IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rogers, of New Road, Whitechapel Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Member of the Royal College of Veterinary
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Rogers at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
October 1855.
I, WILLIAM ROGERS, of New Road, Whitechapel Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FIRE-ARMS"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, in an arrangement by which two or more
charges may be contained in one barrel, and fired therefrom, by means of
percussion caps, in succession, without the necessity of reloading after each
discharge. In carrying out this Invention, I employ as many separate locks
and have as many nipples upon the barrel as the number of charges I intend
to be fired in succession without any reloading, and I also case-harden that
portion of the barrel extending from the breech to three or four inches above
the portion of the barrel containing or intended to contain the charges. An
uninflammable wadding of a particular thickness is placed between each load, so
that, in firing the one nearest the end of the barrel, the explosion may not extend
to the other charges behind it. I also place the nipple in such a position that

page_text: the fire will communicate with the powder a little above its centre, and not
behind it, as in guns of the ordinary construction. I also form the stock of
the gun in such a manner as to leave a piece of material upon which the
cheek can be rested in firing, for the purpose of attaining a greater steadiness
of aim. It is obvious that the case-hardening the portion of the barrel, as
above described, the particular position of the nipple and the cheek piece
are all applicable to fire-arms of the ordinary descriptions, as well as to those
combining all my improvements.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Rogers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROGERS, of New Road, Whitechapel Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Rogers, Her special license that I, the said William Rogers,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Rogers, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Rogers, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 William Rogers, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:

page_text: My said Invention relates, firstly, to an arrangement by which two or more
charges may be contained in one barrel, and fired therefrom, by means of front
and back action locks and percussion caps, in succession, without the necessity
of reloading after each discharge; and, secondly, to a means of strengthening
the breech end of the barrel by case-hardening the same.
In carrying out my Invention, I employ as many separate lock actions and
have as many nipples upon the barrel as the number of charges I intend to be
fired in succession without any reloading, and I also case-harden that portion
of the barrel extending from the breech to three or four inches above the
portion containing or intended to contain the charges.
A thick uninflammable wadding is placed between each load or charge, so
that, on firing the one nearest to the muzzle end of the barrel, the ignition may
not extend to the other charges behind it. I prefer that this wadding should
be made of felt, and rendered uninflammable by being saturated with a strong
solution of bitartrate of potassa, and that its length should be about equal to or
rather greater than its diameter. I also place the nipple or nipples on the
barrel in such a position that the opening in the back or breech nipple will
communicate with the back end of the first charge, whilst the front nipple will
communicate with the front charge at about the centre thereof. I also form
the stock of the gun in such a manner as to leave a piece of material, against
which the cheek may be rested in firing, for the purpose of attaining a greater
steadiness of aim. It is obvious that the case-hardening the portion of the
barrel, as above described, the particular position of the nipple or nipples and
the cheek piece are all applicable to fire-arms of the ordinary descriptions, as
well as to those combining all my improvements.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stock, locks, and part of the barrel of
a gun, with my improvements shewn as applied thereto; Figure 2 is a plan
of the same; Figure 2" is a full-sized inside elevation, shewing the works of
the front and back action locks. Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the
breech end of the barrel, shewing the same as adapted for using the Minie
Pritchett ball; Figure 4 is a similar view, shewing its adaptation to the
ordinary spherical ball; and Figure 5 is a vertical section through the stock
and cheek piece, taken along the line 1, 2, in Figure 1.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 the gun is shewn as adapted to contain two separate

page_text: and distinct charges in one barrel, and to fire the same in succession without
reloading. A is the stock of the gun; and B, the barrel; C, C¹, are the two
nipples. These nipples must be so arranged as to distance, that the flash of
the first nipple C shall communicate with the back of the first charge, whilst
that of the nipple C¹ communicates with the centre of the second charge, as
is clearly shewn at Figures 3 and 4. The object of this arrangement is to
allow for the compression of the first charge, which will be produced by the
explosion of the second. In speaking of the two charges, I may here observe
that I denominate the first charge that which is first introduced into the barrel.
The nipple or nipples, according as one or more are used, are to be placed
nearly over the centre of the barrel, but so as not to interfere with the line of
sight, but yet have a direct communication with the powder, thus obviating
the necessity for a cross hole, as is usually employed. D, D', are the two
hammers, each of which is provided with a separate lock action, and a distinct
trigger E, E; F is a thick uninflammable wadding placed between the two
charges, so that upon firing the second one nearest to the muzzle (which of
course should always be fired first), the ignition or explosion cannot possibly be
communicated to the other charge or charges behind. Additional security is
obtained by fixing a thin wad f, of felt or other suitable material, saturated as
above described, and may be coated or covered with varnish paper, and rivetted
on to the base of the first bullet, when a conical bullet is used, as shewn at
Figure 3.
It will be seen, on referring to Figure 2, that the locks are front and back
action locks, and are attached to one lock plate. The sear of the front lock
is made long enough to reach back to the triggers, which are arranged one
before the other, as in a double-barrelled gun. G is the cheek piece, which I
form with the stock in such a manner that it may serve as an easy and con-
venient support for the cheek to rest against whilst firing, in order to attain
a greater precision and steadiness of aim.
Figure 6 shews the application of part of my improvements to an ordinary
double-barrel fowling-piece. In this Figure it will be seen that both of the
nipples C, C, are placed nearly over the centre of their respective barrels, by
which means a direct communication with the charge is obtained. The same
arrangement is equally applicable to a single barrel and single charge in order
to obtain a quicker action.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to

page_text: describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the application of two or more percussion locks and caps and two or
more nipples to one barrel, for the purpose herein-before described.
Second, the case-hardening of the breech end of the barrel, for the purpose of
strengthening the same, and preventing corrossion and chemical action of the
powder on the barrel, thereby making it more durable.
Third, the position of the nipple or nipples, as herein-before described, and
shewn in the Drawings, for the purpose of effecting a more direct communica-
tion with the charge or charges.
Fourth, the application and use of the check piece, as herein-before described,
for affording greater precision and steadiness of aim.
Fifth, the application and use of uninflammable wads, constructed in the
manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Rogers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifth day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-six.
WM ROGERS. (L.S.)