IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS OF THE KIND CALLED SMALL ARMS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bailey, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gun Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS OF THE KIND CALLED SMALL ARMS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bailey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th July 1871.
I, THOMAS BAILEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS OF THE KIND CALLED SMALL ARMS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in
breech-loading fire-arms of the kind called small arms, whereby a breech-
loading fire-arm is produced in which the opening and closing of the
breech, the cocking of the hammer, and the extraction of the case of the
exploded cartridge are effected by the motion of a lever on the under side
of the guard of the gun, herein-after called the guard lever. The opening
and closing of the body or breech shoe of the gun so as to open and

page_text: close the breech is effected by a sliding block, the said block having
a vertical motion in the said body, and being unconnected by a joint
with the said body or the guard lever. The block is hollow, and within
the hollow part the head of the hammer works, the striker or nose of the
said hammer on the discharge of the gun projecting through a hole in
the front of the said block, and striking the percussion cap of the cart-
ridge in the barrel of the gun. The short or upper arm of the ground
lever bears against the under side of the closing block, so that when the
guard lever is raised against the trigger guard the block is raised so as
to close the breech, and when the guard lever is depressed the closing
block is also depressed by the said lever so as to open the breech. The
said upper arm of the guard lever is forked, and between the branches of
the fork the hammer works. The under side of the sliding closing
block is so formed that the guard lever on being depressed does not
produce any descent in the said block until the said lever has attained
a certain position. The object of this arrangement is that the block shall
not commence to descend until the nose or striker of the hammer has
been withdrawn from the hole in the front of the block. The hammer
works upon the same axis or centre as the guard lever. A shoulder on
the joint of the said guard lever bearing against a shoulder on the
joint of the hammer, so that when the guard lever is depressed the
hammer is drawn back, the scar of the lock taking into a bent on the
hammer. The hammer is thus cocked, and is left in its cocked position
on the raising of the guard lever to lift the sliding block to close the
breech. On pressing the trigger the sear is disengaged from the bent in
the hammer, and the gun is discharged. At the back of the body or
breech shoe I fix a half-cock or safety bolt or lever. The said bolt or
lever is situated nearly vertically, and has a small comb at top by which
it may be moved by the thumb. The said bolt or lever turns upon a
joint near its lower end. The said lower end of the bolt has two
branches, one of which, when the comb of the bolt is pressed towards
the shoe, is brought over the trigger, and prevents it rising; the other
branch is at the same time brought under the back lower edge of the
block, and prevents its descent.
.
By pushing the comb of the safety bolt towards the body or shoe the
gun is put into a position of safety or at half cock, in which position it
cannot be discharged. By pulling back the comb of the safety bolt the
trigger and block are unlocked, and the gun may be discharged by
pressing the trigger.

page_text: The extractor is of the ordinary kind, and is brought into action by
the depression of the guard lever to open the breech.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Bailey in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BALLEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas Bailey, Her special licence that I, the
said Thomas Bailey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Thomas Bailey, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ircland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARMS OF THE KIND CALLED SMALL ARMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Bailey, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Bailey, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say:
My Invention consists of the improvments herein-after described in
breech-loading fire-arms of the kind called small arms, whereby a

page_text: breech-loading fire-arm is produced in which the opening and closing
of the breech, the cocking of the hammer, and the extraction of the
case of the exploded cartridge, are effected by the motion of a lever on
the under side of the gun, herein-after called the guard lever.
or
The opening and closing of the body or breech shoe of the gun, so
as to open and close the breech, is effected by a sliding block, the said
block having a vertical motion in the said body and being unconnected
by a joint with the said body or the guard lever. The block is hollow,
and within the hollow part the head of the hammer works, the striker
nose of the said hammer on the. discharge of the gun projecting
through a hole in front of the block, and striking the percussion cap
of the cartridge in the breech of the gun. Or the hammer may act upon
a striker. The short upper arm of the guard lever bears against the
under side of the closing block, so that when the guard lever is raised
against the trigger guard the block is raised so as to close the breech,
and when the guard lever is depressed the closing block is also depressed
by the said lever so as to open the breech. The said upper arm of the
guard lever is forked, and between the branches of the fork the hammer
works. The under side of the sliding closing block is so formed that the
guard lever on being depressed does not produce any descent in the said
block until the said lever has attained a certain position. The object of
this arrangement is that the block shall not commence to descend until
the nose or striker of the hammer has been withdrawn from the hole
in front of the block or until the hammer has been lifted from the
striker in the block. The hammer works upon the same axis or centre
as the guard lever, a shoulder on the joint of the said guard lever bearing
against a shoulder on the joint of the hammer, so that when the guard
lever is depressed the hammer is drawn back, the sear of the lock taking
into a bent on the hammer. The hammer is thus cocked, and is left in its
cocked position on the raising of the guard lever to lift the sliding block
to close the breech. On pressing the trigger the sear is disengaged from
the bent in the hammer, and the gun is discharged. At the back of the
The said
body or breech shoe I fix a half cock or safety bolt or lever.
bolt or lever is situated nearly vertically, and has a small comb at top,
by which it may be moved by the thumb. The said bolt or lever turns
The said lower end of the bolt has two
upon a joint near its lower end.
branches, one of which when the comb of the bolt is pressed towards the
shoe is brought over the trigger and prevents its rising; the other

page_text: branch is at the same time brought under the back lower edge of the
block and prevents its descent. By pulling the comb of the safety bolt
towards the body or 'shoe the gun is put into a position of safety or at
half cock in which position it cannot be discharged. By pulling back
the comb of the safety bolt, the trigger and block are unlocked, and the
gun may be discharged by pressing the trigger. The extractor is of
the ordinary kind, and is brought into action by the depression of the
block to open the breech.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner
in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation (the stock being omitted) the
breech end of a breech-loading gun containing my improvements;
Figures 2 and 3 are longitudinal sections of the same; Figure 2 showing
the gun ready to be discharged, and Figure 3 the same ready to be
loaded; Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a side elevation;
and Figure 6 a plan of the lock of the gun detached; Figure 7 represents
the sliding block; Figure 8 the hammer; and Figure 9 the safety bolt
detached from the gun. The same letters of reference indicate the
same parts in the several Figures of the Drawings.
a is the barrel; the body or breech chamber in a mortice or
opening in which the breech block c slides vertically to open and close
the breech of the gun. The sliding block c is unconnected as repre-
sented with the breech chamber b or guard lever of the gun. By means
of a stop d (see Figures 1 and 4) the height to which the block c can
be raised in its mortice is limited. By withdrawing the stop a the
block c may be removed. The block c is hollow and within the hollow
of the block the hammer e works; fis the striker in the said block c,
by which the cartridge is discharged, the said striker being acted upon
by the head of the hammer e; e³ is the mainspring of the hammer e,
connected thereto by the swivel e³, the said swivel being jointed to a
shoulder e on the tumbler or joint of the hammer; g is the trigger, the
sear g² of which engages with the bent of the hammer e to hold the said
hammer at full cock. The sliding block c is depressed to open the
breech as illustrated in Figure 3, and raised to close the breech and
position, as illustrated in Figure 2, by the action
of the guard lever h, h². The hammer e is also cocked by the action
of the guard lever h, h². The guard lever turns on the centre h³, and
supported in its raised

page_text: slots to the part i of the block, and thereby supporting the said block
in its raised position. As the block is raised the cocked hammer e is
left behind the parts of. the gun occupying the respective positions
represented in Figure 2, and the gun is again ready for discharge.
By the construction and arrangement of the parts described and
illustrated the opening and closing of the breech, the cocking of the
hammer, and the extraction of the case of the exploded cartridge are
effected by the motion of the guard lever.
In place of or in addition to cocking the hammer e by the action of
the shoulder on the joint of the guard lever acting upon a shoulder
near the joint of the said bammer, the cocking of the hammer may be
assisted or effected by the short upper arm h² of the guard lever acting
against a projection or projections on one or on either side of the
hammer. One of these projections is represented in Figure 8, and is
marked e³, and is also indicated in dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3.
When the hammer e is provided with the projections e³ the said pro-
jections by striking against the forked upper arm ³ of the guard lever
relieves the striker f from the full force of the blow of the hammer
should the hammer be released when the gun is not furnished with a
cartridge. When the projections e³ on the side of the hammer e are
used the shoulders e*, ³, at the joint may be dispensed with, but, as
herein before stated, the side projections e³ may be used in combination
with the shoulders e*, h³.
In order to hold the guard lever h, h², firmly in its place under the
lock plate when the gun is ready for discharge I adapt to the lock an
additional spring / which bears upon a roller m on the upper arm /² of
the guard lever. The said spring 7 maintains the guard lever in its
raised position when the upper arm h² carrying the roller m is brought
into the position shown in Figures 2 and 5, the roller m working under
the extreme end of the said spring as the guard lever is depressed and
raised to open and close the breech. This spring may or may not be
used. When the said spring is not used the guard lever may be held
in its place by a spring snap fastening.
l
The half-cock or safety bolt which I use to prevent the descent of
the sliding block cand the rising of the trigger is represented in action
in Figures 1 and 2, and out of action in Figure 3, and detached from the
gun in Figure 9. The said safety bolt marked n'is fixed at the rear end
The said bolt consists of a small lever turning in a
of the body b:

page_text: vertical plane on the centre n³, the said bolt working in a slot in the
guide bar p³ on the side of the body (see Figures 1 and 4). The said
bolt has a comb n³ at the top by which it is moved by the thumb. The
lower end of the bolt has two branches p, q. By means of a spring r
pressing on the arms of the bolt the said bolt is held firmly in its bolted
and unbolted positions. When the comb n³ of the bolt is pressed in the
direction of the arrow the branch q is brought over the projecting
part of the trigger g, and the other branch p is at the same time.
brought under the back lower edge of the block c, as illustrated in
Figure 2. When the half cock or safety bolt is in this position the
block c is prevented from descending to open the breech, and the
trigger cannot be lifted. The gun is thereby put into a position of
safety or at half cock and cannot be discharged. By pressing back the
comb of the bolt n in a direction contrary to that indicated by the
arrow the branch p is removed from under the edge of the block, and
the branch q from over the projection g³ of the trigger g when the
trigger and block are unbolted, and the gun may be discharged by
pressing the trigger.
Instead of using a striker in the breech block the head of the hammer'
may pass through the block and act directly on the cartridge.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and
illustrated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in
breech-loading small arms in which the breech is opened and closed by
a block sliding vertically in the body or shoe,―
Firstly. Opening and closing the breech by means of a sliding block
unconnected by a joint with the body or guard lever of the fire-arm, the
said block being raised and lowered and supported by means of a guard
lever combined with the said blook in the manner herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. Cocking the hammer of the fire-arm situated on the same
centre as the guard lever by means of a shoulder at the joint part of
the guard lever bearing against a shoulder on the tumbler or joint part
of the hammer, the said shoulders at the joint being used alone or in
combination with a projection or projections on the sides of the hammer
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-

page_text: panying Drawings; also cocking the hammer and breaking the force of
the blow should the hammer be discharged when the gun is unloaded
by the use of the projections on the sides of the hammer against which
the guard lever acts as described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The construction and arrangement of the two-branched
safety or half-cock bolt or lever herein-before described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawings for bolting and unbolting by one motion
the trigger and sliding breech block of the fire-arm.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bailey, have hereunto"
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
THOMAS BAILEY. (L.S.)