IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL FIRE ARMS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry William Holland, of New Bond Street, and
Thomas Perkes, of Cleveland Street, Fitzroy Square, both in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL
FIRE ARMS"
Sealed the 21st March 1879, and dated the 11th January 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry William Holland and
Thomas Perkes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th
January 1879.
HENRY WILLIAM HOLLAND, of New Bond Street, and THOMAS PERKES, of
" IMPROVE-
Cleveland Street, Fitzroy Square, both in the County of Middlesex.
MENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL FIRE ARMS."
This Invention relates to a novel method of securely locking any parts of gun
locks, either automatically or otherwise, and so rendering the gun perfectly safe
from being accidentally discharged. Hitherto guns have been made with only a
single safety catch, technically termed a "safety," to lock either the triggers, scears,
hammers, or tumblers separately, but the object of this Invention is to lock such
several parts simultaneously and conjointly, which is very desirable in hammerless
guns.
The reason for applying a combined "safety" is obvious, for at present, as is well
known, when the tumblers only are locked the scears can be released from the bents
of the tumblers by pressing the triggers, and when so released a probability exists
of their not returning into the bents. In this case when the "safety" is removed
from the tumblers they would fall and accidentally discharge the gun. On the
other hand when the triggers only are locked the tumblers are liable to fall if the
scear-noses or tumbler-bents should have become worn or otherwise injured, thus
rendering the gun very unsafe, and a similar objection applies to locking the scears
only. To prevent these contingencies we connect to the swing-trigger locking-bar
which locks the triggers or scears, and for which Letters Patent were granted to
the above named Thomas Perkes, May 16th, 1878, No. 1968, a sliding bar or rod
working in or on the trigger-plate, which is capable of locking the tumblers and
scears at the same time as the triggers are locked. This sliding bar or rod is set
in motion by the action of the grip-lever, which is also fully described in the

page_text: Specification of the before mentioned Patent No. 1968, of 1878, and is forced into
position to act on the tumblers by means of a suitable spring. When the tumbler
is raised into position to receive the scears a suitable projection formed thereon
comes in contact with the sliding-bar, and forces it back till the recess in the
tumbler is opposite to the nose of the sliding bar, when the spring forces such
sliding bar into the recess formed in the tumbler, and so completely locks the gun,
and thereby obviates all danger of accidental discharge.
We would wish it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise
details above mentioned, as they may be varied without departing from the principle
of our Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry William Holland and Thomas Perkes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th July 1879.
HENRY WILLIAM HOLLAND, of New Bond Street, and THOMAS PERKES, of
Cleveland Street, Fitzroy Square, both in the County of Middlesex. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL FIRE ARMS."
This Invention relates to a novel method of securely locking any parts of gun
locks, either automatically or otherwise, and so rendering the gun perfectly safe
from being accidentally discharged.
Hitherto guns have been made with only a single safety catch, technically termed
a "safety," to lock either the triggers, sears, hammers, or tumblers separately, but
the object of this Invention is to lock any of such several parts simultaneously and
conjointly, which is very desirable in hammerless guns.
And in order that our said Invention may be better understood and readily
carried into effect, we will now with the aid of the accompanying Drawings,
whereon similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, proceed more
particularly to describe and ascertain the same.
Figure 1 of such Drawings shews a view in side elevation of a gun lock con-
structed upon our improved principle, wherein the sliding bar or safety bolt is
actuated by means of a spring placed at the back of the swing trigger locking bar,
as presently described; a, a, are the triggers; b, the hammers; c, the sears; d, the
Bwing trigger locking bar; e, the sliding bar or safety bolt; f, the grip lever ;
g, the spring; h, the shoulder; h¹, the recess; i, the tooth or claw; and i', the
projection on the shoulder h, all hereafter referred to.
Figure 2 represents a partial view of one of our improved gun locks, wherein
the spring g is dispensed with, and a lever k furnished with arms, k, s, is substituted
therefor.
The advantages of applying a combined "safety" to such guns are obvious; at
present, as is well known, when the hammers or tumblers only are locked the sears
can be released from the bents of the tumblers by pressing the triggers, and when
so released a probability exists of the scars not returning into the bents, and should
this occur when the "safety" is removed from the tumblers they would fall, and
accidentally discharge the gun.
On the other hand when the triggers only are locked the tumblers are liable to
fall if the sear noses or tumbler bents have become worn or otherwise injured, thus
rendering the gun very unsafe, and a similar objection applies to locking the scars
only.
To prevent these contingencies, which are frequently attended with fatal results,
we connect to the swing trigger locking bar d which locks the triggers or sears (and
for which Letters Patent were granted to the above named Thomas Perkes on the
16th day of May 1878. No. 1968) a sliding bar or safety bolt e, working either in
or on the trigger plate, and which is capable of locking either the hammers or
tumblers bor sears c, or both conjointly at the same time as the triggers are
locked.
This sliding bar or safety bolt is set in motion by the action of the grip lever f
(which is also described in the Specification of the before mentioned Patent,
No. 1968, of 1878), and is forced into position so as to act on the tumblers by
means of a spring 9 conveniently placed at the back of such swing trigger locking
bar d
A suitable projection or shoulder / furnished with a recess h¹ is formed at the
back of the hammer or tumbler b, so that when such hammer or tumbler is raised
into position to receive the sears c this projection or shoulder comes in contact with
the sliding bar or safety bolt e, and forces it back until the recess h¹ in the back of

page_text: the tumbler is opposite the nose of the sliding bar or safety bolt when the spring g
forces the sliding bar into such recess, and so completely locks the gun.
In order to retain it firmly in this position we form a tooth or claw i at the end
of such sliding bar e, which tooth or claw stands over the projection or shoulder h
formed on the hammer or tumbler, as seen in the accompanying Drawings, and in
the event of either the sear or the tumbler failing to secure the gun, such tooth or
claw engages with a projection formed on the shoulder h, and so effectually
prevents the hammer from exploding the gun accidentally.
h
Or the arrangement of the spring g above described may be dispensed with, and
the safety bolt e may be forced into position over the projection ½ by means of a
lever furnished with one short and one long arm, ³, as shewn in Figure 2,
which lever is centred under the projection. The operation of this latter arrange-
ment is as follows:-Upon the hammer being raised some short distance beyond
full cock the projection h forces down the short arm kl, and propels the sliding bar
or safety bolte into the recess ¹ by means of the long arm k², and the gun is thus
effectually secured.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into operation we would have it
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise form or position of the
safety bolt or swing trigger locking bar, as illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, What we claim is the securely locking simultaneously with the triggers,
"the tumblers, or sears of a gun lock, either separately or conjointly, by means of the
combined action of the swing trigger locking bar d with the safety bolt e, working
in or on the trigger plate, which safety bolt is actuated either by a spring g or by a
double armed lever k, substantially as hereinbefore destribed and illustrated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry William Holland and Thomas Perkes,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
ELT, & Co.,
British & Foreign Patent Office,
33, Southampton Buildings,
Holborn,
London, W.C.
HENRY W. HOLLAND.
THOMAS PERKES.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)