IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOSEPH ROCK COOPER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present, most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
by Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the. Tenth day of April, in the first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Joseph Rock Cooper, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Joseph Rock
Cooper, my. exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said.
Joseph Rock Cooper, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others; from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might, make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said
Joseph Rock Cooper, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the
said Joseph Rock Cooper, do hereby declare the nature of my Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had .to.the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
My Invention relates, first, to a mode of constructing the bodies and
locks of fowling picces, pistols, muskets, and such like fire-arms, with
inside and enclosed action. Secondly, my Invention relates to lining the
nipples with gold, silver, and other metal not so prejudicially acted on as
iron or steel, by discharging percussion powder, or by the discharging of
gunpowder; and also to coating the external surface of the nipples with
like metals, and also so much of the surface of the barrels or breaches
around the nipples as are liable to be prejudicially acted on by dis-
charging fire-arms, and also the inner surface of the hammer or cock,
excepting just that part which strikes the blow on the cap or patch,
and also to lining the breech or inner surface of the barrel where the
charge of gunpowder lies and is ignited; the object of applying silver,
gold, or other metal not so prejudicially acted on as iron or steel by
discharging fire-arms being to preserve those parts from the injurious
effects now so prejudicial. Thirdly, my Invention relates to an im-
proved safety catch or bolt applied to locks of fire-arms. Fourthly, my
Invention relates to the making of the stocks of guns and pistols (where
fore ends to the stocks are used) with wood butts or handles, German
silver or other metal bodies, and fore ends, by which all the advantages
now obtained by making the stocks wholly of metal may be obtained
with the additional advantage of having the butts or handles of wood.
Fifthly, my Invention relates to a mode of making guns with external
action, with the break off and trigger plate of one piece, such trigger
plate having the parts of the lock applied thereto.

page_text: Figure 1, represents part of a fowling piece, having the first part
of my Invention applied thereto. Figure 2, is a plan of Figure 1;
Figure 3, is a plan of the body of the piece shown separately; and
Figure 4, à section of Figure 3; the other Figures being separate
views of the parts composing the lock. In each of the Figures the
same letters indicate similar parts; a, being part of the wood stock; b,
is the body of the gun, which is secured to the wood stock by screws,
and by the wood partly entering into the body b, as will readily be
traced on examining tlie various Figures of the Drawing. The body b,
I prefer to be made of iron, or of German silver, or it may be made of
any suitable metal. By the arrangement here shewn, the breech c
forms part of the body of the gun, and the fore part d is to be affixed
to the body b, by being connected with the barrel and screwing on with
it, but it should be understood that what are called patent breeches
may be used; in such case the front plate of the body b will be made
suitable to receive the hutt of the breach, and the fore end d made
fast to the body of the gun by means of a screw passing through the
front plate of the body into a plate or nut formed in the fore end. The
arrangement shows the body b, consisting of one side, the front plate
and the trigger plate being in one piece, which offers much strength of
construction and simplicity of structure. e, is a sliding door which
moves in grooves on each side of the body b; or the door may, if preferred,
open on a hinge; but whichever plan be used there should be a suitable
spring catch or holder to retain the door e closed when shut. f, is
the nipple, which is screwed into the back of the breech, as is shewn
in the Drawing. 9, is the main spring, which is affixed by a screw to
the trigger plate; this spring is what may be called a single straight
spring, but the same may, if preferred, be a bent spring. h, is the
hammer by which the requisite blow is given to the percussion cap or
patch on the nipple. The shape and construction of this hammer
being clearly shown in the Drawing, it will readily be formed by a
workman. h', is the axis which enters the bearing or hole formed in

page_text: the moveable side i, of the body 6; and h, is the axis of the hammer,
which, passing through the other side of the body b of the fire-arm,
receives the cock or instrument j, by which the cocking action is
obtained, as will readily be understood on examining the Drawing. "h",
is a cover to the works of the lock, through which the hammer h passes,
there being an opening for that purpose, but allowing the least possible
space between the hammer and the side of the opening, in order to
prevent the passage of smoke amongst the parts of the lock. The
moveable plate i, or side of the body, is attached to the other part of the
body b, by the projection entering into a suitable recess in the. front
plate of the body, and by means of screws at 1, 2, or it may be fixed
by screws only. k, is the trigger, having its axis in the trigger plate of
the body of the fire-arm as is shewn in the Drawing, and it will be seen
that the seer or catch is formed on the trigger. I, is a small spring
affixed to the trigger plate, by which the catch of the trigger is con-
stantly borne up towards the under part of the tumbler and hammer,
in order to be in a position to hold the hammer at half or full cock as
required. The Drawing shews the mode of connecting the action of
the main spring with the hammer. m, is what I call the safety catch or
léver; it moves on an axis at n, and has a spring which constantly
presses it up towards the lower part of the cock, where there is a notch
formed, which resting on the catch m, the catch m will at all times
prevent the hammer going down till the trigger is pulled, for it will be
seen that the catch m rests against the end of the trigger, and con-
sequently when the trigger is pulled (but only at full cock) it forces
back the catch m out of the way of the notch formed on the cock, and
allows of the hammer going down by the force of its spring to discharge
the piece. And I would remark that if a further notch be formed on the-
cock to correspond with that formed on the lower part of the hammer, the
bolt or catch m would act as a second seer or catch, and in the event
of any derangement of the seer on the trigger, or of the catches of, the
hammer, or by employing the catch m, with suitable 'notches formed
on the cock, the seer and catches on the trigger and hammer may be
dispensed with, and the catch mi act as the only seer, which is a sim-
plification of the lock, which will allow of considerable strength of

page_text: structure, but is. not so safe as that above explained. The Drawing,
represents a single barrel. gun, but the Invention is evidently equally:
applicable to double barrel guns. Eigures 5 and 6, shew: a piston with
a secret trigger and suitable arrangement of internal or.inclosed action.
of lock applied thereto, as will readily be understood. by examining:
those Figures; and it shows the door which opens (to allow of the dis-:
charged cap being removed, and a fresh one put on the nipple,) as
moving on a hinge in place of sliding, as is the case with the gun above:
described; the object of these Figures being to. show that a secret
trigger may be employed with the enclosed action. And.further. it may
be stated, that if desired the secret trigger, may be used to locks of.
guns such as is shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. In coating the inner:
and outer surfaces with gold, silver, or other suitable metal; where the
discharging of detonating powder of the prime and the gunpowder of
the charge would prejudicially act on iron or steel, in lining a
nipple with gold, silver, platina, 'or other suitable metal, I prefer to
make a small tube of the metal to be used, and open the inner sur-
face of the nipple to allow of receiving it, and then by means of hard:
soldering I securely affix the tube in the nipple; and' in lining the
breech or inner surface of the barrel, or of the hanımer, or the hollow:
in the barrel, into which the nipple is secured, I sink a portion of
thin metal (silver, gold, platina, or other suitable metal,) into the
figure of the surface, and by the process of hard soldering. I affix the
same; and in covering the external surface of a nipple, I bend round a
small skeet of the metal over the nipple, and affix the same thereto by.
hard solder. The process of such hard soldering being well understood,
needs not be described. But I would remark that although I prefer such
means of fixing by hard solder, I do not confine myself thereto, as the
lining and coating with metal's not prejudicially acted on may be per-
formed in other ways, but, I believe, not with such facility and advantage
as with hard solder. In carrying out the fourth part.of my Invention.
I construct the body; and fore end of a gun or pistol of German
silver or other other suitable metal, and insert a wood stock or handle,
by which not only greater lightness than when all parts of the stock
are made of metal; but at the same time the great strength and

page_text: elegance of metal may be obtained to those parts (the body and fore
end) which are the parts most requiring those properties. I will now
describe the fifth part of my Invention. Figure 7, represents the side
view of part of a fowling piece; the lock and body is similarly made to
that shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, excepting that the nipple is
affixed on the outside, and the cock and hammer is on the outside
of the gun. The break off and trigger plate are in one piece, and
constitute the body containing the lock movements; and the internal
parts of the lock are the same as those shewn in Figures 1, and 2,
excepting as above explained that the hammers, in place of being as
shown in Figures 1, and 2, are in this case on cocks on the outside of
the lock.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would remark that I do not claim any of the
parts separately, nor do I claim any of the combined parts which may
have been similarly combined before; and I am aware that the touch-
holes and vents of fire-arms have been before lined with gold, silver,
and other metals not prejudicially acted on by discharging percussion
and other powder; I do not therefore claim the same. But what I
claim is,
First, the mode of combining the various parts of the lock and body
of fowling pieces, guns, pistols, or such like fire-arms, with internal
action of the lock, as herein described.
Secondly, the lining and coating nipples and the other surfaces
herein-before mentioned with gold, silver, platina, or other metal not so:
prejudicially acted on as iron or steel.
Thirdly, the mode of applying the catch m, as herein described.
Fourthly, the mode of constructing guns or pistols with fore ends of
metal with wood handles or butts, as herein described.
And fifthly, I claim the mode of forming the break off, body, and s
lock with outside action, as explained at Figure 7.
:
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Rock Cooper, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of October, One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
JOSEPH ROCK (L.S.) COOPER.
35

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Ninth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1838, the aforesaid Joseph Rock Cooper
came before our said Lady the Queen, in Her Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Specifi-
cation aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute
made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.