IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, AND IN BAYONET ATTACHMENTS THEREFOR."
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Garrett Tongue at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd February 1877. A communication
from abroad by Eben Townsend Starr, of the City, County, and State of New
York, United States of America.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS, AND IN BAYONET ATTACHMENTS
THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Eben Townsend Starr, of the
City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
"
These improvements in fire-arms relate in part to breech-loaders, and particularly
to that class of breech-loaders in which the breech-piece containing the hammer and
other parts of the lock within it is constructed and organized to obtain its move-
ment for opening and closing the chamber of the barrel upon a pin or pivot,
situated at or passing through the lower part of the said breech-piece, and through
the breech frame of the arm below the barrel, the said movement of the breech-piece
being effected by a lever, which works partly within and is attached to the breech-
piece, and which also operates a locking bolt or key for locking the breech-piece in
condition for firing, and for unlocking the breech-piece preparatory to opening it for
loading.
One improvement consists in the construction and combination of the hammer
and the aforesaid cocking and breech-locking lever, so that the said lever in the act
of unlocking the breech-piece preparatory to opening it is made to move the hammer
back just beyond the position in which the sere can fall into the half-cock notch, by
the pressure of a portion of the said lever which extends forward and upward in
front of the hammer above the center of motion thereof, the said pressure acting
either directly or through the medium of a small anti-friction roller attached to
the said lever or to the hammer.
Another improvement consists in the construction of that portion of the said
lever which extends upward and forward in front of the hammer as above mentioned,
and of the contiguous portion of the hammer with a tooth and notch, by which the
hammer after having been brought back to the position in which the sere may fall
into the half-cock notch, is locked in that position, not only during the whole move-
ment of opening the breech, but also during the act of closing the same, and not
liberated until after the breech has been closed, when its liberation permits the

page_text: hammer to be half-cocked by the sere entering the half-cock notch. The said tooth
and notch also serve the purpose of stopping the action of the breech-locking bolt
until after the breech has been properly closed.
Another improvement consists in so constructing the hammer and applying the
same in the breech-piece and in relation with the breech-frame of the fire-arm that
when the hammer is cocked the breech-piece is prevented from being opened far
enough to permit loading by the head or comb of the hammer coming against the
rear part of the breech frame, thereby preventing any accidental discharge that
might otherwise result from leaving the hammer at full-cock during the act of
loading.
Another improvement consists in the construction of the mainspring with an
eye in its bow for the reception of a pin which is fixed in the breech-piece or other
part of the fire-arm, and upon which the spring is suspended and kept in place
without a rigid attachment to the breech-piece 'or frame of the arm; and its action
is rendered more free and it is made to act with its full force upon the hammer, and
also upon the sere when the same spring is used as a sere spring. This improve-
ment is applicable to breech-loading fire-arms having the breech otherwise con-
structed and organized than as above specified, and also to muzzle loaders.
Another improvement which is applicable to various kinds of breech-loading fire-
arms, and to muzzle-loaders, also relates to the back sight, and consists in con-
structing such sight to straddle the breech frame or body of the gun, and to fit in
dovetail grooves formed therein, in which it slides up and down, so as to be adjustable
for various ranges. This sight may be made with an additional slide to provide for
its extension upward for very long ranges.
Another improvement which is applicable to both breech-loading and muzzle- 2
loading fire-arms consists in the construction of the forward band which attaches.
the forward part of the stock to the barrel with a cap to fit over the forward and
of the stock, and form what is called the "tip" thereof.
A further improvement consists in constructing or providing the band above
mentioned with a stud in front of the cap, to serve as part of the means of attaching 3
a bayonet.
A still further improvement in the band above mentioned consists in providing
in the said band a spring catch for locking the wiping rod or ram rod in place.
.
Another improvement consists in so constructing and applying the pin which
attaches the sling ring to the forward band that confines the barrel to the stock that 3
the said pin by passing through the said band and through a notch in the barrel.
secures the said band, the barrel, and the stock together.
Another improvement which relates to the bayonet attachment consists in a
peculiar kind of locking device for locking the bayonet to the gun. This locking
device is composed of an L shaped pin or spiral spring, and a stud attached to the 4
tip of the stock or to the barrel. The shank of this L shaped pin passes through a
projection or swell formed for the purpose on the socket or hilt of the bayonet, and
the spiral spring is applied to it within the said projection or swell for the purpose
of forcing the toe of the said pin into a notch or hole in the said stud to lock the
bayonet. By pressing on the head of the pin its toe is withdrawn from the notch' 4
and the bayonet is liberated.
Another improvement which has for its object to facilitate the stacking of muskets
or other arms, consists in constructing or providing on the elbow or offset of the
bayonet, a stud, which projects in a backward or downward direction from the blade,'
and which serves to enter the muzzle of the barrel of another gun or arm, or into a b
socket or ring provided on the barrel thereof. This improvement is applicable to
either sword bayonets or those of ordinary kinds.
Another improvement consists in constructing or providing a sword bayonet or
sword with a hollow or tubular hilt, which serves as a socket to slip over the end.
of the barrel of a gun, and thus attach the bayonet or sword thereto.
A further improvement-relates to wiping rods and ram rods of fire, arms; and
consists-in-providing the rod with.a. reversible tubular extension piece, which may
.

page_text: either be slipped over its head and screwed on like a cap without materially adding
to the length of the rod, or turned end for end and screwed on to the head of the
rod to make a considerable addition to, its length. This is of especial advantage
for breech-loading guns, in the stocks of which owing to the breech frame and
breech system being in the way it is difficult to sheath a rod of sufficient length
to reach the bottom of the barrel and leave its end projecting far enough to take
hold of.