IMPROVE MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by Eugene Lefan-
cheux, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Fire-arm Manufacturer.
Sealed the 17th April 1860, and dated the 17th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th February 1860.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," a communication from abroad by Eugene
Lefancheux, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Fire-arm Manufacturer, to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
muskets, fowling-pieces, rifles, and other arms of that class, whether single. or
double barrelled, and consists in making the stock and "but" in the form of
a single metal skeleton frame which carrys the lock, and to which metal frame
is fitted the wooden "but" made in two parts. A moveable breech-piece is
also proposed to be used turning on the same axis as the hammer, and effec-

page_text: tually closing the end of the barrel which is fixed. In some cases the wood
of the but may be replaced by stamped metal, such as zinc or copper. The
working centre of the moveable breech is above the centre line of the barrel,
by which means a firmer joint is obtained in a more simple manner than
hitherto. In breech-loading fowling picces it is proposed to enlarge the
diameter of the chamber so that a shorter cartridge may be used with the
same charge of powder.
According to another arrangement it is proposed to dispense with the
moveable breech, and to substitute therefor a rack formed on the under side
of the barrel, gearing into a pinion contained within the stock. By turning
this pinion the barrel will be slid away from its fixed breech, and in a position
to receive the charge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the terni 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 FIRE-ARMS," a communication from abroad by
Eugene Lefancheux, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Fire-arm Manufac-
turer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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

page_text: the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements
of muskets, fowling-pieces, rifles, and other fire-arms of that class, whether
single or double barrelled, and consists in making the stock and butt in the
form of a single metal skeleton frame which carries the lock, and to which
metal frame is fitted the wooden butt made in two parts. A moveable breech-
piece is also proposed to be used turning on the same axis as the hammer, and
effectually closing the end of the barrel which is fixed. In some cases the wood
of the butt may be replaced by stamped metal such as zinc or copper. The,
working centre of the moveable breech is above the centre line of the barrel,.
by which means a firmer joint is obtained in a more simple manner than
hitherto. In breech-loading fowling-pieces it is proposed to enlarge the dia-
meter of the chamber, so that a shorter cartridge may be used with the same
charge of powder.
According to another arrangement it is proposed to dispense with the
moveable breech, and to substitute therefor a rack formed on the under side of
the barrel gearing into a pinion contained within the stock. By turning this
pinion the barrel will be slid away from its fixed breech, and in a position to
receive the charge.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all
the corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of a gun constructed
according to this Invention; Figure 2 is a detached plan of the moveable
breech-piece; Figure 3 is a detail of the trigger mechanism; Figure 4 is a
separate view of a small support, serving as a bearing for the axis which
carries the moveable breech as well as the cock. In the Drawings, the wood-
work of the butt is removed in order to shew the metal frame. This metal
frame A (Figure 1), upon which is, fixed the barrel B, is so formed as to receive
the trigger and lock mechanism, which consists of the cock or hammer C, the
trigger D, and the moveable breech-piece E. On this metal frame are also.
:

page_text: the lever catching the pin or spindle on the side of the cartridge, and forcing
it out of the barrel. In Figure 12, the lever L is supposed to be placed on
the top of the barrel, consequently a horizontal movement is imparted to it
to bring it into the position shown by red lines for removing the cartridge.
Figures 13 and 14 represent an elevation and plan of the application to a
pistol of the mechanism and improvements herein-before described and illus-
trated in Figures 1 to 5. A is the metal stock or handle which receives the
barrel B, the lock mechanism consisting of the hammer C, trigger D, and
moveable breech E. The barrel B is also provided with the small lever L,
which turns on the centre 1, and serves to remove the cartridge case.
. Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of fire-arms, as herein-
before described.
Second, the peculiar construction of stocks or butts for fire-arms, as herein-
before described.
Third, the peculiar construction and arrangement of moveable breech-picces
in combination with a fixed barrel, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the peculiar construction of charge chambers for the reception of
cartridges, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
J. HENRY JOHNSON.
L.S.)