IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN BAYONET ATTACHMENTS THEREFOR."
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Garrett Tongue at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd August 1877. A communication
from abroad by Eben Townsend Starr, of the City, County, and State of New
York, United States of America.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent Agents
and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND IN BAYONET ATTACHMENTS
THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Eben Townsend Starr, of the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America.
These improvements in fire-arms relate in part to breech-loaders, and particularly
to that class of breech-loaders in which the breech piece containing the hammer
and other parts of the lock within it is constructed and organized to obtain its
movement for opening and closing the chamber of the barrel upon a pin or pivot
situated at or passing through the lower part of the said breech piece, and through the
breech frame of the arm below the barrel, the said movement of the breech picce
being effected by a lever which works partly within and is attached to the breech
piece, and which also operates a locking bolt or key for locking the breech piece
in condition for firing, and for unlocking the breech piece preparatory to opening it
for loading.
One improvement consists in the construction and combination of the hammer
and the aforesaid lever, so that the said lever in the act of unlocking the breech
piece preparatory to opening it is made to move the hammer back just beyond the
position in which the sear can fall into the half-cock notch by the pressure of a
portion of the said lever, which extends forward and upward in front of the hammer
about the centre of motion thereof, the said pressure acting either directly or
through the medium of a small anti-friction roller attached to the said lever, or to
the hammer.
Another improvement consists in the construction of that portion of the said
lever which extends upward and forward in front of the hammer, as above men-
tioned, and of the contiguous portion of the hammer, with a tooth and notch, by
which the hammer, after having been brought back to the position in which the

page_text: sear may fall into the half-cock notch is locked in that position, not only during the
whole movement of opening the breech, but also during the act of closing the same,
and not liberated until after the breech has been closed, when its liberation permits
the hammer to be half cocked by the sear entering the half-cock notch. The said
tooth and notch first mentioned also serve the purpose of stopping the action of the
breech-locking bolt until after the breech has been properly closed.
Another improvement consists in so constructing the hammer and applying the
same in the breech picce, and in relation with the breech frame of the fire-arm, that
when the hammer is cocked the breech piece is prevented from being opened far
enough to permit loading by the head or comb of the hammer coming against
the rear part of the breech frame, thereby preventing any accidental discharge
that might otherwise result from leaving the hammer at full cock during the act of
loading.
Another improvement consists in the construction of the mainspring with an eye
in its bow for the reception of a pin, which is fixed in the breech piece or other
part of the fire-arm, and upon which the spring is suspended and kept in place
without a rigid attachment to the breech piece or frame of the arm, and its action is
rendered more free, and it is made to act with its full force upon the hammer, and
also upon the sear, when the same spring is used as a sear spring. This improve-
ment is applicable to breech-loading fire-arms having the breech otherwise con-
structed and organized than as above specified, and also to muzzle loaders.
Another improvement which is applicable to various kinds of breech-loading
fire-arms and to muzzle loaders, also relates to the back sight, and consists in con-
structing such sight to straddle the breech frame or body of the gun, and to fit in
dovetail grooves formed therein, in which it slides up and down so as to be
adjustable for various ranges. This sight may be made with an additional slide to
provide for its extension upward for very long ranges.
Another improvement which is applicable to both breech-loading and muzzle-
loading fire arms, consists in the construction of the forward band, which attaches
the forward part of the stock to the barrel with a cap to fit over the forward end
of the stock and form what is called the "tip" thereof.
A further improvement consists in constructing or providing the band above
mentioned with a stud in front of the cap to serve as part of the means of
attaching a bayonet.
A still further improvement in the band above mentioned consists in pro-
viding in the said band a spring catch for locking the wiping-rod or ramrod
in place.
Another improvement consists in so constructing and applying the pin which
attaches the sling ring to the forward band that confines the barrel to the stock,
that the said pin, by passing through the said band, and through a notch in the
barrel, secures the said band, the barrel, and the stock together.
Another improvement which relates to the bayonet attachment consists in a
peculiar kind of locking device for locking the bayonet to the gun. This locking
device is composed of an L shaped pin or spiral spring, and a stud attached to the
tip of the stock or to the barrel. The shank of this L shaped pin passes through
a projection or swell formed for the purpose on the socket or hilt of the bayonet,
and the spiral spring is applied to it within the said projection or swell for the
purpose of forcing the toe of the said pin into a notch or hole in the said stud to
lock the bayonet. By pressing on the head of the pin its toe is withdrawn from
the notch and the bayonet is liberated.
Another improvement which has for its object to facilitate the stacking of muskets
or other arms consists in constructing or providing on the elbow or offset of the
bayonet a stud which projects in a backward or downward direction from the blade,
and which serves to enter the nozzle of the barrel of another gun or arm, or into
a socket or ring provided on the barrel thereof. This improvement is applicable to
either sword bayonets or those of ordinary kind.
Another improvement consists in constructing or providing a sword bayonet or

page_text: sword with a hollow or tubular hilt, which serves as a socket to slip over the end
of the barrel of a gun, and thus to attach the bayonet or sword thereto.
A further improvement relates to wiping-rods and ramrods of fire-arms, and con-
sists in providing the rods with a reversible tubular extension piece which may
either be slipped over its head and screwed on like a cap without materially adding
to the length of the rod, or turned end for end, and screwed on to the head of the
rod to make a considerable addition to its length. This is of especial advantage for
breech-loading guns, in the stocks of which, owing to the breech frame and breech
system being in the way, it is difficult to sheath a rod a sufficient length to
reach the bottom of the barrel and leave its end projecting far enough to take
hold of.