Improvements in Breech Loading Small Arms.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech Loading Small Arms.
I, JOHN Ross of 26 Stewarts Road, Battersea Park Road, London, Gun Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object an improved arrangement of cocking and ejecting
mechanism to enable hammerless guns to be made and worked more easily. There
are at present in use two distinct methods of cocking hammerless guns.
One method is by the employment of a lever pivotted at any convenient point
upon the body of the gun action, and bearing upon the hammer at one end and the
other end bearing upon the forepart of the gun or upon the barrels.
During the opening of the gun the fore end of this lever is pressed down and
the lever moves upon its pivot and causes the other end to cock the hammer of
the gun.
The second method of cocking hammerless guns is by using a rod which works
through a hole drilled in the body of the gun action. One end of this rod bears
against the hammer while the other end bears upon the forepart. During the
opening of the gun the rod presses upon the hammer and pushes it back to its
cocked position. In my improved arrangement I make the cocking lever or limb
in such a way that it can both swing and slide, and also make it of such a form
that it acts as the sear for holding back the ejector hammers.
The cocking limb works through the back of the gun action the forward end
bearing upon a slant formed in the hollow of the forepart where it fits upon the
knuckle of the action, or formed in a part which is the equivalent of the forepart
while the hinder end bears upon a pivot formed upon the hammer itself.
During the opening of the gun the forward end of the aforesaid limb which is
provided with a friction roller travels upon the aforesaid slant and the hammer is
cocked by the action of the hinder end and at the same time the ejector hammer
is released and strikes the cartridge ejector and ejects the cartridge.
The swinging motion of the aforesaid limb may be obtained either from the
hammer itself or from a slot formed in the action, in which a projection upon the
limb works, or a swing sliding plate connected with the cocking limb, hammer or
tumbler, may be used to act as a sear. It is obvious that when the hammer is at
cock the ejector hammer will travel forward every time the gun is opened
gradually pushing out the extractor to its full limit which is of great advantage.
In order to prevent the ejector hammer from travelling forward when the
forepart is taken off the gun and in order that the forepart may be easily replaced,
I fix a hinged or pivotted limb controlled by a spring on to a projection formed
upon the hollow or under side of the forepart. One end of this pivotted limb
engages with a notch or bent formed on the ejector hammer while the other end
bears upon a flat which is formed upon the knuckles of the action.
During the opening of the gun this limb is forced out of the aforesaid bent,
whether the hammer of the gun is cocked or uncocked. When the forepart which
carries the ejector hammer is taken off the gun the aforesaid limb falls still further
into the bent and this holds the ejector hammers firmly in their places.
By an alternative method I make the ejector mainspring hold back the hammer
and cause the swing sliding limb to put it into action when required during the
opening of the gun after firing.
I may also make the cocking rod now in use a combined cocking rod and ejector
sear and in this case the ejector hammer is operated and controlled in the same
manner as with the swing sliding limb.

page_text: The ejector hammers are controlled by springs which are fitted upon the forepart
or to a separate carriage or box in the usual manner.
My invention is applicable to single or double drop down small arms.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Breech Loading Small Arms.
1, JOHN Ross of 26 Stewarts Road, Battersea Park Road, London, Gunmaker,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention has for its object an improved arrangement of cocking and ejecting
mechanism to enable hammerless guns to be made and worked more casily. There
are at present in use two distinct methods of cocking hammerless guns.
One method is by the employment of a lever pivotted at any convenient point
upon the body of the gun action, and bearing upon the hammer at one end and at
the other end bearing upon the forepart of the gun or upon the barrels.
During the opening of the gun the fore end of the lever is pressed down and
the lever moves upon its pivot and causes the other end to cock the hammer of
the gun.
The second method of cocking hammerless guns is by using a rod which works
through a hole drilled in the body of the gun action. One end of this rod bears
against the hammer while the other end bears upon the fore part. During the
opening of the gun the rod presses upon the hammer and pushes it back to its
cocked position.
In my improved arrangement I make the cocking lever or limb in such a way
that it can both swing and slide, and also make it of such a form that it acts as the
scar for holding back the ejector hammers.
.
The cocking limb works through the body of the gun action the forward end
bearing upon a slant formed in the hollow of the fore part where it fits upon the
knuckle of the action, or formed in a part which is the equivalent of the fore part
while the hinder end bears upon the pivot formed upon the hammer itself. During
the opening of the gun the forward end of the aforesaid limb which is provided
with a friction roller travels upon the aforesaid slant and the hammer is cocked by
the action of the hinder end and at the same time the ejector hammer is released
and strikes the cartridge ejector and expels the cartridge. The swinging motion of
the aforesaid limb may be obtained either from the hammer itself or from a slot
formed in the action, in which a projection upon the limb works, or a swing sliding
plate connected with the cocking limb, hammer, or tumbler, may be used to act as a
scar. It is obvious that when the hammer is at cock the ejector hammer will
travel forward every time the gun is opened gradually pushing out the extractor to
its full limit which is of great advantage.
In order to prevent the ejector hammer from travelling forward when the fore
part is taken off the gun and in order that the fore part may be easily replaced, I
fix a hinged or pivotted limb controlled by a spring on to a projection formed upon
the hollow or under side of the fore part. One end of this pivotted limb engages
with a notch formed on the ejector hammer while the other end bears upon a flat
which is formed upon the knuckles of the action. During the opening of the gun
this limb is forced out of the aforesaid bent, whether the hammer of the gun
cocked or uncocked. When the fore part which carries the ejector hammer is
taken off the gun the aforesaid limb falls still further into the bent and this holds
the ejector hammers firmly in their places.
is
By an alternative method I make the ejector mainspring hold back the hammer

page_text: and cause the swing sliding limb to put it into action when required during the
opening of the gun after firing.
I may also make the cocking rod now in use a combined cocking rod and ejector
sear and in this case the ejector hammer is operated and controlled in the same
manner as with the swing aliding limb.
The ejector hammers are controlled by springs which are fitted upon the fore
part or to a separate carriage or box in the usual manner.
My invention is applicable to single or double drop down small arms.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I will now describe
it with reference to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters refer to
similar parts throughout the different figures.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent different views of one type of gun. Figure 1
being a longitudinal view in section of that part of the gun to which the invention
relates. In this position the gun is shown closed and with the hammer in the
position it would take up after the gun has been fired.
Figure 2 represents a plan of the lower face of the action and of the fore part of
the gun.
Figure 3 represents a longitudinal section similar to Figure 1, but representing
the
gun
with the barrel dropped down almost to its full extent and the ejector
hammer ready to be released and to throw forward the ejector rod for the purpose
of extracting the empty cartridge case.
Figure 4 represents a similar view but showing the ejector hammer after having
been released and having thrown forward the ejector rod.
Figures 5 to 14 inclusive represent details of the gun shown in Figures 1, 2, 3
and 4.
Figure 15 is a longitudinal section of a drop-down small arm provided with a
hammer to which is applied an alternative method of applying this invention.
Figures 16 to 25 inclusive represent details of the gun shown in Figure 15.
Figure 26 represents a longitudinal section of a hammerless gun with an
alternative method of applying the invention, and Figures 27 and 28 are details
belonging to Figure 26.
Referring now to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4: a represents the hammer moving upon
the pin band provided with a pin c; d is the ejector rod, e the ejector hammer and
the combined cocking limb and sear; g is the ejector main spring, and is a limb
used for holding back the ejector hammer e and thus acting as a sear for the ejector
hammers when the fore part has been removed from the gun. The action of the
parts during the opening of the gun for reloading is as follows:-After firing, the
hammer a takes up the position shown in Figure 1, and by its movement throws
forward the cocking limb (Figures 8 and 9), which is provided with the slant i
which acts upon a specially formed portion of the ejector hammer e Figure 14, this
portion is lettered j, and after firing the gun the slant i bears solidly upon the
slant j. During the action of opening the gun, the ejector hammer e is prevented
from moving, and the movement of the slant i past the slant j, throws the cocking
limb backwards towards the stock, thus moving the hammer a into the position
shown in Figure 3: there it is held in position by the ordinary main spring and
The cocking limb has a slotted hole k in order to clear the knuckle pin lin
the action of the gun.
sear.
In Figure 3 the position of the ejector hammer is such that it is just about to
strike the ejector rod, the gun not being quite fully open; while Figure 4 shows
the gun opened to its full extent. The end of the cocking limb f has then passed
the corner of the slant of the ejector hammer Figure 14, thus releasing it and
allowing it to fly forward under the action of the spring and throw out the empty
cartridge case by means of the ejector rod d.
It will however be obvious that as the cocking limb is used as a combined
cocking limb and sear that when the fore part of this gun is removed both ejector
hammers would take up the forward position and it would be impossible to replace
the fore part. In order to avoid this difficulty the limb has been introduced and

page_text: it is shown more clearly in Figure 13: it swings upon the pin m in the back of the
fore part close to the knuckle of the action and is provided with a small projection n
which bears upon the knuckle itself and in order to make the arrangement more
clearly understood it is shown drawn to a larger scale in Figure 10.
In Figure 1 the front hook shaped part of the limb is clear of the bottom
corner of the ejector hammer e, and in Figures 3 and 4 by the action of opening the
gun it is moved into a still lower position and is still more clear of the bottom part
of the ejector hammer.
Figures 6, 7 and 10 however represent it in the position when the fore part is
removed from the gun, and it will be seen that, by means of the spring o, which
presses against the small projection p in the fore part, that the limb h is raised and
caused to act as a sear for the ejector hammer.
Figure 11 shows the buckley of the ejector main spring shown in Figure 12.
Figure 5 represents an alternative method of forming the ejector hammer e in
such a way that the main spring itself may act as a sear and retain the ejector
hammer in the cocked position, when the fore part is removed; the slant i of the
limb is similar to that shown in Figures 8 and 9. The ejector hammer is however
formed with a small bent into which the end of the spring y enters when the
ejector hammer is at full cock, it thus retains it in position, and owing to the shape
of the bent the ejector hammer does not fly forward when the fore part is removed.
Figure 15 represents another arrangement of the action and fore part: the
object of this arrangement is, as before, to retain the ejector hammer in position
when the fore part is removed. The cocking limb f, shown more clearly in
Figures 18 and 19, has a slant i and slot-hole k. The slant i, as before, acts upon
the slant of the ejector hammer e Figures 20 and 21. The hammer is cocked in
the same way as is described in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, but in this case the ejector
hammer is provided with a square bent s, and the fore part is so made that
a plate, Figures 15, 16 and 17, can be fitted to it. The plate t is provided with
two slot-holes # and is retained in position by two screws so that it is free to
slide in the direction of the barrel of the gun: it is shown more clearly in Figures 22
and 23, and is provided with a tail-piece w the end of which presses upon the
knuckle of the action; the knuckle is provided with a recess Figure 15 into
which the tail-piece w enters during the ordinary working of the gun.
The part y
of the plate t is free of the ejector hammers but when the fore part. is removed the
action of the two springs presses forward the plate t and the part y enters the
bent or notch of the ejector haminer so retaining it in the cocked position.
The ejector main spring is not shown in Figure 15 but is of the usual type shown
in the previous figures.
Figure 26 represents an alternative method of forming the cocking limb which
is shown separately in Figures 27 and 28. It has, as before, the slant i which acts
upon the ejector hammer, but in this case instead of being attached to a pin upon
the hammer of the gun, it is made with a slant a' which butts against an incline
проп the hammer. In this way during the opening of the gun the cocking
limb is thrown backwards by the action of the slant i upon the slant ; and
cocks the hammer a. The limb shown in Figure 13 may be applied to this
movement in the same way as was described for Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, or the
ejector hammer may be so formed that the method shown in Figure 15 may be
here used.
It will be obvious that as the tendency of the ejector main spring in all the
arrangements shown, is to force the ejector hammer forward that therefore the
spring itself assists the action of cocking the main hammer by pressing back
the cocking limb towards the stock of the gun.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is -
:-
1. In drop-down small arms the combination of a cocking limb f, Figures 8, 9, 18

page_text: and 19, made in such a way that it can both swing and slide and of such a form
that it acts as the sear for retaining the ejector hammers in the cocked position,
and also cocks the main hammer during the action of opening the gun, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
2. In drop-down small arms the combination with the main hammer and the
ejector hammer of a cocking limb Figures 27 and 28 made in such a way that it
can both swing and slide, acting as a scar for holding back the ejector hammers,
and also for cocking the main hammer during the action of opening the gun
substantially as bereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In drop-down small arms the combination with the cocking limb ƒ and main
hammer of an ejector hammer e Figure 14, provided with a slant j so formed as to
act upon the cocking limb for the purpose of cocking the main hammer during the
opening of the gun, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
4. In drop-down small arms the combination with a cocking limb f of the ejector
hammer Figure 5 formed with a slant for the purpose of acting upon the cocking
limb and with the bent or notch into which the main spring enters, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In drop-down small arins the combination with a cocking limb of an ejector
hammer Figures 20 and 21 formed with a slant j for the purpose of acting upon the
cocking limb and with a bent or notch s into which a sear may enter, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In drop-down small arms the combination with a cocking limb fand an ejector
hammer e, of a limb h Figure 13 provided with a projection n and a spring o for
the purpose of retaining the ejector hammers in their cocked position when the fore
part is removed from the gun, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
7. In drop-down small arms the combination with a cocking limb and ejector
hammer e of the plate t Figures 22 and 23 which acts as a scar for retaining the
ejector hammers e in their cocked position when the fore part is removed from the
gun, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 19th day of November 1891
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
2, Great George Street, Westminster, London, S. W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.