IM- PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Newton, of the City of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Gun Maker, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS.”
Sealed the 10th September 1870, and dated the 10th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th March 1870.
I, THOMAS NEWTON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to muzzle and breech-loading guns, and consists
in improved apparatus for fastening and loosening the barrel or barrels
to and from the front part of the gun stock, and also in certain improve-
ments connected with the trigger guard.
For fastening and loosening the barrels I fit to a fixed piece of metal
or to the back of the breech block an arm having a slot capable of being

page_text: passed over a snug fixed to the barrel or barrels, there being in the
snug a notch or recess into which can be entered one end of a bolt
worked one way by a lever and the reverse way by a spring. The lever,
bolt, and arm are connected to the stock, and when the lever is moved
in one direction it shifts the bolt from the notch in the snug and releases
the stock from the barrels, and when moved in the reverse direction the
spring forces the bolt into the notch and locks both stock and barrels
together.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
said Thomas Newton in the Great Seal Patent
filed by the
Office on the 10th September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
NEWTON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Gun.
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third year of Her reign did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Newton, Her special license, that I, the said Thomas Newton,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, 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 Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition, amongst others, that
I, the said Thomas Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,

page_text: 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 Thomas Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to muzzle and breech-loading fire-arms, and
consists in improved apparatus for fastening and loosening the barrel or
barrels to and from the fore part of the gun stock, and also in certain
improvements connected with the trigger guard.
For fastening and loosening the barrel or barrels of breech-loading fire-
arms I fit to the back of the breech block an arm having a slot capable
of being passed over a snug fastened to the barrel or barrels, there being
in the snug a notch or recess into which can be entered one end of a
bolt worked one way by a lever and the reverse way by a spring. The
lever, bolt, and arm are connected to the fore part of the stock, and when
the barrel or barrels have to be connected to it the slot in the arm is put
on the snug and the parts pressed so as to cause the bottom of the snug
to press back the bolt to allow the slot to pass entirely over the snug,
and then the spring pushes the bolt forwards into the notch, and the
barrel or barrels are firmly fixed to the stock. When the barrel or
barrels have to be removed from the stock the lever is pulled down to
take the bolt from the notch in the snug, and then by separating the
snug and arm the barrel or barrels and stock are removed from each
other. For muzzle-loading fire-arms the slotted arm is welded to the
tongue of metal at the fore part of the gun stock, thereby making it
stationary instead of moveable; in all other respects the arm and parts
connected with it and the snug on the barrel or barrels are similar to
those of the breech-loaders.
My improvements connected with the trigger guard consist in making.
the back of the trigger guard elastic by means of a hinge and spring
for the purpose of preventing injury to the finger from the recoil of the
fire-arm when fired.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to
the figures and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in

page_text: which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of part of a double-barreled breech-
loading gun provided with my improved apparatus for fastening and
loosening the barrels and also the improvements connected with the
trigger guard; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the fore part of the stock
and the fastening and loosening apparatus; Figs. 3 and 4, top and
bottom views of the slotted arm, lever, bolt, and spring; and Figs. 5
and 6 are side and bottom views of the improved trigger guard.
In Fig. 1, a represents the back parts of the two barrels; b, the fore
end of the stock; c, the butt end of the same; d, the snug; and e, f, the
two triggers. The arm 9, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, is embedded in the fore
part of the stock, and has at the back a curved end h fitted to the metal i
at the butt end of the stock in the ordinary manner. The bolt is held
to the arm by means of slots 7 and screws m, there being at the ends of
the bolt rollers n, o, the roller o in contact with the spring p, and the
roller n in contact with the cam or eccentric end g of the lever » working
on a pin in a bracket 8, fixed to the arm g. In Figs. 1, 3, and 4, the
bolt end is in its forward position, and so maintained as long as required
by the spring p; but in Fig. 2 the bolt is in its backward position,
the cam part q of the lever pushing it back when the lever is moved
down, and it will be seen that when the bolt is in the notch of the snug
the barrel or barrels are held firmly to the fore part of the stock, but
when the bolt is pushed back the stock and barrel or barrels can be
easily separated. The front part t of the trigger guard, Figs. 1, 5, and 6,
is fixed in the usual manner, but the back part is hinged at the bottom
as at u, and its upper part has at each side a pin in contact with the
cam-shaped end of the spring w, and thus instead of being stationary the
back part is capable of yielding, as shewn in Figs. 5 and 6, to prevent
injury to the finger when firing, and it is evident that these improvements
can be applied as efficiently to muzzle-loading as to breech-loading
fire-arms.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that I claim,-
First. The improved system of removing the barrel or barrels of
fire-arms from their stocks.
And, secondly. The arrangement for making the back of the trigger
guard elastic by means of a hinge and spring to prevent injury to

page_text: the finger from the recoil of the gun when fired, as all such improve-
ments are herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Signed, scaled, and delivered by
the within-named Thomas Newton,
in the presence of
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
THOMAS NEWTON. (L.S.)