or half lumps as described and illustrated in the Drawing
a single lump similar to the lump d in Figure 5 may be welded to
one of the barrels a in the position represented in the said Figure 5,
so that when the two barrels are put together the said lump occupies
the proper place between the said barrels. The dotted line in Figure 5
indicates the junction of the two barrels and lump in the last described
arrangement of my Invention. The lump on one barrel may. be
connected to the other barrel by brazing or soft soldering.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention the improvements in certain
parts of double-barrel breech-loading fire-arms herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, constructing
the projection or lump situated underneath and between the double
barrel by welding on each of the barrels and on one side thereof a
piece of iron or steel or half lump, and connecting the said pieces or
half lumps together by brazing or soft soldering, or screwing, or
rivetting, or constructing the said projection or lump by welding a
single plate or lump of the required size on one of the barrels, which
single plate or lump when the other barrel is connected to it occupies

page_text: the proper place between the barrels, substantially as described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Parsons, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN PARSONS. (L.S.)