A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF GUNS AND FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
JOHN GEORGE LACY, of Camomile Street, in the City of London, Gun
Manufacturer, and SAMSON DAVIS, of East Smithfield, in the County
of Middlesex, Gun Lock Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Sixth day of December, in the first
year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John George Lacy and Samson Davis, his
especial license, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said John
George Lacy and Samson Davis, our exors, adiñors, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said John George Lacy and Samson Davis, our
exors, adiiors, 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
mentioned, should and lawfully might make use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, our
Invention of "A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF GUNS AND FIRE-ARMS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that we, the said John George Lacy and Samson
Davis, or one of us, shall cause a particular description of the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed

page_text: to be inrolled in His 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 John George Lacy and Samson Davis, do hereby declare that the
nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to
e performed, are particularly described and ascertained in and by the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and the following description thereof (that
to say):
Our said improvements are applicable to the locks of air guns, cannon,
musquets, carbines, pistols, rifle guns, fowling pieces, blunderbusses, and
other descriptions of fire-arms, with proper modifications made accord-
ingly. In order, however, to afford examples of carrying our said
Invention into effect, we shall proceed to describe the different Figures
contained in the said Drawing. Figure 1, is part of a military carbine
adapted to be discharged by percussion. A, the nipple to receive the
priming caps B. The spring striker aflixed upon the outside of the
lock plate C, by a screw D, and a stud. This spring striker B, is
shewn separately in Figure 2, as viewed from above, and in Figure 3,
as viewed from beneath; E being the said stud, which enters into a hole
F, made in the lock plate C, to receive it, as shewn in Figure 4. This
spring striker has a cavity formed within its head, where it strikes upon
the percussion cap, as usual, and likewise a comb G, whereby it is drawn
to cock. It has also a catch or bent at H, as shewn in Figures 1, 3,
& 5, the latter of which Figure is an inside view of the lock. This said
catch or bent, lodges in caps, notches, or other bents 1, made in a
bent lever J, to receive, them, when the lock is in the cocked or half
cocked state. It is shewn in the cocked state in Fig. 1, and as dis-
charged in Figure 5. This bent lever J, turns upon a screw K, which
is fitted into the lock plate C, as shewn in Figures 1, and 5, and it has
a gap made in it at L, as shewn in Fig. 5, and in the two side views
of it, Figs. 6, and 7, against the upper part of which said gap I, the
spring M, Fig. 5, acts so as to throw it forwards. This spring M, is
secured by the screw N, and a steady pin to the inside of the lock plate
C, as shewn in Fig. 5; upon the other end Oo the bent lever J, is

page_text: formed a sloped part, against which the end of the sear P, acts, as
shewn in Fig. 5. This sear is also secured by, and turns upon a screw.
Q, affixed in the lock plate C, as shewn in Fig. 5; the sear P, is acted
upon by the trigger R, Fig. 1, in the usual manner, and when pressed
it releases or draws back the bent lever J, into the position shewn by.
the dotted lines in Figure 5, from the gap, and thus permits the spring
striker G, to fall and discharge the piece; the positions of the different
parts when so discharged are shewn in Fig. 5. Fig. 8, is a front view
of the bent lever J, and Figs. 9, and 10, are top and side views of the.
sear P, and Fig. 11, is a top view of the lock; the several parts being.
indicated by the same letters of reference as in the other Figures already
described. The upper end S, of the bent lever J, projects in one side,
us shewn in Fig 7, 8. and 11, and serves as a stop to prevent the spring.
striker I, from being overstrained or pulled too high; and the part T,
Figures 2, 3, and 11, of the spring striker serves as a guard to keep.
the bent lever from being moved sideways. Figs. 12, 13, and 14, are-
side views of another percussion lock for fowling pieces, pistols, and
other fire-arms. In this lock I employ a bent lever J, and its spring
M, and also a sear P, nearly similar to those already described, but
instead of a spring striker this lock has a percussion cock or striker U,
turning upon a screw V, as a centre, which screw passes through a
bridle W, affixed to the lock plate C, and is screwed into the said lock
plate. This percussion cock or striker U, has a swivel X, Figs. 14,
and 15, jointed to it by means of a screw, and which said swivel is hung
to the moveable end of a main spring Y, Fig. 14, which is united to
the lock plate C, by being hooked beneath un eye Z, affixed in the lock
plate, as shewn in Fig. 14, and has a stud a, which is passed through
a hole b, made to receive it in the lock plate C, as shewn in Figs. 12,
13, 16, and 17, which two latter Figures are outside and inside views
of the lock plate shewn separately; this percussion or striking cock U,
has a catch or bent c, which passes across from the outside of the lock
plate C, to its inside, as shewn in Fig. 15, and its catch or bent c,
lodges in gaps, notches, or other bents made in the bent lever J, at d,
to receive it, in order to retain the cock in its cocked or half cocked
state; it is shewn as cocked in Fig. 13. When, however, the sear is
acted upon by the trigger being pulled, it depresses one end of the bent

page_text: lever J, as shewn in Fig. 12, and withdraws its other end from the
catch or bent c, so as to permit the cock to full and discharge the piece;
this position of the cock is shewn in that Figure. Figure 18, is a side
view of the bent lever J, shewn separately; and Figure 19, is a back
end view of the lock, with the several parts indicated by similar letters
of reference as in Fig 12, to 18, inclusive.
Having thus shewn and described two different methods of carrying
our said Invention into effect, we hereby declare that it is not our
intention to limit or confine ourselves to the employment of those two
methods only; but we hereby claim owery other mode by which our
said Invention can be carried into effect, and particularly the use of the
bent lever J, either in the methods herein shown and described, or in
any other method by which they can be applied to the locks for air
guns or fire-arius in general. We do not, however, mean or intend
hereby to claim as our Invention any of the various parts of which the
said locks are composed, which may already have been known or in
use, but only their modifications, which may be necessary to introduce
the use and application of our said bent levers thereto.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samson Davis, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.