IMPROVEMENTS IN FALLING- BLOCK BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN GRAINGER of Acock's Green in the County of Worcester Gun Maker
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FALLING-
BLOCK BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS" to be as follows:-
My invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of falling-block
breech loading small arms in the manner hereinafter described.
I will first describe my invention in connection with a single barrel gun and
afterwards describe its application to a double barrel gun.
The falling-block and parts connected therewith are operated by means of a
hand lever on the right hand side of the gun. The falling block has a strong pin
fixed in its right hand side which pin passes through and works in a vertical slot
in the right band side of the breech body the said pin also engages in a short slot
in the hand lever described so that by raising and lowering the said hand lever the
falling-block is raised and lowered.
The trigger plate carrying the ordinary mechanism turns upon a horizontal pin
or axis which works in slots in the rear end of the breech body. The front end of
the trigger plate is jointed to the bottom of the falling block so that when the hand
lever is depressed the falling block and trigger plate descend the hammer being
carried down. In the breech body is a cross piece or division against which the
breast of the hammer bears as the hammer is carried downwards the hammer is
thereby pressed back beyond its full cock position and is retained at full cock by
the ordinary sear and bent. The lock mechanism has a covering lid which prevents
the access of dirt.
.
The extractor I employ is of the ordinary kind but it is actuated by means of a
cranked lever operated by the falling-block. The said falling-block as it reaches
the end of its stroke strikes upon the short horizontal arm of the said cranked
lever and causes the vertical arm the top of which engages with the extractor to
give a sudden outward motion to the extractor thereby causing the ejection of the
spent cartridge. The return motion of the falling-block brings the parts of the
extracting mechanism into their normal positions.
In applying my improvements to double barrel guns I place the barrels one over
the other instead of side by side as usual.
I fix the barrels in the breech body of the gun by means of a strong stud or
lump on the underside of the breech end of the barrels fitting into a recess in the

page_text: breech body. A strong screw or screws passing through the cheeks of the breech
body and screwing into the thickest part of the metal between the two barrels fix
the barrels to the breech body.
In a double barrel gun the hammers and parts immediately connected therewith
are duplicated and the falling block and parts connected therewith have a longer
range of motion.
In the double barrel gun two triggers of the ordinary kind may be employed
but the two barrels may be discharged by the use of one trigger only. The trigger
in this case carries on its side a slide the rear end of which has a small cross bar.
The tails of the sears are of different lengths. By pressing the trigger the right
band barrel is first discharged a pin on the tumbler of the right hand lock (which
pin engages in a slot at the front end of the slide) presses back the said slide on the
discharge of the right hand barrel the cross bar now being in a position to operate
on the sear of the left hand hammer. By further pressing of the trigger the left
hand barrel is discharged.
The parts of the lock mechanism which I have not described resemble in all
essential respects those in ordinary use.

page_text: COMPLETE
"
SPECIFICATION,
I JOHN GRAINGER of Acock's Green in the County of Worcester, Gun Maker
do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FALLING-
BLOCK BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of falling-block
breech loading small arms in the manner herein-after described.
I will first describe my invention in connection with a single barrel gun and
afterwards describe its application to a double barrel gun.
The falling block and parts connected therewith are operated by means of a hand
lever on the right hand side of the gun. The falling-block has a strong pin fixed
in its right hand side which pin passes through and works in a vertical slot in the
right hand side of the breech body; the said pin also engages in a short slot in the
hand lever described so that by raising and lowering the said hand lever the falling-
block is raised and lowered.
The trigger plate carrying the ordinary mechanism turns upon a horizontal pin
or axis which works in slots in the rear end of the breech body. The front end of
the trigger plate is jointed to the bottom of the falling block so that when the band
lever is depressed the falling block and trigger plate descend, the hammer being carried
down. In the breech body is a cross piece or division against which the front of
the hammer bears as the hammer is carried downwards; the hammer is thereby
pressed back beyond its full cock position and is retained at full cock by the
ordinary sear and bent. The lock mechanism has a covering lid which prevents
the access of dirt.
The extractor I employ is of the ordinary kind but it is actuated by means of a
cranked lover operated by the falling-block. The said falling block as it reaches
the end of its stroke strikes upon the short horizontal arm of the said cranked
lever and causes the vertical arm the top of which engages with the extractor to
give a sudden outward motion to the extractor thereby causing the ejection of the
spent cartridge. The return motion of the falling-block brings the parts of the
extracting mechanism into their normal positions.
In applying my improvements to double barrel guns I place the barrels one over
the other instead of side by side as usual
I fix the barrels in the breech body of the gun by means of a strong stud or
lump on the underside of the breech end of the barrels fitting into a recess in the
breech body. A strong screw or screws passing through the cheeks of the breech
body and screwing into the thickest part of the metal between the two barrels and
a strong screw passing up through the lower part of the body and screwing into
the lump fix the barrels to the breech body.
'In a double barrel gun the hammers and parts immediately connected therewith
are duplicated and the falling block and parts connected therewith have a longer´
range of motion.
2

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in side elevation; Figures 2
and 3 in longitudinal vertical section and Figure 4 in end elevation, the breech end
of a double barrel falling block gun containing my improvements; Figure 5
represents a plan of the breech body of the gun and Figure 6 a side elevation of the
trigger plate and body carrying the lock mechanism.
In Figures 1, 2 and 4 the falling block is represented in its raised position the
breech end closed and the hammers in their discharged positions and in Figure 3
the falling block is represented in its lowered position, the breech open and the
hammers raised to full cock.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the drawings.
a, bare the two barrels of the double gun the barrel a being situated over the
other barrel 6 as represented; c is the breech body (shown separately in Figure 5).
The barrels a, b are fixed to the breech body c by means of the strong stud or
lump d on the underside of the breech end of the barrels fitting into a recess e in
the rear end of the breech body (see Figures 2 and 3). By means of the screws f. f
passing through the cheeks of the breech body c and screwing into the thickest
part of the metal between the two barrels and by means of the strong screw pin fa
passing through the lower part of the body and taking into the lump d the said
barrels are drawn down upon and fixed firmly to the breech body; g is the falling
block working in the front end of the breech body c the said falling block carrying
two strikers h, h arranged in the manner represented for acting upon the cartridges
in the charge chambers of the barrels a, b; i is the combined trigger plate and
lock body carrying the hammers k, k and the other parts of the lock mechanism of
the double gun. The front end of the said trigger plate i is jointed at i* to the
bottom of the falling block g and the rear end of the said trigger plate turns upon
horizontal pins passed through the sides of the breech body c and taking into the
slots m in the sides of the said trigger plate. The said pins and slots 1, m thereby
permit of the sliding motion of the trigger plate when it is raised and lowered
without disconnecting it from the breech body. The lock mechanism of the gun is
protected from dirt by the lid or cover n hinged at n³ to the rear end of the body c.
The front end of the lid or cover is connected to and is made to partake of the
motion of the falling block g by a pin n³ taking into a slot in the said block.
The front end of the cover n is recessed to fit upon the ribs or side parts c², c³ of
the breech body c (see Figure 5). The said ribs or parts c³, c² are curved at their
upper portions the curve of the said portions being struck from the centre or
hinge n on which the cover turns. The said cover besides protecting the lock
from dirt also gives great steadiness to the moving parts.
In the breech body c is a cross piece or division p by which the hammers k, k
are cocked as the falling block is lowered in the breech body. The face of the
said cross piece or division is curved and inclined as best seen in Figures 2 and 3
and the fronts of the hammers k, k on the descent of the block bear against the
said cross piece or division p.
The falling block g and parts connected with it are operated by means of the hand
lever q (see Figures 1 and 4) on the right hand side of the gun. The said hand
lever q is fixed to the cross axis q³ (see Figure 4) turning in the body c. On the
falling block is a strong pin g³ which pin passes through and works in the vertical
slot in the breech body c (see Figure 1) and the said pin g³ also engages in a
short slot q³ (see Figure 1) in the inner side of the hand lever q so that by raising
and lowering the said hand lever g the falling block g is raised and lowered and
with it the trigger plate i (carrying the lock mechanism) and the cover n; r is the
extractor for simultaneously extracting both the spent cartridges from the barrels a b
and 8 is the extractor lever the forked upper end of which is engaged with the
Baid extractor r. The said extractor lever s is operated on the falling block
reaching its fully lowered position by a short arm or cam t on the cross axis q³ of
the band lever pressing upon the rods t' and the latter upon the extractor lever 8
(sce Figures 1 and 4). Or in place of the rod and levers, to a crank lever may be

page_text: used the cam or short arm t on the cross axis acting upon and lifting the horizontal
arm of the crank lever.
•
The action of the parts is as follows:-
The gun having been discharged the several parts occupy the respective positions
represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3. In order to open the breech, cock the hammers
and extract or eject the spent cartridges, the hand lever q is pressed down. By
the motion of the hand lever q the falling block g and trigger plate i descend into
the positions represented in Figure 3 thereby opening the breech and cocking the
hammers k. As the trigger plate takes its lowered position the discharged
hammers are carried down with it and the front of the hammers in their
descending motion bearing against the cross piece or division p the said bammers
are pressed back beyond the full cocked positions in which positions they are
retained by the sears u engaging with the bents in the said hammers in the
ordinary way. Immediately before the falling block g bas reached its fully lowered
position, the cam or arm t on the cross axis q operates through the rod t upon the
extractor lever 8 and the latter gives an outward or withdrawing motion to the
extractor thereby extracting or ejecting the spent cartridges from the barrels.
Fresh cartridges having been introduced into the charge chambers of the barrels a, b
the hand lever q is raised into the position represented in Figure 1. The falling
block g is thereby raised and the breech closed, the said block taking with it the
cover n and the trigger plate i carrying the cocked hammers and the gun is ready
to be discharged.
I apply my improvements to single barrel guns in the manner herein before
described and illustrated with respect to a double barrel gun. In a single barrel
gun the falling block and breech body are made of less depth than those represented
and the block has a range of motion sufficient to open and close the single barrel.
The trigger plate carries a single hammer instead of two hammers and the
extractor r has a single lip for extracting the spent cartridge from the barrel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is of Improvements in single and double barrel falling block breech loading
small arms
First Operating the falling block for opening and closing the breech and
cocking the hammer or hammers by means of the side hand lever q, pin g' on the
block g, vertical slot in the breech body c and slot q³ in the inner side of the
said hand lever, the several parts being constructed and combined substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly Jointing the combined trigger plate and lock body, carrying the
hammer or hammers and lock mechanism, to the lower end of the falling block
and to the rear end of the breech body so that the said combined trigger plate and
lock body partakes of the rising and falling motion of the block in the manner and
for the purpose herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Thirdly Preventing access of dirt to the lock mechanism and steadying the
motion of the moving parts by means of the lid or cover n arranged and working
substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourthly Cocking the hammer or hammers on the descent of the block and
combined trigger plate and lock body by means of the cross piece or division p on
the breech body against which cross piece the front of the hammer or hammers
bear as it or they are carried downwards on opening the breech substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fifthly The combination with the hand lever q, of the cross axis g³, arm or
cam and levers (or a cranked lever) for extracting the spent cartridge or
cartridges from the barrel or barrels on the falling block, operated by the said hand
lever reaching the end of its down stroke substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,

page_text: Lastly The combination of the strong stud or lump d on the underside of the
barrel or barrels and the recess e in the breech body, together with the screw.
pins f, fand f' for fixing the barrel or barrels to the breech body substantially as
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this Twenty eighth day of March 1885.