Improvements relating to Double Barrel Drop Down Guns.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Double Barrel Drop Down Guns.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BRIGHTON, of Beatrice House, Jockey Road, Wylde Green,
in the County of Warwick, Gun Action Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of improvements relating to double barrel drop down
guns, my object being to construct and arrange simple and reliable mechanism
in combination with such guns whereby either barrel can be discharged by the
action of the one trigger.
In one application of my invention I pivot on a central vertical projection
from the trigger blade a rocking arm or rocker, the said arm or rocker having at
its forward end a projection to engage the safety sear of the right hand lock
mechanism, and with its rear part slotted in a peculiar manner to engage with a
pin fixed in a bracket which is formed with or secured to the inner side of the
trigger plate, immediately at the rear of the trigger blade.
The operation of the ordinary top or other lever to permit of the opening of
the gun, causes the long arm of a lever pivotted upon the top or safety slide to
engage with the aforesaid rocking arm or rocker and to force back the same,
against the action of its spring, until the projection at its forward end has
passed under or behind the safety sear of the right hand lock mechanism. The
short arm of the said lever passes into a slot formed in the top strap, and by
the difference in the lengths of the long, and short arms the operation of the
rocker is expedited. I sometimes dispense with a lever such as described and
simply provide a plain lug or projection from the slide to engage with the rocker.
When the rocker has been thus forced back by the movement of the top slide
and is held or retained by the safety sear as described, the trigger is in readiness
for the firing of the right hand barrel only, the upward movement of the trigger
blade on the pull of the trigger being so limited as to prevent its operating the
sears of the left hand lock mechanism, by the foremost or narrow end of the
slot through the rocker, which engages with the pin in the aforesaid bracket.
On releasing the trigger after the first pull for the discharge of the right hand
barrel, the rocker swings forward on its pivot until a heel or projection at its
rear end abuts against a specially formed spring secured to the trigger plate
which so acts upon the rocker as to lift the trigger, before the forward movement
of the rocker is completed, a sufficient distance to cause the central portion of
the peculiarly formed slot to engage with the pin passing through the bracket,
and thus to temporarily retard the completion of the stroke and prevent the
accidental firing of the left hand barrel by the involuntary pull due to the recoil
from the right hand barrel. The completion of the stroke of the rocker is effected

page_text: through the impulse of the aforesaid spring which impels the inclined surface on
the heel of the rocker up the correspondingly formed surface at the base of the
bracket, and thus elevates the trigger about its pivot until it is brought up near
to the sears of the left hand lock mechanism. The trigger is then in readiness
for the firing of the left hand barrel.
To permit of the firing of the left hand barrel without first firing the right
hand, I mount upon the top of the trigger blade a sliding piece to serve as the
abutment for the raising of the right hand sear. When it is desired to dis-
connect the right hand lock mechanism it is only necessary to move the slide a
sufficient distance to permit it to escape the right hand sear, and such movement
I effect by releasing the forward projection of the rocker from engagement with
the safety sear, by pressing a finger piece, passing through the lock plate and
arranged to lift the tail of the safety sear. The rocker on then moving forward
under the action of its spring carries with it the aforesaid slide and so disengages
the same.
The return movement of the slide is effected by the action of a small
spring disposed in the trigger blade.
Instead of pivotting a peculiarly perforated or slotted rocking arm upon the
trigger blade as herein before described, I sometimes pivot a plain rocker directly
upon the top strap and arrange that its free end shall engage with grooves of
varying depth in the trigger blade. The said arm is held back, against the action
of a spring, by the safety sear of the right hand lock, but after firing the right
hand barrel the arm moves forward until it abuts against a check spring mounted
upon the blade which serves the purpose of preventing accidental discharge of
the left hand barrel by the involuntary pull, as with the spring hereinbefore
described. To permit of discharge of the left hand barrel without first firing
the right hand barrel, I use a sliding abutment block on the trigger blade such as
herein before described.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25, Cross Street, Manchester.
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements relating to Double Barrel Drop Down Guns.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BRIGHTON, of Beatrice House, Jockey Road, Wylde Green,
in the County of Warwick, Gun Action 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 consists of improvements relating to double barrel drop down
guns, my object being to construct and arrange simple and reliable mechanism
in combination with such guns whereby either barrel can be discharged by the
action of the one trigger.
On the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings (two in number) to be
hereinafter referred to;-
Figure 1 is a side elevation representing a portion of a double barrel drop down
gun fitted with my improved mechanism; the lock plates are not shown in the
figure.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, Figure 3 an end elevation and Figure 4 a plan
showing the trigger blade with my mechanism mounted thereon.

page_text: Figure 5 is an end elevation, Figure 6 a side elevation and Figure 7 a plan -
representing the hinged lifting piece on the safety sear employed with the
right-hand lock mechanism.
Figure 8 is an elevation showing one side of a modified arrangement of my
single trigger mechanism, and Figure 9 a similar view of the opposite side.
Figure 10 is a sectional end elevation on the line y z Figure 8.
Figure 11 is a side elevation and Figure 12 a plan showing the means for
releasing the trigger from the right hand lock mechanism.
.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts.
In the application of my invention as illustrated by Figures 1 to 7 inclusive
on Sheet 1, I pivot on a central vertical projection as A from the trigger blade,
a rocking arm or rocker B, the said arm or rocker having at its forward end a
projection 6 to engage the safety sear of the right hand lock mechanism, and with
its rear part slotted in a peculiar manner (as shown at Figure 2) to engage with
a pin C fixed in a bracket C which is formed with or secured to the inner side
of the trigger plate D, immediately at the rear of the trigger blade.
The operation of the ordinary lever as E to permit of the opening of the gun,
causes the long arm of a lever F, pivoted upon the top or safety slide G, to engage
with the aforesaid rocking arm or rocker B and to force back the same, against
the action of its spring b¹, until the projection b at its forward end has passed
under or behind the safety sear (a portion H of which is shown at Figure 2) of
the right hand lock mechanism which prevents its return. The short arm of
the said lever passes into a slot formed in the top strap J, and by the difference
in the lengths of the long and short arms the operation of the rocker is expedited.
I sometimes dispense with a lever such as described and simply provide a plain
lug or projection from the slide G to engage with the rocker B.
When the rocker B has been thus forced back by the movement of the top
slide, from the position shown at Figure 1 to that shown at Figure 2, and is held
or retained by the safety sear H as described, the trigger A' is in readiness for
the firing of the right hand barrel only. The upward movement of the trigger
blade on the pull of the trigger is so limited as to prevent its operating the sears
of the left hand lock mechanism, by the foremost or narrow end of the slot b²
through the rocker B, which engages with the pin C in the aforesaid bracket C¹.
On releasing the trigger after the first pull for the discharge of the right hand
barrel, the rocker B swings forward on its pivot until a heel or projection 63 at
its rear end abuts against a specially formed spring K, secured to the trigger
plate D, which so acts upon the rocker as to lift the trigger about its pivot, before
the forward movement of the rocker is completed, a sufficient distance to cause
the central portion of the peculiarly formed slot to engage with the aforesaid
pin C, and thus to temporarily retard the completion of the stroke and prevent
the accidental firing of the left hand barrel by the involuntary pull due to the
recoil from the right hand barrel. The completion of the stroke of the rocker
is effected through the impulse of its spring which impels the inclined surface
on the heel of the rocker up the correspondingly formed surface at the base of
the bracket C, (as shown in the sectional view of the bracket at Figure 1), and
thus elevates the trigger about its pivot until it is brought up near to the sears
of the left hand lock mechanism. The trigger is then in readiness for the firing
of the left hand barrel.
To permit of the firing of the left hand barrel without first firing the right
hand, I mount within the right hand lock plate (a portion of which is represented
at Figures 5, 6, and 7) a small sliding pin M to serve as the abutment for the
raising of the disengaging piece M¹³ which is hinged or pivoted upon the right
hand sear H. When it is desired to disconnect the right hand lock mechanism
it is only necessary to push in the slide M until (by the abutment of its conically
shaped head against the hinged piece M¹), it raises the said piece (against the
action of a spring) a sufficient distance, as indicated by dotted lines at Figures 5
and 6, above the forward projection b of the rocker B to permit the latter to move

page_text: forward (and to carry with it the sliding piece a on the trigger blade) from the
position shown at Figure 2, to the position shown at Figure 1 in readiness for
firing the left hand barrel. The said sliding piece a serves as the abutment or
contact piece by which the movement of the trigger is communicated to the
sear H of the right hand lock mechanism. When the sliding piece a is in the
position indicated at Figure 1 its tail or narrow rear end is clear away from
under the sear H' so that on pulling the trigger no motion will be communicated
to such sear.
Instead of pivoting a peculiarly perforated or slotted rocking arm upon the
trigger blade as hereinbefore described I sometimes pivot an arm or rocker N
directly upon the ordinary top strap J and arrange that its free end shall engage
with grooves of varying depth in the trigger blade A2. The said arm is held
back (at the position shown at Figure 8), against the action of a spring n by
the abutment of a small peg as n¹ projecting from one side of the arm, against
the safety sear H of the right hand lock as shown at Figure 10. After firing
the right hand barrel, the arm N (being no longer retained) moves forward, but
its movement is temporarily retarded by its abutment against the inclined
extremity of the check piece K', mounted upon the trigger blade, which causes
the said trigger blade to be raised and so permits a central groove on its upper
surface to enter into engagement with the arm N before the latter has completed
its stroke, thereby preventing accidental discharge of the left hand barrel by
the involuntary pull.
To permit of discharge of the left hand barrel without first firing the right hand
barrel, I employ a sliding piece O, which I mount on the trigger plate D, having
its inner end o diagonally grooved to engage a peg projecting from a rocking
piece P which is arranged in a recess in the trigger blade A2.
As shown at
Figures 8 and 11 the rocking piece P is in position for raising the safety scar H
of the right hand lock mechanism. To disengage the trigger from the right
hand lock mechanism it is only necessary to draw back the slide O so that the
top of the rocking piece is carried clear of the safety sear, as indicated by dotted
line angular position at Figure 11. The same movement of the slide will also
cause the projection o¹ from its inner end to raise the hinged piece of the safety
sear, (such as the piece M' herein before described), clear of the aforesaid peg n
projecting from the arm or rocker N, and thus allow the latter to move forward
about its pivot into position to permit of firing of the left hand barrel.
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: :-
1. In double barrel drop down guns having a single trigger, means for limit-
ing the upward movement of the blade of the said trigger, substantially as and
for the purposes described and as illustrated.
2. In double barrel drop down guns having a single trigger, the combination
comprising the trigger blade A, slotted arm or rocker B pivoted on the said blade,
pin C carried by the bracket C fixed on the trigger plate D, and a spring K which
is also fixed to the said plate D, substantially as and for the purposes described and
as illustrated.
3. In a single trigger double barrel gun having a slotted arm or rocker B and
other parts as claimed in the preceding Claim 2, the combination with the said
arm or rocker of means for operating the same automatically by the opening
movement of the gun, substantially as described and as illustrated.
4. In double barrel drop down guns having a single trigger, the combination
comprising an arm or rocker N pivoted upon the top strap J and engaging at
its free end with grooves of varying depth in the trigger blade A2, and a check
piece K¹ mounted on the said trigger blade, substantially as and for the purposes
described and as illustrated.

page_text: 5. A double barrel drop down gun having improved single trigger mechanism
comprised by the arrangement and combination of parts, substantially as described
and as illustrated.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents for the Applicants.