Improvements in Drop-down Guns and Rifles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drop-down Guns and Rifles.
I, JAMES WILLIAM SMALLMAN, of Camp Hill Grange, near Nuneaton, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to single-trigger double-barrel drop-down guns and rifles.
In single-trigger mechanism as ordinarily constructed, it is necessary, after
pulling the trigger to fire the first barrel, to allow the trigger to return to its normal
position before the second barrel can be fired by again pulling the trigger. Some
sportsmen, after they have pulled the trigger to fire the first barrel, pull the trigger
again to fire the second barrel before the mechanism is in engagement with the
second lock; considerable waste of time resulting, as the trigger must be allowed to
return to its normal position and once more pulled before the second barrel can be
fired.
In mechanism made according to my invention, the trigger is pulled to fire the
first barrel, and, after an interval, the upward movement of the trigger can be con-
tinued to fire the second barrel, but the trigger does not return between the firing
of the two barrels. All the sportsman has to do in rapid firing is to pull the trigger
twice. He can not inadvertently prevent the mechanism going into engagement
with the second lock. The mechanism is, however, so constructed that the second
barrel can not be fired by an involuntary pull on the trigger due to the recoil
arising from the firing of the first barrel.
The first pull on the trigger causes the trigger-blade to act on the sear and the
safety-sear pertaining to the first lock. The trigger-blade then comes into engage-
ment with a catch, which arrests the further upward movement of the trigger.
The catch then moves on, and, at the end of its movement, frees the trigger, where-
upon a second pull on the trigger causes the trigger-blade to act on the sear and
the safety-sear pertaining to the second lock.
In one way of carrying my invention into effect, a lever pivoted to the trigger-
plate is jointed to a bar lying alongside the trigger-blade. The fastening bolt acts
on the lever and forces back the bar a considerable distance. A spring acting on
the lever or on the bar tends to urge said bar forward. Directly the first lock is
released, the trigger-blade comes into contact with the bar, which then moves
forward and frees the trigger at the end of its forward movement, whereupon the
second lock can be released by again pulling the trigger. Until the first lock has
been released, the bar may be held back by the first sear or safety-sear.
trigger may be pressed upward by a spring screwed to the trigger-plate.
The
It will be obvious that my invention may be carried out in other ways, and I do
not therefore limit myself to any particular details of construction.
Dated the 0th do of Wah 1907

page_text: Improvements in Drop-down Guns and Rifles.
I, JAMES WILLIAM SMALLMAN, of Camp Hill Grange, near Nuneaton, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to single-trigger double-barrel drop-down guns and rifles.
In single-trigger mechanism as ordinarily constructed, it is necessary, after
pulling the trigger to fire the first barrel, to allow the trigger to return to its normal
position before the second barrel can be fired by again pulling the trigger. Some
sportsmen, after they have pulled the trigger to fire the first barrel, pull the trigger
again to fire the second barrel before the mechanism is in engagement with the
second lock; considerable waste of time resulting, as the trigger must be allowed to
return to its normal position and once more pulled before the second barrel can be
fired.
In mechanism made according to my invention, the trigger is pulled to fire the
first barrel, and, after an interval, the upward movement of the trigger can be
continued to fire the second barrel, but the trigger does not (or need not) return
between the firing of the two barrels. All the sportsman has to do in rapid firing
is to pull the trigger twice. He can not inadvertently prevent the mechanism
going into engagement with the second lock. The mechanism is, however, so con-
structed that the second barrel can not be fired by an involuntary pull on the trigger
due to the recoil arising from the firing of the first barrel.
The first pull on the trigger causes the trigger-blade to act on the sear and the
safety-sear pertaining to the first lock. The trigger-blade then comes into engagement
with a catch, which arrests the further upward movement of the trigger. The catch
then moves on, and, at the end of its movement, frees the trigger, whereupon a
pull on the trigger causes the trigger-blade to act on the sear and the safety-sear
pertaining to the second lock.
In one way of carrying my invention into effect, a lever pivoted to the trigger-
plate is jointed to a bar lying alongside the trigger-blade. The fastening bolt acts
on the lever and forces back the bar a considerable distance. A spring acting on
the lever tends to urge said bar forward. Directly the first lock is released, the
trigger-blade comes into contact with the bar, which then moves forward and frees
the trigger at the end of its forward movement, whereupon the second lock can be
released by again pulling the trigger. Until the first lock has been released, the
bar may be held back by the first sear or safety-sear. The trigger may be pressed
upward by a spring screwed to the trigger-plate.
The accompanying drawings illustrate how my invention may be applied to an
ordinary hammerless gun.
Figs. 1 to 12 refer to one construction, Figs. 13 to 18 to a modification and
Figs. 19 to 21 to another modification.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing my improved single-trigger mechanism and
also the action-body of the gun; said mechanism being in position for firing the
first barrel.
Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan.
In Fig. 3, the single-trigger mechanism is in position for firing the second barrel.
Fig. 4 is a plan corresponding with Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the lever and bar.
T
1:1

page_text: e.
spring (not shown in the drawings) to lower the tail in order to take the trigger
back to its normal position ready for the safety-bolt K to be moved into the path of
the part
The involuntary pull due to the recoil arising from the firing of the
first barrel occurs before the part of the bar has had time to reach the
depression e, and therefore it is impossible for the involuntary pull to release
the second lock. An inadvertently prolonged pull on the trigger might cause the
trigger-blade to act as a brake on the moving bar, but would not prevent the
mechanism going into engagement with the second lock.
m is a spring screwed
to the trigger-plate C. Its free end engages in a hole m¹ in the trigger-blade.
This spring is not essential and may be dispensed with; but it corresponds with
the ordinary trigger-spring used in guns with two triggers.
The lever A should be permanently jointed to the bar Das illustrated in Fig. 7.
The pin a is screwed into the lever A and riveted. The head of the pin is then
filed down level with the bar D (see Fig. 6). The slot through the lump c on the
trigger-plate is large enough for the lever A to pass through when the parts are
being assembled.
In Fig. 13, a lever A¹ is pivoted on a pin B¹ in the top strap J. A bar D¹, with
which the free end of the lever A¹ engages, slides beneath the pivot-pin c¹ of the
trigger E its end working in a guide g¹. The lever-spring G is screwed to
the back of the action-body. An arm a on the lever A' lies behind a stud K* on
the safety-bolt.
By turning the lever preparatively to opening the breech, the safety-bolt is
forced back and the stud K* acts on the arm a and causes the lever A¹ to turn on
the pivot B. The lever A¹ takes back. the bar D¹ just as far as the lever A takes back
the bar D. The bar D¹ is also 'taken back at the same time as the bar D; namely,
while the fastening bolt is being withdrawn. When the thumb-slide K' is pushed
forward, the safety-bolt K is moved out of the path of the part e and the stud K*
out of the way of the arm a. In other respects, the description given of the
mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 to 12 applies to the modified mechanism illustrated
in Figs. 13 to 18.
In the modification shown in Figs. 19 to 21, there is no depression e* and the
end of the slide D* comes out of the guide g at the termination of the forward
movement of the bar. The first sear (omitted in Fig. 19) is raised by the blade of
the trigger as in the previous constructions. But the tail of the second sear does
not extend to the trigger-blade. That tail lies over the bar D and is level with the
tail of the first sear. When the parts are in the position represented in Fig. 19,
a pull on the trigger EX causes the part e¹ of the trigger-blade to bear against the
part d' of the bar D, the bar turning on the pin a and raising the tail h¹, thereby
releasing the second lock.
By altering the shape of the aperture in the trigger-blade, as indicated by the
dotted line in Fig. 21, the part d' of the bar 1 can (while the bar moves forward)
be made to take the trigger back to its normal position.
It will be obvious that my invention may be carried out in other ways, and I do
not therefore limit myself to any particular details of construction.-
An important feature of my invention is that the trigger mechanism goes into
position for firing the second barrel without requiring a voluntary forward move-
ment of the finger.
Another important feature of my invention is that by the simple expedient of
causing part of the trigger mechanism to move back a considerable distance, the
premature discharge of the second barrel owing to an involuntary pull is prevented.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism operating sub-
stantially as described.
2. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism in which if the

page_text: pressure on the trigger be inadvertently prolonged after the firing of the first barrel
the mechanism is not prevented from going into engagement with the second lock
and in which the second barrel can not be fired by an involuntary pull on the trigger
due to the recoil arising from the firing of the first barrel, substantially as described.
3. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism in which the second
barrel can not be fired by an involuntary pull on the trigger due to the recoil
arising from the firing of the first barrel and in which the trigger does not return
to its normal position between the firing of the two barrels, substantially as
described.
4. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism in which when the
trigger is pulled to fire the first barrel the upward movement of the trigger is
arrested substantially as described until the involuntary pull due to the recoil has
taken place, whereupon said upward movement can be continued to fire the second
barrel.
5. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism in which when the
trigger is pulled to fire the first barrel the upward movement of the trigger is
arrested by a catch substantially as described but can after the involuntary pull
has taken place be continued to fire the second barrel.
6. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism in which directly
the first lock is released the trigger-blade comes into contact with a catch which
then moves on while the involuntary pull takes place and at the end of its move-
ment frees the trigger whereupon the second lock can be released by again pulling
the trigger, substantially as described.
7. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism in which, when the
fastening lever is turned preparatively to opening the breech, a part is forced back-
ward a considerable distance, said part moving forward after the first pull of the
trigger, the involuntary pull being guarded against owing to the considerable
distance through which the said part has to move before the mechanism has arrived
in position for firing the second barrel, substantially as described.
8. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism in which, when the
fastening lever is turned preparatively to opening the breech, a part is forced back-
ward a considerable distance and prior to the firing of the first barrel is held in its
backward position by the sear or safety-sear of the first lock, said part moving
forward after the first pull of the trigger, the involuntary pull being guarded.
against owing to the considerable distance through which the said part has to move
before the mechanism is ready to fire the second barrel, substantially as described.
9. In drop-down guns and rifles fitted with single-trigger mechanism com-
prising a part which occupies two positions, the first position prior to the firing of
the first barrel and the second position when the mechanism arrives in place for
firing the second barrel, employing a lever between said part and the fastening
mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10. In single-trigger mechanism for drop-down guns and rifles, the employment
of a movable part held back by a sear or safety-sear and released independently
of the return movement of the trigger, substantially as described.
11. In single-trigger mechanism for drop-down guns and rifles, the employment
of a movable part held back by the sear or safety-sear of the first lock until that
lock has been released, said part being urged forward by a spring prior to the
return movement of the trigger; substantially as described.
12. In single-trigger mechanism for drop-down guns and rifles, the combination
of a lever A, a bar D, a tail h and a trigger E, substantially as set forth.
13. In single-trigger mechanism for drop-down guns and rifles, the combination
of a fastening bolt, a lever A, a bar D, a tail h, a trigger E and a safety-bolt, sub-
stantially as set forth.
14. In single-trigger mechanism for drop-down guns and rifles, the combination
of a lever A, a bar D, a projection d, a tail h, a trigger E and a tumbler, sub-
stantially as set forth.
15. In single-trigger mechanism for drop-down guns and rifles, the combination

page_text: of a lever A, a spring G, a bar D, a guide g, a projection d, a tail h and a trigger E,
substantially as set forth.
16. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism substantially as
illustrated in Figs. 1 to 12 of the accompanying drawings.
17. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism substantially as
illustrated in Figs. 13 to 18 of the accompanying drawings.
18. For drop-down guns and rifles, single-trigger mechanism substantially as
illustrated in Figs. 19 to 21 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 11th day of December 1897.
JAMES W. SMALLMAN.