THE IMPROVEMENT OF FIRE-ARMS & ARTILLERY
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Villiers Rippingille, of the Parish of
Chorlton-upon-Medlock, Greenheys, Manchester, Artist, for the Invention
of "THE IMPROVEMENT OF FIRE-ARMS & ARTILLERY."
Sealed the 8th April 1859, and dated the 8th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Villiers Rippingille
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th October 1858.
I, EDWARD VILLIERS RIPPINGILLE, of the Parish of Chorlton-upon-Medlock,
Greenheys, Manchester, Artist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "THE IMPROVEMENT OF FIRE-ARMS & ARTILLERY," to be as
follows:-
First. My Invention consists of a modification or change in the form &
construction of the scire or tumbler of the gun lock, that is to say, in the
depth & elongation of this member of the lock, by which an extra quantity
of metal is provided & left for the express purpose of admitting the filing out
& constructing upon the lower edge of the scire a projecting block or catch.
This block or catch is of such an elevation as to catch or arrest the scire point
as the scire revolves in the descent of the cock or hammer of the lock. By
the scire point being thus caught by the said projecting block, the cock is held
suspended, but without coming in contact with the cap upon the nipple, & in
such a manner as at once to protect it from falling or being brushed off, & to
save it from a blow or the consequences of a fall by which it may be acciden-

page_text: tally exploded; because, in the manufacture of guns, this construction of the
scire has never been resorted to, that is to say, extra metal has never been left
expressly for filing or cutting out this projecting block or catch, so that it
becomes an integral part of the whole scire; I claim the exclusive right of
manufacturing this member of the gun lock upon this principle. Also, I
claim to apply this principle to gun locks of every kind of construction as a
means of preventing accidents in the use of fire-arms, that is to say, I claim
to fit or fasten upon the scire of any lock, by means of dovetailing, drilling,
pinning, or other process, the said block or catch by which the scire point will
be arrested in the revolving of the scire, & thus the cock will be held in
suspension over the percussion cap, protecting but not touching it.
With the object of obtaining safety in the use of the sporting gun & the
musket, my principle & Invention extends to the construction of a concealed
gun lock devoid of the projecting parts by which accidents arise. The ignition
of the powder takes place at the end of & near the centre of the barrel, at the
small opening into it known as the touchhole. This opening is covered by a
moveable metal plate, upon which is deposited & rests the percussion cap,
dropped into its place by an opening in the stock. Upon the first movement
of the trigger this plate is withdrawn & the cap falls into its place & rests
exactly before the touchhole; a farther action of the trigger brings a revolving
screw bolt in contact with the cap, & farther continued the action of the
trigger gives half a turn to this bolt, which crushes & explodes the cap, & by
the fall of the trigger into its place, the bolt is brought into position & is again
ready for its work, with no extra movement applied.
Second. My Invention in the construction of the gun barrel consists of slight
enlargement of the bore towards the muzzle & of a projection or shoulder in
the lower portion of the barrel. The object of the one is to obtain a spread
or divergency of the charge; the object of the other, a result in expanding
the compound bullet. This compound bullet is made up of five parts, which
are intended to separate & spread upon the discharge of the gun. The
charge or cartridge made up of the compound mass of lead, powder, & per-
cussion cap or disk, is inserted at the muzzle & let fall down the barrel, on
arriving at the shoulder the butt is struck upon the ground & the lower bullet
or slug of the mass wedging into the rest, expands them, so as to fit the
barrel with perfect accuracy. The disk or cap is fired by its disruption, &
the charge projected with great force & sent to that distance which it is
intended the gun should carry. No ramrod is required, nor cocking, nor
priming, nor the separate introduction of the powder & the ball or slugs.
From these circumstances, this gun can be loaded & fired from eight to ten or

page_text: twelve times in one minute; & as five missiles are projected each time, forty,
fifty, or sixty shots are fired in the same space of time in which guns of the
ordinary construction fire once, or at most twice.
Third, I claim the application of this compound bullet in cannon or artillery.
The cannon to be manufactured to be constructed with the projection or shoulder
as in the small arm; to those already made, the introduction of a cylinder of
the length usually occupied by the charge of powder. This cylinder to be
made of iron & to serve instead of as the shoulder, by the resistance of which
through a blow given by the rammer, the expansive principle is made to act,
& the compound ball or mass made to fit & fill the bore with the greatest
exactness; thus, giving to a cannon the force & truth of the rifle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Villiers Rippingille in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
VILLIERS RIPPINGILLE, of the Parish of Chorlton-upon-Medlock, Greenheys,
Manchester, Artist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the
year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto him, the
said Edward Villiers Rippingille, Her special licence that he, the said Edward
Villiers Rippingille, his executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as he, the said Edward Villiers Rippingille, his 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 "THE IMPROVEMENT OF FIRE-ARMS & ARTILLERY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that he, the said Edward Villiers Rippingille, his executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under his, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that he, the said Edward Villiers Rippingille, do hereby
declare the nature of his said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
First. My Invention consists in a modification or change in the construction
of the scire or tumbler of the gun lock, that is to say, in the depth &
elongation of this said member of the lock, by which an extra quantity of
metal is provided & left for the express purpose of admitting the filing out and
constructing upon the lower edge of the scire a projecting block or catch.
This block or catch is of such an elevation as to catch or arrest the scire
point as the scire revolves in the descent of the cock or hammer of the lock.
By the scire point being thus caught by the said projecting block the cock is
held suspended, but without coming in contact with the cap upon the nipple,
& in such a manner as at once to protect it from falling or being brushed
off, & to save it from the consequences of a fall, by which it may be acci-
dentally exploded. Now, because in the manufacture of guns this construc-
tion of the scire has never been resorted to, that is to say, extra metal has
never been left expressly for filing or cutting out this said projecting block
or catch, so that it becomes an integral part of the whole scire.
I claim the exclusive right of manufacturing this said member of the gun
lock upon this said principle. Also I claim to apply this principle to gun
locks of every description or kind of construction as a means of preventing
accidents in the use of fire-arms, that is to say, I claim to fit or fasten upon
the scire of any gun lock, by means of dovetailing, drilling, pinning, or other
process, the said block or catch by which the scire point will be arrested in
the revolving of the scire, & thus the cock will be held in suspension over
the percussion cap, protecting but not touching it.
With the object of obtaining safety in the use of the sporting gun & the
musket, my Invention extends to the construction of a concealed gun lock
devoid of the exterior & projecting parts by which accidents happen.
I hereby disclaim the principle named in my Provisional Specification, that
is to say, a mode of ignition by giving half a turn to a bolt in contact with a
percussion cap or disk; and instead, I adopt the ordinary Prussian needle gun
mode of ignition. In this I claim the following improvement (viz.), my improve-
ment consists in the return of the needle or pricker into position after having
acted upon the percussion disk, by which improvement the necessity of cocking
or setting, by an express act of manipulation is obviated. The bolt to which the
needle is attached is thrown forward by the coiled spiral spring being libe-
rated, & both by the backward force of the explosion acting against the

page_text: hollow disk attached to the bolt (as seen at letter C in the diagram No. 2),
as well as by the change in the position of the gun or musket necessary for
loading it, descends by its own weight & hooks itself on upon the catch or
point of the spring attached to the trigger (marked letter A in the same
diagram). The trigger in being drawn back acts on this point or catch, &
escapes by means of the projecting pin at letter D, & thence takes its posi-
tion. The pin or pricker by which the ignition is caused enters at the end
of the barrel, ordinarily known as the touchhole.
:
Second. My Invention consists farther in the construction of the gun
barrel (viz.), in a slight enlargement of the bore at .the muzzle, & of a pro-
jection or shoulder in the lower portion of the barrel (i.e.) at the breech. The
object of the one is to obtain a spread or divergency of the charge, the object
of the other, a result in expanding the compound bullet or mass of slugs.
Third. This bullet or mass of slugs is made up of five parts which are
intended to separate & to spread upon the discharge of the gun. The charge
or cartridge made up of the compound mass of leaden slugs, powder, &
percussion cap or disk, is inserted at the muzzle & let fall down the barrel.
On arriving at the shoulder, the butt of the gun is struck upon the ground,
& the lower bullet or slug of the mass (E, Diag. No. 2), wedging into the
rest (F, F, Diag. No. 2), expands them so as to fit the bore of the barrel with
perfect accuracy, & thus the charge is projected with great force. As no
ramrod is required in loading, nor cocking, nor priming, nor the separate intro-
duction nor employment of percussion caps, powder, & ball, this gun can be
loaded & fired from eight to twelve times per minute, & as five missiles are
projected each time, from forty to sixty shots are fired in the same space of
time in which guns or muskets of the ordinary construction are discharged,
once only or at most twice.
In Diagram No. 2, the mass or charge is represented as it appears after
having been simply let fall down the barrel, & resting upon the projecting
shoulder, (this mass is marked G). In the mass or charge marked H, the
expansion has taken place, which is occasioned by giving the butt of the gun
a blow upon the ground. No. 3 represents the end & side views of the four
slugs; No. 4, the made up cartridge covered with paper; No. 5, the cartridge
or charge in its several parts.
Fourth, I claim the application of this compound bullet or charge to be
employed in cannon or artillery. In cannon to be manufactured I claim to
have introduced a projection or shoulder similar or identical with the pro-
jection or shoulder as in the small arms already described, & which, by
obstructing the descent of the compound charge either with powder previously

page_text: introduced or in the form of a separate cartridge, will form a ridge or ring in
the barrel upon which the wedge slug will fall, & by a blow given with the
rammer will expand the surrounding slugs, & thus be made to fit the bore of
the cannon tightly & with great accuracy. In the case of cannon already made
devoid of this projecting shoulder, I claim to introduce a cylinder of iron
which shall be of the requisite length to hold the necessary quantity of powder,
& closed or open at the bottom of the breech; but I prefer that this cylinder
shall project, perhaps, half an inch from the sides of the barrel, so as to afford
a resting place for the wedge slug, & by the blow of the rammer to expand
the surround slugs. By the employment of this compound charge, a nine-
pounder gun is render as efficient as an eighteen-pounder, & thus to a cannon
of small power is given the force & truth of the rifle musket.
In the Drawing accompanying this is the Diagram No. 1, giving the details
of the safety lock first named in the Specification, while No. 6 gives the two
forms of the compound charge for cannon, the first as it appears, the wedge
slug not acting, the second agreeable with its appearance when the slugs are
expanded so as to fit the barrel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Villiers Rippingille, have here-
unto set my hand & seal, this Seventh day of April, One thousand
eight hundred & fifty-nine.
Witness,
D. MORRISON.
EDWARD VILLIERS RIPPINGILLE. (L.S.)