AN IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Charles Theodore Pierson, of New York, in
the United States of America.
Sealed the 27th October 1859, and dated the 11th June 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th June 1859.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-
ARMS," to be as follows:-
The object of this improvement is to protect the detonating powder from
wet or moisture when applied to the fire-arm, and at the same time obtain an
efficient means to prevent the casual explosion of the detonating powder either
by the direct action of the hammer itself, or through the medium of percussive
force exerted on the hammer when the latter is in contact with the detonating
powder, or the receptacle that contains it.
The Invention consists in encompassing the cone or nipple of the fire-arm

page_text: with a cup, and applying a collar with india-rubber or other suitable packing
attached to the hammer in such a way as to admit of a certain degree of
adjustment, and enable the packing to bed properly on the lips of the cup.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th December 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS," being a com-
munication from abroad by Charles Theodore Pierson, of New York, in
the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign corre-
spondent, is to protect the detonating powder from wet or moisture when

page_text: applied to the fire-arm, and at the same time obtain an efficient means to
prevent the casual explosion of the detonating powder either by the direct
action of the hammer itself or through the medium of percussive force exerted
on the hammer when the latter is in contact with the detonating powder or
the receptacle that contains it.
The improvement consists in encompassing the cone or nipple of the fire-
arm with a cup, and applying to the hammer a collar fitted with india-rubber or
other suitable packing in such a way as to admit of a certain degree of adjust-
ment, for the purpose to be presently explained.
The Invention is applicable to all kinds of fire-arms which are provided with
a percussion lock.
The accompanying Drawing represents a pistol with the Invention applied
to it, Fig. 1 being a side view of a pistol, with the novel parts bisected
vertically and centrally; Fig. 2, a detached view of the chief portion of the
hammer with the collar and packing fitted thereon; Fig. 3, a detached view of
the upper surface of the packing; and Fig. 4, a detached plan or top view of
the cup which encompasses the cone or nipple. Similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
and
The barrel A, stock B, and lock C may be constructed in the usual way,
therefore do not require a minute description; D is a cup which encompasses
the cone or nipple E, and extends upwards nearly as high as the said cone or
nipple. This cup is made of metal, and externally it may be of a cylindrical
form, and slightly conical within. It is secured to the breech a of the barrel A
by means of the cone or nipple E, the shoulder b of which projects over the
orifice c in the bottom of the cup, and through which orifice the screw d of the
cone or nipple passes into the breech a (see Fig. 1.) Packing d is interposed
between the bottom of the cup and the breech a. F is the hammer, the end
of which is of a cylindrical form, and has a screw thread e cut on it. On this
screw thread a tapped collar G is fitted, so as to admit of its being adjusted
higher or lower on the hammer. This collar, which may be of a circular form,
carries at its under side a packing f, formed of india-rubber, leather, or other
suitable elastic material. The packing f is of an annular form, and of sufficient
diameter to cover the top of the cup D, when the hammer F is down, as
shown clearly in Fig. 1. The packing f may be secured to the collar G, by
having an annular recess g made in its upper surface, so as to form a shoulder
h (see Fig. 3), which fits into an annular recess i in the collar G.
In Fig. 1 it will be seen that a copper cap j containing the detonating powder
is placed on the cone or nipple. The operation is as follows:-When the im-
plement is designed for use the collar G is so adjusted on the hammer F that

page_text: when the latter is forced down by the spring of the lock, the packing f will cover
the top of the cup D, and the hammer explode the cap, the packing under the
pressure of the lock spring forming a water-tight cover for the cup, but offering no
obstruction to the hammer when forced down by the lock spring exploding the
cap. The packing will, however, prevent the explosion of the cap if the hammer F
be struck when down and resting on the cup D. The proper adjustment of the
collar and packing to secure these ends may soon be ascertained by practice.
When the weapon is laid aside and not designed for immediate use, the cullar
and packing may be screwed down on the hammer, so as effectually to prevent
the explosion of the cap, even if the hammer be forced down by the lock
spring the weapon, therefore, may be kept in a loaded state with perfect
safety, and the packing f is serviceable in keeping the vent free from moisture
when not provided with a cap, as well as keeping the cap or detonating powder
dry when the weapon is not in use.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of an improvement in fire-
arms, as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent, I claim the means herein-before described for
protecting the detonating powder of primed fire-arms from moisture, and also
preventing the casual discharge of fire-arms.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
EWION. (L.S.)