AN IMPROVED GUN AND PISTOL LOCK
Year: 1812

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,.
WILLIAM SMITH, of Lisle Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gun
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS the King's most Excellent Majesty, by His Letters-
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the
Twenty-eighth day of July, in the fifty-second year of His reign,
after reciting a certain petition of William Smith, in the said Letters
Patent particularly described, stating that the said William Smith had
invented "AN IMPROVED GUN AND PISTOL LOCK," which he conceived
would be of public utility, and praying to grant to him, his executors,
administrators, and assigns, a Patent under the Great Seal of Great
Britain, for the sole use, benefit, and advantage of the same, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, for the term
of fourteen years, pursuant to the Statute in that case made and
provided, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant
unto the said William Smith, his executors, administrators, and assigns,
His especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and authority, that he,

page_text: the said William Smith, his executors, administrators, and assigns, and
every of them, by himself or themselves, or by his or their deputy or
deputies, servants or agents, or such others as he, the said William
Smith, his executors, administrators, or asssigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend his Invention within that part of the
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the Dominion
of Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, in such manner as
to him, the said William Smith, his executors, administrators, and
assigns, or any of them, should in his or their discretion seem meet,
and that he, the said William Smith, should and might have and enjoy
the sole benefit and advantage thereof. from time to time during the
term of years thereon mentioned, to hold, exercise, and enjoy the said
license, powers, privileges, and advantages therein-before granted or
mentioned to be granted unto the said William Smith, his executors,
:administrators, or assigns, for and during the full end and term of four-
teen years from the date of the said Letters Patent next and imme-
diately ensuing, and fully to be complete and ended; and to. the end
that he, the said William Smith, might have the full benefit and the
sole use and exercise of the said Invention, the King's Majesty did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, require and strictly command all
and every person and persons, bodies politic and corporate, and all
other His subjects whatsoever, within that said part of Great Britain
and Ireland called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick upon Tweed aforesaid, that neither they, nor any of them, at
any time during the continuance of the said term of fourteen years.
either directly or indirectly, made, used, or put in practice the said
Invention, or any part of the same, nor in anywise counterfeit, imitate,
or resemble the same, nor should make or cause to be made any
addition thereunto, or subtraction from the same, whereby to pretend
himself or themselves the inventor or inventors, devisor or devisors
thereof, without the license, consent, or agreement of the said William
Smith, his executors, administrators, or assigns, in writing under his or

page_text: their hand and seal first obtained in that behalf; in which said Letters
Patent is contained, amongst others, a proviso that if the said William.
Smith should not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of his
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, by
an instrument in writing under his hand and seal, and cause the same to
be inrolled in the High Court of Chancery within two calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that
then, and in any of the said cases, the said Letters Patent and all
liberties and advantages thereby granted should utterly cease and
become void.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said William Smith, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and manner in which the same are to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained in manner following, that is to say..
Instead of forming or fashioning the striking face of the hammer so
as to terminate in an angular edge with a flat face beneath to cover the
priming, as is done in the constructions heretofore made and used, I do
form or fashion my said striking face so as not to terminate in an angular
edge with a flat face beneath, so as to terminate in a surface gradually
rounded, or curved, or circular, or cylindrical, or nearly so, as shewn in
the Drawing, Figure 1, hereunto annexed, where A, shews the hammer
when raised, and Figure 2, where B, shews the same when the pan is
shut or otherwise, but not in preference. I do take off the said
angular edge by making one or more sloped surfaces instead thereof.
and, further, I do form and fashion the face or rim of the pan which,
surrounds the cell or cavity thereof so as accurately to fit and apply to,
the said lower, rounded, or curved, or otherwise formed part or face of
the haminer; see Figures 1, and 2, letter C. And I do further declare,
that the principal advantages of the said improvements, in the hammer
and pantare, that, the stroke of the flint is more effectual along the face
of the said hammer, and that the sparks of fire are not reflected from
the face, nor carried away by the angle, as in common locks, wherein
the powder does not take fire until the hammer has been driven quite,
back, or nearly so.; and from the said facts it follows that the priming.

page_text: much more speedily and certainly set on fire in my said improved
cks than in those commonly made.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith, have hercunto
subscribed and set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
September, in the Fifty-second year of the reign of our
Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the grace of God, of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King, Defender
of the Faith, and in the year of our Lord Christ One thousand
eight hundred and twelve.
THO. DAVISON, Solicitor,
67, Warren Street, Fitzroy Square.
W. SMITH jun",
Lisle Street, Leicester Square.
Thomas Davison, of Warwick Street, in the Parish of St. Pancras,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, maketh oath and saith, that
he, this deponent, did, on the Twenty-sixth day of September instant,
see William Smith, of Lisle Street, near Leicester Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Gun Maker, sign and seal, as his act and deed
deliver in due form of law, the deed or Specification hereunto annexed;
and this deponent further saith, that the name "W. Smith," set and
subscribed opposite to the seal annexed to such deed or Specification,
is of the proper handwriting of the said William Smith; and that
the name and address "Tho. Davison, Solicitor, 67, Warren Street,
Fitzroy Square," set and subscribed as a witness to the due execution
of the said deed or Specification, is of the proper handwriting of this
deponent and that the name and address "W. Smith jun'," Lisle
Street, Leicester Square, also set and subscribed as another witness to

page_text: the due execution of the deed or Specification, is of the proper hand
writing of the said William Smith junior.
the due execution of the deed or Specification, is of the proper hand
writing of the said William Smith junior.
Sworn at the Public Office, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, the Twenty-
eighth day of September, One thousand
cight hundred and twelve, before
THO. DAVISON.
CHA THOMSON.
Inrolled the same Twenty
day of September, in the year
above mentioned.