A NEW NIPPLE OR TOUCHHOLE TO BE APPLIED TO FIRE-ARMS FOR THE PURPOSE OF FIRING THE SAME BY PERCUSSION, AND A NEW CAP OR
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I.
SAMUEL SMITH, of Princes Street, Leicester Fields, in the Parish of
Saint James, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King William the Fourth, in and
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Seventh day of August last past, for Himself,
His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto me, the said Samuel
Smith, His special license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Samuel Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and every of them, by myself and themselves, or by my and their
deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such other as I, the said
Samuel Smith, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter, during the term of fourteen years from the date of such
Letters Patent, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick on Tweed, my
Invention of "A NEW NIPPLE OR TOUCHHOLE TO BE APPLIED TO FIRE-ARMS
FOR THE PURPOSE OF FIRING THE SAME BY PERCUSSION, AND A NEW CAP OR

page_text: PRIMER FOR CONTAINING THE PRIMING BY WHICH SUCH FIRE-ARMS ARE TO BE
FIRED;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging
me, the said Samuel Smith, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and
to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same recited
Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Samuel Smith, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in
manner following (that is to say):
I do hereby claim as my Invention, and describe the sanie, to consist
in having altered the shape of the nipple or touchhole, and having
formed the circular or other shaped arca of the nipple or touchhole
upon which the cap or primer (used for firing guns and other fire-arms
by percussion) is placed, much larger in circumference than any hereto-
fore in use, and making in the centre thereof a small projection above
the surface of the area of the nipple or touchhole to come opposite to
the priming powder in the cap or primer (which is hereafter described).
My newly invented nipple or touchhole may be formed of steel, iron,
or any other metal or metals, or of any compound of metals, or of any
substance sufficiently hard to sustain the blow necessary for exploding
the priming powder, and may be formed from the solid metal of the
breech of the gun or fire-arms, or of a separate piece of metal or metals,
or compound of metals, or other fit substances as aforesaid, and be
screwed or otherwise fixed or fastened into or upon the breech of the
gun or fire-arms, as may be most convenient; and I claim the benefit
of using and applying my said Invention in either way. The outside
circular or other shape of the cap or primer is formed much larger in
circumference than any heretofore used, and must correspond in size
with the nipple or touchhole upon which it is intended to be used, so as
to enclose and cover the whole of that part of the nipple or touchhole
which rises or projects above the breech of the gun or fire-arms. The

page_text: priming powder, instead of being spread (as is the usual method)
over the whole inside surface of the upper part of the
cap or primer, is
contained in a small cup or indentation formed in the centre of the
inside surface of the upper part of the new cap or primer, to correspond
with the projection formed on the outside and the upper surface of the
area of the new nipple or touchhole; and I do not confine myself to any
size for the calibre of the cap or primer, or for the cup or indentation
in the inside surface of the upper part thereof, neither do I confine
myself to any particular shape for the caps or primers, or for the nipples
or touchholes, as both the caps or primers and the nipples or touch-
holes may be made octagon, square, or of any other shape, but I prefer
the circular shape as most convenient; neither is it absolutely necessary
that a cup or indentation should be made on the centre or any other
part of the inside surface of the cap or primer; and I claim the benefit
of using my said Invention by placing the priming powder in the centre
of a larger diameter and even surface, as well as and instead of covering
the whole of a small diameter with the priming powder, as has been
the method in all caps heretofore in use. The cap or primer may be
formed of any metal or compound of metals, or of any other substance
which will answer the purpose, but I prefer copper, as most useful and
best adapted for the purpose, although 1 claim the benefit of using any
other metal or compound of metals. or other substances which will.
answer the purpose. And as a further description of my said Inven-
tion, and in order more perfectly to distinguish the same from the old
method, I have annexed hereto seven Drawings, numbered respectively
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, of which number 1, 2, 3, and 4, represent iny
said Invention, and numbers 5, 6, and 7, represent the nipples or
touchholes and caps or primers now in use, thereby distinguishing my
Invention from the old and hitherto more usual method. Figure 1, in
the annexed Drawing shews the new nipple or touchhole when screwed
into or affixed to the breech of the gun or other fire-arms, with the
projection above the surface of the area thereof. Figure 2, in the
annexed Drawing shews a section of the new nipple or touchhole when
separated from the breach of the gun or other fire-arms, with the said
projection on the surface of the area thereof. Fig. 3. in the annexed

page_text: Drawing shews the new cap or primer; Figure 4, in the annexed
Drawing shews the inside of the new cap or primer with the cup or
indentation in the centre of the inside surface of the upper part thereof;
Figure 5, in the annexed Drawing shews the nipple or touchhole now
in use screwed into the breech of the gun or other fire-arms; Figure
6, in the annexed Drawing shews a section of the nipple or touchhole
now in use when separated from the breech of the gun or other fire-
arms; Figure 7, in the annexed Drawing shews the cap or primer
now in use.
Inrolled the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty.