AN IMPROVED FIRE-ARM
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
& Co Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED FIRE-ARM." Communicated to him from abroad by Count
Arthur Coronini, of Goerz, Austria
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd August 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,.
Southampton Buildings, London, "AN IMPROVED FIRE-ARM" [A communication
to him from abroad by Count Arthur Coronini, of Goerz, Austria,]
The object of the present Invention is to enable a sportsman or other person to
fire off a large number of bullets at a single shot, and with greater certainty of
hitting the game or other object at a distance of from two to four hundred yards,
than when using an ordinary fire-arm. The fire-arın constructed according to this
Invention is also adapted for use in warfare.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a number of rifled barrels
(say thirteen) each being about 550 millimetres in length and of 7 millimetres
bore; these barrels are fixed in a plate which is provided with two bolts. The
breech-block is hinged to the said barrel-plate and when it is shut against the same
the bolts pass through corresponding slots in the block, and by then turning the
pivotted heads of the bolts the breech block is held fast to the plate. The breech-
block is provided with thirteen firing pins the heads of which rest against a disc
which is held to the breech-block by means of a screw and spring-cap and is capable
of a slight movement to and from the breech block so as to enable the firing pins
to recede when their points touch the cartridges.
The butt of the arin is padded, the padding consisting of india-rubber tubes
packed in horse hair and covered outside with leather. These pads serve to reduce
the shock against the cheek and shoulder of the person firing the gun. The butt
is provided with an iron head and is held to the barrel plate by means of two tie-
bolts attached to the said head. The said tie-bolts are of the same construction as

page_text: the other bolts and are shaped so that when the butt is to be fastened to the barrels
the ends of the said tie-bolts are first passed through the slots of the plate and then
turned; their action being the same as that of the other bolts.
The striking mechanism consists of a volute spring and a rack the front end of
which impinges against the striker when the spring is released. The spring is
compressed by inserting a key through an opening and turning the said key, the
head of which being a pinion, gearing into the rack, draws the rack back until a
spring-catch connected with the trigger falls into a notch on the underside of the
rack. In order to prevent any accident which might occur from the trigger being
inadvertently touched, a safety bolt is employed.
In using the gun the bolts are turned so as to unfasten the connection between
the upper parts of the hinged breech-block and the barrel-plate, the cartridges are
then inserted in the barrels, and the plates thereupon again fastened together by
means of the bolts. The volute spring is then compressed by means of a pinion-
headed key engaging the rack, and the safety bolt is inserted. As soon as the gun
is to be discharged the safety bolt is withdrawn, and the discharge takes place as
usual by touching the trigger.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd February 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "AN IMPROVED FIRE ARM " A communication
to me from abroad by Count Arthur Coronini, of Goerz, Austria
The object of this invention is to enable a sportsman or other person to fire off a
large number of bullets simultaneously and with greater certainty of hitting game
or other objects, at a distance of from two to four hundred yards, than when using
an ordinary fire-arm. The fire-arm constructed according to this invention (and to
which I give the name of "Pantotoros") is also adapted for military purposes
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side view of a fire-arm constructed according to this invention, and
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the butt-end of the same
Figure 3 is a sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale, showing the position of
the mechanism before firing
Figure 4 is a similar view shewing the position of the parts of the mechanism
after firing
Figures 5 and 6 are detail views shewing the breech plates opened and closed
According to the said invention I provide a number of rifled barrels A, (thirteen
being shown in the drawing), each of which is about 550 millimetres in length and
7 millimetres bore. These barrels are are fixed in a plate B which is provided with
two bolts c, c, The breech-block C is hinged to the barrel-plate B, and, when shut
against the said plate, the bolts c, c pass through corresponding slots in the block C
(figure 5), by turning the pivotted heads of the bolts c, c as shown in Figure 6,
the breech block C is held fast to the plate B. The breech-block C is provided
with thirteen firing pins d, the heads of which rest against the disc e, which is held
to the breech-block by means of the screw and spring cap f, and is capable of a
slight movement to and from the said breech-block, so as to enable the firing pins
to recede when their points touch the cartridges, as shown in Figure 3
The butt D is padded at E E, the padding consisting of india-rubber tubes
packed in horse-hair and covered outside with leather. These pads serve to
reduce the shock against the cheek and shoulder of the person firing the gun.
The butt D is also provided with the iron head F and is held to the plate B by
means of two tie-bolts g, g attached to the said head. The said tie-bolts g, g are of
the same construction as the bolts c, c, and are so shaped that when the butt is to be
fastened to the barrels, the ends of the said tie-bolts are first passed through the
slots b, b, of the plate B and then turned, their action being the same as that of the
bolts cc the two positions of which are shown in Figures 5 and 6
The striking mechanism consists of the volute spring i and the firing bolt the
front end of which impinges against the striker k, when the spring i is released.
The spring is compressed by inserting a key through the opening p and turning
the said key, the head of which, being a pinion, gearing into the rack formed on
the end of the firing bolt Z, draws the bolt back until a spring-catch connected with
the trigger m falls into a notch on the underside of the said bolt as shown in
Figure 3 It is obvious that the compression of the volute spring i may be effected
by other well known means instead of using a rack and pinion. Thus the firing
bolt may be connected with a lever arranged beneath the butt similar to the lever
used for cocking the firing mechanism in "Winchester" or Henry" repeating
rifles, and in many other -known rifles. In order to prevent any accident which
"
1

page_text: might occur from the trigger being inadvertently touched a safety bolt h is employed
as shown in Figures 1 and 3
In using the gun the bolts cc are turned so as to unfasten the connection
between the upper parts of the hinged bicech-block C and the barrel-plate B, the
cartridges are then inserted in the barrels A, and the plates B and C are thereupon
The volute spring i is then
again fastened together by means of the bolts c, c.
compressed by drawing back the firing bolt 2 by means of the pinion-headed key
engaging in the rack or by other suitable means as aforesaid, and the safety bolt h
is inserted
When the gun is to be fired the safety bolt is withdrawn, and the said gun is
discharged by pulling the trigger m
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim
First. The general construction and arrangement of a many barrelled fire-arm
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. The combination of the barrel-plate B and the breech-block C with the
bolts c, c, substantially as described.
Third. The combination of the barrel-plate B and the head F with the bolts g,g.
substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination of the breech-block C with the disc e and the firing
pins d, substantially as described.
Fifth. The striking mechanism, consisting of the striker K, the firing bolt and
the volute spring i, in combination with the removable safety bolt h, substantially
as described.
Sixth. The butt D provided with pads E, E, substantially as, and for the purpose,
described.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this second day of February in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
1173
RORT LAKE (L.S.)