AN IMPROVED TOY PISTOL AND EXPLOSIVES FOR THE SAME
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th May 1874.-A communication from abroad by Charles Barton'
Stephens, of Plainville, Hartford County, and De Loss Hart
Stephens, of Riverton, Litchfield County, both in the State of
Connecticut, United States of America.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, for "AN IMPROVED TOY PISTOL AND EXPLOSIVES
FOR THE SAME," a communication to me from abroad by Charles Barton
Stephens, of Plainville, Hartford County, and De Loss Hart Stephens,
of Riverton, Litchfield County, both in the State of Connecticut, United
States of America, to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is the employment of parlor matches or
arrows of the character described hereafter, as projectiles or explosive
mediums for emitting a sharp sound somewhat similar to that which
takes place on the discharge of an ordinary pistol, and this object is
attained by a toy pistol in which are combined a receptacle for the
1

page_text: match or arrow, a base for the detonate to rest on, and a lever or arm by
- which the detonate can be compressed against the said base.
Another object of the Invention is the manufacture in the manner
described hereafter of an explosive match or arrow which shall not con-
tinue to burn after the explosion from the detonate and discharge from
the above-mentioned pistol.
The Invention consists in forming the stock of the barrel of a pistol
with a longitudinal slot for admitting a pivotted lever, the upper arm
of which is the exploding arm and may be shaped like the hammer of a
pistol, and the long arm which takes the place of the usual trigger is of
a convenient shape for being operated by the fingers of the hand in
which the stock of the pistol is held. The match is so inserted into the
bore of the barrel that its detonate shall be within range of the exploding
arm, the said detonate resting on a suitable base so that on pulling the
long arm (or trigger) towards the stock with a gradual movement, the
detonate will be compressed against the base by the exploding arm with
a gradual pressure which will insure the explosion of the said detonate
with a sharp crack like that of a discharged pistol, the match being
expelled from the barrel with considerable force.
The upward discharge of the detonate is prevented by the end of the
exploding arm of the lever which nearly closes the orifice in the barrel
when the explosion occurs, but as a further precaution against injuring
the eyes and hands of the operator, the exploding arm may be inclosed
within a shield in a manner which will be readily understood without
explanation.
According to one modification of the Invention the exploding arm is
provided with an eye for receiving the forefinger of the operator and
with a projection against which he can place his second finger, thus
enabling him to operate the lever in both directions without removing
the pistol from his right hand, and without the aid of his left hand. In
this case the lever which is provided with a short arm is so hung to the
pistol and so shaped that on pulling out the long arm or trigger the
short arm will force the armed end of the match upwards against a
bearing formed at the rear of the bore of the pistol. This arrangement
presents a guard to prevent the escape in an upward direction of the
detonate as the latter explodes.

page_text: According to another modification of the Invention a supplementary
arm is hung within a recess in the stock, and this arm on pulling the
long lever or trigger backwards is forced upwards, so as to compress the
detonate on the end of the match against a bearing, and is depressed
again on pushing the long lever or trigger forwards.
The second part of the Invention relates to matches armed with
detonate, so as to be used as explosive in the above described pistol.
The common parlor match above referred to, although it serves to
produce the desired explosion, will sometimes remain ignited after it is
discharged, and is liable to set fire to objects with which it comes in
contact. This is owing to the fact that the match is dipped into
ignitable material before it receives the detonating composition. In
making the improved matches this preparatory process of dipping the
strip of wood in inflammable material is omitted, and the detonate is
attached directly to the wooden strips, so that when the detonate is
exploded in the manner described above, there can be no danger of
igniting objects by a continued burning of the match, for no ignition of
the wood by the exploding of the detonate can take place.
.