IMPROVE- MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Charles Hodges, of No. 8, Florence Street, Upper
Street, Islington, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 31st May 1878, and dated the 22nd March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Charles Hodges at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd March 1878.
EDWIN CHARLES HODGES, of No. 8, Florence Street, Upper Street, Islington,
in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-arms, and
applies especially to those in which a locking bolt having a web projecting upwards
between the breeches of the barrels is employed.
I use in connection with such fire-arms locks having internal hammers, and I
provide upon the web of the locking bolt projections, which when the bolt is
drawn back to unlock the barrels come against the hammers and force them to
full-cock.
In order to lessen friction the projections carry small rollers of hardened steel,
by which the pressure upon the hammers is exerted. The projections are also so
formed that as the hammers come to full-cock the strikers are drawn back, ready
again to operate.
The tumbler, which is in one piece with the hammer, is connected by a swivel
with the mainspring, and the return limb of the mainspring serves as a sear
spring.
A safety bolt is provided; it slides in a longitudinal direction through a lump
upon the trigger plate between the two mainsprings, and it is actuated by a button
on the under side of the stock immediately behind the grip. The safety bolt may
be rendered self-acting to lock the sears by causing the locking bolt as it is with-
drawn to force back a sliding pusher, which then acts upon one end of a lever
|having its fulcrum upon a lump upon the trigger plate. The other end of the lever
ID 421

page_text: when the lever is thus moved pushes the safety bolt forward and causes it to lock
the sears.
The safety bolt is drawn back by means of the button previous to
firing.
In order to indicate whether the barrels are loaded there is provided in connection
with each of the barrels a stud projecting through the tang of the breech plate
below which it is connected with one end of a bent lever, the other end of the same
lever is pressed against by the hammer when brought to full-cock, which raises the
end of the stud above the surface of the tang sufficiently to enable it to be readily
felt by the finger.
7:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edwin Charles Hodges in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th September 1878.
EDWIN CHARLES HODGES, of No. 8, Florence Street, Upper Street, Islington,
in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-
ARMS."
L
This Invention has for its object improvements in breech-loading fire-arms,
and applies especially to those in which a locking bolt having a web projecting
upwards between the breeches of the barrels is employed. An arm of this sort is
described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, No 251, in the year
1871.
I use in connection with such fire-arms locks having internal hammers, and I
provide upon the web of the locking bolt projections, which when the bolt is drawn
back to unlock the barrels come against the hammers and force them to full-
cock.
'
.
In order to lessen friction the projections carry small rollers of hardened steel, by
which the pressure upon the hammer is exerted. The projections are also so formed
that as the hammers come to full-cock the strikers are drawn back, ready again to
operate.
The tumbler, which is in one piece with the hammer, is connected by a swivel
with the mainspring, and the return limb of the mainspring serves as a sear
spring.
A safety bolt is provided; it slidės in a longitudinal direction through a lump
upon the trigger plate between the two mainsprings, and it is actuated by a button
on the under side of the stock immediately behind the grip. The safety bolt may
be rendered self-acting to lock the sears by causing the locking bolt as it is with-
drawn to force back a sliding pusher, which then acts upon one end of a lever having
its fulcrum upon a lump upon the trigger plate. The other end of the lever, when
the lever is thus moved, pushes the safety bolt forward and causes it to lock
the sears.
The safety bolt is drawn back by means of the button previous to
firing

page_text: In order to indicate whether the barrels are loaded there is provided in con-
nection with each of the barrels a stud projecting through the tang of the breech
plate below which it is connected with one end of a bent lever, the other end of the
same lever is pressed against by the hammer when brought to full-cock, which
raises the end of the stud above the surface of the tang sufficiently to enable it to
be readily felt by the finger.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a double-barrel fowling piece to which my Invention
is applied; the stocking of the piece is omitted, and a portion of the trigger plate is
broken to show more clearly the construction of the lock; the barrels also are
incomplete.
Figure 2 is also an elevation, but in this view the principal parts of the front or
right-hand lock are removed in order that other parts behind may be more clearly
seen.
Figure 3 is an elevation, and Figure 4 is a plan of the locking bolt by which the
barrels are locked for firing and released to open the breeches for loading.
The locking bolt A has, as is described in the Specification of my former Patent,
a central web a which is received into a slot in the body B between the two
breeches; a¹ is a double projection or projections which according to my present
Invention I form upon the web of the bolt to extend from it on either side; and
a¹¹, a", are small rollers mounted on these projections to lessen friction; C, C, are
the internal hammers; they are formed of a piece with the tumblers; D is the
tumbler axis.
The hammers are, as will be seen, so placed that when the bolt A is moved back
by means of the bolt or opening lever E the rollers a¹¹, a", come against the
hammers and force them back to full-cock, in which position they are seen in
Figure 2.
F, F, are the strikers by which the central fire cartridge is exploded when the
head of the striker receives the blow of the hammer. Each striker is formed with
a nib F upon it, and when the locking bolt is drawn back to admit of the breeches
being opened for loading, the nibs upon the strikers are acted upon by a corre-
sponding nib or nibs upon the locking bolt and the strikers are drawn back, thus
avoiding all risk of exploding the cartridge in again closing the breeches. Again,
as the locking bolt A is moved back to unbolt the barrels, the same nib which moves
back the strikers comes against the end of a sliding pin G which passes through the
lump upon the trigger plate in which the tumbler axis is carried. The pin Ğ is in
this way thrust back, carrying with it the upper end of the small lever H, which
has its fulcrum upon another lump upon the trigger plate. The lower end of the
lever H has jointed to it the end of the trigger bolt I, which bolt is thus drawn
forward when the lever is acted on as above described, so that its end projects over
the blades of the triggers K, K, and so prevents them operating upon the sears L to
withdraw them from the bents in the tumblers.
I¹ is a button upon the bolt I, by which it is drawn back by the finger before
firing. The safety bolt I might if desired be drawn back from above instead of
from below, as shewn.
I is a spring catch retaining the bolt I in the position in which it is placed, but
yielding when pressure is applied to move it.
M, M, are the mainsprings; one limb of each spring is connected by a swivel to
the tumbler, and the other presses upon the arm of the sear and acts as a sear
spring.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
The combination with the locking bolt A and its web a of the projection or pro-

page_text: jections a', which when the bolt is withdrawn forces back the internal hammers C
and so cocks the piece.
I also claim in combination with the above the nibs upon the strikers and the
corresponding nib or nibs upon the locking bolt, acting when the bolt is withdrawn
to move back the strikers at the same time. .
I also claim, in combination with the above, the trigger bolt I actuated by the
locking bolt, and locking the triggers simultaneously with the unlocking of the
barrels.
I further claim the constructing breech-loading fire-arms as described, and repre-
sented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Charles Hodges, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
E. C. HODGES. (L.S.)