IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ALEXANDER ROUSSEAU, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
by Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of February, in. the fifth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Alexander Rousseau, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Alexander Rousseau, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Rousseau, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc, exercise.
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS," communicated to me
by a certain foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is

page_text: contained a proviso, that I, the said Alexander Rousseau, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of the Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Ler said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and
at large appear. *
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Alexander Rousseau, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to he performed, are
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention consists of a mode of constructing and applying
apparatus to fire-arms, which is to contain a number of denotating caps,
which will be successively brought on to the nipple of the gun or other
fire-arm by the act of cocking the gun or other fire-arm in such manner
that the gun or other fire-arm may be repeatedly discharged, according
to the number of caps contained in the apparatus, without there being
a necessity to place a cap on to the nipple with the fingers. The
chamber in which the caps are placed contains for a single barrel gun
about fifty caps, which are brought one after the other upon the nipple
of the gun as it is successively discharged. This system may be equally
applied to double barrel guns; a a great advantage arises in the
employment of this Invention in consequence of the saving of time
which has been heretofore lost in putting on a cap after each discharge
of the gun or other fire-arm, and the caps are so arranged that they
cannot be improperly put on. Another advantage is, that the сар is
always sheltered from the damp of the weather.
The Drawings hereunto annexed represent the Invention as applied
to a double barrel gun, and also show the details of the different parts.
The apparatus containing the caps is placed near each side of the stock
of the gun so as to supply the nipples with caps as required. Figure 1.
represents a side view of a double barrel gun, shewing the apparatus

page_text: applied thereto; and Figure 2, is a plan of the same with the butt end
separate from the other part of the gun. A, is the plate to which the
lock is fixed. This plate is attached to the stock of the gun at one end,
and the other is joined to the barrels B, of the gun. Upon this plate,
two tubes D, D, move, each on a separate axis, such axes turning in
holes formed in the plate A; and the tubes are bent at their ends, as is
shewn, in order that they may deposit upon the nipple the caps which
they receive from the interior. 9, is a washer, placed between the
projecting surfaces of the tubes D, D, which work on axes, and enables
the tubes D to move together or separately with the greatest facility,
at the same time that it keeps them in their proper places. A screw
runs through the centre of this washer, and fixes into the plate A. The
Figures 1, and 2, represent a gun half size; but Figures 3, 4, 5, 6,
and 7, represent several views on an enlarged scale of the plate A, with
the moveable tubes D, D, and the washer g. The plate A, is fixed to the
stock by means of the screw h. The lateral movement of these tubes
D is effected by means of a spring with two branches m, m, which is
represented separately at Figure 8; these branches are placed in a
recess in the lower part of the plate, as is shown in Figure 14, which
represents an under plan of the plate A. The object of these springs
is to force the ends of the moveable tubes D, D, in a line with the
nipple, ², each time that it should deposit a cap. It should be here
observed, that although the apparatus is shown as applied to a double
barrel fire-arın, yet the action is perfectly independent of each other,
so that one barrel only may be used without in any way affecting the
other tube D. On the plate A, are two supports j, j, which serve as
a stop to the ends of the tubes D, and prevent the caps which are
contained in the tubes D, from falling out.
view of the plate A, with the tubes D; Figure 6, the end view of the
plate with the barrels of the gun removed, in order to show the arrange-
ment; and Figure 7, the other end of the plate, shewing the openings
7, through which the caps pass from the chambers into the moveable
tubes D, to be deposited on to the nipples. Figure 9, shew's one of
the hammers of the lock at i, and the interior of the part which strikes
Figure 5, represents a side

page_text: upon tho nipple, by which it will be seen that part of it is cut away in
order to disengage the parts of the cap after discharging the fire-arm.
Figure 10, shews an end view of the inner part of this hammer i, with
the part cut away to give free passage to the pieces of tho cap to fall
away. The hammers in striking upon the nipples ², h, press the
tubes D, out of the way by coming against the projections D', the back
ends of the tubes D being so formed that they are prevented being
forced too far out by the springs. It will therefore be seen, that when
the hammer is pulled back the spring will force out the tube D of the
particular haunner, and cause the end of that tube 1 to come opposite
the nipple, when the coiled spring on the inside of the apparatus will
force a cap on to the nipple; and, as before stated, on the hammer
coming forward to discharge the cap, the tube D will be pushed out of
the way, and allow of the hammer striking the cap. M, at Figure 14,
represents a reservoir, which contains a supply of caps; it is a hollow
tube, having a screw bolt and ring at one end of it; it is placed in the
interior part of the stock, in a place drilled or otherwise formed therein
for that purpose. Figure 14, shows an end view of the stock of the
gun, shewing the mode in which the reservoir M, is placed therein.
In the lower part of the stock are two holes, which extend to the end
of it in a line with the moveable tubes D; in each of these holes is
placed a tube P, which extends the whole of its length; this tube is
shewn at Figure 12. Into each of these tubes are put the caps filled up
to the orifice of the tubes D, leaving suflicient room, at the end opposite
to the one where the tubes D are, for a rod to be inserted. This rod
'has wound around it a spiral spring r, as shewn in the Drawing, Figure
18; and when the caps are placed in the tubes P, P, the ends of the
springs will be pressed, and act by virtue of their elasticity upon the
'caps, in proportion as the caps are released by the discharge of the gun,
and place them on the nipples , until they are all exhausted. The
head of ench rod q, is placed at the butt end, and will be kept there by
'a sliding piece fixed to a small hook t. This arrangement is very simple,
and readily allow of the caps being supplied. Figure 14, shows the
"mode in which this is done, the plate V, which covers this part or end

page_text: of the gun being withdrawn to show the interior; the plate V, is shewn
at Figure 15, separately. When the caps in the tubes P are exhausted,
the tubes P must be again filled for this purpose; the plate V being
withdrawn for that purpose, which is done by pressing upon the bolt s.
which causes it to fly open, the stop piece t may then be removed
and the tubes withdrawn and filled as before, either from the reservoir
or from any suitable deposit.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would here remark, that although I have
been particular in showing and describing the various details used I do
not confine myself thereto, as it will be evident that the peculiar character
of the Invention is the node of using the tubes D, combined with
suitable apparatus containing a supply of detonating caps, and causing
the tubes D to supply the nipples with caps, and then move out of the
way of the hammer. And I would also remark, that although I have
only shown a double barrel gun, a workman will, from the description
of the apparatus, aided by the Drawings, readily apply the Invention
to a single barrel gun or to other fire-arms. I would remark, that it
will be evident, in place of using springs to force out the tubes D, there
may be a projecting surface applied on each of the tubes D, to be acted
against by the hammer in going back to cock the gun or other fire-arm,
and thus bring the tubes D opposite the nipples to deliver caps thereon,
and the movement of the hammers to strike the caps on the nipples
would force the tubes out of the way, as before described. And, further,
as it will sometimes happen that caps will be introduced into the tubes
D incorrectly, in such cases it would be desirable to have the means
of removing the detonating cap which has been introduced in the wrong
direction without withdrawing all the detonating caps from the butt end
of the fire-arm; and this may readily be accomplished by applying
moveable stops to the tubes D, which will keep them when in use in
the correct position for putting on the caps; but when a cap comes
up in an incorrect position, by moving the stop of the particular tube
D, that tube would be allowed to move beyond the nipple, and then
the reversed detonating cap might be removed and the stop again

page_text: inserted, which would prevent the end of the tube D coming beyond
he nipple.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Alexander Rousseau, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
ALEXANDER (L.s.) ROUSSEAU.
ALEXANDER (.s.) ROUSSEAU.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of August,
in the year of our Lord 1842. the aforesaid Alexander Ronsseau camé
before our said Lady the Queen, in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained
and specifical, in form above written. And also the Specification afore-
said was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that
purpose.
Inrolled the Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.