Improved Construction of Guns, Cannons, or other Arms, for Discharging which a Certain Sum is Charged.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Sept., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1888
Improved Construction of Guns, Cannons, or other Arms, for
Discharging which a Certain Sum is Charged.
I, WILLIAM REYNOLDS, Junior, of Coton, in the County of Cambridge, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct guns, cannons, and other arms, for
discharging which a certain sum is charged, so that such sum must first be paid
before the arm can be discharged.
For this purpose I provide an opening in the case of a part of the arm adjacent
to where the discharging mechanism is arranged, such opening being approximately
the same size as the coin of the value of the sum to be charged, and a yielding part
being arranged below the mouth of the opening, so that when the coin is forced in
it will displace such yielding part, and the motion thus obtained may by any suitable
means be transmitted to a locking bolt or part, so as to withdraw the same, when the
arm may be discharged. Or the coin in being inserted might itself be caused to act
on the discharging mechanism.
In both cases the locking mechanism will be brought automatically into position
to again lock the parts, either as soon as the arm is discharged, or by the action of
re-cocking the arm or bringing the parts back to position for a fresh discharge.
My invention may be applied to arms in which the projectile is acted upon either
by an explosive, or by springs, or by compressed air or other expansive agent.
As applied to a fire arm, such as a gun or pistol, a suitable arrangement consists
in causing
the coin to force back a pivotted lever which bears upon a spring actuated
bolt, the forward end of which when in the locked position is so situated as to be in
the path of the trigger, hammer, sear or other moving part of the gun lock, and so
prevent the discharge of the arm until such end is drawn back by the coin acting on
the pivotted lever as it is forced through the hole made in the stock or butt of the

page_text: arm. Instead of the locking bolt being forced back it may be pivotted towards the
centre, so that a rocking motion will be imparted thereto as the coin is inserted, and
so remove its end out of the path of the part it locks, in which case such bolt may be
directly acted upon by the coin if desired, and the locking bolt may also be arranged
so that it will act as the trigger.
The locking bolt may be arranged so that it will have a circular movement imparted
thereto, instead of a longitudinal or rocking movement, in order to remove it from
and return it to the locking position.
The stock of the gun or pistol will form a receptacle for the coins which can be
removed from time to time through a cover secured in position by a lock and key.
If desired more than one locking bolt or part may be provided, so that two or more
coins will have to be inserted through different openings before the arm can be
discharged, each coin acting to force back one of the bolts.
In the case of cannons, the insertion of the coin in the opening provided to receive
it, will in a similar manner act upon a locking bolt or part which prevents the
discharge of the arm until such bolt or part is removed from the path of the part on
which it acts, and which may be either a trigger, or a spring retaining device, or
other part, according to the means employed for discharging the projectile.
The arm may be loaded in any suitable manner, the method of loading forming no
part of my invention.
n
1000

page_text: Discharging which a Certain Sum is Charged.
I, WILLIAM REYNOLDS, Junior, of Coton, in the County of Cambridge, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of my invention is to construct guns, cannons, and other arms, for
discharging which a certain sum is charged, so that such sum must first be paid
before the arm can be discharged.
For this purpose I provide an opening in the case of a part of the arm adjacent to
where the discharging mechanism is arranged, such opening being approximately of
the same size as the coin of the value of the sum to be charged, and a yielding part
being arranged below the mouth of the opening, so that when the coin is forced in it
will displace such yielding part, and the motion thus obtained may by any suitable
means be transmitted to a locking bolt or part, so as to withdraw the same, when the
arm may be discharged. Or the coin in being inserted might itself be caused to act
on the discharging mechanism.
In both cases the locking mechanism will be brought automatically into position
to again lock the parts, either as soon as the arm is discharged, or by the action of
re-cocking the arm or bringing the parts back to position for a fresh discharge.
upon
My invention may be applied to arms in which the projectile is acted either
by an explosive, or by springs, or by compressed air or other expansive agent.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing illustrates a suitable method of applying my
invention to a fire-arm, such as a gun or pistol.
In this view it will be seen that the insertion of the coin A, through a slot in the
stock of the arm, forces back a pivotted lever B, which bears upon a pin C, secured
to the spring actuated bolt D, the forward end of which when in the locked position
is so situated as to be in the path of the trigger E, or of the hammer, sear, or other
moving part of the gun lock, and so prevents the discharge of the arm until such end
is drawn back, to the position shown in dotted lines, by the coin A acting upon the
pivotted lever B as it is forced through the hole made in the stock or butt F of the
arm.
When the bolt D is forced back by the coin A, a pivotted pawl G enters a
notch D in such bolt, and retains it in such position. The trigger E is then free to
be actuated and so discharge the arm in the usual manner. The movement of the
trigger in discharging the arm, brings the rear end of same into contact with pawl G
so as to lift it from notch D¹, thus permitting spring D³ to force the bolt forward
again, and when the trigger descends the end of such bolt will again lock the parts
until bolt D is again forced back by the insertion of another coin.
Instead of the locking bolt D being forced back by the coin A as it is inserted,
such bolt may be pivotted towards the centre, so that a rocking motion will be
imparted thereto as the coin is inserted, and so remove its end out of the path of the

page_text: part it locks, in which case such bolt may be directly acted upon by the coin if
desired, and the locking bolt might also be arranged so that it will act as the
trigger.
The locking bolt D may be arranged so that it will have a circular movement
imparted thereto, instead of a longitudinal or rocking movement, in order to remove
it from and return it to the locking position.
The stock of the gun or pistol will form a receptacle F₁ for the coins, which can
be removed from time to time through an opening F, which is provided with a cover
secured in position by a lock and key.
If desired more than one locking bolt or part may he provided, so that two or more
coins will have to be inserted through different openings before the arm can be
discharged, each coin acting to force back one of the bolts."
In the case of cannons, the insertion of the coin in the opening provided to receive
it, will in a similar manner act upon a locking bolt or part which prevents the discharge
of the arm until such bolt or part is removed from the path of the part on which it
acts.
Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawing illustrate my invention as applied to cannons,
Fig. 2, being a side elevation, Fig. 3, a sectional elevation, and Fig. 4 a plan view of
a suitable construction of mechanism for such purpose, while Fig. 5 is a plan view of
the cannon, showing the lever for cocking such mechanism, and also the slot for the
insertion of a coin for releasing same.
The cannon is fitted with a piston a, acted upon by a spring b, the rod x of which
has a slot a', through which pass pins c secured to side frames d, so that the piston can
move in relation to the frames, and will be guided by the pins c as it moves. A pawle
is pivotted centrally between the side frames d, below the line of travel of the piston
rod, one arm e¹ of such pawl being heavy enough to tend to keep the opposite arm
forced upwards in contact with the under side of the piston rod. The latter is provided
with a notch or recess a¹, with which the pawl e engages, when the backward travel of
the piston brings such notch over the pawl, and such pawl will thus retain the piston
rod in its rear position.
For the purpose of bringing the piston and its rod back to its rear position, a lever g
is pivotted to one of the. side frames d, its pivot h projecting through an opening in
the side of the cannon, so as to receive the lever. To this pivot links are secured,
their upper ends being connected to slotted bars j. The side frames d have slots d'
through which projects a pin k secured to the piston rod x, and engaging the slots j
in the bars j. It will thus be seen that by moving the lever upwards from its normal
position (shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5), the piston and its rod will be drawn backwards
through the links i, bars j, and pin k secured to the piston rod; Fig. 2 shows the lever
as partly turned, and its continued movement in the direction of the arrow, will com-
plete the backward movement of the piston, thus compressing spring b, and also
permitting pawl e to engage the notch in piston rod x. As soon as this has been
effected, but not before, the lever g can be returned to its normal position. For this
purpose the pivot / carries a wheel m provided with ratchet teeth for a distance equal
to the arc of the circle through which the full movement of lever will
g
cause it to
turn. A pawl n is pivotted to the frames d, and engages the teeth of such ratchet
wheel, while its arm n' (which is sufficiently heavy to tend to cause such pawl to engage
the teeth) rests in contact with the underside of the heavy arm el of pawl e
So long
as pawl e cannot engage notch ' in piston rod x, the weight of arm n' causes pawl n
to engage the teeth of wheel m, but when pawle does engage such notch ¹, the
weight of arm e¹ bearing upon arm n¹ of pawl n, will raise the latter and by dis-
engaging it from wheel m permit the lever g to be turned back.
The parts being in the position described the cannon is then ready to be discharged,
and for this purpose a trigger o is pivotted to the side frames d, and its lower end
caused to project through the bottom of the cannon. The trigger o is of inverted L
form, and its upper arm o¹ bears against the underside of arm el of pawl e. By means
of a chain or cord attached to the lower end of trigger o, the latter can be caused to
turn on its pivot, whereby its arm o¹ will raise arm e¹ of pawl e, and disengage such

page_text: pawl from notch ¹ of piston roda, so that the spring bacting upon piston a will force
same suddenly forward. The ball to be fired is inserted in the bore of the cannon in
front of the piston a, either through a small door p formed in the cannon, or through
the muzzle, and when the piston a is propelled forward by spring b, the ball will con-
sequently be ejected from the muzzle towards the target or other object at which the
cannon has been previously sighted or directed.
For the purpose of preventing the cannon being discharged before the necessary
payment has been made, a light rod q is mounted so that it can rock in suitable
bearings secured to one of the side frames d, such rod having at one end a horizontal
arm q at right angles thereto, to which a small plate q is secured. Near its opposite
end rod q is provided with a vertical arm », extending downwards and provided at its
lower end with an inwardly projecting pin r, which when in its normal position is
long enough to project over the arm e¹ of pawl e, and prevent the latter being raised
when trigger o is pulled, so that the cannon cannot then be discharged.
When the parts are in position in the cannon, the plate q is situated beneath a
slots formed in the cannon, and the action of inserting a coin through such slot, will
by acting upon plate q³
cause rod to turn in its bearings, and thus remove pin pl
away from over arm el of pawl e, so that the latter can then be actuated when the
trigger o is pulled. The upward movement of arm e¹ of pawl e, as the cannon is dis-
charged, brings it into contact with the pin r', and so further tilts rod for a sufficient
distance to ensure the coin rolling off of plate q³, and falling into a suitable receptacle
provided preferably within the cannon.
Upon the discharge of the cannon, the trigger o being released, the arm e¹ of pawl e
falls again, and rod q returning to its normal position, pin will again lock such pawl
until a fresh coin is inserted through slot s.
The cannon may be mounted upon a carriage on upon a platform as desired.
In the case of guns or cannons actuated by compressed air or other expansive agent,
the insertion of the coin will be employed to release the means employed for confining
such agent.
The arm may be loaded in any suitable manner, the method of loading forming no
part of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A rifle or small arm with a hollow stock having a slot communicating therewith,
large enough for the passage of a coin, which in being inserted through such slot
will act upon a part serving to lock the discharging mechanism of such arm, in such a
way as to release such mechanism.
2. The means for locking the discharging mechanism of a rifle or small arm, and of
enabling same to be released when a coin is inserted through a suitable slot in the
stock or butt of such arm, substantially as described and shown in Fig. 1 of the
drawings.
3. A cannon with a slot for the passage of a coin, which in being inserted through
such slot will act upon a part serving to lock the discharging mechanism, in such a
way as to release such mechanism.
4. The means for locking the discharging mechanism of a cannon, and of enabling
same to be released and the cannon to be discharged, when a coin is inserted through
a slot in the cannon, substantially as described and shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the
drawings.