CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOSEPH BENTLEY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gun
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS 1er present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
by Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of July, in the eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give aud
grant unto me, the said Joseph Bentley, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Joseph Bentley, my
exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said Joseph Bentley,
my exors, adñiors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that 1. the said Joseph Bentley.
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her

page_text: said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same. reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said. proviso, I, the
said Joseph Bentley, do hereby declare that the nature of my said In-
vention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained in and by the following description
thereof, reference, being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention consists of, first, a method of constructing central fire
double guns, (that is to say,) guns in which the nipple hole is in a line
coinciding with or but slightly inclined to the axis of the barrel,) with
one "hutt," instead of two "hutts," as commonly constructed.
Secondly, forming a chamber or recess at the side of the gun, in
which chamber or recess the nose or striking part of the cock works,
the said chamber or recess being attached either to the "lock plate
or to the "break off" of the said gun, or formed of a separate piece.
.
Thirdly, a construction of "cock" suitable for striking the nipples
of central fire guns.
Figure 1, is an end view, and Figure 2. a top view of a central
fire double gun barrel constructed according to my improvement, that
is to say, having but one "hutt." a, and b, are the barrels, and c the
hutt." a', and b¹, are the breeches, to one of which (6). the "hutt"
c is affixed. In order to remove the breechies from the barrels the
breech b¹, with its hutt c, are first unscrewed; and afterwards the breech
a. The dotted line d, Figure 1. indicates the junction of the breech:b',
and hutt c, with the breech a'. Figure 3, is a side view, and Figure
4, a top view of a central fire double barrelled gun furnished with my
improvement of chambers or recesses in which the nose or striking
part of the cock works. ; is the nose or striking part of the cock a;
and b, is the chamber or recess in which it works." This chamber is
formed on the lock plate c, and is of a depth equal to about two thirds
the thickness of the nose or striking part a', of the cock a The whole
of the cock a, excepting the nose or striking part, is external to the

page_text: chamber or recess b.
The form of the chamber or recess 0, somewhat
resembles that of the segment of a circle, the part marked b¹, being
enlarged, as shewn in the Drawing, for the purpose of receiving the
nipple d, and making room to put the percussion cap or other'
primer on the said nipple. Figure 5, represents a lock plate constructed
according to my Invention, and detached from the other parts of the
gun. The form of the chamber or recess in which the nose or striking
part of the cock works is more clearly exhibited by this Figure than
by Figure 3. The same letters are employed in both Figures to indicate
the same parts, that is to say, b, represents that part of the chamber
or recess in which the nose or striking part of the cock works, and b',
the part into which the nipple enters. It will be observed that in'
Figure 3, my Invention is represented applied to a lock of the kind
commonly called a "back action lock;" and that in Figure 5, my In-
vention is represented applied to the plate of a lock of the description
commonly called a "front action lock," Instead of forming the chamber
or recess b, on the lock plate c, as represented in the Drawing, Fig. 3,
I sometimes attach the plate a, which forms the upper part of the
chamber, to the break off y, Figure 4, but I prefer making the said
chamber or recess on the lock plate as already described.
Figure 6,1
represents a front view, and Figure 7, a back view of my improved
construction of a cock for central fire guns. The form of the im-
proved cock is so evident by an inspection of the Drawing that I deem
it unnecessary to describe it more than by observing that the whole of
the said cock, excepting that part marked a', that is to say, the nose or
striking part of the said cock, is external to the chamber b, Figure 3,
and that the said cock or striker strikes directly against the said
nipple.
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
claim as iny Invention,―
First, the construction of central fire guns, (that is to say, guns in
which the nipple hole is in a line coinciding with or but slightly inclined
to the axis of the barrel,) with one "hutt." as herein-before described,
and represented in the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: . Secondly, the construction of single or double .central fire guns,
having a chamber or recess in the side, or in each side thereof, in which
chamber or recess the nose or. striking part of the cock works, whether,
in the case of double guns, the said guns have one or two "hutts," and
whether the said chamber or recess be formed in the lock plate, or on
the break off, or partially in the lock plate, and partially on the break
off, or formed of a separate piece placed between the lock plate and
break off, as herein-before described, and represented in the accompanying
Drawing.
"
Thirdly, the construction of cocks or strikers to central fire guns
working externally, and being fixed upon the axle of the tumbler," as
in the ordinary gun, the said cocks or strikers striking directly against
the nipples of the said guns, as herein-before explained.
In witness whereof, J, the said Joseph Bentley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.