An Improved Fire-arm or Apparatus for Firing Rockets.
Year: 1888

page_text: An Improved Fire-arm or Apparatus for Firing Rockets.
We, FREDERICK WILLIAM PLEYDELL BOUVERIE, of 30 Longridge Road, South
Kensington, Vice Admiral, and WILLIAM BALCH of 51, Chatsworth Road, Clapton
Park, Pensioner Royal Navy, both in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invontion to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved fire-arm which is especially intended for
discharging rockets for naval, military and othor signalling purposes.
In our improved fire-arm the barrel is preferably pivotted to the breech and is
locked in its closed position by suitable known means such as by a spring catch
which is provided with an eye to receive one of the fingers of the hand and adapted
to be moved longitudinally of the gun for opening the breech or in any other suitable
known manner.
The extractor for removing the empty shell is oporated by a lever or cam upon
the pivot upon which the barrel works.
The firing pin of our improved fire-arm is preferably provided with two or more
projections and is acted upon by a spring and released by a trigger of any suitable
construction.
Dated the 28th day of March 1888.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: An Improved Fire-arm or Apparatus for Firing Rockets.
We, FREDERICK WILLIAM PLEYDELL BOUVERIE, of 30, Longridge Road, South
Kensington, Vice Admiral and WILLIAM BALCH, of 51, Chatsworth Road, Clapton
Park, Pensioner Royal Navy, both in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to an improved fire-arm which is especially intended for
discharging rockets for naval, military and other signalling purposes.
In our improved fire-arm the barrel is preferably pivotted to the breech and is
locked in its closed position by suitable known means such as by a spring catch which
is provided with an eye to receive one of the fingers of the hand and adapted to be
moved longitudinally of the gun for opening the breech or in any other suitable
manner.
The extractor for removing the empty shell is operated by a lever or cam upon the
pivot upon which the barrel works.
The firing-pin of our improved fire-arm is preferably provided with two or more
projections and is acted upon by a spring hammer which is released by a trigger
of any suitable construction.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood, we will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which,
Figures 1 and 2 are a side elevation and plan respectively of our improved fire-arm
or apparatus for firing rockets.
Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the same and shewing a rocket
ready for being fired.
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 3 but shewing the breech of the fire-arm open
and an empty shell being extracted.
Similar reference letters indicate similar parts throughout the drawing.
a is the barrel which is pivotted at b to the breech c and d is the spring catch for
locking the barrel in its closed position as shown at Figure 3. The said catch is hook
shaped, or it may be provided with an eye, to adapt it to receive one of the fingers
of the hand for the purpose of enabling it to be moved longitudinally of the gun out
of a recess a¹ in the barrel to allow the opening of the breech as shewn in Figure 4.
The unlocking of the barrel' may, however, be effected in any other suitable known
manner.
e is the extractor for withdrawing the empty shell, and f is the lever or cam for
operating the same. The said lever fis pivotted at g to the under part of the barrel a
or it may be pivotted on the pivot b upon which the barrel works. The upper end of
the lever bears against one end of the extractor so that when the breech is opened
as shown in Figure 4, the lower end of the said lever is caused by the movement of
the barrel to move against a pin fixed to the breech. The barrel a still continuing
to move will therefore cause the lever to turn on its pivot g and move the extractor

page_text: together with the shell of the rocket into the position shewn in Figure 4. The
extractor e is caused to resume its normal position when the breech is closed by being
moved down and against the face of the breech as will be understood. k is a pin for
limiting the movement of the extractor e.
is the firing pin which is formed with one projection for striking the primer of the
rocket. It may however be provided with two or more projections for the same
purpose.
m is the spring hammer and n the trigger which when it is operated causes the
hammer m to strike the firing pin 7 and thereby discharge the rocket. In order to
effect this, the trigger which is pivotted at o, is provided with an extension p which is
normally in engagement with a spring tongue 7 attached to the hammer m, and when
the trigger is pulled in the ordinary manner the oxtension p will bear against the
tongue g and force the hammer back until it arrives at such a position that the said
tongue can slip over the extension p thereby releasing the hammer. The extension
is caused to move back and reengage with the tongue q by means of a spring" tho said
tongue giving way as the extension p is pressed against it.
P
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what wo
claim is :-
The improved fire-arm or apparatus for firing rockets, constructed and arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 22nd day of October 1888.
WM. BALCH.
G. F. Redfern & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.