IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wellington Greener, of St. Marys Works, Bir-
mingham, in the County of Warwick, and 68, Haymarket, in the County of
Middlesex, Gunmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH
LOADING SMALL ARMS."
Sealed the 23rd May 1879, and dated the 25th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wellington Greener
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th February 1879.
WILLIAM WELLINGTON GREENER, of St. Marys Works, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, and 68, Haymarket, in the County of Middlesex, Guninaker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
My Invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind commonly
called drop down guns and pistols, that is, breech loading guns and pistols in which
the barrels turn upon a pivot, the open breech ends being raised from the break
off for charging, and shut down and fastened against the break off during dis-
charge.
My improvements relate to hammerless guns and the method of bolting tho
tumblers of the locks, and to the plan of securing the barrel to the breach actions,
and the position of the tumblers of the locks.
My plan is to bore a hole through the standing breach or break off from the right
to left side immediately under the striker holes; I then fit a safety bolt in the
said hole, which can be moved from right to left; the position of the said bolt is so
arranged that it will come into contact with the throat or front portion of the
tumblers; I cut a notch in the said bolt at the part which faces the tumblers; by
the working of this bolt to the left side the tumblers are bolted, which prevent them
falling low enough to explode the cartridges; by reversing the motion of the bolt it
allows the notchs to come opposite to the tumblers; this allows the said tumblers
to fall into the notchs, and thus explode the cartridges. I actuate the said bolt in
the following manner :-I bore a hole in the strap of the break off close to the

page_text: back of the standing breech; in this hole I fit a cam or lever; it is so arranged
that the front arm engages in the bolt, the rear arm or thumb piece pointing towards
the stock; by pressing the thumb piece to the right the safety bolt is moved to
the left; this motion effectually bolts the tumblers and prevents them exploding the
cartridges; by moving the thumb piece to the left the safety bolt is withdrawn
and the gun is ready for firing. The above arrangement is applicable to my Patent
wedge fast guns, with the Anson & Deely locks, or other guns having top levers for
securing the barrels. I make the said safety bolt to work automatically in the
following manner :-I make use of the top lever, which secured the barrels by
giving it a little more play to the right than is required to disengage the barrels ;
this lever is so made that it will come into contact with the thumb piece which
actuates the safety bolt, and force it over to the right side, and by this means the
tumblers are bolted in the act of opening the guns for loading; it is necessary that
the tumblers should be partly raised to allow the safety bolt to act; to accomplish
this I make the lump on the barrels near the hinge pin of an excentric shape, as
described in my former Patent, No. 1623, A.D. 1877; this lump is made to force
the locking bolt, which secures the barrels in a backward direction as the breech
ends are raised to receive the cartridges; the locking bolt carries the top lover with
it, and forces it against the thumb piece which actuates the safety bolt, and this is
how I arrange the automatic working of the safety bolt.
The position of the safety thumb piece is on the right side of the lever which is
used for opening and shutting the gun; it can also be made under the said lever,
the safety lever or thumb piece projecting through a slot in the lever; by this
means I fix the screw pin in the opening lever, which acts upon the safety thumb
piece or lever, and thereby makes it automatic; by simply removing the said screw
pin the safety lever is made independant; I can also fix the safety bolt over the
strikers or tumblers instead of under, as described; I can also actuate the safety bolt
by a lever working over the trigger guard, known as "T. Murcott's Patent"; this
lever is hinged in the trigger plate; the short arm projects upwards at the back of
the break off; this short arın is made to come into contact with the cam or lever,
which works the safety bolt by pressing the long arm of the lever downwards; the
short arın moves backwards and comes in contact with the safety lever, cam, or
crank; this motion forces the safety bolt to the left in the act of cocking the locks;
this is the automatic arrangement as used with the bottom lever. To withdraw the
safety bolt I move the thumb lever to the left; the lever can be made to work an
automatic bolt fixed in the strap of the break off, which will bolt the triggers or
scears; this is accomplished in the following manner:-I fix a bolt in the strap of
the break off over and extending to the triggers; this bolt has a backward and for-
ward motion; it is connected with a thumb piece outside the break off to make it
automatic ; I construct a rod connected with the said bolt which extends to the
back of the standing breech. When the short arm of the lever is moved back by
the act of cocking, it forces the rod and bolt backward, bolting either scears or
triggers. To unbolt the triggers or scears the thumb picce is pressed forward.
My improvements also relate to the locks and breech action of the gun known as
"J. Murcott's Patent"; instead of placing the tumblers at some distance from the
break off and behind the same, as in the Murcott gun, I place the pivot immediately
under or near the face of the standing breech or break off. I form the tumblers and
strikers in one piece, so that the nose or point of the tumbler strikes the cap of the
cartridge. I further improve the breech action of this gun by making an extended
rib on the barrels, and fixing a bolt to engage in this extended rib similar to the
Westley Richards gun; this bolt is actuated by a bottom lever; the short arm of
the said levers, reaching up to the strap of the break off, is made to engage in a bolt
which is fixed in the strap of the break off, having a backward and forward motion,
or I can form the point of the short arm of the lever into a catch or bolt to secure
the barrels by engaging into the extended rib. I can also make the lever to work
my Patent cross bolt, known as my treble wedge fast gun, Patent No. 3084, A.D.

page_text: 1873. By the above improvements I combine the bottom with the top fastening,
thus making this gun into a treble grip action; thus by pressing the long arm of
the lever the short arm is moved backwards and comes into contact with the
tumblers of the locks, and forces them into a cocked position; the same motion
draws back the double bolt, which secures the barrels underneath and also with-
draws the top bolt, which secures the barrels by the extended rib; the lever is made
to work with a spring, so that when the gun is closed for firing, the breech action is
self locking.
I can make the above described self acting tumbler bolting safety applicable to
the Westley Richards gun and other similar guns. The automatic arrangement is
worked by the "doll's head" or extended rib instead of the under lump, that is, I
shape the extended rib so that it throws back the barrel lever a little more, which
brings the said lever in contact with the thumb piece of the safety lever, and bolts
the tumblers, the safety lever and bolt being the same as the one herein before
described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Wellington Greener in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th August 1879.
36
WILLIAM WELLINGTON GREENER, of St. Marys Works, Birmingham, in tho
County of Warwick, and 68, Haymarket, in the County of Middlesex, Gunmaker.
IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
My Invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind commonly
called drop down guns and pistols, that is, breech loading guns and pistols in
which the barrels turn upon a pivot, the open breech ends being raised from the
break off for charging, and shụt down and fastened against the break off during
discharge.
My improvements relate to hammerless guns and the method of bolting the
tumblers of the locks, aud to the plan of securing the barrels to the breech actions,
and the position of the tumblers of the locks.
My plan is to bore a hole through the standing breech or break off from the right
to left side immediately under the striker holes; I then fit a safety bolt in the
said hole, which can be moved from right to left; the position of the said bolt is so
arranged that it will come into contact with the throat or front portion of the
tumblers; I cut a notch in the said bolt at the part which faces the tumblers; by
the working of this bolt to the left side the tumblers are bolted, which prevent them
falling low enough to explode the cartridges; by reversing the motion of the bolt it
allows the notches to come opposite to the tumblers; this allows the said tumblers
to fall into the notches, and thus explode the cartridges. We actuate the said bolt in
the following manner:- -We bore a hole in the strap of the break off close to the
back of the standing breech; in this hole we fit a cain or lever; it is so arranged
that the front arm engages in the bolt, the rear arın or thumb piece pointing towards
the stock; by pressing the thumb piece to the right the safety bolt is moved to the
left; this motion effectually bolts the tumblers and prevents them exploding the
cartridges; by moving the thumb piece to the left the safety bolt is withdrawn,
and the gun is ready for firing. The above arrangement is applicable to my Patent
wedgo fast guns, with the Anson and Deely locks, or other guns having top levers
for securing the barrels. I make the said safety bolt to work automatically in the
following manner:-I make use of the top lever, which secures the barrels by
giving it a little more play to the right than is required to disengage the barrels ;
this barrel is so made that it will come into contact with the thumb piece which
actuates the safety bolt, and force it over to the right side, and by this means the
tumblers are bolted in the act of opening the guns for loading; it is necessary that
the tumblers should be partly raised to allow the safety bolt to act; to accomplish
this I make the lump on the barrels near the hinge pin of an excentric shape, as
described in my former Patent, No. 1623, A.D. 1877; this lump is made to force the
locking bolt, which secures the barrels in a backward direction as the breech ends
are raised to receive the cartridges; the locking bolt curries the top lever with it,
and forces it against the thumb piece which actuates the safety bolt, and this is
how I arrange the automatic working of the safety bolt.!
The position of the safety thumb piece is on the right side of the lever which is
used for opening and shutting the gun; it can also be made under the said lever,
the safety lever or thumb piece projecting through a slot in the lever; by this
means I fix a screw pin in the opening lever, which acts upon the safety thumb
piece or lever, and thereby makes it automatic; by simply removing the said screw
pin the safety lever is made independent; I can also fix the safety bolt over the
strikers or tumblers instead of under, as described; I can also actuate the safety
bolt by a lever working over the trigger guard, known as T. Murcott's Patent; this
lever is hinged in the trigger plate; the short arm projects upwards at the back of
the break off; this short arm is made to come into contact with a cam or lever,

page_text: which works the safety bolt by pressing the long arm of the lever downwards; the
short arm moves backwards and comes in contact with the safety lever, cam, or
crank; this motion forces the safety bolt to the left in the act of cocking the locks;
this is the automatic arrangement as used with the bottom lever. To withdraw the
safety bolt I move the thumb lever to the left; the lever can be made to work an
automatic bolt fixed in the strap of the break off, which will bolt the triggers or
scears; this is accomplished in the following manner:-I fix a bolt in the strap
of the break off over and extending to the triggers; this bolt has a backward and
forward motion; it is connected with a thumb piece outside the break off to make
it automatic; I construct a rod connected with the said bolt which extends to the
back of the standing breech. When the short arm of the lever is moved back by the
act of cocking, it forces the rod and bolt backward, bolting either scears or triggers.
To unbolt the triggers or scears the thumb piece is pressed forward.
My improvements also relate to the locks and breech action of the gun known as
J. Murcott's Patent; instead of placing the tumblers at some distance from the break
off and behind the same, as in the Murcott gun, I place the pivot immediately
under or near the face of the standing breach or break off. I form the tumblers and
strikers in one piece, so that the nose or point of the tumbler strikes the cap of the
cartridge. I further improve the breech action of this gun by making an extended
rib on the barrels, and fixing a bolt to engage in this extended rib similar to the
Westley Richards gun; this bolt is actuated by a bottom lever; the short arm of
the said lever, reaching up to the strap of the break off, is made to engage in a bolt,
which is fixed in the strap of the break off, having a backward and forward motion,
or I can form the point of the short arm of the lever into a catch or bolt to secure
the barrels by engaging into the extended rib. We can also make the lever to work
my Patent cross bolt, known as my treble wedge fast gun, Patent No. 3084, A.D.
1873. By the above improvements I combine the bottom with the top fastening,
thus making this gun into a treble grip action; thus by pressing the long arm of
the lever the short arm is moved backwards and comes into contact with the
tumblers of the locks, and forces them into a cocked position; the same motion
draws back the double bolt, and which secures the barrels underneath and also with-
draws the top bolt, which secures the barrels by the extended rib; the lever is made
to work with a spring, so that when the gun is closed for firing, the breech action is
self locking.
I can make the above described self acting tumbler bolting safety applicable to
the Westley Richards gun and other similar guns. The automatic arrangement is
worked by the "doll's head" or extended rib instead of the under lump, that is, I
shape the extended rib so that it throws back the barrel lever a little more, which
brings the said lever in contact with the thumb piece of the safety lever and bolts
the tumblers, the safety lever and bolts being the same as the one hereinbefore
described. I will now proceed to describe with reference to accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my Invention may be performed. Fig. 1 shows a side view
of my hammerless breech action with the hole drilled in which the safety bolt works
in, showing the cam or lever in position; Fig. 2 shows the safety bolt and notches
cut in; Fig. 3 shows the back of the standing breech and the safety bolt in posi-
tion; Fig. 4 is a top view of the breech action screw pin, marked A, makes the
safety automatic; Fig. 5 shows the breech action known as T. Murcott's Patent, and
the automatic safety bolting the trigger; Fig. 6 shews the improved Murcott lock
and its position in the breech action.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I declare that what I lay
claim to as my Invention and desire to be secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The safety bolt working across the breech action in front of the tumblers,
substantially us herein before described, and shewn on Drawings, Fig. 2.
Second. The arrangement of lever for working the same, substantially as
described.

page_text: Third. The general arrangement of mechanism for making it automatic or inde-
pendent, as herein before described.
Fourth. The improved automatic safety for the Murcott gun, as shown at Fig. 5,
and hereinbefore described:
Fifth. The combination and making the spring and bolt in one piece of steel, sub-
stantially as described; and
Sixth. The arrangement and position of the locks in the Murcott gun, and the
arrangement of the cocking lever and form of tumbler, as hereinbefore described, and
shewn on Drawings, Fig. 6.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wellington Greener, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 25th day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
WILLIAM WELLINGTON GREENER. (L.S.)