An Improved Hammerless Sporting Gun.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1890-Accepted, 3rd May. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Hammerless Sporting Gun.
I PAUL BRUN-LATRIGE of No. 7 Cours Fauriel, St. Etienne, in the Department
of the Loire and Republic of France, Gunmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved hammerless sporting gun the distinctive
characteristic of which is that it has the tubes of its double barrel superposed the one
above the other so that the sportsman aims as with a single barrel gun. This
arrangement permits a truer aim than with the double barrel placed in the ordinary
way, and becomes excellent with the lower barrel choke-bored, as the range becoming
greater the thickness of the upper barrel serves, in a manner, as lift for the lower
barrel which will be fired only at a mark at long distance.
This arrangement of the double-barrel, which is drop-down, involves in the drop-
down piece, the breech closing, and the firing mechanism, particular and novel
arrangements which I will now briefly describe.
The barrel carries, like a piece of artillery, two trunnions which are engaged in a
recess or bearing provided in each of the two lateral plates forming the piece termed
the drop-down. The hole forming the bearing of the trunnion on the right is on a
movable piece carried by the plate and which may be made to play by disengaging it
from a stop piece; and, by this action the barrel may come out when it is desired to
take the gun to pieces.
The movable breech is composed of two pieces placed the one before the other, of
equal height and each having in side view the shape of a figure 7; their bent or
angle heads resting the one upon the other. The first is a plate which carries two
small superposed spring firing-pins, and it joins on to or clamps the barrels by its
projecting head. When opening it turns on a pivot placed beneath the gun not far
from the trigger-guard, while the second rises to permit the pivoting of the first the
bent head of which places itself beneath its head. This latter is completely hollowed
out or open like a frame, to permit reaching the firing-pins.
These two movable pieces therefore rest the one upon the other, and the latter upon
a block plate of the frame in which may play, actuated by the hammers of the battery
or firing mechanisms, two free or loose pins placed following the axis of the barrels,
which strike the small firing-pins of the breech plate to fire the gun.
The two firing mechanisms, with concealed cock or hammer, work with the three
ordinary pieces in the locks: the cock with tumbler notches or bents-the main
spring placed behind the cock and attached to its base by a link or chain-the
tumbler yielding to the pressure of the ordinary trigger. But the arrangement of
the superposed barrels brings about the following difference in the two mechanisms,
namely that the cocks come down in opposite directions, that is to say, in the
right hand mechanism, or that of the upper barrel, the pivot of the cock is at its
top, and it strikes with the head downward (this latter having the tumbler notches)
whereas in the left hand mechanism, or that of the lower barrel, the cock strikes in
the ordinary way, the head upward and its pivot being towards the bottom.
The play of the parts of the movable breech, as well as the cocking, is effected by
the key or lever, which is simply the trigger guard itself, the pivot of which is placed
forward, inside, between the two mechanisms. By causing this key to pivot in
pushing it forward by its voluted end, firstly the sliding piece of the movable breech
rises by the aid of a projecting tenon forming part of this key, and which has its
end engaged in a groove formed at the base of this sliding piece; then, this piece
having risen, a projection of the key comes upon the base of the breech piece carrying

page_text: the firing-pins. This latter then pivots thereby disengaging the barrels which may
be freely turned down.
While the breech is thus open, the hammers cock under the pressure exerted by a
tongue upon a tenon which each carries at the side, this tongue forming the end of
the key above its pivot.
The gun is provided, like other choice fire-arms, with a cartridge extractor, with a
small safety apparatus locking the tumblers, and with indicating rods which are only
apparent when the hammers are cocked. These several apparatus are however well
known and present no novelty.
To sum up the type of this novel hammerless gun is characterised by the
arrangement of the two connected barrels in superposition the one above the other-
by the movable breech composed of two pieces, the one sliding in rising, the other
pivoting carrying the firing-pins, acting, actuated by the key which is the trigger
guard itself finally by the arrangement of the cocks or hammers coming the one
from above the other from below each upon a loose pin striking the firing-pin.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of May 1889.
For the Applicant,
W. E. GEDGE,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Hammerless Sporting Gun.
1 PAUL BRUN-LATRIGE of No. 7 Cours Fauriel, St. Etienne, in the Department
of the Loire and Republic of France, Gunmaker, 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:-
My Invention relates to an improved hammerless sporting gun the distinctive
characteristic of which is that it has the tubes of its double barrel superposed the one
above the other so that the sportsman aims as with a single barrel gun. This
arrangement permits a truer aim than with the double barrel placed in the ordinary
way, and becomes excellent with the lower barrel choke-bored, as the range becoming
greater the thickness of the upper barrel serves, in a manner, as lift for the lower
barrel which will be fired only at a mark at long distance.
This arrangement of the double-barrel, which is drop-down, involves in the drop-
down piece, the breech-closing, and the firing mechanism, particular and novel
arrangements which are hereinafter described by reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
and 6, Sheets 1-11 of the accompanying 2 Sheets of Drawing. Referring to
Sheet 1-Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of my improved gun closed;
Figure 2 a similar view, the barrels being dropped down; and Figure 3 shows breech
pieces detached.
The barrel carries, like a piece of artillery, two trunnions a which are engaged in
a recess or bearing provided in each of the two lateral plates P forming the piece
termed the drop-down. The hole forming the bearing of the trunnion on the right is
on a movable piece m carried by the plate and which may be made to turn horizontally
on its pivot p. after having actuated, to disengage it, a stop piece m¹ forming latch
or catch. The pivoting of this movable piece results in the disengagement of the
barrel which may thus be withdrawn when it is desired to take the gun to pieces.
The movable breech is composed of two pieces A and B placed the one before
the other, and each having in side view somewhat the shape of a figure 7; their
bent or angle head resting the one upon the other when the gun is closed as at
Figure 1.
The first A is a plate which carries the two small superposed spring firing-pins i,
placed vertically the one under the other and the projecting head of which clamps
the barrels (see Figure 3). When opening the gun this first plate A turns on its
pivot b placed at its lower part while the second B slides and rises to permit the

page_text: pivoting of the first the head of which then places itself beneath the head of the second'
as shown Figure 2. This piece B is completely hollowed out or open like a frame
(see Figure 3), to permit the firing-pins to be reached and it rests upon the block
plate M of the frame which carries the two free pins h, h¹ each of which may play
actuated by their respective hammer C, C¹ each then striking its firing pin i, i to fire-
the gun.
The two firing mechanisms, with concealed cock or hammer, work with the three-
ordinary pieces of locks: the cock C with tumbler notches or bents the main
spring R placed behind the cock and attached to its base by a link or chain C-the
sear 9 yielding to the pressure of the ordinary trigger. But the arrangement of the
superposed barrels brings about the following difference in the two mechanisms,
namely that the cocks come down in opposite directions, that is to say, in the right
hand mechanism, or that of the lower barrel, the pivot of the cock C is at its top.
at u, and it strikes with the head downward, this latter having the tumbler notches,
whereas in the left hand mechanism, or that of the upper barrel, the cock C₁
strikes in the ordinary way, the head upward and its pivot u¹ being towards the
bottom.
:-
The play of the parts of the movable breech, as well as the cocking, is effected hy
the key or lever E, which is simply the trigger guard itself, the pivot of which is
placed at v, inside, between the two mechanisms. By causing this key to pivot in
pushing it forward by its voluted end, firstly the sliding piece B of the movable
breech is made to rise by the aid of a projecting tenon t forming part of this key,
and which has its end engaged in a groove formed at the base of this sliding pieco;;
then, this piece having risen, a projection of the key comes upon the base of the
breech piece carrying the firing pins. This latter then pivots thereby disengaging:
the barrels which may be freely turned down.
While the breech is thus opened the hammers cock under the pressure exerted by
the tongue upon a tenon C³ which each carries at the side, this tongue forming the-
end of the key above its pivot v.
The gun is provided, with an ordinary cartridge extractor 9, with a small sliding
safety apparatus G locking the tumblers which may be actuated by the pushing knob.
or detent o and which also obeys the tongue x of the key which pushes this piece G
to lock the tumblers when the gun is opened. By pushing the stud o the tumblers.
are again set free. The indicating rods f, fare apparent only when the hammers
are cocked as these latter cause them to rise in the cocking movement and to lower
in the uncocking movement as will be readily understood by reference to the
Drawing.
Upon Sheet 2 of the accompanying two sheets of drawing I show certain modi-
fications of the arrangements above described.
Figure 4 being a sectional elevation of my improved gun with these modifications,
the gun being closed, Fig. 5 a similar view with the barrels of the gun dropped down,
and Fig. 6 door or gate detached.
These modifications particularly relate to the arrangement of the firing mechanisms
and that of the key this latter being at the side of the gun, and no longer under the
triggers and forming guard.
The movable breech is also of one piece instead of two.
The following is a description of these modifications.
To drop-down the barrel the key E is actuated causing the bolt to come out of its.
seat or recess e placed upon the door or gate (see Figure 6). The barrel turning
upon the trunnions a drops by its own weight and in this movement the tenon b.
(see Figures 4 and 5) pushes backward the cocker c which then cocks the hammers C
by the aid of the tenons d, d. The cocker is brought back to its first position
directly the barrel is brought up again, by the spiral spring surrounding its rod.
Figure 4 shows the gun cocked and ready for firing and Figure 5 the gun with barrel
dropped down, and the door with hinge O, which closes the barrels when the gun
is in the position shown Figure 4, open; the firing pins i, ¹ are shown on this.
door.

page_text: When the barrel is dropped down as at Figure 2 there is seen projecting the
extractor which will be brought back to its position when the barrel is raised again
by the tenon bearing upon the incline x, x.
The hammers are formed simply of a metallic rod having two stop notches (a safety
notch and a cock notch) and at its other end the fixed tenons d. A spiral spring
surrounds each of the hammers and gives the force required for firing the gun when
the triggers are pulled. The hammers then strike the firing pins i which cause the
explosion of the cartridge. I have still to refer to the safety arrangement.
To cause the discharge the safety knob stud or sliding plate must be brought
backward. This movement of the sliding plate determines by the aid of the lever m
the forward movement of the pieces and liberates the triggers which were keyed by
the pieces before its forward movement.. I shall have concluded this description by
showing that the cocker in cocking the gun actuates the piece n which then passes
slightly beyond the breech and indicates that the gun is cocked. A small spring u
brings back this indicator n to its position when the discharge has taken place. The
end of the indicator n does not then project beyond the breech.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is
:―
1. The type of this novel gun characterised by the arrangement of the two barrels
superposed and pivoting upon trunnions on the working of the key placed either
above or at the side.
2. The movable breech in its action; whether composed of two pieces one of which
rises, and the other, carrying the firing pins pivots actuated by the key; or whether
composed of a single hinged piece, carrying the firing pins, and opening of itself when
the barrel has dropped, substantially as described.
3. The arrangement of the firing mechanisms, whether with hammers; or blocks,
striking the firing pins, the one hammer above its pivot the other below it, or with
hammers each formed of a rod with spring coiled round it, also the entire com-
bination of the parts of the firing mechanisms substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twenty-second day of February 1890.