IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomas, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Gun and Pistol Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS."
Sealed the 19th July 1870, and dated the 4th February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th February 1870.
I, JOHN THOMAS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun
5 and Pistol Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS," to be as.
follows:-
My Invention has reference to those kinds of breech-loading fire-arms
called drop-down guns, and consists of the construction and combination
O of the parts of mechanism herein-after described for fastening down the
barrels of the said guns for firing and releasing them for charging.
Instead of fastening down the barrels by means of the ordinary lump
and grip or bolt, I make on the face of the breech ends of the barrels

page_text: and between the barrels a projecting piece or lump, and I make in the
face of the break-off a vertical slot into which the said projecting piece
or lump takes when the barrels are shut down against the face of the
break-off. I fasten down the barrels by means of mechanism constructed
as follows: In the break-off of the gun I mako a vertical tubular
chamber, into which the vertical slot in the face of the break-off opens.
In this chamber a vertical grip is fitted and turns. The said vertical
grip consists of a cylindrical block of metal, the middle part of which
is of greater diameter than the parts above and below it. The middle
part I will herein-after call the grip, and the other parts the stem or
axis of the grip. The stem or axis of the grip turns in bearings at the
top and bottom of the break-off and body. The upper face of the grip
bears against a solid part of the break-off, and the lower face of the said
grip constitutes an annular shoulder under which the projecting picce
or lump between the barrels engages to fasten down the barrels as
hercin-after described. In the grip a vertical recess or cut-away part
is made, one side of which is inclined to the axis of the grip, somewhat
after the manner of the thread of a screw, so that the recess is wider
at top than at bottom. The upper end of the axis of the grip is secured
to a lever situated on the tang of the break-off. By means of this lever
the grip is turned to unfasten the barrels. The lever may, however, be
situated on the under side of the body. A spring under the tang-bears
against the grip and tends to press the said grip into such a position
that the inclined edge of its recess is made to cross diagonally the
vertical slot in the face of the break-off. The bottom of the projecting
picce or lump at the breech ends of the barrels is bevilled. When the
barrels are shut down after charging the gun the projecting picce or
lump enters the vertical slot in the face of the break-off, and bearing
against the inclined side of the recess in the grip pushes back by a
partial rotation the said grip and permits the projecting piece or
lump to enter the said recess and pass below it. By the partial rotation
of the grip its spring is compressed, and on the projecting piece or lump
leaving the recess in the grip (at which time the barrels have been
completely shut down) the said spring gives a back rotation to the grip
and causes its shoulder to snap upon the top of the projecting piece or
lump of the barrels and securely fasten down the barrels. In order
to unfasten the barrels for reloading the gun the lever on the axis of
the grip is moved through a small angle, the grip is thereby partly
rotated and its shoulder removed from the top of the projecting picco

page_text: or lump and the narrow end of the recess in the grip brought opposite
the said projecting piece or lump, the projecting piece or lump is
thereby free to cater the recess in the grip, and by the rising of the
barrels their open breech ends are exposed for charging. On loosing
the lever by which the grip is rotated the said grip returns by the
action of its spring to the position herein-before described, and on
shutting down the barrels is pushed back and made to snap upon the
lump and fasten down the barrels.
Instead of making the grip bear upon the top of the lump between
the barrels the said grip may be made to engage with the side of the
lump. In this case a vertical groove is made in one side of the lump,.
with which an excentric piece of a corresponding shape on the grip.
engages, when the barrels are shut down and the grip turned by
its lever.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said John Thomas in the Great Seal. Patent Office
on the 28th July 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,.I, Joun
THOMAS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Gun and Pistol
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, giro.
and grant unto me, the said John Thomas, Her special licenco that I,
the said John Thomas, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Thomas, my 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 Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREECH-LOADING
FIRE-ARS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Thomas, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly

page_text: 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 John Thomas, 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 :-
My Invention has reference to those kinds of breech-loading fire-arms
called drop-down guns, and consists of the construction and combination
of the parts of mechanism herein-after described for fastening down the
barrels of the said guns for firing, and releasing them for charging..
Instead of fastening down the barrels by means of the ordinary lump
and grip or bolt, I make on the face of the breech ends of the barrels
and between the barrels a projecting piece or lump, and I make in the
face of the break-off a vertical slot, into which the said projecting piece
or lump takes when the barrels are shut down against the face of the
break-off. I fasten down the barrels by means of mechanism constructed
as follows:-In the break-off of the gun I make a vertical tubular
chamber, into which the vertical slot in the face of the break-off opens.
In this chamber a vertical grip is fitted and turns. The said vertical
grip consists of a cylindrical block of metal, the middle part of which is
of greater diameter than the parts above and below it. The middle part
I will herein-after call the grip, and the other parts the stem or axis of
the grip. The stem or axis of the grip turns in bearings at the top and
bottom of the break-off and body. The upper face of the grip bears
against a solid part of the break-off, and the lower face of the said grip
constitutes a shoulder, under which the projecting piece or lump
between the barrels engages to fasten down the barrels, as herein-after
described. In the grip a vertical recess or cut-away part is made, one
side of which is inclined to the axis of the grip, somewhat after the
manuer of the thread of a serew, so that the recess is wider at top than
at bottom. The upper end of the axis of the grip is secured to a lever
situated on the tang of the break-off. By means of this lever the grip
is turned to unfasten the barrels. The lever may however be situated
on the under side of the body. A spring under the tang bears against
the grip, and tends to press the said grip into such a position that the
inclined edge of its recess is made to cross diagonally the vertical slot

page_text: in the face of the break-off. The bottom of the projecting piece or lump
at the breech ends of the barrels is bevilled. When the barrels are shut
down after charging the gun the projecting piece or lump enters the
vertical slot in the face of the break-off, and bearing against the inclined
side of the recess in the grip pushes back by a partial rotation the said
grip, and permits the projecting piece or lump to enter the said recess
and pass below it. By the partial rotation of the grip its spring is
compressed, and on the projecting piéce or lump leaving the recess
in the grip (at which time.the barrels have been completely shut down)
the said spring gives a back rotation to the grip, and causes its shoulder
to snap upon the top of the projecting piece or lump of the barrels and
securely fasten down the barrels. In order to unfasten the barrels for
reloading the gun the lever on the axis of the grip is moved through a
small angle, the grip is thereby partly rotated, and its shoulder removed
from the top of the projecting piece or lump, and the narrow end of the
recess in the grip brought opposite the said projecting piece or lump,
the projecting piece or lump is thereby free to enter the recess in the
grip, and by the rising of the barrels their open breech ends are exposed
for charging. On loosing the lever by which the grip is rotated the
said grip returns by the action of its spring to the position herein-before
described, and on shutting down the barrels is pushed back and made to
snap upon the lump and fasten down the barrels.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figures 1 and 2 represent longitudinal vertical sections of a breech-
loading drop-down gun provided with a fastening constructed according
to my Invention. In Figure 1 the barrels of the gun aro represented
fastened down for firing, and in Figure 2 the said barrels are represented
unfastened and raised from the break-off for charging. Figure 3 repre-
sents a cross section of the gun taken through the body, and Figures 4, 5,
and 6 are parts of the same separately. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
_a are-the-barrels of the gun turning on the joint 6 in the usual manner‍;
c is the body of the gun; and d is the break-off, against which the face
of the breech ends of the barrels a bear when shut down; e is the
projecting piece or lump on the face of and between the barrels a; ƒ is
a vertical slot in the face of the break-off d, through which slot the

page_text: .
the incline k pushes back by a partial rotation the grip g, and permits
the said lump to enter the vertical recess i in the said grip and pass
below the shoulder of the said grip, that is, to the part marked i in
Figure 4. The barrels having been completely shut down when the
lumpe has reached the position last described the spring m gives a back
or return action to the grip, and causes it to resume its normal position.
The shoulder of the grip is thereby made to snap upon the top of the
projecting piece or lump e of the barrels, and securely fasten down the
said barrels, as seen in Figure 1.
Figure 7 represents in longitudinal section another drop-down gun, in
which the releasing lever of the grip is. made of a curved figure to fit
upon the front of the trigger guard; and Figure 8 represents in plan of
under side the barrels of the gun separately, the said Figure 8 exhibiting
the shape of the bevilled end of the lump, which acts upon the incline
of the grip to push back the said grip.
Figure 9 represents in longitudinal section another drop-down gun, in
which the releasing lever of the grip is situated on the tang of the
break-off. The parts of the guns, Figures 7, 8, and 9, are marked with
the same letters of reference as corresponding parts in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Where the releasing lever is situated on the tang the said lever may
give motion to the grip by an arm or second lever under the tang
engaging with the grip instead of connecting the releasing lever directly
with the grip.
This arrangement of my Invention is represented in Figures 10, 11,
12, and 13; Figure 10 representing in section, and Figure 11 in plan the
body and break-off of a gun containing this arrangement; Figure 12 the
upper side of the grip separately, and Figure 13 the arm or second lever
of the grip. h is the releasing lever connected by the pin h³ with the
arm or lever p, the inner end of which works in a circular opening q
in the top of the grip g. By moving the lever h. in the proper direction
the arm p gives a partial rotation to the grip and releases the barrels,
the return motion of the arm p and the grip being effected by a spring
acting on the tail of the arm p. This spring is not shown in the Drawing.
. Or the arrangement represented in plan-of-under-side in Figure 14,
and vertical-section in Figure 15 may be employed for releasing the grip.
In this arrangement the arm r (shewn separately in Figure-16) is con-
nected at one end to the grip g by the pin s, and at the other end to
the excentric pin of the releasing lever h, the said pin working in a

page_text: curved slot in the tang of the break-off; h is the centre of the
lever h. By moving the lever h in the direction indicated by the arrow
in Figure 14 the pint of the arm & works in the curved slot u, and
gives motion to the said arm ", and the latter moves the grip 9 through
a partial rotation, and thereby releases the barrels. The return motion
of the grip g is effected by the spring v acting on the tail of the arın r.
The grip is shewn separately in elevation and plan in Figure 17,
and a plan of the under side of the releasing lever is shewn in Figure 18.
Instead of making the fastening grip of the gun in the form of a
cylindrical block having bearings at top and bottom, as hercin-before
described and illustrated in the Drawings, the fastening grip may be
made in the form of a short cranked arm, as illustrated in Figures 19,
20, 21, and 22 of the Drawings; Figure 19 representing in plan of
under side, and Tigure 20 in section the body of a gun provided with a
grip of this kind; Figure 21 shews the grip separately, and Figure 22
the releasing lever separately. 1, 2, is the cranked grip, the acting
vertical part 2 of which performs the same functions as the cylindrical
grip previously described. On the side of the part 2 is the incline 3,
against which the lump on the barrels bears to push aside the grip. The
bottom 4 of the grip constitutes the shoulder, which bears upon the
lump to fasten down the barrels. The horizontal arm 1 of the cranked
grip is connected to the releasing lever by the pin 5 in the manner
best seen in Figure 20, the said lever hand cranked grip 1, 2, turning
on the same centre 5. The return motion of the grip is effected by the
spring 6. The action of this grip is the same as the cylindrical grip a
-herein-before described.
Although I prefer to make the grip in the several arrangements of
my Invention snap upon the projecting piece or lump on the face of the
barrel or barrels, yet the spring by which the grip is returned to its
normal position may be omitted. In this case the fastening down of the a
barrels and the releasing of the barrels are effected by moving the
actuating lever of the grip in the proper direction.
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 do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, 3
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention, the improvements in fastening
down and releasing the barrel or barrels of breech-loading fire-arms of

page_text: the kinds called drop-down guns herein-before described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, fastening down the barrel
or barrels of the said guns by means of a vertical grip situated in the
break-off of the gun in conjunction with a projecting piece or lump on
the face of the breech end of the barrel or barrels, the said vertical grip
being constructed and made to bear upon and relcase the said projecting
piece or lump, substantially as herein described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOHN THOMAS. (L.S.)