Improved Bench for Fixing Guns for Cleaning.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Bench for Fixing Guns for Cleaning.
I WALTER MAY BARTON of East Dereham in the County of Norfolk Solicitor
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—
I
The object of my invention is to provide apparatus for fixing the barrel of a
sporting or other shoulder gun in a convenient position so as to enable the person
cleaning the gun to use both hands for holding the cleaning rod, or if desired to
enable him to use a brace to revolve the cleaning rod; and for this purpose
construct a board or bench, furnished with straps buttons or similar appliances, so
as to secure the barrel upon the board, and so as to prevent it from being moved
during the cleaning.
The form of the apparatus will necessarily vary according to the form of the
barrel, and according to the position and shape of the lumps and projections
thereon.
One end of the board will be attached by a hinge or hinges, or by a hook and
eye, or by hooks and eyes, or similar appliances to a wall, or to another board, which
other board will be attached to a wall, and the other end of the board, (hereinafter
described as
"the near end"), will be supported by the back of a chair, or any
other convenient article of furniture, or by one, two, or three legs provided for
that purpose, or by a trestle. The hinges hooks eyes and other such appliances
may be so arranged that the board may, when not in use, be turned up or down or
sideways against the wall, or removed from the wall.
I prefer to secure a breech-loading sporting gun-barrel by sliding the lump or
lumps which is or are under the barrel near the breech into a slot cut in the near
end of the board, the barrel being thus placed on and along the board, and
projecting somewhat over the near end thereof, in such a position that it cannot be
moved forward, because the lump is in the slot and pressed against the board in a
direction towards the wall. The barrel may then be prevented from moving back-
ward out of the slot, by buckling together two straps provided for that purpose,
and fixed to the edges of the board, and which two straps when buckled together
pass round the near end of the board, and press against the lump or one of the
lumps of the barrel, pressing the barrel in a direction towards the wall. The
muzzle of the barrel may then be secured by another strap, attached to the board
or passing through holes in the board, and buckled round the barrel near the
muzzle. Another strap passing diagonally through or round the board, and also
round the back of the chair, or round some portion of the article used as support,
and buckled, holds the breech end of the barrel down, and also secures the board
to the chair or other support. This diagonal strap may, after passing round the
support, be again crossed over the board and barrel. Pads may be placed where
necessary to prevent injury to the gun, chair, or other support. Buttons, bars,
screws, or revolving inverted L shaped pieces, or other similar appliances, padded
or not as the case may require, may be substituted for the straps or some of them,
and slots and holes may be made in the board to receive any other lumps or
projections which may be under the barrel, and generally the slot slots, holes and
straps may be varied to suit the particular form of barrel they may be required to
secure, the general principle being maintained of holding the barrel firmly and
immovably down upon the hinged and supported board.
If preferred the whole gun (without the slot being used), be secured to the board
by the straps and appliances, or some of them, and cleaned, the stock in such case
being depressed and projecting beyond the end of the board.

page_text: If preferred the barrel may be secured to the board with the lumps upward, in
which case the slot will not be used but the diagonal strap will pass between the
lumps, or receive or engage one of the lumps or projections.
The board may be fixed in a horizontal or a slanting position (I prefer a slanting
position with the near end highest) and it may be constructed to secure on the
principle above indicated two or more guns or barrels at the same time.
A mirror, a piece of white porcelain, or a white card, may be fixed between the
muzzle of the barrel and the wall to reflect the light and enable the interior of
the barrel to be seen.
Dated this Fifteenth day of April 1891
WALTER M. BARTON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Bench for Fixing Guns for Cleaning.
IWALTER MAY BARTON of East Dercham in the County of Norfolk Solicitor
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide apparatus for fixing the barrel of a
sporting or other shoulder gun in a convenient position so as to enable the person
cleaning the gun to use both hands for holding the cleaning rod or to enable him
to use a brace to revolve the cleaning rod.
In order that my invention may be the better understood I have appended the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which
Figures 1 and 2 represent a wall block provided with a hook.
Figure 3 represents the bench provided with an eye at one end thereof and with
a slot cut at the other end thereof and with holes cut therein for the reception of
certain straps hereinafter mentioned and to receive any projecting parts of the
gun and having pads of felt or similar material marked A to protect the gun
from injury.
Figure 4 represents the same bench but with three straps attached of which
that marked B is the breech strap, C is the long strap and D the muzzle strap.
Figure 5 is a side view of the same bench.
It is intended that the wall block shall be attached to a wall or other fixed object
and that when required for use the bench shall be hooked on to the wall block and
shall be supported in a horizontal or slanting position by means of a chair or other
article of furniture or a trestle and that the gun-barrel shall be placed upon the
bench and the lump of the barrel pushed into the slot and the straps buckled as
shown in Figures 6 and 7 which represent two views of the barrels of a double
barrelled gun fixed upon the bench in a position for cleaning, the bench itself being
represented resting upon the back of a chair marked H. The gun is held down by
the long strap and the muzzle strap and is prevented from moving towards the wall
by the lump of the gun pressing into the slot, and is prevented from moving away
from the wall by the pressure of breech strap against the lump.
Figure 8 represents a wall block provided with two hooks and
Figure 9 the end of a bench with two eyes for use with Figure 8.
Figure 10 represents a folding leg for attachment to the bench if desired for
use instead of the chair or other support and the hinges thereof are marked E.
Figure 11 is a side view of the folding leg attached to the under side of the bench
by the hinges and
Figure 12 is another view of the same folding leg.
If a leg is used the wall block should have two hooks and the bench two eyes
and a strap like the muzzle strap should be substituted for the long strap.
If desired, pieces of wood of the shape shown in Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16,
revolving on screws may be used instead of straps.

page_text: Figure 17 represents a similar bench designed for fixing two barrels or two pair
of barrels at the same time and a small bridge is provided marked F beneath which
the straps pass.
Instead of the hook and eye for attachment of the bench to the wall block any
ordinary form of hinge may be used.
A mirror or piece of white porcelain or card may be fixed against the wall block
to reflect the light into the barrel.
I make no claim to the revolving pieces shown in Figures 13 to 16 inclusive save
in combination with the other parts of my bench.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
First. The means which I employ as hereinbefore described and identified in
Figures 1 to 12 inclusive and Figure 17 of the accompanying drawings whereby !
provide, for fixing gun barrels, a bench, which may, when in use, be maintained
in position by a wall and by a removable or by a hinged and folding support.
Secondly. The means which I employ as herein before described and identified
in Figures 4 to 7 inclusive and Figures 13 to 17 inclusive, of the said drawings
whereby I ensure that the gun barrels shall be firmly held upon the said bench in
a convenient position to enable the operator to use both hands for the cleaning rod
or to revolve the cleaning rod.
Dated this Eleventh day of January 1892.