IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS, AND IN CARTRIDGES TO BE USED THEREWITH
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Nicholas Norman and
John Lubé at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 15th March 1860.
I, WILLIAM NICHOLAS NORMAN, of the City of Dublin, Ireland, Gentleman,
and I, JOHN LUBE, of said City of Dublin, Esquire, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS,
AND IN CARTRIDGES TO BE USED THEREWITH," to be as follows:
Our Invention consists, in the first place, in a particular form and arrange-
ment of jointing barrels to the break-off of double or single guns, particularly
breech-loaders, by attaching a solid piece of metal to back ends of barrels
about four inches long, which has at one end a projection corresponging with
a slot in break-off, & at the other end a pivot; by passing the barrels on the
pivot, either by hand or by a small lever, horizontally into the slot a small
screw stud passing up through the break-off into the solid piece on the barrels
perfectly secures this joint from separating by recoil of the gun.
The next part of our Invention consists in a particular shaped hammer or
cock for breech-loading guns, so that you can explode the cartridges either at
the centre or side, first, by having a small movable striker inserted into the
nose of the cock that passes into a small cavity in the barrels, exploding the
cartridges at the side; next, by having a stud fastened to body of cock that
attaches itself to a small striker, which passes through break-off, and explodes
the cartridges at the centre.
The next part of our Invention consists of cartridges for breech-loading guns
that can be ignited either at side or centre, first, by having a small piece of
wire inserted perpendicularly into a small detonating cap; next, by having a
wire inserted horizontally into a detonating cap at base of cartridges; those

page_text: wires are cut off level with the outside of cartridges; they are made of paper
or any other elastic substance strong enough to resist the charge, the advantage
being that no accident can happen by pressure or fall, as the wires do not
project, besides which the needles or strikers may be much shorter and
stronger, rendering them less liable to break.
The next part of our Invention consists of an improvement in breech-loading
guns, either with a movable breech or movable barrel; this is done by having
the breech excavated in a particular form to receive the base of the cartridges,
particularly in needle guns; first, it will extract the fired cartridges; secondly,
it will keep them from bursting behind; thirdly, it will prevent the needles
being broken; and, lastly, when the explosion takes place, it will expand into
the barrel, and prevent any escape
of gas behind.
The next part of our Invention consists of an improvement in revolving
chamber pistols, so that the line of resistance and recoil are in same plane, by
having a strap of iron attached to barrel and frame of pistol; this strap runs
level with top line, whereby it can be stocked, so that the hand will resist the
recoil in a right line; this produces great steadiness in shooting, and enables
a better aim to be taken than with ordinary revolvers, without increasing
length of pistol.
The next part of our Invention consists in having the barrel of a revolving
chamber pistol attached to the bottom part of frame of pistol working on a
centre or pin, by inserting a stud or two, working also on centres; the barrel
makes a powerful lever to load, and allows free egress to the chambers for
charging.
The next part of our Invention consists in having a safety guard on side of
pistol attached to the lockwork, so that by no possible means it can be dis-
charged without pressing it.
The next part of our Invention consists of an improved barrel for sporting
guns for throwing small shot; it is made in the form of a square, with vertices
of angles, cut off both inside and outside; it is also fluted inside with semi-
circular cuts; the advantage of this is that the sides being flat compress the
shot so compactly that it shoots with greater force and much closer than
ordinary guns.