IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tranter, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gunmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS."
Sealed the 19th January 1872, and dated the 23rd September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tranter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd September 1871.
I, WILLIAM TRANTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gunmaker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," to be as follows:-
My Invention has reference in the first place to improvements in
breech-loading guns similar to those described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to me, and bearing date December 9th 1869, No. 3557,
and consists in the improvements thereon herein-after stated.
The lever for actuating the falling block is formed in such a manner
that one arm of the mainspring will act in connection with it, so as to
1

page_text: cause the lever to fall with ease when pulling down, and to retain it in
its place when returned for the purpose of firing. The hammer is
adapted to work in connection with the said lever and is actuated by the
other end of the mainspring connected thereto by means of a swivel or ·|
otherwise. The trigger is formed and arranged to act in connection {
with the hammer, and the hammer with the striking pin in a similar
manner and for the same purpose as in my Patent above referred to.
The falling block may have a nose jointed to it through which the
striking pin will pass, and which may be made wider than the other
parts of the falling block for the purpose of being retained as required in
a suitable recess formed in the frame. The back of the said nose piece
and the recess are to be formed so as to correspond with the arc
described by the falling block in its motion..
My Invention.consists in the second place in the formation of a
locking bolt to press against the end of the sear or trigger, where it 1
falls into the bents or notches of the hammer, and retain it there; such
locking bolt being also capable of being turned so that the handle of
the same may be before or behind, so as to indicate when the trigger is
bolted or unbolted.
My Invention consists in the third place in the formation of an
indicator, which may be placed to act on the side of the frame by means
of a stud formed on it, which stud is acted upon by the rising and falling
of the hammer. A coiled spring may be fitted in the body for the
purpose of pressing back the indicator after being raised by the
hammer.
My Invention consists in the fourth place in the formation of a spring
with a swell and to be fixed at the end of the long arm of the lever, to
work through a hole or against the end of the lock or trigger plate,
for the purpose of retaining the lever when returned to its place for
firing.
My Invention consists in the fifth place in the use of a lever catch,
the handle of which is almost at a right angle to the catch, and jointed
to the long arm of the lever, for the purpose of fixing the same during
the time of firing.
My Invention consists in the sixth place of a safety lever catch formed
to act in connection with the trigger and hammer, and so arranged that
it would be freed in the act of holding the gun for the purpose of

page_text: firing.
When this safety lever is used the lever for moving the
block may be formed to act on the side of the frame instead of at the
under side of the gun.
My Invention consists in the seventh place in forming the extractor
with its lever arm longer than the arm used for extracting the cartridge
case. The end of the said long arm is formed to act as a curved
inclined plane. This long arm of the extractor may be acted upon
by the falling block, or by the short arm of the lever that actuates
the block, a slot being formed in the said short arm of the lever for that
purpose.
And my Invention consists in the last place in the formation of an
extracting rod for pistols, similar to that described in the Specification
of a Patent granted to me, and bearing date 28th November, 1868,
No. 3622.
The rod is formed to move in a socket, and the socket is jointed to
another piece, which is screwed to the side of the pistol. The joint of
the socket is formed square, and a spring is made to act in connection
with it for the purpose of causing the rod to lie conveniently under the
barrel of the pistol when not in use, and to spring. into a proper place for
extracting the cartridge cases when required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Tranter in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd March 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TRANTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gunmaker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Tranter, Her special licence
that I, the said William Tranter, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Tranter, my executors,

page_text: 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
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREECH-LOADING SMALL-ARMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Tranter, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 I, the said William Tranter, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Brecch-loading Small-arms," has
reference in the first place to improvements in breech-loading guns
similar to those described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me,
and bearing date December Niuth, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-nine, No. 3557, and consists in the improvements thereon herein-
after stated:
The lever for actuating the falling block is formed in such a manner
that one arm of the mainspring will act in connection with the said
lever, so as to cause the lever to fall with ease when pulling down, and
to retain it in its place when returned for the purpose of firing. The
hammer is adapted to work in connection with the said lever and is
actuated by the other end of the mainspring connected thereto by means
of a swivel or otherwise. The trigger is formed and arranged to act in
connection with the hammer and the hammer with the striking piu, in
a similar manner and for the same purpose as in my Patent above
referred to. The falling block may have a nose jointed to it through
which the striking pin will pass, and which may be made wider than the
other parts of the falling block for the purpose of being retained as
required in a suitable recess formed in the frame. The back of the said

page_text: nose piece and the recess are to be formed so as to correspond with the
are described by the falling block in its motion.
My Invention consists in the second place in the formation of a safety
locking bolt to press against the end of the sear or trigger where it falls
into the bents or notches of the hammer, and retain it there; such
locking bolt being also capable of being turned so that the handle of the
same may be before or behind, so as to indicate when the trigger is
bolted or unbolted.
My Invention consists in the third place in the formation of an
indicator which may be placed to act on the side of the frame by means
of a stud formed on it, which stud is acted upon by the rising and
falling of the hammer. A coiled spring may be fitted in the body for
the purpose of pressing back the indicator after being raised by the
hammer.
My Invention consists in the fourth place in the formation of a spring
with a swell and to be fixed at the end of the long arm of the lever, to
work through a hole or against the end of the lock or trigger plate,
for the purpose of retaining the lever when returned to its place
for firing.
:
My Invention consists in the fifth place in forming the extractor with
its lever arm longer than the arm used for extracting the cartridge case.
The end of the said long arm is formed to act as a curved inclined plane ;
this long arm of the extractor may be acted upon by the falling block,
or by the short arm of the lever that actuates the block, a slot being
formed in the said short arm of the lever for that purpose.
And my Invention consists in the last place in the formation of an
extracting rod for pistols similar to that described in the Specification of
a Patent granted to me, and bearing date November Twenty-eighth, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, No. 3622.
The rod is formed to move in a socket, and the socket is jointed
to another piece which is secured to the side of the pistol. The joint
of the socket is formed square, and a spring is made to act in connection
with it for the purpose of causing the rod to lie conveniently under the
barrel of the pistol when not in use, and to spring into a proper place for
extracting the cartridge cases when required.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed,
by reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented
the parts of fire-arms above referred to."
Fig. 1 represents a portion of a gun in section with the first part of my
improvements applied thereto. A is the lever for actuating the falling 1
block, which lever is formed so as to receive into its recessed portions a
forked end B of the mainspring, as shewn in the Figure and also in plan
or horizontal view in Fig. 2. The connection of the hammer with the
lever A and with the swivel end of the mainspring, also the connection
of the trigger with the hammer and the hammer with the striking pin,
are shewn in Fig. 1; but the hammer may also be arranged to act on
the striking pin in the ordinary manner if preferred.
Fig. 3 is also a section of part of a gun patented by me in One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, No. 3557, with the second part
of my present improvements applied thereto. C is the safety locking
bolt fixed in the lock plate in such a situation in the lock as to press
against the end of the sear D, when turned into the position shewn by
dotted lines in the Figure, thereby shewing on the outside of the lock that.
the trigger is bolted: By turning the bolt over to the opposite side on
its centre of motion the cut-away portion of the bolt will be presented to
the sear, whereby the trigger will be unbolted, which will also be indicated
by the position of the handle of the bolt.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of the bolt, Fig. 5 is a plan view, and Fig. 6
an end view of the same. Fig. 7 is an elevation of a portion of the same
gun, shewing the third part of my improvements applied thereto. E is
the indicator fitted so as to turn on a pivot F on the side of the frame.
G is a stud projecting from the inside face of the indicator, which stud is
acted upon by the rising and falling of the hammer. H is a coiled
spring, one end of which is secured to the frame and the other end to
the stud G, by means of which spring the indicator is caused to fall
with the hammer for the purpose of shewing that the hammer is not at
full cock. Fig. 8 represents an outside view, Fig. 9 an inside view, and
Fig. 10 an edge view, of the indicator detached. Fig. 11 represents the

page_text: cavity in the frame to receive the pin of the indicator, shewing also the
coiled spring H; this coiled spring may however in some cases be
dispensed with.
In Fig. 7 and also in Fig. 3 is shewn the fourth part of my improve-
ments. I is a spring with a swell at the end as shewn, which spring is
fixed to the end of the long arm of the lever guard, the said swell
passing into a hole and clipping the end of the lock or trigger plate,
and retaining the lever when returned to its place for firing, as shewn
in the Figures. Fig. 12 is a section and Fig. 13 a back view of the end
of the lever.
In Fig. 3 is also shewn the fifth part of my improvements. K is the
extractor with its lever arm L longer than the arm M. for extracting the
cartridge. The end of this lever arm L is formed with a curved inclined
plane to be acted upon by the falling block, by which form of the end
of the arm the falling block is caused to act with more force at the
beginning of the stroke, to draw out the cartridge case, and gradually
diminishing till the end of the block touches the extractor, when the
cartridge case will be thrown out. The end of the arm I may also
be acted upon by the short arm N of the lever guard. This extractor is
shewn also by dotted lines in Fig. 7.
In Figures 14 and 15 is represented the last part of my improvements.
Fig. 14 is a side elevation and Fig. 15 is a plan or horizontal view of
a portion of a pistol with my improved extracting rod applied thereto.
O is the rod which is capable of moving in the socket P, jointed to the
piece Q, screwed to the frame. The joint of the socket P is made square
and is acted upon as required by a spring R, to admit of its lying under
the barrel as shewn in Fig. 14 when not in use, and to cause it to
spring into the proper place when required to extract cartridge cases, as
shewn in Fig 15.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim
as of my Invention is,-
First. A lock for a breech-loading gun with the lever for raising the
hammer or striker and moving the block formed so as to be acted upon
by one end of the mainspring, the other end of the same actuating the
striker by means of a swivel or otherwise.

page_text: Secondly. The safety locking bolt as represented and described.
Thirdly. The indicator as represented and described, either with or
without a coiled spring.
Fourthly. The formation of a spring on the end of the lever guard as
represented and described.
Fifthly. The extractor with a curved inclined plane formed on the end
of the lever arm for the purpose described.
:
And lastly. The formation of the socket of the extracting rod, capable
of being acted upon by a spring for the purpose described.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tranter, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
8, Quality Court,
Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM TRANTER. (L.S.)