A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD OF FACILITATING AND INSURING THE DISCHARGE OF FIRE-ARMS AND ARTILLERY OF EVERY DESCRIPTION
Year: 1820

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
FRANCIS Fox the younger, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Doctor
in Physic, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the
Fifteenth day of January, in the sixtieth year of His reign, did give
and grant unto me, the said Francis Fox, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, His special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Francis Fox, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED METHOD
OF FACILITATING AND INSURING THE DISCHARGE OF FIRE-ARMS AND ARTILLERY
OF EVERY DESCRIPTION;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso obliging me, the said Francis Fox, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of

page_text: the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be inrolled in His 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 (relation
being thereunto had) may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that, in fulfilment of the said proviso, I, the said
Francis Fox, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in manner following, that is to say:
My improved method of facilitating and insuring the discharge of
fire-arms and artillery consists in the application of a certain part which
retains the priming used in discharging the piece, and which operates
in a great measure to securo- the priming from damp or moisture. I
make use of a piece of metal of a cylindrical or any other suitable form,
perforated in the centre with a small hole, which hole does not pass
quite through, but is intercepted by another small hole drilled sideways
into the said piece, forming an elbow passage; this piece is screwed or
otherwise firmly fixed into the. breech of the. piece in any required
position, and, at that part where the touch-holes are generally situated.
I denominate this piece of metal a priming tube, because it is adapted
to hold the priming materials in the following manner :-A small exca-
vation is made in the side of the said tube at the part where the elbow
passage commences, or, in other words, the entrance of the side opening
in the. tube before mentioned is somewhat enlarged, so as to form a
recess, which I shall call the pan, since it serves to contain the priming
material; the outside of this priming tube is formed to a cylinder or
any other desired or suitable figure, so as to be capable of allowing a
short pipe.or case made of varnished paper or any other suitable sub-
stance (which will admit of being perforated by a moderate pressure) to
be slided over it in such manner that the inner surface of the said pipe
or case may apply in close contact with the outside of the tube what-
ever may be its figure; but I should prefer a tube very nearly cylin-
drical or of an oval form to one that may have angles or corners, since
the cases made of paper or other substance would more easily adapt
themselves to its surface.

page_text: I will now explain the use and operation of the above-mentioned
pipes or cases, as it is in those pipes or cases that my improvement
consists. I make use of a fulminating or detonating substance or
powder (for the priming), which will explode and produce fire when
struck with a sudden blow, which substance is well known, being
already in use for discharging fire-arms by percussion; but as its com-
position forms no part of my Invention, it will not be requisite to enter
into a description of its preparation. After the barrel of the piece is
charged with gunpowder in the usual manner, a small portion of any
of the said detonating compositions is to be introduced into the pan or
recess formed in the side of the priming tube as before mentioned, after
which the pipe or case of paper or other substance above described is
to be slided over the prining tube, and there kept so as entirely to
cover the priming composition and effectually prevent its escape from.
the pan, and at the same time secure the priming in a degree from
injury by damp or moisture, by the external surface of the said pipe or
case being coated with varnish, so as to render it sufficiently impervious
to moisture. After the priming tube is covered with the pipe or case
in the above manner the piece may be discharged by pulling the
trigger; the cock of the lock in that case is thrown forwards by the
force of its spring, and being furnished with a piece of metal, which I
call a punch, that is adjusted so as to strike directly into the pan or
recess in the priming tube, which punch penetrates through the case,
and strikes with sufficient force upon the composition to discharge it.
the case of paper or other substance used not being sufficiently strong
to resist the stroke of the end of the punch without being perforated by
the same.
The mode I adopt in preparing the pipes or cases before
mentioned is as follows:-I take a piece of hot pressed writing paper
(which material I find to answer the intended purpose very well) of
several inches in length, and exceeding in width the circumference of
the priming tube, so as to allow of a sufficient overlap to make a
cement or paste joint. I prepare a flat piece of metal or other suitable
substance (resembling a flat netting mesh), and of such measurement
or circumference as. to correspond with the circumference of the
priming tube, or nearly so. This piece of metal, which I will call a mesh,

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page_text: e, e, is a small projecting ring or flanch, the object of which is to prevent
any water which might run off the barrel of the piece from passing
along the outside of the priming tube to the pan when the piece is in
the act of being loaded in rainy weather; d, the part which screws into
the breech of the gun.
It now remains to explain exactly how a gun constructed with my
Invention is to be used. The cock B, is allowed to come forwards
until the end of the punch c, bears flat against the bottom of the
pan p, and closes the end of the elbow passage, in which situation the
charge of gunpowder is to be introduced into the barrel of the piece,
and rammed down with a proper wadding; this last operation causes
a portion of the gunpowder to pass from the chamber at the bottom of
the barrel, and fill the same elbow passage in the priming tube, so that
the powder comes into contact with the end of the punch c (or nearly
so); this circumstance is occasioned by the air contained in the barrel
and chamber being forced through the elbow passage i, i, Figure 5,
carrying the gunpowder along with it, the air escaping through the
opening a, in the side of the priming tube, which opening is so minute
as not to permit the grains of gunpowder to pass through. The cock B,
is now to be drawn backwards to the half cock position, as represented
in Figure 1, and a sufficient quantity of the detonating powder or com-
position is to be deposited in the pan so as nearly to fill it up, after
which one of the small varnished paper cases is to be slided over the
priming tube so as to retain the priming effectually in its place, and at
the same time to cover the small air hole a, thereby preventing the
access of moisture to the same. In this state the piece is primed and
fit for use.
Now, I wish it to be observed that I confine my claim intirely
to the invention and application of the small cases or pipes of var-
nished paper or other suitable substance which admits of being pene-
trated or perforated by a moderate pressure as before described, which
cases or pipes are to be slided over the part formed to contain the
priming, so as to surround it in such a manner as to secure the
priming in its proper place and protect it from injury. All other
parts which are spoken of and introduced into this Specification are

page_text: intended only to explain the application of my new invented pipes or
cases.
In witness. whereof, I, the said Francis Fox, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the first
year of the reign of King George the Fourth, and in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty.