CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JACOB MOULD, of Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of February, in the
sixth year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Jacob Mould, His especial licence
that I, the said Jacob Mould, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Jacob Mould, my exors, adñiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Jacob Mould, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in

page_text: His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Jacob Mould, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
to consist in the formation of a series of touch-holes along the barrel
or breech of any fire-arm, and in the application thereto of a sliding or
other adjusting lock, to act by percussion or otherwise, whereby any
number of charges not exceeding the number of touch-holes may
be inserted in the barrel at one time, and fired successively. And in
further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Jacob Mould, do
hereby describe the manner in which I perform the said Invention, by
the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawing
annexed, and the Figures marked thereon (that is to say):
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The same letters of reference are placed on corresponding parts in
the several Figures. Figure 1, is a complete view of the said Invention.
shewing the application of the principle to a common gun. The other
Figures are different parts of the said gun in detail. Figures 2, and 3,
are two views of the barrel of the gun, with a plate A, A, of iron,
steel, or other metal attached to it, and which may be done by screws,
brazing, or otherwise. Through this plate is made as many touch-holes
into the barrel of the gun as the number of charges it is to contain,
appointing a touch-hole for every separate charge; and these touch-
holes are made at such distances from cach other as the size of the
charge requires; and all the touch-holes, except the one nearest to
the mouth of the barrel, are furnished with valves f,f,fif, to close
the touch-holes when required. These valves serve also as stops to the
the proper situation for communi-
Figure 4, exhibits the stock of the
lock. by which it may be placed in
cating with the several touch-holes.
gun with a plate B. of iron, steel, or other metal, screwed or otherwise
secured to it. These plates A, A, Figures 2 and 3, and B, in this
Figure, are made in such forms that when the barrel is fitted to the

page_text: stock, an aperture or opening is left between them for the bar of the
sliding case which contains the lock to move in, as seen at G, Figure 1.
Figure 5, exhibits the stock without the plate B, by which the trigger
bar C is seen, furnished with angular projections D, D, on its under
side and at each end. These angular projections are so fitted to the
stock, that by the usual motion of the trigger E, when pulled to dis-
charge the gun, the trigger bar rises on a level, as is shewn by the
dotted lines, against the sear of the lock, and will spring it at its several
positions. Figure 6, is another view of the trigger bar C, shewing the
opening 9, through which the trigger pin passes to act upon it. Figure 7,
is the trigger pin E, and the fulcrum of its leverage is at the pin hole
h, near the end. Figure 8, is a back view of the lock case F, having
attached to it a bar I, which is made with projections on it, in order
that it may be confined in its situation behind the plates A and B,
Figure 1, and slide freely along the aperture G, Figure 1. Figure 9, is a
front view of the lock case F; a, is the stud in it by which the lock is
secured to the case; b, is the axis on which the priming box K turns,
having on it a groove i, which is the medium of communication
between the priming box and the pan of the lock. c, c, are the screws
which secure the bar I, to the lock case. Figure 10, is the plan of the
lock case. Figure 11, is a section of the priming box K. Figure 12, is
a full view of the priming box. Figure 18, is a side view of the priming
box. Figure 14, is a view of the manner in which the priming box is
connected with the cock or hammer of the lock, viz, by a bar 1, which
is screwed to the priming box seen at k, Figure 1, and the other end of
the bar being attached to a hook on the cock or hanımer of the lock.
After the gun is loaded, the operation of discharging it is thus effected:
The lock is to be placed at the touch-hole which communicates with
the charge that is nearest the mouth of the barrel; the lock is then to
be cocked in the usual manner; and the bar 1, Figure 1, and Figure 14,
which connects the cock or hammer of the lock with the priming box,
turns the priming box so far round the axis b. Figure 9, as to bring the
orifice d, Figure 11, of the priming box exactly over the groove i, Figures
9, and 10, which is cut on the axis, and thus opens a communication
between the priming box and the pan of the lock, and the powder will

page_text: fall from the priming box along the groove in the axis, into the pan, and
thus the gun is primed. As soon as the lock is sprung by the action of
the trigger bar, the communication between the pan and the priming
box is cut off by the action of the hammer or cock causing the priming
pan to revolve on its axis, in consequence of their being connected
together. Figure 15, represents a part of a gun on the percussion prin-
ciple, with cylinders; and the distance or proper situation for the lock
to be placed, so that the hammer may act correctly, is by a spring in
lieu of the valves mentioned in the description of Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 16, is a side view of the spring m, detached from the lock, the
situation of which is seen at the dotted lines o, o, Figure 15. Figure 17,
is the end view of the spring m, shewing the end which is bent to fit
into the grooves n, n, m, n, is seen in Figure 15.
Although I have described two modes, and certain materials ap-
plied to one description of fire-arms, I do not by this confine myself
to the modes, or materials, or the fire-arms I have described; but I
claim the application of the principle herein-before stated, in what-
ever form or of whatever materials it may be made, and to whatever
kind of fire-arms it can be applicable. In loading the arms, which
is done in the usual manner, particular care should be taken not to
overcharge them. A little more than one half the quantity of
powder used in other arms only is necessary in loading these, in
consequence of the compact manner of putting in the charges with
tight wads of leather or felt, cut with a machine to fit the bore of
the piece. Large grained powder must be used, for this obvious
reason when the top charge is fired the pressure downward is such
as to compress fine grained powder in such a manner as to render
it slow to ignite. Any number of charges may be loaded and fired
from the upper touch-hole, keeping in reserve whatever number of
charges the piece may contain below, without affecting them in the 3
least; or, after having disposed of all the reserved charges, it can
then be loaded and fired from the lower touch-hole; or, as the lock
progresses down the barrel, it may be loaded and fired from either
of the intermediate touch-holes, with the advantage always of priming
itself. The number of charges to which this principle may be extended 3

page_text: seems to be unlimited. Although it has not been extended to more
than twelve, there appears no reason why it might not be extended to
twenty, thirty, or more, and the charges fired with accuracy, and with-
out the least difficulty. Now whereas fire-arms with a series of touch-
holes along the barrel or breech as herein-before described, and with
a sliding or other adjusting lock, to act by percussion or otherwise
adapted thereto, are, to the best of my knowledge and belief, entirely
new, and never before used within that part of His said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, His
Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby
therefore declare this to be my Specification of the said improvements,
and that I do verily believe that this my said Specification doth comply
in all respects fully, and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso
in the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent contained:
Wherefore I do hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and privilego
to the said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacob Mould, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, the Eighteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five
JACOB MOULD. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of
August, in the year of our Lord 1825, the aforesaid Jacob Mould came
before our said Lord the King, in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid
was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that
purpose.
Inrolled the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.