IM- PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 68, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS."-Acommunication from abroad by Mr. Charles
Claude Etienne Minié, of Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, formerly Major in
the Army.
Sealed the 15th February 1861, and dated the 27th August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th August 1860.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53; Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said. Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to small or hand fire-arms,& consists of a short rifled
barrel mounted'on a long stock, so that the entire piece shall be of about the
usuallength. The percussive force is transmitted to thenipplefromthe trigger
& lock by means of a long rod, whose extremity strikes the head of the cap &
nipple placed under the chamber of the
gun:
:
This improved fire-arm is furnished on the barrel with parts for elevating
and with suitable sights.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in-pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing datethe Twenty-seventh day of August,in the year of our Lord
Que thousand eight hundred andsixty, in the twenty-fourth yearof Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark,
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, 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
FIRE-ARMS," a communication from abroad by Mr. Charles Claude Etienne
Minié, of Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, formerly Major in the Army, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
handsandseals,should particularly describe and ascertain the nature ofthe 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 William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to beparticularly described and ascertained in andby the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a portable fire-arm, composed of a short rifled
barrel mounted on a long stock, in such way that the whole piece is the same
size as in ordinary. The percussion is produced by the lock acting on a long
rod, the extremity of which strikes the head of the cap. This fire-arm is also
furnished with a fan-shaped elevating sight.
The characteristic feature of this improved fire-arm is, that the helically
grooved or rifled barrel is only of about twelve or fourteen inches in length
(Fig. 1), and this barrel is fixed to the extremity of a wood stock or mounting,

page_text: the length of which renders the whole piece of about the same dimensions as an
infantry or cavalry carbine or musket (Fig. 1). The ordinary lock is dispensed
with and replaced by a striker (Fig. 3), formed on the extremity of a rod,
which is impelled by a spring against the cap, placed under the chamber of
the gun (see Fig. 3), which takes place when the pressure ofthe finger on the
trigger releases the tooth or projection which holds the spring in tension, M,
Fig. 4, and N, Fig. 3. The elevating sight, which in all fire-arms has been-
hitherto fixed on the barrel towards the breech, is let into thewood S(Fig. 6).
a quadrant T is attached to part end of this sight, which fits into a space in
the stock and carries teeth or projections, which by the action of the spring V,
regulates the position of the sight at different degrees of elevation. In all
the Figures the same letters of reference indicate the same parts where they
recur.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS..
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal elevation of the rifle complete ; Fig. 2, a
central vertical section of the barrels separate. A, barrel, about thirteen inches
long; B, breech with double screw thread; C, nipple and projecting part,
which carries it. Fig. 3, central vertical section of the hammer or striker H
and rod; D, tube to contain the spring of the striker H; E, rod of the striker;
F, neck formed on rod E; G, K, combs or finger pieces of the striker. Fig. 4,
detail of the lock or trigger; L, stem, sustaining the thrust of the hammer
spring, which may be spiral or otherwise; M, releasing spring catch, which
takes into notch N. Fig. 5, details of parts immediately behind the barrel;
R, breech piece; O, channel for the striker; P, recess for the rod of striker ;
Q, stop pieces to secure the rod when required. Fig. 6, detail of the sight;
S, plate of the sight with the arc attached; T, graduated quadrant provided
with stop notches or marks; V, recess in which is placed a spiral spring which
acts upon the part ; x, stop for regulating the position of the quadrant or
the sight.
The breech R, Fig. 5, above described, can be replaced with advantage by
the capsule R, Figs. 7 & 8. The barrel is fixed by being screwed thereto
and the breech screw lengthened for that purpose; Obis represents the groove
for the striker, and q the stop of the striker rod. The metal tail piece z
serves to fix the breech to the wood, for which purpose the breech is made of
a length equal to the tail or cheek piece, which latter is connected to the
stock by three screws or rivets, as shown in the Drawings.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of perform-

page_text: ing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected. by
the berein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the fixing of a short rifled barrel to the extremity of a long stock, so
as, to form an arm of the same dimensions as those for which it is intended to.
be substituted.
Secondly, the percussion of the cap by means of a long rod with a simple
lock or detent and trigger, such as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the detail and disposition of the parts constituting the arm above
described, such as the barrel, striker, stock, sight, lock, &c.
. . In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our
'Lord One thousand eight hundred & sixty-one.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)