IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."-A communication from Alem Rousseau,
residing at No. 48, Rue Croix des Petits Champs, Paris.
Sealed the 21st January 1862, and dated the 7th August 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 7th August 1861.
I, MARC ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent
Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DESCRIPTIONS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
These improvements mainly relate to the percussion mechanism of fire-arms
constructed on the principle of the well-known breech-loaders of Lefaucheux,
in which the barrel is hinged to the stock towards the trigger guard, and is
turned over for charging by the action of a key or lever piece mounted
beneath.
At the breech orifice of the arms to which the present improvements are
applied, and in perpendicular line with the sight, are pierced two circular
apertures, one above and the other below the barrel. The first of these

page_text: apertures receives a small metallic rod, and the second the piston adapted to
the cartridge. The metallic rod (the length of which is exactly equal to the
thickness of the iron forming the upper part of the breech) indicates the
presence of the cartridge in the barrel, while the piston receives from below
the stroke of the percussion spring. Below the barrel, and at about half an
inch from the orifice of the breech, is adapted an upright bar, hollowed out
towards the stock, and serving as receptacle to the trigger spring. At a short
distance beyond the lower extremity of this bar, towards the muzzle, is formed
a notch corresponding with the key-piece, by which the barrel is secured in
position. The trigger spring is provided with a small tooth or projecting stop
catching on the upper extremity of the percussion spring, which, with the
trigger, is fitted to the iron settings of the barrel. The lower extremity of
this percussion spring being constantly lodged in the grooves of the trigger,
gives way to the movement of the latter when the arm is cocked, and repels it
when uncocked, so that two distinct positions of the mechanism are obtained
as required. In discharging, the trigger, being pulled back, sets free the
percussion spring, the hammer face of which, striking upwards on the piston,
ignites the contents of the cartridge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Marc Antoine François Mennons in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st February 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 39,
Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, Her special licence that I, the
said Marc Antoine François Mennons, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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

page_text: CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," a communication from
Alem Rousseau, a person resident at No. 48, Rue Croix-des-Petits-Champs,
Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Marc Antoine
François Mennons, 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 Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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 accompanying Drawing, and
to the letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
These improvements mainly relate to the percussion mechanism of fire-arms
constructed on the principle of the well-known breech-loaders of Lefaucheux,.
in which the barrel is hinged to the stock towards the trigger guard, and is
turned over for charging by the action of a key or lever piece mounted
beneath.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents a portion of a single-
barrelled fowling-piece comprising these improvements. At the breech orifice
of this arm, and in perpendicular line with the sight, are pierced two circular
apertures, one above and the other below the barrel. The first of these
apertures receives a small metallic rod, and the second the piston a, adapted
to the cartridge. The metallic rod, the length of which is exactly equal to
the thickness of the iron forming the upper part of the breech, indicates the
presence of the cartridge in the barrel, while the piston receives from below
the stroke of the percussion spring. Below the barrel, and at about half an
inch from the orifice of the breech, is adapted an upright bar A, hollowed out
towards the stock, and serving as receptacle to the trigger spring B. At a
short distance beyond the lower extremity of this bar, towards the muzzle, is
formed a notch E, corresponding with the key-piece F, by which the barrel is
secured in position. The edge of this notch, which is held by the iron
mounting when the barrel is turned over, checks the upward movement of the
breech at the distance required for the introduction of the cartridge. The
trigger spring B is provided with a small tooth or projecting stop b, catching in
the upper extremity of the percussion spring C, which, with the trigger D, is
fixed to the iron settings of the barrel. The lower extremity of this percussion
spring, being constantly lodged in the groove of the trigger, gives way to the

page_text: movement of the latter when the arm is cocked, and repels it when uncocked,
so that two distinct positions of the mechanism are obtained as required. In
discharging, the trigger, being pulled back, sets free the percussion spring, the
hammer face of which, striking upwards on the piston, ignites the explosive
contents of the cartridge. Figure 2 represents the arm with the mechanism
closed up.
Having now described the nature of the said improvements, and the
manner of carrying them into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein
laid down, as these may be modified without deviating from the principle of
the Invention; but what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is,
the substitution to the ordinary lock mechanism with external- hammer,- in
Lefaucheux and similar breech-loading fire-arms, of a percussion spring
enclosed in the stock settings, and so combined with the trigger as to ignite by
an upward stroke the fulminating priming of the cartridge, substantially as
above described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
M. F. MENNONS. (L.S.)