CERTAIN PRIMERS FOR FIRE-ARMS, AND ALSO CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF CERTAIN OF THE PARTS OF FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1818

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOSEPH MANTON, of Davis Street,. Berkley Square, in the Parish of
St. George, Hanover Square, in the County of Middlesex, Gun Maker;
send greeting.
'
WHEREAS I did, by petition, humbly represent to His present
Majesty King George the Third, that I had invented "CERTAIN
PRIMERS FOR FIRE-ARMS, AND ALSO CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF CERTAIN OF THE PARTS OF FIRE-ARMS," His Majesty was
graciously pleased to issue His Letters. Patent under the Great Seal of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland;, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of August, in the fifty-eighth year of His
reign, which Letters Patent do give and grant unto me, the said Joseph
Manton, and to my executors, administrators, and assigns, or to my or
their servants or agents, His said Majesty's especial licence to make,
use, exercise, and vend my said Invention within England & Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and to have and enjoy the whole
profit and advantage arising by reason of the said Invention, during
the term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent ;
His Majesty also, by the said Letters Patent, requires' and strictly

page_text: commands all His subjects whatsoever, within England and Wales, and
the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, during the continuance of the said
term of fourteen years, they shall not, either: directly or indirectly,
make or put in practice iny said Invention, or any part of it, or in
any ways counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the same; the said Letters
Patent also contain a proviso, obliging me, the said Joseph Manton, to
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to be enrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Joseph Manton, have executed this instrument, by which I do-
declare that my said Invention is described and ascertained in manner
following, that is to say: .
My primers for fire arms are small hollow tubes made of very thin
nietal or other suitable substance. The dimensions of the tubes must be
áccording to the size of the piece to which they are to be applied as
primers, but for a musket or fowling piece they should be from half an
inch to three quarters of an inch in length, and from one tenth to one
eighth of an inch in diameter, and open at both ends. To prepare the
primers for use the interior of the tube is filled (or partly filled), with a
detonating or fulminating substance or powder, which will explode and
produce fire when struck with a sudden blow, which substance is well
known, being already in use for discharging fire-arms by percussion.
The open ends of the primer are stopped with bees wax to retain the
fulminating substance in the tube, and preserve the same from damp.
The metal or other substance of which the primer is composed must be
thin, because; the detonating powder or substance is to be exploded by a
blow struck on the outside of the primer, as herein-after described. The
primer being supported against a solid support, the tube is crushed or
squeezed up by the blow so as to explode the detonating powder or
substance within it. My improvements in the construction of certain
of the parts of fire arms consist in the form and arrangement of certain
parts of the lock, which parts are adapted to receive one of the aforesaid

page_text: primers and hold it in a proper position to be struck by a projecting
part of the cock of the lock, and in which position it will, on exploding
or detonating, fire the gunpowder with which the piece is charged.
These improvements on the lock are as follows:-In place of the pai
of the lock is a piece of solid metal projecting from the lock plate, and
made with a flat surface, against which the primer is supported whilst
it receives the blow of the cock. In place of the hammer of the lock
I apply what I call a primer holder, because it partly covers the primer
and holds it by the gentle pressure of a spring against the aforesaid flat
surface, in such position that one end of the primer applies to the
touch hole of the piece, and the length of the primer is nearly in the
line or direction of the touch hole. On the underside of the primer
holder is a groove, which enables it the better to hold the primer in its
said position, and which permits the primer to be introduced between
the said primer lolder and the said flat surface. The primer holder'has
an opening cut through it to expose the middle part of the primer
which lies beneath it, and when the cock of the lock is let fly the
projecting end thereof passes through this opening and strikes' suddenly
upon the outside of the primer, with sufficient force to explode the
fulminating powder or substance contained in the primer. The flash of
fire from the end of the primer communicates fire by the touch hole to
the gunpowder contained in the barrel of the gun. To explain the
nature of my said Invention more fully, I have hereunto annexed
Drawings of a lock of a gun, pistol, or other fire-arm, which lock is
constructed according to my improvements and is to be primed with
my primers. A, A, is the lock plate seen on the outside; the parts
situated behind the lock plate are made in the usual manner. B; is
the cock, the end b, of which is adapted to strike upon and bruise the
primer when the trigger is drawn; 1, is a primer; 2, is the part
substituted for the pan of the lock; the surface thereof against which
the primer is applied is flat and inclined, so that the end.b, of the cock
will strike down flat against it. The part 2, forms a solid support to
the primer when the cock strikes it, as in Fig. 5. 3, is the primer
holder which is substituted for the hammer; it turns on a screw pin as
a centre of motion, and the spring D, causes it to press gently down on

page_text: well
large as the primer,
the primer 1; to hold the same steady against the flat surface 2, a
groove or notch is cut in the underside of the primer holder 3, to lodge
the primer in, and retain it opposite the touch hole; a square opening
is made through the primer holder 3, to expose the middle part of the
'primer, as shewn.in the plan Fig. 4, and allow the nose 6, of the cock
to strike thereupon. The tubes for the primers 1, may be made by
rolling. up small pieces of metal plate or by drawing thin tubes of
brass, copper, or other suitable metal, in the manner of wire, as
known to workmen. The piece is primed when the primer holder 3, is
the situation shewn in Fig. 1. The end of the primer 1, is pushed in
between the parts. 2; and 3, 'till it can go no farther, and then the end
of the primer will be close to the touch hole. The groove in the under
side of the primer holder 3, is not quite so
and therefore when the primer is pushed in it raises the primer
holder 3, a little up from the surface 2, and the spring D, holds the
primer holder on the primer with a gentle pressure, so as to prevent
the primer falling out of its place. When the cock is let fly, as in
Fig. 5, the end b, strikes on the primer and beats it flat in the middle
part, so as to explode the detonating substance contained in it. The fire
then flashes from both ends of the primer, as shewn in the Figure, and
that end which: applies to the touch hole gives fire to the charge of
gunpowder in the barrel of the piece; the fire from the other end
discharges itself in the open air. When the piece is to be reprimed
the primer holder 3, is lifted up with the thumb or finger, as in Fig. 8,
to let the old primer drop out, and the primer holder is then shut down,
as in Fig. 1, ready to receive a fresh primer. A sufficient number of
primers must be kept prepared ready for use. The detonating substance
or substances with which I fill my primers are those which are known
to chemists by the name of fulminating powders, the preparation of
which, being well known and being no part of my Invention, need not
be. described. I confine my claim to the Invention of primers or
detached tubes, such as I have described, in which the detonating
substance is enclosed so as to preserve it, and is exploded in the manner
herein-before described by striking the outside of the tube; and also
to the improved construction of those parts of the lock which receive

page_text: the cock and to communicate fire to the touch hole, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Manton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and nineteen
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Manton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and nineteen
JOHN L'ARCY,
37, Howland Street, London.
HENRY GEO. HOLDEN,
Rolls Chapel.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Second day of February,
in the fifty-ninth year of the reign of His Majesty King George the
Third, the said Joseph Manton came before our said Lord the King, in
His Chancery, and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and
every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the instrument aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of His said Majesty's
reign.
Inrolled the Second day of February, One thousand eight hundred
and nineteen.