Improvements in Means for Registering the Number of Shots Fired with Fire-arms of all kinds.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct.. 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
1
Improvements in Means for Registering the Number of Shots Fired
with Fire-arms of all kinds.
"
I PHILIP THOMAS GODSAL of Willowbrook, Eton, in the County of
Buckingham, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The chief object of this invention is to provide means for registering the
number of shots fired, on any particular occasion, from sporting gun, but the
invention is also applicable to military rifles, carbines, and "pistols, saloon rifles,
and pistols, and also to ordnance. For small arms, the apparatus may be attached
to the firo-arm, or worn on the wrist or arm of the person using the small arm.
The invention consists in an arrangement of mechanism which is preferably
operated by the recoil, when the gun is fired, so that the action is automatic,
but I may also, if desired, employ mechanical means for the purposes of my
invention.
In carrying out my invention, I form a recess in the butt, into which I insert a
device, which may consist of a weighted lever or arm connected to a toothed:
wheel on the same pivot, which drives a train of wheels connected' with a dial or
pointer, something after the manner of a pedometer.
The lever is kept in its normal position by a spring placed on the barrel side of
the lever, and which is strong enough to resist any ordinary.shock.
TU!
The operation of the device will be as follows:-When the arm is fired, the
recoil will throw the arm suddenly backwards. The inertia of the weight on the
lever will cause the lever momentarily to overcome the power of the spring, and
produce, as it were, a forward movement of the weight with respect to the
movement of the firearm.
When the spring, so to speak, regains its power, the lever or arm is brought
back to its normal position, and the tooth wheel connected therewith is partially
rotated, the motion being conveyed through the gearing to the dial or pointer.
If it is desired to register the shots from each barrel of a double-barrelled gun,
I may use a registering device with each barrel, one of which will act automatically,
to register all the shots of both barrels, while the other will be connected with
the trigger of, say, the second barrel, or some other moving part, and register
mechanically, the difference between the two numbers showing the slots fired by
the first barrel.
נ..
101 1

page_text: Improvements in Means for Registering the Number of Shots Fired
with Fire-arms of all kinds.
I PHILIP THOMAS GODSAL of Willowbrook, Eton, in the County of Buckingham,
Gentleman, 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 :-
This invention has reference to mechanism by means of which a record of the
number of cartridges discharged from a gun, or other similar weapon, may be
obtained.
In carrying out my invention, I make use of the recoil of the weapon to operate
automatically the recording mechanism.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shown the stock of a double-barrelled gun
provided with mechanism for recording the shots fired from both barrels.
Two indicators are shown; the indicator A records every time the gun is
discharged. The indicator B is normally locked, and is unlocked and allowed to
record only when the left-band barrel is fired.
The construction of both indicators is the same, except as regards the locking
device of indicator B just referred to, which will be presently explained.
The counting device or indicator shewn, consists of two wheels C and D, divided
radially, and marked with figures. C is the larger wheel, which serves to count the
units up to one hundred. This wheel C is carried on an arbor c, which turns in
bearings in the plate F and bridge piece f. The periphery of the wheel C is
provided with ratchet teeth, to the number of units indicated by the wheel. The
second wheel D is smaller than the first, and is journalled near it, between thre
bridge piece and the bracket f. Upon the periphery of this wheel D are spur
teeth, into which engages the spur e' upon the arbor c of the wheel C, once in every
revolution of the latter.
The wheel D is divided and figured to indicate hundreds,-
-an advance of one
tooth serving to indicate one hundred. The wheel C is rotated one tooth at a time
by the recoil of the gun, in the following manner :-
4 is a pawl engaging with the ratchet teeth of the wheel C, and pirotted to the
tail of the weighted lever H, itself pivotted at h. A light spring h¹ keeps the pawl
in engagement with the ratchet teeth; a second spring holds the weighted end
of the lever H normally in contact with a stop 1. are spring retaining pawls
to prevent backward rotation of the counting wheels. When the gun is fired, the
recoil tends to throw the weighted end of the lever: H away from the stop I,
thereby drawing the pawl g back one tooth. The spring h³, momentarily overcome
by the effects of the recoil, quickly returns the lever H. to its former position,
thereby driving the pawl y forward, so as to advance the wheel one tooth.
After a hundred shots (according to the figures which I have selected for
illustration), the wheel C has made one revolution, and has, by means of the spur c',
rotated the wheel D one tooth, to indicate a hundred shots. The mechanism shown
is arranged to record 5000 shots without re-setting. The pawl g, or any fixed
point, may be used as a pointer.
It has been above stated that the indicator A records all the shots fired, whereas
B records only those fired from the left barrel. The indicator B is prevented from
acting, except when required, by means of the pivotted lever K, which engages at
one end with the lever H, and holds it against movement until tipped by the trigger
of the left barrel in the manner clearly shown in the drawing.
To ascertain the record of the right barrel alone, it will only be necessary to
subtract the reading of indicator B, from the reading of A, which records every
shot fired from both barrels.

page_text: Only in a few instances will it be necessary to provide a double indicator, as the
record of the total number of shots fired, or cartridges expended, will generally be
sufficient.
By preference, the indicator is embedded in the stock of the gun, and covered by
a suitable cover; it may, however, sometimes be used separately, attached to the
arm or wrist of the shooter.
It will be seen that my invention is applicable not only to sporting guns, but also
to rifles and other firearms, and also to ordnance, the springs and other parts of the
mechanism being proportioned to the strength of the recoil in each case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Automatically recording the number of shots discharged from a gun, or other
firearm, in the manner described, by means of a recoil-actuated lever operating
upon, and working the indicating mechanism, in the manner set forth
2. In a double-barrelled gun provided with two indicators, the employment of a
locking device for one, as described, for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 16th day of October 1895
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.