AN IMPROVEMENT OR ATY STATUE
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Hinton, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Gun-action Filer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
ATY STATUETAK ST
Sealed the 12th April 1864, and dated the 21st October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Hinton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
October 1863.
I, JOSEPH HINTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun-action
Filer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
OR IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms, in which the breech ends
of the barrels are opened and closed by the barrels turning on a joint in a
vertical plane, the open ends of the barrels fitting against the face of the
break-off when the gun is ready for discharge, and rising above the break-off
when they are about to be charged..
My Invention consists of the improvement or improvements herein-after
explained in fixing or locking down the barrels during discharge and unlocking
or liberating them for charging. For the purpose of locking and unlocking
the barrels I insert a horizontal shaft or axis in a hole in the break-off, the
said axis being parallel with the face of the break-off. The said axis projects

page_text: from the break-off at one side and the projecting end has a lever or thumb
plate by which a motion of partial rotation can be given to it. The upper side
of the axis carries a curved bolt the end of which works through a hole in the
face of the break-off and can be made to enter or be withdrawn from a hole
or recess in the end of the rib between the barrels. A spring at the back of
the break-off presses the said bolt into the recess in the rib. The top of the
said bolt is inclined so that when the barrels are shut down they press back
the said bolt until the recess in the rib comes opposite to the end of the bolt,
when it springs into the said recess and fastens down the barrels. In order to
liberate the barrels it is only necessary to press back the thumb plate of the
axis, when the bolt is withdrawn into the break-off and the barrels are free
to turn upon their joint.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Hinton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
HINTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun-action Filer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Hinton, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Hinton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Hinton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Hinton, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Hinton, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention relates to breech-loading fire-arms, in which the breech ends
of the barrels are opened and closed by the barrels turning on a joint in a
vertical plane, the open ends of the barrels fitting against the face of the
break-off when the gun is ready for discharge, and rising above the break-off*
when they are about to be charged.
My Invention consists of the improvement or improvements berein-after
explained in fixing or locking down the barrels during discharge and unlocking
or liberating them for charging. For the purpose of locking and unlocking
the barrels I insert a horizontal shaft or axis in a hole in the break-off, the
said axis being parallel with the face of the break-off. The said axis projects
from the break-off at one side and the projecting end has a lever or thumb
plate by which a motion of partial rotation can be given to it. The upper side
of the axis carries a curved bolt the end of which works through a hole in the
face of the break-off' and can be made to enter or be withdrawn from a hole
or recess in the end of the rib between the barrels. A spring at the back of
the break-off presses the said bolt into the recess in the rib. The top of the
said bolt is inclined so that when the barrels are shut down they press back
the said bolt until the recess in the rib comes opposite to the end of the bolt,
when it springs into the said recess and fastens down the barrels. In order
to liberate the barrels it is only necessary to press back the thumb plate of the
axis, when the bolt is withdrawn into the break-off and the barrels are free
to turn upon their joint. Instead of withdrawing the curved bolt by pressing
a thumb plate at the side of the gun the said bolt may be withdrawn by
pressure upon a thumb plate situated on the tang of the break-off.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in which the same
is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a double-barrelled breech-loading gun
of the kind described, the bolting mechanism of which is constructed
according to my Invention, the barrels of the said gun being bolted or fixed
down ready for firing; Figure 2 represents a portion of the same in vertical
longitudinal section, and Figures 3 and 4 represent parts of my Invention
as herein-after described. The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures
1, 2, 3, and 4.
The barrels a turn in a vertical plane upon the joint pin b as is usual; c is

page_text: the break-off against the face of which the breech ends of the barrels a are
held during discharge, and from which the said breech ends are raised for
loading. In a hole in the break-off' c, and parallel with its face, a horizontal
axis or shaft d (shown separately in Figure 3) works, on the square eud d² of
which axis a curved bolt e is fixed by the screw (see Figure 2). The
curved bolt is shown separately in side elevation and elevations of opposite
ends in Figure 4. The axis & projects from the break-off c at one side, and
the projecting end is provided with a lever or thumb plate g at the side of the
gun by which a motion of partial rotation can be given to the said axis.
The upper curved or hooked end of the bolt e works.through a hole h in the
face of the break-off c, and enters when the barrels are shut down a curved
.recess i in the end of the rib & between the barrels a, and fastens down the
said barrels as represented in Figure 2. The lower side of the recess i has
the same curvature as the lower side of the hooked end of the bolt e. At the
back of the break-off is a spring 1, the free end of which bears upon the back
of the bolte and presses the curved end of the bolt into the recess i when,
the barrels are shut down or projects the said curved end beyond the face of
the break-off when the barrels are lifted from the said break-off. In order
to liberate the barrels it is only necessary to press back the thumb plate g
into the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, when
lifted into the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, and
end of the said bolt withdrawn from the recess i in the barrels a.
are thus released and their breech ends can be lifted from the break-off'
for loading. The barrels having been lifted from the break-off the thumb is
removed from the lever or thumb plate g, when the curved end of the bolt is
projected from the face of the break-off by the spring 7. After the intro-
duction of the charges into the breech ends of the barrels the barrels are shut
down. In shutting down the barrels their breech ends strike against the nose
of the hooked bolt e and press the said bolt back into the break-off' c until
the recess in the rib comes opposite the end of the said bolt, when it
springs into the said recess and fastens down the barrels as represented in
Figure 2.
the bolt e is
the hooked
The barrels
Figure 5 represents in longitudinal vertical section a modification of my
Invention in which the curved bolt is withdrawn by pressure upon a lever or
thumb plate situated on the tang of the break-off.
In this arrangement I
make a tail piece on the curved bolt e below the axis or shaft d to which
the said bolt is fixed, upon which tail piece the end of the longer arm g³ of
the bent lever g, g, bears. On the tang h of the break-off c is a thumb
plate or lever i, the lower side of which lever bears upon the short arm g of

page_text: the lever g, g. By depressing the thumb plate i the end of the arm g* is
made to press upon the said tail piece e depressing the said tail piece and
raising the bolt e so as to withdraw the hooked end from the recess / in the
rib between the barrels a. On removing the thumb from the plate i the
parts are made to assume the respective positions represented by the action
of the spring k.
In applying my Invention to single-barrelled guns
bolt described engages in a recess made between the
edge of the single barrel.
the curved or hooked
chamber and the top
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, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my
Invention the improvement or improvements herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing in breech-loading fire-arms commonly
called drop-down guns, or guns in which the barrels turn in a vertical plane
upon a joint on the fore part of the body, that is to say, fixing or locking down
the barrels of the said guns by means of a curved or hooked bolt of the kind
described and represented, engaging with a recess in a rib between the
barrels when double barrels are used, or in a recess between the chamber and
the top edge of the barrel when single barrels are used, the said bolt being
worked from the side of the gun or from the tang of the said gun so as to
release the barrel or barrels essentially in the manner described and
represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Hinton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOSEPH HINTON. (L.S.)