IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Prince, of No. 4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS."-A communication.
Sealed the 31st July 1855, and dated the 1st February 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Prince at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st February 1855.
I, ALEXANDER PRINCE, of No. 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," (a communication), to be as
follows:-
These improvements are designed for the purpose of facilitating the operation
of "capping" fire-arms, (i. e., the placing of the percussion caps upon the
nipples of guns by mechanism instead of by hand, as heretofore generally
practised.) I would remark that I am aware of many attempts having already
been made for effecting the operation of "capping" by mechanism. I do not,
therefore, lay any claim to such mode of "capping" except when the same is
effected in the following manner, and by the following mechanism, or otlier
mechanical equivalents, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in adapting certain mechanism to the lock of a gun,

page_text: and establishing a communication between such said mechanism and that part
of the stock of the gun which supports the breech end of the barrel, so as to
form a channel in such said part as a receptacle for percussion caps. And I
so arrange and connect the hammer of the gun with the mechanism employed
for placing the caps upon the nipple thereof as that the "cocking" of the gun
shall actuate such said mechanism, and effect the lifting of a piece of metal
containing one percussion cap, and place the same upon the nipple, and by the
time the hammer is full "cocked," the piece of metal which previously con-
tained the cap will have retired into its original position. The gun is now
ready to be discharged by pulling the trigger, which acts upon the hammer in
the usual way. The act of loading the gun will have the effect of shaking
another cap into the lifting piece, before mentioned, and thus at each discharge
of the gun the cap holder will receive a cap, and the "cocking" of the gun
will place the cap on the nipple, and this as quickly as the gun can be loaded
and fired, so long as the before-mentioned chamber in the fore part of the
stock contains caps.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Prince in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st August 1855.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
PRINCE, of No. 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross; in the County of Middle-
sex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alexander Prince, Her special licence that I, the said, Alexander
Prince, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Alexander Prince, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," (a communication), upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alexander Prince, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of

page_text: 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 Alexander Prince, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):-
-
These improvements in fire-arms are applicable only to percussion fire-arms,
and are designed for the purpose of facilitating and rendering self-acting the
operation of "capping" such fire-arms, that is to say, the placing of the per-
cussion caps upon the nipples of such fire-arms by mechanical means instead
of by hand, as heretofore generally practised. I would here remark that I am
aware of various arrangements of mechanism having been already designed for
effecting the said object of "capping" percussion fire-arms, but they have
hitherto been found to be too complicated, and liable to get out of order.
This Invention consists in adapting certain mechanism to the lock of a
percussion fire-arm, and establishing a communication between such said
mechanism and that part of the stock of the fire-arm which supports the
barrel, so as to form a channel in that part of the stock as a receptacle
for percussion caps, and the hammer is so arranged and connected to the
mechanism employed for placing the percussion caps upon the nipple thereof
as that the "cocking" of the fire-arm shall actuate such said mechanism, and
effect the lifting up of a piece of metal containing one percussion cap, and cause
it to place the same upon the nipple, and by the time that the hammer is full
"cocked," the piece of metal which previously contained the cap will have
retired into its original position out of the way of the hammer, leaving the
percussion cap upon the nipple. The fire-arm is now ready to be discharged
by pulling back the trigger, which acts upon the hammer in the usual way.
The act of loading the fire-arm will have the effect of shaking another per-
cussion cap into the lifting piece, before mentioned, and thus at each loading
of the piece the cap holder will receive a cap, and the "cocking" of the
.gun
will place the said cap upon the nipple, and this will take place as quickly as
the fire-arm can be loaded and fired, so long as the before-mentioned chamber
in the fore part of the stock contains any caps. The arrangement of mechanism
which I propose to employ for effecting the above object will be readily under-
stood upon referring to the Drawing hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof.
The Invention is shewn in the Drawing as applied to the lock of a double-
barrelled fowling piece, for the sake of illustration; but it will of course be

page_text: evident that the sanie arrangement of mechanism is equally applicable to
rifles, muskets; pistols, and other percussion fire-arms. The Drawing is made
full size, and has Figures and letters of reference marked thereon, corresponding
with those in the following description thereof:
!
*
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation of the lock and part of the stock and barrel
of an ordinary percussion fire-armi, with these improvements shewn as applied
thereto, the side plate of the lock being removed in order to shew the working
parts of the lock more clearly. The parts are heré shewn in a state of rest,
or as they would appear before "cocking" the gun. Figure 2 is a similar
view of the lock and "capping" apparatus, in the position the parts would
assume when the gun is at "half cock;" and Figure 3 is a similar view of the
saine just previously to its arriving at "full cock," the cap holder being in the
act of placing the cap upon the nipple before retiring out of the way of
the hammer.
I
a, a, represents part of the stock of the gun; and 6, b, part of the barrel;
c, c, is the lock plate; d, d. the hammer; and e, e; the nipple; f, f, is the
tumbler, fixed upon the square pin of the hammer, as usual; g, g, is the trigger
catch; h, h, the main spring; and i, i, are the triggers. The tumbler fis made
with a finger f*, which acts against the lower end of a link k, k, which is jointed
to the cap holder 1, *. The cap holder is made with a curved tail piece *, and
provided with a spring m, for the purposes hereafter mentioned. The link k
has a coiled spring n, n, connected thereto, the other end thereof being attached
to a pin o, fixed in the lock plate. The cap holder and its link work in a
guide piece p; p, fixed to or formed with the lock plate. The front of the guide
piece p is furnished with an opening 9, and the cap holder has a corresponding
recess (see Figure 3) capable of receiving one percussion cap. These openings
correspond with the end of the tube r, 1, (see Figure 1,) which passes from the
lock to the fore part of the stock, where it is closed by means of a small spring
lid or door s. The tube r, r, being filled with percussion caps in the proper
position (that is to say, with the closed end thereof towards the lock), the lid s
is to be closed; upon lowering the stock of the gun in the act of loading, one
percussion cap falls into the recess in the cap holder l. On bringing the
hammer to "half cock," (see Figure 2,) the finger fraises the cap holder I
and cap contained therein by means of the link k, the spring m closed the
opening in the guide piece p, and preventing another cap from falling out. As
the hammer is pulled further back towards "full cock," (see Figure 3,) the cap
holder is forced forwards and downwards, thus placing the cap upon the nipple;

page_text: at the instant of the hammer arriving at "full cock" (or immediately before),.
the point of the finger f* escapes from the lower end of the link 1, and allows
the coiled spring n to withdraw the cap holder into the position shewn in
Figure 1, leaving the cap upon the nipple, and the hammer at "full cock,"
ready to be discharged by pulling the trigger in the usual manner. As the
hammer falls, it brings the finger f* under the lower end of the link l, ready
to act again upon "cocking" the
gun.
Having thus described the nature and object of this said Invention of
Improvements in Fire-arms, together with the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark, in conclusion,
that I do not claim the exclusive right of "capping" percussion fire-arms by
mechanical means; but I claim, as the Invention of Improvements in Fire-arms
communicated to me, the arrangement of mechanism shewn in the annexed
Drawing, and herein before described (or any slight modification thereof), for
effecting the said object.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Prince, have hercunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
BENJ BROWNE,
Office for Patents, 4, Trafalgar Square,
Clerk to Alex Prince:
ALEXR PRINCE. (L.S.)