IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by
John James Byers, of Delta, County of Oneida, State of New York,
United States of America.
Sealed the 26th November 1873, and dated the 27th August 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 27th August 1872.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:--
U
This Invention relates to new and useful improvements in fire-arms, .
and consists, first, in the construction and arrangement of the lock
for the purpose of preventing accidents, the gun stock being recessed

page_text: and the lock protected or covered by a guard, the construction and
arrangement being as herein-after described.
The Invention consists mainly in setting the hammer in a recess of
the gun stock at back of a guard which is fastened to the gun stock,
so that accidental contact with the hammer will be thereby prevented.
The Invention also consists in the arrangement and form of the
nipple which is L shaped, and also in a new manner of combining
the trigger, hammer, and mainspring with each other, the trigger
serving as a catch for locking the hammer. The stock is recessed
at the side for the reception of the hammer, and a perforated guard
is secured over this recess to protect the hammer. The hammer can
be easily cocked as the opening through the guard allows it to be
conveniently reached; but it is entirely enclosed by the guard so that
it is not likely to come in contact with outside objects, which is the
cause at the present time of so many accidents, and being within the
recess of the stock, the hammer is also protected from above for a like
purpose. The nipple, in order to be reached by the hammer working
in the recess of the stock, is made angular or one part projecting
outward from the barrel and one part backward. The mainspring
bears against a tumbler that projects from a pivot of the hammer.
The trigger is held by its spring in contact with the notched portion
of the tumbler, and serves at once as a catch for holding the hammer
cocked and half cocked, and also as a trigger for releasing the hammer
for firing. The recess in the stock may extend entirely through if
desired, the lock being modified in form so as to correspond with the
recess.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th February 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, Í, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said. Alexander
Melville Clark, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," a communication to me from abroad by
John James Byers, of Delta, County of Oneida, State of New York,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Melville Clark, 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 accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention relates to new and useful improvements in fire-arms,
and consists in the construction and arrangement of the lock for the
purpose of preventing accidents, the gun stock being recessed and the
lock protected or covered by a guard, the construction and arrangement
being as herein-after described.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 represents a side view;
Figure 2 is a vertical cross section of Figure 1 taken on the line x, x;
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of Figure 1 taken on the line y, y;
Figure 4 is a modification of Figure 1, showing the recess cut through
the stock. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is the stock; B is the barrel; C is the hammer; D is the guard
over the lock.

page_text: This Invention consists mainly in setting the hammer in a recess E
of the gun stock and back of the guard D which is fastened to the gun
stock, so that accidental contact with the hammer will be thereby
prevented.
The Invention also consists in the arrangement and form of the
nipple which is L shaped, and also in a new manner of combining the
trigger, hammer, and mainspring with each other, the trigger serving
as a catch for locking the hammer. The stock is recessed at the side
for the reception of the hammer, and a perforated guard D is secured
over the recess to protect the hammer, as shown. The hammer can
be easily cocked as the opening through the guard allows it to be
conveniently reached, but it is entirely concealed by the guard, so that
it is not likely to come in contact with outside objects, which is the
cause at the present time of so many accidents, and being within the
recess of the stock, the hammer is also protected from above for a like
purpose. F is the mainspring whereby the hammer is forced against
the nipple G. This nipple, in order to be reached by the hammer
working in the recess of the stock, is made angular, or one part
projecting outward from the barrel and one part backward. The main-
spring F bears against a tumbler H that projects from a pivot of the
hammer. The trigger is held by its spring in contact with the notched
portion of the tumbler, and serves at once as a catch for holding the
hammer cocked and half cocked, and also as a trigger for releasing
the hammer for firing. The recess in the stock may extend entirely
through, as seen in Figure 4, if desired, and the lock may be modified,
as therein represented, so as to correspond with the recess.
By this Invention the hammer is so protected that accident cannot
take place, while the lock is greatly simplified.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as the
Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1st. The gun stock A provided with a recess in which the hammer
is concealed and protected, substantially as shown and described.

page_text: 3rdly. A gun lock, constructed and arranged substantially as de-
cribed.
4thly. The L shaped nipple, as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
JAS. O. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)