IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Middleditch Scott of the firm of W and C Scott
and Son of Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Manufacturors and'
Charles Proctor of Handsworth in the County of Stafford Gun Maker for an
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Middleditch Scott
and Charles Proctor at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
8th August 1883.
WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT of the firm of W. and C. Scott and Son of
Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Manufacturers and CHARLES PROCTOR
of Handsworth in the County of Stafford Gun Maker "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH
LOADING SMALL ARMS"
Our invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind commonly
known as drop down guns and consists First in the following arrangement and
combination of parts for effecting the cocking of the hammers of the said drop
down guns on the raising of the breech ends of the barrels from the break off for
the purpose of charging them.
In the body of the gun is an opening passing obliquely from below the axis
on which the barrels and fore end turn to the rear end of the body and terminating
opposite the breast of the hammer. In this hole a rod somewhat longer than the
hole slides the said rod being urged towards the muzzle end of the gun by a coiled
spring. At the joint part of the fore end and near its upper face is a pin on which
a cranked lever turns. The short upper arm of this lever is nearly horizontal and
the long arm nearly vertical. The short arm of the said lever bears upon a
shoulder made in the front end of the body and the long arm of the said lever bears
against the lower end of the sliding rod described.
When the muzzle end of the barrel is depressed for the purpose of raising the
breech end the centre on which the cranked lever turns is depressed with it. This
depression of the centre on which the cranked lever turns causes the said lever to
turn upon its centre the short arm of the lever being prevented from descending
Dell

page_text: by the shoulder on the body on which it bears. By the action described the long
arm of the cranked lever moves towards the break off pushing forward the oblique
sliding rod the upper end of which bearing against the breast of the hammer raises
and cocks the hammer. The cocked hammer is retained in position by the ordinary
sear and bent when the muzzle end of the barrel is raised for c'osing the breech.
By the depression of the muzzle end of the barrel and the advance motion of the
sliding rod the coiled spring described is compressed and on the raising of the
muzzle end of the barrel the compressed spring produces the return motion of the
rod and assists the rising motion of the barrel. By the action of the mechanism
described the hammer is cocked on the opening of the breech end of the barrel and
the rod by which it was cocked withdrawn by the shutting down of the breech
end of the barrel so as to leave the hammer free to fall. The mechanism described
is applicable to single and double barrel guns.
Our invention consists Secondly of the arrangements or combinations of parts
hereinafter described for adjusting the "fore end" to or tightening it upon its
abutment or bearing on the body of the gun to compensate for the wear of tho
bearing parts of the joint and loop.
On the bar of-the fore end we fix a case containing a sliding bolt which by
means of an adjusting screw can be made to project more or less from its case and
take-a-bearing against the projection or stul on the barrel commonly called the
loop. The said adjusting screw passes from the underside of the-bar-and-its conical
end bears against the inclined end of the bolt. The face of the loop or stud
against which the bolt bears is inclined and the bearing end of the bolt is also
inclined. When by wear-the-cross-head or joint of the fore end does not take a close
beuring against the abutment at the end of the body it is only necessary to advance
the adjusting screw of the bolt by means of a screw driver. This advance of the
bolt against the loop forces back the fore end and its cross head is made to seat
itself closely against the body. The adjusting or compensating bolt described may
be applied to the front or back loop or stud. Or instead of a bolt a slide working
either on the fore end bar or in a slot in the bar may be used. In this case the
slide may be advanced inore or less against the stud or loop for compensating for
the wear of the bearing parts by means of a screw the head of which or the conical
point of which may be made to act against the inclined end of the slide and
thereby adjust its position with respect to the stud or loop.
Or an excentric disc toothed on part of its edge may be employed to bear against
the loop or stud on the barrel the adjustment of the position of the said disc being
effected by a toothed pin rotated by a screw driver engaging with the toothed part
of the excentric disc. Or a lever having an excentric part for bearing against the
loop or stud may be fitted on the bar of the fore end for the same purpose.
Although we prefer to apply the compensating or adjusting appliances described to
the fore end itself yet they may be applied to the loop or stud on the barrel. In
this case the bolt or slide or excentric disc takes a bearing against the end of the
slot in the fore end bar the adjustment of the bolt or slide or disc being effected
substantially in the ways hereinbefore described

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Middleditch Scott and Charles Proctor in the Patent
Office on the 30th January 1884.
WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT of the firm of W. and C. Scott and Son of
Birmingham in the County of Warwick Gun Manufacturers and CHARLES PROCTOR
of Handsworth in the County of Stafford Gun Maker "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH
LOADING SMALL ARMS"
A
Our invention has reference to breech loading small arms of the kind commonly
known as drop down guns and consists First in the following arrangement and
combination of parts for effecting the cocking of the hammers of the said drop
down guns on the raising of the breech onds of the barrels from the break off for
the purpose of charging them
In the body of the gun is an opening passing obliquely from below the axis on
which the barrels and fore end turn to the rear end of the body and terminating
opposite the breast of the hammer. In this hole a rod somewhat longer than tho
hole, slides the said rod being urged towards the muzzle end of the gun by a coiled
spring. At the joint part of the fore end and near its upper face is a pin on which
a cranked lever turns. The short upper arm of this lever is nearly horizontal and
the long arm nearly vertical. The short arm of the said lever bears upon a
shoulder made on the front end of the body and the long arm of the said lever
bears against the lower end of the sliding rod described.
When the muzzle end of the barrel is depressed for the purpose of raising the
breech end the centre on which the cranked lever turns is depressed with it. This
depression of the centre on which the cranked lever turns causes tho said lever to
turn upon its centre, the short arm of the lever being prevented from descending
by the shoulder on the body on which it bears. By the action described the long
arm of the cranked lever moves towards the break off pushing forward the oblique
sliding rod the upper end of which bearing against the breast of the hammer raises
and cocks the hammer. The cocked hammer is retained in position by the ordinary
sear and bent when the muzzle end of the barrel is raised for closing the breech.
By the depression of the muzzle end of the barrel and the advance motion of the
sliding rod, the coiled spring described is compressed and on the raising of the
muzzle end of the barrel the compressed spring produces the return motion of the
rod and assists the rising motion of the barrel.
By the action of the mechanism described the hammer is cocked on the opening
of the breech end of the barrel and the rod by which it was cocked withdrawn by
the shutting down of the breech end of the barrel so as to leave the hammer free
to fall. The mechanism described is applicable to single and double barrel guns.
This part of our invention is illustrated in Figures 1 to 7 both inclusive of the
accompanying Drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 represent in longitudinal section, partly in elevation, the breech
end of a double barrel drop down gun containing cocking mechanism constructed
according to our invention, the stock and other parts of the gun being omitted.
In Figure 1 the barrels are represented shut down and the hammers discharged
and in Figure 2 the breech ends of the barrels are represented lifted from the break
off for opening the gun and the hammers cocked.
Figure 3 represents in plan the fore end of the gun separately; Figure 4
represents one of the cocking rods separately; Figure 5 represents one of the
cranked levers carried by the fore end separately; Figure 6 represents one of the
locks detached with an addition as herein after explained and Figure 7 represents
a part of the same.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawings.

page_text: As the cocking parts at each side of the double gun are alike in construction and
action we will for convenience of description describe the cocking parts at one side
only.
a is the barrel turning on the axis b and c is the body of the gun; d, d² is the
fore end fixed to and moving with the barrel a as usual Sliding in the oblique
opening e in the body c of the gun is a rod f by the motion of which, effected as
hereinafter explained, the hammer g is cocked. The said sliding cocking rod f
passes from below the axis b to the rear end of the body c and terminates opposite
the breast of the hammer g. The motion of the cocking rod f is limited by a stop
pin h working in a cut away part in the side of the rod and the said rod is urged
towards the muzzle end of the barrel by the coiled spring . This spring takes a
bearing at one end against a shoulder on the rod faud at the other end against a
shoulder made in the body c as represented.
In the joint part d' of the fore end d is a cranked lever k, turning on the pin
or centre . The short upper arm k of this lever is nearly horizontal and the long
arm k² is nearly vertical when the parts of the gun are in their normal positions
Figure 1. The said cranked lever k, k² is so arranged with respect to the sliding
cocking rod f that its long arm k bears against the lower end of the said rod while
the short upper arm k of the cranked lever bears upon a shoulder m made at the
front end of the body c.
On depressing the muzzle end of the barrel a for raising the breech end-for-
charging the gun, the centre on which the cranked lever h, turns being carried
by the fore end is depressed with the said barrel. The cranked lever k, k³ is
thereby made to turn upon its. centre the short_arm being prevented from
-descending by the shoulder m on which it bears. The result of this arrangement
is that as the muzzle end of the barrel descends the long arm k of the cranked
lever is made to move towards the break off pushing forward the sliding rod f, the
upper end of which bearing against the breast of the hammer g cocks the said
hammer as illustrated in Figure 2 which hammer is retained in its cocked
-position by the sear n engaging with the bent in the said hammer.
By the depression of the muzzle end of the barrel a and the advance motion of
the sliding rod the coiled spring i is compressed and on the raising of the muzzle
end of the barrel for closing the breech end, the said compressed spring produces
the return motion of the rod fand assists in the rising motion of the barrel a.
By the withdrawal of the rod fon closing the breech, the cocked hammer is free
to fall for discharging the gun. Thus, the gun is cocked on opening the breech
end of the barrel and the cocked hammer left free for discharge on the closing of
the breech end.
Instead of causing the cocking rod to act directly on the breast of the
hammer g, it may act upon a small arm hung in front of the said breast as
illustrated in the lock shown in Figure 6 and separately in Figure 7, where p is
the arm upon which the cocking rod acts, the said arm being jointed to the lock
plate at 2. The lower free end of the arm p carries an anti-friction roller q which
bears against the breast of the hammer.
Our invention consists Secondly of the arrangements or combinations of parts
herein after descried for adjusting the "fore end" to or tightening it upon its
abutment or bearing on the body of the gun to compensate for the wear of the
bearing parts of the joint and loop.
On the bar of the fore end we fix a case containing a sliding bolt which by
means of an adjusting screw can be made to project more or less from its case and
take a bearing against the projection or stud on the barrel commonly called the
loop. The said adjusting screw passes from the underside of the bar and its
conical end bears against the inclined end of the bolt. The face of the loup or
stud against which the bolt bears is inclined and the bearing end of the bolt is
also inclined. When by wear the cross head or joint of the fore end does not take
a close bearing against the abutment at the end of the body it is only necessary
to advance the adjusting screw of the bolt by means of a screw driver. This

page_text: advance of the bolt against the loop forces back the fore end and its cross head is
made to seat itself closely against the body. The adjusting or compensating bolt
described may be applied to the front or back loop or stud. Or instead of a bolt
a slide working either on the fore end bar or in a slot in the bar may be used. In
this case the slide may be advanced more or less against the stud or loop for
compensating for the wear of the bearing parts by means of a screw, the head of
which, or the conical point of which, may be mado to act against the inclined end
of the slide and thereby adjust its position with respect to the stud or loop.
Although we prefer to apply the compensating or adjusting appliances described
to the fore end itself yet they may be applied to the loop or stud on the barrel.
In this case the bolt or slide takes a bearing against the end of the slot in the
fore end bar the adjustment of the bolt or slide being effected substantially in the
ways herein before described.
This part of our invention is illustrated in Figures 8 to 15 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Figure 8 illustrates in side elevation; Figure 9 in plan of underside and
Figure 10 in longitudinal section, the breech end of a drop down gun containing
one of the arrangements of our invention for adjusting the fore end to the body of
the gun.
r is the stud, projection or loop on the underside of the barrels having an inclined
innor face; d is the bar of the fore end to which is fixed the case s. In this case
is a sliding bolt t each end of the said bolt being inclined (see Figure 10). The
sliding motion of the bolt in the case is limited by the screw pin u taking into a
slot in the bolt; vis the adjusting screw pin for projecting the bolt t more or less
from its case and thereby causing its outer inclined end to take a bearing against
the inclined face of the stud or loop. r on the barrels. The adjusting screw v
passes from the innerside of the fore end bar d and the conical end of the said
screw bears against the inclined inner end of the bolt as represented in Figure 10.
When by wear the cross head or joint d' of the fore end does not take a close
bearing against the abutment at the end of the body it is only necessary to advance
the adjusting screw of the bolt by means of a screw driver. The advance of
the end of the bolt t against the stud or loop 7 forces back the fore end and its
cross head u³ is thereby made to seat itself closely against the body. The wear of
the bearing parts can thus be compensated.
Figure 11 illustrates in longitudinal section compensating apparatus constructed
according to our invention in which a slide is used instead of a bolt; Figure 12
represents a plan of underside of the barrels without the fore end and Figure 13
represents a plan of the inner face with the fore end detached; u is the slide
connected to the fore end bar d by the pins represented, working in slots in the
said bar; w is the adjusting screw having a conical head. By driving home the
said screw inore or less its conical head is made to act against the inclined inner
end of the slide u³ and advance the said slide against the loop or stud r and thus
compensate for the wear of the bearing parts as before described with respect to a
bolt.
Figures 14 and 15 represent the compensating or adjusting appliance combined
with the loop or stud on the barrels. In the said Figures 14 and 15, x is the
sliding bolt working in a hole in the loop or stud on the barrels and y is the
adjusting screw for advancing the head of the bolt a against the slot in the fore
end bar d. The action of these arrangements is the same as that of the
arrangements previously described.
Having now described the nature of our invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed we wish it to be understood that We claim as our invention
of "Improvements in breech loading small arms
"
First-Cocking the hammers of drop down guns on the raising of the breech ends
of the barrels from the break off for charging by the combination with the oblique
cocking rod f working in the body, and bearing shoulder m on the said body, of
the cranked lever k, k² carried by the joint part of the fore end d, the said

page_text: cranked lever being arranged in the fore end and with respect to the cocking rod
and bearing shoulder and operating substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly-The several arrangements or combinations of parts herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the accom-
panying Drawings for adjusting the fore ends of drop down guns to or tightening
them upon their abutments on the bodies of the guns to compensate for the wear
of the bearing parts of the joints and loops.
In witness whereof I the said Charles Proctor have here unto set my hand and
seal this Twenty-first day of January in the year of our Lord-one-thousand
eight hundred and eighty four
Witness, RICHARD SKERRETT
37 Temple Street
Birmingham.
CHARLES PROCTOR (L.S.)