An Improved Device for Cleaning Gun Barrels.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by KARL LAURIK, of Schaffhausen, in the Republic
of Switzerland, Sub-manager.]
An Improved Device for Cleaning Gun Barrels.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Inseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
For cleaning gun barrels it has heretofore been customary to remove the parts
of the lock, pass through the barrel a string to which a piece of fabric or wad is
attached and pulling it to and fro.
Two men are needed for this operation; the barrels are injured, more especially
at their ends by often pulling the string to and fro; the wad is sometimes either
too large or too small; portions of it are liable to remain behind in the barrel, and
the man has not always the proper cleaning material at hand.
These and other inconveniences not enumerated are obviated by the present
invention the essential feature of which consists in attaching to a string a metallic
body which after the lock has been opened is caused to slide through the barrel.
To this metallic body is attached a nail with a felt disc and the latter is pulled
through the barrel by means of the string, thereby cleaning the said barrel.
As a rule it is sufficient to pull the felt disc through the barrel once, whilst in
the case of very dirty barrels the operation may be repeated.
The device is packed into a small and light case.
The felt discs, made of a size corresponding to the bore in the barrel, may be
carried about in numbers of 50 or 100 threaded on a string.
The advantages of this mode of cleaning are evident.
The parts of the gun lock need not be removed for the cleaning, the barrel is
not injured, one man can effect the cleaning operation in the shortest time, and
the device may be used for bores of widely different sizes, from 5.5 millimetres
upwards.
In the accompanying drawing Figures 1, X, XI and XII are drawn full size,
while the other figures are drawn double size.
By (1) is designated the string to which a small metal tube (2) is secured, which
latter for the purpose of fixing the string consists of two parts screwed together.
(3) is a nail having a head (4) and a reinforce (5) by which it is held in the
tube (2). The felt disc (6) is slid upon this nail.
In order to enable the nail (3) to be introduced into the tube (2) the latter is
provided with a lateral aperture or slot (7) and a spherical cavity (8).
As shown in Figure IV the introduction takes place from one side, the nail
passing to the position indicated in Figure V. In order that it may be held
in this position a sleeve (9) is slid upon the tube (2), as shown in Figures III
to VIII
The tube (2) is turned down the thickness of the sleeve and this thinner portion
of the tube is somewhat longer than the sleeve, which latter has also an aperture
or slot (10) for enabling the nail (3) to be inserted when the two apertures or slots
coincide.
After the nail has been inserted the sleeve is turned through an angle of
180 degrees and pushed down, its prolongation (11) passing into the slot (12)
formed in the lower edge (13) of the tube, Figures II, IV and V, so that it can no
longer move of itself.
While the apertures or slots in the tube and sleeve coincide this prolongation (11)
in the clot (121

page_text: The nail is taken out again by turning the sleeve (9) so that its aperture or slot
coincides with that of the tube (2), the nail being removed laterally.
Then the string is wound round the tube and the whole put in the case,
Figure X11, while the nail and other small parts are placed in the cover of the
case.
This case may be used as a handle for the string, as illustrated in Figure I.
Figure IX represents the mode of fixing the string in the small tube.
This tube is tapered towards the upper end and between the parts of the string
is inserted a square nail provided with fangs.
For screwing the two parts of the tube (2) asunder or together when a new
string is to be put in, use is made of the small key Figure XI.
It will be understood that the nail may be fixed in the tube in a different
manner from that herein set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what claim is :-
1. A device for cleaning gun barrels, comprising a metallic tube (2) fixed to a
string (1) and to which a nail (3) provided with a felt disc (6) is removably
attached, the mode of fixing the nail (3) being optional.
2. In a device for cleaning gun barrels the fixing of the nail (3) in the tube (2)
by inserting it through a lateral aperture or slot (7) its reinforce (5) being held in
a cavity (8) and its position being ensured by the sleeve (9) adapted to slide and
turn on the said tube and likewise provided with a lateral aperture or slot (10).
Dated this 18th day of March 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.