Improvements in the Firing Mechanism of Double Barrel Guns and Rifles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 29th Feb., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Firing Mechanism of Double Barrel Guns
and Rifles.
WILLIAM PALMER JONES 25 Whittall Street Birmingham Gun Maker
WILLIAM BAKER 10 Smith Street Birmingham Gun Lock Maker do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
Our invention relates to double barrel guns and rifles in which both barrels are
fired by one trigger, and is an improvement on Bently and Baker's single trigger
mechanism, Specification Number 1766-1882.
In the said Bently and Baker's mechanism both barrels, when loaded, were
liable to be simultaneously discharged in the act of firing the first, and which
occurred in consequence of an imperceptable and involuntary movement of the
finger upon the trigger, caused by the recoil.
In order to remedy this defect we provide an intermediate pull of the trigger,
by means of a cam or scear actuated by a spring, and which lies in path of the
slide or lever attached to the trigger, so as to prevent the trigger gearing with the
scear of the second lock, until the involuntary pull of the trigger caused by
the recoil has taken place.
We thus have three distinct pulls in order to release the tumblers of the locks,
when the arm is not loaded; but when loaded and fired, there are only two
perceptible pulls, same as in ordinary double trigger guns and rifles.
An important part of this our invention, is an arrangement for firing the second
barrel, without discharging the first.
We effect this in the following manner when the locks are being cocked, the
lock which fires the first barrel, moves the trigger slide or lever into position for
firing that barrel. We provide a thumbpiece which when pushed moves the trigger
slide or lever still farther in the same direction as the lock of the first barrel moved
it, and the trigger slide is moved out of gear with the scear of the first lock, and
into gear with the scear of the lock of the second barrel.
Instead of a separate thumb piece, we can utilize the ordinary safety slide and
thumb piece, for the same purpose.
When the second barrel has been discharged we provide that the bolt or lever
of the gun, or their equivalent shall cause the trigger slide or lever to resume its
normal position, ready for firing the first and second barrel again.
Dated this 14th day of March 1895.
WILLIAM BAKER
WILLIAM PALMER JONES.
WILLIAM PALMER JONES.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Firing Mechanism of Double Barrel Guns
and Rifles.
We, WILLIAM PALMER JONES of 25 Whittall Street, Birmingham, Gun
Maker and WILLIAM BAKER of 10 Smith Street, Birmingham, Gun Lock
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 :-
This invention has relation to single trigger double barrelled guns and rifles,

page_text: and particularly to that type in which an intermediate release pull is given to the
trigger, either voluntary or involuntary, as described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to us and bearing date the 26th day of January 1895
No. 1844.
Our present invention has for its object, barrel selective mechanism or means
for firing at will, either barrel of the gun.
According to our improvements, we employ double lock mechanism operated by
a single trigger and made selective or to reverse the order of firing of the barrels
by a supplementary lever, worked from the outside of the lock and by hand.
The mechanism consists generally of a slide, carried by the trigger and normally
pushed backwards by a spring, and having bents upon the fore end of its top
edge, and a stop shoulder upon the outer side of its fore end, and with which a
stud of the right hand hammer engages when the hammer is placed in a cocked
position, but which recedes from the shoulder on the said hammer falling. When
in a cocked position, the hammer stud places the slide in the proper position for
firing the right hand barrel, and at other times, forms a stop for arresting and
holding the slide in a position for firing the right hand barrel when the left hand
barrel has been fired first.
The lever slide is held in some of its positions by the nose end of an interceptor
sear or pawl engaging with the bents on its edge, and which sear is lifted both by
the slide itself and by an extension of the locking bolt of the gun operated by top
lever.
The slide has upon the right hand side of its tail end the right hand lug,
adapted to come under the sear-tail of the right hand lock, and upon its left hand
side, two left-hand lugs adapted to come under the sear-tail of the left hand lock,
one being for firing the left hand barrel after the right barrel has been fired first,
and the other for firing the left hand barrel first.
Thus, the mechanism is put into position to select and fire the left barrel first
by operating the supplementary side lever, whilst the mechanism is put into
position for firing the right barrel first by pushing over the top lever on opening
the gun, or shunted again from left to right also by the pushing over of the top
lever.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a double-barrel single-trigger
gun provided with barrel-selective mechanism constructed in accordance with our
invention, looking at the right hand side of the gun with the right hand lock-plate
cut away. The said view shows the mechanism in the position which it assumes by
the firing of the right hand barrel.
Figure 2 represents a like view as Figure 1, but with the parts in the positions
which they assume after the right hand barrel has been fired, and the slide has
moved to a position for giving the intermediate release.
Figure 3 represents a like view as the preceding figures, but with the parts in
the positions which they assume after the intermediate release has been effected,
ready for the firing of the left hand barrel in the usual order.
Figure 4 represents a like view, but with the parts in the positions which they
assume when the mechanism has been shunted by the supplementary lever in order
to discharge the left hand barrel first.
Figure 5 represents, in plan, the positions of the lugs on the slide relative to the
sear tails when the mechanism is in the position shown in Figure 1.
Figure 6 represents, in plan, the positions of the lugs relative to the sear tails
when the mechanism is in the position shown in Figure 3.
Figure 7 represents the positions of the lugs relative to the sear tails when the
mechanism is in the position shown in Figure 4.
Figure 8 represents a topside plan of the slide separately.
Figure 9 is a side elevation of Figure 8.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
a is the body of the gun, 3 is the lever slide, working within and carried by

page_text: the slot, of the trigger plate c³, of a single trigger c, turning upon a fulcrum c³, and
adapted to lift the said slide with it. The said slide oscillates upon a fixed pin b',
carried by the strap a², and has upon its right hand side a lug 1, for firing the
right hand barrel first, and upon its left hand side a pair of lugs 2 and 3, of which
2 is for firing the left barrel after the right, and 3 for firing the left barrel first,
whilst upon the top edge of its body is a teat 62, for coming against a teat d*,
on the underside of the interceptor sear d, and lifting the same. The said sear
turns upon a fixed fulcrum d, is kept down by a spring d', and has a cleft fore
end d³, part of which constitutes an inclined plane d³, against which the end e',
of an extension, of the locking bolt e, operated by the top lever e³, through the
spindle and arme, e, comes for the purpose of lifting the said interceptor sear
out of bent with the slide, for the purposes hereafter referred to.
The other cleft part of the sear is marked do, and is adapted to engage in the
slide bents, of which 63 is the intermediate release bent and 4, the left hand barrel
firing bent when the said barrel is fired first.
is a supplementary outside lever, with an inside arm 7 and a stud 2, which
wipes against an upright post 65, carried on the left hand side of the slide, and
takes the slide forward into a position which will bring the lug 3, under the lett
hand sear tail g'. The right hand sear tail is marked
9.
is the right hand hammer, turning upon a fulcrum, and having a stud 12,
upon its side, adapted to come in front of the shoulder 16, at the fore end of the
slide b, which is slotted at 7, and is pushed backwards by a coiled spring 65.
The left hand hammer has no stud, nor does it control any of the movements of
the selective mechanism.
The noses of the sears are kept in the bents of the hammers or tumblers by
ordinary sear springs.
OPERATION.
9
Assuming the right hand barrel of the gun to be cylinder bored and the left
hand barrel to be choke-bored, and assuming that the right hand barrel is to be
fired first and to be immediately followed by the discharge of the left barrel, and
assuming the parts to be in the positions represented in Figures 1 and 5 first pull
the trigger. This raises the slide and causes the lug 1 to lift the sear tail whose
nose is then taken out of bent with the hammer or tumbler h, which now falls by
the force of its spring and thereby discharges the said right hand barrel. The
falling of the hammer makes the stud 2, recede out of the path of the shoulder
stop, and the slide, by the force of its spring, is then moved backwards and its
bent, is made to engage with the nose end d, of the interceptor sear d, which
brings the mechanism to the position represented in Figure 2. The intermediate
pull is now given to the trigger, which rocks the slide again and lifts the interceptor
sear, through the stud 2, of the slide pushing upwards the stud d', of the said
sear, and takes the end do, from out of engagement with the beut 63, and allows
the slide to be moved further backwards by the force of its spring to its fullest
extent, (which movement is limited by a stop) and the nose end de, of the sear d,
comes upon the front top edge of the slide b, forward of the bent 63, as represented
in Figures 3 and 6 whilst the sear tail g', comes under the lug 2 on the left hand
side of the said slide b.
By now pulling the trigger a third time, the left hand barrel is discharged.
On breaking down the barrels after turning the top lever on the tang the whole
of the parts are taken back to their normal positions by the stud 2, of the
hammer h, travelling in the path of the shoulder 66, and thereby pushing the
slide forward into the position represented in Figures 1 and 5, and compressing its
spring.
Assuming that the left barrel is required to be discharged, and that the parts
are in the positions represented in Figure 1, press down the thumb lever f, when
the arm and stud, are brought into the position represented in dotted lines in
Figure 2, and in their circular traverse, press forward the post 6º, and with it the

page_text: slide b, whilst the interceptor sear engages in the bent 64, of the said slide, and the
lug 3, of the left hand side of the slide is brought under the left hand sear tail
of the lock mechanism as represented in Figures 4 and 7.
Now pull the trigger, when the left hand barrel is discharged and to again fire
the left hand barrel breakdown the gun and when closed again operate the thumb lever
when the same movements will be repeated, but supposing it is desired to fire the
right barrel second and after the left has been fired, then push over the top lever,
when the forcing back of the locking bolt e, will cause its fore end e¹, to impinge
on the incline d³, of the cleft end of the sear d, thereby lifting the same and taking
its nose end de, from out of the beut 6, of the slide b, when the impelling force of
the slide spring takes back the slide until its shoulder de, comes up to the stud 2,
of the right hand hammer, when it is there held with the lug 1 again coming under
the tail of the right hand sear, which, being lifted through the medium of the said
lug, discharges the right barrel.
It is understood that instead of employing the tail end of the locking bolt for
bringing back of the selective means to the firing of the right hand barrel first,
an equivalent means such as the trigger plate or any other movable part. of, or
adjunct to, the lock may be employed for the same purpose.
Figure 10 represents a modified arrangement of barrel selective mechanism of
single trigger guns. In this gun the lever (which is substituted for the slide) is
operated laterally instead of longitudinally. The said Figure 10 shows the
mechanism in plan and in the position which it assumed for firing the right barrel
first.
Figure 11 represents a like view as Figure 10, but with the parts of the
mechanism in positions for firing the left barrel after the right has been
discharged.
Figure 12 represents the trigger mechanism in position for firing the left barrel
first, without discharging the right barrel.
a is the trigger blade, to which is pivoted laterally oscillating lever b, with the
rear end having lugs 1 and 2, adapted to come under the tails c', d', of the right
and left hand sears c and d. e is a spring push piece for pushing over the said
lever, and making the lug 2, to come under the left sear tail d', in order to fire the
left barrel first and is an interceptor or catch, with a bent f¹, in one end with
which the end of the slide engages, and taken out of engagement with the same
by the bolt on the turning of the top lever. g¹ is a stud on the right hand
hammer g, which brings the lever b, over on the cocking of the arm and causes
the lug 1, to come under the sear tail c¹, for firing the right barrel first.
3
When our invention is applied to the Anson and Deeley or like hammerless
mechanism, the slides work in the reverse direction to that described in the
preceding arrangements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
First. In single-trigger double-barrelled small arins, providing the lock
mechanism with supplementary barrel-selective means, whereby the slide or lever
governing the operation of the sears is made to have a supplementary or over
traverse, and bring a supplementary lug under the sear-tail of the left hand barrel,
substantially as described and set forth.
Secondly. In single-trigger double-barrelled small arms, providing the lock
mechanism with a slide capable of making the ordinary traverse or traverses and a
supplementary forward traverse, and having three sear lugs, viz., a right barrel
lug and two left barrel lugs, operating substantially as and for the purpose
described and set forth in Figures 1 to 9.
Thirdly. In single-trigger double-barrelled small arms, providing the lock
mechanism with a thumb-lever, push-piece or equivalent, capable of giving the
slide a supplementary traverse for taking a supplementary lug carried by the said

page_text: slide under the sear tail of the left barrel, substantially as and for the purpose
described and set forth.
Fourthly. In double-barrelled small arms, the combination with single trigger
mechanism, of the barrel-selective meaus substantially as described and set forth in
Figures to 9 of the drawings.
Fifthly. In double barrelled small arms, the modified arrangement of single
trigger mechanism with barrel-selective means substantially as described and
represented in Figures 10, 11 and 12.
Dated this 14th day of December 1895.
WILLIAM PALMER JONES,
WILLIAM BAKER,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.