CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NIPPLES OF FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Prince, of Haverstock Hill, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE NIPPLES
OF FIRE-ARMS
Sealed the 22nd June 1855, and dated the 22nd December 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic Prince at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd December 1854.
I, FREDERIC PRINCE, of Haverstock Hill, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE NIPPLES OF FIRE-ARMS" to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to the nipples used in percussion fire-arms for
receiving the percussion cap, and communicating therefrom with the charge of
powder in the barrel. In ordinary percussion nipples, as heretofore employed,
the hole or passage through the nipple is bored in a direct line through the
same, and the communication therefrom to the charge is made by a cross
passage, drilled at right angles, or nearly so, with the aforesaid passage,
whereby the force of the "flash" is very greatly impeded or diminished.
This improvement consists in drilling the upper part only of the hole or
passage in a direct line, and drilling a hole or passage from the bottom or side
of the nipple in a slightly diagonal direction to meet the same, this said passage
inclining towards the centre of the barrel. By this means the "flash" is

page_text: communicated in a much more direct manner to the charge of powder, and
as the inclined part of the passage meets the upper or direct part of the
same at a very acute angle, the direction of the "flash" is only very slightly
diverted, and consequently the force thereof is not perceptibly diminished. By
the use of the aforesaid Invention the "flash" will ignite the charge of powder
(contained in a cartridge) through the paper without the necessity of the
said paper being previously cut, torn, or perforated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederic Prince in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
PRINCE, of Haverstock Hill, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Frederic Prince, Her special licence that I, the said Frederic
Prince, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Frederic Prince, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agrec 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE NIPPLES OF FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Frederic Prince, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Frederic Prince, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :-
My improvements relate to the nipples used in percussion fire-arms for
receiving the percussion cap, and communicating therefrom with the charge
of powder or cartridge in the barrel. In ordinary percussion nipples as
heretofore constructed, the hole or passage through the nipple is drilled in a

page_text: direct line through the same, and the communication therefrom to the charge
is made by a cross passage, inclined at a sharp angle with the aforesaid passage,
whereby the force of the "flash" is greatly impeded or diminished, only a
small portion of its radiation striking into the main body of the charge.
My improvement consists in drilling the upper part only of the hole or
passage in a direct line, and drilling a hole or passage from the bottom or side
of the nipple in a slightly diagonal direction to meet the same, this said passage
inclining towards the centre of the barrel, and being in a direct line (or nearly
so) with the cross passage, above mentioned; or the hole may be drilled
diagonally from the outer side of the upper part of the nipple, and incline at
the bottom towards the cross passage, so that little or no angle exists, thereby
allowing an ordinary "pricker" to pass through; at the same time, if the nipple
is not fully screwed up, it does not materially interfere with its efficiency. The
action of the flash is then the same as with an ordinary nipple, there being a
vacant space at the base of the nipple as usual, and the ignition of the charge
being similarly dependent on the reaction of the flash. But in order to ensure
the opening in the nipple always being opposite to that of the cross passage,
the nipples and the receptacles may all be drilled and tapped by a machine, so
as to obtain perfect uniformity throughout. By these means the flash is com-
municated in a much more direct manner to the charge of powder in the
barrel, and as the inclined passage of the nipple is in a direct line, or nealy
so, with the inclined passage into the barrel, the direction of the flash is
only slightly diverted, and consequently the force thereof is not perceptibly
diminished. By the use of the aforesaid Invention an important advantage
is derived, as the flash will ignite the charge of powder (contained in a
cartridge) through the paper without the necessity of the said paper being
previously cut, torn, or perforated.
The method of carrying these improvements into practical effect will be
readily understood upon referring to the Drawing annexed hereto, and to the
following description or explanation thereof.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 in the accompanying Drawing represents a transverse section
through the breech end of the barrel of a fire-arm and an ordinary percussion
nipple connected thereto. a, a, represents the barrel; and b, b, the nipple,
drawn about twice the ordinary size. In this construction of nipple it appears
evident that the "flash" first strikes at right angles upon the base c of the hole
in which the nipple is screwed, and that a portion thereof only diverges down
the diagonal hole d to ignite the charge of powder in the barrel.

page_text: Figure 2 shews a similar section, exhibiting the application of one of my
improved nipples thereto. It will be seen that the hole in the nipple b, b, is
not bored all the way in a direct line, but that a hole e is bored upwards in
a diagonal direction to meet it, the said hole e being in a line (or nearly so)
with the diagonal hole d, leading into the barrel a; thus it will be seen that
the "flash" is scarcely diverted at all between the percussion cap and the
charge, and consequently its force is much greater.
Figure 3 shows a section of a modification of the above, wherein the hole e
in the nipple is drilled entirely in a diagonal direction, extending from the
outer side of the upper part of the nipple to the inner side of the lower part of
the same.
It is of course advisable that the direction of the diagonal hole and
the thread of the screw should be so regulated, that when the nipple is screwed
"home," the opening at the lower end of the nipple should be exactly opposite
to that of the diagonal hole d; but should that be not always the case, the
nipple will then act the same as an ordinary one, although, as above stated,
perfect uniformity might be readily obtained by tapping the threads and drilling
the holes by means of suitable machinery; a mark might also be made on the
outside of the nipple to shew when the holes correspond.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention of im-
provements in the nipples of fire-arms, together with the best methods I am
acquainted with of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark,
in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention, the drilling the holes of such
nipples either wholly or partially in a diagonal direction for the purposes
above mentioned, instead of drilling them in a central direction throughout,
as hitherto practised.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Prince, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
ALEX PRINCE, Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.
FREDC PRINCE. (L.S.)