IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1876

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 Manufacturers, and
Martin Scott, of Birmingham aforesaid, Manager of Gun Works, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
Sealed the 4th August 1876, and dated the 15th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Middleditch Scott
and Martin Scott at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th
February 1876.
WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT, of the Firm of W. and C. Scott and Son, of Bir-
mingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturers, and MARTIN SCOTT, of
Birmingham aforesaid, Manager of Gun Works. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
Our Invention consists, first, of the improved mechanical arrangements of parts
herein-after described for fastening down the barrels of breech-loading small-arms
of the kind called drop-down guns.
According to our Invention we effect the fastening down of the said barrels
either by the action of a lever working on the tang of the break off, or by the
action of a lever working on the side or underside of gun. When we employ a top
lever we joint the said lever to the tang near the break off, the short internal arm
of the lever being nearly at right angles to the long or external arm on the tang.
To the back of the break-off is jointed a hook-like catch, working in a vertical
plane, the upper hooked end of the catch passing through a hole in the break off,
and taking into a recess of corresponding figure in the prolonged rib between the
ends of the barrels. The short arm of the top lever engages with the back of the
jointed hooked catch, and by lifting the said top lever vertically the said catch is
withdrawn from the prolonged rib, and the barrels are liberated. A flat spring
connected by a swivel to the top lever near its joint gives the required snapping
action to the catch, and holds the top lever in its normal position. The said top
lever may either move vertically or horizontally.
The arrangement described, worked by a top lever, may also be employed in com-
bination with the following additions for working a horizontal sliding bolt, taking
into a lump on the under side of the barrels. For this purpose, the rear end of the
said sliding bolt is bent at right angles, and to this bent end an arm or link connected
to the hooked catch herein-before described is jointed. When the hooked catch is

page_text: drawn back the sliding bolt is at the same time drawn back, and the unfastening of
Or the jointed
the barrels both at top and bottom simultaneously effected.
hooked catch may be prolonged downwards beyond the joint on which it turns the
prolonged part or lower arm engaging with a slot in the horizontal sliding bolt.
The said prolonged part or lower arm has such a curvature where it engages with
the bolt that when the hooked upper arm is drawn back the said curved part of the
lower arm acts upon the bolt and withdraws it.
When we employ a hand lever on the side or under side of the gun we make the
short arm of the said lever engage with the front of the hooked catch described, so
that by depressing the lever the catch is disengaged from the prolonged rib on the
barrels. The said short arm of the lever may by the same motion actuate a bolt in
the body of the gun, the said bolt taking into a lump on the under side of the
barrels. Or we construct the fastening down mechanism operated from the under
side of the gun in the following manner:-We joint a small cranked lever catch in
the break off, one of its arms projecting through an opening in the said break off,
and taking into a recess in the face of the barrels when the latter are shut down. A
strong spring bears on the other arm of the cranked catch, and tends to force its
acting arm outwards or towards the barrels, and effects its snapping action.
short arm of the hand lever, on the under side of the gun, bears against the under
side of that arm of the catch against which the spring bears. By depressing the
said hand lever the inner arm of the lever catch is raised, and its outer or acting
arm withdrawn from the barrels. In place of the hand lever a button may be
pressed inwards so as to act upon the lever catch in a similar manner.
The
Our Invention consists further of the following improvements in fastenings for
the "fore ends" of drop-down guns:-
Instead of withdrawing the sliding bolt from the loop on the under side of the
barrels by pressing a lever upwards, as described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to one of us, namely, William Middleditch Scott, on the Fifth day of
April 1873, No. 1268, we modify the parts so that the pulling down of a lever
withdraws the bolt and releases the fore end.
The sliding bolt works in a recess in the base plate, the said bolt having a guide
rod, and being pressed into its fastening position by a flat spring or a coiled spring.
The lever for working the bolt is jointed to the base plate under the said bolt, and
the bent short arm of the lever engages with a slot in the bolt.
By pulling down the lever on the fore end the short arm of the said lever with-
draws the bolt from the loop on the barrels, and thereby releases the said fore
end.
The mechanism last described for fastening down the barrels may also be used,
with slight modification for fastening the fore end.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Middleditch Scott and Martin Scott in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th August 1876.
WILLIAM MIDDLEDITCH SCOTT, of the Firm of W. and C. Scott and Son, of Bir-
mingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturers, and MARTIN SCOTT, of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
Birmingham aforesaid, Manager of Gun Works.
LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
Our Invention consists, first, of the improved mechanical arrangements of parts
herein-after described for fastening down the barrels of breech-loading small-arms
of the kind called drop-down guns.
According to our Invention, we effect the fastening down of the said barrels
either by the action of a lever working on the tang of the break off or by the action
When we employ a top
of a lever working on the side or under side of the gun.
lever we joint the said lever to the tang near the break off, the short internal arm

page_text: of the lever being nearly at right angles to the long or external arm on the tang.
To the back of the break off is jointed a hook-like catch, working in a vertical
plane, the upper hooked end of the catch passing through a hole in the break off,
and taking into a recess of corresponding figure in the prolonged rib between the
ends of the barrels. The short arm of the top lever engages with the back of the
jointed hooked catch, and by lifting the said top lever vertically the said catch is
withdrawn from the prolonged rib, and the barrels are liberated. A flat spring,
connected by a swivel to the top lever, near its joint, gives the required snapping
action to the catch, and holds the top lever in its normal position. The said top
lever may either move vertically or horizontally.
The arrangement described, worked by a top lever, may also be employed in com-
bination with the following additions for working a horizontal bolt, taking into a
lump on the under side of the barrels. For this purpose the rear end of the said
sliding bolt is bent at right angles, and to this bent end an arm or link connected
to the hooked catch herein-before described is jointed, or is otherwise connected.
When the hooked catch is drawn back the sliding bolt is at the same time drawn
back, and the unfastening of the barrels both at top at bottom simultaneously
effected. Or the jointed catch may be prolonged downwards, the prolonged part
being connected with the horizontal sliding bolt.
When we employ a hand lever on the side or under side of the gun we make the
short arm of the said lever engage with the front of the hooked catch described, so
that by depressing the lever the catch is disengaged from the prolonged rib on the
barrels. The said short arm of the lever may by the same motion actuate a bolt in
the body of the gun, the said bolt taking into a lump on the under side of the
barrels. Or we construct the fastening down mechanism operated from the under
side of the gun in the following manner:-We joint, a small cranked lever catch in
the break off, one of its arms projecting through an opening in the said break off,
and taking into a recess in the face of the barrels when the latter are shut down.
A strong spring bears on the other arm of the cranked catch, and tends to force its
acting arm outwards or towards the barrels, and effects its snapping action. The
short arm of the hand lever, on the under side of the gun, bears against the under
side of that arm of the catch against which the spring bears. By depressing the
said hand lever the inner arm of the lever catch is raised and its outer or acting
arm withdrawn from the barrels. In place of the hand lever a button may be
pressed inwards, so as to act upon the lever catch in a similar manner.
Our Invention consists further of the following improvements in fastenings for
the "fore ends" of the drop-down guns :-
Instead of withdrawing the sliding bolt from the loop on the underside of the
barrels by pressing a lever upwards, as described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to one of us, namely, William Middleditch Scott, on the 5th day of
April 1873, No. 1268, we modify the parts so that the pulling down of a lever
withdraws the bolt and releases the fore end.
The sliding bolt works in a recess in the base plate, the said bolt having a guide
rod, and being pressed into its fastening position by a flat spring or a coiled spring.
The lever for working the bolt is jointed to the base plate under the said bolt, and
the bent short arm of the lever engages with a slot in the bolt.
By pulling down the lever on the fore end the short arm of the said lever
withdraws the bolt from the loop on the barrels, and thereby releases the said fore
end.
The mechanism last described for fastening down the barrels may also be used,
with slight modification for fastening the fore end.
Having explained the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to describe, with
reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same is to be
performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent longitudinal sections, and Figure 3 a side elevation of
the breech end of a drop-down gun, containing mechanism constructed according to
our Invention for fastening the barrels both at top and bottom, Figures 1 and 3

page_text: representing the barrels fastened down and the gun ready for firing, and Figure 2.
the said barrels unfastened, ready to be raised from the break off for recharging.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent parts of the fastening mechanism detached.
a, a are the barrels, and bis the prolonged rib between the ends of the barrels ;
c is the hook-like catch, jointed at d to the back of the break off e. The said
hook-like catch¸c is represented separately in Figure 5; f, f is the top lever, moving
vertically, f being the handle or external arm of the lever, and f the short internal
arm of the said lever, the said arm f² being nearly at right angles to the external
arm, as represented. The said lever f f turns on the centre g, and is pressed
down, and the snapping action of the catch and bolt effected by the flat spring,
swivelled to the under side of the lever. The lever f, f2 is represented separately in
side elevation, and plan of under side in Figure 4. The short internal arm f2 of the
hand lever f f passes through a loop or eye i at the back of the hook-like catch c,
and the extreme end of the said short arm f takes into an eye or loop k on the
pronlonged end of the sliding bolt l, the said sliding bolt engaging with the lump m
on the under side of the barrels. The upper end of the hook-like catch c passes
through a hole in the break off, and takes into a recess b² of a corresponding figure
in the prolonged rib b. When the parts are in the respective positions represented
in Figures 1 and 3 the barrels a are fastened down at top by the hook-like catch c
taking into the rib b between the barrels, and at bottom by the sliding bolt taking
into the lump m on the under side of the barrels, and also into the body of the gun.
To unfasten the barrels the hand lever fis lifted vertically, as illustrated in Figure 2.
The catch c is thereby made to turn upon its joint d, and its hooked end is
withdrawn from the recess 62 in the prolonged rib b; the sliding bolt is at the
same time withdrawn, and the barrels are unfastened and may be raised for
recharging, as shown in Figure 2. On shutting down the barrels after charging
them, the rounded nose of the lump m, acting upon the bottom bolt 7, presses back
the said bolt, and through the short arm f2 of the hand lever f, f, withdraws the
catch c;
and when the barrels have been completely shut down the said catch c
snaps into the rib b, and the bolt into the lump m, by the action of the spring 1,
and the parts occupy the respective positions represented in Figure 1, and the gun
is again ready for discharge.
Although we have represented the hook-like catch c in combination with
mechanism for bolting down the barrels at bottom, yet the said hook-like catch c
and parts connected there with may be used alone. In this case the prolonged rib b
pushes back the catch c when the barrels are shut down.
Figure 7 represents in section, and Figure 8 a part of the same detached, a modi-
fication of the arrangement already described. In this arrangement the sliding
bottom bolt n is connected to the hook-like catch cat p, instead of the prolonged
end of the bolt being operated upon by the short arm f2 of the hand lever f, ƒ³.
The action of this modification is the same as the arrangement first described.
Figure 9 represents in section another arrangement of our Invention, in which
the hooked catch and bottom sliding bolt are operated by a hand lever on the tang,
having a side or horizontal motion; c is the hook-like catch taking into the pro-
longed rib b, and is the sliding bolt taking into the lump m on the under side of
the barrels a; q is the hand lever on the tang of the break off, having a side or
horizontal motion. On the axis of the hand lever q is a tumbler (shown separately
in Figure 10) having arms at right angles to one another. The horizontal arm of
the tumbler is connected to the axis of the hand lever, and the vertical arm passes
through the eye i of the catch c, and also engages with the prolonged end of the
sliding bolt. A spring s acting against the tumbler gives the snapping action to
the catch c and bolt l. When the hand lever q is turned aside to the right hand it
operates upon the tumbler 1, and the latter simultaneously withdraws the catch c
and bolt, and the barrels are unfastened.
°
Figures 11, 12, and 13 represent arrangements of our Invention in which the
hook-like catch and sliding bolt are worked by a lever on the side and under side of
the gun.

page_text: In the arrangement, Figure 11, the short inner arint of the hand levert, to, on the
side of the gun passes through the eye i in the catch c, and also through the under
bolt 1, the snapping action of the said catch and bolt being effected by the spring u
bearing on the projection t³ on the said hand lever. By depressing the band lever
t² in the direction of the arrow the catch and bolt are simultaneously with-
drawn.
In the arrangements, Figures 12 and 13, where the hand lever t, t2, is situated on
the under side of the gun, the parts are marked with the same letters as correspond-
ing parts in Figure 11, and the action is the same as described with respect to the
said Figure 11.
Figure 14 represents another arrangement of our Invention, in which the catch
or arm is engaged with and disengaged from the prolonged rib by a horizontal or
side motion instead of a vertical motion 'as before described. Figure 15 represents
a plan of the catch separately. In this arrangement the axis upon which the
catch or arm c is fixed is prolonged downwards, and its lower end actuates the
bottom bolt 1, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to William
Middleditch Scott, on the 25th day of October 1865, No. 2752; w is the hand lever
on the tang, the said lever having a side motion, and x is the spring bearing on the
catch for giving the snapping action to the said catch and the bolt L. By turning
the hand lever waside a corresponding motion is given to the catch c, and it is
released from the prolonged rib b, the motion given to the axis v causing a cam or
short arm near its bottom to withdraw the under bolt . On shutting down the
barrels the lump m pushes back the bolt L, and the latter causes the catch c to bo
pushed aside, and the said catch c and bolt are afterwards made to snap into their
respective parts by the action of the sping x. This catch may be used without the
prolonged axis and bottom bolt, as represented in Figure 16, and the said catch may
have the form represented in Figure 17, the prolonged rib having a seat of a corre-
sponding figure to receive it.
Figure 18 represents in cross section, and Figure 19 in longitudinal section,
another arrangement of our Invention. Figure 20 is a cross section of a part of
the same.
In this arrangement the hooked catch moves transversely in the break
off instead of parallel with the axes of the barrels as before described; c is the
hooked catch turning on the axis c, and d is the prolonged rib in a hole in which
the hook of the catch takes. The catch c is worked by a cranked hand lever e, e²,
on the under side of the gun, and the snapping action of the said catch is effected
by the spring f. The catch c is pushed back on the descent of the barrels by the
lump (see Figure 19) on the face of the breech ends of the barrels acting against
the inclined end of the axis c² of the said catch, as will be understood by an
examination of Figure 20.
This arrangement of catch may be worked by a top hand lever, having a side or
horizontal motion, as illustrated in Figure 21. In this arrangement the axis g of
the hand lever i carries a tumbler or arm which engages with the catch c.
Figure 22 represents a fore eud fastening, the parts of which are arranged
according to our Invention; q is the base plate or frame fixed in the wooden part
of the fore end; is the sliding bolt working in a recess in the said plate 1; 8 is a
guide rod at the back of the bolt, working in a hole in the cross piece t; u, u², is
the lever for working the bolt, the said lever turning on the centre u³. The said
lever is cranked, the bent short arm u engaging in a slot in the bolt r
The snap-
ping action of the bolt is effected and the lever brought into its raised position by
the spring bearing on the short arm of the lever. By pressing down the thumb
plate u² of the lever the short arm u withdraws the bolt from the loop on the
barrels, and thereby releases the fore end.
Instead of giving the snapping action to the bolt r by a flat spring acting on the
lever, a coiled spring may be made to act directly on the bolt, as illustrated in
Figure 23, where the coiled spring is marked w, the said spring bearing at one end
against a shoulder on the guide rod 8, and at the other end against the shoulder t
on the base plate q.

page_text: 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 do not limit ourselves
to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of our Invention, but we claim as our inven-
tion of improvements in breech-loading small-arms of the kind called drop-down
guns,
First. The mechanical arrangements or combinations of parts herein-before de-
scribed and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying
Drawings, for fastening down and releasing the barrels of the said guns, in which
the top lever has a vertical motion.
Also the modifications in which the catch or catch and bolt is or are worked by a
top lever, having a side motion as in Figures 9 and 10, or by a lever on the side of
the gun, as in Figure 11; or by a lever on the under side of the gun, as in Figures
12 and 13.
Secondly. The mechanical arrangements or combinations of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 14, 15, 16, and 17 of the accompanying
Drawings, for fastening down and releasing the barrels of the said drop-down guns.
Thirdly. The mechanical arrangements or combinations of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the accompanying
Drawings, for fastening down and releasing the barrels of the said drop-down guns.
Lastly. The arrangements or combinations of the parts of fore end fastenings
herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 22 and 23 of the accompaning
Drawings, in which the sliding bolt is withdrawn by a downward movement of the
lever.
In witness thereof, I, the said Martin Scott, have hereunto set my hand and
scal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord On thousand eight
י
wanter siv
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
MARTIN SCOTT. (L.S.)