IMPROVE- IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
IN FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from abroad by Philippe
. Antoine Mathieu, Proprietor, and Jules Félix Gévelot, Manufacturer;
both of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 5th June 1868, and dated the 26th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th December 1862.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
Guns are useful at certain distances when hunting wild animals and in
warfare, while they are only useful at close quarters when furnished with a
bayonet. The greater the danger the less is the value of the weapon, which
is exactly the contrary of what should be the case. Mixed fire-arms are
intended to increase the means of attack and defence in proportion as the danger
increases. At the moment when it becomes necessary to use the bayonet the
gun occupies the two hands of the huntsman or soldier.
According to this Invention I place a second weapon at their disposal at

page_text: such a juncture without weakening the support of the gun with the left hand.
The arrangement, which is very simple, is represented in the accompanying
Drawing, which shows various methods of coupling a gun with a revolver.
Fig. 1 shows part of the barrel and stock of a gun, to which is fitted a
revolver, seen in longitudinal vertical section, with the front plate removed;
Fig. 2 shows another view, the second plate of the revolver (seen detached)
being removed; Fig. 3 shows a transverse section of a gun looking towards
the revolver; Fig. 4 shows a portion of the barrel and stock of a gun baving
a revolver applied thereto, seen in side view, one of the plates being removed,
the revolver being of different arrangement to that shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3;
Fig. 5 shows a transverse section of a gun. behind the revolver; Fig. 6 shows
details to be herein-after described; Fig. 7 shows the barrel and part of the
stock of a gun, to which is adapted a third arrangement of revolver; Fig. 8
shows details to be herein-after described. This third arrangement is a
modification of that represented at Figs. 1, 2, & 3. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
and 8, are drawn half the full size, while Fig. 7 is one-fifth of the full size.
METHOD OF FIXING THE REVOLVER TO THE GUN.
The revolver is attached to the upper and lower bands A, B, Figs. 1, 3, and 4,
and the under part of band A. has a dovetail a, and the two surfaces b, b', to
which is fitted the butt end of the revolver. The ordinary band carrying the
buckle and sling is modified as shown in Fig. 8.. It is furnished with two
ears c, c', to which are fitted two small buckles d, d¹, for carrying the end of
the sling, which is split for a length of about three inches, the space between
being occupied by a strong bar e, turning with buckles d, d', on pin f. The
bar e is terminated by a ring g of the same form as the barrel, either circular,
polygonal, or of other form; it is connected to bar e by a screw h, on which it
turns freely; when the revolver is not attached to the gun the bar e is folded
under the barrel, where it is held by a spring.
METHOD OF FIXING THE REVOLVER.
The gun being held in the left hand and the butt of the revolver in the
right, the end of the barrel is inserted in the ring g until the flange G is in
contact therewith; the end of the butt is then brought towards the gun and
engaged in dovetail a, the mortise being widened to facilitate its entrance;
the bottom is also adjusted so as to lock the butt between the ring g and the
dovetail, while the heel of bar e bears on band B and completes the
locking. There now only remains to maintain the revolver in position by
applying a flexible pin to prevent the dovetail leaving the groove.

page_text: METHOD OF USING THE REVOLVER.
Various methods have been employed for firing the revolver, three of which
I will proceed to describe.
First method. A lever j, Figs. 1 and 2, projecting from the back end of
the butt, may be easily moved by the fore or other finger of the left hand, or
even by the palm of the hand if it is made of sufficient length. The
extremity k of this lever may be folded back, and be entirely hidden, as shown
at Fig. 2; when the revolver is detached in this manner there will be no
fear of accident in pressing it by any cause. By acting on the end k of
lever j, the pawl is held in contact with tumbler m, by the pressure of
spring n; this pawl takes in tooth o, which it turns sufficiently to slip over it
by reason of their respective inclination continually increasing; the spring p
being then put in tension returns the tumbler to its original position. The
hammer on the exterior is fixed to the tumbler m by the square part q', and
so participates in all its movements; and when the hammer is cocked the
lever is released; it is retured to its original position by means of spring r.
It will be seen by referring to Fig. 2 that a double-armed lever of thin steel,
which is slightly flexible, is fixed to the axis of the tumbler; it will be readily
understood that in moving this levers the bar t is forced backwards, and the
breech chamber thus released may be raised by the arm u, which engages in
catches v, v¹, v²; on reaching a certain point of its course, to be herein-after
described, the levers escapes, and bar t being brought in contact with the
breech chamber by spring a, retains it in position by engaging in cavities
v, v, v, made in the back end of the breech chamber.
USE OF THE REVOLVER SEPARATE FROM THE GUN.
When the revolver is to be used separately the hammer acts without.
touching the lever j; at the moment the tooth 2 of the tumbler comes in
contact with a tooth ¹ on lever j, the bar t is held back, and the breech may
be turned freely by band, and the chambers may be charged successively
through an aperture made in the bottom of the breech chamber, or in other
suitable manner; by continuing to pull the hammer lever u turns the breech
chamber, bar t escapes, and catch in its turn takes in tooth. The pistol
being thus charged it is sufficient to slightly press the end w of lever j projecting
underneath, in order to release the hammer and discharge the pistol.
Second method. Figs. 4, 5, & 6 represent a revolver [requiring another
mode of action. On the band A there is mounted a movable bent lever, the
arm a of which is acted on by the thumb of the left hand, which transmits

page_text: movement through arm 6 to catch c, sliding in a groove made in the band.
This catch is pressed by spring d against tail piece of the hammer, when
the lever a is released the parts are returned to their original position by
spring f. The catch c acts on the hammer by means of part e, and raises it
thereby. The hammer in its movement acts on a bent lever g, the arm h of
which turns the breech chamber by means of catch i, which is maintained in
position by spring j. In the space k of lever 9 a pin engages for advancing
rod 7, in this manner the breech chamber being held between catch i and
rod cannot change its position. On arriving at a certain point of its course.
the catch c escapes, and the hammer is released and returns to its original
position by spring m without however acting on lever g, which is maintained in
position by means of spring n, which has a hook o at its end taking in a notch
in lever g, while at the moment when the hammer bears on the pin of the
cartridge or on the nipple, and the tooth p raises spring n, lever 9 is then
released and returns it its original position by means of spring q.
Third method. In Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown a rod a sliding in
guides b, b¹, and terminated by a hook c in front of or inside the trigger guard
of the gun. The other end d, which is bent at right angles, engages in a
ringe in the butt of the revolver. By acting with the fore-finger of the right
hand on the hook c, as on the tumbler of a. gun-lock, the ring e is pulled,
which transmits motion to a bent leverf carrying a catch 9. This catch
engages in a tooth h in the tumbler, and acts in a similar manner to the
catch in Fig. 1. The small spring i holds the catch g in contact with the
tumbler spring, returns lever f to its original position when released. The
large spring k serves for acting on the hammer to produce the discharge.
The remaining parts are the same as those above described with reference to
Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
The Invention thus consists,-
1st, in connecting a revolver or other pistol to a single or double barrelled
gun.
2ndly, in the arrangements herein described and represented for connecting
said fire-arms.
3rdly, the three different methods described for firing the revolver, and
which consists, 1st, by acting with the thumb of the left hand in the manner
described; 2ndly, by acting on the end of the lever mounted behind the
butt of the pistol; and, 3rdly, by means of a rod extending to the trigger
guard, as also all the improvements in the parts of these three last arrange-
ments.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said
William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no otliers, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," a com". to me from abroad, by
Philippe Antoine Mathieu, Proprietor, and Jules Felix Gévelot, Manufacturer,
both of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
Guns are useful at certain distances when hunting wild animals and in
warfare, while they are only useful at close quarters when furnished with a
bayonet. The more imminent the danger the less is the value of the weapon,
which is exactly the contrary of what should be the case. Mixed fire-arms
are intended to increase the means of attack and defence in proportion as the
danger increases. At a moment when it becomes necessary to use the
bayonet the gun occupies the two hands of the huntsman or soldier.

page_text: According to this Invention I place a second weapon at their disposal at
such a juncture without weakening the support of the gun with the left hand.
The arrangement, which is very simple, is represented in the accompanying
Drawing, which shows various methods of coupling a gun with a revolver.
Fig. 1 shows part of the barrel and stock of a gun, to which is fitted a
revolver seen in longitudinal vertical section, with the front plate removed;
Fig. 2 shows another view, the second plate of the revolver, seen detached,
being removed; Fig. 3 shows a transverse section of the gun looking towards
the revolver; Fig. 4 shows a portion of the barrel and stock of a gun, having
a revolver applied thereto, seen in side view, one of the plates being removed,
the revolver being of different arrangement to that shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3;
Fig. 5 shows a transverse section of the gun behind the revolver; Fig. 6
shows details to be herein-after described; Fig. 7 shows the barrel and part
of the stock of a gun, to which is adapted a third arrangement of revolver;
Fig. 8 shows details to be herein-after described. This third arrangement is
a modification of that represented at Figs. 1, 2, and 3; Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4,
S
and 0
Jon to half the full size while hie 7 is one-fifth the full

page_text: There now only remains to maintain the revolver in position by applying a
flexible pin to prevent the dovetail leaving the groove.
METHOD OF USING THE REVOLVER.
Various methods may be employed for firing the revolver, three of which I
will proceed to describe.
'First method.-A lever j, Figs. 1 and 2, projecting from the back end of
the butt may be easily moved by the fore or other finger of the left hand, or
even by the palm of the hand, if it is made of sufficient length. The
extremity k of this lever may be folded back and be entirely hidden, as shown
at Fig. 2; when the revolver is detached in this manner there will be no
fear of accident in pressing it from any cause. By acting on the end k of
lever j, the pawl is held in contact with tumbler m by the pressure of
spring n; this pawl takes in tooth o, which it turns sufficiently to slip over it
by reason of their respective inclinations continually increasing; the spring p
being then put in tension returns the tumbler to its original position. The
hammer on the exterior is fixed to the tumbler m by the square part 9³, and
so participates in all its movements; when the trigger is cocked the lever j
is released, and is returned to its original position by means of spring r. It
will be seen by referring to Fig. 2 that a double-armed lever of thin steel,
which is slightly flexible, is fixed to the axis of the tumbler, it will be readily
understood that in moving this lever s the bar t is forced backwards, and the
breech chamber being thus released may be raised by the arm u, which
engages in catches u, v, v¹¹; on reaching a certain point of its course, to be
herein-after described, the lever s escapes, and bar t being brought in contact
with the breech chamber by spring a, retains it in position by engaging in
cavities y, y, y, made in the back end of the breech chamber.
USE OF THE REVOLVER SEPARATE FROM THE GUN.
When the revolver is to be used separately the hammer acts without
touching lever; at this moment the tooth of the tumbler comes in contact
with a tooth on lever j, the bar t is held back, and the breech may be
turned freely by hand, and the chambers may be charged successively through
an aperture made in the bottom of the breech or in other suitable manner.
By continuing to pull the hammer, lever u turns the breech chamber, bar t
escapes, and catch 2" in its turn takes in tooth z¹. The pistol being thus
charged it is sufficient to slightly press the end w of lever j projecting
underneath, in order to release the hammer and discharge the pistol.
Second method.-Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent a revolver requiring another

page_text: mode of action.
On the band A there is mounted a movable bent lever, the
arm a of which is acted. on by the thumb of the left hand, which transmits
movement through arm 6 to catch c, sliding in a groove made on the band.
This catch is pressed by spring d against tail piece e of the bammer, when the
lever a is released the parts are returned to their original position by spring f.
The catch c acts on the haminer by means of part e, and raises it thereby.
The trigger in its movement acts on a bent lever g, the arm h of which turns
the breech. chamber by means of catch i, which is maintained in position by
spring. In the space k of lever 9 a pin engages for advancing rod Z; in this
manner the breech: chamber being held between catch i and rod l, cannot
change its position: On arriving at a certain point of its course the catch c
escapes, and the hammer is released and returns to its original position by
spring m, without however acting on lever g, which is maintained in position
by means of spring n, and terminated by a hook o at its end taking in a
notch in lever g, while at the moment when the hammer bears on the pin of
the cartridge, or on the nipple, and the tooth p raises spring n, lever g is
released, and returns to its original position by means of spring q.
Third method. In Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown a rod a sliding in guides
b, b', and terminated by a hook 'c in front of or inside the trigger guard of
the gun. The other end d, which is bent at right angles, engages in a
ring e in the butt of the revolver. By acting with the fore-finger of the right
hand on. the hook c, as on the tumbler of the gun lock, the ring is pulled
which transmits motion to a bent leverf carrying a catch g; this catch
engages in a tooth in the tumbler, and acts in a similar manner to the
catch, in Fig. 1. The small spring i holds the catch g in contact with the
tumbler, and spring; returns leverf to its original position when released.
The large spring k serves for acting on the hammer to produce the discharge.
The remaining parts are the same as those above described with reference to
Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, connecting a revolver or other pistol to a single or double barrelled
gun.
Secondly, the arrangements herein described and représented for connecting
said fire-arms.
Thirdly, the three different methods described for firing the revolver, and
which consist, 1st, by acting with the thumb of the left hand in the manner
described; 2ndly, by acting on the end of a lever mounted behind the butt

page_text: of the pistol; 3rdly, by means of a rod extending to the trigger guard; I also
claim the several improvements of the three last parts herein mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)