IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE- ARMS AND PROJECTILES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to (harles William Jones, of Cheltenham, in the County
of Gloucester, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-
ARMS AND PROJECTILES"
Sealed the 27th April 1866, and dated the 11th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles William Jones
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th November 1865.
I, CHARLES WILLIAM JONES, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND PROJECTILES," to be as follows, that is to
say:-
The first part of my Invention consists of certain improvements in rifles
and other arms adapted for long ranges, the object of which improvements
is to preserve through all the ranges, from the shortest to the longest, the
normal or natural and easy position which is taken up by the shooter at the
shortest range, and for this purpose the stock of the arın is twice cut, as
shewn in Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings, first longitudinally through the
upper part of the cheek-piece from the heel to its waist or grip, and again
Price 8d.1

page_text: transversely through an arc struck from the centre of a hinge herein-after
alluded to, commencing at the extreme end of the butt at the top, and con-
tinuing downwards to its under side. The butt of the stock being thus
severed into three parts, as shewn at (A, B, and C.) I attach (A) to (B)
at the waist or grip by means of a strong rule-jointed hinge having a shifting
flanged pin or bolt, so that the hinge may be disjointed at pleasure. To
the upper strap of this hinge at its extreme end I affix a ratchet blade with a
curve struck from the centre of the knuckle of the hinge, and corresponding
to that at the end of (B). I groove out the end of (B), so that this ratchet
blade may work up and down in it freely when the hinge is opened or shut.
I fit a ratchet with a spring and thumb-piece, so that upon opening or shutting
the hinge it may be set at the desired position, and disengaged by means of
the thumb-piece when required, and I plate the curved end of (B) with a
plate slotted to correspond with its groove. The triangular piece (C) is fitted
within a double heel plate ground to work smoothly upon the end of (B),
and I affix this heel plate so fitted to (A) at the top, and to the ratchet blade
at or near its lower end. The three parts (A, B, and C,) being thus united,
upon raising (A) at its heel, the whole heel of the stock will ascend, and may
be set by means of the ratchet acting upon its curved blade at any required
point, as shewn in dotted lines, and thus the stock may be more or less
straightened at pleasure; but although the stock may be now so straightened
as to admit of its being brought down upon the shoulder, the cheek-piece
will nevertheless have acquired an unnatural obliquity and be far too low at
its front to afford rest for the cheek, to correct which a moveable cheek-piece
(G) is bent over the stock and hinged upon the top of the heel plate, and this
cheek-piece may be worked by any suitable mechanism, such as, first, by
means of two cogged blades (H, I,) working upon a central toothed wheel (K),
hung in the strap or the upper half of the main hinge, which is slotted. One
of these blades (H) is formed on the end of a flat rod, the other end of which
is hinged to the top of the heel plate, and on the top of this rod the moveable
cheek-piece (G) is bent and affixed. This blade has a curve struck from the
centre of its hinge, and works up and down on the front of the wheel through
mortices cut in (A and B). The other blade (1) is affixed to the lower half
of the main hinge at the back of the central wheel (K), and has a curve
struck from its centre, and on it the central wheel works up and down; upon
the heel of the stock being raised by the hand the hinge is opened, and causes
the central wheel to roll up the lower fixed blade (I), and at the same time
to drive up the other blade (H) on which the cheek-piece (G) is fixed, and
hus it is raised or depressed in a corresponding ratio with the heel of the

page_text: stock, and thus the obliquity of the cheek piece is rectified, and a rest is
afforded to the cheek.
Secondly, as shewn in Figure 2, this cheek-piece may be worked by means
of a lever plate (1) hinged on the lower strap of the main hinge (which is
slotted) towards the heel, and passing obliquily through (A) to its upper
side, where it is again hinged to a bolt (m) working in a slotted, tube formed
on the end of a flat rod on which the cheek-piece is bent and affixed, and
which rod is hinged on the top of the heel plate. This lever is slotted, as at
(N), from the point, where it passes through the upper strap of the main
hinge when shut to the point where it passes through the same strap when
open and when the bolt is thrown back in its tube sufficiently to raise the
cheek-piece to a parallel position. A pin is passed through the edge of the
hinge strap and the slot in the lever plate (L), so that upon opening or
shutting the hinge the pin working in the slot of the lever raises it or
depresses it, and at the same time works the bolt backward and forward in
its tube, raises or depresses the cheek-piece in a corresponding ratio with the
heel of the stock, and thus the cheek-piece is always maintained in a parallel
position. By pressing the thumb-piece of the ratchet and the top of the heel
simultaneously the stock closes up and resumes its original or normal con-
figuration.
The part seen at (P) represents a short arm or lever connected to the
knuckle of the main hinge to receive an orthoptic or telescopic backsight.
Figure 3 shews an arrangement of parts by which a portion of the stock is
raised by means of levers (Q. Q,) worked by a toothed wheel (R) driven by
a worm upon a pin (S), and actuated by a thumb-piece (T), which when not
in use closes down into the heel of the stock.
The second part of my Invention consists of certain improvements in the
rifling of the barrels, and in the bullets to be used therewith, and this is
shewn in Figures 4 and 5; Figure 4 being a longitudinal, and Figure 5 a
transverse section of a barrel with the bullet in it. The improvement lies in
rifling the barrel and in forming the bullet ratchet rifled, but in the reverse
direction to that which has been before employed, by which form I reduce
the friction of the atmosphere to a minimum, whilst the rotary motion or spin
imparted by the velocity of its passage through the air is greatly increased.
Bullets of this form may also be employed with smooth-bore arms.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles William Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WILLIAM JONES, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles William Jones, Her special license that I, the said Charles
William Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles William Jones, 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 "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS AND PROJECTILES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles William Jones, 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, 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 Charles Willliam Jones, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
This Invention consists of certain improvements in rifles and other arms
of precision adapted for long ranges, and its object is, firstly, to preserve
through all the ranges, from the shortest to the longest, the normal or natural
and easy position which is taken up by the shooter at the shortest range;
and, secondly, to reduce the friction of the atmosphere upon the projectile to
a minimum, whilst the rotary motion or spin imparted by the velocity of its
passage through the air is greatly increased.
Referring to the annexed Drawings, which represent in (Figures 1,2,and 3)
part of the stock of a rifle, and that part only to which my improvements

page_text: have reference, the several Drawings (Figures 1 and 2) merely illustrating
various ways of effecting the same result, it will be seen that the butt of the
stock is twice cut; first, longitudinally through the upper part of the
cheek-piece from the heel to the waist or grip, and again transversely through
an arc struck from the centre of a hinge (herein-after alluded to), and
commencing at the extreme end of the butt at the top, and extending down-
wards to its under side. The butt of the stock being thus severed into three
parts, as shewn at (a, b, c,) I connect (a) to (b) at the waist or grip by means
of a strong hinge (d), having a shifting flanged pin or bolt, so that the hinge
may be disjointed at pleasure. To the upper strap of this hinge, which is
countersunk in the lower edge of the part (a), I affix, as seen in (Figure 1),
a ratchet blade (e) with a curve struck from the centre of the knuckle of
the hinge (d), and corresponding to the curved end of the part (b), the end
of this part (6) being grooved out to allow the ratchet blade (e) to work
freely up and down as the hinge (d) is opened or closed. I fit a ratchet pawl
(f), governed by a spring (f), and actuated by the thumb-piece (f¹¹), to
work into the ratchet blade (e), so that on separating the parts (a) and (b),
they may be maintained at any desired position, and disengaged when
required by the action of the pawl (f) upon the ratchet blade (e) through
the thumb-piece (f"). The curved end or heel of the part (6) is covered
with a metal plate slotted to correspond with the groove in the butt, as will
be seen on reference to the end view of (Figure 2), and the triangular part
(c) is fitted within a double heel plate ground on its internal face to work
smoothly on the end of the part (6). This heel plate so fitted is attached to
the part (a) at the top, and to the ratchet blade (e) at or near its lower end.
The three parts (a, b, c,) being thus united, it follows that by raising the
part (a) at its heel, the whole heel of the butt will be raised also, and may
be set in any desired position by means of the pawl (f) engaging in the
ratchet blade (e), as shewn in dotted lines, and thus the stock may be more
or less straightened at pleasure. But although this position of the stock may
admit of its being brought down upon the shoulder, the cheek-piece will have
acquired an undue obliquity and will be far too low at is front to afford rest
for the cheek, to correct which a moveable cheek-piece (g) is bent over the
upper part of the butt and hinged upon the top of the heel plate, and this
cheek-piece may be worked in various ways, such as by means of two toothed
blades (h) and (i) working upon a central toothed wheel (k) hung on the strap
of the upper half of the main hinge, which is slotted to receive it. The
blade (h) is formed on the end of a flat rod, whose other end is hinged to the
top of the heel plate, and on the top of which flat rod the moveable cheek-

page_text: piece (g) is bent and affixed. This blade is curved, and works up and down
on the front of the wheel (k) through mortices cut on the parts (a) and (b).
The other blade (i) is attached to the lower strap of the main hinge at the
back of the central wheel (; it has a curve struck from the centre of the
main hinge, and upon this blade the central wheel works up and down. The
heel of the stock being raised opens the main hinge, and causes the wheel (k)
to run up the fixed blade (i), and at the same time to drive up the other
blade (h), on which the cheek piece (g) is fixed, and thus the cheek piece is
raised or depressed in a ratio corresponding with the heel of the stock, and by
these means the obliquity of the cheek-piece is rectified and a rest afforded for
the cheek.
Another method of attaining the same result, namely, the elevation of the
cheek-piece, and one which I prefer to that last described, is illustrated in
(Figure 2), in which a lever plate (1) is pinned or hinged, as at (74), in the
lower strap of the main hinge (which is slotted to receive it) towards the heel,
and passing obliquely through the part (a) to its upper edge, where it is
again pinned to a bolt (m) working in a slotted tube (m³) formed on the end
of a flat rod (m), upon which the cheek-piece is bent and affixed. This
rod (m¹¹) is hinged to the top of the heel plate. The lever plate (1) is slotted,
as at (n), from the point where it passes through the upper strap of the main
hinge when shut to the point where it passes through the same strap when
open at the time when the bolt (m) is thrown back on its tube sufficiently to
raise the cheek-piece to a parallel position. A pin (n¹) is passed through
bearings on the edge of the hinge strap and through the slot in the lever
plate (7), so that upon opening or closing the parts (a, b,) the pin (¹),
working in the slot of the lever (1), raises or depresses it, simultaneously
working the bolt (m) to and fro in its tube (¹), and raising or depressing
the cheek-piece in a ratio corresponding to the motion of the of the heel of the
stock, and thus the cheek-piece is always maintained in a parallel position.
(Figure 2) shews also another mode of raising or lowering the heel of the
stock, and one which is in many respects preferable to that last described.
Instead of the ratchet blade in the heel of the butt, I employ a toothed
blade (e) fixed in similar manner to the ratchet blade in (Figure 1), but
actuated by a pin and worm (f) instead of a pawl, this pin being worked by
a milled thumb-piece (f). Thus constructed the stock presents a double
parallel action; first, by means of the hinge at the waist or grip and the
appliances designed for putting the parts in motion the heel of the butt is
raised; and, secondly, by means of the hinge on the top of the heel the
cheek-piece is raised, and by the employment of either of the contrivances

page_text: before described these two operations are caused to take place in unison, so
that by holding with one hand the lower part of the butt at the heel and
employing the thumb-piece to release the parts the entire heel gradually
ascends, and the butt is completely re-formed more or less straight in
configuration according to the length of range to be shot, enabling the
shooter under every variety of range to maintain the natural position of the
head. The short arm or lever (p), attached to the knuckle of the main
hinge (d), is for the purpose of receiving an orthoptic or telescopic backsight,
which may be fitted upon it in any convenient manner.
(Figure 3) shews an arrangement of mechanism by which a portion of the
upper part of the butt may be raised to form a cheek rest, for which purpose
the part (a) is cut out of the solid butt, but is connected to it by a rod (g),
a second rod (g) being pinned to a partly toothed wheel (?), which is actuated
by a worm upon the pin (s), motion being imparted by a thumb-piece (t)
jointed to shut down into the heel of the stock when not in use, as shewn in
the dotted lines, the part (x) has consequently a motion similar to that of the
parts of a parallel rule.
The second part of my Invention refers to an improvement in the rifling of
the barrels of fire-arms, and in the projectiles to be used with them, and is
illustrated in (Figures 4 and 5). This consists in rifling the barrels ratchet -
wise, but in the reverse direction to that which is usually employed, forming
the projectiles to correspond with the form of rifling, by which I reduce the
friction of the atmosphere upon the projectile to a minimum, whilst the
rotary motion or spin imparted by the velocity of its passage through the air
is greatly increased. Projectiles thus formed may also be advantageously
ased with smooth-bore barrels.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I do not confine myself to these exact
details, as I am aware they will admit of considerable variation without
departing from the principle of my Invention; but that which I claim is,―
Firstly, dividing the butt of the arm in such manner and so combining and
connecting the parts together by suitable mechanism that a double and
simultaneous motion of the parts of the butt is obtained at will; the one
action causing an extension of the heel, straightening the stock, and thus
allowing the butt to rest against the shoulder, the other motion extending a
cheek-piece to form an efficient rest for the cheek in the altered form of the
butt, in manner more fully described herein and illustrated in (Figures 1
and 2).
.
Secondly, I claim dividing the butt of the arm in such manner and so com.

page_text: bining and connecting the parts together by suitable mechanism that an
extended cheek-piece may be formed at will, as shewn in (Figure 3).
Thirdly, I claim the lever arm (p) designed to receive an orthoptic or
telescopic backsight.
And, lastly, I claim the improvement in the rifling of barrels ratchet-wise
but in the reverse direction to that which is commonly employed, together
with the improved form of rifled projectile adapted for these barrels or for
smooth bores, as herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Jones, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
CHARLES WILLIAM (L.s.) JONES.