IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO MUZZLE-LOADING SMALL- ARMS.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Declcy, of Yardley, in the County of
Worcester, Manager of Works, and James Simeon Edge, the
younger, of Yardley aforesaid, Mechanical Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS, PART OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO MUZZLE-LOADING SMALL-
ARMS.
"
Scaled the 13th June 1873, and dated the 19th April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Deeley and
James Simeon Edge at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 19th April 1873.
We, JOHN DEELEY, of Yardley, in the County of Worcester, Manager
of Works, and JAMES SIMEON EDGE, the younger, of Yardley aforc-
said, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS, PART OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO MUZZLE-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," to be
as follows:-
· Our improvements consist of the arrangements herein-after described

page_text: opened for charging and closeu for п
and of the improvements herein-after described in connecting and
disconnecting the "fore ends" of breech-loading and muzzle-loading
small-arms to the barrels.
In constructing according to our Invention a breech-loading small-
arm having a vertical sliding block, we make the trigger guard turn
upon a joint so that it may be raised and lowered after the manner in
which the lever commonly employed is raised and lowered. A hooked
arm on the top of the trigger guard engages in a recess in the sliding
block and raises or lowers the said block on the raising or lowering of
the trigger guard. The tumbler turns upon a joint in front of the
sliding block. A projecting arm at front of the tumbler bears on the
joint of the trigger guard, and on the lowering of the trigger guard the
descent of the block causes the tumbler to turn upon its joint and
thereby to bring its bent to engage with the sear on the top of the
trigger and thereby cock the gun. A projection on the upper side of
the tumbler by the same motion draws back the striker. After the
trigger guard has been raised the gun is ready for discharge. The
extracter is actuated by an arm or projection carried by the trigger
guard. The ordinary striker may be dispensed with and a hammer on
the tumbler be made to act directly on the cartridge.
For connecting and disconnecting the fore ends of guns we place a
lever in a slot in the under side of the fore end, the said lever being flush
with the surface of the fore end, excepting that the extreme or thumb
plate end of the lever on which the thumb or finger acts to lift the
lever is provided with a projection for the thumb or finger to act upon.
This lever has on its under side a projection which when the lever lies in
its slot engages under the front or muzzle end of the loop on the
under side of the barrels and fixes the fore end in its place. A flat
spring acting on the back of the said hooked projection of the lever
tends to keep the said lever in its normal position in its slot. The short
arm of the lever comes in contact with the upper side of the loop on.
the barrels when the said lever has been raised from its slot to a
sufficient angle to disengage the hooked projection from the said
loop. The said short end of the lever thus becomes a fulcrum by which
on the further motion of the lever the fore end is started from its
position and its removal thereby made easy.

page_text: The lever may be pressed to its normal position by a coiled spring or
by a double or V spring instead of by a flat spring.
The hook may be made on the back end of the loop on the under side
of the barrels, in which case the hook of the lever is on its short arm,
and the lever is actuated and the fore end unfastened by pressing upon
the end of the lever instead of by raising it. The last described arrange-
ment may however be made to act by raising the lever, in which case
the hook is not made on the end of the lever itself but on a sliding bar
against the inclined end of which an inclined shoulder on the lever
acts. The starting of the fore end is in this modification effected by
an incline on the under side of the bar acting against an incline on
the end of the loop.
Instead of making the lever move vertically it may move laterally
1
3
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Deeley and James Simeon Edge in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JOHN
DEELEY, of Yardley, in the County of Worcester, Manager of Works,
and JAMES SIMEON EDGE, the younger, of Yardley aforesaid, Mechanical
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said John Deeley and James Simeon Edge,
Her special license that we, the said John Deeley and James Simeon
Edge, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said John Deeley and James Simeon Edge, our 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

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE
APPLIED TO MUZZLE-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Deeley and James Simeon Edge, exc-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 we, the said John Deeley and James Simeon
Edge, 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:-
Our improvements consist of the arrangements herein-after described
of the mechanism of breech-loading small-arms, in which the breech is
opened for charging and closed for firing by a vertical sliding block,
and of the improvements herein-after described in connecting and dis-
connecting the "fore ends" of breech-loading and muzzle-loading small-
arms to and from the barrels.
In constructing according to our Invention a breech-loading small-
arm having a vertical sliding block we make the trigger guard turn
upon a joint, so that it may be raised and lowered after the manner in
which the lever commonly employed is raised and lowered. A hooked
arm on the top of the trigger guard engages in a recess in the sliding
block, and raises or lowers the said block on the raising or lowering of
the trigger guard. The tumbler turns upon a joint in front of the
sliding block. A projecting arm at front of the tumbler bears on the
joint of the trigger guard, and on the lowering of the trigger guard the
descent of the block causes the tumbler to turn upon its joint, and
thereby to bring its bent to engage with the sear on the top of the
trigger, and thereby cock the gun. A projection on the upper side of
the tumbler by the same motion draws back the striker. After the
trigger guard has been raised the gun is ready for discharge.. The
extractor is actuated by an arm or projection carried by the trigger
guard. The ordinary striker may be dispensed with, and a hammer on
the tumbler be made to act directly on the cartridge.

page_text: For connecting and disconnecting the fore ends of guns we place a
lever in a slot in the under side of the fore end, the said lever being flush
with the surface of the fore end, excepting that the extreme or thumb
plate end of the lever on which the thumb or finger acts to lift the lever
is provided with a projection for the thumb or finger to act upon. This
lever has on its under side a projection which, when the lever lies in
its slot, engages under the front or muzzle end of the loop on the under
side of the barrels, and fixes the fore end in its place. A flat spring
acting on the back of the said hooked projection of the lever tends to
keep the said lever in its normal position in its slot. The short arm of
the lever comes in contact with the upper side of the loop on the barrels,
when the said lever has been raised from its slot to a sufficient angle to
disengage the hooked projection from the said loop. The said short end
of the lever thus becomes a fulcrum, by which on the further motion of
the lever the fore end is started from its position, and its removal thereby,
made casy.
The lever may be pressed to its normal position by a coiled spring or
by a double or V spring, instead of by a flat spring.
,
The hook may be made on the back end of the loop on the under side
of the barrels, in which case the hook of the lever is on its short arm
and the lever is actuated and the fore end unfastened by pressing upon
the end of the lever instead of by raising it. The last described arrange-
ment may however be made to act by raising the lever, in which case
the hook is not made on the end of the lever itself, but on a sliding bar,
against the inclined end of which an inclined shoulder on the lever acts.
The starting of the fore end is in this modification effected by an incline
on the under side of the bar acting against an incline on the end of
the loop.
Instead of making the lever move vertically it may move laterally
with the same effect, slight alterations only of the mechanism being
required.
Having explained the nature of our Invention, we will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.

page_text: Figure 4 represents the same after the trigger guard has been depressed
and the breech opened, and the gun cocked.
Figure 5 represents the opposite side of the gun to that represented
in Figure 4, and shews the arrangement for operating the extractor.
Figure 6 represents the breech block and parts connected with it
detached from the body of the gun.
Figure 7 represents an end elevation of the trigger guard detached;
Figure 8 represents the striker detached; and Figures 9 and 10 are
modifications of the gun, as herein-after described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1.
to 10.
a is the body of the gun in which the vertical sliding block 6 works to
open and close the breech. The said block b is hollow, and contains the
discharging and cocking mechanism. c is the trigger guard turning on
a joint at d on the body a, so that the said trigger guard may be raised
to or lowered from the said body. The said trigger guard c is furnished
with a thumb plate c² for operating it, and is connected to the sliding
block 6 by the hooked arm e taking into a recess 62 in the side of the
sliding block, so that when the trigger guard is raised or lowered the
said block 6 is raised or lowered. f is the striker, sliding horizontally in
the block and urged forward by the coiled spring g; h is the tumbler
of the gun turning on the centre h³ at the front of the sliding block b.
At the front of the said tumbler is a projecting arm h³, the said arm
bearing upon the knuckle d² of the joint of the trigger guard c. By
means of the said projecting arm h³ the tumbler his cocked on depressing
the block b, as herein-after explained. On the head or upper side of the
tumbler is another projection h*, which on the lowering of the trigger
guard and block withdraws the striker f by bearing against the inclined
shoulder on the said striker. When the tumbler / has been brought
to the full cocked position, its further motion is arrested by the stop 75
coming against the body of the gun. ¿
centre 2, and 3 is the trigger spring;
is the trigger turning on the
is the sear which engages with
the bent or notch in the tumbler h, and holds it at full cock; k, k³, is
the extractor, consisting of a lever situated and working in the side of

page_text: the breech body a (see Figure 5). The lower arm ² of the extractor is
curved, and above it is a hooked arm on the trigger guard c. After
the breech has been completely opened by the descent of the block b,
the said hooked arm 7 by acting on the arm ² of the extractor gives
motion in the proper direction to the upper or extracting arm k, and
causes the latter to extract the empty cartridge case from the barrel of
the gun.
The action of the gun is as follows:-When the gun has been
discharged, the several parts occupy the respective positions represented
in Figure 3. In order to open the breech to reload the gun, the trigger
guard c is lowered from the body a, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.
The first action of the trigger guard c causes its knuckle d³ to act upon
the projecting arm ³ of the tumbler, and turn the said tumbler on its
centre . By this motion the projection * on the upper part of the
tumbler bears against the inclined shoulder f2 on the striker f, and
withdraws the nose of the striker into the block b, and permits the said
block to descend. On the continued motion of the trigger guard c the
bent in the tumbler is brought opposite the sear it, and the said sear
engages therewith and cocks the gun; that is, the strikerf by the action
of the parts f³, *, has been pushed back and its spring compressed, the
striker being held in its withdrawn position by the tumbler h. During
the cocking of the gun the block 6 has been lowered in the body by the
hooked arm e on the trigger guard, and the breech opened as illustrated
in Figure 4. As soon as the block 6 has been lowered sufficiently to
open the breech, the hook on the opposite side of the trigger guard
operates the extractor k, k², and causes the empty cartridge case to be
extracted from the barrel. Thus by the lowering of the trigger guard c
the strikerfis withdrawn and cocked and held in a cocked position, the
breech opened, and the empty cartridge case extracted. After the
introduction of a fresh cartridge into the barrel, the trigger guard c is
lifted to the body, when the sliding block 6 is again raised in the body a
and the breech closed, and the gun is ready for discharge. On pulling
the trigger i the sear is liberated from the bent in the tumbler h, and
the strikerfis advanced by its coiled spring, and striking the cartridge'
discharges the gun, as illustrated in Figure 3. The trigger guard c may
be held in its raised position under the body a by a snap fastening.
Figures 9 and 10 represent portions of guns constructed according to
our Invention, in which the striker is dispensed with, and a hammer on

page_text: the tumbler is made to act directly upon the cartridge. m is the
hammer furnished with a nose m² which passes through the block and
strikes the cartridge. The hammer m is raised to discharge the gun
either by a spring p bearing directly upon its tumbler as illustrated in
Figure 9, or by a spring p connected to the tumbler by a swivel q, as
illustrated in Figure 10.
We will now describe our improvements in connecting and discon-
necting the fore ends of small arms.
Figure 11 represents a side clevation, and Figure 12 a plan of under
side of the breech end of a drop-down gun drawn half the full size, the
fore end of the said gun being connected to and disconnected from the
barrels by mechanism constructed according to our Invention. Figures 13
and 14 represent the fore end in longitudinal vertical section drawn of
the full size; and Figure 15 represents a plan of the under side of tho
samc. In Figure 14 the fore end is represented connected to the
barrels, and in Figure 13 the said fore end is represented unfastened and
in the act of being started from its place on the under side of the barrels.
The same letters indicate the same parts in Figures 11, 12, 13, 14,
and 15. a is the fore end in a recess in which a metal frame b is fitted
and fixed by screws.
The said frame 6 carries a lever or lever bolt
marked c, d, g, which works in a slot in the said frame b; e is tho
centre on which the lever turns. The said lever or lever bolt and its
frame are flush with the surface of the fore end a. The thumb plato
end c of the lever is furnished with a cross piece c² on which the thumb
or finger acts to lift the lever, a cup-shaped depression fin the frame b,
permitting the finger or thumb to readily act upon the lever. On the
upper side of the lever is a hooked projection g which when the lever
lies in its slot in the frame b engages with the front hooked end of the
loop on the under side of the barrels, and fixes the fore end in its
place. A flat spring i acting on the back of the said hooked projection g
tends to keep the lever in its normal position in its slot. In order to
disconnect the fore end a from the barrels, the thumb plate end c, c³, of
the lever is lifted or brought into the position represented in Figure 3,
the hooked projection of the lever is thereby disengaged from the
loop h, and the fore end a is unfastened. By this lifting of the lever a
the short arm d of the said lever comes in contact with the under side of
the loop on the barrels. The said short arm d of the lever thus
becomes a fulcrum by which on the further motion of the thumb plate

page_text: end c of the lever the fore end a is started from its position, and its
removal thereby made easy, that is to say, the first lifting of the lever c
disengages the hooked projection 9 from the loop h, and the further
motion of the said lever causes its short arm d to bear on the loop h, and
start the fore end as will be understood by an examination of Figures 13
and 14.
In order to connect the fore end to the barrels it is only necessary to
place the rear part of the fore end against the joint of the barrels
and press the fore end upon the barrels. As the fore end is pressed
down the lever is first turned on its joint by coming against the loop h,
and takes the position represented in Figure 13, and its hooked
projection 9 is afterwards made to snap into the hook of the loop / by
the action of the spring i, and fasten the fore end to the barrels as
represented in Figure 14.
Instead of the flat spring i represented, a coiled spring or a double
or V spring may be used to press the lever c, d, g, to its normal position.
The hook may be made on the back end of the loop h instead of on
its front end. In this arrangement we make the. hooked part which
takes into the loop on the barrels on the short arm of the lever, and the
lever is actuated and the fore end unfastened by pressing upon the
thumb plate end of the lever instead of by raising it. This arrangement.
of our Invention is illustrated in longitudinal section and plan of under
sido in Figure 16, where d is the hooked end of the lever or lever bolt
engaging with the hook on the loop h of the barrels, and c is the thumb
plate end of the lever; e is the centre on which the lever turns. The
part of the lever for starting the fore end after the hooked end d has
been disengaged from the hook of the loop h is marked k. The lever
is pressed to its normal position by the double spring acting upon the
hooked end of the lever. The fore end is released by pressing inwards
or upwards the thumb plate end c of the lever, as indicated by the
arrow. On the withdrawal of the hooked short end d from the loop the
projection / bears against the loop h and starts the fore end from its
place.
The arrangement represented in Figure 16 may be modified so as to
cause the fore end to be unfastened and started by raising the lever.
This arrangement. is represented in longitudinal section and plan of
under side in Figure 17. In this arrangement the hook n engaging.

page_text: with the loop h on the barrels is made on the end of the sliding bar or
bolt m, pressed home by the spring p, and the said bar m is actuated by
the lever c turning on the centre e.
On the front end of the sliding
hooked bar or bolt m is an incline q, which acts against an incline » on
the loop for starting the fore end from its place.
The action of this mechanism is as follows:-On lifting the lever c
from the fore end in the direction indicated by the arrow the shoulder d
of the said lever bears against the front of the sliding bar m, and by
pressing back the said bar releases its hooked end n from the hook of
the loop h. When the hooked end of the bar m is disengaged from the
loop the incline q on the said bar is brought against the incline ŕ on
the loop h, and the further motion of the said bar m causes the fore end
to be started from its place.
Instead of making the lever move vertically as represented it may
move laterally with the same effect. This arrangement of our Invention
is illustrated in side elevation and plan of under side and upper side,
and also a portion of the same in Figure 18. c is the lever turning in a
horizontal plane on the axis e, the fore end being cut away to permit
the lateral motion of the lever. On the axis e is a hooked arm f, which
takes upon the hook of the loop h. The said hooked arm f has on one
side of it an inclined projection g, by which the starting of the fore end
is effected. The lever c is maintained in its normal position by the
double spring i acting on the tail k of the arm of the lever. On turning
aside the lever c in the direction indicated by the arrow its hooked armf
is removed from off the hook of the loop h on the barrels, and the fore
end is thereby released. After the hooked arm has been removed from
the loop the inclined projection g is brought against the under side
of the said loop h, and by the further motion of the lever the said
projection g bears against the said loop and starts the fore end from its
place.
The improvements herein-before described are applicable to the con-
necting and disconnecting of the fore ends of muzzle-loading as well as
breech-loading small-arms, and to both single and double barrel small-
arms.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood
that we do not limit ourselves to the precise details herein described and..

page_text: illustrated, as the same may be varied without departing from the
nature of our Invention; but we claim as our Invention,-
First. Tho improvements in those kinds of breech-loading small-arms
called vertically sliding block guns herein-before described and illus-
trated in Figures 1 to 10, both inclusive of the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say, the construction and arrangement of parts substantially
as described and illustrated for raising and lowering the block for
cocking and discharging the gun, and for extracting the empty case of
the cartridge from the barrel.
Secondly. Connecting and disconnecting the fore ends of small-arms
by means of a double acting lever or lever bolt, the said lever or lever
bolt being engaged with and disengaged from the loop on the barrel or
barrels, and made to start the fore end substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 18, of the
accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. Connecting and disconnecting the fore ends of small-arms
by means of a spring sliding bar or bolt actuated by a lever, the said
spring sliding bar or bolt being engaged with and disengaged from the
loop on the barrel or barrels, and made to start the fore end substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated in Figure 17 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Deeley and James Simeon
Edge, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Fifteenth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and soventy-three.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN DEELEY.
(L.S.)
JAMES SIMEON EDGE, JNR. (L.S.)