provements in Electrical Firing Pistols for Gun Mountings.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 10th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Electrical Firing Pistols for Gun Mountings.
Wo, EDWARD WILLIAM LLOYD, formerly a Commander in the British Navy,
and now of the Firm of Sir W G. Armstrong, Mitchell & Co. Ld., of Elswick
Works, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and RALPH THEW BRANKSTON, of the same place,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In previous electrical fing pistols made for firing guns it has always been
necessary to disconnect the wires which form the firing circuit before the pistol
could be taken to picces and properly examined. The principal object of our
invention is to provide a pistol which can be taken to pieces without the use of
tools so as to enable the wliole of the contacts to be examined without disconnecting
the wires.
The pistol is made up of a hollow case which may be cast of pistol
form in brouze or other metal. The forward or barrel part of this case is open at
the end and is made to slide down into an end cover formed as a bracket piece
adapted for being held a clip holder on the gun mounting-sideway projections
on the forward or barrel end of the pistol case entering corresponding recesses in
the bracket piece keep the pistol from being drawn away endwise from it. The
forward or barrel part of the pistol case is also open at the top-a cover plate
covers this opening and at its forward end enters into a recess in the bracket piece
and locks the bracket piece to the end of the case-the cover plate is in its turn
secured at its rear end to the case by a sciew with milled head which should under
ordinary circumstances be removable by hand.
The underside of the forward or barrel end of the case is also open, and an
inwardly projecting ledge is provided all around this bottom opening for a block
having the insulated wires attached to it and carrying the contact mechanism to
rest on. The block with wnes and contact mechanisin carried by it can be slidden
into place through the open end of the case before the end cover or bracket piece
18 put on lugs on the inner sides of the hollow case keep the block down on to the
ledge. When the end cover or bracket piece is placed on to the ond of the case
the block is securely retained.
On the top of the block 18 carried a spring contact key coupled to one of the
insulated wires-an arın on the trigger levet bears down on to the top of the spring
key when the tugger is pulled and brings this key against a contact point which is
coupled to the other insulated wire. The spring contact key we insulate from the
tugger arm which bears upon it by sewing on to the contact key a piece of leather
or similar substance which may be considered unbreakable.
Dated this 10th day of May 1895.
EDWARD W. LLOYD.
R. T. BRANKSTON.

page_text: Improvements in Electrical Firing Pistols for Gun Mountings.
We, EDWARD WILLIAM LLOYD, formerly a Commander in the British Navy,
and now of the Firm of Sir W. G. Armstrong Mitchell & Co. Ld. of Elswick
Works, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and RALPH THEW BRANKSTON, of the same place,
Engineer, do hereby declaro the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In previous electrical firing pistols made for firing guns it has always been
necessary to disconnect the wires which form the firing circuit before the pistol
could be taken to pieces and properly exammed. The principal object of our
invention is to provide a pistol which can be taken to picces without the use of
tools so as to enable the whole of the contacts to be examined without disconnecting
the wires.
The pistol is made up of a hollow case which may be cast of pistol
form in bronze or other metal. The forward part of this case is open at the end
and is made to slide down into an end cover formed as a bracket piece adapted for
being held in a clip holder on the gun mounting-ideway projections on the
forward end of the pistol case entering corresponding recesses in the bracket
keep the pistol from being drawn away endwise from it The forward part of the
pistol case is also open at the top-a cover plate covers this opening and at its
forward end enters into a recess in the bracket piece and locks the bracket piece to
the end of the case-the cover plate is in its turn secured at its rear end to the
case by a screw with milled head which should under ordinary circumstances bo
emovable by hand.
ploce
Tho
The underside of the forward end of the case is also open, and an inwardly
projecting ledge is provided all around this bottom opening for a block, having the
Insulated wires attached to it and carrying the contact mechanism, to rest on
block with wires and contact mechanism carried by it can be slidden into place
through the open end of the case before the end cover or bracket pieca is put on-
lugs on the inner sides of the hollow case keep the block down on to the ledge.
When the end cover or bracket piece is placed on to the end of the case the block
is securely retained.
On the top of the block is carried a spring contact key coupled to one of the
10sulated wes-an arın on the trigger lever bears down on to the top of the spring
key when the trigger is pulled and brings this key against a contact point which is
coupled to the other insulated wire. The spring contact ker we insulate from the
trigger arm which bears upon it by sewing on to the contact key a piece of leather
o similar substance which may be considered unbreakable.
The diawings annexed show a firing pistol constructed as above described.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section.
Figure 2 is a plan view with the cover removed.
Figure 3 18 a vertical longitudinal section of the end cover.
Figure 4 is a front end view of the barrel.
A is the hollow case of pistol form-the forward part is open at the end and at
top and bottom B is the end cover the forward part of which is adapted for being
held in a clip holder. B' are two side plates projecting back from the cover B.
13 is a projection on the inner face of each of these side plates. A' are projections
on the exterior of the front ends of the two side platos of the forward part of the
case A these pass down between the cover B and projections B'. A' are other
projections on the exterior of the two side plates of the barrel, these come against
the top of the projections B' and prevent the barrel sliding down too far
Cis a cover plate which covers over the top of the bariel The side edges of
its forward end pass under overhanging lugs B on the end cover and the forward

page_text: end is thereby held down. C' is a screw with milled head by which the rear end
of the plate is held down.
D is a block having the insulated wires attached to it-it rests ou inwardly
projecting ledges A³ on the two side plates of the barrel-lugs A projecting
inwardly from the side plates hold the block down on to the ledges The lower
part of the block D is of metal and the upper part of insulating material. The
upper part has passed through and secured to it two contact pieces E E against
which the wires of the insulated conductors Fare held in electrical contact as
shewn at Figure 1. Gis a spring contact key hold at one end to one of the
pieces E above the top of the block the other end of the spring comes above the top
of the other contact piece E and as hold normally at a distance from it. H is the
trigger II an arm projecting from it and coming just above the free end of the
spring G. G is a piece of leather or other insulating material fixed on the top of
this end of the spring and coming between it and the aim H¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :—
1. An electrical firing key composed of a hollow casing of pistol foun, a readily
removable block closing an opening on the underside of the forward part of this
casing and having the insulated conductors and contact mechanism secured to it
and a trigger for closing the contact mechanism substantially as described.
2. The construction of electrical firing key substantially as hereinbefora
described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 4th day of February 1896.
CARPMAEL & Co,
Agents for the Applicants.