IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING SNAP GUNS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Horatio Frederick Phillips, of Rotherhithe, in the County
of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
BREECH-LOADING SNAP GUNS."
Sealed the 16th March 1880, and dated the 25th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Horatio Frederick Phillips
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th November 1879.
HORATIO FREDERICK PHILLIPS, of Rotherhithe, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING SNAP GUNS."
This Invention relates to that class of sporting gun in which the hammers are
concealed, and consists in a novel application of coiled springs to the hammers or
strikers in place of the flat springs generally used, the object of the Invention
being to simplify the construction of the gun, to lighten the push on the hand
lever, to cock the hammer, to reduce the friction on the pivot pin, and at the same
time to retain the compensating action of a swivel.
In carrying out my Invention I fit to each hammer head a rod which projects
through a slot formed in a transverse guide bar rivetted or otherwise secured to
the trigger plate in rear of the triggers. On this rod I mount a coiled spring
which lies between and bears against this guide bar and a collar on the forward
end of the rod.
If preferred, the rod may be pivotted or otherwise secured to the hammer
head.
The hammer may be cocked by any convenient arrangement of hand lever or by
the dropping of the barrels, and the gun will be provided with a suitable locking
arrangement to prevent the accidental discharge of the gun.
Instead of employing hammers which necessitate the use of striking pins to
explode the cartridge, the rod on which the spring is mounted may be used as the
striking pin. In this case the point of the rod will be prolonged so that it will
project through the breech block, and it will be guided in its course by a guide bar,.
which is so mounted as to rock on the pivot pin.
This bar will be rocked on its pivot by the hand lever or by dropping the barrels
as in the former case. The striker may be provided with a shoulder which will
bear against the back of this guide bar, or it may be connected therewith in any
other convenient manner so as to ensure the forcing back of the pin and the com-
pression of the spring by the back movement of the guide bar.
When I employ the dropping of the barrels to cock the hammers I use a pliable
connection, such as a chain or cord working with guide pulleys.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Horatio Frederick Phillips in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th May 1880.
of
HORATIO FREDERICK PHILLIPS, of Rotherhithe, in the County of Surrey.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BREECH-LOADING SNAP GUNS."
This Invention relates to that class of sporting guns in which the hammers are
concealed, and consists in a novel application of coiled springs to the hammers or
strikers in place of the flat springs generally used, the object of the Invention being
to simplify the construction of the gun, to lighten the push on the hand lever, to
cock the hammer, to reduce the friction on the pivot pin, and at the same time to
secure an equivalent for the compensating action of the swivel of the ordinary flat
spring arrangement.
In carrying out my Invention I fit to each hammer head a rod which projects
through a slot formed in a transverse guide bar rivetted or otherwise secured to
the trigger plate in rear of the triggers. On this rod I mount a coiled spring which
lies between and bears against this guide bar and the hammer head.
The hammer may be cocked by any convenient arrangement of hand lever or by
the dropping of the barrels, and the gun will be provided with a suitable locking
arrangement to prevent the accidental discharge of the gun.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a side view of so much of a sporting gun
with my improvements adapted thereto as will serve to show my Invention, a
portion of the stock being removed, and shewing the action in the fired position;
Fig. 2 is a similar view shewing the hammers in the cocked position; Fig. 3 is a
plan view of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line x, x, Fig. 1.
a is the trigger plate, to which are pivotted at 6 the tumblers. The hammer
heads c', c', are pivotted to the tumblers, and to each head c' is fitted a rod d, which
projects rearwards through a hole formed in a transverse guide bar 6.
This guide
bar e may be rivetted to or forged with the trigger plate a, in rear of the triggers.
Upon each rod d is mounted a coiled spring d', which lies between and bears
against the guide bar e and the hammer head c.
fis the ordinary hand lever by which the hammers are cocked and the locking
bolt drawn back. This hand lever f has for its fulcrum the pivot pin 6 of the
tumblers, and its tail end f' bears against lateral projections on the tumblers in the
ordinary manner.
It will be seen by comparing the positions of the parts in Figures 1 and 2 that
the increased resistance of the spring d' as it is compressed in the act of cocking
the hammers is compensated for by the back pressure of the hammer on the spring
becoming more direct, the line of force of the spring being approached nearer to
the pivot pin as the compression proceeds, and thus the power to work the hand
lever for cocking the hammers will be rendered nearly uniform throughout the
motion of that lever.
As the power of the spring is exerted directly on the hammer head the friction
on the pivot pin will be less than when the spring acts on the tumblers in the
ordinary way.
When I employ the dropping of the barrels in lieu of the hand lever to cock
the hammer I use a pliable connection, such as a chain or cord working with guide
pulleys.
I have shewn at Fig. 5 of the Drawing an arrangement in which a chain g is
used. This chain g is attached at one end to a pivotted arm f', and after passing
over guide pulleys h, h', is connected to the catch i of the barrel.
It will thus be seen that the canting of the barrels will cause the chain to pull
back the arm f¹, and thereby to cock the hammers: In this case a hand lever
would be required to unlock the barrels.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention for "Improvements in the
Construction of Breech Loading Snap Guns," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, I claim.—
First. The application of coiled springs to the hammers of breech loading snap
guns, in the manner and for the purpose above set forth.
Second. The use of a chain or cord for cocking the hammers by the dropping of
the barrels, as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Horatio Frederick Phillips, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
H. F. PHILLIPS. (L.S.)