Improvements in Alarm Guns for Plantations, Game Preserves, and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1890:
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Alarm Guns for Plantations, Game Preserves, and
the like.
I, THOMAS CANK, of The Lancashire Pheasantries. Leyland; near Preston, in the
County of Lancaster, Game Farmer and Game Food Manufacturer, do hereby.
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to alarm guns such as are used by gamekeepers in
which the explosion of a cartridge or cartridges or other explosive charge is
brought about by the pushing or tightening of a wire or wires which when
moved sufficiently release or actuate a hammer weight or other contrivance in
connexion with the alarm gun apparatus the said hammer or weight when so
released or actuated falling and striking upon the "pin fire" of the cartridge
or upon an explosive cap and nipple so as to cause the ignition and explosion
of the cartridge or other explosive charge. My invention has for its object
firstly to produce an alarm gun apparatus of a multiple form that is to say of
such a construction that two three or more charges may be exploded one
after the other by a single movement of the actuating wire so that according
to the number of explosions or reports given off a gamekeeper or watcher may
be enabled to determine the locality or position of the particular alarm gun
which has been "let off" and secondly to cause the actuating wire of such
apparatus if pushed or moved forward in either one direction or the other or if
cut in two-as is frequently done by poachers when they discover the presence
of a wire laid in the grass of a plantation or game preserve-to liberate or
release the hammer or weight of an alarm gun.
In carrying out my invention I employ a metal stock or heavy ground plate
having barrels bored horizontally therethrough the said barrels at their inner
ends opening into a centrally formed recess in the stock. In a suitable position
relatively to each of the barrels stands a vertical guide rod carrying a sliding
weight or ball (hereinafter termed the "ball") held up near the upper end of
each rod by means of detents or catches arranged in the following manner.
The ball which is to explode the charge in the barrel first to be discharged is
held up by means of a hook or catch sustained on and hanging down from a
tightly stretched wire extending to a suitable distance beyond cach side of the
alarm gun in such manner that if the stretched wire be moved or pushed in one
direction or the other the hook or catch hanging down therefrom will be moved
from under the ball which will thereupon be liberated and drop and thereby
explode the cartridge in the barrel below. If the stretched wire be cut in two
the hook or catch will be removed from under the said ball thus permitting it
to drop. The said first ball is connected to the second ball and the latter to
the third ball and so on throughout the series by means of a light chain or
cord attached at one end to the preceding ball and at its other end to a detent
or catch which holds up the succeeding ball in such manner that the dropping
or descent of the first ball releases or liberates the second ball whose dropping or
descent liberates the third ball and so on throughout the series of charges tc
be exploded.
W. LLOYD, WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Alarm Guns for Plantations, Game Preserves, and
the like.
I, THOMAS CANK, of The Lancashire Pheasantries, Leyland, near Preston, in the
County of Lancaster, Game Farmer and Game Food Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
This invention relates to alarm guns such as are used by gamekeepers in which
the explosion of a cartridge or cartridges or other explosive charge is brought about
by the pushing or tightening of a wire or wires which when moved sufliciently
release or actuate a hammer weight or other contrivance in connexion with the
alarm gun apparatus the said hammer or weight when so released or actuated falling
and striking upon the "pin fire" of the cartridge or upon an explosive cap and
nipple so as to cause the ignition and explosion of the cartridge or other explosive
charge. My invention has for its object firstly to produce an alarm gun apparatus
of a multiple form that is to say of such a construction that two three or more
charges may be exploded one after the other by a single movement of the actuating
wire so that according to the number of explosions or reports given off a game-
keeper or watcher may be enabled to determine the locality or position of the
particular alarm gun which has been "let off" and secondly to cause the actuating
wire of such apparatus if pushed or moved forward in either one direction or the
other or if cut in two-as is frequently done by poachers when they discover the
presence of a wire laid in the grass of a plantation or game preserve to liberate
or release the hammer or weight of an alarm gun.
In carrying out my invention 1 employ a metal stock or heavy ground plate
having barrels bored horizontally therethrough the said barrels at their inner ends
opening into a centrally formed recess in the stock. In a suitable position relatively
to each of the barrels stands a vertical guide rod carrying a sliding weight or ball
(hereinafter termed the "ball") held up near the upper end of each rod by means
of detents or catches arranged in the following manner. The ball which is to
explode the charge in the barrel first to be discharged is held up by means of a hook
or catch sustained on and hanging down from a tightly stretched wire extending to
a suitable distance beyond each side of the alarm gun in such manner that if the
stretched wire be moved or pushed in one direction or the other the hook or catch
hanging down therefrom will be moved from under the ball which will thereupon be
liberated and drop and thereby explode the cartridge in the barrel below. If the
stretched wire be cut in two the hook or catch will be removed from under the said
ball thus permitting it to drop. The said first ball is connected to the second ball
and the latter to the third ball and so on throughout the series by means of a light
chain or cord attached at one end to the preceding ball and at its other end to a
detent or catch which holds up the succeeding ball in such manner that the dropping
or descent of the first ball releases or liberates the second ball whose dropping or
descent liberates the third ball and so on throughout the series of charges to be
exploded.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side view of alarm gun apparatus (having two barrels) constructed
according to my said invention, and
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
In the said figs. a is a metal stock having the horizontal barrels open at their
inner ends to a central opening or space occupied (when the barrels have been
charged with explosive cartridges) by the removable wedge piece c.
ddare
vertical rods and ee weights or "balls" free to slide freely up and down thereon.
represents a wire stretched tightly above the apparatus and g a detent or catch
L

page_text: finger hanging therefrom the lower extremity or point of the detent entering a
nick or groove (see Fig. 5) in the rod d and thereby sustaining the ball e. The
ball e is connected by a cord or light chain to a second detent g' the point of
which enters a nick in the rod d' and holds up the ball e. I prefer to employ a
cross bar on the upper extremity of another vertical rod ; to support the detent g¹
in the manner shewn in the drawings. I preferably place the barrel stock a on a
wood block and pass the three vertical rods through holes in the barrel
stock and the wood block and run the lower pointed extremities of the said rods
into the ground so as to secure the required rigidity to the apparatus. If the
stretched wire f be cut or pushed sidewise the detent y will be moved from under
the ball e thereby liberating the said ball which will thereupon drop onto the pin
fire m of the cartridge n (see Figs. 6 and 7) and so cause the cartridge to explode
whilst during its descent the ball e withdraws the detent g' from under the second
ball which thereupon drops on to the pin fire m¹ thus causing a second
explosion.
I
Figs. 3 and 4 are end and plan views of a six barrel arrangement of apparatus
arranged to operate in a similar manner to the two barrel arrangement just described
but the second ball e' is arranged to liberate a third balle the third ball liberating
a fourth ball and so on and thus causing a series o explosions as will be readily
understood. By omitting to charge one or more of the barrels the number of
explosions may be pre-determined and the intervals of time between the explosions
varied so as to indicate the locality of the particular alarm gun which has been
"let off."
65
Fig. 5 shews to a larger scale the upper part of one of the vertical rods having the
point of a detent inserted in the nick or groove has hereinabove mentioned.
g
Figs. 6 and 7 shew in section and plan view respectively (also to a larger scale)
one of the barrels ba cartridge n pin fire m and one half of the wedge piece c
hereinabove referred to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In alarm gun apparatus having two or more barrels the use or employment of
vertical rods and balls in combination with detents for holding up said balls and a
stretched wire the parts being so arranged that the cutting or movement of the said
stretched wire causes one of the balls to be liberated or free to drop, the descent
of the first liberated ball causing the liberation of a second ball or of a series of
balls substantially in the manner hereinabove described and shewn in the drawings
for the purpose specified.
1
1001
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.