IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Jacot, of Molyneux l'lace, Water Street,
in Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS."-A communication.
Sealed the 19th September 1856, and dated the 13th June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Jacot at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th June
1856.
I, WILLIAM JACOT, of Molyneux Place, Water Street, in Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in so arranging the locks of fire-arms that the piece
may be cocked by pressing with the hand upon the trigger guard. For this
purpose one end of the trigger guard is centered to the plate of the lock and
the other end rests on the tail of the hammer, so that by pressing on the trigger
guard the hammer is raised, and is retained by a tooth on the trigger falling
into a notch on the trigger guard, and when the trigger is pulled the tooth is
withdrawn from the notch and the hammer descends.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Jacot in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JACOT, of Molyneux Place, Water Street, in Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Jacot, Her special licence that I, the said William Jacot, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Jacot, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS,"
(a .communication,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Jacot, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 William Jacot, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in so arranging the locks of fire-arms that the piece
may be cocked by pressing with the hand upon the trigger guard. For this
purpose one end of the trigger guard is centered to the plate of the lock and
the other end rests on the tail of the hammer, so that by pressing on the trigger
guard the hammer is raised, and is retained by a tooth on the trigger falling
into a notch on the trigger guard, and when the trigger is pulled, the tooth is
withdrawn from the notch and the hammer descends.
And in order that the said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 is a side view, of a fire-arm
with a lock arranged according to this Invention. a is the trigger guard,
centered to the plate of the lock at a', and resting at its other end on the tail
of the hammer b, which is arranged to strike on a nipple placed on the under
side of the barrel, as is shown by the Drawing; c is a link which connects the
hammer with the main spring d, which is slotted at d' to allow it to pass over
the projection e on the plate of the lock; f is the trigger, working on the pin
e' at tho upper end of the projection e; g is a spring, the end of which presses
on the trigger and projects forwards the catch or tooth f' formed thereon, so
that, when the trigger guard is pressed down so as to raise the hammer,
the catch or tooth f' falls into the notch a' in the trigger guard, and thus holds
up the bammer until by pressing on the trigger the said catch or tooth
is withdrawn; h is a safety bolt, which can be slid forward so as to receive the
hammer and prevent its descending on the cap.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jacot, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JAMES FFRENCH.
WILLIAM JACOT. (L.B.)