IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Penton, of Queen Street, Ratcliff, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 5th January 1872, and dated the 13th November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Penton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th November 1871.
I, GEORGE PENTON, of Queen Street, Ratcliff, in the County of Middle-
sex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in fire-arms, and
relates to a novel construction and arrangement of parts for acting upon
the hammer so as to obviate the necessity for pulling the trigger at the
moment of firing, and thereby prevent any interference with the sight
previously obtained.

page_text: "
" tumbler
For this purpose I connect the
by a link to a lever
having a pin or stud fixed in the outer end thereof. This pin or stud
passes into and is operated by a slot or opening formed in a trigger
lever mounted on a centre of motion in the front end of the " trigger
guard" or in other suitable part of the fire-arm, such trigger lever being
provided with a tail piece passing through the "trigger guard," which
is acted upon by the finger of the sportsman or other person using the
fire-arm.
According to my Invention that which is known as the " trigger
guard" is somewhat prolonged backwards, and is used only as a guide
for the trigger lever and finger.
By these means a sportsman or other person using a fire-arm will act
upon the tail piece of the trigger lever by his finger in the act of raising
the fire-arm, which trigger lever will when the hammer is cocked lie
against the under side of the "stock," and will be held by a very slight
pressure thereon by the finger; then when it is desired to fire instead of
having to pull the trigger as heretofore, and thereby possibly interfere
with the sight previously obtained, it is only necessary to allow the
finger to slip off the end of the trigger lever and the hammer will
fall.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Penton in the Great Seal Patent Office 2
on the 11th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
PENTON, of Queen Street, Ratcliff, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 30
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the

page_text: thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Penton, Her special
licence that I, the said George Penton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Penton, 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,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Penton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands 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 George Penton, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in fire-arms, and
relates to a novel construction and arrangement of parts for acting upon
the hammer so as to obviate the necessity for pulling the trigger at the
moment of firing, and thereby prevent any interference with the sight
previously obtained.
"
For this purpose I connect the tumbler by a link to a lever having a
pin or stud fixed in the outer end thereof. This pin or stud passes into
and is operated by a slot or opening formed in a trigger lever mounted
on a centre of motion in the front end of the "trigger guard'
or in
other suitable part of the fire-arm, such trigger lever being provided
with a tail piece passing through the "trigger guard," which is acted
upon by the finger of the sportsman or other person using the fire-arm.
According to my Invention that which is known as the " trigger
guard" is somewhat prolonged backwards, and is used only as a guide
for the trigger lever and finger.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 are side views of parts of a muzzle-loading fowling
piece showing my improvements applied thereto, and Figure 3 is an
inside view of the lock and parts connected therewith.
In Figure 1 the hammer and trigger lever are shown in the position
they would assume at the moment of firing, and in Figure 2 they are
shown in the position they would assume in readiness for firing.
a is the hammer, which as usual is fixed on a square formed on the
axis b, on which is fixed the tumbler c. The tumbler c is connected by a
link d to one end of a lever e, which is mounted on a stud or axis e¹,
such lever e having at its outer end a stud or pin e³, which passes into
and is operated by a slot or opening f¹ formed in the trigger lever f.
This trigger lever is mounted on a stud or axis f* carried by the front
end of the "trigger guard" g, and is provided with a tail piece ƒ³, which
passes through a suitable slot or opening in the trigger guard, by which
means it is protected from injury by any accidental side blow or pressure.
The tumbler c is also as usual connected by a link to the spring i, by
which the hammer a when the trigger lever is released is forced against
the nipple k.
By these means a sportsman or other person using a fire-arm will act
upon the tail piece of the trigger lever by his finger in the act of
raising the fire-arm, which trigger lever will when the hammer is cocked
lie against the under side of the "stock," and will be held by a very
slight pressure thereon by the finger; then when it is desired to fire
instead of having to pull the trigger as heretofore, and thereby possibly
interfere with the sight previously obtained, it is only necessary to allow
the finger to slip off the end of the trigger lever and the hammer will
fall.
1

page_text: modifications these improvements are also applicable to central-fire
breech-loaders and to other descriptions of fire-arms.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
mode in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood
that what I claim is, the novel arrangement and combination of parts
for acting upon the hammers of fire-arms in manner and for the
purpose substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Penton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 30th day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.