AN IMPROVED. CONSTRUCTION OF GUN LOCK
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Coney, of Newhall Hill, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Gunmaker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED.
CONSTRUCTION OF GUN LOCK."
Sealed the 1st June 1855, and dated the 2nd March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Coney at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd March 1855.
I, JOHN CONEY, of Newhall Hill, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gunmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF GUN LOCK" to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction of gun and
pistol locks, and also by a simple means to prevent the premature discharge
of fire-armis.
In carrying out my Invention, I slot the lock plate to permit of the seer
pin passing through, and taking its bearing in the hammer, near its fulcrum
pin. The seer I likewise connect by means of a link to the main spring
without the intervention of a tumbler, as heretofore, and the retaining notches
for half cock and whole cock I form in the seer, which rests against the V
edge of a bearing pin projecting from the inner face of the lock plate. By

page_text: this arrangement I dispense with the use of the tumbler, the seer spring, (the
main spring acting as a substitute therefor,) and the bridle, which carries in
the common lock the fulcrum pins of the tumbler and seer. The trigger I so
arrange with respect to the seer (upon which it acts to discharge the piece),
that when the lock is at half cock the trigger will be out of reach of the
seer, and therefore, if accidentally pulled, will not act upon the lock. This
advantage I am enabled to obtain by reason of the scer, through its direct
connection with the hammer, being caused to travel with the hammer.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Coney in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
1st September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CONEY, of Newhall Hill, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gunmaker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Coney, Her special license that I, the said John Coney, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Coney, 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 "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
GUN LOCK," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Coney,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Coney, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thercon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction of gun and
pistol locks, and also at the same time to provide a simple means for prevent-
ing the premature discharge of fire-arms. In carrying out this Invention I
connect the seer within the hammer, so that they shall move together under
the action of the main spring. The seer I provide with retaining notches for
half cock and whole cock, which notches catch against the V edge of a
bearing pin projecting from the inner face of the lock plate, and thereby hold
the hammer at the required position. The trigger I so arrange with respect
to the seer (upon which it acts to discharge the piece), that when the lock is
at half cock the trigger will be out of reach of the seer, and therefore, if
accidentally pulled, will not act upon the lock. This advantage I am enabled
to obtain by reason of the seer, through its direct connection with the hammer,
being caused to travel with the hammer.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews my improved gun lock in
side elevation; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same, taken in the line
1, 2, of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the breech of a gun, shew-
ing more clearly the arrangement of the trigger with respect to the seer.
a, a, is the lock plate, in which a curved slot b is made to allow a pin c from
the seer & to pass through to the hammer e, and connect the seer and hammer
together at a point below the level of the fulcrum pin of the hammer. Jointed
to the seer is a link f, the upper end of which is connected with the main
spring 9. The point of connection of the link and seer is so arranged that
the pressure of the main spring will ensure the constant contact of the seer
with the V edged bearing pin h, and thus prevent the necessity for a separate
seer spring. The tail of the seer stands out at right angles (see the plan view,
Fig. 2,) to meet the upper end of the trigger i, which it will do when the
hammer is at full cock, as shewn by the red lines in Fig. 1. When, however,
the hammer stands at half cock, as represented by Fig. 3, the trigger if
pressed upwards will miss the tail of the seer and strike (if pressed upwards
sufficiently far) upon the wood of the gun stock. This will also be the case
when the hammer rests upon the nipple. In either instance the trigger will
be powerless; but on throwing back the hammer to full cock, the tail of the
seer will again come within the range of action of the trigger, and conse-
quently by touching the trigger the discharge of the piece may be effected.
Having thus set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Con-
struction of Gun Lock," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that, under the above in part recited Letters

page_text: Patent, I claim the arrangement of parts as above described, whereby I am
enabled to throw the trigger out of action when required, and thus prevent
the premature discharge of fire-arms by the accidental pulling of the trigger.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Coney, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
HENRY R. JARLAND,
79, William St., Birmingham. *
JOHN CONEY. (L.S.)