Improvements in Measurement Guns and Rifles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 8th Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Measurement Guns and Rifles.
I, WILLIAM PALMER JONES of 75 Bath Street Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Gun and Rifle Maker do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to
be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements in measurement guns and rifles which
may be so locked and secured in any position whether with a cast on or cast off or
with a vertical or bend motion or with the two combined that the gun may with safety
be fired from the shoulder thus ascertaining at the range or when firing at moving
objects in the most certain manner what pecularities of construction are required for
every individual marksman.
I pivot the barrel upon the fore-end of the stock without dividing the stock with a
joint so that it may be trailed to the right or left to give the cast off or cast on and
this may be accomplished by forming a block under the barrel which is operated in a
slot either by a set screw at each side the ends of which fit into centre holes in the
block so that by tightening one and unscrewing the other the barrel is trailed and
fixed for firing or a thread may be cut through the block and a screw being inside
checks a portion of the block being in that case pivotted to allow of a free motion in
the screw but this may in some cases be effected by slot holes in the checks and a
little play in the screw but I prefer two set screws for great steadiness. The bend is
given by a knuckle joint immediately behind the breech of the barrel or barrels or at
the fore end of the stock. In this case the firing is effected by arranging the barr.
or barrels to contain their own action such for instance as the central needle or holt
action with adjustable connections with the triggers so that they may remain in a
constant position in their natural place or the barrels may be formed with a solid
breech for muzzle loading and ordinary hammers with large or adjustable heads
operating upon nipples the object being not so much to supply a perfect lock or firing
arrangement as to make it possible to fire a measurement gun at all. The joint for
giving the bend is secured also by either two set screws or a conical pin which is tightened
up with a nut or a double cone or eccentric pin may be used with similar effect. Or
a face joint formed with two flanges and concentric slots may be used with bolts and
nuts to tighten them together in any position.
Dated this 28th day of March 1889
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Measurement Guns and Rifles.
J, WILLIAM PALMER JONES of 75 Bath Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Gun & Rifle Maker do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object improvements in measurement guns & rifles which
may be so locked & secured in any position whether with a cast on or cast off or with
a vertical or bend motion or with the two combined that the gun may with safety be
fired from the shoulder thus ascertaining at the range or when firing at moving
objects in the most certain manner what peculiarities of construction are required for
every individual marksman. I pivot the barrel upon the fore-end of the stock without
dividing the stock with a joint so that it may be trailed to the right or left to give
the cast off or cast on and this may be accomplished by forming a block under the

page_text: barrel which is operated in a slot either by a set screw at each side the ends of which
fit into centre holes in the block so that by tightening one and unscrewing the other
the barrel is trailed and fixed for firing or a thread may be cut through the block & a
screw hung in side cheeks a portion of the block being in that case pivotted to allow
of a free motion in the screw but this may in some cases be effected by slot holes in
the cheeks and a little play in the screw but I prefer two set screws for great steadiness.
The bend is given by a knuckle joint immediately behind the breech of the barrel or
barrels or at the fore-end of the stock. In this case the firing is effected by arranging
the barrel or barrels to contain their own action such for instance as the central needle
or bolt action with adjustable connections with the triggers so that they may remain
in a constant position in their natural place or the barrels may be formed with a solid
breech for muzzle loading and ordinary hammers with adjustable heads operating
upon nipples, the object being not so much to supply a perfect luck or firing
arrangement as to make it possible to fire a measurement gun at all. The joint for
giving the bend is secured also by either two set screws or a conical pin which is
tightened up with a nut or a double cone or eccentric pin may be used with similar
effect. Or a joint consisting of two faces of metal with two flanges & concentric
slots may be used with bolts & nuts to tighten them together in any position.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood & more easily carried into
practice I have appended hereunto three double sized sheets of drawings upon which
I have illustrated my improvements applied to a Needham's central fire action gun
but which will also enable any practical person to carry the same into effect in the
case of other classes of guns.
Figure 1 is a side view of a central fire gun with the two ends broken away so as to
more fully show the particular part to which my improvements refer.
Figure 2. is a longitudinal vertical section through same showing the bolt D in
elevation.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the bolt D.
Figure 3. is a sectional plan through Figure 2 on the line 1-2 shewing the
arrangement of set screws for operating & fixing the trailing of the barrels for
obtaining the cast on & cast off.
Figure 4. is a similar sectional plan to Figure 3 but shewing the lump or block
operated by the screw B also for obtaining the cast off or on.
Figure 5. is a vertical cross section through Figure 4 on the line 3-4. .'
Figure 6. is a similar sectional plan to figure 3 shewing another method of
operating the lump or block A by the screw B.
Figure 7 is also a sectional plan shewing the lump or block A operated by the
screw B.
Figure 8 is a vertical cross section through fig. 7 on the line 5-6, but with the
screw B removed so as to shew that part of the lump A with which the screw
engages.
Figure 9. is a vertical section through the head Y as will be afterwards explained.
Figure 10. is a vertical longitudinal section shewing the means of applying my
invention to an ordinary drop down gun the reference letters being the same as to the
other figures.
Figure 11. is a side elevation of same.
22
Figure 12. is a plan of same. Refering to sheet 1. of the drawings again I
pivot barrels Z upon the fore-end E¹ of the stock or action E by the pivot E thus
obviating any necessity for dividing the main of the stock X by a joint thereby causing
the angle of inclination to occur at the head & thus the barrel Z may be trailed to the
right or left to give the "cast off" & "cast on & this may be accomplished by
forming the lump or block A under the barrels Z which lump A works in the slot E³
formed in the forepart E to receive it the lump A being operated by the set screw B¹
on the one side and the set screw B2 on the other each being mounted in the
cheeks E & E' respectively the end of the set screws B & B being made to enter the
centre holes a¹ & a' in the block A so that by tightening the screw B¹ & unscrewing
the screw B or vice versu the barrel is trailed either to the right or left & fixed

page_text: ready for firing. In this case the firing is effected by arranging the barrels Z to
contain their own action & is similar to the Needham central pin fire or bolt action in
which the breech, block, or bolt D contains the firing mechanism consisting of the
needle d³ cocked by means of the catch to which, the arms d' is attached and which
secures the needle d³ until the depression of the arms d by the trigger F releases the
needle or exploding pin d³ as the case may be which flies forward by means of the
spring and fires the gun the breech block D being opened for reloading by means
of the finger piece d² which revolves the front portion of the bolt D on the screw de
thereby shortening the bolt D sufficiently for it to be turned out of the breech. In
the case of my improvements the arms is extended in length as shown by dotted
lines on the plan, Figure 3 & takes a circle from the pivot E so that at whatever
angle the barrels may be the triggers F still engage with the arms d' and thereby
remain in a constant position in their natural places.
The barrels Z in this arrangement of gun are held down by the hut or projection 1
which in this case would slide in the groove E Figure 3 made to receive it a slot e
being provided in the position shewn at figures 3 in the top of the fore part of the
stock so as to allow the hut or projection to be dropped in when the barrels Z are at
the extreme extent of their travel.
Referring to sheet 2 of the drawings I may trail the barrels Z by the screw B
hung in the side cheeks E & E as shown at Figure 4 a portion a³ of the lump or
block A being hung upon the pivots a & a so as to allow of a free motion of
the screw Bor I may in some cases hang the screw B in the cheeks E & E*
with the slot holes e & e as shown at Figure C in which case a little play or
enlargement a would be allowed for the screw B in the lump or block A so that
the side of the female screw would follow the curve traversed by the lump A or
I may use only one side of the female thread on the lump A in which case the
side a would be curved to allow sufficient play for the lump or block A to have
the required travel.
Instead of operating the lump or block A the screw arrangement B may be
made to operate upon the hut as shewn in Figure 2 where the screw ³ is
shewn dotted or the hut 2¹ may be made of dovetail shape as shown by
Figure 1 in which case the lump or block would be dispensed with & the slot
for the dovetail would run to the extremity of the sides so that as the barrel revolved
upon the pivot E the dovetail hut enters the slot from the side & may be
operated by a screw arrangement in a similar manner to those before described.
The hut or projection may be formed below or nearly below the barrel if desired
or a square flange may take the place of the hut. Instead of pivoting the barrels
at E1 may reverse the curve of the joint as shown by dotted lines K Figure 4
in which case I may dispense with the pivot and rely upon the dovetail 2³
Figure 9 which may be also operated by the screw arrangement as before
described. The bend is given by the knuckle joint H immediately behind the
breech of the barrels at the fore part or head of the stock a and may be secured
by the two set screws 6 & 7as also by the screw 68 shewn dotted on fig. 2
which engages
with the thread or teeth on the quadrant has shown before
described in the case of the screw B & lump or block A or I may use a conical
pin which is tightened by a nut or double cone or eccentric pin may be used
with similar effect or I may in place of using these two joints use a ball and
socket joint immediately at or near the head of the stock.
In place of the screw B a pinion may be made to engage with the thread or
teeth upon the lump A or its equivalent as for instance the hut which would
probably be the place and a bevel edged block or block may engage or disengage
with the teeth of the pinion or the screw or teeth formed on the rack or lump A so as
to lock it while the gun is being fired.
I may form the lump A of dovetail shape having it under the barrel and made to
nicely fit a dovetail groove provided to receive it & it may be secured by means
of a pin & tightening nut or I may secure the joint by means of forming teeth
upon two faces so as to engage with each other & which when tightened together

page_text: would remain removable and from which it will be obvious that a variety of
locking joints may be used without departing from the nature of this invention.
My improvements may also be applied with equal facility to other classes of guns
such for instance as the ordinary drop down breech loading gun which is illustrated
by Figures 10, 11 & 12 in which the barrels Z & a portion of the action E is
pivoted at E to the fore part of the action E the barrels being mounted on the
pivot M to the fore part E so as to open at the breech as shown by dotted lines
in Figure 10 and in this case the hammers N are formed with increased heads n¹
so that when the barrels are moved with the cast on or off the hammers still
strike the nipple or exploding pin which is also the case with a gun having a
solid breech for muzzle loading in which the ordinary hammers would be provided
with large & adjustable heads for operating the nipples the object being not so
much to supply a perfect lock or firing arrangement so as to make it possible to
fire a measurement gun with practical charges.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The improvements in measurement guns & rifles which may be actually fired
in which the joint or joints is or are placed at or near the head of the stock or action
substantially as & for the purpose herein set forth and shewn upon the drawings.
2nd. In measurement guns the arrangement of screw B and lump A for giving the
set off with the joint H for giving the bend as also the various equivalent motions
substantially as herein described and shown.
Dated this 28th day of December 1889
GEORGE BARKER.
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.