CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PLAY ARMS, SUCH AS PLAY CANNONS, PISTOLS, AND GUNS
Year: 1853

page_text: Petition, on the 1st June 1853.
(Void by reason of notice to proceed not having been given within the
time prescribed by the Act.)
I, JACQUES LOUIS LEMAIRE-DAIME, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn (City), London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN PLAY ARMS, SUCH AS PLAY CANNONS, PISTOLS, AND GUNS," to be as
follows, viz. :-
Fig. 1, of the Drawings annexed is a front view.
Fig. 2, is a section.
Fig. 3, pieces detached.
A, handle of the pistol. B, piece representing the wood of the pistol,
5 to which the tube C, is fixed. C, tube of copper, forming the barrel of
the pistol its upper part is uncovered throughout its length, as shewn
in Fig. 1. D, plug. E, rod of iron or other metal. F, little cylinder,
with square hole, placed at the bottom of the tube C, and serving as a
stop to the piston G. G, piston, consisting of a capsule of copper j,
which is fixed to the rod E, by means of two washers of iron k, k, and

page_text: by a wooden washer 7, or of horn, or by any other method, as shown in
Fig. 3 the use of the washer 1, is to prevent the capsule j, from flat-
tening on itself, and also to prevent its being cut or worn by use. H,
cord which holds the plug D: it is fitted to the pistol, not by making it
turn.inf, but by fixing it to the piece B, by a little tulip ff; this
tulip is pierced with a longitudinal or vertical hole, which has one of its
extremities in the form of a cone, as in m, for placing the knot of
the cord there, which becomes lodged, fixed, and concealed.
The new toy of my Invention is based upon the clastic force of the
air, as ordinary pop-guns; it differs from these latter by the new
arrangements which I shall describe, and by the form which I give it.
The principal merits of this toy are its being of metal-zinc, for
instance, run into copper moulds, to have an elegant appearance, and
resting on three fundamental principles.
First, preventing the handle A, from turning in its action on the
piece D.
Second, limiting the course of the piston G, by means of a little
cylinder stop F.
Thirdly, by arranging the pistons in form of capsules reversed, so
that, notwithstanding use, they produce always the same effect at the s
time of the discharge.
The following are the advantages of these three principles :-
First, the rod E, in place of being round, as in the wooden pop-
guns, is square, so that it cannot turn in the tube; and that the different
parts of the instrument may always preserve the same position, the tube
C, not being able to be lengthened without being turned upon itself,
which could not take place with a round rod.
To prevent the handle from turning I can make the rod E, of
different forms, cither triangular or as that represented in section in
Fig. 3, or otherwise, fulfilling the same end; the principle being here a
to prevent the handle A, from turning, always preserving to the rod its
solidity in its action in the tube C, upon the plug D.
Second, I have given my pistons the form of a reversed capsule j.
When the rod E, to which it is fixed is drawn, it closes, diminishes in
diameter, and offers no resistance; but, however, when the plug D, 3

page_text: shuts the tube C, if the rod E, is pushed to make this plug go out,
the capsule enlarges, & consequently seals hermetically this tube, by
applying itself exactly against its sides, and never fails in its effect; it
produces even a discharge stronger than all other kinds of pistons
employed hitherto.
Another improvement which it is important to notice is the manner
in which I introduce the piston G, in the barrel C. Many systems are
applicable: the most simple one, but also the worst, was to have in the
piece B, a solid part a, a; to pierce in it a hole, either round or square,
according to the form of the rod, and after having fixed the piston G, to
the rod E, to introduce it into the tube C; then to screw it into the
piece A, in b.
The defect in this system is, that the metal of the piece A, being
softer than the iron rod, the bore easily wears out, and at the end of
some days it turns and becomes loose.
To obviate this inconvenience, it was necessary to find means to cause
the rod E, to be fixed to the handle A.
I have accomplished it by introducing into the interior of the handle
A, the iron rod E, previously tinned at the part C, in order that, by the
adherence of the iron, these two pieces form only one body; but then
the difficulty presents itself of introducing the piston G, into the tube C,
which ought to make a stop at d. I have succeeded in remedying this
difficulty, by casting separately a little cylinder F, with a square hole.
This is how I accomplish it :-
When the rod E, unites with the handle A, I cause the cylinder F, to
glide upon this rod; I fix to it the piston G, and I introduce the whole,
with the tube C, into the piece B, by the part e; then I solder the tube
C, to the piece B, in f; I take care to pierce it in the part g, to lodge
the part of the tube C, slightly widened in h. To conclude, I fix the
picce F, to B, by two little pins i.