IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GUN AND PISTOL LOCKS AND PRIMERS FOR THE DISCHARGE OF FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM WESTLEY RICHARDS, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
by Her Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Fourteenth day of December, in the
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Westley Richards, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Wil-
liam Westley Richards, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said William Westley Richards, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time and at all times during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GUN AND PISTOL
LOCKS AND PRIMERS FOR THE DISCHARGE OF FIRE-ARMS," in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William
Westley Richards, by-an-instrument-in-writing- under my hand.and
seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Inven-

page_text: tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the
same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear:
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I the
said William Westley Richards, do hereby declare that the nature of
my said Invention, and the manner,in, which the same is to be per-
formed, are particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing description thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My improvements in the construction of gun and pistol locks and
primers for the discharge of fire-arms consist,-Firstly, in an improved
form given to the main spring, whereby without the employment of a
swivel for connecting the end of the main spring to the tumbler I am
enabled to do away with the eye or hooked end of the spring, and
thereby afford a greater length and elastic action than has heretofore
been found practicable in the construction of the locks of muskets and
other fire-arms; and secondly, in enclosing the priming or detonating
composition by which the gunpowder is to be ignited in a small water-
proof. frame or case of pasteboard, milled board, papier maché, or
other suitable material, which can with the greatest facility be slidden
or pressed into, or otherwise attached to a suitable holder contiguous
to the touch hole of the gun, pistol, or other fire arms. In the accom
panying Drawing, Fig. 1, represents the internal construction of my
improved gun lock suited for a musket, the cock being brought down
as after firing; Fig. 2, represents the same when at full cock. a, a, is
the lock plate, the lower edge of which is formed more nearly in a
straight line than usual; b, b, is the main spring, the end of which has
'n boss or knob c, acting upon the hollow part of the tumbler d, and
the other end of the spring bears against a solid block or ledge 6. The
bridle piece f, which receives the axle of the cock y, and holds the seear
h, I.secure to the lock plate by the two screws i, i, as. shewn. The
striking plug k, of the cock is made hollow, and has perforations
through its sides, for the purpose of letting out the smoke after the

page_text: ignition of the charge, and which assists in keeping the touch hole
clean, and prevents the plug being injured by the repeated explosions.
Fig. 3, represents the external appearance of a fowling piece, having
my improved holder and touchhole adapted thereto. Fig. 4, is a top
or horizontal view of the same; 4 is the breach through which the
touchhole passes, and m, is the holder to receive one of my improved
primers, which holder may be made part of the touchhole piece, or
detached therefrom if preferred. Fig. 5, represent the touchhole piece
and priming holder separate from the gun; Fig. 6, the top view of the
same; Fig. 7, is a vertical section taken through the holder and touch-
hole. This piece is screwed into the breach 7, as shown at m, in
Figures 3, and 4. The form in which I propose to make my improved
primers is shewn at Figures 8, 9, and 10. A piece of milled board,
papier maché, or other light suitable material is cut out to the slightly
wedge form shewn, about an inch long, and the sixteenth of an inch in
thickness. The middle of this piece is perforated, which perforation or
hole is to receive the percussion priming matter. The frame or case
of the primer should be made firm, which may be done by rolling or
pressing the millboard or other material. Fig. 8, represents the flat
side of the case; Fig. 9, its edge view. One side of the case is to be
first covered with tin foil, or other thin waterproof material, stuck on
with shell lac or other adhesive matter not liable to be affected by water.
Into the recess in the case the detonating priming composition is then
to be introduced, and the other side of the case covered with tin foil,
or other suitable thin waterproof material, as before, which will inclose
the priming and keep it secure and dry, as at Fig. 10, or the priming
may be made secure in the recess without a covering. In priming the
piece one of these cases so charged is to be slidden sideways into the
holder m, as at Figure 11, the folding lips being dovetailed to retain
the priming case more securely. The plug of the cock then descending
with great force upon the central part of the primer will explode the
detonating composition, the fire from which descending through the
touchhole will thereby discharge the fowling piece or other fire arms
to which it is so applied. Fig. 12, is another form of case for holding
the detonating composition. which is to be made and prepared in the

page_text: same way as before described in reference to Figures 8, 9, and-10.
This form of primer is to be inserted into the holder over the touchhole
in the way shewn in two views at Fig. 13. Lastly, I desire it to be
understood that, as respects my improvements in gun and pistol locks,
I claim merely the construction of the main spring divested of the
hooked or bent end, the extremity of which spring works upon the
tumbler without a connecting link or swivell. And as respects the
primer, I claim the manufacture of primers for guns, &c. by the inser-
tion of the priming or detonating composition in a recess within a thin
case of millboard, papier maché, or other suitable light material, so
formed as to admit of its being securely attached to the touchhole of
the piece, by sliding laterally or by pressing it into a suitable clip
holder placed contiguous to the touchhole, thereby obviating the neces-
sity of employing a spring or cover for keeping the primer securely in
its position.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Westley Richards, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two
W. WESTLEY (L.B.) RICHARDS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Thirteenth day of
June, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Westley
Richards came before our Lady the Queen, in Her 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.
Invalled the autoouth dow of