AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING SAFETY GUN LOCK
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stanton, Gun Lock Manufacturer, of 18, Clifton
St., Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED SELF-ACTING SAFETY GUN LOCK."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Stanton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1867.
I, JOHN STANTON, Gun Lock Manufacturer, of No. 18, Clifton St.,
Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING SAFETY GUN LOCK," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object the throwing back the cock or hammer of
breech-loading gun locks, rifle, military or sporting gun locks, and pistol
locks for both single and double barrelled guns, rifles, and pistols by
a mechanical arrangement and self-action into the position of half-cock,
thereby saving one movement in firing, and is particularly applicable to the
needle rifle, as the needle is always free as soon as the rifle is fired. This I
accomplish by a modification of the mainspring, which I lengthen a little at
the stand side so as to reach and bear against the tumbler. I also lengthen
the lever of the tumbler so as to meet the lengthened end of the stand side of

page_text: the mainspring; by this arrangement I apply the mainspring to work both
ways. In order to make the cock and mainspring work with perfect ease I
place a roller at the end of the stand side of the mainspring; also I fix a
roller on the lever of the tumbler, either one or both being applied, and thus
by the pressure of the mainspring the cock is thrown back to half-cock by a
self-action instantly upon firing the gun.
Fig. 1, annexed Drawings, shows the military lock at half-cock, the cock
being repelled and placed at half-cock by the lengthened parts (a, b).
Fig. 2 shows the sporting lock at half-cock, the cock being repelled and
placed at half-cock by the lengthened parts as described heretofore (a, b).
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Stanton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
STANTON, of No. 13, Clifton St., Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Gun Lock Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Stanton, Her special licence that I, the said John Stanton, my ex-
ecutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Stanton, 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 berein 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 SELF-ACTING SAFETY
GUN LOCK," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Stanton,
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 John Stanton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention has for its object or purpose the throwing back the cock or
hammer of all kinds or descriptions of gun and pistol locks, including both
breech and muzzle loaders of either the single or double barrel, whether rifle
or otherwise, and is particularly applicable to needle guns, as the cock or
hammer is at all times free from bearing after percussion, which is desired,
also is a complete prevention of accident so incidental to all kinds of fire-arms
fitted with the ordinary locks, and my improved gun lock possesses the
advantage or saving of one movement in firing; this I accomplish in a simple
and efficient manner by a modification of the mainspring only, which I
lengthen a little at the stand or stood side so as to reach towards and bear
against the tumbler. By this arrangement I apply the mainspring to work
both ways at pleasure, the stand or stood side causing the cock or hammer to
recede to half-cock instantaneously after firing, and is thereby self-acting.
The lengthened end of the stand or stood side of the mainspring, and also the
lever or arm of the tumbler, may each or both, if desired, have a small roller
placed in one or both to assist the action.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe,
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents the military lock at half-cock, the cock being repelled
and placed at half-cock by the lengthened side or end of the mainspring
(a, b).
Figure 2 represents the sporting bar or detached gun or rifle lock at half-
cock (a, b).
Figure 3 represents the back action gun or rifle lock at half-cock (a, b).
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in each Figure of the
Drawings. a, b, indicate the improved part of my safety self-acting gun lock,
that is, the stand or stood side of the mainspring lengthened so as to bear
against the tumbler, which must produce the self-action required to cause the
hammer or cock to recede to half-cock as desired.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated in the accompany-
ing Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my Invention, but I claim as my Invention the improvements in all kinds
of gun, rifle, and pistol locks, both bar and back action, single or double
barrel, berein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,

page_text: that is to say, the stand or stood side of the mainspring is lengthened so as to
bear against the tumbler and cause the cock or hammer to recede to half-cock
instantaneously on firing, substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Stanton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
CHARLES PHILLIPS,
Tin Plate Worker,
Wolverhampton.
JOHN STANTON. (L.S.)
Gun Lock Manufacturer.