AN IMPROVED NEEDLE GUN
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Griffith Craig, of Youghal, in the County of
Cork, in Ireland, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED NEEDLE GUN."
Sealed the 5th February 1867, and dated the 11th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Griffith Craig
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th August 1866.
I, HENRY GRIFFITH CRAIG, of Youghal, in the County of Cork, in Ireland,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED NEEDLE
GUN," to be as follows:-
In this Specification I wish it to be understood that my Invention is not
confined to smooth bore guns, but is also perfectly applicable to rifles, by which
term I designate rifled guns.
By a needle gun I denote those smooth bore or rifled guns in which a
needle is caused to ignite any explosive powder or composition. The breech
may be the "common" breech, or may be made in any other known way so
long as the mechanism hereafter explained can be adapted. Part of the
butt end of the barrel is cut away so as to leave an aperture for the insertion
of the cartridge or to remove the old one, and the said aperture is closed by
the sliding cone hereafter explained. The exterior of the breech is turned

page_text: slightly taper, and to it is fitted a sliding hollow cone with a solid end; this
solid end of the cone and the breech are perforated with a small hole to
admit the passing of the needle into the explosive powder or composition in
the cartridge. The sliding hollow cone can be forced backwards by a lever
under the barrel of the gun, or by several other mechanical arrangements
similar to those employed in cocking an ordinary gun. Behind the sliding
cone is the needle which is continually urged forwards by a spring. When
the needle is forced back by the cone the spring is under tension or on "full-
cock," and on pulling the trigger the cone is forcibly urged forwards by the
spring and fits closely the tapered end of the breecb, thereby securing the
aperture for the insertion of the cartridge, while the needle enters the breech
at the small hole and explodes the powder or composition.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Griffith Craig in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
GRIFFITH CRAIG, of Youghal, in the County of Cork, in Ireland, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Griffith Craig, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Griffith Craig, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henry Griffith Craig, 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 "AN IMPROVED NEEDLE GUN," upon the. condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Griffith Craig, 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...

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Griffith Craig, 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:
In this Specification I wish it to be understood that my Invention is not
confined to smooth bore guns, but is also perfectly applicable to rifles, by which
term is designate rifled guns.
By a needle gun I denote those smooth bore or rifled guns in which a
needle is caused to ignite any explosive powder or composition. The breech
may be the "cominon" breech, or may be made in any other known way so
long as the mechanism hereafter explained can be adapted. Part of the butt
end of the barrel is cut away so as to leave an aperture for the insertion of
the cartridge or to remove the old one, and the said aperture is closed by the
sliding cone bereafter explained. The exterior of the breech is turned slightly
taper, and to it is fitted a sliding hollow cone with a solid end; this solid
end of the cone and the breech are perforated with a small hole to admit the
passing of the needle into the explosive powder.or composition in the cartridge.
The sliding hollow cone can be forced backwards by a lever under the barrel
of the gun or by several other mechanical arrangements. Behind the
sliding cone is the needle which is continually urged forwards by a spring.
When the needle is forced back by the cone the spring is under tension
or on "full-cock," and on pulling the trigger the cone is forcibly urged
forwards by a spring and fits closely the tapered end of the breech, thereby
securing the aperture for the insertion of the cartridge, while the needle
enters the breech at the small hole and explodes the powder or composition.
I have thus far explained the nature and object of my said Invention, I shall
now proceed to describe the same more particularly, together with those means
and appliances which I believe are best calculated for carrying the same
into practical effect. In order to do this as completely and accurately as
possible I have hereunto annexed Drawings representing in Figs. 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, and 6, various parts of the lock and tubular case of my improve.I
needle gun.
:
In each of the Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, A represents the butt end of the
barrel of the gun or rifle provided with a collar B, behind which may or may
not be placed a small elastic ring C; if B is properly faced to D, as seen in
Figs. 1 and 4, this elastic ring need not be used. As already stated and
herein shown the hinder end of the breech at E, Figs. 2, 3, and 4, is tapered
so as to fit closely and exactly the sliding hollow cone D; F is an aperture
for placing or removing the cartridge; it is completely closed when D is

page_text: forced up as shown in Figs. 1 and 4; a small spring, not shown in the
Drawings, may be so attached on the under side as to throw out the used
The end
cartridge and return to its place for the insertion of a fresh one.
of the barrel is closed by a plug at G, which together with D is pierced with
a small hole to allow the needle H, Figs. 5 and 6, to pass through. Referring
now more particularly to these two Figures, Fig. 5 represents the position
of the needle while the rifle or gun is being loaded or as may be said on half-
cock, and Fig. 6 represents the position of the various parts when the rifle
or gun has been loaded and the hollow cone D driven up into its position, as
shown in Fig. 1, or when the rifle or gun is on full-cock; I is a cylindrical
tube which contains the various working parts; in it is inserted the ram N
which is being constantly urged forwards by the spring O, one end of which
is secured to the tube I by the screw S, the other end to the extremity of the
ram at S¹. The ram N is retained in its place by the catch P; Q is the
trigger spring, and R is the lever or trigger, by pulling which the catches P
and M are withdrawn. Within the ram N is the needle plunger K, which is
in like manner to N always urged forwards by the spring L secured as shown
at T and T', and retained in its place by the catch M; the action is evident
for by pulling the trigger R the catch P is first withdrawn, releasing the
ram N which flies forward and jambs the hollow cone D against the collar B,
closing the hole F; the catch M is then withdrawn by the same movement,
and the needle plunger K flies forward, the needle H piercing the cone D
and plug G up to the fulminating powder in the centre of the charge, as is
usual. Having been discharged the ram N is forced back into the position
shown in Fig. 5 by means of a lever or other mechanical arrangements.
Such lever is not shown in the Drawing, but its action is generally understood;
it may be placed underneath the stock so as to be grasped by the hand in
the act of firing. I have here shown the hollow cone D as separate from the
ram N, but the end of the ram may be made coned and so constructed as one
piece with D.
I have now fully described the nature and object of my improved needle gun,
and also the manner in which I propose carrying the same into practical effect,
I would, however, mention that there are many modifications of the trigger
spring and the trigger itself which may be adopted without departing from the
principle of my Invention.
I have also not given any drawing or description of the lever whereby
the ram N is returned to its position in Fig. 5, as such lever is readily
understood, and as there are endless methods in which it can be made to
work.

page_text: What I claim as my Invention is, the construction of locks for needle guns
or rifles as above, together with the mechanical arrangements described,
illustrated, or referred to in this my Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Griffith Craig, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
HENRY GRIFFITH CRAIG. (L.S.)
Witness,
CHARLES S. BAKER,
General Patent Co. Limited,
71, Fleet Street,
London.