in the drawing. The advantage of such an arrangement will be that, when the breech is loaded, the gun may be discharged any number of times (depending upon the number of small barrels in the breech) without removing the gun from the shoulder, which, in sporting, will be a great benefit. I will first describe the part of the drawing which relates to the mode of dispensing with the cock or hammer. Description of the Drawing. Fig. 1, is a side view of part of a gun shewing some of the parts; and, Fig. 2, is an end view of the revolving breech, shewing the position of the nipples in relation to the barrel and the stop against which they strike. In these figures the same letters indicate the same parts. A, is the revolving breech barrel. B, the nipple. c, the noveable stop, which receives the blow of the nipple, it moves upon an axis, c'. D, is a link connecting the collar, E, with the stop, c. E, is the collar attached to the barrel, G, but which does not prevent its turning. G, G, is the barrel or case containing a spiral spring. H, is a spring which brings back the mechanism to the position shewn in the drawing, when, by the action of the trigger, it has been pushed forward. 1, is a wheel, having an equal number of teeth to the number of the small barrels of the revolving breech; this wheel prevents the barrel, G, from turning, being always connected with it. K, is a stop-piece which prevents the whole mechanism from turning. L, is a small spring which keeps the stop, K, in a proper position for preventing the wheel, 1, from turning in that way which would unrol the spiral spring contained in the barrel, G, but which permits the wheel to turn in the contrary way, in order that the stop, K, should act to prevent the spiral spring from being drawn back. The manner in which the whole system acts, is as follows:-When the trigger is pulled, the barrel, G, is pushed forwards, and conse quently the collar, E, which, by means of the connectingpiece, D, turns the stop, c, and places it over the nipple, where it receives the shock, when the barrel turns round, which takes place when the wheel, 1, has advanced sufficiently far to escape the stop, K, and the fire-arm will then be discharged; and by letting go the trigger the whole of the mechanism will be brought back to its position by the spring, H, which during the previous action was compressed, and the gun will be ready to be again discharged. It will be evident that the spring will not unrol more than one-fifth or one-sixth of a turn for each time the gun is fired; according to the number that it is made for, either five or six. I will now describe an arrangement where a cock is used for striking against the nipple. Figs. 3, and 4, shew views of part of a fire-arm. A, is the plate to which the lock is fixed. B, is the cock. c, is a lever connected to the cock, which lever has joined to it a cleat, D, which acts on a wheel and a tail-piece, E, upon which acts the spring, G. E, is the bearing of the lever. G, is a spring which raises the cock, after the gun has been discharged. H, is the barrel or case containing the spiral spring. 1, is a wheel fixed to the barrel, H, which prevents its turning. K, is a stop, which prevents the wheel, 1, from turning, and consequently the whole of the mechanism. L, is a small spring, for the same purpose as that described in fig. 1. M, is the spring for bringing back the mechanism to its primitive position after the gun is fired. N, is a stop, which limits the course of the lever, c, and consequently the rise of the cock. In pressing upon the trigger the barrel will advance, and carry with it the wheel, 1, which as soon as it has passed the stop, K, will be free; it turns in drawing the cleat, D, of the lever, c, in front of which it is placed, and consequently lets the cock fall upon the nipple, which is so placed as to receive the blow, and so discharges the gun; the same movement of the spiral spring turns the breech and causes the cock to descend upon the nipple. The spring will then force back the wheel, 1, which takes into the stop, K, at the same time it releases the cleat, D, of the lever, c, which will then be free, and the spring, G, will bring it back into the position, shewn on the drawing, ready to be again discharged. In this arrangement the spiral spring only unrols one-fourth, one-fifth, or one-sixth, according to the number of times the firearm is to be discharged. To draw up the spiral spring of the barrel, it is only necessary to take the revolving breech, either with the hand or with a key, and to turn it in the proper way, the stop, K, not interfering with the movement of the wheel, 1. F, Figs. 5, 6, and 7, shew another arrangement, in which the same letters indicate the same parts in these figures. In this arrangement the spiral-spring causes the cock to descend, then turns the revolving breech, and then to raise the cock. A, shews the sides of the case which encloses the lock; and B, is the plate. c, is the cock. D, is the barrel, which contains the spiral spring. E, is a wheel, at all times fixed to the barrel, and which actuates the cock and causes it to descend. is a wheel to raise it again after the gun is discharged, and also to turn the revolving breech to which it communicates its motion: this wheel can turn, independently of the barrel, D; the spiral spring communicates its motion by means of a catch, shewn in drawing, fig. 14, upon which it is fixed at one of its ends. G, is the spring which brings back the machinery into the position shewn before the discharge takes place. H, is the trigger, one end of which has a small friction-wheel, which presses against the barrel containing the spiral spring; there is a small notch, I, in the trigger, into which the end of the sliding-piece, K, passes, in order to fix the trigger and prevent it being pulled, whilst the spring of the barrel, D, is being drawn or wound up. L, is a spring for the purpose of drawing back this sliding-piece, when it is required to pull the trigger. M, is a lever affixed to the axis of the cock, to which is at tached a tongue-piece, N, against which successively strikes the wheels, E and F, in order to lower and raise the cock. o, is a stop-piece, which prevents the cock from being raised too high, and prevents the wheels, N, from turning in the way which would raise the cock, but does not prevent its turning the other way; the distance required, and when in this position the trigger may be securely fixed by passing the sliding-piece, K, into the notch of it. P, is a spring to bring back the stop, o, into the position shewn in the drawing. Q, is a screw to regulate the position of the piece, o. R, is a bridle or cross-piece. s, is another stop to prevent the wheel, E, from turning, when the mechanism is in the position shewn in the drawing. In pressing upon the trigger, motion will be given to the spring-barrel, and thence to the wheels, E and F. The wheel, F, will let go the stop, N, and rest upon the stop, o; at the same time the wheel, E, will quit the stop, s, and lay hold of the stop, N, and thus acts upon the cock by letting go of the trigger, the spring, G, will force back the mechanism, and the wheel, E, will let go from the stop, N, and descend to the stop, s. To draw up again the spiral spring, the wheels, E and F, are pushed forward, by means of the trigger, so far, that the wheel, F, would let go of the stop, N, before the wheel, E, had let go the stop, s; the mechanism should then be retained in this position by sliding the piece, K, into the notch in the trigger; then the arrangement of the stop, o, allows the wheel to be turned in the way which draws up the spring, as in the preceding figures, by turning the revolving breech, either by hand or by a key. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, shew another arrangement, where, as in the before-described figures, the cock and the small barrels of the revolving breech are successively released, and the cock again raised; the same letters are used for similar parts. A, is the case which encloses the whole of the mechanism. B, is the revolving breech which may contain as many bores or barrels as may be required. c, are the nipples on which the caps are placed. D, is the case or barrel containing the spiral spring. E, is the wheel which acts against the cock to let it down; and F, the wheel which releases it again. G, is a spring for the same object as the one previously described. H, is the plate of the lock. 1, is the cock. K, is a lever to the cock. L, the counter lever, which is connected to it by means of a pin, and receives its movement from it, and which pin slides in the groove, N, which carries the counter lever, L, at the end o, is a hinge, in order that the wheel, , may not be prevented from turning when it is desired to draw up the spiral spring. P, is a small spring to keep the piece, o, in a suitable position. Q, is a stop which prevents the wheel, F, from turning after it has quitted the stop of the counter lever. R, is a stop which prevents the wheel, E, from turning after it has quitted the lever, K. T, T, is the trigger which communicates motion to the case or barrel containing the spiral spring. v, is a hook which acts upon the trigger for the same object as the sliding piece, K, described in the figs. 5 and 6. v, is a spring, one end of which is connected to the trigger, and the other to the lever, K, of the cock, which greatly assists in discharging the gun when pulling the trigger; the mode of action is similar to that described in the previous figures, and the spring is drawn up in the same manner as before-explained. a, is the barrel. b, is a band of iron placed over the whole length of the barrel, and which serves to connect the barrel to the box. c, is a screw which fixes the end of the band of iron to the box. d, is a shaft at the underside of the main barrel, which serves as the axis for the spiral case, the wheels, E, and F, and the revolving breech. e, is a screw which connects this shaft, D, to the main barrel. Figs. 11 and 12, shew how the collar, x, (upon which is fixed the wheel, F,) communicates motion to the revolving breech on this revolving breech is a small collar, y, in the sides of which is a groove, into which works a No. CIII.-VOL, XVIII C |