A.NEW METHOD OP SCREWING AND FASTENING THE HAMMER SPRINGS AND SEAR SPRINGS TO GUN! LOCKS AND PISTOL LOCKS
Year: 1797

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I
WILLIAM SIDDON, of West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford, Gun
Lock Maker, send greeting..
1. WHEREAS His present Majesty. King George- the Third, by His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Fourteenth day. of March, in the thirty-
seventh year of His reign, did give and grant, unto me, the said
William Siddon, His special licence that I, the said William. Siddon,
during the term of years. therein expressed, should. and might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town' of
Berwick upon Tweed, my Invention of: "A.NEW METHOD OP SCREWING
AND FASTENING THE HAMMER SPRINGS AND SEAR SPRINGS TO GUN! LOCKS
AND PISTOL LOCKS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso; obliging me, the said William Siddon, under iny hand and
seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to. be inrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month
after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same
(relation being thereunto had), will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said William Siddon, do hereby declare that my said new Invention of
:

page_text: screwing and fastening the hammer springs and sear springs to gun
locks and pistol locks, is described in the plan or Drawings hereunto
annexed, and the description thereof hereunder written, and in manner
following (that is to say):
In 'the first place, my newly invented method of screwing and fasten-
ing the hammer spring upon a gun or pistol lock is by means of the
hammer spring, nail, or screw pin marked in the Drawings hereunto
annexed with the-letter D, passing or being screwed in a different line
from any which have hitherto been known or used. Secondly, by
means of a stud or pillar marked in the said Drawings hereunto
annexed with the letter C, which is adapted for the purpose of
receiving the aforesaid nail or screw pin, and which said nail or screw
pin passes through the lower part or side of the hammer spring marked
in the said Drawings with the letter B, and screws into the aforesaid
stud or pillar C, in a direct parallel line with the plate of the lock
marked in the said Drawings with the letter A, and under or nearly
under the pan of the lock, as represented in the said Drawing at the
letter D, on the plate of the lock A. Thirdly, my new invented method
of screwing or fastening the aforesaid hammer spring on the plate (A)
is as follows:-I take the hammer spring, which is forged or made
equal in thickness at both ends, or nearly so, and turn it the usual
width of hammer springs in general, the stud (a) of which hammer
spring may be put or fixed in the usual place on the said hammer
spring, or it may be put in the middle of the turn or fore end of the said
hammer spring. I then fit the hammer or spring on the plate (A) by
the said stud; I next shorten the upper end of the hammer spring, so
that the toe (b) of the hammer on the plate (A) will just keep or work
on the upper end of the said hammer spring; I then put the stud or
pillar C, on the face of the said plate (A), and fit the said hammer
spring to it; I then prick, punch, or mark in the centre of the lower
side of the hammer spring (between the inside and outside edges)
exactly opposite the centre of the said stud or pillar C; I then put on
the hammer spring, and by means of a hand vice I fasten it close to
the front of the said plate A, and by help of a drill or other instrument
necessary for the purpose, I bore or drill a hole through the said lower
part of the said hammer spring B, and stud or pillar C, both together;

page_text: I then, with an instrument called a rymer or bit, bore and tap the said
lower part of the said hammer spring B, and the said stud or pillar C,
both together, in such manner that they shall be capable of receiving
the nail or screw pin D; I then take off the hammer spring B, and
rymer or bore the screw part out, and make it sufficiently large for
receiving the upper part of the said nail or screw pin D, with ease; I
then countersink the outside of the lower part of the said hammer
spring B, so as to admit the head of the said nail or screw pin D; I
then turn up the end of the lower part of the hammer spring B, as
described in the Drawing of the plate of the lock A, at the letter c, in
case the lock is intended for the military service, but if it be for a
fowling piece or common pistol I make any fancy ornament or device
straight (or otherwise) on the said lower part of the hammer spring B.
The said stud or pillar marked C, must be fixed at such distance behind
the hammer, nail, or screw pin hole d, that it will let the upper end of
the hammer spring B, pass down by it when the hammer spring stud a;
is in the stud hole on the plate E, and the said stud or pillar C, must
stand upright upon the plate A, and as high as the outside edge of the
upper part of the hammer spring B; a hole must be made through the
lower part of the said hammer spring B, and the nail or screw
pin D,
must pass through the hammer spring B, and screw into or through the
the stud or pillar C, in a parallel line with the plate of the lock A, that
is, from the lower side or edge of the plate A, to the upper side. The
stud or pillar C, must be made with a shouldering e, and which must fit
close to the plate A, in order to make it stand, and screw or fit firm on
the plate A; and if it be screwed on the plate A, (which is the best
way) it must be made with a slit capable of admitting a turn screw,
which slit must be made cross ways of the hole in the stud or pillar, as
represented at the letters C, C.
Explanation of the annexed Drawings as to that part of a gun or
pistol lock called the hammer spring:-A, the outside of the plate of
the lock in its usual form; B, B, B, the hammer spring; C, C, C, the
stud or pillar; D, D, D, the hammer spring, nail, or screw pin; a, a, à,
the hammer spring stud and the hole to receive it; b, the toe of the
hammer; c, c, c, the turn up of the hammer spring of a military lock;
d, d, the hammer, nail, or screw pin and screw hole; e, e, the shoulder

page_text: My newly invented method of screwing and
..
.
of, the studs or-pillar:
fastening of the spring,. commonly called the sear spring, upon a gun or
pistol lock is, first, by means of the sear spring, nail, or screw pin repre-
sented in the annexed Drawings marked H, passing in a different line,
from any which have hitherto been know or used. Secondly, by, means.
of a stud or pillar marked G, in the annexed Drawings; which is
adapted for the purpose of receiving the aforesaid nail or screw pin H,
and which said nail or screw pin H, is rather obliquely passed through
the upper part of the sear spring F, and screws into the said stud.or
pillar G, in a parallel line with the inside of the plate of the lock E;
this sear spring must be forged or made equal in thickness at both ends,
or nearly so, and must be turned the usual width of sear springs of gun
and pistol locks in general. The stud. f, of the sear spring may be.
fixed in. the usual place, or it may be placed in the middle of the turn
or end of the sear spring F, but the stud f, must be made. round.. The
sear spring must next be fitted to the inside of the plate of the lock E,
by the help of the said stud f, and the sear spring F, must next be
fitted up to the stud or pillar G. The sear spring must be then
pricked, punched, or marked on the side, in the middle betwixt the
inside and outside edges of it; exactly opposite the centre of the stud
or pillar G. Then fix the sear spring on the inside of the plate of
the lock E, and screw'it close to the plate. E, by the means of a hand
vice. Then, by the help of a drill, bit, or other instrument necessary
for the purpose, bore or drill a hole in the upper part of; the sear
spring E, and the stud or pillar G, both together. Then, with an
instrument called a rymer or bit, bore and tap the said upper part of
the sear spring F, and the stud or pillar G, both together, in such
manner that they shall be capable of receiving the nail or screw pin H.
Then take off the sear spring F, and rymer or bore the screw part out,
and make the hole sufficiently large for receiving the upper part of the
said nail or screw pin H, with ease. Then countersink the upper.part
of the sear spring F, so as to admit the head of the said nail or screw;
pin H. The stud or. pillar G, must be screwed, rivetted, or otherwise
fastened on the inside. of the plate E; and must be fixed a little lower
than the usual place of the sear spring, nail; or screw pin on gun or
pistol locks, in, general, therefore, the sear pin hole g, in the plate A,

page_text: must be fixed half the width of the hole lower in the plate than is
usual. The stud or pillar G, must stand upright upon the inside of the
plate E, and as high as the upper part of the sear spring, F, at the
nail or screw pin H. The hole must be made through the upper part
of the sear spring F, and the nail or screw pin H, must pass through
the stud or pillar G, in a parallel line with the plate E, and rather
obliquely. The stud or pillar G, must be made with a shouldering h,
which must fit close to the inside of the plate E, in order to make it
stand and screw, or fit firm on the plate E, and if it be screwed on the
plate E, (which is the best way) it must be made with a slit capable of
admitting a turn screw, which slit must be made crossways of the hole
in the stud or pillar G.
Explanation of the Drawings as to that part of a gun or pistol lock
called the sear spring :-E, the inside of the plate of a lock; F, F, F,
the sear spring; G. G, G, the stud or pillar to which the sear spring is
fastened; H, H, H, the sear spring nail or screw pin; f. f, the stud of
the sear spring; g, g, the sear pin and sear pin hole; h, h, the shoulder
of the stud or pillar.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Siddon, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of April, in the thirty-
seventh year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the
Third, King of Great Britain, and so forth, and in the year of