IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-ARMS." A communication from abroad by Albert Hape and Alfred
Shelton Oliver, both of Elberton, in the County of Elbert and State of Georgia,
United States of America.
°
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1881.'
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS." [A communication
from abroad by Albert Hape and Alfred Shelton Oliver, both of Elberton, in the
County of Elbert and State of Georgia, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to provide a gun stock attachment whereby the
stock may be adjusted at any desired inclination to the barrel, and the stock
lengthened and shortened; and the Invention consists in a longitudinally slotted
extension of the grip of the stock fitting into and pivoted to a hollow stock
provided with suitable devices for holding this extension in various positions in
the stock. A filling piece is placed on this extension between the upper end of
the stock and the rear end of the grip when the stock is lengthened as hereafter
described.
According to this Invention the slotted extension projects from the grip of the
stock, which is in direct connection with the barrel, into the hollow stock. A
circular joint piece is loosely mounted on the extension, and is pivoted by a pin to
the upper end of the hollow stock, which pin passes through the joint piece, the
slot of the extension, and the ends of the stock. One side of the inner end of the
extension is provided with transverse grooves, and the opposite side with longi-
tudinal grooves.
A transversely grooved segmental or slightly curved and grooved
plate is attached to the inner surface of the recessed stock in such a manner that
the grooves of the plate will run in the same general direction as the longitudinal
grooves of the extension. A longitudinally grooved bar or block is swivelled to
Pin G21

page_text: the inner end of a screw which passes through the stock, the grooves of the
extension and the groove of the bar being parallel and facing each other. The
filling piece is mounted on the extension between the upper end of the stock and
the grip to fill up the space between the upper end of the stock and the said grip
when the extension is drawn out of the stock a certain distance, that is, when the
latter is lengthened. The barrel being pivoted to the stock its inclination thereto
can be easily varied, and by pressing the extension against the segmental plate by
means of the screw the barrel can be locked in the desired position. If the length
of the stock is to be altered, the barrel is removed from the stock together with
the joint piece. The filling piece is then inserted if the stock is to be lengthened,
or if on the other hand it is to be shortened the filling piece is removed, the joint
picce is replaced, and the extension passed into and pivoted to the stock, this
extension being passed into the stock until the grip rests against the joint piece,
in which position it is locked by pressing the grooved bar or plate against that
side of the extension having the grooves by means of the screw.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th November 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS." A communication
from abroad by Albert Hape and Alfred Shelton Oliver, both of Elberton, in the
County of Elbert and State of Georgia, United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide a new and improved gun stock
attachment whereby the stock may be adjusted at any desired inclination to the
barrel, and the stock lengthened and shortened.
The Invention consists in a longitudiually slotted extension of the grip of the
stock fitting into and pivoted to a hollow stock provided with suitablo devices for
holding this extension in various positions in the stock. A filling piece is placed
on this extension between the upper end of the stock and the rear end of the grip
when the stock is lengthened, as will be hereinafter more fully described and set
forth.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gun provided
with the improved stock; Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the
same; Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same on the line y-Y,
Figure 2; Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the grooved bar or block at the
inner end of the binding screw in the stock; Figure 5 is a cross sectional elevation
of the improved gun stock on the line x-x, Figure 1. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
An extension A provided with a longitudinal slot B projects from the grip C of
the stock, which is in direct contact with the barrel N. A circular joint pieco D
is loosely mounted on the extension A, and is pivoted to the upper end of the
hollow stock E by means of a pin F passing through the joint piece D, the slot B,
and the ends of the stock E, this extension A projecting into the hollow stock.
One side of the inner end of this extension A is provided with transverse grooves G,
and the opposite side is provided with longitudinal grooves H. A transversely
grooved segmental or alightly curved and grooved plate J is attached to the inner
surface of the recessed stock in such a manner that the grooves of the plate J will
run in the same general direction as the longitudinal grooves H of the extension A.
A longitudinally grooved bar or block K is swivelled to the inner end of a screw L
passing through the stock E, the grooves G of the extension A and the groove of
the bar K being parallel and facing each other. A filling piece M is mounted on
the extension A between the upper end of the stock E and the grip C to -fill
up the space between the upper end of the stock and the said grip Ċ when the
extension is drawn out of the stock a certain distance, that is, when the latter is
lengthened.
The inclination of the barrel of the gun to the stock can be easily varied as the
barrel is pivoted to the stock, and by pressing the extension against the plate J
by means of the screw L the barrel can be locked in the desired position. Figures 1
and 2 show the stock lengthened. If the same is to be shortened the barrel must
be removed from the stock, as well as the joint piece D and the filling piece M.
The joint picce D is then replaced, and the extension is passed into and pivoted to
the stock, this extension being passed into the stock until the grip C rests against
the joint piece D, as shown in Figure 3, in which position it is locked by pressing
the grooved bar or plate K against that side of the extension having grooves G by
means of the screw L. The stock can thus be lengthened or shortened, and the
inclination of the barrel to the stock can also be varied very easily.

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,
1st. A gun made substantially as herein shown and described with the stock
pivoted to the grip of the stock, whereby the position of the stock and barrel may
be varied in relation to each other, as set forth.
2nd. In a gun the combination with the barrel N and the hollow stock E of the
slotted extension A and the joint piece D mounted on the extension A, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. In a gun the combination with the barrel N and the hollow stock E of
the slotted extension A-provided with transverse grooves G, and the longitudinally
grooved bar K and the screw L, substantially as herein shown and described, and
for the purpose set forth.
4th. In a gun the combination with the barrel N and the hollow stock E of
the extension A having longitudinal grooves H, the grooved plate J, and the
screw L, substantially as herein shown und described and for the purpose set
forth.
5th. In a gun the combination with the barrel N and the hollow stock E of the
slotted extension A, the filling piece M, the grooved plato J, and the screw L,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
6th. In a gun the combination with the barrel N and the hollow stock E of the
slotted extension A, the filling piece M, the joint piece D, the grooved plate J, the
grooved bar or block K, and the screw L, substantially as heroin shown and
described and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of November, A.D. 1881.