﻿[13] 
  PATENTS 
  ISSUED 
  RELATING 
  TO 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  987 
  

  

  CLAIM. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  combination 
  of 
  the 
  drag 
  A 
  provided 
  with 
  means, 
  substantially 
  

   sucli 
  as 
  described, 
  whereby 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  drawn 
  over 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  

   oyster-bed, 
  with 
  an 
  opened-mouthed 
  receptacle, 
  D, 
  in 
  rear 
  of 
  the 
  drag, 
  

   the 
  mouth 
  arranged 
  to 
  open 
  above 
  the 
  plane 
  of 
  the 
  drag, 
  and 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  

   leave 
  an 
  open 
  space 
  downward 
  between 
  the 
  drag 
  and 
  the 
  mouth, 
  sub- 
  

   stantially 
  as 
  described." 
  

  

  No. 
  256041. 
  

  

  (Ebeuezer 
  Pierce, 
  New 
  Bedford, 
  Mass. 
  ; 
  patented 
  April 
  4, 
  1882 
  ; 
  breech-loading 
  bomb- 
  

   gun. 
  See 
  Plates 
  VIII 
  and 
  IX. 
  ) 
  

  

  This 
  invention 
  comprises 
  a 
  combined 
  bomb-gun 
  and 
  harpoon, 
  in 
  which 
  

   the 
  gun 
  can 
  be 
  charged 
  without 
  detaching 
  the 
  barrel. 
  In 
  this 
  respect 
  

   it 
  differs 
  from 
  a 
  patent 
  for 
  a 
  similar 
  invention 
  granted 
  the 
  present 
  in- 
  

   ventor 
  January 
  28, 
  1879, 
  No. 
  211777. 
  The 
  gun 
  barrel 
  is 
  hinged 
  to 
  the 
  

   breech 
  -piece 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  dropped 
  down 
  or 
  turned 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  

   breech 
  when 
  the 
  gun 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  charged. 
  Within 
  a 
  chamber 
  in 
  the 
  breech 
  

   are 
  a 
  hammer, 
  its 
  main 
  spring, 
  and 
  a 
  firing-pin 
  which 
  explodes 
  the 
  

   charge 
  when 
  struck 
  by 
  the 
  hammer. 
  The 
  chamber 
  is 
  closed 
  by 
  top 
  and 
  

   bottom 
  plates 
  which 
  prevent 
  the 
  access 
  of 
  water 
  thereto. 
  The 
  journal 
  

   pins 
  of 
  the 
  hammer 
  project 
  through 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  chamber. 
  One 
  of 
  

   these 
  pins 
  carries 
  a 
  pawl 
  which 
  engages 
  a 
  trigger 
  pivoted 
  to 
  the 
  face 
  

   plate 
  of 
  the 
  breech-block. 
  On 
  one 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  gun 
  is 
  a 
  rod 
  which 
  is 
  di- 
  

   vided 
  near 
  the 
  breech 
  of 
  the 
  gun. 
  The 
  lower 
  portion 
  of 
  this 
  rod 
  is 
  

   supported 
  by 
  and 
  slides 
  in 
  guides 
  upon 
  the 
  breech 
  piece, 
  and 
  the 
  upper 
  

   portion 
  is 
  supported 
  by 
  and 
  slides 
  in 
  guides 
  upon 
  the 
  barrel. 
  The 
  outer 
  

   end 
  of 
  the 
  rod 
  projects 
  beyond 
  the 
  muzzle 
  of 
  the 
  gun. 
  The 
  lower 
  end 
  

   engages 
  with 
  the 
  firing 
  mechanism 
  in 
  the 
  breech-piece. 
  A 
  spiral 
  spring 
  

   encircles 
  the 
  upper 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  rod 
  above 
  the 
  breech, 
  and 
  keeps 
  it 
  

   from 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  divided 
  lower 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  rod. 
  The 
  gun 
  is 
  

   thrown 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  front 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  rod 
  strikes 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  whale 
  

   it 
  is 
  pushed 
  back 
  against 
  the 
  lower 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  rod, 
  which 
  strikes 
  the 
  

   trigger 
  and 
  explodes 
  the 
  charge, 
  which 
  projects 
  the 
  harpoon 
  into 
  the 
  

   whale. 
  

  

  The 
  inventor 
  says: 
  

  

  " 
  Of 
  course 
  it 
  is 
  well 
  understood 
  that 
  as 
  breech-loading 
  guns 
  have 
  

   long 
  been 
  in 
  use 
  no 
  attempt 
  is 
  made 
  in 
  this 
  application 
  to 
  broadly 
  claim 
  

   a 
  breech-loading 
  bomb-gun 
  ; 
  but 
  by 
  making 
  the 
  bomb-gun 
  breech-load- 
  

   ing 
  by 
  hinging 
  the 
  barrel 
  to 
  the 
  breech-piece 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  far 
  more 
  

   serviceable 
  and 
  convenient 
  than 
  in 
  my 
  patent 
  hereinbefore 
  referred 
  to, 
  

   in 
  which 
  the 
  barrel 
  is 
  not 
  hinged, 
  but 
  must 
  be 
  entirely 
  detached 
  from 
  

   the 
  breech- 
  piece 
  for 
  loading. 
  

  

  " 
  It 
  is 
  obvious 
  that 
  if 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  instance 
  the 
  rod 
  for 
  firing 
  the 
  

   gun 
  were 
  held 
  by 
  guides 
  both 
  upon 
  the 
  barrel 
  and 
  the 
  breech-piece, 
  as 
  

   in 
  the 
  case 
  in 
  my 
  said 
  patent, 
  the 
  barrel 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  turned 
  upon 
  the 
  

  

  