IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS, FIRE-ARMS, AND IMPLEMENTS - OF WAR CONNECTED THERE WITH
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sir John Scott Lillie, Companion of, the Most,
Honorable Order of the Bath, of Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex,;
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS, FIRE-ARMS, AND IMPLEMENTS
-
OF WAR CONNECTED THERE WITH."
!
Sealed the 20th June 1856, and dated the 31st December 1855:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION left by the said John Scott Lillie at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
December 1855.
は
I, SIR JOHN SCOTT LILLIE, Companion of the Most Honorable Order of the
Bath, of Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature,
of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS, FIRE-ARMS, AND IMPLEMENTS
OF WAR CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows, that is to say:-
My Invention consists, first, in substituting for, triggers, metallic shafts
to which cams are attached, to give motion to the hammers by means of
winch handles.;
Secondly, attaching disks to revolving cylinders so as to prevent the
cartridges from falling out....
';
Thirdly, attaching a metallic leg of the length of the cartridge to balls,
or projectiles, to prevent an undue pressure on the powder.
Fourthly, attaching scabbards to bayonettes or sabres in a manner that
will enable the point of the bayonette or blade to be uncovered, by sliding.
back the scabbard instead of removing it, as has been the custom heretofore.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Scott Lillie in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Sir JOHN
SCOTT LILLIE, Companion of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, of Pall
Mall, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteeth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Sir John Scott Lillie, Her special license that I, the said Sir John
Scott Lillie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Sir John Scott Lillie, 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 In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GUNS, FIRE-ARMS, AND IMPLEMENTS OF WAR CON-
NECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Sir
John Scott Lillie, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Sir John Scott Lillie, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
My said improvements consist, first, in substituting for triggers, cams con-
nected with segments of screws or worm wheels,working on spindles or shafts,
thus giving motion to cylinders and hammers to be employed in discharging
from platforms or fixed rests, guns of any calibre, also small arms with
revolving breeches. The spindles or shafts are turned by winch handles or
other mechanical contrivances. To the cylinders containing these revolving
breeches I attach the axles on which they revolve, and let them drop into
their places through openings in the frames. The ends of these axles next
the barrels are provided with heads. Slides or springs may be attached to
these frames to close those openings when required. For ratchets I substitute

page_text: metallic studs, corresponding in number with the chambers in each cylinder,
such studs being acted upon by these cams connected with worm wheels.
When pistols are used, or small arms fired from the shoulder, these cams
and worm wheels may be put in motion by triggers or oscillating levers.
Secondly, I attach perforated metallic disks of the diameter of the cylinder
to these frames, and in contact with the ends next the barrels.
Thirdly, in discharging small arms from the shoulder for sporting or other
purposes, I attach portable rests to the lower part of the barrel about half
way between the muzzle and breech, by means of hinges, ball and socket
joints, or other mechanical contrivances, so as to enable the other ends of such
rests to be placed on the left hip, where they may be held firmly by the left
hand during the act of firing; when these portable rests are not required, they
may be passed over the trigger guard, and fixed to the stock by means of
thumb springs. For war purposes, sabres or bayonets may be thus employed.
the points of the scabbards being brought to rest on the left hip or on the
ground, and the ferrules which form these points, being open, allow the lower
portion of the scabbard to slide over the other, leaving so much of the blade
exposed as may be required when about to be fixed at the muzzle. These
portable rests may be also carried in a belt, and being provided with bayonet
handles, may be fixed at the muzzle, and likewise made to slide by means of
thumb springs or bayonet joints towards the centre of the barrel, where they
may be again fixed for the purposes of rests, as already described.
Fourthly, to balls or other projectiles I attach felt or other elastic material
of the diameter of the bore of the barrel or chamber, by means of metallic
pins, glue, or other adhesive material, and likewise a cylinder of cartridge
paper or other strong substance as a case for the powder. When small shot
is used, I attach this case to the felt, and separate the shot from the powder by
means of wadding in the interior of the case. The cartridges thus formed,
when required for revolving breeches, I propose carrying in cylindrical boxes
of the same diameter, and containing the same number of holes as the
metallic cylinders, but not of greater depth than about half an inch, in order
that no more of the cartridge should be introduced than will be sufficient to
keep it in a perpendicular position, the remainder being free to enter the
chamber of the cylinder when placed over them for that purpose. The lids of
these boxes should be lined with wadding or other soft material, to press on
the open ends of the cartridges and prevent the powder from escaping, and the
holes of these cartridge boxes should be provided with moveable pistonbottoms,
to enable the cartridges when thus introduced to be rammed home.
Having thus described these improvements, and the means for putting the

page_text: same into execution, I have only to add, that what I claim to be protected by
the before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the application of cams connected with segments of screws or worm
wheels, for the purpose of discharging guns or small arms with revolving
breeches, as herein-before described.
Secondly, covering the open ends of fire-arm cylinders with perforated
metallic discs, for the purposes herein-before described.
Thirdly, the construction of cartridges, as above described.
Fourthly, the method of using portable rests forsmall arms, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sir John Scott Lillie, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
J. S. LILLIE. (LS.)