IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Walker, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gun Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING
SMALL ARMS."
Sealed the 13th April 1880, and dated the 18th October 1879.
Sealed the 13th April 1880, and dated the 18th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Walker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th October 1879.
HENRY WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
My Invention consists principally of the construction and combinations of parts;
herein after described for cocking the hammers of drop down guns, and for
unbolting the barrels of the said guns.
My Invention is especially applicable to drop down guns having internal
hammers, but it may also be applied to guns having external hammers.
I will describe my Invention in connection with guns having internal
hammers,
According to one arrangement of my Invention I cock the hammer or hammers
and actuate the underlocking bolt by means of a slide working in a recess in the
break off. On the underside of this slide are projections or rollers for acting upon
and cocking the hammers. The rectilinear motion of the cocking slide is preserved
by a guide rod at its rear end working in a fixed eye on the underside of the
tang of the break off. A coiled spring around the guide rod gives the return
motion to the slide and parts connected with it. The excentric axis of the hand.
lever on the tang of the break off, commonly called a top lever, has a short arm
working on the underside of the cocking slide, and the free end of the said short
arm works between studs or projections on the said slide. Jointed to the body of
the gun at about the same level as the joint of the internal hammer is a nearly
This lever extends
vertical lever or swinging rod for working the locking bolt.
upwards and passes through a slot in the locking bolt, and its upper free end takes
into a hole in the front end of the cocking slide. When the hand lever on the tang
is turned aside the short arm of the said hand lever gives motion to the cocking
slide in the direction of the butt end of the gun, and the said slide cocks the
hammers. The said slide at the same time moves back the lever passed through
D...0.1

page_text: the locking bolt, and withdraws the said bolt and unlocks the barrels. Thus the
cocking of the hammers and the withdrawal of the locking bolt are simultaneously
effected. On loosing the hand lever the cocking slide and locking bolt are returned
to their normal positions by the coiled spring around the slide guide rod. A fixed
screw pin working in a straight slot in the cocking slide may be used in place of
the guide rod described.
Instead of moving the cocking slide by an arm on the axis of the top lever,
acting directly on the cocking slide, the said arm may be connected to the slide
by a link, and in place of a sliding locking bolt an oscillating bolt, or bolt turning
on a joint, may be withdrawn by the cocking slide.
Instead of working the cocking slide by a short arm on the axis of the top lever
a toothed sector may be made to gear with a toothed rack on the said slide, and
instead of the short arm or toothed sector described the cocking slide may be
worked from the top lever by a screw on the said slide taking into a boss on the
underside of the top lever, the said boss working in a straight slot in the tang.
When the top lever is turned aside the said boss travels in the straight slot
described, and gives the requisite motion to the cocking slide for cocking the
hammers and withdrawing the locking bolt.
In place of an ordinary hammer actuated by a main spring, and driving forward
a. striker, a hammer having a long nose or striker may be used for acting directly
on the cartridge. This striker is actuated by a coiled spring in the body of the
gun pressing upon a rod, and the latter bearing against a shoulder below the centre
of the jointed striker. In this arrangement the swinging rod or lever for working
the locking bolt may turn upon the same centre as the jointed striker.
The coiled spring and rod described may be used for actuating an ordinary
hammer. In this case the hammers and sears are carried by the trigger plate.
The cocking slide and locking bolt may be worked by a hand lever at the side
or underside of the gun. When a side lever used the short cranked arm of the
said hand lever takes into the cocking slide, and the rear end of the locking bolt is
connected to the short arm of the hand lever by a link. A toothed sector and
rack may be used for working the cocking slide instead of an arm taking into
a slot.
Or the under or side hand lever may be made to cock the hammer and withdraw
the bolt (which may either be a sliding bolt or an oscillating bolt) by connecting
the upper short arm of the hand lever to the bolt, and jointing a link for cocking
the hammer either to the short arm of the hand lever or to the bolt.
When a band lever on the underside of the gun is used the short arm of the
said hand lever works the cocking slide and also withdraws the locking bolt.
Or the piece or plate by which the cocking is effected may turn upon a centre
and be worked by an arm on the axis of the top lever through a connecting link.
In this arrangement the rod or lever for working the locking bolt is jointed to the
front end of the cocking piece.
This modification may be applied to the several arrangements herein before
described.
Instead of cocking the hammer by a slide and withdrawing the bolt by a
hanging lever, the hanging lever (worked by a top hand lever) may be made to
withdraw the bolt and cock the hammer.
I prefer to use with my improvements a safety bolt for locking and unlocking
the triggers or sears arranged to work closely under the tang of the break off, the
said bolt being moved into the position of safety for locking the triggers or sears
(when the hammers are cocked by the slide or cocking piece) by the end of the
guide rod of the said slide or cocking piece bearing against the safety bolt. The
safety bolt is withdrawn when it is wished to discharge the gun by a slide or
knob moved by hand on the upper side of the tang of the break off.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th April
1880.
HENRY WALKER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH LOADING SMALL ARMS."
My Invention consists principally of the construction and combinations of parts
herein after described for cocking the hammers of drop down guns, and for
unbolting the barrels of the said guns.
My Invention is especially applicable to drop down guns having internal
hammers, but it may also be applied to guns having external hammers.
I will describe my Invention in connection with guns having internal
hammers.
According to one arrangement of my Invention I cock the hammer or hammers
and actuate the underlocking bolt by means of a slide working in a recess in the
break off. On the underside of this slide are projections or rollers for acting upon
and cocking the hammers. The rectilinear motion of the cocking slide is preserved
by a guide rod at its rear end working in a fixed eye on the underside of the tang
of the break off. A coiled spring around the guide rod gives the return motion to
the slide, and parts connected with it. The excentric axis of the hand lever on
the tang of the break off, commonly called a top lever, has a short arm working on
the underside of the cocking slide, and the free end of the said short arm works
between studs or projections on the said slide. Jointed to the body of the gun at
about the same level as the joint of the internal hammer is a nearly vertical lever
or swinging rod for working the locking bolt. This lever extends upwards and
passes through a slot in the locking bolt, and its upper free end takes into a hole in
the front end of the cocking slide. When the hand lever on the tang is turned
aside the short arm of the said hand lever gives motion to the cocking slide in the
direction of the butt end of the gun, and the said slide cocks the hammers. The
said slide at the same time moves back the lever passed through the locking bolt
and withdraws the said bolt and unlocks the barrels. Thus the cocking of the
hammers and the withdrawal of the locking bolt are simultaneously effected. On
loosing the hand lever the cocking slide and locking bolt are returned to their normal
positions by the coiled spring around the slide guide rod.
Instead of moving the cocking slide by an arm on the axis of the top lever acting
directly on the cocking slide, the said arm may be connected to the slide by a link ;
and in place of a sliding locking bolt an oscillating bolt or bolt turning on a joint
may be withdrawn by the cocking slide.
Instead of working the cocking slide by a short arm on the axis of the top lever
a toothed sector may be made to gear with a toothed rack on the said slide.
In place of an ordinary hammer actuated by a main spring and driving forward
a striker, a hammer having a long nose or striker may be used for acting directly
on the cartridge. This hammer or striker is actuated by a coiled spring in the body
of the gun pressing upon a rod, and the latter bearing against a shoulder below the
centre of the jointed striker. In this arrangement the swinging rod or lever for
working the locking bolt may turn upon the same centre as the jointed striker.
The coiled spring and rod described may be used for actuating an ordinary hammer.
In this case the hammers and sears are carried by the trigger plate. The cocking
slide and locking bolt may be worked by a hand lever at the side or underside of
the gun.
When a side lever is used, the short cranked arm of the said hand lever
takes into the cocking slide, and the rear end of the locking bolt is connected to
the short arm of the hand lever by a link. A toothed sector and rack may be used
for working the cocking slide instead of an arm taking into a slot.

page_text: When a hand lever on the underside of the gun is used the short arm of the said
hand lever works the cocking slide, and also withdraws the locking bolt.
Or the piece or plate by which the cocking is effected may turn upon a centre,
and be worked by an arin on the axis of the top lever through a connecting link.
In this arrangement the rod or lever for working the locking bolt is jointed to the
front end of the cocking piece.
This modification may be applied to the several arrangements herein before
described.
Instead of cocking the hammer by a slide and withdrawing the bolt by a
vertical lever the vertical lever (worked by a top hand lever) may be made to
withdraw the bolt and cock the hammer.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in vertical longitudinal section, a portion of the breech end
of a drop down gun having a top lever, the internal hammers and underlocking
bolt of which gun are actuated according to one of my improvements; Figure 2
represents in side elevation and plan the locking bolt detached; and Figure 3
represents one of the hammers detached.
a are the barrels, and 6 the break off; c is one of the internal hammers having
a projection 2 upon it; d is the cocking slide, on the underside of the rear end of
which are projections at d³ for acting upon the projections c² of the hammers c, and
cocking the said hammers. The rectilinear motion of the cocking slide d is preserved
by its front end working in a recess in the break off b; e is a portion of the top hand
lever; and fis the axis of the same, the said axis being provided with a toothed
sector of the kind represented in Figure 8, the said toothed sector gearing with the
toothed rack epresented on the cocking slide d; g is a nearly vertical lever or
swinging rod jointed at g² to the body of the gun. The upper end of the said
lever or swinging rod g takes into the cocking slide d; h is the under locking bolt
of the gun, the rear vertical part of which is connected by the link i to the vertical
lever or swinging rod g. The bolt h may however be connected to the lever g in
other ways.
When the hand lever e on the tang is turned aside the toothed sector on the
bottom of the axis f working in the rack in the slide d draws back the said slide,
and causes its shoulders at d to cock the internal hammers c. The said slide d at
the same time moves back the lever g, which withdraws the locking bolt h and
unfastens the barrels. The cocking of the hammers and the withdrawal of the
locking bolt are thereby simultaneously effected.
Instead of working the cocking slide d by a toothed sector and rack, as
represented in Figure 1, a short arm of the kind represented in Figure 5, and
marked f2 may be used on the axis of the hand lever, and be made to take into an
opening in the slide.
The return motions of the parts may be effected by a spring acting upon the
cocking slide.
Figure 4 represents the arrangement of my Invention in which the hammers are
cocked and the bolt withdrawn by means of a lever; Figure 5 represents parts of
the cocking and bolting mechanism detached.
I is the cocking and withdrawing lever turning on the centre k², and worked by
the short arm f2 on the axis f of the hand lever e, the said arm f2 taking into the
opening in the head of the said lever k, as best seen in the separate view
Figure 5; h is the locking bolt connected by the link i to the lever k; c is one of
the hammers of the gun constructed as before described. When the hand lever e
is turned aside the short arm f2 of the axis ƒ operates upon and causes the lever k
to have motion upon its joint in the direction of the butt end of the gun. The
cross bar of the said lever k is thereby made to cock the hammers a, and the said
lever at the same time withdraws the locking bolt h. The end of the locking bolt
is provided with an anti-friction roller, which when the barrels are bolted down
takes into a seat in the lump 7, the said lump having an inclined face. When the.

page_text: bolt h is first withdrawn through the action of the hand lever e and cocking lever k,
the inclined face of the lump by the rising of the breech ends of the barrels is
brought against the roller of the bolt, and the further back motion of the bolt is
assisted by the pressure of the rising barrels, as particularly described in
Specification of my Patent No. 4292, year 1878.
Instead of working the cocking and withdrawing lever by an arm f² on the
axis of the hand lever e, taking into an opening in the head of the cocking lever
a toothed sector and rack may be employed, as illustrated in Figures 6, 7, and 8,
where m is the toothed sector on the axis f of the hand lever é, and n is the rack
at the head of the cocking lever k. The action of this arrangement is the same as
that last described, and corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of.
reference. In the arrangement, Figure 4, the back motion of the parts is effected
by the action of the V spring p, bearing on the axis f of the hand lever e, and in
Figure 6 a spring rod and coiled spring at 9 are employed for the same purpose.
In Figures 1, 4, and 6 the hammers c are actuated by main springs of the
ordinary kind, but the said hammers. may be actuated by a spring rod of the
construction represented in Figure 9; r is the rod pressed outwards by the coiled
spring s situated in the body of the gun, the nose or pointed end of the said rod
bearing against a shoulder below the centre of the hammer c, as represented. The
sear, shown detached in Figure 10, is of the ordinary kind. The trigger plate
which I use with the hammers actuated by spring rods, as shown in Figure 9,
is represented in side elevation in Figure 11, and plan of upper side in
Figure 12.
The spring rod arrangement instead of an ordinary main spring for actuating
the hammers may be applied to hammers having a long nose or striker which acts
directly on the cartridge, as illustrated in Figures 13, 14, and 15, where the curved
hammers or jointed strikers are marked t and the spring rods actuating them are
marked r, 8.
In Figure 13 the curved hammer tis cocked and the locking bolt h withdrawn
by means of the inclined toothed sector u on the axis f of the top lever e, gearing
with inclined rack teeth v on the head of the cocking lever k.
In Figure 14 the cocking and withdrawing mechanism is operated by means of
a side lever won the end of the square axis x, the cocking and withdrawing
lever being fixed on the said square axis x. The cocking lever is situated
between the two hammers t, which hammers turn upon cylindrical parts of the
said axis x.
In Figure 15 the cocking and withdrawing mechanism is operated by a hand
lever y on the underside of the gun. In this arrangement the hand lever y, and
cocking and withdrawing arm k are made in one piece, as best seen in the detached
view Figure 16. A projection on the cocking arm k acts against a stud t² on the
curved hammer t to cock it, and the upper end of the cocking arm is connected
to the locking bolt h by the link i, as before described.
The cocking arm last described may be modified in the manner illustrated in
Figures 17 and 18, for the purpose of causing it to take into and fasten down the
barrels at the prolonged rib.
In this arrangement the cocking arm is prolonged upwards and its head is
hooked at k³; the said hooked end when the barrels are shut down, taking into the
prolonged end a² of the rib between the barrels. The barrels in this arrangement
are locked down both at top and bottom.
Or the sliding underbolt may be dispensed with, and the hooked end of the
cocking lever be made to bolt down the barrels at the rib only.
Figure 19 represents in vertical longitudinal section, and Figure 20 in vertical
cross section another arrangement of my Invention for cocking the hammers and
withdrawing the bolt by the operation of the top lever; Figure 21 represents the
axis of the top lever detached; Figure 22, the cocking and withdrawing lever
detached; and Figure 23 one of the hammers detached.

page_text: In this arrangement the axis f of the top lever e is prolonged downwards to
about the middle of the break off, the bottom of the prolonged axis having a short
arm f upon it, which takes into the head of the short cocking lever k projections
,, on which act upon studs t2 on the hammers t, t, to cock the said hammers.
The locking bolt h is connected to the cocking lever k, and the other parts are
constructed in the manner before described. Instead of making the top lever in
the several arrangements turn aside it may have motion in a vertical plane, the
short arm of the lifting top lever being connected to the cocking slide or cocking
lever by a link.
I prefer to use with my improvements a safety lock bolt y for locking and
unlocking the triggers or sears of the lock mechanism, as illustrated in Figure 24,
the said safety bolt being arranged to work closely under the tang of the break off
and moved into the position of safety for locking the triggers or sears when the
hammers are cocked by the action of the slide or cocking piece bearing against the
safety bolt. The safety bolt y² is withdrawn when it is wished to discharge the
gun by a slide or knob y³ moved by hand on the upper side of the tang of the
break off.
The improvements described and illustrated may be applied to drop down guns,
having external hammers instead of internal or concealed hammers, as represented.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention: First. The several arrangements or combinations of the parts of
mechanism herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 of the accompanying Drawings for cocking
the internal or external hammers and for withdrawing the under locking bolts of
drop down guns having top hand levers.
Secondly. The arrangement or combination of the parts of mechanism, herein
before described and illustrated in Figure 14 of the accompanying Drawings, for
cocking the internal or external hammers and for withdrawing the underlocking
bolts of drop down guns having side hand levers.
Thirdly. The arrangement or combination of the parts of mechanism, herein
before described and illustrated in Figures 15 and 16 of the accompanying
Drawings, for cocking the internal or external hammers and for withdrawing
the underlocking bolts of drop down guns, having hand levers on the underside of
the said guns.
Lastly. The modification, herein before described and illustrated in Figures 17
and 18 of the accompanying Drawings, in which the barrels are bolted down at top
and bottom or at top only.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Walker, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
night hundred and sight
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
HENRY WALKER. (L.S.)