IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE MANUFACTURE OF AND ADDITIONS TO THE STOCKS, BUTTS, HEEL PLATES, PROAL SPATION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hugh Adams Silver, of Sun Court, Cornhill,
Merchant and Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
THE MANUFACTURE OF AND ADDITIONS TO THE STOCKS, BUTTS, HEEL PLATES,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hugh Adams Silver
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th August 1874.
I, HUGH ADAMS SILVER, of Sun Court, Cornhill, Merchant and
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AND ADDITIONS TO THE STOCKS, BUTTS,
HEEL PLATES, AND LOCKS OF GUNS, RIFLES, AND OTHER SIMILAR WEAPONS," to
ho as follows :—
:

page_text: recoil when the weapon is discharged is absorbed and its effects greatly
neutralized.
And Secondly. The protection of the hand of the firer from the effects
of the heating of the metal of the lock and barrel by the repeated
discharge of the weapon.
My Invention consists, firstly, in attaching a spring or pad, preferably
of vulcanized rubber, to a plate of hardened caoutchouc known as
ebonite, shaped so as to fit the butt end of the stock of the weapon to
which it is to be applied. The vulcanized rubber is preferably of round
form, and about an inch, more or less, in thickness. The soft rubber is
fixed upon or incorporated with the ebonite in the ordinary manner used
by india-rubber manufacturers. The outside or face of the rubber can
also be coated or covered with a non-yielding substance or a flexible one.
I prefer to fasten the pad thus formed on to the weapon stock by forming
heel pieces on the ebonite plate at its top and bottom like the ordinary
metal heel plate of a rifle, so as to embrace the stock butt at those parts;
and holes are formed through the heel pieces, by which the pad may be
screwed or otherwise fastened to the stock, or by the treatment of the
hardened rubber itself, or both methods; the bolting and the glueing can
be used together. Or the ordinary heel plate of the weapons may have
the soft rubber attached to it directly, or the heel plate dispensed with
altogether. Or the stock itself of the weapon may be made entirely of
ebonite, when the elastic pad could of course be attached to and in-
corporated with the butt end in the process of manufacture without any
bolting or other fastening.
My Invention secondly consists in surrounding or covering the
exposed metal portions of the lock and barrel of the weapon at the parts
where the hand of the firer would come in contact with them with a
layer of ebonite, the non-conducting properties of which are such as to
prevent the heat generated by the frequent discharge of the weapon from
causing inconvenience. I prefer that the thickness of the layer of
ebonite should be about onc-eighth of an incli, more or less.
The layer can be intimately attached to the metal, which it surrounds
in the process of manufacture by the method ordinarily used by manu-
facturers of hard india-rubber; or shields of the material may be applied
to the metal and fastened thereto by means of straps, screws, or by some
adhesive material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hugh Adams Silver in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HUGH
ADAMS SILVER, of Sun Court, Cornhill, Merchant and Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Hugh Adams Silver, Her special licenco
that I, the said Hugh Adams Silver, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Hugh Adams Silver, my 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.“IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF AND ADDITIONS TO THE STOCKS, BUTTS, HEEL PLATES,
AND LOCKS OF GUNS, RIFLES, AND OTHER SIMILAR WEAPONS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Hugh Adams Silver, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hugh Adams Silver, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
The objects of my Invention arc, firstly, a special treatment of two
bodies, viz., hard rubber or ebonite and rubber compound prepared for
producing soft vulcanized rubber and the manufacture therefrom of an
article suitable to be attached to the butt end of a small arm, the first of¨¨

page_text: which bodies acts as a base plate and the other as a cushion or pad to
deaden or to obsorb the effects of the recoil during firing.
According to the first part of my Invention one method is, 'I first
make complete in itself a base plate of hard rubber, this being either
cut out of a piece of sheet hard rubber or moulded to shape, and with
one face suitable to fit the butt end of a small-arm. I then smear the
other or outer face with rubber solution and place the plate into a mould.
Upon the smeared face I put a pad of rubber compound prepared for
producing soft vulcanized rubber, and press it into close contact with the
plate to cause the rubber compound to temporarily adhere to it. I then
pass the plate and the rubber compound (either in or out of the mould)
as one article through the usual process of vulcanization, whereby the
rubber compound not only becomes vulcanized or cured, but is by the
process permanently cemented or attached to the hard rubber plate.
When the two bodies have been vulcanized together I have a body
with a rigid backing and with a soft yielding pad or cushion, the union
portion of which is unchangeable by atmospherical influences as well as
by affinity of atoms of sulphur. The union is also so completely.esta-
blished that the hard rubber plate and the soft rubber cushion are
inseparable under ordinary wear or exposure.
The adaptation of a cushioned plate made according to my Invention
will be understood by reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying
Drawings, in which a is a hard rubber base plate and is the soft rubber
cushion vulcanized (cured) to it in the manuer before explained; c is the
tang or lip formed also of hard rubber, through which the screw pin d
is passed to attach that part to the stock e of a small-arm; f is another
screw pin passed through the plate a into the shoulder portion or hollow
of the stock, but to hold that part of the cushioned plate firmly.
It will be observed that by this first part of my Invention I can use
the screws as for an ordinary metal heel plate, my hard rubber plate
corresponding exactly on its inner face with the inner face of the ordinary
metal heel plate, so that one can be substituted for the other in the case
of existing arms, and it facilitates the fitting of my improved cushioned
plates to new arms without changing the practice of preparing the butt
ends by the stock maker. Other holes may however be formed in my
cushioned base plate to make it available for any particular make of
stock.

page_text: The outer or non-coated face of my cushioned base plate is preferably
moulded or shaped to fit the butt of an arm so that it lies flush thereon
without projections or recesses, the surfaces in contact and the screws
being sufficient with the tang or lip to hold firmly together, but pro-
jections or recesses one to take into the other may be formed if
desired.
As a modification of the foregoing method of manufacturing a soft
cushioned hard rubber base plate (see Figure 2) I enclose the previously
prepared and shaped hard rubber plate in a rubber compound, so
that a film or small portion of the compound adheres to the inner face of.
it, the larger proportion of rubber compound being upon the other
face to form the recoil cushion. The base plate in this method of con-
struction may be of metal. The advantage of this plan of manufacturing
such pads is a positive non-affinity of the vulcanizing agent of the hard
rubber to spread itself or to commingle with the vulcanizing agent of
the soft rubber, and thereby prevent at the union part of the two an
over vulcanized action upon the soft rubber and a non-separation con-
sequent upon decomposition or decay of the over cured portion.
Figure 3 represents a hard rubber plate a, a soft rubber cushion b, and
an exterior plate of metal g as a protector to the soft rubber cushion
from abrasion or injury should the butt end of the arm to which my
cushioned base plate is fixed be struck upon or grazed against the ground.
The manner of attaching the exterior protecting plate g to the soft
rubber is similar to that described for the soft rubber cushion to the basc
plate before referred to, and in order to provide for fixing the plate as a
heel plate to the hollow of the stock I form a hole through the exterior.
plate and through the soft rubber, so that the head of the screw bears
against the base plate a, which hole can be afterwards filled up by a plug
of corresponding material similarly prepared and cemented in. In this
latter Figure the exterior protecting plate entirely covers the face of the
butt portion, but I in some cases only cap or cover the heel proper by a
moulded and completely finished piece of hard rubber, or it may be
metal, as in Figure 4, in which case, as also in any of the previously
described plans, the base plate a of hard rubber may only cover a portion
of the inner face of the soft rubber, that is, the base plate a may be
formed rib shaped to give sufficient rigidity to. the base portion, and for
the screws to hold upon without interfering with the efficiency of the

page_text: yielding cushion of soft cured rubber for the purposes of lessening the
effects of the recoil against the shoulder of the firer.
My cushioned base plate a in some cases has side flanges or lips formed
on it to be inserted into corresponding channels or recesses formed in the
sides of the butt of an arm, as in Figure 5, through which side lips,
flanges, or projections the holes can be made for the reception of the
screws, which are then screwed into the wood against the grain. By
this means I dispense with holes in the base plate a and also with plugs,
the exterior or heel of the cushion or of the exterior plate being made
perfectly flush. The base plate can have a slotted hole formed in it, so
that it with the pad can be slid into position against the usual metal
heel plate by loosening one of the screws, and be held firmly by screwing
up with the screw head in contact.
I am aware that clastic or yielding cushions (rubber sponge) have
been applied to the butt ends of small arms prior to the date of my
Patent, but these have been formed in the shape of bags that could be
temporarily slipped over the butt end and over the ordinary metal heel
plate. These however have not answered satisfactorily on account of
the loose fit and their tendency to be thrust to one side by the action of
the recoil. I am also aware that cushions composed of "junction
rubber" have been used for the same purpose, but these have failed
after a short exposure because of the imperfect curing of one portion of
the compound and an over curing of the other portion of the compound,
whereas by my Invention no such objection can be advanced, because
my rubber compound is cured while in contact with an already cured
hard base, and consequently, as before remarked, there is no affinity for
the vulcanizing or curing agent of one body to commingle with the
vulcanizing or curing agent of the other body.
I do not confine myself exclusively to the foregoing method or methods
of forming the attachment of soft rubber to hard rubber or soft rubber
to metal for the purposes set forth.
What I claim in this part of my Invention is,-
.
The manufacture of heel plates for small arms by combining a soft
rubber compound with a previously cured hard rubber (ebonite) plate,
the attachment of one body to the other being effected by the vulcanizing
or curing process of the compound, as set forth,

page_text: י
Secondly. I claim the employment of cushioned base plates as heel
plates for small-arms, as described and substantially as shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
The next part of my Invention relates to a new manufacture of stock
ends of small-arms, and consists in attaching rubber compounds to the
heel portions of hard rubber (ebonite) stocks after such stock ends aro
made complete. I cap the heel portion with rubber compound, and then
cure by the vulcanizing process the compound thereon in a similar
manner to that described with reference to the base plates of hard rubber.
The hard rubber stock cnd may be tenoned vertically, as in Figures 6
and 7, the spaces at each side being occupied by rubber compound; or
the hard rubber stock end may be tenoned transversely as in Figure 8,
or in any other manner, or be left plain. In every case however,
according to this part of my Invention, I form the attachment of a
rubber compound to act as a cushioned heel to a hard rubber stock end
by tho vulcanizing or curing process, as set forth.
The next part of my Invention relates to coating the exposed metal
portions of the lock and other pieces of metal work of a small arm
subject to heat from the barrel, especially those portions of metal which
are held by the hand of the firer, with a hard rubber jacket, as a bad
conductor of heat, to protect the hand from the excessive heat developed
during rapid firing. The hard rubber jackets can be shaped to fit in
the moulding and curing process, and can be cemented, screwed, or
otherwise connected.
The last part of my Invention relates to enveloping the barrel or
barrels of small arms, or only a portion of such, in a tubular cover of
hard rubber or of soft vulcanized rubber h, which I attach permanently
thercon by a rubber solution or by the curing process. If I employ a
solution between my tubular cover and the barrel j I first prepare my
tube of hard rubber (ebonite) of an equal thickness in cross section, and
after the hardening process has been completed I "chuck" it in a lathe
and turn it excentrically, so as to make one portion of its diameter very
thin compared to the other portion. I then remove portions from the
thick part with a punch or hammer, which part is to rest upon the top
of the barrel or barrels, so as to pass over the sights or other metal pro-
jections. The hard rubber tube is then split or saw cut longitudinally
along its thin part, and heated with gas or other heat to render iţ

page_text: slightly flexible and in a condition to be opened out.. I then smear
rubber solution either upon the inner side of the opened out tube, or I
coat the barrel or barrels with the solution and fit the tube over, pressing
it into close contact. I then bind the tube round with tape, or I fit it
with the barrel or barrels in a mould and apply pressure until the tube
has become set, after which the exterior surface of the tube can be sur-
faced or finished up in the usual manner of finishing hard rubber goods.
The above method of coating gun barrels is more particularly
applicable for barrels in a finished state, and as applied to stocks; and
in order that such coated barrels can be fitted in position I channel or
groove out the chamber of the stock to allow for the extra thickness on
the under part of the barrel or barrels so that they fit exactly.
'
The hard rubber tube or tubes can be of any length or thickness,
but in most cases it or they are thinner at the bottom than at the top,
as will be understood by reference to Figure 9.
I am aware that hard rubber caps or covers on the tops of the barrels
have been suggested, but these have only rested upon the barrels, and
have required bands or other kinds of objectionable fasteners to be
applied to hold them in place, whereas by my Invention the tubes hold
themselves in position by the clamping action which they possess by
embracing or encircling the barrel or barrels.
In some cases I coat the barrel or barrels with rubber compound
prepared for producing hard rubber, and form the attachment of
the two bodies by the usual method of curing (vulcanization), the
rubber by this process becoming permanently affixed to the metal.
When I so coat the barrel or barrels and vulcanize the compound
to transform it into hard rubber, or it may be into soft vulcanized
rubber, I clean off the superfluous hard rubber and treat the
exterior surface in the manner known for finishing hard rubber goods.
The barrel or barrels so treated or coated are by this method, as.
also by the previously described method, protected against the action of
wet or moisture; in addition, the part liable to be handled by the firer
is so protected against the inconvenient development of heat that in the
case of rapid firing small-arms, such as breech-loaders and magazine
rifles, the hand of the firer can hold the breech end of the barrel or
barrels for any length of time without sensibly feeling the effects of the
heat, the hard rubber jacket or the soft rubber jacket being in itself a
bad conductor.

page_text: I have in Figure 1 of the Drawings shown a Martini-actioned rifle
with a tube jacket h on the breech part of the barrel j only between the
break-off and the lower band, the attachment of such tube jacket to the
barrel being effected by the tube itself without fasteners of any kind.
The tube jacket I purpose to cut away at the part of the stock where
the metal is let into the face so as to lie flush with the wood, the grip of
the tube upon the barrel or barrels at the other part or parts being
sufficient to hold it in place.
Figure 10 represents a tubular jacket of the same thickness
throughout its diameter, and in such a case the tubular part may only
be at intervals of the length of the tube, so that the under portions can
rest in transverse channels cut at intervals in the barrel groove of the
stock, the edges of the other part of the tube then being thinned off so
that they can lie in and be gripped by the stock, or the edges may be
squared off to rest upon the top edges of the barrel groove, the tubular
part proper of the jacket retaining the jacket in the proper position.
What I claim in this part of my Invention is, fitting or attaching
hard rubber, tubular or soft rubber, vulcanized jackets to barrels of fire-
arms, such tubular jackets embracing the barrels around their entire
circumferences, so that parts of the jackets are embedded in the stocks,
as and for the purposes set forth.
I also claim, the curing (vulcanizing) of rubber compound upon the
exposed metal parts and barrels of fire-arms, so that the compound
becomes converted or transformed into hard rubber or soft vulcanized
rubber, as and for the purposes set forth.
Lastly. I claim the manufacture of hard rubber tubes with one part
of their diameters of greater thickness than the other part, and the
adaptation of such tubes to the barrels of fire-arms, as set forth and as
shown in Figure 9 of the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hugh Adams Silver, havo hero-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
HUGH A. SILVER. (L.S.)