A WATERPROOF PAN AND HAMMER FOR GUN AND PISTOL LOCKS, AND ALSO A BREACH FOR GUN
Year: 1800

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOIN PROSSER, of Charing Cross, in the Parish of Saint Martin-in-the-
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Sword Cutler, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, in and by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Ninth day of December now last past the
date hereof, for Himself, his Heirs and successors, did give and grant
unto me, the said John. Prosser, His special licence; full power, and sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said John Prosser, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves,
or by my and their deputy and deputys, servants or agents, or such
others as I, the said John Prosser, my executors, administrators, or
assigns; should at any time agree witli, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "A WATERPROOF PAN
AND HAMMER FOR GUN AND PISTOL LOCKS, AND ALSO A BREACH FOR GUN

page_text: AND PISTOL BARRELS FOR THE PURPOSE OF A QUICKER AND MORE FORCIBLE
EXPLOSION OF GUNPOWDER;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso, obliging me, the said John Prosser, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within one calendar montli next and immediately
after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully, appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said John Prosser, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by the
Plan or Drawing in the margin of these Presents, and the following
description thereof, that is to say:
A, is the hammer, perforated with a large hole a little conical to
receive the cylinder B, round which A, moves forward and backward;
the end No. 1, of the hammer A, in the inner side has a circular groove
to receive the ward No. 2, which is on the screwed end of the cylinder
B; this ward is for the purpose of preventing the admission of any
water (which may fall between the hammer and the barrel of the gun
or pistol) into the joint. The heel No. 2; when the cock strikes the
hammer A, falls upon the hammer spring and prevents the hammer A,
going further round on the cylinder B, then is necessary to expose the
pan on the cylinder. B. At the bottom of the face of the hammer A,
is a hole, made exactly the shape and size of the pan in the cylinder-B.
which hole, when the haminer A, is turned round to its extent, adinits
the fire to fall into the pan on the cylinder B. Inside of the end No. 3,
of the hammer A, is a female screw.to receive the male screw C, into it,
which when screwed into the end-No. 3, of A, completely encloses the
end of the cylinder B. so as to prevent the admission of water: B, is
'the cylinder round which the hammer A, "acts; and which cylinder may
be made of iron; steel, or. metal, and is made, à little coñical; in this
'cylinder the pan and touch hole are made, at the end of which is a ñíale
screw No. 1; of a smaller diameter than, the cylinder; this screwed end
No. 1, passes through the hole of the end No.1, of the hammer A, and

page_text: screws into the female screw of the hole. No. 1, of the breach Dthis
screw goes quite into the chamber of the breach D, and a. large conical
hole is made in it, quite up to the touch hole in the pan; 'this: hole is
made so large as to admit with ease the powder that falls into the
chamber into it, and brings the bottom of the charge of powder close to
the prime in the pan. The shoulder or ward No. 2, on the end of the
cylinder B., when the cylinder B, is in the hammer A, works in the
circular groove which is in the inner side of the end No.. 1; of the hammer
A, for the purpose before described. One side of the cylinder B, is filed
away to the same shape as the hole in the face of the hanimer A, so-as
to give no impediment to the falling of the water off the face of the
hammer A, when it is turned round over the pan. The hammer A, is
prevented falling too near the cock by having a knob of iron on the
false breach of the barrel; the toe No. 4, of the hammer A, works upon
the usual kind of hammer springs and might be used either with a
roller or swevel spring. The breech D, is made of two parts, and are
screwed into each other, there being a male and female screw, each balf
being concaved into nearly equal parts, so as to form an oval chamber,
at the bottom of which the touch hole is placed, and at the top the
chamber is contracted so as to prevent the ramrod entering into the
chamber, by which means the powder is left all loose and free from
pressure, and consequently will more forcibly and with greater quickness
explode. On the side of the breech D, a small screw No. 2, is made
to screw into the screwed end of the cylinder B, to prevent its turning
round with the hammer A, when it is operating. The above waterproof
hammer and pan can be applied to any gun or pistol already made,
either separate from or in conjunction with the breech D. The section
E, is a true representation of the form of the chamber in the breech D,
when both parts are screwed together, and of the cylinder B, when
screwed into the hole No. 1, of breech D.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Prosser, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and one.
JN PROSSER. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Ninth day of January, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid John Prosser came before our
Lord the King, in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Ninth day of January, in the year above
written.