IMPROVE. MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Walker, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
Sealed the 19th April 1876, and dated the 26th October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th October 1875.
I, HENRY WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," to be as follows:-
:-
My Invention consists of the combinations or arrangements of the
parts of mechanism herein-after described, for withdrawing the strikers
of breech-loading small arms on unfastening the said small arms for
reloading or for withdrawing the said strikers and lifting the hammers
to half cock.
11

page_text: drop down guns described and claimed in the Specification of Letters
Patent, granted to me on the 12th day of February, 1872, No. 445,
and I will describe my Invention in combination with the said
oscillating bolts; but my said Invention may also be applied to other
kinds of fastening mechanism as herein-after pointed out.
The mechanism constructed according to my Invention for with-
drawing the strikers consists of two lifting rods, the ends of which are
bevilled or inclined. The upper ends of the said lifting rods engage
with inclined recesses in the strikers, and their lower ends engage with
inclined recesses in the sides of the oscillating bolt. When the hand
lever on the tang of the break off is turned aside to withdraw the
oscillating bolt from its seat on the lump, the bevilled recesses in the
said bolt acting against the bevilled ends of the lifting rods cause the
upper ends of the latter to act against the inclined recesses in the
strikers, and lift the said strikers and withdraw them, and also if desired
to lift the hammers bearing on the strikers to half cock.
When it is wished to both withdraw the strikers and half cock the
hammers, it is preferred to furnish the ends of the lifting rods with
rollers.
When the gun is discharged and the hammers rest upon the strikers
the lifting rods are forced inwards, and their lower ends by bearing
upon the oscillating bolt, lock it firmly in its fastening position.
Instead of making each rod of one piece of metal it may be made in
two pieces, connected together by a cupped joint, that is the rounded
bottom of the upper piece takes into a cup in the top of the lower ?
piece on the bottom of the lower piece is a roller. The lower halves
or parts of the lifting rods work in guides at the bottom of the oscillating
bolt, and are capable of rising and falling in the said guides. When
the oscillating bolt is withdrawn from its seat by the operation of the
hand lever, the rollers on the bottom parts of the lifting rods work up
inclines on the body of the gun. The lower halves of the rods are
thereby brought into the same, or nearly the same, line as the upper
halves. By this straightening of the lifting rods the upper parts by
bearing against the inclined recesses in the strikers, lift the said strikers
and the hammers resting upon them. Or instead of the guides a
described, the bottom parts of the lifting rods may rest in cup-like

page_text: bearings at the bottom of the oscillating bolt. Or the bottom parts of
the lifting rods may be supported on the body of the gun, and the
middle joint of the two parts of each rod work in a cross slot in the
oscillating bolt with like effect.
Instead of causing the jointed lifting rods to be straightened by the
movement of the oscillating bolt, a like action may be obtained by
placing the said rods horizontally under the tang of the break off, and
causing the motion of the hand lever working the bolt to operate the
lifting mechanism. Or the lifting rods may be situated across the
break off, their outer ends taking into the strikers and their inner ends
being acted upon, and the strikers lifted by a bevil or incline on the
end of the hand lever or by a cam on the top of the oscillating bolt.
.
The oscillating bolt to which the lifting mechanism described is
applied may be worked by a hand lever, moving vertically or hori-
zontally.
By certain modifications the lifting mechanism described may be
worked by the motion of a double grip lever or by a horizontal fastening
bolt.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Walker, Her special
license that I, the said Henry Walker, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Walker, 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

page_text: 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 “ImproVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Henry Walker, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Walker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists of the combinations or arrangements of the
parts of mechanism herein after described for withdrawing the strikers
of breech-loading small-arms, on unfastening the said small-arms for re-
loading, or for withdrawing the said strikers and lifting the hammers to
half-cock.
My improvements are especially applicable to the oscillating bolts of
drop-down guns described and claimed in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to me on the 12th day of February 1872, No. 445, and I
will describe my Invention in combination with the said oscillating bolts,
but my said Invention may also be applied to other kinds of fastening
mechanism, as herein-after pointed out.
The mechanism constructed according to my Invention for with-
drawing the strikers consists of two lifting rods, the ends of which are
bevilled or inclined. The upper ends of the said lifting rods engage
with inclined recesses in the strikers, and their lower ends engage with
inclined recesses in the sides of the oscillating bolt. When the hand
lever on the tang of the break off is turned aside to withdraw the
oscillating bolt from its seat on the lump the bevilled recesses in the
said bolt acting against the bevilled ends of the lifting rods cause the
upper ends of the latter to act against the inclined recesses in the

page_text: strikers, and lift the said strikers and withdraw them, and also if desired
to lift the hammers bearing on the strikers to half-cock.
When it is wished to both withdraw the strikers, and half-cock the
hammers, it is preferred to furnish the ends of the lifting rods with
rollers.
When the gun is discharged and the hammers rest upon the strikers
the lifting rods are forced inwards, and their lower ends by bearing upon
the oscillating bolt lock it firmly in its fastening position.
Instead of making each rod of one piece of metal it may be made in
two pieces, connected together by a cupped joint, that is, the rounded
bottom of the upper piece takes into a cup in the top of the lower
piece. On the bottom of the lower piece is a roller. The lower halves
or parts of the lifting rods work in guides at the bottom of the oscillating
bolt, and are capable of rising and falling in the said guides. When the
oscillating bolt is withdrawn from its seat by the operation of the hand
lever the rollers on the bottom parts of the lifting rods work up inclines
on the body of the gun. The lower halves of the rods are thereby
brought into the same or nearly the same line as the upper halves. By
this straightening of the lifting rods the upper parts by bearing against
the inclined recesses in the strikers lift the said strikers and tho
hammers resting upon them. Or instead of the guides described the
bottom parts of the lifting rods may rest in cup-like bearings at the
bottom of the oscillating bolt; or the bottom parts of the lifting rods
may be supported on the body of the gun, and the middle joint of the
two parts of each rod work in a cross rod on the oscillating bolt with
like effect.
Instead of causing the jointed lifting rods to be straightened by the
movement of the oscillating bolt a like action may be obtained by
placing the said rods horizontally under the tang of the break off, and
causing the motion of the hand lever working the bolt to operate the
lifting mechanism. Or the lifting rods may be situated across the
break-off, their outer ends taking into the strikers, and their inner
ends being acted upon and the strikers lifted by a bevil or incline on
the end of the hand lever, or by a cam on the top of the oscillating
bolt.

page_text: The oscillating bolt, to which the lifting mechanism described is
applied, may be worked by a hand lever moving vertically or
horizontally.
By certain modifications the lifting mechanism described may be
worked by the motion of a double grip lever, or by a horizontal fastening
bolt.
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 be performed.
Figure 1 represents partly in longitudinal section and partly in
elevation the breech end of a drop-down gun provided with an oscil-
lating bolt, with which is combined lifting or withdrawing mechanism
for the strikers, constructed according to one of the arrangements of my
Invention.
Figure 2 is a back elevation, and Figure 3 is a plan of the oscillating
bolt, lifting rods, and strikers.
Figure 4 represents the oscillating bolt and its withdrawing link
detached; and Figure 5 represents one of the strikers detached.
The gun represented in Figure 1 is a gun in which the prolonged rib
between the barrels engages in a recess in the break-off, but I wish it to
be understood that my improvements may either be applied to guns
having the said prolonged rib, or to guns without the said prolonged rib.
a is the oscillating bolt; is the link connected with the axis of the
hand lever c on the tang of the gun; d, d, are the strikers; e, e, are the
lifting rods, the ends of which are rounded or inclined. The upper ends
of the said rods e, e, engage with inclined recesses &, &, in the
strikers d, d, and their lower ends engage with inclined recesses a², a², in
the sides of the oscillating bolt a (see Figures 2 and 3). When the hand
lever c on the tang of the break off is turned aside to withdraw the
oscillating bolt a from its seat on the lump of the barrels, the bevilled
recesses a², a², in the sides of the bolt a acting against the bevilled' or
rounded lower ends of the lifting rods e, e, cause the upper ends of the
said rods to act against the inclined recesses d', d, in the strikers d, d,
and lift the said strikers and withdraw them into the break-off, and also,
if desired, to lift the hammers bearing on the strikers to half-cock.

page_text: By an examination of Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that when the
gun has been discharged and the hammers rest upon the strikers the
lifting rods e, e, are forced inwards, and their lower ends, by engaging
in the bevilled or inclined recesses a², a², in the sides of the oscillating
bolt a, lock the said bolt firmly in its fastening position.
The bottoms of the lifting rods may be provided with rollers, slots of
the required shape for the said rollers to work in being made in the sides
of the oscillating bolt, as represented in Figure 5^; or a roller may bo
used at each end of the lifting rods e, e.
Figure 6 represents the arrangement of my Invention in which cach
lifting rod is made in two pieces, connected together by a cupped joint;
and Figure 7 represents the oscillating bolt and lifting rods separately.
9, 9, are the upper parts of the lifting rods, the inclined or rounded ends
of which work against inclined recesses ², d, in the strikers d, d; and
h, h, are the lower parts of the lifting rods, the said lower parts h, h,
being made in one piece, each end being furnished with an antifriction
roller. The lower ends of the upper parts 9, 9, of the lifting rods take
into seats or cups made in the tops of the lower parts h, h, as seen in
the separate views, Figure 7. The combined lower parts h, h, of the
lifting rods have a socket between them, into which a foot or pro-
jection on the bottom of the oscillating bolt a takes. The lifting
rods g, h, are thereby connected to but are capable of a slight play upon
the oscillating bolt. The rollers of the lower parts h, h, of the lifting
rods bear upon inclines k on the body of the gun, as seen in Figure 6.
When the oscillating bolt a is withdrawn from its seat by the operation
of the hand lever c, the bottom parts h, h, of the lifting rods are carried
with the bolt, the rollers on the said parts h, h, travelling up the
inclines on the body of the gun. The lower parts h, h, of the lifting
rods are thereby brought nearly into the same line as the upper
parts g, g, (the said parts g, g, having only a rectilinear motion,) the
combined rods g, h, thus making a more obtuse angle with one another.
By this partial straightening of the lifting rods g, h, the upper parts g,
by bearing against the inclined recesses & in the strikers d, lift the said
strikers, and, if desired, the hammers resting upon them. By this
arrangement the strikers and hammers may be lifted with great power.
The strikers may be furnished with a roller for the inclined or rounded
end of the lifting rod to work against, as illustrated in Figure S.

page_text: Figure 9 represents a modification of the arrangement represented in
Figures 6 and 7. In this arrangement the bottom parts h, h, of the
lifting rods g, h, rest in cup-like bearings at the bottom of the
oscillating bolt a. By the motion of the oscillating bolt on unfastening
the barrels the jointed lifting rods g, h, are nearly straightened and the
lifting of the strikers effected as before described.
Figure 10 represents another modification of my Invention. In this
modification the cupped joint at m of the two lifting rods g, h, is
supported by the cross bar n, the said bar sliding in the body of the
gun, the bottom of the said rods working in a socket in the body of the
gun. The said cross bar 12 has a hook at each end turned in opposite
directions. Against the hook n' the cupped joint m bears, and the
other hook n³ is made to embrace the edge of the oscillating bolt a.
As the oscillating bolt a is moved to unfasten the gun it bears against
the hook on its back edge and carries the jointed ends of the two
parts g, h, of the rods with it. The said rods are thereby nearly
straightened, and the lifting of the strikers d effected by the action of
the tops of the parts y on inclines or shoulders in the strikers. As the
oscillating bolt a is moved into its fastening position the lifting rods are
left in the position to which they have been brought by the back or
unfastening movement of the said bolt.
Figure 11 represents another arrangement of my Invention. In this
arrangement the short lifting rods p, p, which act upon shoulders or
inclines in the strikers d, d, are supported in cup joints q², q², on the
forked bar q, q, which is made in two pieces, cach piece acting inde-
pendently of the other. The forked bar q, q, has a fulcrum or bearing
at q, and is supported by a shoulder a² on the oscillating bolt a. When
the oscillating bolt a is unfastened to release the barrels it lifts the
forked bar q, and the latter the rods p and the ends of the lifting rods
by bearing against shoulders or inclines in the strikers d, d, lift the said
strikers.
A modification of the last described arrangement is represented in
Figure 12. In this modification the lifting rod is forked, the end of
each prong taking into the strikers d respectively. The cross bar ³
rests on the shoulder a³ on the top of the oscillating bolt a. The tail
end at the middle of the cross bar takes a bearing at s against tho

page_text: tumbler of the hand lever or against the tang of the gun. When the
oscillating bolt is withdrawn it lifts the forked bar r, 3, 3, and the latter
the strikers d, the said forked bar turning upon the tumbler at s as a
fulcrum. The bar may be forked at the fulcrum end as well as at the
striker end, as shown at A, Figure 12. Or the lifting rods may be
constructed in the manner illustrated in connection with a gun, and
detached in Figure 13. In this modification the forked lifting bar 8, 8,
is situated on opposite sides of the oscillating bolt a, and studs t, t, on
the inner sido of the fork take into holes in the sides of the bolt a.
The bottom of the forked bar works in a socket in the fixed body of
the gun, and the forked upper ends of the bar bear against shoulders or
inclines in the strikers. When tho oscillating bolt is moved from off
its seat on the barrels it draws back the lifting rods 8, 8, by means of
the studs and holes u, and their upper ends lift the strikers d, d. The
forked lifting rods may work independently of one another, but they
virtually form a single lifting rod.
Instead of placing the lifting rods on each side of the oscillating bolt,
as before described, two straight rods crossing cach other near the bottom
of the oscillating bolt may be employed, as illustrated in Figure 14.
These crossing rods a³ are acted upon by the bolt a, and their bottom
ends work up a fixed incline, as in Figure 6.
Figure 15 represents in cross section another arrangement of my
Invention for lifting the strikers, in this arrangement the strikers d, d,
are raised by a cross bar w, w, the outer ends of which take into recesses
in the said strikers. This cross bar is raised by means of a bevil on the
end of the hand lever working underneath a corresponding bevil marked c
on the cross bar w, wo, which action when the hand lever is turned aside
to unfasten the gun raises the cross bar to, to, and the latter lifts the
strikers. Instead of lifting the strikers by a cross bar acted upon
through the hand lever the strikers may be raised by a cam or lifter x
projecting from the oscillating bolt a and working against the cross
bar to, as illustrated in Figure 16.
These arrangements may be applied to guns in which the hand lever
works vertically.
Figure 17 represents my arrangement for lifting the strikers by the
action of a double grip lever; in this arrangement two lifting rods y, z,

page_text: are used, one of the said rods being vertical and the other horizontal.
The top of the vertical rod is inclined and works against a shoulder or
incline on the striker d. The lower end of the vertical rod z carries a
roller which is acted upon by the inclined end of the horizontal rod y.
The opposite end of the borizontal rod y works in a slot 1 in the grip
head 2 of the double grip lever, as represented. When the double grip
lever is turned to unfasten the barrels the end of the slot at 1 in the
grip head presses against the horizontal rod y, the bevilled end of which
acting through the roller or directly on the lower end of the vertical
rod lifts the said vertical rod z, and the latter the striker d.
2
Figure 18 represents an arrangement of my Invention in which the
strikers arc lifted by the action of a horizontal bolt. In this arrange-
ment 3 is the horizontal bolt worked from the tang or from the under
side of the gun in any convenient way. In the sides of the horizontal
bolt are inclined recesses 4, 4, in which the lower ends of the lifting
rods 5, 5, work. The upper inclined ends of the lifting rods 5, 5, work
against rollers or inclines in the strikers. When the horizontal bolt 3 is
withdrawn to unfasten the barrels the inclines 4, 4, in its sides lift the
rods 5, 5, and the latter lift the strikers, in the manner described, with
respect to Figures 1, 2, and 3. Or instead of inclines in the sides of
the horizontal bolt for lifting the rods the lower ends of the said rods
may be engaged in depressions in the sides of the bolt, as illustrated in
Figures 19 and 20, where the depressions in which the lower ends of the
lifting rods 5, 5, work are marked 6. As the horizontal bolt 3 is with-
drawn the lifting rods 5, 5, take a nearly vertical position, and their
upper ends act upon and lift the strikers d, d.
The arrangements described for lifting the strikers by the motion of a
sliding bolt may be applied to sliding bolts bearing upon projecting
lumps on the face of the barrels, and also to sliding bolts taking into
lumps on the under side of the barrels.
Figures 21 and 22 represent arrangements constructed according to
my Invention for working the oscillating bolt constructed according to
the Patent herein-before referred to by a hand lever on the tang moving
vertically. In the arrangement, Figure 21, the short arm a of the hand
lever a, a, is cranked, and the said cranked arm a is connected through
the link, with the oscillating bolt a³. By lifting the thumb plate

page_text: end a' of the lever vertically in the direction of the arrow the short
cranked arm a acting upon the link b draws back the oscillating bolt a³
and releases the barrels.
In the arrangement, Figure 22, the short arm of the cranked lever
acts directly upon the oscillating bolt a³ instead of through a link. A
slot c is made in the head of the oscillating bolt a', in which slot the end
of the cranked short arm a of the hand lever works, the extreme end of
the said short arm taking its bearing in a roller d in the said bolt. By
means of the roller da smoother action is obtained than if the cranked
arm worked directly in the slot in the head of the bolt.
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 hercin described and illus-
trated 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 small arms,—
First. The several arrangements herein-before described and illustrated
in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5ª, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 16 of the
accompanying Drawings of the parts of mechanism used in connection
with oscillating bolts for withdrawing the strikers of breech-loading
small-arms, on unfastening the said small-arms for reloading or for
withdrawing the said strikers and lifting the hammers to half cock.
Secondly. The arrangement or combination of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in Figure 15 of the accompanying Drawings
for lifting the strikers, or for lifting both the strikers and hammers by a
cross bar acted upon through the hand lever on the tang on unfastening
the barrels for reloading.
Thirdly. The arrangement or combination of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in Figure 17 of the accompanying Drawings,
of mechanism used in connection with double grip levers for lifting the
strikers or for lifting both the strikers and hammers on unfastening the
barrels for reloading.
Fourthly. The several arrangements or combinations of the parts.
herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 18, 19, and 20 of the
accompanying Drawings, of mechanism used in connection with sliding

page_text: bolts for lifting the strikers or for lifting both the strikers and hammers
on unfastening the barrels for reloading.
Lastly. The arrangements or combinations of parts herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 21 and 22 of the accompanying
Drawings for actuating oscillating bolts by means of a hand lever on the
tang working vertically.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Walker, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
HENRY WALKER. (L.S.)