IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH- LOADING AND OTHER SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Woodward, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-
LOADING AND OTHER SMALL-ARMS."
aled the 23rd May 1876, and dated the 17th February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Woodward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th February 1876.
THOMAS WOODWARD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING AND OTHER SMALL-ARMS."
My Invention has reference mainly to breech-loading small-arms of the kind
commonly called drop-down guns, and consists principally of the combination or
arrangement of parts herein-after described for effecting the cocking and discharge
of the gun.
My said Invention consists further of a simple safety apparatus for preventing the
accidental discharge of the fire-arm, and of an improvement in rebounding locks for
guns having external and internal cocks or hammers.
The mechanism for cocking and discharging breech-loading small-arms is con-
structed as follows:--The firing of the gun is effected by means of a striker or
sliding bolt contained in a tubular barrel or case, a coiled spring surrounding the
striker urging forward the said striker, when it is at liberty to move with the
required momentum for discharging the gun. The said coiled spring bears at its
rear end against the rear closed end of the tubular barrel or case, and its front end
engages behind a collar or shoulder on the front end of the striker. In a slot in the
base of the barrel or case a sear lever is jointed, one arm of the said lever being
external to the case, and the other arm being within the case, its end working in a
slot in the under side of the case. The inner end of this sear lever is hooked and
engages with a catch on the striker when the latter is drawn back, and thereby
holds the said striker in a cocked position. The said sear lever is pressed upwards
to make its hooked end engage with the catch on the striker by incans of a light
spring. The rear end of the said sear lever is situated immediately over the trigger.
The hand lever, by the depression of which the barrels are unlocked for loading,
carries an arm, the top of which is situated in front of a shoulder on the striker.
When the hand lever is depressed to unlock the barrels, the said arm pushes back
the striker, thereby compressing the coiled spring. The hooked end of the scar
[Price 6d1

page_text: lever is at the same time made by its spring to engage with the catch on the
striker. After the barrels have been loaded and locked by the raising of the hand
lever, the striker is left in its cocked position, the return of the striker on the
raising of the hand lever being prevented in consequence of the hook of the sear
lever retaining it.
In order to discharge the gun it is only necessary to press upon the trigger in the
usual manner, when the sear lever is disengaged from the striker which is urged
forward by the coiled spring and discharges the gun. The barrel or case and
striker may be inserted in their places from the face of the break-off, and a cross
steel slide be passed into a dovetail groove in the said face of the break-off; or the
barrel or case and striker may be inserted from the side of the gun.
A safety apparatus constructed according to my Invention consists of a vertical
pin with a thumb plate at top; the lower end of this pin is flat and is over the sear
lever. When the pin is turned in one direction its lower end crosses the rear end
of the sear lever and prevents its rising, and the gun cannot be discharged. When
turned into another position it does not interfere with the discharge of the gun.
My Invention consists further in the following improvement in constructing
rebounding gun and pistol locks, that is, gun locks in which the hammer after
discharging the gun is made to rebound so as to be retained at half-cock, and
thereby prevent the accidental discharge of the gun when it has been again loaded.
This I effect by inserting a screw pin on the inside of the lock plate, the head of
which screw pin is over the fore part of the main spring. When the gun is dis-
charged the spring strikes against the head of the said screw pin, a slight flexure of
the spring at that part being produced and the hammer which had been carried
forward and had discharged the gun is brought back sufficiently far to be retained
at half-cock.
Instead of the fixed pin for the main spring to strike against, a flat spring nearly
parallel to the main spring may be employed. The main spring on the discharge
of the gun strikes upon the said flat spring which produces the required rebound.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Thomas Woodward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th August
1876.
THOMAS WOODWARD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING AND OTHER SMALL-ARMS."
My Invention has reference mainly to breech-loading small-arms of the kind
commonly called drop-down guns, and consists principally of the combination or
arrangement of parts herein-after described for effecting the cocking and discharge
f the gun.
My said Invention consists further of a simple safety apparatus for preventing
the accidental discharge of the fire-arm, and of an improvement in rebounding
locks for guns having external and internal cocks or hammers.
The mechanism for cocking and discharging breech-loading small-arms is con-
structed as follows:-The firing of the gun is effected by means of a striker or
sliding bolt contained in a tubular barrel or case, a coiled spring surrounding the
striker, urging forward the said striker when it is at liberty to move with the
required momentum for discharging the gun. The said coiled spring bears at its
rear end against the rear closed end of the tubular case, and its front end engages
behind a collar or shoulder on the front end of the striker. In a slot in the base
of the barrel or case a sear lever is jointed, one arm of the said lever being
external to the case, and the other arm being within the case, its end working
in a slot in the under side of the case; or the whole of the sear lever may be
external to the case. The inner end of this scar lever is hooked and engages
with a catch on the striker when the latter is drawn back, and thereby holds

page_text: the said striker in a cocked position. The said sear lever is pressed upwards to
make its hooked end engage with the catch on the striker by means of a light
spring. The rear end of the sear lever is situated immediately over the trigger.
The hand lever by the depression of which the barrels are unlocked for loading
carries an arm, the top of which is situated in front of the shoulder or catch on the
striker. When the hand lever is depressed to unlock the barrels, the said arm
pushes back the striker, thereby compressing the coiled spring. The hooked end of
the sear lever is at the same time made by its spring to engage with the catch on
the striker. After the barrels have been loaded and locked by the raising of the
hand lever the striker is left in its cocked position, the return of the striker on the
raising of the hand lever being prevented in consequence of the hook of the sear
lever retaining it.
In order to discharge the gun it is only necessary to press upon the trigger in the
usual manner, when the scar lever is disengaged from the striker, which is urged
forward by the coiled spring and discharges the gun. The barrel or case and
striker may be inserted in their places from the face of the break-off, and a cross
steel slide be passed into a dovetail or other groove in the said face of the break-off;
or the barrel or case and striker may be inserted from the side of the gun.
A safety apparatus constructed according to my Invention consists of a vertical
pin with a thumb plate at top; the lower end of this pin is flat and is over the sear
lever or trigger. When the pin is turned in one direction its lower end crosses the
rear end of the sear lever or top of the trigger, and prevents its rising and the gun
cannot be discharged. When turned into another position it does not interfere with
the discharge of the gun.
My Invention consists further of the following improvement in constructing
rebounding gun and pistol locks, that is, gun locks in which the hammer after
discharging the gun is made to rebound so as to be retained at half-cock, and
thereby prevent the accidental discharge of the gun when it has been again loaded.
This I effect by inserting a screw pin on the inside of the lock plate, the head of
which screw pin is over the fore part of the main spring. When the gun is dis-
charged the spring strikes against the head of the said screw pin, a slight flexure of
the spring at that part being produced, and the hammer which had been carried
forward and had discharged the gun is brought back sufficiently far to be retained
at half-cock.
Instead of the fixed pin for the mainspring to strike against, a flat spring
nearly parallel to the mainspring may be employed. The mainspring on the
discharge of the gun strikes upon the said flat spring which produces the required
rebound.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe, with
reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in which the same is to bo
performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation the body of a double-barrel breech-loading
drop-down gun, containing cocking and discharging mechanism, indicating mechanism,
and a safety apparatus constructed according to my Invention; Figures 2 and 3 are
longitudinal vertical sections of the same, Figure 2 representing the cocking and
discharging mechanism in its cocked or withdrawn position, and Figure 3 the same
in its discharged position; in Figure 2 the section is taken through the middle of
the body, and in Figure 3 the section is taken through one of the tubular cases
containing the striker or discharging bolt of the gun; Figure 4 represents a plan of
the same, and Figure 5 the same, partly in horizontal section, the mechanism being
in its cocked position; Figure 6 is a cross section of the same; and Figure 7 is an
elevation of the body, taken at the back face of the break-off, and exhibits the
recessed parts in which the cocking and discharging mechanism is situated; Figure 8
is a modification of this part of my Invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1 to S, both
inclusive, of the accompanying Drawings.
a, a, are the tubular barrels or cases in which the strikers or sliding bolts b, b, by.

page_text: which the gun is discharged are contained, a strong coiled spring c around each
striker urging it forward when at liberty to move, the acting end or nose of the
striker passing through a hole in the face of the break-off to act upon the cartridge.
The coiled spring c of the striker bears at one end against the closed rear end of the
tubular case a, and at the other end against a shoulder near the front end of the
striker, as seen in the sections, Figures 2, 3, and 5. Jointed at de to the inner side
of cach tubular case a is a sear lever d, d; the inner end d of each sear lever is
looked and the rear end is situated immediately over the shoulder e on the
trigger f; a light spring g (best seen in Figure 6) presses upon the rear end d¹ of
the sear lever d, d¹, and raises its opposite or hooked end d. At the front end of
each striker b and on the side thereof is a catch or projection h working in a slot a²
in the inner side of the tubular case a; these catches have the functions herein-
after pointed out, and their upper and lower faces have the cam-like or curved
figures shown in the Drawing. i,, is the hand lever by which the barrels of the
gun are locked down and unlocked and the cocking mechanism brought into action;
the upper arm i of the said hand lever passes through and works the sliding
bolt, and the extreme upper end of the said arm i is situated at the front of
the two catches or projections h, h, on the strikers b, b, (see the horizontal section,
Figure 5).
n
When the gun has been discharged, as illustrated in Figure 3, the catches h, h,
are nearly in contact with the top of the arm i of the hand lever, and by depressing
the handle or thumb plate of the said lever, as indicated in dotted lines in
Figure 2, the short arm i acting against the projections or catches h,,h, on the
strikers pushes back the said strikers into the position represented in Figures 1, 2,
and 5, and compresses the coiled springs c, c, around the said strikers; as the said
strikers b, b, are pushed back the curved bottoms or cam-like faces of the catches h, h,
bear against the curved noses of the hooked ends d, d, of the sear levers d, d', d, d',
and depress the hooked ends; and when the strikers have been pushed back or
withdrawn to their full extent the hooks of the said sear levers are pressed upwards
by the light springs g,g, at their rear ends and made to engage with the catchies h, h,
of the strikers, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 5, and the strikers are thereby
held in their cocked positions. The gun having been reloaded, the hand lever i, i,
is restored to its normal position, so as to shoot the bolt k when the barrels are
locked down and the gun is ready for discharge, the strikers b, b, being left in their
cocked positions by the retaining sear levers d, d', d, d¹. To discharge the each
trigger fis pressed in the usual manner; when the trigger f is pressed its projecting
rear part or shoulder e raises the rear end d₁ of the sear lever under which it is
situated and depresses the hooked end d; the said hooked end is thereby liberated
from the catch or projection h of the striker b, which striker is urged forward by
the coiled spring cand discharges the gun, the several parts now occupying the
respective positions represented in Figure 3.
gun
The tubular barrels or cases a, a, containing the strikers b, b, and carrying the
sear levers d, d', are inserted in their places in the body from the face of the
break-off p, through an opening or groove in the said break-off, and are firmly held
in their places by a cross steel slide 9 passed into the said opening or groove in the
face of the break-off, as represented in the several Figures of the Drawing; or
each tubular barrel or case carrying the striker and sear lever may be secured to
the inner side of a plate and the said plate be fixed to the side of the body. This
modification is illustrated in front and side elevation in Figure 8, where the plate
carrying the tubular barrel or case and sear lever is marked 1, the said plate r
being fixed to the side of the body by screws.
In order to indicate whether the barrels of the gun are either loaded or have
been discharged I combine with the cocking mechanism indicators marked l, l.
These indicators, when the barrels are loaded and the strikers are in their cocked
position, project above the tang m of the break-off, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6;
but when the barrels have been discharged the said indicators , l, are flush with
the said tang, as shown in Figure 3. The said indicators work in tubular cases

page_text: ,, and when unsupported are pressed down by coiled springs bearing against
shoulders on the said indicators. The bottoms of the said indicators are rounded."
When the strikers b, b, are pushed back for cocking them by the action of the
hand lever i, i, the curved upper faces of the catches h, h, of the said strikers act
against the rounded ends of the indicators I, 1, and raise the said indicators into
the position represented in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 6, and maintain them in that
position so long as the gun is not discharged. On the discharge of one of the
barrels the striker of that barrel being urged forward by its spring, its catch or
projection is removed from under the indicator, which is pressed down by its
coiled spring, and indicates that the barrel in a line with the said indicator has
been discharged. The same action takes place when the other barrel is discharged.
The safety apparatus of the gun consists of a jointed pin or lever n, n², turning
on the centre ns. The thumb-plate end n, when the safety apparatus is not in
action, lies on the tang n, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, its acting inner arm n²
occupying a recess in the said tang. When it is required to prevent the discharge
of the gun the safety apparatus n, n², is lifted into the position represented in
Figure 2. The lower arm n² is thereby made to cross the tops of the prolonged
parts or shoulders e of the triggers f and prevent the rising of the said triggers
and the discharge of the gun; or the lower arm n² of the safety apparatus may be
made to cross the rear ends of the sear levers d, d', with like effect.
A spring
as represented firmly holds the safety apparatus in its acting and non-acting
positions.
Although I have only represented this part of my Invention in connection with
n double-barrel gun, yet this part of my Invention is equally applicable to single-
barrel guns.
Figures 9 and 10 represent elevations of a rebounding lock constructed according
to my Invention; Figure 9 representing the mainspring in its expanded state, and
Figure 10 the same in its compressed state.
is the mainspring of the lock, and b is the screw or other pin fixed on the
under side of the lock plate c, the head of the said pin b being situated over the
front part of the said spring a, that is, over the end of that leg or side of the
mainspring which is connected to the swivel of the tumbler. When the gun or
pistol is discharged the mainspring a strikes against the head of the pin b, as
shown in Figure 9, and a slight flexure of the spring at that part is produced, and
the hammer which had been carried forward by the action of the said mainspring
is brought back sufficiently far to be retained at half cock by the return of the
mainspring to its normal figure.
The same result may be obtained by using a flat spring instead of a fixed pin for
the mainspring to strike against. This modification is represented in Figure 11,
and the flat spring detached in Figure 12. The said flat spring is marked e, and is
situated nearly parallel to the mainspring a. The free end of this flat spring e
bears on the mainspring a at the same point as the fixed pin b herein-before
described, and the action is essentially the same as when a fixed pin is used. The
parts of the locks Figures 9, 10, and 11, which I have not described are of the
ordinary kind, and constitute no part of my Invention.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention
of improvements in breech-loading and other small-arms,-
First. The construction and combination of parts of mechanism hercin-before
described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 8, both inclusive of the accompanying
Drawings, for cocking and discharging drop-down guns, that is to say, the com-
bination of the tubular barrel or case a (or barrels or cases), striker 6 (urged
forward by a coiled spring, and provided with a catch or projecting part h), and
hooked sear lever d, d, with the hand lever i, 2, by which the barrel or barrels is

page_text: or are locked and unlocked, the said parts being constructed and arranged and
working, substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The construction of and arrangement of parts for working the
indicators 1,., of the gun.
Thirdly. The construction of the safety apparatus n, n, n³, herein-before
described and illustrated, for preventing the accidental discharge of the gun.
Lastly. The improvement in rebounding locks herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to
say, giving the rebound to the hammer after it has discharged the gun or pistol by
causing the fore part of the mainspring to strike against a fixed pin or the free
end of a flat spring nearly parallel to the mainspring so as to effect a slight
flexure of the said mainspring at the point where it strikes the said pin or flat
spring, the return of the mainspring to its normal figure causing the rebound of
the hammer.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Woodward, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
THOMAS WOODWARD. (L.S.)