IMPROVE- MENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1862

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 the Society
Cordier and Company of Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 25th September 1862, and dated the 11th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Jolinson,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th April 1862.
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 the Society
Cordier and Company of Paris, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates more particularly to that class of fire-arms wherein
the distance between the sights is considerably longer than the length of the
barrel, and consists, firstly of certain improvements on the existing arms of
this description; and, secondly, of a novel construction and arrangement of
arms of the class referred to.
According to the first part of this Invention it is proposed to facilitate the
removal of the tumbler without necessitating the removal at the same time of
the woodwork of the stock; for this purpose two projecting studs are formed
on the tumbler or trigger frame, which fit into corresponding openings in the

page_text: central plate or tail of barrel, which passes longitudinally along the centre of
the stock. The tumbler frame or holder having been inserted into its proper
place from the under side of the stock, the two studs are pushed home in their
corresponding openings or recesses, and the whole is held in position by the
guide of the percussion rod. To remove the tumbler therefore, it is simply
necessary to unmount the mechanism of the percussion rod, and to slide the
frame in the reverse direction of the studs, when it is free to be removed
from the stock. It is also proposed to apply a bent spring below the bottom
of the elevation sight, both ends of the spring bearing upon the surface of the
central plate or tail of the barrel, whilst its middle or highest portion bears
against the lower edge of the elevation sight and holds it in its proper
elevated position. This arrangement of spring is equally applicable to
elevation sights for all descriptions of fire-arms.
According to the second part of this Invention it is proposed to dispense
entirely with the central plate or tail, which has heretofore been continued
along the centre of the stock in arms of this class, and to substitute
therefor two straps forming continuations of the breech, but lying one on
the upper and the other on the under sides of the stock, the two straps and
stock being secured firmly together by screws passing vertically through the
upper strap, stock, and under strap. It is further proposed to dispense with
the helical spring for actuating the percussion rod, and to accomplish the same
object by means of a cock actuated and placed in the ordinary manner, but
slightly modified in form, so that when released by the trigger its forward side
may strike the end of the percussion rod and drive it against the cap. When
the piece is cocked the percussion rod is free to be slid back without any
counteracting resistance or spring, and a fresh cap applied to the nipple.
The percussion rod in this arrangement is situate on one side of the stock in
lieu of beneath the same, the opposite side of the stock being fitted with a
samund
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 11th October 1862.
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,
Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth 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 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," a communication from abroad by the
Society Cordier and Company of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors or administrators, an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should particularly 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 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 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 Invention relates more particularly to that class of fire-
arms wherein the distance between the sights is considerably longer than the
length of the barrel, and consists, firstly, of certain improvements in the
existing arms of this description; and, secondly, of a novel construction and
arrangement of arms of the class referred to.
According to the first part of this Invention it is proposed to facilitate
the removal of the tumbler without necessitating the removal at the same
time of the woodwork of the stock; for this purpose two projecting studs
are formed on the tumbler or trigger frame, which fit into corresponding
openings in the central plate or tail of barrel which passes longitudinally
along the centre of the stock; the tumbler frame or holder having been
inserted into its proper place from the under side of the stock, the two studs
are pushed home in their corresponding openings or recesses, and the whole is

page_text: held in position by the guide of the percussion rod. To remove the tumbler,
therefore, it is simply necessary to unmount the mechanism of the percussion
rod and to slide the frame in the reverse direction of the studs, when it is free
to be removed from the stock. It is also proposed to apply a bent spring
below the bottom of the elevation sight, both ends of the spring bearing
upon the surface of the central plate or tail of the barrel, whilst its middle
or highest portion bears against the lower edge of the elevation sight and
holds it in its proper elevated position. This arrangement of spring is
equally applicable to elevation sights for all descriptions of fire-arms.
According to the second part of this Invention it is proposed to dispense
entirely with the central plates or tail, which has heretofore been continued
along the centre of the stock in arms of this class, and to substitute therefor-
two straps, forming continuations of the breech, but lying, one on the upper,
and the other on the under sides of the stock, the two straps and stock
being secured firmly together by screws passing vertically through the upper
strap, stock, and under strap. It is further proposed to dispense, with the
helical spring for actuating the percussion rod, and to accomplish the same
object by means of a cock actuated and placed in the ordinary manner, but
slightly modified in form, so that when released by the trigger its forward side
may strike the end of the percussion rod and drive it against the cap. When
the piece is cocked the percussion rod is free to be slid back without any
counteracting resistance or spring, and a fresh cap applied to the nipple.
The percussion rod in this arrangement is situate on one side of the stock in
lieu of beneath the same, the opposite side of the stock being fitted with a
ramrod.
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.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings represent an elevation, section, and
detail the improved construction of fire-arms, herein-before referred to. It
will be seen on referring to Figure 3 that two projecting studs or pins a, a,
are formed on the tumbler or trigger frame, which fit into cavities in the
central plate or tail A of the barrel, the tumbler B being firmly adjusted in its
place as soon as the guide of the percussion rod d has been placed in front
(see Figure 2). To remove the tumbler the mechanism of the percussion rod
is withdrawn, and the tumbler pushed back in the opposite direction to the

page_text: studs, which are thus withdrawn from their recesses. The elevation sight C
is mounted upon an axis c, and its lower portion bears against a bent spring D,
the two ends of which rest upon the central plates.
Figure 2 shews the central plate A, (the stock being cut away at that
part) and shows also the arrangement of the elevation sight.
V,
The third and most important part of this Invention consists of a radial
modification of the arrangements hitherto employed, and embraces a system
of arm in which both the central metal blade A and the spring for the per-
cussion rod are both dispensed with. In this modification the percussion is
effected by a tumbler X mounted in the usual manner, and as shown in
Figures 5 and 6, to release the cock Y, the lower part of which is curved in
such a manner as to push forward the percussion rod Z, so soon as this portion
comes in contact with the end of that rod, at whatever portion of the throw
of the cock such contact may occur. It may be here remembered that the
form of the cock is the same as that used in ordinary arms of precision. The
cock Y is at the side, so as to afford a rest when carrying the gun on the
arm. The percussion rod Z is placed on the side of the gun also, and is
partly inclined in the stock which is solid, and contained between the
straps T, which terminate the barrel u, and replaces the central inetal blade
or plate above referred to. Figures 5 and 7 show the positions of these
straps T which contain the stock, by embracing it on its upper and under
surfaces by the aid of screw pins passing downwards through the branches
and the straps, thus firmly securing the stock in its place, and leave the sides
of the stock perfectly free. On the right side of the stock are disposed the
percussion rod Z and the nipple, whilst to the opposite side are adapted the
ramrod P, as will be seen on referring to Figures 4 and 7. The cap is adjusted
on to the nipple S, by simply pushing back the rod Z, which being without a
spring slides with the slightest effort in its guide q, q. The rod should be
again pushed on to the cap in order to force it well out to the nipple, and keep
it in its place. When the arm is capped, the cock in firing strikes the near
end of the rod Z, and in its forward extremity is in contact with the cap; the
blow transmitted explodes the cap and fires the charge. The elevation sight
in this arm is of the same construction as in the one previously described, but
the spring is fixed to the upper strap, against which it is held by the screws,
as shewn in Figure 5.
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

page_text: and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the general construction and
arrangements of fire-arms, as herein-before described and illustrated by the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-two.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)