Improvements in One Trigger Double Barrel Guns.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 19th Dec.. 1896
Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1896-Accepted. 19th Dec.. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in One Trigger Double Barrel Guns.
THOMAS SOUTHGATE 6 Burton Crescent, St. Pancras, in the County of London,
Gun Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to what is now known as one trigger double barrel guns,
and provides a means of preventing the accidental discharge of the second barrel,
on the first barrel being fired.
In adapting my invention to a double barrel gun, I employ the following limbs.
A single trigger, a piece jointed on the top of trigger blade, and an interceptor
used as under.
A hole is drilled vertically down the forward part of the trigger blade into which
a peg is fitted carrying arms forward and backward at right angles with the said hole
in the trigger blade, the forward arm is made to reach a projection on the lock,
and the backward arm overlies the top of the trigger blade and underlies the sear
tails alternately, the peg which is fitted in the vertical hole in the trigger blade
is fastened at or near its bottom end by a set pin, the centre part of the said peg
is flattened in the centre and twisted in such manner as to form its own spring.
This spring is made to constantly press the backward end of the trigger piece towards
the left, but is overcome by the projection on the lock, when the said lock is at cock,
but on the trigger being pulled the position of the projection on the lock becomes
altered and the pressure against the spring ceases, whereupon the spring pressos the
backward arm under the left sear tail ready to fire the second barrel.
It having been discovered that when the first barrel fired, the recoil releases
the pressure of the finger on the trigger, and allows the said trigger to move forward,
and the backward arm being pressed by its spring, sometimes gets under the left sear
and the reaction after the recoil causes the trigger to be accidentally pulled, and the
second barrel discharged.
In order to prevent these accidental discharges, I attach to the left lock a spring
interceptor the front end of which is fixed to the bridle or other suitable part of
the lock, and the back end overlies the sear to the end of the sear tail, over which
it is bent downwards, its lower end reaching a convenient distance below the under
surface of the sear tail, this lower end of the interceptor is provided with two
notches or dents, one on either side the inner notch facing the left sear tail and the
outer notch facing the right hand sear tail, the utility of the interceptor is as
follows. When the right barrel is discharged, and the recoil and the reaction of
same causes the backward arm to fly in the direction of left sear tail, it is caught
in the notch or bent, on the outer side of the interceptor, and the reaction after
the recoil of the firing of the first barrel, lifts the interceptor untill it is caught and
sustained by the inner notch or bent on the interceptor catching and resting on the
upper surface of the sear tail, thus bringing the lower end of the interceptor above or
level with the bottom surface of the sear tail in such manner that when the trigger
is released the backward arm pivoted in the trigger blade, pressed by its spring
takes its place under the left sear tail, ready for the discharge of the second barrel,
after which the cocking of the locks forces the backward arm under the sear tail
of the right lock, ready to again fire the right barrel, the backward arm just refered
to is provided with a spur on its left side arranged in such manner that when it is
forced from the left sear to the right, the spur catches the interceptor, and moving it

page_text: from its bearing on the upper surface of the sear tail allows it to spring down to
its intercepting position between the two sear tails.
The said interceptor may be attached to the trigger plate, but preferably to the
lock, and the sides above refered to may be reversed in case the left hand barrel is
required to be fired first.
Wahana 2-1 100
THOMAS SOUTHGATE.
I, THOMAS SOUTHGATE of 6 Burton Crescent, St. Pancras, London, Gunmaker, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to what are known as one trigger double barrel guns,. and
provides improved means for preventing the accidental discharge of the second barrel,
on the first barrel being fired.
In adapting my invention to a double barrel gun, I employ the following limbs as
forming part of the mechanism that is, a single trigger, a piece or two armed lever,
jointed at the top of the trigger blade, and an interceptor, all constructed and arranged
as hereafter described.
My invention will be best understood by describing same with reference to the
accompanying drawings, whereon
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the left hand lock plate, and Fig. 2 a similar view of
the right hand lock plate, (both detached) of a single trigger double barrel gun
constructed according to my invention, and showing both tumblers as having been
pulled off.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of part of the action showing the trigger and the parts
carried thereby.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the mechanism,
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the piece or two armed lever detached, which is in
connection (when in position) with the trigger plate,
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the interceptor detached,
Figs. 7, 8, and 9, are detail views hereafter mentioned.
In the drawings A Fig. 1, is the left hand lock, and A' Fig. 2 is the right hand
lock, B B are the bridle plates; C C are the main springs, D D' are the sears,
E E are the trigger safeties described in my prior Specification of Patent No. 8239
dated 24th April 1893; G, Fig. 3 is the single trigger, G being the blade thereof,
upon the upper part of which, according to my present invention, I pivot a spring
controlled lever, having two arms H H', and shewn detached at. Fig. 5. The spring
of the lever may be formed or fitted in any convenient manner, but as I prefer, a
hole is drilled vertically down the forward part of the trigger blade G', into which
a peg H' Fig. 5, is fitted; this peg is formed or fitted with arms H H', which
extend forward and backward therefrom at right angles with the said hole in the
trigger blade, into which the peg H2 is fitted as aforesaid. The forward arm H¹ of
the lever is made to reach a projection A say on the right. hand lock A¹, and the
backward arm H, which overlies the top of the trigger blade, is caused to underlie
the sear tails of the sears D D¹ alternately. The peg H2 which is fitted in the vertical
hole in the trigger blade G', is fastened at or near its bottom end by a set pin, and
the centre part of the said peg is flattened and twisted in such a manner as to form
its own spring; this spring, or its equivalent, is made to constantly press the back-
.ward end H of the trigger piece or lever, towards the left, that is towards the left
land sear tail D. The front end H₁ of the lever is thus given a tendency to rock

page_text: over towards the right lock A', and is stopped when the lock has been fired, by coming
in contact with say the bridle plate B¹; when however the lock or tumbler A¹ is cocked
the lever. H H is rocked by the projection A which is in the example shewn,
fixed to or carried from the trunnion of the right hand lock A', and is formed with
an inclined face Ax to act on the lever arm ¹. The projecting part A' is shewn
detached and on a larger scale at Fig. 9. By this arrangement when the trigger is
pulled to fire off the right hand lock, the position of the projection A' on the said
fock becomes altered, it being removed from the end H' of the lever, and the pressure
against the spring ceases, whereupon the spring peg H³ presses the backward arm H,
under the left sear tail, ready to fire the second barrel.
The backward arm H of the two armed lever, is provided or formed with a part H*,
carrying a lateral spur H*, on its (in this case) left hand side, the object of the said
spur being to catch, or take against, and act upon, a part of the interceptor as here-
after described. H°, Figs. 3 and 5, is a downward projection adapted to limit the
throw of the lever arm H, by contact with the trigger plate.
It has been discovered that when the first barrel is fired the recoil releases the
pressure of the finger on the trigger, and allows the said trigger to move forward, and
the back arm being pressed by its spring, sometimes gets under the left sear, and the
re-action, after the recoil, causes the trigger to be accidentally pulled and the second
barrel discharged. In order to prevent these accidental discharges of the second
barrel, I attach to the left lock, shewn at Fig. 1, a spring interceptor J, the front end
of which at J' is fixed to the bridle B, or other suitable part of the lock, and the back
end overlies the sear D to the end of the sear tail, over which it is bent vertically
downwards, its lower end Js, see Fig. 6, reaching a convenient distance below the
under surface of the sear tail. This lower end of the interceptor is provided with
two notches, bents, catches, or projecting parts J and J, one on each side of the
part J, the inner catch J, facing the left sear tail, and the outer catch J4 facing the
right hand sear tail.
The object of this interceptor and the co-action of the parts is as follows:-
Both locks having been cocked, upon the right hand barrel being discharged,
the projecting part A, by the motion of the lock A', passes away from the point of
the rocking arm H', and by its spring action the backward arm H of the two armed
lever is caused to fly in the direction of the left sear tail, and is caught or brought up
by the depending part J of the spring interceptor, and thereby prevented from
passing below the tail of the left hand sear D; the arm H of the lever then rests
below the projection J of the interceptor, as is shewn by the enlarged rear view of
the parts detached at Fig. 7. The re-action after the recoil on the firing of the first
barrel, that is a second action, or upward motion of the trigger blade, raises the
arm H of the lever, and lifts the interceptor J until it is caught and retained by the
inner projection J as shewn in Fig. 8, which projection J is brought to rest on
the upper surface of the sear tail, thus bringing the lower edge of the part J³ of the
interceptor above or level with the bottom surface of the sear tail, in such a manner,
that when the trigger G is released, the rear arm H of the lever, by its spring, is
caused to take its place under the left sear tail, ready for the discharge of the second
barrel as shewn at Fig. 8; a third action of the trigger then fires the second, in this
case, the left hand barrel.
Upon the locks being again cocked, the arm H' of the lever is acted upon by the
projections A of the lock A, the rear arm H being brought thereby laterally to the
right hand side, and this action brings the spur H, of the arm H, in contact with
the part J, of the interceptor, whereby the projection J of the latter is moved
from its bearing on the upper surface of the sear tail as at Fig. 8, and is caused
to spring down to its intercepting position as at Fig. 7, between the two sear tails.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In one trigger double barrel guns, the two armed lever pivotted on the trigger

page_text: blade, a spring to normally place the front end of the lever adjacent to the right hand
tumbler, and a projection on the right hand tumbler to rock the rear end of two
armed lever, beneath the right sear tail, when the lock is cocked, in combination with
an interceptor, composed of a spring arm, fixed at the front end to the left hand lock
plate or bridle, and at its rear end overlying and extending below the end of the left
sear tail, and projections on this extending portion of the interceptor end, whereby
the first action of the trigger pulls off the right lock, and the interceptor catches the
rear arm of lever, a second action of trigger removes the interceptor and allows
the rear arm of lever to come below the left sear, and a third action of trigger fires
the left barrel.
2. In one trigger double barrelled guns, the construction of the interceptor,
composed of a spring arm, fixed at its front end to one of the lock plates, or bridles,
its rear end extending below the end of the sear tail, together with a projection on
one side of the lower extending part to take onto the sear tail, when the interceptor is
raised, and a projection on the opposite side of the lower extending part, by which the
interceptor is raised, all constructed and acting substantially as described and
illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In one trigger double barrelled guns, the combination with a two armed lever
pivotted on the trigger blade, a spring for rocking the lever in one direction, and a
projection on one tumbler for operating the lever; of an interceptor having a part
extending between the right and left sear tails, such separating or dividing part, being
removed by a second, or intermediate action of the trigger previous to firing the
second barrel, substantially as described.
4. In one trigger double barrelled guns the arrangement and combination of parts
composing the lock mechanism, constructed and acting as and for the purposes
described and shewn with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of Novan
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.