Improvements in or connected with Breech-loading Small Arms.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Breech-loading Small Arms.
I, THOMAS SOUTHGATE, of 6 Burton Crescent in the County of London
Gunmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to drop down double guns and rifles, preferably to those
with side locks and which are cocked on the lowering of the barrels by cocking
arms passing through the action from the locks to the forepart, and pivotted in the
action under the front ends of the lock plates, in such manner that when the gun
is opened the front ends of the cocking arms are depressed and the back ends
raised, lifting the tumblers or hammers into cock; as well as to safety mechanism for
preventing the second barrel from being "jarred off."
In order to fit my ejector improvements, I employ the following limbs :-A pair
of ejecting tumblers and springs; a pair of ejector arms and springs; and the ordinary
split extractor.
The ejector tumblers are pivotted in the knuckle of the forepart with springs to
actuate them at the proper time; the ejector arms are pivotted in the action, the
arm springs may be attached to the ejector arms or other convenient part.
In fitting the ejector tumblers to the forepart, a hole is drilled crosswise through
the knuckle of the said forepart near or below its centre; through this hole a pin
is fitted, on which the ejector tumblers are pivotted, the centre ends of ejector
tumblers passing through a slot in the forepart, reaching the extractors which they
actuate.
The outer or side ends of the said ejector tumblers pass through the forepart to
the inner surface of the knuckle in such manner that they stand opposite the free
ends of the ejector arms pivotted in the action; the ejector arms are pivotted at
their back ends at a convenient distance behind the cocking arm pivots, the front
ends being free to move up and down on their said pivots, the free ends reaching
the knuckle of the action, beyond which they project a convenient distance when
in their lower positions, but when the said arms are up they are within the surface
of the knuckle and out of action and kept in position by their springs; the said
ejector arms are placed by the side of the cocking arms with lips or projections
underlying the said cocking arms in such manner that when the hammers fall on
the pulling of the triggers and bring the cocking arms down (the said cocking arms
bearing on the underlying lips or projections on the ejector arms) bring down the
ejector arms to their lower position with their free ends projecting beyond the
knuckle of the action, opposite the outer or side ends of the ejector tumblers in
the forepart, in such manner that when the gun is opened, the free ends of the
ejector arms press against the outer or side ends of the ejector tumblers; until the
gun is opened sufficiently to allow the cartridges to pass over the top of the action,
at which time the ejector arms have pressed back the ejector tumblers the required
distance for the ejector springs to pass over the dead points of the said tumblers;
the springs are allowed to act and the long or centre ends of the ejector. tumblers
striking the extractor legs, the cartridges are ejected in the usual way and the gun
is cocked; the now altered position of the ejector tumblers frees the ejector arms,
which actuated by their springs fly up to their inactive position beneath or within
the surface of the knuckle of the action, where they remain held up by their
springs. On the closing of the gun the ejector tumblers are forced back and their
springs cramped as before, but the ejector arms and the cocking arms remain up until
the gun is fired, when the falling of the hammer causes the ejecting mechanism to
act as before described.

page_text: If one barrel is fired, only one side acts, the other remaining inactive until
fired.
In order to prevent the second barrel from being discharged by the sear being
jarred out of the bent on the firing of the first barrel I provide what I may call a
"double safety" for the locks, acting on both sear and tumbler, this safety is
pivotted near the top of the lock plate over the end of the scar tail, and has two
arms, one extending downwards a convenient distance below the sear tail reaching
the trigger blade and the other extending forward to the hammer head or tumbler,
a spring keeps the lower arm pressed against the back of the sear tail and the upper
arm pressed upwards to engage in a catch in or on the hammer head or tumbler, in
such manner that when the hammer is raised to full cock the lower arm of the safety
locks over the upper surface of the sear tail and the upper arm locks the hammer
or tumbler; the bottom of the lower arm of safety is sloped and is in contact with
the sloped top of trigger blade in such manner that when the trigger is pulled the
lower arm of safety is pushed backwards from over the sear tail and the upper arm
drawn downwards from the catch on the hammer or tumbler, the trigger now
reaching the sear tail, and the sear and tumbler having been released the lock may
be pulled off and the gun fired in the usual way.
די
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Breech-loading Small Arms.
I, THOMAS SOUTHGATE of 6 Burton Crescent, in the County of London, Gun
Maker, 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 drop down double guns and rifles, preferably to those
with side locks, and wherein the locks are cocked on the lowering of the barrels
by cocking arms or levers passing through the action from the locks to the
forepart. The cocking arms are pivoted in the action under the front ends of
lock plates, in such manner that when the gun is opened, the front ends of the
cocking arms or levers are depressed and the back ends raised, lifting the tumblers
or hammers into cock.
Now my present invention consists in applying to such guns improved ejector
devices composed of a pair of ejecting tumblers and springs, a pair of ejector
arms and springs, and the ordinary split extractor; and by my invention I also
provide means to prevent the second barrel from being discharged by the sear
being jarred out of bent on the firing of the first barrel, all as hereafter described
swith reference to the accompanying drawings whereon similar letters of reference
indicate like parts in the several figures.
Fig. 1 shows in sectional elevation the extractor and lock mechanism constructed
according to my invention, the gun being shown in the cocked position.
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in the fired position.
Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of the forepart detached, and showing one ejector
tumbler and spring in position the other ejector tumbler and spring having been
removed.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the ejector tumblers, its spring and ejector
arın, these parts being shown in the relative positions they would have after
firing.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the safety locking devices, the lock being
shown in the cocked position.

page_text: According to my invention the ejector tumblers A are pivoted in the knuckle B
of the forepart C with actuating springs D; the ejector arms E are pivoted in the
action, and are provided with springs F attached to or formed in a piece with the
said ejector arms E as shown, or attached to the action and acting on the said
arms E, all as found most convenient.
For conveniently fitting the ejector tumblers A to the forepart C, a hole is
drilled crosswise through the knuckle B of the said forepart, and through this hole
a pin A is fitted, on which the ejector tumblers A are pivoted. The centre
ends A³, of ejector tumblers pass through a slot in the forepart, extending to the
extractor legs, which they actuate at proper times as hereafter described; the
outer or side ends marked A³ of the said ejector tumblers pass through the forepart
to the inner surface of the knuckle B in such manner that they stand opposite the
free ends of the aforesaid ejector arms E.
These ejector arms E are pivoted at E' to the action at their rearward ends a
convenient distance behind the pivots G¹, of the cocking arms G, the front ends of
the arms E being free to move up and down. The forward ends of the ejector
arms E reach the knuckle of the action, beyond which they project a convenient
distance when in their lower position (that is, when the gun has been fired as at
Fig. 2) but when the said arms are up (as at Fig. 1) they are within the surface of
the knuckle and out of action, being kept in position by their springs. The ejector
arms E are placed by the side of the cocking arms G and are formed with lips or
projections E2 situated behind the fulcrum of the cocking levers or arms G, and
underlying the same, so that the hammers H falling (on the pulling of the triggers)
bring the rear ends of the cocking arms G down on the underlying lips or pro-
jections E³, causing the ejector arms to assume their lower positions, as shown at
Figs. 2 and 4 with their free or forward ends projecting beyond the knuckle of the
action opposite the outer or.side ends of the ejector tumblers A in the forepart, in
such manner that when the gun is opened, the free ends of the ejector arms E
press against the outer or side. ends A of the ejector tumblers, until the gun is
opened sufficiently to allow the cartridges to pass over the top of the action; the
ejector arms E having thus pressed back the ejector tumblers the required distance
for the ejector springs D to pass over the dead points of the said tumblers, the
springs D are allowed to act, and the long or centre ends A² of the ejector
tumblers striking the extractor legs, the cartridges are ejected in the usual way
and the gun is cocked.
•
The now altered position of the ejector tumblers A frees the ejector arms E,
which, actuated by their springs F, fly up to their inactive positions, Fig. 1,
beneath or within the surface of the knuckle of the action, where they remain.
On the closing of the gun the ejector tumblers A are forced back and their
springs D cramped as before, but the ejector arms E and the cocking arms G
remain up until the gun is fired, when the falling of the hammer causes the
ejecting mechanism to act as before described. As there is a separate set of
ejecting mechanism for each barrel, it will be understood that if one barrel is
fired only one side acts, the other remaining inactive until the gun has been fired.
In order to prevent the second barrel from being discharged by the sear being
jarred out of the bent on the firing of the first barrel or from other cause
provide a double safety device for the locks, which acts on both sear and tumbler.
This safety device consists of a two armed lever J J¹ pivoted on to the lock plate,
one arm J extending downwards a convenient distance below the sear trail K,
and the other arm extending forward to the hammer head or tumbler. L is a
spring to retain the lower arm J against the back of sear tail K and the upper
arm J pressed upwards to engage in a catch H' in or on the hammer head or
tumbler, in such manner that when the hammer is raised to full cock as at Figs. 1
and 4, the notch or projecting part of the lower arm J of safety device, locks
over the upper surface of the sear tail, and the upper arm J¹ locks the hammer
or tumbler. The under side of the lower arm J of safety is sloped and is in
contact with a suitably sloped top of trigger blade, whereby when the trigger is

page_text: pulled, the lower arm J is pushed backwards from over the sear tail, and the
upper arm J¹ drawn downwards from the catch'H'on the hammer or tumbler,
the trigger now reaching the sear tail. The lock may be pulled off and the gun
fired in the usual way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declaro that what I
-claim is :-
.
1. In drop down breech-loading small arms, the ejector devices composed of a
pair of split extractors, in combination with a pair of ejecting tumblers A pivoted
in the fore part to act on the extractors, a pair of springs D in the fore part to
act on the ejecting tumblers A, a pair of ejector arms E pivoted in the action
and springs F therefor, and cocking levers G whereby when the gun is fired the
cocking levers G set the ejector arms E in position to act on and release the
ejecting tumblers, operate the extractors, and eject the cartridge or cartridges
of the fired barrel or barrels upon the opening of the gun, the ejecting tumbler
or tumblers being again cocked upon the gun being closed, all substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
2. In drop-down breech-loading small arms, a two-armed safety lever J J
pivoted to the lock plate or other fixed part, the arm J¹ thereof engaging with a
catch H in or on the hammer, and the arm J having a notch or projection
engaging the sear, when the gun is cocked, a spring L for normally holding and
placing the lever J J' in its retaining position, and a suitably shaped or sloped
part on the lower arm J to be acted upon by the trigger blade for releasing the
safety device, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
3. In drop-down breech-loading small arms, the ejector devices composed of a
pair of split extractors, a pair of ejecting tumblers A pivotted in the fore-part,
a pair of springs D for the tumblers A, a pair of ejector arms E pivotted in the
.action, and acted on by cocking levers G and springs F for the ejector arms E,
in combination with the safety device, composed of a two armed lever J J' pivoted
to the lock plate and engaging both the sear tail and the hammer, when the gun is
cocked, being thrown out of engagement by pressure of the trigger, and returned
and held to engagement by a spring when the gun.is again.cocked, all substantially
as and for the purposes herein described.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1894.