IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE ARMS to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: I, DAVID BENTLEY, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE ARMS to be as follows:-
"
Whereas in breech-loading guns, cocking as the barrels fall, the hammer is
enclosed and placed entirely out of sight, which renders it difficult to ascertain in
what position the hammer may happen to be, in consequence of its being so
enclosed.
Now the object of my invention is to remedy such defect, and to render the
position of the hammer visible at all times.
I form a curved groove or recess in the lock plate, of sufficient depth to contain
a projection formed on the hammer. The end of this slot or recess is cut away in
order to render the hammer capable of firing the charge in the barrel, in the
usual manner.
The projection of the hammer is fitted into this groove, and is so formed as to
slide therein freely. The hammer is fitted on the shank of the tumbler passing
through the lock plate, and is operated upon in any convenient way, and by
ordinary mechanism.
The hammer, being thus fitted on the lock plate, is at all times visible, and
its exact position can be seen at a glance; thus removing all doubt and uncertainty
in using the gun.
The hammer is placed at cock by the act of dropping the barrel for loading, as
in ordinary self-cocking guns.

page_text: "
"
I DAVID BENTLEY of Aston, near Birmingham in the County of Warwick
IMPROVEMENTS
Gun-maker do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE ARMS and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Whereas in breech loading guns, cocking as the barrels fall, the hammer is
enclosed and placed entirely out of sight; which renders it difficult to ascertain
in what position, the hammer may happen to be, in consequence of its being so
enclosed.
Now the object of my invention is to remedy such defect, and to render the
position of the hammer visible at all times. I form a curved groove or recess in
the lock plate, of sufficient depth to contain a projection formed on the hammer-
The end of this slot or recess is cut away in order to render the hammer capable of
firing the charge in the barrel in the usual manner.
The projection of the hammer is fitted into this groove, and it is so formed as
to slide therein freely. The hammer is fitted on the shank of the tumbler, passing
through the lock plate, and is operated upon in any convenient way, and by
ordinary mechanism.
The hammer being thus fitted on the lock plate, is at all times visible, and its
exact position can be seen at a glance; thus removing all doubt and uncertainty
in using the gun.
The hammer is placed at cock by the act of dropping the barrel for loading, as
in ordinary self-cocking guns.
And in order that my said invention may be clearly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a side view of a portion of a double barrelled breech-loading gun, fitted
in accordance with my invention, shewing the barrels down, and the hammer at
full cock.
Fig 2 is a similar view, shewing the gun closed and the hammer down.
Fig 3 is a side view of the lock plate with the hammer removed Fig 3a being
a section on the line xx of Fig 3.
Fig. 4 is a front view of the hammer, and Fig 5 is a top view of the same.
The groove a is sunk in the lock plate, but does not pass through the plate,
thereby preventing any gas that escapes from a burst cap getting into the lock,
b is the hammer, 61 is the projection formed on the hammer, which, working in
the groove, strikes the striker c and thereby fires the gun-This projection of the
hammer is clearly shewn at b¹ in Figs 4 and 5-The remainder of the haminer,
which is outside the lock plate, is rounded off on all sides, leaving no angular
projections.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
In breech loading guns, cocking as the barrels fall, the application and use of
external hammers having projections formed on them which work in sunk
grooves a, whereby the same are separated from the internal mechanism of the
lock, and the position of the hammers is at all times visible.
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.