Improvements in Breech-loading Small Arms.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 5th Oct.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech-loading Small Arms.
We, HENRY WILLIAM HOLLAND, of 28 Maida Vale, and THOMAS WOODWARD,
of 69 Ashburnham Road, both in the County of Middlesex, Gun Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to effect improvements in the trigger mechanism
of breech-loading small-arms with drop-down barrels to enable double-guns to be
fired one barrel at a time by one trigger only, instead of two as usual.
The trigger plate has two trigger blades jointed to it side by side, one which we
call the inner trigger blade carries mechanism to operate the sears alternately, the
other extends outwardly and is provided with a trigger or finger-piece in the usual
manner and serves to convey the pressure of the finger to the inner trigger blade
and to the mechanism carried by it and also to securely lock the aforesaid mechanisin
in position upon the discharge of the first barrel so that any involuntary second
pull up n the trigger caused by the rebound after recoil may not discharge the
second barrel prematurely.
The mechanism to operate the sears alternately consists of a sliding piece (or
other mechanical device which will give the same result) mounted upon the inner
trigger blade, this sliding piece has a backward and forward movement and is
provided with a stud or projection upon the right and left sides respectively, one to
act on the sear of the right hand lock when the slide is in one position and the
trigger pulled, the other to act on the sear of the left hand lock when the slide is
in its other position and the trigger pulled. This sliding piece is also provided with
a spring which is constantly urging it forward. Preferably the spring is below the
pin on which the trigger blades are pivotted so that the spring tends not only to
draw the slide forwards but also to turn the trigger bla les downwards and hold
them in their normal position. When the sliding piece is moved backward a pin
upon it gives a partial turn to that trigger blade which has the finger piece upon it
and moves this trigger blade into a position to come in front or interlock with the
sliding piece. When the sliding piece is allowed to move forward it returns the
trigger to its normal position.
The action of this mechanism is as follows:- Upon cocking the gun, the moving
mechanism of say the right hand lock is so arranged, that it forces backward, the
slide upon the inner trigger blade, into such a position, that one of its studs or
projections is under the sear of the right hand lock, (the other stud being then clear
of the left hand lock) and retains it there till that barrel is discharged at the same
time the motion of this sliding piece gives a partial turn to the trigger blade which
is fast with the trigger and causes it to interlock with or come in front of one
of its studs.
When the trigger is pulled the right hand barrel is fired and the slide is then no
longer held back by the mechanism of the right hand lock, but so long as the pressure
of the finger is upon the trigger the slide is held back by the trigger. When the
pressure of the finger is removed and the trigger commences to turn back to its
normal position the slide is still held back and remains held back until the trigger
has turned back not only the distance it was turned by the pull of the finger but
also the distance it was previously turned by the backward inovement of the slide
(at the time when the locks were cocked) and until this movement is completed no
second pull upon the trigger can discharge the second barrel.

page_text: We are aware that double-guns, with one trigger only, have been made before,
but have not hitherto met with much success, as the discharge of the first barrel
causes an involuntary movement, which generally results in the firing of the second
barrel prematurely, but this is now entirely overcome by means of the before
described arrangement.
Dated this 5th day of Decorulver 1801
HENRY W. HOLLAND.
THOMAS WOODWARD.
Improvements in Breech-loading Small Arms.
We, HENRY WILLIAM HOLLAND, of 28 Maida Vale, and THOMAS
WOODWARD, of 69 Ashburnham Road, both in the County of Middlesex, Gun
Makers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The object of our invention is to effect improvements in the trigger mechanism
of breech-loading small-arms with drop-down barrels to enable double-guns to be
fired one barrel at a time by one trigger only, instead of two as usual.
The mechanism to operate the sears alternately consists of a sliding piece (or
other mechanical device which will give the same result) mounted upon the inner
trigger blade, this sliding piece has a backward and forward movement and is
provided with a stud or projection upon the right and left sides respectively, one to
act on the sear of the right hand lock when the slide is in one position and the
trigger pulled, the other to act on the sear of the left hand lock when the slide is
in its other position and the trigger pulled. This sliding piece is also provided
with a spring which is constantly urging it forward. Preferably the spring is
below the pin on which the trigger blades are pivotted so that the spring tends Bot
only to draw the slide forwards but also to turn the trigger downwards and hold it
in its normal position. When the sliding piece is moved backward a pin upon it
gives a partial turn to the trigger and moves the trigger into a position to come in
front of or interlock with the sliding piece. When the sliding piece is allowed to
move forward it returns the trigger to its normal position.
The action of this mechanism is as follows:-Upon cocking the gun, the moving
mechanism of say the right hand lock is so arranged, that it forces backward the
slide into such a position that one of it, studs or projections is myler the sear of
the right and lock (the other thing then char of the left hand fork) and
retains it there till that harrel is discharged at the same time the backward motion
of this sliding piece gives a partial turn to the trigger and causes it to interlock
with or come in front of a stud upon it.
When the trigger is pulled the right hand barrel is fired and the slide is then no
longer held by the mechanism of the right hand lock, but so long as the
pressure of the finger is upon the trigger the slide is held back by the trigger.
When the pressure of the finger is removed and the trigger commences to turn
back to its normal position the slide is still held back and remains held back until
the trigger has turned back not only the distance it was turned by the pull of the
finger but also the distance it was previously turned by the backward movement of
the slide (at the time when the locks were cocked) and until this movement is
completed no second pull upon the trigger can discharge the second barrel.
We are aware that double guns, with one trigger only, have been made before,
but have not hitherto met with much success, as the discharge of the first barrel
causes an involuntary movement, which generally results in the firing of the second
barrel prematurely, but this is now cutirely overcome by means of the before
described arrangement.

page_text: The drawings annexed shew mechanism arranged as above described-t'e
drawings shew only those parts which are necessary to make the action clear.
Figure 1 is an elevation shewing the sliding piece pushed back by a stud or
projection on the hammer of the right hand lock.
Figure 2 is a similar elevation showing the sliding piece moved forward by its
spring after the trigger has been pulled and the hammer of the right hand lock has
fallen.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the parts when in the position shewn in Figure 1.
A is the trigger turning on a pin A' carried by a stump which stands up from
the trigger plate but which is not shown in the drawing so that the other parts
may be seen more clearly, B is the sliding piece lying alongside of the trigger and
having in it a slot through which the pin A¹ passes, and C is the hanimer of
the right hand lock turning on a pin C1-C2 is a pin standing out from the
hammer C.
When the gun is opened and the hammers of the locks are thereby set back to
full cock as is well understood the pin C comes against an incline B on the sliding
piece B and presses this piece backwards.
Dis a coiled spring pressing at its forward end against a projection B at the
front end of the sliding picce B and at its rear end bearing against the stump
which carries the pin A. B³ is a projection on the left hand side of the rear end
of the piece B coming above the rear end of the trigger. The spring D is situated
below the level of the pin A' and therefore tends always to turn the slide into a
position to keep the projection B3 bearing downwards on to the top of the trigger.
A is a shoulder on the trigger A which is brought in front of this projection when
the sliding piece is pressed back into the position shewn in Figure 1. The trigger
is turned into the position shewn at the end of the backward movement of the
slide by a pin B coming against it. This pin extends back from the projection B²
at the front end of the slide B.
As long as the slide B is held back by the pin C2 on the hammer the parts
remain in the position shewn in Figure 1. When the trigger is pulled and the
hammer falls the pin C2 is carried away from in front of the incline on the slide
but the slide is still retained from being moved forwards by the spring D as the
shoulder A of the trigger remains in front of its projection B3 and cannot be
moved forwards until the trigger is released from pressure of the finger upon it
and has been turned down into the position shewn in Figure 2-the shoulder A² on
the trigger and the front end of the projection B3 on the slide may be slightly
inclined as shewn so that the forward thrust of the coiled spring tends to turn the
trigger downwards.
B is the stud or projection on the right hand side of the rear end of the slide B
which comes below the tail ends of the sears of the right hand lock when the slide
is in its backward position and B is the stud or projection on the left hand side
which comes below the sears of the left hand lock when the slide is in its forward
position.
In place of the slide B being formed with a slot in it for the pin A' to pass
through it might be formed with a projection upon it to slide to and fro in a radial
slot in an inner trigger blade made to lie alongside of the trigger A and to turn ou
the same pin, we however prefer the construction shewn. In place also of a pin
on the hammer being used to thrust back the slide when the hammers are set back
to full cock other means might be adopted for causing the slide to be at this time
thrust back.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The employment in double barrel guns arrange to be fired one barrel at a
ime by one trigger only of a slide B having two studs projecting from it one for
eting on the scar of one lock the other for acting on the sear of the other lock

page_text: such slide B being thrust forward by the action of a spring but caused to be thrust
back when the hammers of the locks are set back to full cock and being retained
in this backward position after the trigger has been pulled until the trigger has
been released and has been turned back for some distance towards its normal
position.
2. The combination of the slide B with its projections for acting on the sears of
the right and left hand locks, free to be turned around the pivot pin of the trigger
-the spring pressing the slide forwards and turning it around the pin so that a
projection on its rear end bears down upon the trigger-the incline on the slide-
the pin standing out from the hammer acting against this incline and causing the
slide to be moved back as the hammer is set back to full cock.
3. The arrangement of the shoulder on the trigger to come in front of a
projection on the slide to keep the slide from being moved forwards after the
trigger has been pulled until the trigger has turned back for some distance towards
its normal position.
4. The arrangement of the pin on the slide coming against the trigger and
turning it upwards just as the slide completes its backward movement so that the
shoulder on the trigger comes in front of a projection on the slide.
5. The arrangement of mechanism substantially as described and illustrated in
the drawings annexed for enabling double guns to be fired one barrel at a time by
one trigger only.
Dated this 29th day of August 1895.
HENRY W. HOLLAND.
THOMAS WOODWARD.