AN IMPROVEMENT UPON THE LOCK FOR GUNS AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1822

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I
SAMSON DAVIS, of Upper East Smithfield, in the County of Middlesex,
Gun Lock Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twelfth day of February now last past, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samson Davis, His especial licence that I, the said Samson Davis,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Samson Davis, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to. time and at all times
thereafter during the term of years therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
UPON THE LOCK FOR GUNS AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS," which enables the
same lock to be used upon the percussion principle, or with gunpowder,
without changing the cock or hammer; in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso obliging me, the said Samson Davis, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and

page_text: ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunte had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Samson Davis, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described
and ascertained as follows, that is to say:
My said improvement consists in forming and constructing the pan
and nipple of the lock so as to be used in discharging guns and other
fire arms either with common gunpowder as a flint and steel lock, or
with a chemical preparation of powder which ignites by an act of
percussion from the cock coming in contact with the nipple attached to
the pan, thereby enabling the same lock to be used on the Hint and
steel or the percussion principle; in either of which cases it is a
complete lock without any addition or diminution, the different opera-
tions being effected by a mere change in the position of the pan and
nipple. A drawing of the lock is hereunto annexed, and is explained
as follows:-The part marked A, (Fig. 2,) is a cylinder on which
the pan and nipple devolve; B. (Figs. 1, & 3,) is the nipple, having a
hole at the top, which communicates to the touch liole in the barrel,
and is kept in its proper position by a fly screw C, (Figs. 1, and 3). A
cavity under the jaw of the cock marked D, (Fig. 1) falling on the top
of the nipple, which is primed with the percussion powder, ignites the
body of powder in the barrel through the channel of the nipple, which
communicates to the touch hole, and causes it immediately to explode.
E, (Fig. 1) is a screw which secures the pan and nipple on the
cylinder the fly screw C, (Figs. 1, and 3.) being turned backwards
enables tlie pan to move on the cylinder, and as the nipple rolls down
the cavity in the pan marked F, (Figs. 1, and 3,) takes its position
exactly opposite to the touch hole in the barrel, and by turning up the
fly screw C; to its place, forms a complete lock upon the flint and steel
principle, without adding to or taking from it any part whatever.

page_text: Fig. 4, represents the back view of the pan and nipple, shewing the
hole that communicates through the nipple to the touch hole in the
barrel, as explained by B, and F, (Figs. 1, & 3).
And I hereby declare that I do not claim the Invention of either of
the principles of percussion or flint and steel if taken separately, but
that my Invention consists in combining a pan and nipple together that
will devolve upon a cylinder, which enables the same lock to be used on
either principle, and forms a complete lock upon both without any
addition or diminution whatever.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samson Davis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, in the year of our
Tal One thousand sit b