Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
GEORGE HENRY MANTON, of Dover Street, Piccadilly, and JOSIAII
HARRINGTON, of Regent's Circus, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the
Twenty-eighth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and forty-
nine, in the twelfth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said George Henry Manton and
Josiah Harrington, our exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said George Henry
Manton and Josiah Harrington, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, and
such others as we, the said George Henry Manton and Josiah Har-
rington, our exors, admiors, 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-

page_text: Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRIMING AND IN APPARATUS
FOR DISCHARGING FIRE-ARMS," in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso that we, the said George Henry Manton and Josiah Harring-
ton, or one of us, should cause a particular description of the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part 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, we, the
said George Henry Manton and Josiah Harrington, do hereby declare
that the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, are fully described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say):
Our Invention consists of so combining or arranging apparatus used
for priming and discharging fire-arms, that the act of moving the
ramrod shall cause a percussion cap or priming to be placed in the
position to be discharged; such apparatus requiring that the hammer
should be moved back after discharging the fire-arm, and before com-
mencing to recharge. And in order that our Invention may be most
fully understood, and readily carried into effect, we will proceed to
describe the means pursued by us.
ས་
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, shews a side view of a double barrel fowling piece having
our improvements applied thereto. Figure 2, shews another side view
of the fowling piece, the lock plate being removed in order to shew the
interior combination, the parts being in the position immediately after
returning back the ramrod; that is, the cap is on the nipple, and the
apparatus which caused it to be placed there has gone out of the way
by the act of returning the ramrod. Figure 3, shews another side view

page_text: of the fowling piece (the interior parts, as in the previous Figure, being
uncovered), the parts of the apparatus being shewn in the positions they
would assume when the ramrod is withdrawn, and remains in that
position until the time of returning the ramrod back into its place after
ramming down the charge. Figure 4, shews another side view, wherein
the parts are in the positions they will assume when the ramrod is in
the act of being returned to its place, and has caused the apparatus to
put on a cap to the nipple, and the further forcing in of the ramrod will
cause the apparatus to move out of the way into a position to receive
another cap, in readiness for the next time the ramrod is withdrawn,
the withdrawing of the ramrod allowing the apparatus to move into
position carrying a cap up so that the return of the ramrod into its
place will cause such cap to be placed on the nipple, and then cause
the apparatus to retire. Figure 5, shews another side view, partly in
section, the barrels being removed; the other views shewn by the
Drawing being of detached parts, which are marked with the same
letters of reference as those in the Figures above mentioned, and there-
fore will readily be understood.
a, is an axis placed in a recess below and at right angles to
the groove g, formed in the front end of the stock, to receive the
ramrod, and is carried by bearings formed in the pieces of metal b,
let into the stock at each side of the gun. c, is a lever fixed
on the axis a, the short arm c¹ being always pressed downwards by
the spring d, by which means the arm c, is pressed upwards against
the end of the ramrod e, the arm carrying a friction roller c³.
On the outer ends of the axis a (when two barrels are used) are
affixed the lever arms f, the ends of which are furnished with pins f
projecting inwards, which take into a slot or opening formed in the
sliding piece i, attached by a pin joint to the instrument j, which receives
the cap from the reservoir g, to be placed by it upon the nipple, the
construction of which instrument we will now more particularly describe.
The front part of the instrument j is so formed that the side pieces j:
act as springs to retain the cap within their curved ends, and the opening
between thein is slightly contracted near the curved parts, so that as
the instrument slides back into its groove to receive a fresh cap a pro

page_text: of
jection, on the part b, enters between the side pieces j', and opens
their ends to receive a cap from the reservoir, tube, or channel formed
in the front end of the stock. The parts or spring holding pieces
are attached to or may form part of the back or pressing portion
this instrument, which near its lower end is attached by a pin joint to
the sliding piece i, and terminates with a forked opening upon the
horns or fingers 1 and 2, of which the pin f', on the lever f, alternately
acts.
We will now proceed to describe how a cap is received from the
reservoir g, by the instrument j, and placed on the nipple by the aid of
the parts previously described. When the ramrod is pushed quite
down into its place, the parts are in the position shewn in Figure 2,
and the arm fis pressing on the projection, on the lower end of the
bolt h, (which is pressed upwards by the spring k, when the ramrod is
withdrawn, and projects a short distance into the end of the reservoir g,
to prevent the succeeding cap from moving forward,) and the parts
are slightly expanded by the projection. The lock being placed at
half cock, and the gun lowered, a cap falls into the instrument j, and on
withdrawing the ramrod the pin f¹ on the arm f carries forward the
parts i and along the curved groove formed in the part b, pressing
upon the finger 1; and the parts will assume the position shewn in
Figure 3, and the upper end of the spring k, pressing against the
sliding piece i, retains it during the movement of the pin f', to press
down the finger 2, which takes place at the time the ramrod is in the
act of being returned, and causes the part j to turn on its pin or axis
and place the cap on the nipple, the parts assuming the position shewn
in Figure 4. By returning the ramrod its lower end presses down the
lever arm c¹, and arm f, which withdraws the parts i, j, and leaves the
cap on the nipple, the spring-holding parts expanding when with
drawn. is a cover to the opening where the instrument; protrudes
and is moved up and down by a projection , taking into a slot in the
arm f.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manne
in which the same is to be performed, we would have it understoo
that we do not claim any of the parts separately; nor do we confine

page_text: ourselves to the details as herein given, so long as the peculiar character
of our Invention be retained. But what we claim is, the so combining
or arranging apparatus for priming and discharging fire-armis, that the
act of moving the ramrod shall cause a percussion cap or priming to be
put in position to be discharged and the apparatus to retire.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Henry Manton and
Josiah Harrington, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Twenty-seventh day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-nine.
JOSIAH (L.S.) HARRINGTON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-seventh day of
September, in the year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid George Henry
Manton and Josiah Harrington came before our said Lady the Queen,
in Her 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.
Enrolled the Twenty-eighth day of Sontombor in the voor of